As a child of the late 80's / 90's when I ponder ready-made meals...

my mind is populated with tasteless microwave food and saccharine ad campaigns brought to you by a Father Christmas-esque seafaring Captain.

But that was the 90's, 3 decades have since passed and food, food prep and food delivery has come a long way. There are now countless companies that offer to deliver freshly prepared meals to your door (Mindful Chef, The Good Prep, Gousto, Chefly, Balance Box to name but a few) and it is within this fast-evolving convenience food sector that you will find 'allplants'

What is allplants?

Allplants frozen food boxes are entirely plant-based, ingredients are responsibly sourced, low in sugar, are 100% dairy-free with no palm oil, GMO or added preservatives. Their stance is in no way 'too preachy' on being entirely vegan:

Not just for vegans. We believe we don’t need a handful of people being perfectly sustainable. Instead, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly.

I think just a quick watch of their latest TV advert will illustrate that they believe that even eating a few more plant-based meals a week will be a step in the right direction. (For this very reason it may also not be 'every vegan's cup of tea'...

‍

‍

They make plant-based, chef-made frozen meal boxes to help you eat healthier and make it easier in preparing something without any meat or dairy. A very cool company that was founded by two brothers (Alex and JP Petrides) in 2017 who are proud of their B Corporation status and their numerous 'Great Taste Awards'. allplants production is sustainable, their packaging is recyclable, compostable or reusable and it works with a carbon-neutral delivery partner. It tastes great too. What's not to like thus far ?

The world (and everyone on it, including us) would be better off if we ate more plants.

ENJOY 15% DISCOUNT USING CODE 'MOTHEROFGROM15'

Why allplants?

First up - it's a super cool company with a certain indie-cred. Their ethos should also really resonate with alot of people looking to make small but effective changes to their ay to day life to benefit the planet with all things carbon-neutral / sustainable / cruelty free and the like. Strangely, it was my sister in law in introduced me to allplants. Why strange? well because she is not a vegan or a vegetarian for that matter. She is a person who enjoys healthy and tasty food, a mother of two who is always on the go and cannot cook from scratch everytime and most importantly a consumer who has tried quite a few of the other companies and has concluded that allplants simply tastes better. I couldn't really think of a more inspiring advert to make anyone actually want to try allplants.

How do I allplants?

It's a simple. You:

1. order online
2. confirm a date to have the frozen food delivered
3. Pop it in the freezer
4. Heat and eat (and enjoy) whenever you fancy

• The process of ordering online from allplants on your phone or computer could not be more simplistic. You will need to select your portion sizes (to me it was an economic no brainer to go for the larger size.) You can click filters (Cooking Method, Made without, Spice level, Calorie count) which tailor the visible choices to your needs.

• You then simply need to select what boxes you wish to indulge in. Believe me, there are alot to choose from.

• For the weaker among us (it was a tough temptation to fight off .. but I remained strong ;-) You can now add any extras that may tickle your fancy such as breakfast bowls, sides, treats and smoothies.

• At checkout you will see your summary and can pay with you usuals (credit card, paypal, applepay etc) You can also set your subscription box delivery frequency (every 1-6 weeks) which you can also amend or cancel at anytime.

How much does allplants cost?

The price of your allplants depends on the serving size you go for.

• ‍A 6 x single serves (380g): £40.50‍
• A 6 x double serves (760g) : £59.88

Hence, the price works out to a most reasonable £6.75 per meal if your opt for the 6 x single servings and an even better £4.99 if you opt for the 6 x double servings. Delivery is also free if you arranged on a Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.or +£2.50 for Saturday delivery. They give a 8am-6pm window for delivery and I received an SMS in the morning giving me a 1hr delivery window.

‍

ENJOY 15% DISCOUNT USING CODE 'MOTHEROFGROM15'

‍

What allplants did I eat?

With over 50 main dishes to available to order, you are certainly spoilt for choice with allplants. There's the common classics such as Roasted Veggie Lasagne and a Protein Bolognese Bowl, but I was super tempted by the more exotic offerings such as the Roasted Celeriac and Butterbean Pie and the Chicken Katsu Curry. After days of deciding (*OK a couple of hours) I decided on:

• Augergine Parmigiana
• Rainbow Falafel Mezze
• Mac + Green (how could one not!)
• Kale + Chickpea Daal
• Teriyaki Udon
• Spinach + Nut Ricotta Lasagne

The first box out of the freezer was AUBERGINE PARMIGIANA which consisted of roasted aubergine layers topped with a rich, tomato sauce, cashew mozzarella and golden oregano breadcrumbs. All of the allplants boxes can be microwaved (ranging from 5-9 minutes) or oven baked (ranging from 25-45 minutes.) I opted to oven bake mine for 40 minutes as I am not really a microwave gal!

This take on the classic northern Italian recipe was still packed with flavour from the aubergines, tomatos and the cashew mozzarella balls were a splendid addition that were textured, tasty and provided for me a real centre for the dish. The oregano breadcrumbs too had not lost their crispy texture and the overall concensus was that it did indeed taste like it had been freshly made.

Some key typical values per serving :

• Energy (kcal) 351
• Fat (g) 14.9
• Carbohydrate (g) 34.7
• Fibre (g) 8.5
• Protein (g) 13.3

The next fantastical, frozen feast came in the form of RAINBOW FALAFEL MEZZE which comprised of roasted rainbow veg, crisp falafel, vibrant beet hummus with fluffy bulgur and a sprinkling of crushed pistachios.

This really fely like a classic mezze, as it combined many smaller dishes but it was up easily up for the task of a main dish. Like many a mezze platter the centre-peice here is the yummy (and moist) falafels which are naturally vegan and gluten-free. The presence of fresh herbs, onion and garlic and spices such as cumin, salt, black pepper were evident. The platter was completed with a delicious beetroot hummus all on a granulous, grainy bed of bulgar wheat. Oh .. and the splashing of crushed pistachios - how could I forget those. Delicious.

Some key typical values per serving :

• Energy (kcal) 424
• Fat (g) 13.8
• Carbohydrate (g) 51.8
• Fibre (g) 12.1
• Protein (g) 16.9

Firing out of the frosty fridge next was the alltime staple of quick food, MAC AND CHEESE ... but with GREENS ! Chunky macaroni tossed through a creamy, cheesy sauce with charred broccoli, fresh greens and a delicious toasted crumb.

To many a human, mac and cheese would be a comfort food. Quick and easy to make. Baked in the oven, with a crispy top and cheese sauce added to personal taste. Always dreamy and creamy amd a sight for hungry eyes as it comes buddling out the oven.

I feel this Mac and Green needs to be thought of as it's own dish as comparisons to a classic Mac and Cheese made lead to unfair comparisons and disappointment. When served it did indeed come bubbling out of the oven and the cheese sauce was abundant (too much for my little one) and possibly attributed to the dish being frozen. The 'green' addition was charred brocolli (which was still crunchy), spinich and kale (boiled down) and roasted tomatoes. The toasted crumb was somewhat lost in the reheating (much to my son's disappointment) but the dish still disappeared without too much persuading.

Some key typical values per serving :

• Energy (kcal) 570
• Fat (g) 23.4
• Carbohydrate (g) 53.3
• Fibre (g) 13.1
• Protein (g) 27.9

Grabbing our attention and eastern tastebubs next was the allplants KALE + CHICKPEA DAAL which was tomato chutney chickpeas topping a creamy 3-pulse daal of black lentils, red lentils and chickpeas, with spinach and garlic kale. This did not come with rice or naan .. it was a no brainer to add our own ;-)

Daal (or Dal) is an Indian stew / soup which is normally made from pulses. The allplants offering was made from chickpeas, a combo of lentils and cocunut milk. My husband (the father of grom) isn't normally one for spicy food but he ranked this as his favourite allplants dish! Daal in general is great for freezing and I would agree that this allplants box probably shined the most in the prep > freezing > reheating process that is inescapable for frozen ready meals. Not too moist, not too dry. The flavours and textures were very much present for this delicious daal dish.

Some key typical values per serving :

• Energy (kcal) 508
• Fat (g) 20.6
• Carbohydrate (g) 50.4
• Fibre (g) 13.0
• Protein (g) 22.7

Next up and joyously jumping out of all it's packaging splendour (all recyclable of course) was the allplants TERIYAKI UDON. Soft udon noodles splashed with a spicy, sticky teriyaki sauce coating, with sesame mushrooms, mixed fresh veg and a sprinkling of toasted cashews.

Udon noodles and the boundless dishes they underpin are commonplace comfort dishes in Japan. Slurpable, slippery noodles are normally afloat in a delicious savoury broth. Teriyaki also being a Japanese method of cooking - glazing food with a soy, and sugar. These allplants teriyaki udon noodles were no exception and and another dish that took well to the process of reheating. The veggies (Carrot, Edamame, Red Pepper, Onion) were packed with fresh flavour and the teriyaki was present in a solid amount with being overpowering. This to me was a perfect early evening dinner. I was disappointed when my plate was empty. Truly delicious and my favourite of the 6 boxes.

Some key typical values per serving :

• Energy (kcal) 420
• Fat (g) 14.6
• Carbohydrate (g) 54.8
• Fibre (g) 8.4
• Protein (g) 13.9

The final dish of our 6 delightful boxes from allplants was the Spinich and Nut Ricotta Lasagne which saw me enjoying layers of spinach, caramelised leeks, lasagne sheets and almond ricotta topped with smooth and creamy bechamel sauce. Mmmm Mmmm! (I knocked up a little side salad to serve.)

Lasagne. One of Italy's oldest types of pasta and a flat one at that. Many moons ago (before I was vegan) I used to enjoy creating veg lasagne using dairy, but over the years have refined a great little vegan recipe. So any lasagne will meet a tough taste test with me and my palette! Lasagne is another dish that survives that preparing fresh and baking, freezing, reheating process .. and probably more than any dish on the allplants website - when served, this allplants creation looked identical to the images online. The spinach and leeks combined to give a very hearty flavour and were perfectly wilted and aplenty. The vegan béchamel sauce (presumably made from soya milk) was creamy and delicious and the further topping of almond ricotta was a heavenly combo. The almond pieces were crunchy and firm, a texture which had sometimes been lacking in other 'crumbs' on other allplants dishes.

Some key typical values per serving :

• Energy (kcal) 380
• Fat (g) 14.0
• Carbohydrate (g) 38.4
• Fibre (g) 10.9
• Protein (g) 19.4

Alas,

My freezer was free of allplants boxes...

I'd just have to order more ;-)

‍

ENJOY 15% DISCOUNT USING CODE 'MOTHEROFGROM15'

‍

My allplants verdict?

I had high expectations for my . allplants encounter as everything I had heard from an array of trustworthy individuals was nothing but positive and enlightening. With the bar set so high (and the fact your are reheating frozen food) I was wary that my expectations might of exceeded my experience. I am happy to report that this was not the case. allplants absolutely soared above and beyond my expectations. From the brand ethos to the smooth delivery, the packaging to the presentation. allplants absolutely killed it (*without actually killing anything)

‍

Get 15% off your order with code 'motherofgrom15'