My Fresh Prep Experience

Meal prep delivery services have been around for a while in the United States (at least that's what it seemed like thanks to the ads on literally every podcast I listen to) but, as far as I know, they're a relatively new service here in Canada... and in Vancouver, more specifically. I've always wanted to try one so I obviously jumped at the opportunity to when I was contacted by local business, Fresh Prep.

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that my Sunday Instagram stories are usually full of my meal prep process for the week. It's something that I do because I prefer to bring my own lunches to work and it also means I can control the food that I'm eating. I was curious to see how Fresh Prep would stack up and now that I've tested it out, I'm ready to share some thoughts.

You're given the opportunity to select your meals for the upcoming week (as long as you do so by 11:50 p.m. on Saturday), and they are delivered to your door during a specified delivery window on a day of your choosing. I got a text message when the driver was on his way with an estimated arrival time, and I definitely appreciated the heads-up. The meals come packed in paper bags and are placed in a large cooler bag so that nothing goes bad.

Inside each paper bag you get an easy-to-follow instruction sheet and all the ingredients you need to make a full meal for either 2 or 4 people depending on your subscription.  Everything comes washed, chopped, and ready to be mixed together. Even with seasonings like sugar or spices, they are perfectly portioned out so you use exactly what you get and nothing is wasted. Prepping vegetables and sauces can be incredibly time-consuming and it's amazing how, by skipping that step in the process, cooking goes so much faster.

The first meal that I made was Miso Glazed Salmon with Seasoned Sticky Rice and Bok Choy (pictured above). I loved the miso glaze and the recipe was very easy to follow and make. Plus, when I plated it, it turned out really fancy-looking. 

The second meal that I made was Hearty Beef Stew with Mushrooms and Bacon. I really like making stews but they often take a long time in the slow cooker or Dutch oven so I was curious how this would come together with only a 30 minute cooking time (all of Fresh Prep's meals can be made in 30 minutes or less). Unfortunately this one really was not to my taste. The bacon and beef was a weird combo. However, I will say that the stew tasted better the next day when I had the leftovers for lunch. Maybe it just needed to marinate more...

Overall, I was impressed with the service although it's not something that I personally would use regularly. I happen to actually like my dedicated meal prep days and enjoy coming up with my own healthy recipes of the week.

If I was a different person, however, I can see a service like this being very useful considering how limited my time is when I come home from a long day at work and I just want to eat something. The temptation for many in this situation would be to grab some takeout but with Fresh Prep, it takes almost the same amount of time you'd be waiting for a delivery and you know exactly what's going into your meal. Plus, for those who don't really know how to cook, it can be a great way to learn some new recipes and get more interested in the cooking process. Or, alternatively, a fun and easy date idea where you whip up something yummy for your significant other without forcing them to wait around watching you wash and chop veggies for 20 minutes. Honestly, the possibilities are endless!

Nut-Free No-Bake Paleo Pumpkin Bars

It has been a ridiculously long time since I did one of these kitchen adventures posts, but I was so excited about these Nut-Free No-Bake Paleo Pumpkin Bars that I had to share.

My good friend and personal trainer recently opened her own fitness studio (if you follow my Instagram, you may have noticed that I have been hanging out at Blythe Toning Studio a lot) and along with working on our fitness, we have recently been into experimenting with new recipes. These bars came about after a discussion on how we could make "healthy" holiday treats since December can often be a bad month when it comes to maintaining one's eating habits.

Since I have a severe nut allergy, we adapted this recipe and made it even healthier by throwing in some chia seeds and hemp hearts. Not only was it super easy to make with no actual baking required, the result is delicious (especially if you love coconut) and packed with protein!

Crust:

• 8 medjool dates
• ¼ cup of coconut flour
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• ½ cup chia seeds
• ½ cup hemp hearts
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Line an 8x8 baking dish with tin foil.
2. Add the ingredients to a food processor and process until crumbly like a crust.
3. Scoop the crust into the baking dish and press down with a spatula.

Filling:

• 1 can organic pumpkin puree
• 12 medjool dates
• ½ cup coconut oil
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon raw honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

1. Add the ingredients to a high speed blender (we used a Vitamix) and blend until smooth.
2. Pour on top of the crust and spread evenly with a spatula.
3. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Pull out by lifting by the tin foil and cut into bars.
5. Dust with ground cinnamon before serving.

Microwave Marshmallow Caramel Popcorn

This recipe for Marshmallow Caramel Popcorn has been floating around on Pinterest for a while now tempting me with its promise of sweet, chewy deliciousness. I believe it's supposed to be an "easy" microwave version of this recipe, and trust me when I say that it is super quick and simple to make.

Here's what you need: 1 bag of microwave popcorn (natural flavour not butter), 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup of butter, and 10 large marshmallows.

First, prepare the popcorn and set it aside in a large bowl (if you have time try and remove all the unpopped kernels). Next, mix the butter and sugar in a separate bowl and microwave for 2 minutes. Add the marshmallows and stir them around to coat. Microwave again for another 2 minutes.

Stir the melted marshmallows into the mixture to create the caramel sauce. Then pour the mixture onto your popcorn and ensure that it's all properly coated. Eat!

Word of warning: you might want to share this with someone else or you will likely get sick if you eat it all by yourself. Trust me, I speak from experience ;)

Chocolate Chip Oreo Chunk Cookies

In case anyone forgot about my previous foray into baking, let me just remind you that I am a total baking newbie. So when I'm in the mood for some fresh-baked goodies, I have no choice but to rely on my much more savvy friends to help me (thank you!).

A few months ago, I stumbled upon a recipe for Chocolate Chip Oreo Chunk Cookies on Crepes of Wrath, whose blog always has me drooling. When I saw the ingredients (white chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips AND Oreo cookies - a cookie in a cookie???), I knew I needed to make these.

Thankfully, I was not disappointed. The results were chewy, chocolate-y, and delicious. However, if you do decide to try out this recipe, I must warn you that you may be tempted to make multiple batches. DON'T DO IT! My friend and I ended up with over 60 cookies and passed out, sick from cookie coma. These cookies are definitely best enjoyed in moderation.

And, of course, some proof that I did indeed have a hand in the process:

Coconut Rum Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

My friend Lara and I have been wanting to make cupcakes for quite a while now, so what better time than in preparation for my birthday party this weekend? Slightly embarassing but I have actually never baked anything from scratch before (whenever I make cupcakes I make them from those instant mix packages). Turns out it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be!

We found the recipe for Coconut Rum Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting on Ming Makes Cupcakes (Cupcake 30). I'm a super huge fan of coconut AND cream cheese frosting so these were a perfect pick. YUMMY!!