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If my schedule allowed it, I would spend all day in the kitchen perfecting delicious meals—but it doesn't. Some days are so hectic that a protein bar replaces breakfast. Instead of settling for this less-than-nutritious swap, I prefer to rely on premade meals and snacks from meal delivery services, such as Daily Harvest.

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Daily Harvest is a plant-based meal delivery service that delivers frozen prepared items to your door. The woman-founded company was originally built around delivery subscription smoothies but has since evolved to a robust collection of flatbreads, forager bowls, bakes, soups, dairy-free desserts, and more. 

Altogether, the brand offers more than 100 fruit-and-veggie-based items. Each recipe is developed with the help of chefs and nutritionists and never contains dairy or gluten. Plus, the short ingredient lists—which are boldly printed on the label—never contain additives, preservatives, or fillers.

The subscription service offers four plan sizes: six to eight items, nine to 11 items, 12 to 23 items, or 24 to 26 items. Orders arrive every Wednesday or Friday. You'll have until 6 p.m. on the Sunday prior to your delivery to either skip the week or adjust the items in your order. Daily Harvest allows you to either customize each box to your preferences or opt for an automated selection that chooses items based on your previous recipe ratings.

A huge perk? The brand sends a text every Sunday morning to remind you to customize or skip that week's delivery. As someone who often forgets about updating or canceling my subscriptions, I love this little attention to detail. It doesn't feel like the company is trying to trap me into an order that I don't really need. 

Plus, the site is super intuitive to use. Adjusting your order is as simple as flipping a toggle to "skip a delivery." You don't even need to press save!

Unlike other prepared meal services, the final cost of your Daily Harvest box is not fixed. As you curate your box to your needs—whether it's a breakfast or light lunch—the final price shifts. Smoothies, soups, and scoops all cost less than $9, while the heartier picks such as flatbreads and bowls are closer to $10. 

The most affordable option on the menu is the forager bowls, which include oats and chia seed bowls. On the flip side, each Harvest bake costs around $12 and typically contains two servings (although the lower calorie count means you can easily consume the entire entrée solo). 

Unfortunately, you do have to spend more to save. Shipping is always free, but you only unlock discounts on your order by adding more items to your box; save $5 with the 9-item box, $10 with the 12-item box, and $25 with the 24-item box.

For example, the 16-item box I reviewed costs around $138. With the discount, the final cost would be around $128 with enough food for about 10 meals and four snacks.

While I've previously used Daily Harvest, the brand also sent over a sample box with 16 items specifically for this review. The box included an assortment of smoothies, bites, desserts, bowls, lattes, and crumbles (i.e., the company's latest release). In total, I've tried more than 30 of the brand's items including a few recipes on repeat. 

Although I love to cook, I tried to work through my rotation of Daily Harvest meals from this order in a two-week period to see how well the service could replace traditional grocery shopping (and integrate into a busy work schedule). 

While I definitely purchased fewer groceries during this trial, I found the meal delivery service wasn't a total replacement for grocery shopping—especially because I like to add protein to some items and often add spices and condiments to adjust the flavor profile to my taste.

While I love my immersion blender and KitchenAid, they were completely unnecessary for prepping most Daily Harvest goods. All you need is a microwave, oven or blender to transform the frozen recipes into something delicious. 

A few recipes—like the flatbreads and oven bakes—take a little bit longer to cook. However, this preparation is totally hands-off, so you can conquer other tasks around the house. Otherwise, you need less than five minutes to get a deliciously creamy smoothie or piping hot bowl of grits.

My only note? Most of the smoothie ingredients are chopped relatively small, but I still found that you need a pretty powerful blender to pulverize them into a perfectly smooth consistency.

When someone mentions frozen food, I often think of bland, under-seasoned recipes without much nutritional value. Daily Harvest defies this stereotype with ingredients that taste fresh. 

A few of my favorite recipes in the lineup are the Gigante Bean + Artichoke Olio Harvest Bake, Broccoli + Cheeze Forager Bowl, and Cremini + Asparagus Pot Pie. Despite being completely dairy-free, they have a creamy consistency that's delicious and satiating. 

Occasionally, a few items weren't as seasoned as I liked, so I would generously add a bit of garlic powder, onion powder, and a sprinkle of Maldon smoked sea salt. These small changes instantly elevated each dish to my liking with minimal effort—and I think it's totally worth adapting these recipes to your personal preferences. Hot sauce anyone? 

Of course, there were a few items I would skip. I didn't love the chia seed bowl or sweet oatmeal that I tested. I'm not a huge fan of the consistency of chia seed pudding, which transforms into a gelatinous texture. My dislike is likely from personal experience rather than the recipe itself. 

Similarly, I typically eat a very specific sweet oatmeal recipe, which is topped with cacao nibs, tahini, blueberries, and maple syrup. The berry-sweetened oatmeal was simply not as sweet or nutty as my go-to creation (and definitely not as cost-efficient). However, the savory oatmeal recipes completely hit it out of the park, especially the miso and mushroom recipe.

The convenience of getting healthy, nutrient-filled recipes to my door is definitely worth the cost—but I know it's not for everyone. As a vegetarian with a history of plant-based eating, the meals taste similar to the creations I would make at home with a fraction of the effort. 

I think anyone with a busy schedule would easily be impressed by Daily Harvest. While I wouldn't personally replace all my meals with the service, I love having a few items readily available in my freezer as a backup when I'm in a time crunch (and it's cheaper than ordering takeout). 

Plus, Daily Harvest emphasizes biodiversity in its recipes. That means each item combines a variety of ingredients to maximize the nutrients I'm fueling my body with—so I don't need to spend a fortune stocking up on expensive superfoods or spices that I rarely use.

When I think of a shipment directly to my front door, my mind immediately thinks of waste. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover most of the byproducts left over from my order were recyclable or compostable (and virgin plastic-free). 

I did have to scrub a few of the packages clean, especially the smoothie cups and aluminum tins. However, I didn't mind spending a few extra minutes at the sink if it meant my recycling center could actually repurpose the product.

The signature white recyclable box has a compostable lining to keep frozen items insulated and uses dry ice rather than ice packs. This swap makes the box lighter and more efficient to ship—and it lasts up to 48 hours after your scheduled delivery. 

Most of Daily Harvest's plant-based recipes are made with 95% organic ingredients and never contain GMOs from the EWG's Dirty Dozen list. Unlike traditional frozen meals, they're not high in sodium or fat. 

However, one thing missing from many of the brand's items is protein. While I balanced this by adding protein powder to my smoothies and legumes to many of the bowls, this could be a con for someone following a high-protein diet. 

The recent launch of Crumbles, which are savory protein-packed toppings, is another way to circumvent this issue. It also increases the calories, which tend to cap around 400 calories—meaning the recipes will be far more satisfying.

Daily Harvest makes it possible to eat nutritious meals even when you're in a time crunch. While the service isn't ideal for those on a tight budget or anyone following a low-carb/high-protein diet, it's a great option for anyone who wants to increase their fruit and vegetable intake without spending a ton of time in the kitchen.

Sign up for our FREE doctor-approved gut health guide featuring shopping lists, recipes, and tips

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Braelyn Wood is the Deputy Commerce Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University, along with a certificate in marketing. After interning at Bustle Digital Group and Cosmopolitan, her love of products (and a good deal) led her to the commerce space, and she joined Meredith Corporation as its first health and wellness-focused shopping writer. During this time, her byline appeared in Health, Shape, InStyle, People, and Travel Leisure, as she covered topics like workout gear, home goods, and coronavirus essentials to help shoppers lead healthier lives. In her current role, she helps readers find the best deals, uncover the latest launches, and understand which items are worth the splurge (or not) from her home in Brooklyn, New York.

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