Like many, in January I dutifully sat down and scribbled a small but thoughtful list of 2020 New Year’s goals into my bullet journal. One of those goals was to get more creative in the kitchen by stepping outside of my comfort zone and experimenting with new cuisines and unfamiliar ingredients. The qualitative resolution was to try at least three new recipes every month, and I figured one of the best ways to kickstart that initiative was to enroll in a meal delivery program.
Now, over the years I’ve sampled a handful of such services. Some were OK, some were not so great, and some have been perfectly adequate. However, as a pescatarian who prefers organic and sustainably sourced ingredients, Sun Basket seemed particularly promising. Fast forward six months later and I can tell you that the San Francisco-based company has been able to not only consistently meet my needs, but surpass them.
Enter: Pandemic 2020.
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When signing up in early 2020, I had no idea how important it was going to be to have healthy groceries sent to my door every week. But let me tell you: Sun Basket has been a blessing in our home in more ways than I could have anticipated.
Yes, the weekly deliveries have kept me on track with my New Year’s resolution, but more importantly they have kept my fridge stocked with healthy, organic food throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s kind of a well-kept secret, but Sun Basket delivers more than just pre-set meals. They also have a pretty robust organic “grocery store,” that allows subscribers to add a la carte items to their weekly meal plan. Those items include meat and fish cuts, produce, coffee, juices, microwavable meals, breakfast items, and snacks. I’ve absolutely taken advantage of that feature over the last few months. (I’m personally obsessed with the pressed juices, scallops, egg bites, and hummus).
The peace of mind from knowing I didn’t have to go to the grocery store — when my anxiety about leaving the house was extremely high — was invaluable to me. Also, not having to go through the painstaking process of making sure I had all necessary ingredients on hand for meals was also a lifesaver (not sure my pandemic brain could take it…), and it’s comforting to know that the foods I’m consuming are good for me, too. Another perk of Sun Basket is that, compared to other meal delivery services, I’ve found their recipes are a bit more sophisticated and the result is better tasting food and higher personal satisfaction.
Beyond all the above, the ability to throw myself into cooking delicious meals throughout the week has been a true mental escape from the madness. Nights spent in the kitchen, podcast or music rolling while cooking has always been therapeutic, but is even more valuable now. And yeah, it does feel good knowing that I’m on track to knock my “kitchen creativity” New Year’s goal out of the park.
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