*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Plated. All thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own.
Food delivery services are all the rage right now. There are apps that make it easy to order delivery and food delivery services that made it easy to eat healthy at home – whether it’s meals that come fully prepared or meals you cook on your own. Plated is a food delivery service with menus that change weekly where you can order ingredients to make “plates” of food (in even number quantities). You order your plates of food and the ingredients arrive at your doorstep. I had heard of Plated before because they are a TechStars company (and I am a tech geek) but I had never tried them out before. I was excited to check them out for this Plated Review.
The first step was going to the Plated website and deciding what I want. I viewed the selections they had available and ordered the Shrimp with Braised Kale and Grits (and the Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers with Kale Quinoa Pilaf the following week.) I liked how easy it was to order because in the lower right hand corner of the page they listed out any allergens. They don’t call their meals “gluten-free” but they do say “no gluten ingredients used.” This terminology is fine for gluten intolerant people like myself, but if you are celiac you should be careful because Plated is not a certified gluten-free facility. I’m glad they are so honest and upfront about their allergen policy and I appreciate it.
The Plated meals arrived on my doorstep exactly when they were supposed to. All of the ingredients come neatly wrapped in little tubes and plastic packaging. At first I felt like this packaging was wasteful, but then I went on the Plated site and saw that the packaging is small and pre-portioned the way it is to help cut down on waste. And their box and material is recyclable and biodegradable. That made me feel much better.
I took out the ingredients and made the Shrimp with Braised Kale and Grits dish since that’s what arrived first. The instructions provided were easy to read and follow. I had never made grits before and was surprised at how good they were. I must say, I was quite impressed with myself and how the shrimp dish turned out. I had the shrimp on the frying pan, the kale braising in a small pan, and the grits cooking in another separate pan. When all of the food was ready, I plated it with pride like a proud sous chef would at a fancy restaurant. I felt like a culinary badass.
Meal #2: Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers with Kale Quinoa Pilaf
My second set of Plated meals came on my doorstep again on time and in refrigerated packaging. Note: Make sure you schedule your delivery for a day when you are going to be home. The food shouldn’t stay outside THAT long.
When I looked at the directions for the Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers I was excited because I make my own almond chicken fingers at home all the time, but I usually use chicken tenders and a slightly different seasoning mix. This recipe gave me new ideas such as slicing up chicken breast into chicken strips and adding a spice mix to the almond flour and spice mixture. The recipe also came with pecorino cheese to add to the almond chicken but I did not add that in. Truthfully it was because I forgot (so much for reading the directions) but it really didn’t even need it! I was impressed again with how this dish came out (see photo above).
Overall I had a blast with my Plated experience. It made me feel like a real chef creating these elegant and beautifully plated meals. Normally by the time I create a meal in the kitchen, I am too tired to make it look all sexy when it’s Plated. But Plated gave me inspiration to make my dish look pretty. They also have a cool social component where you can post your pictures using the hashtag #PlatedPics and see everyone else’s creations. I enjoyed looking through all them very much!
I think Plated is an awesome service for people who are looking to create a really impressive looking dinner dish. This would make such a fun date night activity or even a fun dinner party or girls night. The plates start at $15 a la carte and $12 each if you use their subscription service. I don’t think I would use this service enough to warrant a subscription, but I definitely plan on using it again for a fun date night with my husband and a girls get together. It will probably just be after baby is born!
What about you? Have you ever used a food delivery service like Plated? What did you like / dislike? Post in the comments and let me know!
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