I Tried Daily Harvest — Here’s How It Makes Plant-Based Eating Easy

There are probably a bunch of reasons why this is true, whether it’s that there aren’t very many produce options at our local grocery store, we’re on a tight budget, or we’re just too busy to go to the grocery store or cook after a long day at work. I get it: I’m a registered dietitian, and I still find myself stuck in a recipe rut or too tired after a long day to cook something fresh and healthy. But that’s why a plant-based meal delivery service like Daily Harvest was so appealing to me: It offers premade meals, smoothies and snacks that only take minutes to prepare.

So I gave it a try, testing out a variety of meals over the course of a week to see if they tasted good and if their nutritional value were up to my standards. Here’s how it went.

To sign up for Daily Harvest, I clicked the “Start Now” button on the homepage and began filling my box.

Choosing My Meals

What struck me right away with this is how flexible Daily Harvest makes the process of filling my box: Instead of committing to a specific meal plan, I could customize my order by filling my box with an array of delicious options, including 27 different smoothies, 27 different harvest bowls, 4 types of pasta, 10 different soups, 10 different breakfast bowls, 5 different grain bowls, and 5 different flatbreads. I could also add Mylk (pre-portioned frozen nondairy milks), pops, and bites (bite-sized snacks like Banana and Cacao).

The bowls range from Mediterranean-inspired bowls using variations of pesto or tomato, Asian bowls with flavors like sweet potato miso, or Mexican bowls with flavors like tomatillo and chickpea pozole. I was particularly impressed by the diversity in the bowls and smoothies packed with all different types of fruits (strawberry, cherries, mango, papaya, raspberries, among others) and vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, beets, asparagus, mushrooms, and more).

This is likely because all the food is created by in-house chefs and nutritionists focusing on using ingredients that are known to support your health, specifically your gut health or immune system. As a result, all the meals are made with whole foods and plant-based ingredients, such as high-fiber carbohydrates paired with various plant proteins like lentils and chickpeas. Nearly all the ingredients are organic, and everything is gluten-free and dairy-free. All the nutrition facts and ingredient lists are available online, so you can search for meals that fit specific dietary needs.

Since all the items are premade, you can’t customize ingredients, but the variety of options is impressive. Still, this might feel a bit limiting if you're not accustomed to a plant-based diet, but I think it's perfect for anyone looking to cut back on animal proteins.

Keep in mind though that the menu is fixed (aside from when the company introduces a new product). This means that the items you select for your very first order stay in your cart, so you’ll receive the same items in every delivery unless you drop or swap items out. You can customize your boxes up to four weeks in advance though.

Shipping Schedule

Once I filled my box, I checked out and was prompted to provide my shipping and payment information, then select how often I wanted to receive my boxes. The default setting is weekly deliveries (I was given two delivery day options), but you can easily adjust the frequency to skip a week or switch to biweekly or monthly deliveries.

There’s also an app to manage your orders and deliveries, although it doesn't do anything you can't do on the desktop site. Still, if you’re someone that uses your phone more than your desktop, you might find it more convenient.

My meals arrived right on schedule and were left conveniently outside my door. I received a tracking number the day before so I could keep an eye on my delivery. The box arrived clean and undamaged. Even the aesthetics of the box gave me an exciting feeling about the contents inside, with healthy words and ingredients printed in bold black font on the white packaging.

When I opened the box, I found it in excellent condition — clean and undamaged. Inside the box, the food was in an insulated, recyclable lining packed with dry ice to keep everything frozen. The dry ice was kept separate in a plastic bag, with instructions on how to dispose of it safely. All the food items were still thoroughly frozen, and their containers were intact with no signs of damage.

Although the dry ice came in a nonrecyclable plastic bag, the cardboard box and the paper-cornstarch liner are recyclable. Daily Harvest has an entire section on their website dedicated to sustainability, explaining what all the materials are made of and how to recycle or dispose of all containers and products.

Cooking and Preparing the Meals

For my first box, I received:

• Chickpea and Coconut Curry Harvest Bowl
• Acai and Cherry Smoothie
• Mint and Cacao Smoothie
• Sweet Potato and Wild Rice Hash Harvest Bowl
• Tomato Basil and Portobello Bolognese Pasta
• Broccoli and Cheeze Harvest Bowl
• Apple and Cinnamon Breakfast Bowl
• Butternut Squash and Rosemary Soup
• Portobello and Pesto Flatbread
• Almond Mylk
• Cacao Nib and Vanilla Bite

All the meals and smoothies from Daily Harvest were easy to make, with clear instructions provided on the packaging for the microwave, stovetop, or blender. Most items required minimal additional ingredients: typically just a splash of liquid or broth.

The cooking times were quick — everything took less than five minutes to prep. Only the flatbreads took more time (about 20 minutes in the oven, plus time to preheat). I appreciated using the original, nonplastic containers to heat the food since I steer clear of microwaving plastic.

The smoothie cups were also convenient: All I had to do was add my preferred liquid, blend, and pour back into the cup — the lid even has an opening for a straw.

Directions and timing were accurate, including measurements for adding liquid to smoothies. While a blender was necessary for smoothie and soup preparation, there was virtually no cleanup required aside from rinsing the blender — a major win in my book.

Tasting the Meals

I was impressed with the ingredient lists for all my meals. Real food without preservatives — and primarily ingredients I’d bring into my own fridge.

Starting with smoothies (always my favorite), the Cacao Mint was an instant standout. The fresh mint smell reminded me of mint chocolate chip ice cream. I used the Almond Mylk “wedges” for my liquid base ─ a convenient pre-portioned frozen almond milk concentrate that you mix with water. The result was refreshingly minty (thanks to peppermint oil) without an artificial aftertaste.

The Acai and Cherry Smoothie was also delicious and sweet, but not overwhelmingly so — a perfect pick that was a perfect dupe for an acai bowl from my local market.

The initial portion of the Apple and Cinnamon Forager Bowl looked small, and the smell took me back to childhood instant oatmeal breakfasts. The cauliflower rice combined with date paste and apple puree kept me full for longer than I expected, but you could easily jazz it up with extra toppings if you wanted a larger portion size.

I love bowls, so I chose three different Harvest Bowls to try. The Chickpea and Coconut Curry Harvest Bowl was another winner. The spices — turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger — delivered a vibrant flavor profile. I’m not vegan or vegetarian, so I opted to dice up some chicken breast to add to the bowl, and it was the perfect quick meal after a long day.

The Sweet Potato and Wild Rice Hash Harvest Bowl was decent with broccoli rice, avocado, and great northern beans, although I found it a bit tomato-heavy for my taste. I added crumbled feta cheese and shared it with my husband. The Broccoli and Cheeze (a dairy-free sub for cheese made with nutritional yeast) Harvest Bowl felt more like a side dish to me (and we used it this way to complement our Sunday night pasta), but my oldest child loved it and asked for more.

After a workout, I snacked on the Cacao Nib and Vanilla Bites, a treat straight from the freezer made with chickpea puree, date paste, coconut oil, flax, and kabocha squash puree. The first bite was slightly chalky, likely from the chickpea puree, but the flavor improved as I kept chewing. I let the next one warm to room temp before eating, and the flavor improved. I like making homemade energy bites, but these would work well in a pinch.

I made the Portobello and Pesto Flatbread after a busy weekend morning running my kids to soccer games. It was tasty and light, with a creamy cashew pesto. While the flatbread takes longer to cook, I found the flatbread crispy and the veggies (broccoli, artichoke hearts, and portobello mushrooms) tender. It also kept me full for hours after lunch.

Finally, the Butternut Squash and Rosemary Soup wasn’t my favorite, although, in the soup’s defense, I should have added broth, not water. The texture was thick and creamy, but it tasted a bit bland, so using a flavored broth could definitely provide more flavor. And the Tomato Basil and Portobello Bolognese Pasta made a surprisingly flavorful lunch — and the noodles didn’t get mushy in the microwave.

You don’t have to go vegan or even vegetarian to reap the benefits of plant-based foods. I’m not vegan, for example, but I do try to make plants the star of my plate because they are so beneficial (and taste good).

The smoothies were too low in protein to be a meal replacement (although, they did include 5 to 9 g), but you could easily add your favorite protein powder if you wanted to.

Daily Harvest meals stand out for its focus on whole, plant-based ingredients, providing premade meals and smoothies. It’s one of the few services, aside from Purple Carrot and Splendid spoon, that offers vegan and vegetarians a service where every meal is plant-based.

The price per serving at Daily Harvest is comparable with other meal delivery services like Factor or Splendid Spoon but it is more expensive than some of the services that focus more on affordability, like Dinnerly. And since Daily Harvest offers single serving meals, it may not be as family friendly as services like Dinnerly, HelloFresh, or Home Chef.

However, prep time for Daily Harvest meals is just a matter of minutes for most meals, which makes it a better choice for anyone living a busy life with little time to cook. Other services, including HelloFresh and Blue Apron, offer mostly meal kits where you will have to prep ingredients and cook the meals by following a recipe, requiring you to spend a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes a night cooking, if not longer.

I also tried Revive Superfoods’s delivery service, which also offers convenient smoothies for quick, nutritious drinks. While Revive is great for simple flavors, I preferred Daily Harvest’s flavors and ingredient variety. Pricewise, Daily Harvest smoothies cost more than Revive, but I’m willing to pay for the organic ingredients and flavor options and the option to purchase other food beyond smoothies.

Overall, I was impressed with Daily Harvest. I plan to reorder meals from the service, possibly once a month, to keep a selection of meals on hand for busy days. It's ideal for anyone who wants to incorporate more produce into their diet but struggles to find the time to prepare meals from scratch. It could also help you if you’re on the lookout for healthier lunch options or just want more convenient, quick-to-prepare meals so you’re not spending a lot of time cooking every night. Its focus on whole foods and convenience makes it an excellent option for busy folks trying to find simple, healthy meals.

Admittedly, if you’re someone who really likes eating meat or other animal products (think: cheese), Daily Harvest may not be the best fit (although you could always add meat or dairy to meals as I did). Because of the higher sodium, I also wouldn't recommend relying only on these meals every day of the week (or multiple times a day). And while portions worked for me, they may not be enough for someone taller, more active, or who has higher calorie needs — and it may not work well for families.

Still, it’s a great service to help supplement your diet with more vegetables. It may also be helpful for those who are new to plant-based eating and want to experiment with different flavors and ingredients without the hassle of grocery shopping and meal planning. Plus, their commitment to using organic and sustainably sourced ingredients is a bonus for those who value ethical food choices.

In an effort to help you find the best meal delivery services, the Everyday Health team is examining over 50 different meal kits and meal delivery services. We evaluate each service as a whole to assess everything from ease of sign up to the taste of each meal to nutritional quality of the ingredients and meals you receive.

As a registered dietitian with a background in nutrition science, I’ve worked with hundreds of individuals to improve their nutrition. But as a busy mom, I also know that juggling work, kids, and life can make it challenging to find the time. When reviewing meal delivery services like Daily Harvest, I focus on both nutrition and convenience. I look at prep time, portion sizes, and ingredients lists to help you decide if it’s the right fit for your lifestyle.