Jumpstart Healthy Eating with Veestro

Viva la Veestro! But I’ll get to that in a minute. First, an admission …

My name is Melody Lesser and I am a pescatarian. That, for those of you who’ve never heard the term, is someone who doesn’t eat meat or fowl but who does eat fish. I’ve been a vegetarian, on and off, since the age of eight when I found a particularly distasteful food item in my parents’ refrigerator and was told that it was going to be dinner. I haven’t eaten meat in about 20 years. I don’t eat the way I do for health reasons. I do it for moral reasons. It hasn’t always been easy. When I began, people didn’t understand vegetarianism. It was considered weird, bohemian and most untrue of all, unhealthy. Of course, today we know that the healthiest diet is one based on plenty of vegetables; fruits; healthy fats such as olive oil, nuts and avocado; and that is light on the consumption of meat. Health experts say that this type of eating is best for reducing the risk of diabetes, heart disease and even Alzheimer’s disease. It’s also the best for maintaining a healthy weight. (I yo-yo up and down so need to heed my own written words.)

Horrible admission: I’m a lazy cook. I don’t like to cook unless it’s for a special occasion when I’m entertaining. I find it boring, tedious, a pain in the butt. Problem is, I like to eat. And I like to eat good food that’s delicious, healthy and, yeah, convenient.

And that’s why Veestro was born.

Veestro? What the Heck Is Veestro?

You know, Veestro, like bistro only with a Vee for vegan. Clever, huh? Veestro is a company that delivers 100% plant-based, gourmet meals anywhere in the U.S. Veestro will help you jumpstart a weight-loss program; maintain a healthy weight or just eat healthy, delicious foods that you may have neither the time nor inclination to prepare yourself.

All Veestro meals are made fresh, flash-frozen and dated before they are shipped to you. You can customize your order in several ways by choosing A La Carte foods or Meal Packs. All foods are made with natural products and are devoid of preservatives, hence the reason that they’re dated. Want to drop a few pounds before your next summer event? Veestro also offers three Weight Loss Plans, all of which provide organic, non-GMO, plant-based meals. Gluten sensitive? No problem. Veestro offers gluten-free meals too.

Yup, I Tried It!

The people at Veestro offered me five days of complimentary meals to review for the readers of EverBeautiful.com. (They also provided a special promo code for EverBeautiful readers to use to save 20% off their entire order. More on that later …) Veestro sent foods from their weight loss plan with the idea of kickstarting a diet with five days of healthy eating. Of course, I jumped at the chance to try Veestro and, within a few days, a big box arrived at my doorstep. It was loaded with meals that were carefully packed in dry ice. As corny as it sounds, my mouth watered as I unpacked the box and put the meals into my freezer.

Time for another horrible admission: Generally, I don’t eat breakfast. But I made an exception because Veestro sent me several breakfast meals.

I decided to start with their Johnny Appleseed All Natural, Organic Juices. Besides skipping breakfast, I try never to drink my calories, with the exception of the smoothie that I make myself using 1/2 a banana, 1/2 cup of frozen assorted berries and fruits, and 8 ounces of almond milk. I sometimes throw in a couple of tablespoons of protein powder, a few handsful of spinach or kale, and I’m good until lunch. When I read the ingredients in the Johnny Appleseed Juice, I knew this was no ordinary juice. The label read like a checklist from an organic produce store: kale, spinach, carrot, cucumber, celery, green apple, lemon, ginger, protein powder.

The juice was delicious. A combination of sweet and tart, it was a lot more than “just juice” and it kept me satisfied.

I had lunch plans on the day I began Veestro so skipped their lunch, opting for a healthy salad with a splash of balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Dinner, on Veestro, was a savory, yummy Thai “Chicken” Stew with Rice and it was the real treat of the day.

The “chicken” is seitan, which is made from the protein portion of wheat. It’s actually wheat gluten and, again, if you are gluten sensitive, no worries. Veestro has plenty of meals that don’t include gluten. I like seitan. It’s often used in vegetarian cooking as a meat substitute because of its consistency. It’s toothy, like meat. I rarely cook with it because, frankly, I don’t really know what to do with it. I order seitan-based meals at veg restaurants. Well, shout out to the people at Veestro: I would eat this meal again and again! It was expertly seasoned. The rice was chock-full of peppers, green peas and carrots and it was delicious. I would fully expect to be served a meal such as this in an upscale vegetarian restaurant, it was that good. But, don’t take my word for it. I allowed my husband a little taste (I’m selfish and wanted it all to myself!) He loved it too. Happily, this meal kept me satisfied so I was able to resist my too-regular temptation for something sweet or crunchy (or both) late at night.

Second Day, As Good as the First

I opted for Veestro Oatmeal Breakfast Pie on my second day of eating. I don’t love oatmeal but will eat it if I can doctor it up with cinnamon, raisins and walnuts. That’s kind of what the Oatmeal Breakfast Pie tasted like. Instead of raisins, it contained walnuts and also sugar. I don’t go for sweets in the morning so this was a bit too sweet for my breakfast choice and, for me, would be better as a mid-afternoon snack. (Or, don’t shoot me, a late night snack. I love a little something sweet late at night. That’s Horrible Admission Number Three, but who’s counting?)

Lunch was Veestro Red Curry with Tofu and Veggies for which there is only one word: OMG!

This was my favorite meal thus far. A delicate and delicious sweet and creamy curry was loaded with chunks of tofu and organic veggies with a generous side of two brown rice patties that I mixed all together and enjoyed every savory forkful. I adore curry and this one was not overpowering but reminded me of my favorite curry dish from my favorite Thai restaurant. The meal was simply delicious – and it filled me up. Good thing because I had dinner plans that evening at one of my favorite pasta restaurants and I wanted to avoid temptation. And, I did!

Day Three and the Flavors Continue

My day started with a breakfast meeting and as I picked at my underdone omelet (I had already sent it back to be cooked some more,) I was already deciding my next Veestro. Yup, I’ve taken to calling my food by its brand name.

My late lunch for Day Three was Savory Croquettes with Veggie Hash.

Salmon croquettes were among the comfort foods of my childhood, lovingly prepared by my grandmother who taught me how to make them. “You take a little of this, a little of that, and mix it all together.” “But how will I know when the consistency is correct,” I remember asking. “You’ll know,” said my grandmother and she was right. Veestro got the flavor and the consistency right too. Every time I think I’ve eaten my favorite Veestro meal, I find another one that I like as much. I had plans to get together with a friend that afternoon and invited her to come over for coffee. Our schedules got messed up and she got to my house while I was eating lunch which I offered to share. My non-veg friend loved it, thought the croquettes were delicious with the most fabulous tomato sauce that was a perfect combination of sweet and spicy and said she’d even serve it to her family!  I overcooked the vegetables so they were a bit crisp but delicious nevertheless.

Dinner was Eggplant Casserole.

Fact: I don’t like eggplant. Bread it, fry it and smother it in tomato sauce and cheese and then m-a-y-b-e I’ll eat but, honestly, I’m more likely to eat just the cheese. But this was flavorful, thanks to the presence of organic zucchini, squash, spinach and yams that were layered with vegan mozzarella and topped off with a savory tomato sauce. I shared it with my husband, a fan of eggplant and he gobbled it up. So, while this was not one of my favorites, it will definitely appeal to those who like eggplant.

Day Four – More Fabulous Food

Woke up later than usual with a bazillion things to do so breakfast was, sorry, off the table. But lunch was a tasty treat of Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce.

It was spicy and peanut-y and just the way you would expect this meal to taste had you ordered it at a restaurant. When I make Soba noodles they come out rubbery and sticky. Not so, Veestro’s Soba noodles which were the perfect consistency and at 140 calories with 20 from fat, a good choice for weight loss. But because the peanut sauce had a whopping 280 calories with 180 from fat, I used the sauce sparingly without sacrificing any of the taste. This meal was so good, I saved a little (a very little) of it for my husband who thought I’d brought home leftovers from lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant.

I am loving my Veestro meals. They are delicious. They are satisfying and I have noticed that I don’t go scrounging around in the late afternoon or at night, hours after dinner, for something to assuage my sweet or crunchy tooth. While I do often add a healthy salad to my lunch and dinner and will also grab a piece of fruit in the middle of the day, I haven’t gone near a chip, cookie or doughnut since I began eating Veestro. I simply don’t want to eat those things. Fyi, I aim for about 350 – 400 calories per meal, give or take. I was not that much of a stickler when it came to calorie counting, but I know when I’m eating well.

When I began my “Veestro Experiment” I made a promise to myself that if I wanted chocolate, a cruller or a bunch of cheese crackers, I was going to have them. I vowed not to fool you – or myself – about this eating experiment and vowed to report, completely honestly, about how Veestro tastes and how it makes me feel. I don’t weigh myself. (Horrible admission number, eh, I lose count as to what number of horrible admissions I’d already made.)  I let the fit of my clothing be my guide as to my fluctuating weight. I want to lose about 10 pounds. Or more. Since eating Veestro, I can honestly say that my clothes feel a bit looser. My face, which can be puffy, especially in the morning, is definitely less puffy and my stomach is absolutely, positively flatter. Hurray! Now, back to the food …

Dinner was Veestro’s Three Layer Scramble and it is another of my favorites.

Remember, I eat veg but I honestly believe that Veestro meals are for everyone. How can anyone quibble with organic vegetables, delicious sauces and the perfect combination of seasonings? I get that some may not like tofu – but the thing about tofu is that it is flavorless and therefore takes on the flavors of its seasonings and sauces. And, when it’s combined with other ingredients, it is certainly not the star of the show. I would guess that Three Layer Scramble would make a tofu lover out of the most reluctant eater. It’s quinoa layered with black beans and tofu scramble topped with a tomato-y ranchero sauce. It’s the right amount of spicy, savory and delicious.

Day Five – I Could Get Used To This

Grabbed a yogurt and a banana on my way to an appointment and ate in the car. Hey, it happens. But I set aside time for a Veestro lunch: Golden Chickpea Stew with Quinoa.

Chickpeas are a staple of vegan cooking and are often used in wonderfully creative ways. They are a great source of protein and are filling. This particular dish was made of chickpeas, potatoes, onions, cauliflower, spinach and quinoa seasoned with a just right curry sauce that was kicked up a notch with jalapenos.

Dinner was a Veestro Veggie Burger. I am a connoisseur of veggie burgers having eaten them for many years. I have searched the continent (seriously!) for the perfect veggie burger and, while that’s often been fun, it has also been disgusting at times. Veggie burgers are a go-to food for vegetarians, at least for this one. They are ubiquitous – but not always tasty. I’ve eaten rubbery veggie burgers at well-meaning friends’ homes when they grill them for me at their annual barbecues. I’ve eaten veggie burgers that taste as bland as the box they are packaged in and ones so loaded with toppings, I didn’t even know there was a veggie burger on the bun.

Best Veggie Burger I’ve Ever Eaten!

Veestro’s Veggie Burger Patty was huge, big enough for two, so I shared with my husband. It was delicious. The consistency was perfect. (Many non-vegetarians have eaten at least one veggie burger in their lives and then, perhaps vowed to never eat another because it was rubbery or, yuck, hard.) I want more. I could eat Veestro Veggie Burger Patties every day. I’m kind of sorry I shared with my husband and wish I’d saved the other half for myself. That’s mean. I’ll edit it out.

All Good Things Must Come to an End

My Veestro Experiment is over. Because I skipped a couple of meals, I still have some Veestro in my freezer – Veggie Empanadas: 290 Calories; 80 from Fat; Kale & Quinoa Salad with Tempeh Bits: 210 Calories; 50 from Fat; Enchilada Casserole: 300 Calories; 70 from Fat and a huge Tuscan Calzone: 270 Calories; 100 from Fat that I intend to make for tonight’s dinner. The food will not go to waste. I am a fan. And, you know what? I am going to place an order for more Veestro.

Want to try it yourself? Do and receive 20% off your entire order by using the special promo code, EVERBEAUTIFUL, at checkout. But hurry. The code is valid through September 30, 2015. Visit Veestro.com to place your order – and let me know how you like it by leaving a comment in the section below.

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Weight and See by Harriet Posnak Lesser