As an undergrad nutritionist, I’m a huge believer in eating a wholesome, balanced diet and not cutting out entire food groups just because someone on Instagram with zero qualifications is telling you that you need to be swapping out your full cream milk for almond instead (more on this debate another time).
In saying that, however, I really do have an appreciation for a plant-based way of life, and there’s no doubt that eating a diet full of vegetables comes with a plethora of physical and mental benefits.
Smarty pants in white lab coats have done a tonne of research in this area, and as it turns out, science is a huge supporter of the vegan diet. Such benefits are said to include; clearer skin, weight loss, lower cholesterol, improved blood sugar levels, reduced brain fog, decreased risk of lifestyle diseases and greater life expectency. So, when I had the opportunity to try out Eat Fit Food’s new vegan reset plan for myself, I was all for it. Here’s what I learnt:
Lesson 1: Vegan doesn’t mean boring
Forget all you think you know about veganism because it’s not all about sad little lettuce leaves and half a cup of carrot sticks. Yep, contrary to what people may think, vegan food can be (and was) absolutely delicious. I was pleasantly surprised at just how creative the meals were (you can check out the entire menu below) and it didn’t even feel like you were missing out on anything because the substitutes were that good. Which reminds me, can we just talk about those cacao pops with vanilla cashew milk… I’ll have that for breakfast (or dessert) any day, thanks!
Lesson 2: It’s not FODMAP-friendly
Now this was a big one for me. Although there’s no denying that meals were both delicious and healthy, unfortunately, most of them weren’t FODMAP-friendly. For those who may not be familiar with this term, FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.
Bit of a mouthful hey? In plain English, it refers to foods that are high in fructose which may cause digestive discomfort such as bloating and cramping in people with temperamental stomachs (E.g. ME!).
Some well-known high FODMAP triggers include: onion, garlic, legumes, chickpeas and kidney beans, cashews, sweet potato, dates and avocado—all of which were present at some stage across the three day meal plan. By no means do I follow a strict low-FODMAP diet and I’m not saying I NEVER eat these foods, however, I’m just not used to eating them in such high numbers. What can I say? There’s always one…
Lesson 3: I totally get why people love food delivery services
Do you know how good it feels to wake up in the morning and not have to worry about what you’re going to have for breakfast, lunch or dinner? As this was my first meal delivery experience, I can honestly say it’s LIFE-CHANGING. Especially if you’re an always-on-the-go, gym-to-work, dry shampoo, kinda girl.
It was SO refreshing not having to think about prepping and planning ahead (which also left my Sunday night free to do other fun stuff like absolutely nothing at all) and the delivery box was waiting at my doorstep first thing Monday morning just in time for meal number 1. Call me sad, but I actually got excited over checking what was next on the menu (ah, the little things) and I even turned down dinner plans on the third and final night to finish on a high with my broccoli quinoa risotto, so there’s that.
The verdict:
Sadly, it didn’t feel like much of a reset for me as I did experience significant bloating and discomfort, HOWEVER, temperamental stomach aside (and this is not to say that it won’t work for you) everything was super fresh and tasty. The nutrition nerd in me probably would’ve liked to see nutritional labels on the meals for transparency on things like salt content, although all in all, I’d highly recommend this meal delivery service to anyone (especially the time-poor) who are after nutritious, healthy food, which – most importantly – doesn’t skimp on flavour. Now, what was that about vegan food being boring?
THE MENU
DAY 1
Breakfast: 1 x Gluten free toast with tomato and avocado salsa
Lunch: Vegan rainbow salad
Snack: Red lentil hummus with homemade psyllium crackers
Dinner: Sushi bowl
Add-ons:
1 x Banana
1 x Long black
DAY 2
Breakfast: Green power smoothie
Lunch: Falafel with buckwheat tabouli, minted coyo and babaganoush
Snack: Cacao, maca and mesquite superballs
Dinner: Vegan shepherd’s pie
Add-ons: 1 x Long black
DAY 3
Breakfast: Cacao pops with vanilla cashew milk
Lunch: Vegetarian black beans, sweet potato zoodles and cashew cream
Snack: Tamari nuts
Dinner: Broccoli quinoa risotto, peas, asparagus and fennel
Add-ons: 1 x Long black
Keen to give it a go? Visit www.eatfitfood.com.au/three-day-reset to learn more!
