Cleaning up our diet has never been easy - who knows where to start. The benefits of a plant-rich diet range everywhere from lowering blood pressure, boosting heart health, and even the prevention of Type 2 diabetes.
While we know the benefits of plant-based dieting, the reality of actually doing it can be a real chore. Between finding recipes that give you the right balance of nutrients and proteins, sourcing ingredients, and then taking the time to make the meals, it’s totally exhausting.
That’s why we put two of the most popular plant-forward meal delivery services head to head to find who offers the most quality, variety, and flexibility.
Key Similarities
- Both are delivered to your door
- Both are dairy-free and gluten-free
- Both have subscription options
- The meals are curated by chefs and take little-to-no prep
Key Differences
- Sakara Life offers plant-based options
- Sakara Life offers supplements like Super Powders and Water Drops
- Sakara Life has a set plan every week
- Thistlegives you the option to customize your meals every week
- Thistle’s plant-forward meals come with options to add on meat or fish
Thistle Overview
Thistle is a meal subscription service that delivers fresh, ready-to-eat, plant-forward meals. Their globally-inspired menu has mouth-watering meals like West African Peanut Stew, Chile Verde Rice Bowl, and Pasta Ceci Aglio e Olio.
With each meal you choose, you also have the option to add on meat or fish they recommend for that particular meal. This is actually one of our favorite parts about Thistle!
In addition, you can decide if you’d like a vegan or omnivore plan and choose between breakfast, lunch, and dinner and how many meals you’d like per week. Their 6-day a week, breakfast, lunch, and dinner plan is $207 - which comes out to only $11.50 per meal.
Thistle delivers directly to your doorstep - all you need to do is simply place the ingredients in the fridge. Once you’re ready to eat, just heat them in a skillet for 2-3 minutes, or eat them cold! Thistle’smeals are notorious for being insanely tasty and filling.
Sakara Life Overview
Sakara Life delivers totally plant-based meals right to your door - no prep required. They follow the 9 Pillars of Nutrition which include: no calorie counting, plant protein, eat your water, greens, good fats, eat the rainbow, nutrient density, sulfur-rich veggies, and body intelligence.
Sakara Life has several meal plans including their Signature Meal Plan, The Level II Detox, the Bridal Meal Program, or their 10-Day Reset. Off the bat, their plans seemed to be more focused on weight loss.
We took a peek at their Signature Meal Plan which offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 5 days a week and comes out to $349 a month, which ends up being about $23 per meal.
Sakara Life determines your weekly meals based on the plan you select and has a rotating menu every week. Some of their meals include Sakara-Style Pasta Bolognese, Buckwheat + Shaved Brussels Salad, and Phucket Bowl with Thai Sticky Rice.
They also offer several add-ons like granola bars, super bars, supplements, and vitamins.
Verdict
While both services are fairly similar, we’re definitely going with Thistle. Being able to choose your meals provides a variety that Sakara Life just doesn’t offer. Thistle is ideal for those who are currently vegan, thinking about cutting back on meat, and even those who want to eat meat.
While Sakara Life felt like we were locked into meals and menus, Thistle keeps it simple and above all - affordable! Sakara Life is almost double Thistle’s prices and doesn’t even give the option to pick your meal. Thistle is beyond approachable, we know exactly what we’re getting and their meals taste utterly delicious.
For those who want to go a little more green, Thistleis an absolute must.