How to add fresh, plant-based meals to your diet

July 10, 2017

Most people can use a little more plant-based food in their life. As a country, Australian statistics are astounding when we look at issues such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Most of us find that we simply don’t have enough time to cook, shop and prepare healthy meals and ‘fast food’ is becoming cheaper and more available.

So, how do we fix this issue?

One way is to make time for your health. Allocate a few hours on a Sunday, meal prep and make health a priority in your and your family’s life. I recently did a video on my weekly lunch and breakfast meal prep that takes about an hour on a Sunday afternoon. Not a huge commitment and you are awarded with plenty of healthy meals for your Monday-Friday! Watch the video here.

If you’re finding yourself struggling to stick to a meal prep routine, there’s certainly other options available. One awesome company I recently come across is Soulara.

Soulara’s brand promise is to deliver plant-based, fresh (not frozen), nutrient-rich, environmentally sustainable meals to your doorstep. These meals are backed by science to reduce obesity related diseases, include plenty of ‘superfoods’ to keep you glowing, the food is subject to minimal processing and the lifestyle requires no calorie counting.

Once I read a little more about the brand I was very impressed about their sustainability ethos. From saving energy and water, lowering carbon emissions, protecting farmland and supporting biodiversity, they believe eating plant-based foods is the key to making our planet better.

So now to the meals…

The meals are delivered weekly in recyclable packaging with insulation liners that can keep the food cool for up to 12 hours. I got mine delivered in an insulated box with an included ice pack, they thought of everything!

The prices range between $9.50 – $11.50 a meal depending on how many meals you wish to order for the week ahead. Here are the ones I tried starting with my favourite:

Healing Turmeric & Farro Soup: No saving the best for last here. I couldn’t resist the look of this soup and served it up on the first day. I was definitely not disappointed as I tasted it’s creamy, nutty flavours. Since I like chilli on almost everything I added some for an extra kick and served the soup with a side of steamed broccoli. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!! Highly recommend this soup, it definitely healed my hunger and taste buds! The ingredients include Green lentils, Yellow lentils, Turmeric, Sweet Potato , Kale, Farro, Coconut cream and Almonds.

Enchanted Forest Wild Mushroom Penne: Aside from maybe soup, nothing beats pasta on a cold winter night! This delicious wild mushroom penne is flavourful and super satisfying. The ingredients of this yummy dish include a range of mushroom varieties like Oyster, Shiitake, Porcini and Enoki. The wholegrain pasta is topped with Pistachio crumb, Truffle oil, Basil, Edible flowers, Microherbs and Parsley! As usual, I added chilli for an extra kick though my fiancé loved it as is.

 

Twilight Truffle Potato & Kale Cakes: Really yummy but I didn’t find these overly filling! The ingredients included Purple sweet potato, Truffle oil, Almond meal, Chia seeds, Watercress, Capsicum, Pomegranate seeds, Kale, Snow pea tendrils and Edible flowers. These were seasoned with Microherbs, Garlic, Lemon juice, Olive oil, Dijon Mustard, Salt, and White pepper. Whilst I may have just been overly hungry that day, I definitely recommend trying this yummy, healthy meal! 

 

Garden Harvest Pasta Bake: Oh my god this vegetable-rich pasta bake just melts in your mouth! Similarly to the Kale Cakes, I wasn’t convinced that I was satisfied after this meal but damn it was tasty! The ingredients included plenty of nutrient rich vegetables such as Eggplant, Zucchini, Carrot, Sweet Potato and Pumpkin. These were paired with fresh pasta sheets, Tomato base, Olive oil, Garlic and Almond milk. A great lunch time meal for winter.

Yellow Lentil Dahl with Rice: If you’re after a classic, creamy curry with lots of protein try this lentil delight! Lots of great flavours but of course if you want more add extra curry powder and chilli to taste. Ingredients include Green lentils, Yellow lentils, Turmeric, Sweet Potato , Kale, Farro, Coconut cream and Almonds.

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Portobello Tranquility Salad: I love mushrooms. They take every meal to the next level and really absorb all the seasonings and flavours of the dish. This salad, however was the only dish that disappointed me from the Soulara range. I don’t know if it was the subtle dressing or the overload of greens but something seemed quiet bland. The ingredients included Daikon Raddish, Portobello mushroom, Cucumber, Enoki mushrooms, Rocket, Black sesame seeds, Edible flowers, Microherbs, Watercress, Snow pea tendrils, Olive oil and Balsamic vinegar. I can see this being a great addition to a plate as a side dish but if you love lots of flavour in your meals I don’t recommend this salad on its own.  

 

These dietician designed meals are created on a rotating menu, so you can always look forward to something new and exciting. The meals mentioned above are currently available so log on, order them and let me know if you agree with my review! Similarly if you tried something that I haven’t and are absolutely obsessed please let me know so I can order it! I got my bestie onto Soulara who is excited about healthier, plant based options in her busy work schedule. Will you make the switch?

Happy eating!