Nowadays, most people live in such a hurry that they often don’t even have time to prepare nutritious meals for themselves, which is a great mistake, as it might have a detrimental effect on their health. Thankfully, we also live in a world where convenience is key, which is why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that someone came up with a solution for this issue as well.
So, how do you find actually healthy, plant-based meals that don't require hours of meal prep?
Daily Harvest attempts to answer that question by offering quality frozen meals built on fruits and veggies. Celebrities such as Kira Stokes, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, and Tabitha Brown have recently endorsed the meal delivery service, and the company has made great strides to increase their food options. In fact, the company gained its original favor when it gained investors such as Serena Williams and Gwyneth Paltrow.
It makes complete sense for a company like Daily Harvest to take two lifestyles – convenient food, and plant-based diets – and combine them into one service!
Daily Harvest delivers frozen vegan meals to your door so you have three fewer things to worry about: When to eat, what to eat – and you don’t even have to cook.
As someone who has followed Daily Harvest's healthy food offerings for years, it's been exciting to see all the ways Daily Harvest has truly evolved since its inception. Naturally, I had to do an updated Daily Harvest review to put the increasingly asked question to rest: is Daily Harvest worth all the hype?
Daily Harvest At A Glance
- Best Match For: Vegans and other people searching for a convenient source of chef-prepared nutritious meals based on mostly organic fruits and veggies.
- Commitment Level: Subscription with weekly or monthly delivery
- Availability: The continental US
- Value: $5.99-$8.99/serving; Free delivery
- Type: Fully prepared plant-based frozen meals, soups, desserts, snacks, and more.
How Does Daily Harvest Work?
Daily Harvest delivers weekly or monthly boxes of pre-assembled frozen vegan meals and healthy snacks. Fair warning, it's not always a pop-in-the-microwave situation. The service is closer to a fully prepared meal delivery than meal kit services like Blue Apron or Home Chef, but there's still some minor prep and cooking to be done. Honestly, the meal delivery service is between a meal kit and a prepared meal. You don't have to cook, but you may have to do a bit of warming, mixing, and blending.
If you browse the Daily Harvest website, you’ll quickly see their 80 options for food in 9 different categories, with everything vegan and pre-prepared for you.
As I’ve said before, you may have to do some assembly or blending depending on what you order.
The 9 categories are:
- Smoothies
- Flatbreads
- Grains
- Forager bowls
- Soups
- Harvest bowls
- Bites
- Lattes
- Mylk (plant-based milk)
Under these categories, there are a variety of different options including 21 smoothie combinations ready for you to whizz up. When you order online, you can get a box of food in a large or small order.
You can receive 9, 14, or 24 items in your box, picking whatever you want from the more than 80 options available.
I picked a wide variety because everything sounded like it would taste amazing! Really, who can resist raspberry and fig bliss balls?
As you browse the menu, you can view the nutritional value of everything, see a list of ingredients, and read the description.
The menu options change regularly, but many of the bestsellers such as the strawberry and peach smoothie, and the sweet potato and wild rice hash harvest bowl are always there.
As you browse, you can sort by dietary restrictions and other preferences. Don't like sweet potatoes? Simply filter out all meals that contain them with one click!
How do you set up your box and get it delivered to you?
- Firstly, go to the ‘Where to find’ section on their website, and select ‘Online’
- Enter your zip code and email to get started
- Choose your box size. The more items you order, the better the value! 9, 14, or 24 food items are the available options. Daily Harvest also offers $25 off your first box, with free shipping on your first order
- Next, click “Select food”, and browse through the menu – adding items until your box is full. There’s even a taste quiz that can personalize suggestions for you
- Once your box is full, you can go through to checkout to fill out your details and pay
- In this section, you can choose which day you’d like the box delivered each week. You can cancel or pause at any time if you’d like to skip a week or two. After this, good news: you’re all sorted!
How We Tested Daily Harvest for This Review?
We decided to get the full rundown on Daily Harvest and ordered a medium box with a variety of dishes.
Firstly, what did we order? We had the pleasure of tasting:
- Strawberry and Cashew Smoothie
- Tart Cherry and Raspberry Smoothie
- Artichoke and Spinach Flatbread
- Tomato and Basil Flatbread
- Chickpea and Coconut Curry Harvest Bowl
- Black Bean and Cheeze Harvest Bowl
- Cauliflower Rice and Pesto, Curried Brown Rice and Green Chickpeas
- Lentil and Cremini Soup
- Vanilla Bean and Apple Chia Bowl
- Cinnamon and Banana Oat Bowl
- Hazelnut and Chocolate Bites, Raspberry and Fig Bites
- Almond and Vanilla Mylk.
We tested taste, variety, delivery time, packaging, and costs. This is our overall review:
1. Taste
It honestly wasn’t surprising at all how delicious the food was, considering the organic fruit and vegetable-packed goodness that showed up at our door!
I was expecting to enjoy Daily Harvest, but I didn’t know if the frozen lifestyle was for me.
However, the convenience and freshness are truly unmatched. Everything was amazing!
I’m not the biggest fan of nuts, so the cashew smoothie and the hazelnut bites were questionable at first, but they did expand my horizons a little.
The highlight of the box was definitely the chickpea and coconut curry harvest bowl, the flavor of which was eye-opening.
2. Variety of Dishes
The variety of dishes offered by Daily Harvest was surprisingly extensive.
There are 9 different categories, so you’d receive a good range from even the smallest box if you wanted. There’s sweet, savory, fruit, grain, vegetables, drinks, liquid and solid food. We thought it was delicious.
3. Delivery Time
The delivery time is really great, as it is a weekly delivery service. We ordered on a Thursday, and the box arrived the next Friday (which we selected).
Since it's a weekly service, the meals comes consistently on the day you select the delivery.
4. Packaging
Most meals come in an ice cream-sized pint, all packed within a styled and secure box.
The food is frozen, so it comes on dry ice to keep it cold. Transfer it into the freezer when it arrives, and you’re good to go!
5. Costs
Daily Harvest might seem a little expensive at first, but the convenience, health benefits, and comparable prices for vegan food make it excellent value.
Our box came to a total of $90.96, including $25 off our first box, free shipping, and a $10 discount off the medium box!
Daily Harvest Meal Plan - What You Can Expect?
What does a day of Daily Harvest meal plans look like? Here are a few options you can try for your next meals!
- Smoothies: strawberry and cashew, carrot and cinnamon, dragon fruit and lychee, strawberry and peach
- Flatbreads: tomato and basil, bell pepper and cilantro, kale, and sweet potato
- Harvest bowls: black chickpea and harissa, sweet potato and wild rice, artichoke and lemon
- Grains: lemon quinoa and butternut squash, sage wild rice and cauliflower
- Soups: carrot and coconut curry, squash and rosemary, purple corn and tomatillo
- Bites: cacao with peppermint, raspberry with fig, hazelnut with chocolate
My favorite items were:
- Artichoke and Spinach Flatbread
- Raspberry and Fig Bites (I’d get a 25-item box with just these in them!)
- Tart Cherry and Raspberry Smoothie
- Vanilla Bean and Apple Chia Bowl.
Portion Sizes Of Daily Harvest Meals
The portion sizes for Daily Harvest are sizable, especially the bowl-type meals. The great thing about Daily Harvest is that the meals are quite customizable!
If you’re feeling extra hungry, you can always make a serving of rice or potatoes to go with your curry bowl.
Want some more in your smoothie? Add a Banana and some water. Personally, I felt the most full on the first day, and plenty satisfied on the other two. I think the oats really tied me over!
What Special Dietary Preferences Does Daily Harvest Cater To?
Daily Harvest is known for its plant-based vegan options, as well as gluten-free and dairy-free.
So, pretty much anybody can eat their meals! This is great, especially for strict vegans or people with Coeliac Disease as you can rest assured that there’s nothing that you don’t want going in your stomach.
Allergens Present in Daily Harvest Meals
As Daily Harvest is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, we cut out a lot of the popular allergens right off the bat. However, there are still a few to be aware of.
Daily Harvest uses a lot of nuts and grains in their foods, which are great for filling us up but not so great if you’re allergic.
Each meal item has an extensive ingredient list, as well as allergens highlighted front and center. When selecting your meals, you can easily filter out certain ingredients that you can’t or don’t want to eat.
The Cooking Process of Daily Harvest Meals
Daily Harvest prides itself on being quick and easy to prepare! Depending on the food you ordered, here’s how you can cook each.
Bowls
For bowls, you can prepare the food using a microwave or a stovetop. Here’s how to do that:
Microwave
Remove the film, and add to a bowl to microwave. Some meals will ask you to add 2 tbsp of water into the bowl before heating, so make sure to read the instructions for that item.
In the microwave, heat for about three minutes. Stir, and heat for two minutes more!
Stovetop
Add to a pan and add 2 tbsp of water or broth, if required. Heat on medium-high heat for about five minutes, stirring frequently until hot.
Grains
These seasoned grains come packed in bags and just need a bit of heat before they’re ready to eat.
Microwave
For a serving of grains, add a cup to a bowl with 3 tbsp of water and heat for two minutes. Enjoy!
Stovetop
This method needs you to preheat your pot on medium-high heat. Once that’s ready, add a cup of grains and 3 tbsp of water, then cook for four minutes.
Soup
Add one cup of liquid into the container (you could use broth, stock, or water), add to a blender, and blend until smooth! Add to a pot or bowl for microwave and heat until hot.
Smoothies
Fill the cup provided with liquid up to the top. You can use anything from orange juice to coconut water – we used our almond vanilla mylk. Add to a blender and blend until smooth.
Flatbreads
Remove the flatbread from its base and place on a baking tray. Heat in the oven for 25 minutes at 450 degrees.
Forager Bowls
Like bowls, forager bowls can also be prepared using a microwave or stovetop. Follow these instructions:
Microwave
Add about half a cup of your favorite milk to the bowl before heating it on high for 1.5 minutes. After that, stir the contents of the bowl and heat it again for an extra two minutes.
Stovetop
Like the microwave option, pour half a cup of milk to a pan alongside the contents of the bowl. You’ll then cook over medium-high heat for about three minutes. Make sure to stir constantly.
Lattes
For my latte lovers out there, Daily Harvest lets you get a piping hot or ice cold healthy drink of your choice!
Hot Latte
First, you’ll let hot water run over the latte pod for 10 seconds before popping it into a mug. Pour a cup of your choice of milk and heat for two minutes. And voila, you’ve got yourself a hot latte!
Iced Latte
If you want iced latte instead, just pop a latte pod into a blender with a cup of milk. Blend till it’s frothy and pour over ice.
Mylk
Daily Harvest also offers a few milk options that come in wedge forms. To enjoy them as is, just blend two wedges with one cup of water. You can also use these milk wedges for Daily Harvest’s other collections!
How Much Does Daily Harvest Cost?
We calculated how much our first box would cost us depending on size, including any discounts and free shipping.
If we ordered the small, we would have paid $56.41 with the discount and no shipping fee. Without these, a small box would cost around $90.
Our medium box cost $90.96 but could have been up to $135 with no discounts.
The large box is the best value due to the discount, and it would have cost us $148.76 with discounts and free shipping. Without it, it would have been around $278.
Daily Harvest Service
Good customer service is something we all appreciate, and Daily Harvest is here to help if you need it!
Delivery Service
Daily Harvest delivers almost everywhere in the continental US. To find out if they can deliver to you, simply enter your zip code and email into the form on the homepage. Once you pick a plan and checkout, your meals will arrive in a cardboard box with ice to keep them cold and fresh.
You can manage deliveries online from your account page. From there, you can change your delivery frequency, change your order, and skip or pause your deliveries. Your plan is automated after sign-up, so you don't have to do anything else to keep getting meals every week or month. However, I like to mix things up, so I make sure to select new items before my next box ships.
Packaging
The packaging is simple and chic. Most containers are white with black graphic designs on them and a black lid. The box it all comes in is the same, so it’s a cohesive and clean design overall.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
You can cancel or pause your box at any time on the Sunday before your box is scheduled to be delivered.
This is convenient for if you’re going away, have some recipes you’d like to try out, or just need a break.
If you’re dissatisfied with your items, get in contact with hello@daily-harvest.com and they’ll do their best to fix your issue. In some cases, they may refund you partially or fully.
Customer Service
The customer service is great, and there’s even a chatbot named Sage on their website to answer any questions you may have!
If you’re still confused and want to talk with a human, email hello@daily-harvest.com.Let’s Talk About the Pros and Cons Of Daily Harvest Meals
Pros:
- Convenient, healthy, and delicious
- Vegan, gluten, and dairy Free
- Delivered weekly on a schedule
- Over 80 options to choose from
Cons:
- A little on the pricey side, but not comparable to other vegan premade meals
- Not particularly kid-friendly, especially for fussy eaters.
Daily Harvest Coupons Codes
Try these coupon codes to save money at checkout with Daily Harvest:
- MEALMATCHMAKER
- FRUITVEG
- DH40
- DH35
The Verdict: My Overall Rating on Daily Harvest Meals
So, what’s the verdict? The jury is out (with the jury being me), and I vote in huge favor of Daily Harvest!
Ultimately, there’s really nothing bad to say at all – which says a lot in itself. The food is clean, green, nutritious, makes you feel good, and really tasty.
Factors | Meaning | My Rating |
Taste | Everything was genuinely really delicious, and I’ll be dreaming about the fig bites forever. A lot of the flavors are versatile and well-selected. Minus .05 points for nuts, but I eat what I’m given. | 4.95/5 |
Variety | No complaints here, I think there is something for everyone on Daily Harvest. There is often a stigma around vegan or gluten-free food, but don’t let it stop you from trying something new! | 5/5 |
Delivery | Convenient and delivered on the day we selected. Everything came intact, sealed, and frozen. | 5/5 |
Packaging | The packaging is nice and simple, not too much, and not too plain. A graphic designer’s dream. I personally like a little more color. | 4/5 |
Cost | This is really the only con I have for Daily Harvest. However, with a discount on your first box, there’s no harm in trying it out! | 3.5/5 |
FAQs on Daily Harvest Meals
Yes, Daily Harvest meals come frozen, so you should reheat or prepare them properly before eating (as stated in package instructions).
Yes, Daily Harvest is healthy – using only organic fruits and vegetables sourced from farms.
Everybody is different when it comes to losing weight, but if you follow a calorie deficit, eat proper portions (already done for you), and exercise frequently, it is definitely possible.
Of course! Daily Harvest uses only the best fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as entirely organically sourced ingredients in their meals. As everything is vegan and gluten-free, there is no risk of undercooked ingredients being harmful.
In my personal opinion: yes, it does. Everything feels and tastes really fresh, which is always a good sign. The flavors are good, and it's definitely a great and convenient option for those who need it.
You don’t specifically have to cook anything. However, Daily Harvest meals arrive frozen, so some preparation is necessary. With smoothies, simply blend them, and with flatbreads, simply heat them in the oven! Nothing is overly complicated, meaning most items are done within a few minutes.
Daily Harvest