When your furbaby is such a good boy that you *almost* want to share your backyard picnic – almost. This week I’ve been testing out plant-based meals from Sprinly, a company that delivers fully prepared, chef-inspired and nutritionist-approved organic meals across the Midwest. Most of the time when people hear “plant-based” or “vegan” they think soy or salads; the epitomy of boring. Here’s some straight talk from an omnivore who loves plants and meats alike: it just don’t gotta be that way. Check out the dEATs below.

The plant-based arena is exploding right now and for a good reason – more and more people are realizing the value a balanced, nutritious diet with plants as the center of plate. That’s not to say that meat doesn’t have a place for some. I like a good steak as well as any meat eater, but I do try to limit my consumption of meat for a variety of health and environmental reasons. Others are taking note after an Oxford study indicated that a shift to a fruit and veggie-forward diet could lead to 8 million lives saved by 2050, a two-thirds reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and a multitude of healthcare savings.

Sprinly led the charge in May 2016 when Ray Lui, who was at the time a consultant working 120 hours a week , struggled to find the time to eat healthy meals. Lui found inspiration from all the global cuisines that he came across while backpacking across Asia, Italy and Brazil with his girlfriend, Mary McCann. After this epic trip, they took a leap of faith to begin a food start-up that would offer healthy meals to like-minded people like you, me and all your desk junkie co-workers looking to clean up your diet. Lui set out to prove that healthy food could not only be convenient, but also exciting! And Sprinly was born.

There are a lot misconceptions about plant-based meals being all salads and no substance. Now let’s be real – there were salads on Sprinly’s rotating menu, but they were anything but boring and were just the right amount of filling. Sprinly offers a variety of meals plans starting at 6 meals per week, with the option to skip a week or cancel at any time. All meals are vegan, gluten-free, organic and delivered to you fresh via FedEx or UPS in an insulated box each Tuesday.

Here are the six meals I received:

1.) Ancient Quinoa with Royal Beet Medallions and Greens (shown above, top)

2.) Grapefruit Citrus Tofu & Tempeh with Soba Peanut Noodles (shown above, bottom)

3.) Mediterranean Veggie Kofta Crumble with Vegan Tzatziki and Cucumber Tomato Salad (shown below)

4.) Citrus Detox Salad with Roasted Beets and Fresh Oranges

5.) Mushroom Bourguignon wiht Roasted Cauliflower Mash

6.) Pasta Primavera Marinara with Gluten-Free Pasta and Cashew “Parm”

My favorite of the meals was the Mediterranean Veggie Kofta, a unique spin on what is traditionally a minced meat dish with spices originating in Asia. The base was a blend of lentils, portobellos and walnuts that surprisingly matched the texture of ground beef and provided an earthy flavor. Lentils are actually higher in protein than quinoa (though not all 8 essential amino acids) and a good source of iron, which is key to energy production and a healthy metabolism. Many vegetarians and vegans struggle to get enough iron in their diets since meat is a primary source, so lentils are a great alternative.

What made this dish was all of the textures and flavors that fused together to deliver a plate of complex, but unified flavors. Atop the veggie kofta was a layer of turmeric brown rice offering a slight citrus and ginger scent. Pickled cabbage woke up your tastebuds with some vibrant acidic flavor. The dish is then topped with a fresh salad of cucumbers and tomatoes, layered with a creamy vegan tzatziki sauce to tame all of the flavors. This dish was a mastery of global fusion and all you had to do was heat, and eat!

The Citrus Detox Salad was the lightest of the six meals, but was also surprisingly filling, fresh and perfect after a sweaty session at the gym. Atop the bed of greens were: cooked beets (my favorite!), matchstick carrots and radishes, Valencia oranges, pea shoots and crunch pumpkin seeds. Fun fact that 1/4 C of pumpkin seeds has as much protein as an egg! Who knew? The salad was then topped with a refreshing, yet creamy grapefruit vinaigrette that brought to life the salad. Despite the fact that I waited a day to eat the meal, the greens were still fresh. Note that Sprinly includes a stamp on some of the meals that says “Eat me earlier” to let you know which meals you should prioritize eating first to avoid spoilage. Generally all meals will last up to 5 days in the fridge though.

The Pasta Primavera was the most traditional of the meals. Gluten-free pasta was tossed with a marinara sauce filled with sauteed veggies like zucchini, summer squash, portobellos and spinach. I also like that each box lists some of the health benefits of the ingredients. On this box, Sprinly shared that, “Summer squashes are rich in minerals, and a valuable source of copper, manganese, magnesium, and more! Yellow varieties in particular are loaded with carotenoids, helping reduce the risk of certain cancers and eye diseases.” The unique aspect of this dish was the cashew “parm” which was a vegan take on Parmesan cheese made with cashews, nutritional yeast and lemon juice. I’ve written about nutritional yeast in some of my other blog posts – it really is amazing how it can mimic the flavor of cheese.

To be completely unbiased, the Mushroom Bourguignon was my least favorite of the meals, though still good. The sauce was a little too acidic for my taste, but my husband liked it. And while I liked the consistency and flavor of the cauliflower mash, it still felt like something was missing from the dish. There was a lot of “gravy” compared to the mash and I was yearning for something to bit into like a piece of paleo cornbread to help scoop up the extra sauce.

The last two meals are the Beet Medallions and Tofu with Peanut Soba Noodles. I snuck a taste of both, but am planning to fully divulge this evening. Both held up well through Saturday (five days after receiving the meals) and the peanut soba noodles get a fresh spin from chopped grapefruit and alfalfa sprouts. The beet medallions are a bit of a take on a veggie burger with a blend of black beans and beets to create a patty that holds together well as the main stage of this dish, which is served with a smokey and creamy paprika sauce.

All in all, Sprinly impressed with its unique flavor combinations that were anything but the standard vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free fare – which can get old. And if you’re like me and live to eat – this will send you on a flavor adventure with limited effort. Highly recommend you check out Sprinly if you’re in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Kentucky or the Chicago area. And if not, write to Sprinly to let them know the rest of the world needs this!

If you’re looking for a convenient option way to incorporate more healthy, plant-based meals into your diet, I’d highly recommend Sprinly!

The post Adventures of Plant-Based Eating with Sprinly appeared first on The Shooks Life.

Serendipity is finding exactly what you’re looking for, without looking for it. Like this mural I happened upon while wandering Logan Square. It was serendipitous that 1.) the wall perfectly matched my fav new heels and 2.) it started pouring 2 seconds after this photo was taken. When it rains it pours and June was jam-packed with a flurry of activity. It’s those moments of joy before you even know what’s coming at you that make the journey though. Let’s flashback to a few of my June favorites over the last month below.

Every month I like to take a moment to reminisce on all the little discoveries that brought joy to my day, whether a workout that left me inspired or a meal that I’ll remember forever. Here’s the rundown on June Favorites:

1.) Favorite Fashion Finds: A New Day Michaela Pumps

Not sure whether it’s happenstance or the Target curse, but I found myself meandering through an array of cute new sandals at Target this past weekend and walked away with two pairs when all I really came for were some sandwich bags – oops. These bright red block heels can add a pump of color whether dressed up or casual. And get this, they’re less than $30! Plus, Target is running a 20% off sale now through July 4! Super comfortable, though note these run a bit narrow – so don’t feel shy to go with the wide cut.

2.) Favorite Breakfast: Purely Elizabeth Vibrant Oats

I LIVE for color and these bold, superfood-filled oats from Purely Elizabeth are EVERYTHING. I happened upon these while perusing Plum Market in Old Town after a Soul Cycle class. It was like the universe wanted me to try them with that bright “on sale” sign saying, try me! buy me! I’m a sucker for marketing (even though I work in marketing), so I bought every kind. The one above gets its vibrant blue hue from spirulina, a superfood loaded with antioxidants and known to detoxify, lower blood pressure and boost energy. They’re also relatively low in sugar (6g from coconut sugar) and come with a crunchy granola topping (the Purely Elizabeth granola is pure crack).

3.) Favorite Refreshment: Limitless Lightly Caffeinated Sparkling Water

Limitless Coffee is known for sourcing beans from farms that are wet washed so they’re free of contaminants (more on that here). I’m a big fan of their cold brew coffee and iced matcha, so I was thrilled to see a new offering when they exhibited at the asweatlife Fitness Festival a couple weeks ago. This sparkling water gets a bit of a caffeinated kick from green coffee beans. No calories, no sugar and no artificial ingredients makes this a hybrid between LaCroix and green tea, which has about the same amount of caffeine (35mg). I tried the Blood Orange and Cucumber Pear – both oh so good without being overpowering flavor-wise.

4.) Favorite Snack: Purely Pecans Sweet Potater Pecan Butter

I visited the Smart Foods Expo last week to explore the latest in the better for you and plant based food arena. There’s a lot of exciting stuff underway, but my favorite of the show was this Purely Pecan Sweet Potater Pecan Butter made with pecans, sweet potatoes and a touch of maple and cinnamon. Tastes just like pecan pie in a jar! Also, some fun facts: pecans are the most antioxidant-rich tree nut and the copper in pecans helps to reduce inflammation, like that caused by arthritis. I smothered these apples slices with pecan butter, shredded coconut and extra pecans for a healthy take on a “cookie” that was a super easy afternoon snack.

5.) Favorite Workout: 606 Workout with Shred415 and Lululemon

Every summer, Shred415 and Lululemon partner to offer free outdoor workouts across the city. The workouts are taught by Shred415 instructors and follow a similar high intensity interval training format, alternating between running exercises and body weight strength training. I went to the workout on the 606 trail in Bucktown last week and it was a scorcher – the weather and the workout! Four trainers split the group of 30-40 in half with one group focusing on running drills for the first half of the hour-long session while the other group did strengthening exercises like curtsies and split jumps for some cardio. Everyone who attended not only got the workout for free, but also got a free session at Shred415 – score! Plus, there was a burpee competition at the end and well, I’m always in it to win it, so I scored a bonus 5-pack. I’ll be going again next Thursday, July 12, if you want to join me!

6.) Favorite Recipe: Paleo Pop Tarts with Strawberry Chia Jam

This was my first foray into baking with alternative flours and it did not disappoint! Mashed banana added just the right amount of natural sweetness and stickiness to keep this dough together. The pop tarts are filled with a strawberry chia jam that takes roughly 10 minutes to make and can be added to everything from oatmeal to yogurt. The real eye pop is the Pearl Butter Smarty Pants coconut butter, which serves as the icing. This one’s a bit time consuming, but a fun morning activity and a definite show-stopper!

7.) Favorite Plant-Based Meal: Beyond Burger Lettuce Wraps

Before Beyond Meat came along, veggie burgers were mostly bean or soy-based flimsy patties that tasted nothing like the real thing. That’s fine and good for some, but if you’re craving a better version of a thick and juicy burger, Beyond Burger will straight-up fool you. The texture is on point and the beet juice gives it a tenderness and pink color before cooking that will leave you in awe. I paired mine with a butter lettuce “bun”, a juicy beef steak tomato and creamy avocado slices for a hearty plant-based meal that rivaled even the best burger joints.

8.) Favorite New Restaurant: Pacific Standard Time

I visited Pacific Standard Time in Chicago’s River North a few weeks ago for a work event and was awed by every bite, but especially the desserts from Natalie Saben, former pastry chef at Grace. Saben even earned a 30 under 30 award from Zagat at her prior gig, so it’s no surprise that she continues to bring it at Pacific Standard Time. This new American restaurant opened about 2 months ago under the helm of Erling Wu-Bower (opening chef of Nico Osteria) and Joshua Tilden (former director of strategic operations at One Off Hospitality). Favorites of the night were the bright sungold tomatoes with creamy burrata, crispy chicken with pistachio aillade and the toasted vanilla macaron with banana semifreddo and candied hazelnuts (shown above).

9.) Favorite Workout Jams: Spin Class – June 2018 on Spotify

This was my last month of teaching on the reg at Cycle X Studio before taking the summer off to do more outdoor biking. Just in time, Cardi B and Drake dropped some mega hits to add to my list of favorite songs for the month. Even though I’ll be taking the summer off from teaching, I’ll still keep my monthly playlists running. Follow me on Spotify (search for Meghan Shookman) to always have a fresh list of songs to power you through your workouts.

10.) Favorite Bar: Parson’s Chicken & Fish

There are three reasons I love Parson’s: 1.) it’s a dog-friendly patio, which means Moose gets to join in the fun 2.) it’s a block and a half from my house and 3.) they serve the best dang frozen beverages in town, including the negroni and an always-rotating specialty frozen cocktail. It’s a hipster scene for sure, but always filled with adorable puppies and their loving furparents on sunny days.

That’s a wrap on June! Can’t wait to see what July has in store!

The post June Favorites appeared first on The Shooks Life.