If you are growing increasingly concerned about food waste, excess packaging, and the exorbitant levels of consumer goods that are thrown out each week around the world, it’s completely understandable.  While sometimes it seems like there is nothing we can do as just one person, there are plenty of ways you can contribute to cutting down on waste. Did you know that by selecting to have a regular meal delivery service you are already helping in many ways? Here’s how:

Built in Bulk

At Savor Living, when you purchase our vegan meal subscription service, you are just one of many people doing the same thing. As a company, we purchase and prepare ingredients in large quantities, and then use those to create delicious, creative, healthy meals for you and your family.  What this means is that instead of each of our customers buying their own ingredients individually packaged, we buy the ingredients in bulk, with only one package. More than that, there is less energy and less water used in production, because we are making large quantities. We have our production down to a science and know exactly how much of an ingredient we need for each recipe.  This means there is less food waste and we use up everything we buy.  

You’ll Like it!

How many times have you had great ideas for your meal and what you wanted to make, only to go to serve it for dinner and it tastes terrible? Whether it was your novice cooking skills, you didn’t have all the proper ingredients in your vegan food kit, or you simply messed up the recipe, bad cooking days happen. When it does, you typically end up throwing out the food and buying takeout, contributing to food wastageand packaging that ends up in your garbage bin.  However, if you have a healthy meal delivery service to your Toronto home, like the options available from Savor Living, it’s almost certain that you’ll love each meal. And when you work with companies that package their products sustainably for delivery, like using reusable containers for you to return next time or compostable boxes, you’ll love the food, plus be helping the environment at the same time.

Less Packaging

When we deliver your Savor Living meal, we are as committed to the environmental aspect as you are, and it is indeed just a second facet of adopting a plant-based diet.  This means that we are committed to reducing the packaging we use for our products.  We don’t unnecessarily wrap items that don’t need to be, or put food in separate containers if it isn’t required. We are mindful of maintaining the integrity and quality of the food, and making sure you get a premium product as the outcome, but we also we want to stay true to our plant-based values and avoid the need for excessive packaging whenever possible. 

Savor Living cares about good food and cares about offering you, the customer, a premium experience. We want you to walk away from the dinner table thinking the food is delicious and order more (maybe even extending the service to be added on as your healthy lunch delivery option as well!), but we also care about the environment.  And that’s why we work hard to make those two come together and give you the best food, while maintaining the highest environmental standards. Thanks for helping do your part by ordering a meal subscription service.

When it comes to adopting a plant-based diet with healthy vegan prepared foods, it can seem slightly overwhelming.  But it doesn’t’ have to be.  In fact, with a few simple changes each week, you can easily add more plant-based meals to your diet and see big success with small adaptations. Here’s how to make it happen.

Try a Meat Alternative
If you already eat a lot of vegetables as part of your regular diet, one step to trying to incorporate more plant-based foods into your diet could be to substitute your meat for a plant-based protein one to two times per week.  For example, instead of using ground beef in your Bolognese, try using lentils; instead of a beef patty for burger night, opt for marinated tofu, or a veggie burger patty from a vegan meal prep company like Savor. There are lots of plant-based protein substitute options when it comes to reducing your meat intake that still ensure you will get adequate protein.  You can also opt for things such as chickpea falafels, braised legumes, or roasted chickpeas, all of which are easily added to your regular vegetable and starch intake at dinner. 

Adopt Meatless Monday

Committing to having one day of the week as your meat-free, plant-based day is a great stepping stone towards adopting a more complete plant-based diet.  When you commit to having only plant-based foods on one day, it gives you a whole week to look up recipes, grocery shop for your vegan meal kit, or better yet, order vegan home cooked meals to be delivered right to your door.  While it may seem daunting at first, once you try it a few times, you will notice that it gets easier, and that you are able to stock a pantry that is like your own vegan food kit.  Need some inspiration? Try zucchini noodles with a vegetable tofu stir-fry, dripping in a spicy ginger sauce; experiment with different legumes, such as making Mexican rice and beans using kidney beans, or your own homemade refried beans, salsa and guacamole for nacho night.  Just because there is no meat, it doesn’t mean there is no flavor, so put your imagination to work and get creative in the kitchen!

Make it a Side

If you aren’t ready to give up meat or animal products, but are interested in the possibility of eating more plants, it is easy and practical to integrate vegan food into your diet as a side dish, especially if you are opting to receive healthy meal delivery services direct to your home. For example, if you and your family love to have tacos, try adding some fermented cabbage on the side. It is good for your gut health and is a complimentary flavour to the spiciness of the tacos.  Salads are also an easy addition to meals, and there are lots of different ways to enjoy salad other than boring lettuce, cucumber, and tomato. You can try different leafy greens, such as kale, spinach, and arugula, you can add different dressings, and of course, implement different toppings such as pumpkin seeds, goji berries, toasted sesame seeds, or even crushed almonds.  If you are after a bit of a heartier salad, instead of having rice with your vegetables and chicken, opt for a quinoa salad, mixing in some vegetables and additional legumes if you prefer. And the best part? Leftovers are great to take to work the next day to compliment your in-office lunch delivery service!

With some time and practice you’ll be enjoying lots of plant-based alternatives in no time! If you need some inspiration to get you started, call us up and we will arrange for the best vegan delivery to show up at your door – whether it’s Meatless Monday or any day of the week!

If you have recently adopted a vegan diet – or even if you have been following one for a while – you are likely no stranger to the question asked by so many friends, family and acquaintances when it comes to your food choices: “but where do you get your protein?” This fledgling and misguided myth of meat and animal products being the only source of protein, is just that: downright inaccurate.  Put your mind at ease, knowing that it is easy to get adequate protein on a plant-based diet, especially if you are ordering vegan premade meals, or a healthy lunch delivery service, and then focus on these 5 places for the best sources of protein: 

1. Ancient Grains

Grains may get a bad rap, but it completely comes down to the type of grain you are consuming.  Grains such as Buckwheat, Quinoa, Teff, and Lupin are all high in protein, iron, and several other nutrients and can be a viable part of a vegan diet.  In fact, adding in these grains Is a great way to fill you up and to increase your intake of fiber, not to mention, Teff is very good for the gut and improving gut health, and quinoa is a great way to ensure you receive a complete protein. Use these grains in baking, in helping you create your vegan prepared food, or turn into porridge for breakfast!

2. Legumes

Chickpeas, lentils, black beans, kidney beans, white beans, and black-eyed peas - there is an incredibly diverse range of legumes available on the market, both in canned and raw versions. They make for an exceptional source of protein that you can easily add to your vegan meal kit. The protein contained within beans comes with fiber and complex carbohydrates, not to mention, several other critical nutrients, offering you the perfect combination of micronutrients and macronutrients to fill you up! If you need dinner in a hurry, opt for canned beans, and simply drain, rinse, and enjoy.  Alternatively, cook your beans from scratch and infuse them with more flavor and then pair with your vegan home delivery meal. 

3. Greens

Despite what you may (or may not) have heard, vegetables contain protein. Yes, it’s true: all vegetables have protein in them.   A particularly good source of vegetable-based protein however, comes from leafy greens, like those which you would expect to receive in a salad delivery service. Enjoy a variety of greens, including kale, spinach, Swiss Chard, and Collard Greens, and watch seasonally for the bitter greens, such as mustard greens and endive.  All of these options are rich in antioxidants, have a huge selection and variety of minerals and vitamins, and are also a great source of iron.

4. Nuts and Seeds

Whether you prefer almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, or ground flax, nuts and seeds all offer an excellent protein hit to the body.  They come as a complete package, offering protein, healthy fats and a small amount of carbohydrates, making nuts and seeds the ideal snack, or the ideal breakfast. Different nuts have different nutrient specializations.  For example, almonds are a source of Vitamin E, good for your skin, while sesame seeds are high in calcium.  Brazil nuts and walnuts are important for healthy brain function and pumpkin seeds contain zinc and anti-parasitic properties.  Eat a variety of nuts and seeds to benefit from the differences of each, and to ensure a variety of different intakes of fat and protein.

5. Tofu

While tofu may get a bad rap because it is made from soy, choosing organic, non-GMO soy options for your tofu make this an excellent calcium and protein option for vegans.  Tofu is also low in carbohydrates and is a versatile ingredient to use for dinner or lunch as a compliment to your healthy meal delivery services.  You can marinate it and bake until crispy, turn it into a crumbly scramble for breakfast, or grill it for a salad or stir fry.  It is easy to cook and takes on flavor very well when marinated, so take some time and get to know this delicious vegan friend!

As you can see, it is easy to get adequate protein on a plant-based diet through food selections that are tasty, nutritious and easy to make.  And don’t worry: you can be sure that in your Savor delivery, we have your protein covered.