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.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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!

The post A Helping Hand from Veestro Plant-Based Meals (+ a Giveaway!) appeared first on The Full Helping.