We Put Thistle's Home-Delivered Juices and Plant-Based Meals to the Test

Facebook ads just keep getting creepier and creepier. Just a day after we had a team meeting where we discussed different meal delivery services, Facebook advertised several meal delivery companies to me. (Get out of my head, Facebook!) While I usually get momentarily creeped out and keep scrolling, one of the companies actually caught my attention: Thistle. First, I just like saying the word "thistle." And second, they really got me with the pretty pictures of their food. I gave in, clicked on the ad, and started browsing their website – everything looked so delicious. Their meals are also dairy and gluten-free and you have the option to go with a completely vegan plan if that's your thing. On top of that, Thistle isn't crazy expensive like many similar companies. Their prices run between $11 and $15 per meal, which is what I usually spend on lunch and dinner anyway —so I decided I needed to test it out.

My box of meals arrived early on a Monday morning. (Honestly, as someone who loves receiving packages, it kind of felt like Christmas to me.) I eagerly opened up the box to investigate the week's menu: green juice, iced coffee, a muffin, chia seed pudding, overnight oats, salad, stew, and soup. Here is a breakdown of each meal.

"Hunter" Raw Juice

This "Hunter" green juice was just a pure green juice. Typically, companies add in apple or some sort of fruit to sweeten it up, but this one had no sweetness to it. I personally like green juice like this because it makes me feel like I'm getting more nutrients. It has a very mild taste with no bitterness, so it's a good green juice to start out with.

Almond Milk Chia Seed Pudding

Funny story: I was putting this almond chia seed pudding in a bowl to make it pretty for pictures. Just then, my boyfriend walked over and with a skeptical look on his face asked, "What is that?!" I told him what it was and he said, "Chia? Like chia pet chia?" I made him take a bite and he was pleasantly surprised and said it was "good shit." As for me, this was the perfect chia seed pudding. It had just the right amount of sweetness and a good texture. I also loved the toppings it came with: cacao nibs, cashews, goji berries, golden raisins, and mulberries.

Black & Pinto Bean Taco Salad with Ground Turkey

I LOVED this salad. It had everything you'd want in a tasty taco salad: beans, rice, tortilla chips, ground turkey, and more. I was especially excited about the tortilla chips because most : "healthy" taco salads leave those out. I was also surprised by how much food it came with and didn't end up eating it all because I was so full. The dressing had a really watery consistency which I was skeptical of at first, but I actually used less of it because it coated the salad more evenly. I could seriously eat this salad every day and be super happy about it.

Mediterranean Kale Stew with Garlic Chicken

I had the same thought for this stew as I did with the salad, "That's a lot of food!" It was very flavorful and very filling with the rice, chicken, and vegetables. It almost hard to believe that so much food could be only 445 calories. Another thing I loved about this company is that they list all the ingredients and nutrition facts on the label, so you know exactly what you're eating and why it's good for you.

Overnight Pumpkin Oats with Pecans and Currants

This. was. so. good. It tasted like pumpkin pie in oatmeal form. And my still skeptical boyfriend approved of this meal as well. I like that the pecans were slightly soft from being stored with the oats and the currants added a bit of tartness to the dish. I was to just make a big batch of this and have it for breakfast every day.

"Glow" Juice

This mini "glow" juice contains water, turmeric, and lemon. This was really bitter and I have to say it wasn't the tastiest thing I tried from Thistle. But turmeric is supposed to be really good for you, so bottoms up!

Revolution 24 Carrot Gold Muffin

Given the name, I thought for a second there might actually be gold in this muffin, but unfortunately (or fortunately?) there isn't. Instead, it's just a really tasty muffin. It's super moist and flavorful, but not overly sweet. The sweetener actually comes from applesauce and dates. I had it for breakfast and, unlike other muffins, it actually kept me full until lunch.

"Latte" Coffee

After trying all of these meals, I'm obsessed with this company. Everything was so delicious and made life so much easier to have my meals ready for me. I would definitely recommend this meal delivery service for three main reasons: the food is guilt-free, affordable, and delicious.

Have you tried any meal delivery services? Tell us your favorites in the comments!