Pete’s Paleo Really Did Bring Fine Dining to My Cave
I may have saved the best of my healthy meal-delivery-service posts for last (see my BistroMD review here and my Freshly review here) because — spoiler alert — Pete’s Paleo hit it OUT of the meal-delivered-to-your-home park. And not just because I like Paleo food. This stuff was delicious, healthy, filling and downright craveable, whether you go Paleo sometimes, always or don’t even have the slightest recollection what “Paleo” even is.
Pete’s Paleo tagline could not be more perfect:”Bringing Fine Dining to Your Cave.” Despite arriving on your doorstep, the food is fresh, seasonal and sourced from farmers and ranchers in Southern California that the company says are just the “coolest.” (I can’t confirm their coolness, but I can confirm their deliciousness.) And while there are no meals that are particularly fancy or super “fine dining” in the white-tablecloth restaurant sense, the food is definitely restaurant-worthy (and actually better than a lot of restaurants). The seasoning is right on and not shy (love that), the portions are perfect and each meal left me feeling satisfied, happy and, honestly, a bit pampered. It kind of feels like you have your very own Paleo chef at your disposal!
Another reason their tagline was perfect? The “cave” part. Yes, they’re referring to the whole Paleo caveman/woman thing, but, the newest addition to my family will only nap in complete and total darkness, so I — quite literally — feel like I live in a cave for many hours of the waking day. (Oh, newborns!)
This was another reason why I loved Pete’s Paleo: ease of use and no microwaving plastic like the other brands I tried. The meals come vacuum-sealed in individual bags and are placed in a large pouch.
You simply take each component out, put them in a bowl or on a plate and heat them up. They don’t look all that pretty at first, but don’t mind that. Each meal has a starchy veggie, non-starchy veggie and protein.
Once in the bowl and heated (from either fresh or frozen — in the microwave or sauteed), they are DELICIOUS AND PERFECT.
Easy to heat up and scarf down while baby plays!
And there are snacks, too!
The trail mix packs were simple but tasty. (Dehydrated cinnamon apples and nuts? YES, PLEASE.)
As were the sweet Paleo treats!
When you get your big box of meals, they include a numbered list of what you’ll be eating. Then, you simply pull out a pouch, look at the number on it and see what’s for dinner. While I did glance at the list a few times, most of the time I just randomly selected one to heat up and eat. It kind of became a fun foodie game for me — What will I get to eat for lunch today? While I did enjoy some meals more than others, all of them were great. Here are the ones that made me angry they were so good. So *bleeping* good!
Ethiopian spiced duck tenderloin with yam mash and broccoli: The description kind of says it all, right? AMAZING. And the spice on the duck was perfection.
Elk chili with sweet potato mash and purple kale blend: The “chili” was more just like meat, but it was seasoned so well. Ditto on the kale! And the sweet potato mash threw me off because it was white, but it was mildly sweet and tasty as all heck.
Garlic lamb with spaghetti squash and roasted cauliflower: The lamb was so tender and juicy. And although the cauliflower was soft, it had so much good roasted flavor. Loved!
A week of Pete’s Paleo with 10 meals and five snacks goes for about $156, or you can get 14 meals plus seven snacks for just over $200. (There are also discounts for recurring plans, along with other options for families, special dietary needs, etc.) The menu changes weekly based on what’s in season and fresh — and to keep entrees interesting. Curious about calories? Don’t be. This is what they have to say about that — which I naturally love, seeing that I’m Anti-Diet and all.
If I had all the time in the world to cook, these are EXACTLY the kind of meals I’d strive to make. So, in the battle of favorite healthy meal delivery service, Pete’s Paleo wins it for me. Cavewoman hands down!
How much would you pay for a healthy meal delivery service? This one isn’t cheap, but it’s totally worth it in my opinion. And, really, if you were to order this stuff at a restaurant, it would cost as much if not more! —Jenn