Our Experience Using The Sun Basket Meal Kit Delivery Service

Last week we had our first Sun Basket meal kit delivery come in. Sun Basket is a meal kit delivery service that is extra special because they offer so many incredible meal options. What I loved most about Sun Basket over the numerous other meal kit delivery businesses we looked at, was their focus on organic and sustainable meals. They have so many meals to choose form including vegetarian, vegan, paleo, and Mediterranean. I will try almost anything, so for our first order I chose meals that I thought my husband would enjoy best. 

Because the special introductory offer of 60% off was so great, we decided to try three meals with our first order: steak with purple sweet potatoes and roasted red pepper salsa, poison-glazed chicken over glass noodle salad, and Italian sausages served with tangy mostada sauce and wilted greens. 

After creating an account online we were able to decide which days we would prefer the delivery. I was a little worried because I knew if it came early, it would be sitting in our mail room all day until we had the opportunity to pick it up after work. I didn’t have to worry though, because the packaging (eco-friendly and recyclable including the ice pack) was very well insulated and the food was still cold enough when we made it home. The meat was placed right over the ice pack where it was the coldest. 

With our first order there was a welcome newsletter as well as the recipe book. What I loved about this recipe book was that it gave you all of the recipes that were offered that week. So even if you didn’t get to try every meal on your wishlist, you could still make them later on at home. And if there was a meal you truly loved, you can now replicate it any time. 

Each of the meals come in separate paper bags. Each paper bag contains the smaller ingredients that are needed for each meal: the spices, sauces in small jars, herbs, and vegetables. 

The Pros of a home meal kit delivery service:

• So much time saved! -planning, shopping, commuting to the grocery store, prepping, and cooking. 
• Makes eating healthy effortless.
• Each meal takes only 15-30 minutes to cook.
• Healthier food = healthier bodies.
• Meals come measured in the exact portions you need, illuminating food waste. 
• Packaging is recyclable and compostable.
• We can put a pause on weeks when we don’t need it. 
• We get to try new and exciting meals.
• More time spent together.

The cons:

• It can get expenses at around $12 per serving per meal. 
• We might not like all of the meals.
• We have to worry about picking up the boxes on delivery day. 
• So much packaging! Even though it is recyclable, all of the bags, boxes, wrappings, and containers do add up. 

Although there are not as many cons as there are pros, these ones can make or break the meal kit idea. Ultimately, price was a big factor for us. It does add up. 

So after cooking the first week’s meals, what is our consensus? 

What I loved most was all of the time that I was able to save (as well as the decision fatigue). Because Matthew is still in university, that leaves many nights left for me to cook. The time saved was incredible and definitely worth it. We both loved that the meals were delicious and it got us to try new things (Matthew discovered that although he doesn’t like sweet potatoes, he actually does enjoy roasted sweet potatoes and mushrooms are now on his radar). We noticed that we definitely increased our vegetable intake through the week using the Sun Basket meal kit and because of this, we also had more energy. 

An unexpected side effect was that I actually felt less bloated by the end of the week. Because of my endometriosis I can suffer from bloating at certain times, especially in the evening. I know that diet has a big impact, but I was not expected to feel so well after just one week of less carbs and more vegetables. 

 One thing I really did not like about Sun Basket was the idea of all of the packaging that came with the delivery. All meal delivery kits come with a lot of packaging and although it is recyclable and Sun Basket does a good job of making sure everything is sustainable, it really does pile up. 

Our second box arrived this week and this time I only included one meat dish that Matthew will love, one fish dish for myself, and a vegetarian dish that we will both enjoy.  Unlike most meal kits, there are so many meal options to choose from and they cater to all kinds of diets and tastes. You can also personalize each meal by choosing different meat options as well as adding sauces. This week’s kit also came with a surprise: overnight oats for breakfast. 

As we ate the first meal last week, Matthew told me to cancel the subscription because it is too much money. However, by meal three he told me we should get it back, this time scheduling for delivery just once a month and limiting the meals to two instead of three. I’m definitely in. 

If you have any questions about Sun Basket meal kits, please ask me in the comments below and I will do my best to answer them for you. This post is not sponsored by Sun Basket; I decided to try it out because I was tired of having the same meals over and over again and having to plan each one. I decided to share my thoughts on the blog because I know a lot of people who are thinking about trying a meal kit service like Sun Basket and I thought it would help others wondering the same things as myself.