Thistle Meal Service the Pros and Cons

Thistle Meal Service the Pros and Cons

The idea behind meal services is quite genius.  But there are so many and obviously with different benefits and features because there are so many on the market.  There is Hello Fresh, Home Chef, Blue Apron and the list goes on. 

I decided to try one that appealed to me and my lifestyl, Thistle. Thistle is a subscription based meal service and provides ready to eat meals that are nutritious and every meal is gluten-, dairy-, and egg-free.

The Food

While I loved the meals and always looked forward to seeing them and tasting them, my 15-year old son did not seem as enthused.  And, my partner, Dave, was less excited because of the price.  He would avoid eating them saving them for me, I think.

Ready To Eat

This was one of the best parts of Thistle.  The food was ready to eat and you did not need a microwave (because we don’t have one), you put it on the stove.  One of the reasons I decided to try Thistle was that we were getting into a habit of eating out and late because Dave and I would end up playing Pickleball late in the evenings so we’d return home and not be interested in cooking and end up ordering take out that left me feeling bloated and remorseful “why did I eat that’, ‘there was not enough vegetables on that pizza’ and the cost.

My Experience Summarized

I had Thistle delivered for about a month.  The food was tasty, but definitely not what I typically would make or get in a restaurant, but something I would want to make or get in a restaurant. 

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  The delivery came late at night.  The first time it was around 9 PM, but the second time it was delivered around 12 AM and I was asleep.  I then worried did I waste $150 in food?  This issue did not resolve during the time I was getting food delivered.
• The plastic.  Every meal came in single-use plastic that isn’t the best fit for the environment or my family.  While I just started Ridewell service it’s not to accommodate more plastic, but help me reduce what plastic we do find in our home.
• It’s fairly expensive.  The food is great (I think) and fresh, but it’s more expensive and essentially does not make sense for anyone in the family, but me.

I personally love the food, the fact I did not have to look at the labels, cook and knew I was eating a healthy, sustainable meal.  This would be a great option for me if it was just me.

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