The Service
This vegan only delivery service provides tasty, frozen, plant-based meals to your door. You place orders through their easy to use website and must buy a box of 6 meals. The meals can be single or double portions, with a one-off single box coming to £46.02 and a box of double portions at £68.04. You are also able to take out a subscription which will bring down these costs by 12%.
Meals arrive fully frozen in a big yellow box – they are packed with dry ice to ensure they do not defrost on route. We ordered and were able to ask for it to be left outside of the house, which was perfect. The meals can then be eaten at your pleasure and will only take around 10 minutes to warm up once popped in the microwave.
The Taste
The Allplants food is somewhat hit and miss. Some dishes we absolutely devoured, the cashew mac being our number one recommendation. It was creamy, delicious and full of flavour – we really couldn’t believe it was vegan. We also really enjoyed the Super Green Risotto; the flavours of the fresh greens really came through and lifted the dish.
On the other hand, we found that the Keralan Sundown missed the mark. The coconut curry lacked taste and needed a lot of seasoning, while the lentil cake was dry and a slightly strange texture. Not one we will be ordering again.
Once microwaved, the meals looked very little like the Instagram eye candy advertised, however, don’t be put off as honestly, they all tasted a lot better. Some of the dishes really do need a good twist of salt and pepper to bring out the flavours. We would also recommend adding a few fresh greens or a side salad too.
Health
We give these plant-based meals a thumbs up on the health front. Since they are frozen, the nutrients are locked in and it has enabled the meals to be completely free of preservatives.
If you are aiming to meet specific nutrient goals, this may be somewhat more difficult as the meals vary quite a bit in calorific value. There was quite a range, starting at around 400kcals to 750kcals for our favourite Cashew Mac. Although great to have a selection, it can be hard to compare the calories in meals and the selection process could definitely be improved.
Generally, the meals are balanced in macronutrients and have a decent chunk of protein considering they are vegan. However, if you are aiming for a diet high in protein, it will be hard to clock up those protein grams with allplants.
The meals use whole foods which is a huge positive in our eyes. Also, with the wide variety of veggies in these meals, your gut bacteria will certainly thank you.
Sustainability
These guys are serious about sustainability. All of their packaging is 100% recyclable. They use an insulating liner made from post-industrial denim fibres and non-toxic gel packs. The food arrives in 100% recyclable paper-board trays with a BPA-free plastic top that is also fully recyclable.
To encourage customers to help with their zero-waste mission, they also include pre-printed return labels for the box, liner and gel packs to be sent back and be re-used. This was simple enough; we were able to drop the box into our local Tesco.
In terms of food, their plant only policy absolutely contributes to their sustainable image. Plus, their meals are all kept frozen, so customers can cook what they need, leading to minimal food waste.
Final Verdict
Allplants provide a perfect go-to freezer meal on those days when you arrive home late and just don’t have the energy to cook. They are also a good alternative to take in for a quick and healthy office lunch, particularly as they do offer individual meals. On the downside, considering they are plant-based, we think they are quite a pricey option – even as a lunch, they are comparable in price to some of our favourite, fresh lunch spots.
