The holidays are over, and the time for over eating and over drinking is through. It is now time to reevaluate your health, and realign your wellness to your everyday needs. Sadly, gyms are still shuttered due to the latest variant restrictions, but keeping fit is more than just being active. You need to take diet into account as well. And you can start getting back on track by eating well, and Up Meals, healthy meal plan delivery service can help.
No excuses on not having the time to prepare proper meals, or not wanting to go to the store for ingredients. You simply log on, order online, and your meal for the following week comes right to your door. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. With the option for snacks as well.
Menu items rotate weekly, so there’s always something new and delicious to try for those who continue their subscription. And the meals are curated to your preferences. Order by midnight Friday to receive your delivery the following Monday.
But what sets Up Meals apart from other meal plan services is their chef collaboration series. The show runners at Up Meal have teamed up with local chefs and restaurateurs for specific dishes. Get a taste of Kissa Tanto and Chef Joël Watanabe or Cham Cham Vegan Vietnamese with Chef Kim Vo delivered to your door.
Here is a taste of what I had during my three days of worry-free and healthy eating; in the order of which I had it day by day. You are given the assortment of dishes organized by breakfast, lunch, and dinner; and colour coded for easy reference. But you need not follow any specific order or even eat them consecutively day by day. Pick what you want to eat as you crave for it. For instance I eat heavier breakfasts and lunches and try to wind down for dinner so my meal plan caters to that.
Day 1 started with the Southern bbq breakfast bowl featuring pulled pork in a classic hickory bbq sauce. It is served with a potato hash and mixed vegetables including corn, red peppers, onion, and pickled cabbage. The lot of it is topped with two perfectly poached eggs. As my first taste of Up Meals I was fully impressed. Both the presentation and the flavour of the dish held up. After a quick spin in the microwave I couldn’t tell that it was made before hand if no one had told me. There was so much flavour to this and it was deliciously satisfying as my first meal of the day. The highlight was definitely the creamy, dairy free, butternut squash hollandaise sauce that tied it to breakfast.
For lunch I was excited to dig into one of the Chef series items. The Andalucía Entree Bowl was created by Chef Joël Watanabe of Kissa Tanto & Bao Bei. Olive hummus, Moroccan chicken thighs with a smoked paprika vinaigrette, Falafel, roasted cauliflower, cherry tomato, yam, broccolini, red radish, romaine lettuce, pumpkin seeds, white sesame seeds, and grapeseed oil goes into this Mediterranean inspired dish. They don’t skimp on the ingredients and as a result this entree does not lack on anything. So much zesty flavour with its citrus and spice. Pairings I have never had before with plenty of textures to fill. Recommend to be enjoyed chill, but I enjoyed it warmed. You can absolutely taste the quality in this. This dish is proves that healthy does not need to be dull.
For dinner it was the Tuscan pesto chicken bowl prepare with herbed seasoned chicken, quinoa, spinach, and oven dried tomatoes. Topped with crunchy croutons, Parmesan, and a sun dried tomato basil dressing. I fully enjoyed the subtle pesto in the dressing, but could have uses more tomatoes and smaller pieces of Parmesan to better ration between bites. This made for a great light meal. Filling enough that you didn’t feel like you are just eating a side salad.
When Day 2 rolled around I was less surprised by the impactful flavours and knew to expect quality from the rest of my Up Meals servings. Their breakfast options continued to be my favourite. Especially the Chimmichurri breakfast hash bowl with its hearty roasted potatoes, onions, and peppers; as well as more perfectly poached, free range eggs. The herbed sauce was perfect, it allowed the flavours of the other vegetables to shine, adding a nice pepperiness to the end of each. All the textures worked harmoniously and the mushrooms had a nice beefy texture to them.
Lunch was another chef collab series. A Vietnamese Zoodle Salad created by Chef Kim Vo of Cham Cham Vegan Vietnamese. It featured roasted lemongrass tofu and zucchini noodles, with fresh vegetables and a peanut sauce I literally could not get enough of. I appreciated how the vegetables noodles are like actual noodles, without the extra carbs. I just wanted a lot more of her signature peanut sauce to fully drench and coat each crispy spiralled strand.
For dinner I dug into into another chef collab series, another creation by the Tayybeh Syrian Cuisine team.The Muhammara chicken wrap is prepared with spiced Moroccan-inspired chicken, tomatoes, pickled red onions, and parsley; all wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla. An easy to eat hand held that once again packed and reheated well.
Looking for more greens, this meal also comes with a Falafel side salad of organic greens and tahini garlic dressing. It was the perfect mild accompaniment to the zesty tomato based wrap above.
Day 3 was the last day, and I saved the breakfast I thought I would like the least for last. However, was pleasantly surprised by oatmeal. I have never been a fan of it due to its lumpy texture, but this upgraded version with maple tahini, toasted almonds, and cranberry gave me something to reconsider. The creamy tahini tasted like a roasted peanut butter dressing, adding another depth to the oatmeal, and the crispy nuts and chewy dried fruit easily solved my textural concerns.
For lunch I had the Miso maple chicken harvest bowl. Grains topped with roasted chicken breast, carrot, Brussel sprouts, kale, and sweet potatoes. It ate hearty and warming like fall, with the distinct flavour of miso bringing it all together with saltiness.
And my last dish was this Beef bibimbap entree. Korean style bulgogi with mixed cooked veggies, hard boiled egg, Nori, and the Korean staple: gochujang sauce. It delivered what you would expect from a Korean bowl with tangy and spicy notes.
In conclusion, eating well and enjoying what you are having doesn’t have to be a challenge with Up Meals. Out of all the meal prep delivery services I have tried, this definitely tops the list. I love the variety and their collaboration with chefs sets them apart. Try it for yourself and start 2022 off with a healthy foot forward.
UpMeals
811 Laurel St #107, Vancouver, BC V6P 3V9
shop.upmeals.ca
