After treatment, I’ve made it my mission to rethink the way I’ve been living. For the most part, I lead a relatively healthy life, but post chemo, I’ve been looking for ways to “detox”. I consider my diet to be overall healthy and I try to approach my eating with the 80/20 mindset, meaning 80% of the time I eat healthy and 20% of the time, I don’t :) Still, I wanted to do a quick “reset” after our recent trip to Carmel and decided to schedule a Sakara 3 Day Meal Plan. I paid for this service and wasn’t gifted anything, so here’s my fair and unbiased review!
My plan was scheduled Monday-Wednesday, so my package was delivered to my doorstep Sunday overnight. Right off the bat, I loved how everything was packaged. The materials used were all recyclable (the ice packs are recyclable or reusable) and the containers themselves were well sealed to avoid any leaks or spills. I opted to do 3 days of lunches and dinners. The breakfast options did look delicious, but the price including breakfast was out of my budget and I already feel like I have a lot of healthy breakfast options I can easily whip up. Lunch and dinner were places I wanted a little more help!
In addition to my meals, Sakara includes some bonus goodies. My delivery included 3 bags of their Detox tea, a weeks worth of their probiotic supplement, a superfood bar and a little Palo Santo stick. It also included a cooler bag, which I didn’t end up needing, but would be handy if you were on-the-go and needed to bring your meals with you.
Day 1 - I started the day off with my regular supplements and the Sakara probiotic. I wasn’t feeling super hungry in the morning, so I skipped breakfast and sipped on the Detox tea and a coffee with almond milk. Full disclosure, Sakara recommends avoiding caffeine during the meal plan, but I kind of can’t function without coffee, so here we are. Since I skipped breakfast, I was pretty starving by lunchtime and excited have my first meal!
Lunch: The Thai “Burger” with rainbow slaw, roasted root fries, and almond butter-ginger drizzle
Yum! This was soooooo tasty. I heated up the “burger” in the oven (made with purple sweet potato) before I mixed it in with the salad. The almond-butter ginger drizzle was incredible and I would drink it if I could. I felt full after this meal and totally satisfied. A great way to kick things off and a good reminder that plant based eating can be exciting, flavorful and filling!
Dinner: Roasted Peach Chana Masala
This was super tasty, and not something I would ever have made for myself. It felt like a dish you’d find in a fancy vegetarian restaurant and it had a little kick, which I loved. The portion was small and I added some spinach while I was heating it to bulk it up. Spencer did not join me for this meal plan, so I cooked dinner for him and Charley. I supplemented this meal with some of the fish I cooked for them (salmon) and I think that’s totally fine. I don’t have a strictly plant based diet and my body often craves protein, so I think adding some in here and there is fine if that’s what works for you. I usually finish my meal off with something sweet, like dark chocolate or Hu Chocolate Almonds (my faaaavorite) and I was definitely missing that. I sipped the Detox tea till bedtime, but to be honest, I didn’t feel particularly full after this meal and went to bed feeling hungry.
Day 2 - Woke up SUUUUUUPER hungry! I started the day off with my regular supplements and the Sakara probiotic (it says these can be taken with food, but I prefer to have them on an empty stomach), Sakara Detox tea and another coffee with almond milk. I had an egg fried in olive oil and a side of organic blueberries and strawberries for breakfast, so I wasn’t starving for lunch, but definitely ready.
Lunch: Sakara Burrito Bowl with Turmeric Corn Salsa, Pink pitaya party rice, creamy cilantro dressing, and pickled serranos
This might have been my favorite lunch. I LOVE Mexican food, so this really did it for me. I added some Mexican style Kimchee I had to boost the probiotics and that really took it to the next level for me. There’s a decent amount of heat in this dish and generally speaking, the meals don’t shy away from spice. I love it, but I could see it being a turnoff for some people. Felt very satisfied after this meal, but if there had been a little bit more, I wouldn’t have been mad about it.
Dinner: Sichuan Noodles w/ Roasted Carrots, brown rice noodles, sesame-roasted carrots, kale and protein-packed white beans
This was an interesting flavor combo and not something I ever would have thought to put together. I liked that it was a guilt-free way to have pasta! It kind of felt like an Asian version of Bolognese sauce. I added some chopped spinach to the pan while I was heating it up and also supplemented with a side of sautéed shiitake mushrooms (I love them and I try to have them 2-3 times a week as they are a breast cancer fighting superfood!). New neighbors moved in and brought over homemade chocolate chip cookies (my weakness!!), so I had half of one. I’m only human!! Sipped Detox tea till bedtime.
Day 3 - Started the day with my regular supplements and Sakara probiotic. I had my first personal training session today (another post treatment level up!) and needed a breakfast that would help me power through. I had toast with almond butter, sliced banana and cinnamon. I treated myself to an almond milk cappuccino after working out and for the first time, I wasn’t starving for lunch. Either my body is getting used to the smaller portions, or the combo of breakfast and working out had some effects.
Lunch: H2O Glow Salad with white beans, celery, cucumber, fresh herb dressing
Ok, this one was reeeeally disappointing. What I had been loving up until this point was that these meals felt like things I wouldn’t normally think to make, or were complex enough to feel like something I wouldn’t have the time/energy to make myself (like Chana Masala!), but this was…sad. It was just some mixed greens with chopped carrot, cucumber and celery and some beans. I added half an avocado to try and bulk it up, but I was starving afterward and also snacked on some carrots with curry hummus. Overall, this just felt like something I totally could have made myself and definitely didn’t need a service for. After all the hits, this one was definitely a miss :(
Dinner: Sakara Bibimbap with brown rice, seasonal veggies, kimchi, goji-chili sauce
Pros & Cons
Ok, let’s break it down…
The Pros
Taste - Aside from the H20 Glow salad, everything was DELICIOUS. After a year of pandemic cooking, it was so nice to get some new ideas for healthy ways to cook for myself and my family. The dishes were really creative, super colorful and felt so fresh. I will say, there was a good amount of spice used throughout which I loved, but might not work for everyone.
Ease of Use - Aside from heating up the dinners and adjusting the seasoning (I added sea salt and pepper to most everything), this could not have been more simple. Next time, I’d plan to schedule this during a busy week when having healthy meals ready to go would be a godsend.
Menu Transparency - I love how Sakara posts the menu for the coming week online, so you know what you’re actually getting ahead of time. With other services like this, you’re rolling the dice and it can be a huge bummer if you don’t end up loving the dishes. All the ingredients are listed on the packaging as well, so you really know what you’re eating!
Hot Food! - Other meal plans I’ve done are mainly salads and juices, but I loved how this included hot meals. It made a big difference in my digestion and feeling like I wasn’t restricted to eating only salads.
Packaging - Nothing bugs me more than excessive packaging, but the Sakara packaging was minimal and everything was recyclable. Major points in my book for this!
The Cons
Price - Eating like this is a luxury. The cost of 3 days of meals was not insignificant, but I tried to view it as a special treat vs an everyday thing and that helped me justify the price. Sakara does have a rewards program and offers a discount for first time users, so that did help offset the cost a bit.
Portion Size - I don’t think I eat HUGE portions in my daily life, but these meals did feel small to me. I know the point is to eat lighter, but as someone who doesn’t eat a strictly plant-based diet, my body was craving more. I don’t think this is a dealbreaker, but I do think it’s worth mentioning so you can be sure to have healthy options on hand to supplement. For me, that meant having salmon and mushrooms to add in more protein and snacks throughout the day, like hummus, fruits and veg.
Solo Mission - Spencer didn’t join me on this, so next time I’d plan to order 2 programs so we can do it together. It would make things much more simple at mealtime and it’s more fun with a buddy!
Not Enough Tea - Ok, this one might seem silly, but they only included 3 tea bags, which means you’re using the same tea bag all day. I’m all for reusing, but in the evenings, I felt like I was just drinking hot water. More tea, please!
The Verdict: After 3 days of “clean eating”, I felt so good! I had no bloating, my digestion was great and I was sleeping well (though to be honest, I sleep well most of the time!). If you’re looking to “reset”, this is a great way to get back on track. 3 days feels like enough time to feel a difference, but 5 days would be even better! I committed to abstaining from alcohol during the 3 day plan, and I think that really helps maximize the benefits. From a budget perspective, this isn’t something I can afford to do super regularly, but I do love it as an option after a vacation or holiday time to reset your body and help get back on track to a more balanced way of eating.
