I’m Not Vegan But This Plant-Based Service Is My Favorite For Easy Meal Prep

I don’t have any dietary restrictions and there’s not a lot of food I don’t like. Aubergines unnerve me, and in general squashes don’t thrill me, but I’ll happily eat a bit of everything when testing out the best healthy meal prep services.

That’s a long-winded way of saying I’m not vegan or vegetarian, and yet my favorite meal prep service of the many I’ve tested is Allplants, which—as you can probably guess from the name—only makes plant-based meals.

I’ve tested and reviewed Allplants three times and have tried a wide range of its meals, Buddha bowls and sides. Not only have I liked every single one I’ve tried, I’ve also admired them for the interesting use of a wide variety of vegetables and other ingredients.

Allplants send out frozen meals which take around 10 minutes to heat up in the microwave. It’s not an appetizing process and actually the meals don’t look that appealing when they come out, but the flavors and textures are always enjoyable and have quickly won me over every time.

The meals are also effortlessly healthy. You don’t feel like you’re denying yourself in any way, even though the meals are all low-calorie, low in sugar and high in veg, fiber and protein. They are the epitome of balanced meals, and pretty satisfying too, though as an active person who usually runs over 50 miles a week I will add on another side to get some more calories in.

For me, part of Allplants’ appeal is that it introduced me to new ingredients and combinations, even as someone who eats a lot of vegetables and legumes in my normal diet alongside meat. I’d say if you are normally a big meat eater, you’ll enjoy the meals even more because of all the tasty ingredients in them that might well be new to you.

Some long-standing highlights of the menu include the Mac and Greens in Creamy Sauce, which is outrageously creamy and cheesy given it contains no cream or cheese, and the Three Mushroom Medley Risotto.

I’ve also tested the new range from chef Rachel Ama, which is the first in a new series where chefs create meals for Allplants. Ama’s range contains four great meals, of which the highlight for me was the spicy West African Peanut Stew.

(Image credit: Nick Harris- Fry / Future)

You don’t have to subscribe to Allplants to try the meals: You can order a one-off box, with a minimum spend of £30. You can also buy meal bundles to save a little on the price of the meals, which are not that cheap. Mains start from £4.95, but most cost £6 or £7 for a single serving size (you can get a two-person portion for a few pounds more).

If you are looking for a UK-based meal prep service to try, Allplants should be top of your list, regardless of whether you eat meat or not. The meals are more inventive and flavorsome than most I’ve tested and I’ve yet to dislike one—even the meals that contain aubergine.