My LeafSide Review

I first tried LeafSide meals in May 2018 so at this writing I’m ten months into life with LeafSide fueling me and it seems like a perfect time to give my in-depth LeafSide review.

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I value LeafSide for two main reasons:

1. The shelf-stable (no refrigeration!) meal packs are always in my pantry ready for a quick, filling meal, and,

2. I know each Leafside meal pack will provide for me a greater number of different high-quality ingredients in one meal than I’ll make from scratch. As a vegan whole food nutritionist, I value this immensely!

I would rather be outside exercising than chopping and dicing in the kitchen. (Honestly, I’d rather be at my desk writing this blog post than chopping and dicing!) Every now and then I slow down and get a creative urge to craft something delectable from scratch, but that’s a rare occasion (just ask my family!) so LeafSide meal packs support my active lifestyle without skimping on high quality nutrition.

Most days I eat one LeafSide meal pack. Occasionally I’ll eat two. I usually eat LeafSide in the morning for breakfast whether it’s a sweet smoothie, a sweet stir bowl, or, if I want a little morning kick, a savory stir bowl.

Here is the order in which I tend to eat categories of LeafSide meal packs from most to least in the warm and summer months:

1. Sweet smoothies
2. Sweet stir bowls
3. Savory stir bowls
4. Savory soups

Here is the order in which I tend to eat categories of LeafSide meal packs from most to least in the cold and winter months:

1. Sweet stir bowls
2. Savory stir bowls
3. Savory soups
4. Sweet smoothies

For the smoothies I put the meal pack contents in my high-speed blender and add the recommended cups of water. I’ll go walk my dog while the contents hydrate. When I come back to the kitchen, I add some frozen fruit (pineapple, mixed berries, banana) instead of ice cubes and blend. Easy! Delicious! I pour it into a large glass and use a glass straw and feel really Instagramy-good about myself and how my day has begun. I know I don’t have to think about food for another 4-5 hours, at least.

When I have a sweet stir bowl, I boil water in my kettle, pour the LeafSide meal pack contents into a bowl, pour the recommended amount of hot water over the contents, stir, cover the bowl with a plate and go walk my dog. When I return, the meal is completely hydrated and ready to eat.

If I need a little extra kick to start my day, I’ll choose a savory stir bowl or I might enjoy it later in the day. I’m a wimp when it comes to spice, so I often drizzle cashew cream over my savory stir bowl after I’ve prepared it with hot water just like the sweet stir bowl. Cashew cream is just a cup of pre-soaked cashews, less than one cup of water, a splash of apple cider vinegar (or juice of half a lemon), and a generous pinch of sea salt.

Sometimes the cream is thicker or thinner depending on how much water I use and how long I blend them. It’s important to me to always have pre-soaked frozen cashews on hand so I maintain that supply and I use a high speed blender to blend the cream. I soak several cups of raw, organic cashews overnight in a big covered bowl with distilled water and drain and rinse them in the morning before bagging them and tossing them into the freezer. Having them frozen also makes the cashew cream nice and cold.

Sometimes if I’m not in the mood to make cashew cream, I’ll add some extra quick oats to the meal pack to dilute the spice a little. This is a great trick if you’re really hungry and just want more volume from the sweet or savory stir bowls or soup meal packs.

I love that LeafSide soups are now pre-blended! No more blending and then heating on the stove. Preparation is just like the stir bowls now: add hot water and let hydrate. I’ve been known to add cashew cream and/or quick oats to my soups too! Kudos to LeafSide headquarters for adjusting to consumer feedback. I value how the company is constantly tweaking their products and recipes to make them better than before.

One thing about LeafSide meal packs that astounds me is that there are no recipes that I like better than the others. They are all so tasty and distinct in their own way. There are certainly no LeafSide meal packs that I avoid or skip. Usually I’ll just blindly reach my hand into the pantry and let fate choose the recipe for me.

Here is one complaint that I hear from others who try LeafSide and I can relate. At first, upon initial try, they taste super “healthy.” Do you know that taste? It tastes kind of like the smell of a health food co-op store. When I first tried all the recipes, I felt so good about what I was eating that I accepted “that healthy taste.” And I’m so glad I did.

One characteristic of a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) diet is that there is an adjustment period for everyone’s individual taste buds and gut bacteria to adapt. This is true even if you’re already eating a WFPB diet and level-up to LeafSide. I wasn’t previously eating 20-30 highly recommended whole plant ingredients per meal until I began eating LeafSide. My tongue and belly were like “whoa Nelly!” But after about a week of consistently eating LeafSide, my body adjusted and I started anticipating that healthy characteristic taste of LeafSide which is what the body does when adapting to a new, higher caliber of quality food. Now I crave LeafSide and that signature taste!

I feel like some people give up on LeafSide after one or two meals which is unfortunate. The meal packs are probably more healthful than anything most people are eating on a regular basis. The added fruit sweetens up the smoothies for me and the added cashew cream or quick oats smooths out the spice for me. (Oh, and with the Madras Curry Savory Stir Bowl I sometimes add raisins too because that just seems like such a right fit and they’re a delightful addition!)

If you try LeafSide and don’t fall in love with your first meal, don’t worry! Remember when you ate whole wheat bread for the first time? It’s like that. You eventually reach a point where you can’t remember ever liking white bread.

LeafSide meal packs are nothing like you’ve ever eaten. You have to give your body time to adjust. Customize the meal packs with additional ingredients. It’s okay! But stick with the meal packs. I can nearly guarantee that you’ll start to crave the way they taste and definitely the way they make you feel not only in your body but in your day with all the time you save.

And for the quality and variety of ingredients, I bet you couldn’t make comparable meals from scratch for the same price so you’ll probably feel pretty good in your wallet too for what you’re getting.

I hope this LeafSide review has been helpful to you. Please let me know any questions you might have for me in the comment section below. I’ll tell you everything I can about my life with LeafSide. I recommend the convenient, nutritious, and affordable meal packs whole-heartedly!

PS – Meal pack flavors and assortment are accurate at time of writing. Please consult the LeafSide website for up to date information. Go there now to learn more about automated subscriptions (never run out of LeafSide meals!) and free shipping.