September 27, 2019
One of the things I took the most pride in this year was the fact that, in spite of lots of schedule upheaval, I managed to stick to a reasonable home cooking and meal prep routine. I told myself that I wouldn’t worry too much if I needed to rely on takeout every now and then, but actually, until the summer rolled around, I rarely had to.
Over the summer, my mom had a knee replacement, and while she was recuperating I thought to treat her to some meals from Veestro. I’d had a great experience with them several years back, and I continue to admire how the brand makes comforting, accessible, appealing plant-based food that’s fully prepared for folks who need a hand with meal preparation. While I was scrolling back through the Veestro website, I was happy to see that many of my favorite meal options were still on the menu.
It had been my intention only to order for mom, but I decided to give myself a break and order some meals for myself, too. Early summer was tough for me, a combination of it being the tail end of my internship (hence my being burnt out), a lot of non-internship work, and I was dealing with the start of some depression, which makes it harder than usual for me to cook. I’m pretty good at getting myself into the kitchen when I’m short on time but feeling like my reasonably energetic self; when I’m feeling both low and overwhelmed, it’s harder.
I’m really glad I did this. I saved myself unnecessary struggle around having to cook too much that month, and I was also reintroduced to Veestro’s meals, which are super tasty!
The first thing I love about Veestro meals is that they’re ready-to-eat. No chopping or assembly required: they arrive frozen in 100% compostable carton trays or 100% recyclable BPA-free plastic pouches, and they’re ready to re-heat in the oven or microwave. This is an incredible time-saver for those who are busy, recovering from or coping with an illness, traveling, and so on.
But of course I also love the meals for their taste. Veestro’s offerings are wholesome but very flavor-forward. They have comfort food appeal that makes them an ideal option for those who are transitioning to a plant-based diet: think enchilada casserole, lasagna, breakfast burrito, risotto, and “sheperdless” pie.
The accessibility of the meals, coupled with the fact that a lot of them are relatively high in protein, is what made them perfect for my mom as she was recovering (protein needs are greater for wound healing, which is something I knew well after my year of working in clinical settings).
I, too, appreciated the coziness and comfort of my Veestro dinners and relied on their nutrition to get me through that last stretch of my rotations. My mom and I typically have different tastes in food, so the fact that we enjoyed our deliveries equally says a lot about how appropriate Veestro is for a variety of different eaters and eating styles. There are a lot of gluten free options, and while I’d say that many of the meals include tofu and tempeh, there are some soy-free dinners, too. All of the meals are made with organic and non-GMO ingredients, and they’re free of preservatives.
Veestro’s breakfast burrito is one of the options I remember loving most from my last experience. It’s a wheat wrap filled with simple scrambled tofu and black beans, and it comes with an enchilada sauce and breakfast potatoes.
I added some steamed zucchini to my brunch, as you can see. This brings me to an important point, which is that the Veestro meals are filling as they are and also fair game for additions if you need more volume or sustenance! I often added a small side vegetable or an extra starch to my meals, depending on my appetite.
Case in point: the quinoa and kale salad, which is another of my favorites. It’s tempeh, kale, quinoa, zucchini, and dried cranberries, and it’s delicious with a savory tahini dressing. I found the salad pretty filling on its own, but sometimes I served it with a slice of hummus toast for a little extra.
The enchilada casserole is a mix of tofu, veggies, corn tortillas, vegan cheese, and red sauce. It’s super flavorful and hearty, and I usually served it with whatever veggies I had around for quick steaming.
My other Veestro favorite is the company’s mushroom risotto, which features peas, carrots, kale, and a white wine sauce. The first time I tried it, I wasn’t sure how a risotto would hold up to freezing, but it heats up beautifully, and it’s as good as any risotto I’ve ever made at home. I typically enjoyed this one exactly as it was, but it would be really nice with some broccolini or broccoli rabe.
Other favorite Veestro meals are the brand’s Three Layer Scramble, Carrot Osso Buco, and Southwestern BBQ Chick’n. The Country Fried Chick’n is my mom’s favorite, and she still asks about the possibility of restocking it if we team up for another order together.
Prepared meals are, of course, a big investment, and the value depends greatly on a person’s needs and circumstances. This summer, Veestro’s meals found me and my mom at just the right time, and I’m super glad to have been introduced to some of my old favorites as well as a few of the company’s new offerings. I’m sure I’ll rely on them again, when life calls for a little help with food preparation.
For those of you who’d like to try Veestro out for yourself, I’ve got a treat: the brand is offering one lucky US winner a 10 meal Chef’s Choice “Customer Favorites” pack! You can enter below to win. I’ll announce the winner on the widget in two weeks.
I’m so excited to share these meals with one of you; I hope that they’ll give you a helping hand with nourishment exactly when you need it. And for those of you who’d like to check Veestro out right away, you can also get a 30% discount on your next order by using the coupon code THEFULLHELPING when you check out on the Veestro website.
Good luck with the giveaway, and I’m wishing you all a wonderful start to the weekend. See you for weekend reading.
xo
This post is generously sponsored by Veestro. All opinions are my own, and I love this company’s accessible, fully prepared, plant-based meals. Thanks for your support!
Photographs of me and of the meals in packaging by photographer Shelly Xu.
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Is there any giveaway like this on this year?
Do we heat in the container given with plastic wrap or do we dump all the food into a casserole dish to heat in oven. I must be stupid and am confused by the instructions.
You’re not stupid! Heat in the container given 🙂
The enchilada casserole looks super good! So does the burrito!
I’m excited to try the enchilada casserole.
I am excited to try the Pizza Napoletana looks really good. Thanks for sharing your favorites.
I’m always a fan of lasagna.
I am most excited to try the Mushroom Risotto!
Love that there are customer reviews for each meal! I would love to try the veggie wrap and the enchilada casserole. Thanks for the info on their meal service.
I am most interested in trying the Tuscan calzone.
I would love the enchiladas because that is something I am just too lazy to make on my own lol
The veggie pizza looks delish! Thank you very much for the giveaway!
The enchilada casserole sounds great!
I would love to try the Soba Noodles in Peanut Sauce
Any of the pizzas.
That breakfast burrito looks like an amazing any-time-of-the-day burrito. Yum!
I’ve actually tried Veestro meals once before, but nothing like that risotto. How heavenly does that sound!
the spinach pie sounds good
I’m intrigued by their kale and quinoa salad!
Ooh, that risotto sounds great! I’ve tried making my own a few times before and always seem to mess it up. 🙁
I’d love to try the enchilada casserole
The enchilada casserole looks so good!
The Country Fried Chick’N looks so good! Would to love to try these meals, especially with a young daughter, any help with prepped healthy meals would be amazing.
That breakfast burrito looks great!
Getting tired of oatmeal so excited to try breakfast burrito. Thank you!
I would love to try the breakfast burrito. It looks delicious!
I am honestly excited about anything I don’t have to cook! Thanks for the great giveaway!
The burrito!!
I’d be most excited to try the Baked Mac & Cheez Dinner.
Enchiladas are one of my favorite dishes, so I would love to try the Enchilada Casserole first! Thanks for the chance to win, celesta
Glad to have a review from someone I know has good taste based on the recipes I’ve made from your site and cookbooks. I’ve been thinking of trying this service but haven’t yet.
The Country Fried Chick’n looks very tasty!
I’m surprised at how good all the food looks! I’m especially intrigued by the enchiladas.
The Kale and Quinoa Salad sounds perfect for the fall transition!
This sounds amazing! And perfect for weeks where work and life are crazy busy!
The mushroom risotto looks and sounds amazing! For a busy family on the go, these meals would be a lifesaver!!!!
I wish I had the patience to cook but I don’t so I love meals like these. Would love to win this!
It all looks so yummy! I would love to try the breakfast burrito and the mushroom risotto!!
~Outstanding option! I was just thinking tonight, that I was a bit bored of usuals… but wanted something vegan-easy! Looking forward to the drawing! Thanks for all you do Gena!~
Oh, wow, I’m definitely trying this! Thank you for the promo code!
The Red Curry with Tofu looks really good!
I would love to try the breakfast burrito!
Enfrijolada Rustica. Kinda like a Mexican lasagna
Really interesting, thanks for the info. In terms of the contest, I’d most want to try the enchilada and the risotto.
The quinoa and kale salad looks so yummy!
Yum. They all look sooo good and mouth-watering! I love lasagna – I want to try that dish!
The breakfast burrito looks delicious and so filling!
looks amazing! and such cute pictures!
Enchilada casserole sounds AMAZING!
Thanks for introducing me to this company! Have to say, I’m very intrigued. The calorie counts on these meals seem pretty decent–almost suspiciously so! I’m having trouble figuring this out from the info on the website. The calorie counts listed, are they for the entire container? or for a ridiculously small serving size that no human would ever be satisfied with?
Hi Connie,
So far as I can tell from the meals I’ve had, the nutrition facts are always for the whole container (i.e., servings per container is 1). Sometimes the sauce nutrition label is listed separately. Hope this helps!
G
Oh my goodness, I didn’t know this company existed! I’d love to try out the spinach pie. Thanks for running a giveaway!
The Kale and Quinoa Salad sounds lovely! So nice that they use clean ingredients!