Have you ever considered trying one of the meal prep delivery services that send you ingredients and recipes and you make the meals? Oftentimes with recipes ready in 30 minutes or less.
I know I have! Specifically, I’ve considered Sunbasket many times over the last several years. Here’s why I recommend Sunbasket over its competitors:
- Plenty of GF, DF, even paleo options
- Organic produce
- Sustainably sourced seafood
- Meat without antibiotics or hormones
- Nutritious meals
But I just couldn’t bring myself to shell out the ~$12/meal cost. Until a couple weeks ago when the perfect storm of factors aligned.
First, I was house sitting for two weeks and didn’t want to worry about the hassle of knowing what ingredients were around, taking home a bunch of leftover ingredients at the end, etc.
Second, I had been swamped with work due to a previous couple months of debilitating chronic fatigue that left me way behind. P.s. I am very grateful to now be 2+ weeks back at my normal energy levels!
And then, I learned about a $35 off coupon. And Sunbasket became a reality! At least for a couple weeks, anyhow.
One of the meals I received in my basket was so delicious and simple that I decided to adapt it to make a low FODMAP version for you! We’ll get to the shortly, but first…
Sunbasket Review
SUMMARY
My simple answer- if I had more disposable income, I would absolutely do this at least every other week. It was so nice to have delicious, nutritious food with minimal preparation and thinking required. I also got to learn about new flavors and simple cooking methods.
PROS
- Saved time– not having to prep a meal plan on the weekend left me with a lot of free time to catch up on work. It was such a dream!
- DELICIOUS– I was very pleased with the flavor of all of the meals.
- No wasted ingredients– do you ever go to the grocery store and get something that looks good only to see it rot in your fridge a week or two later because you were overly ambitious in how much you could prepare? Or open a can of tomato paste to use half for your recipe and the other half gets moldy in the back of the fridge? Well that doesn’t happen with Sunbasket because everything is pre-portioned!
- Customizable– you can choose for each week which meals you would like to have delivered. There are tons of options. I typically went with the “paleo” options (and then added some brown rice, quinoa, or sweet potato because I feel better with more carbs), but I also did a couple of the “gluten-free, dairy-free” ones that were free from my food sensitivities. Additionally, you can skip a week when desired.
- Arrived cold– I was a little skeptical about how they would get meat and fish to me without it spoiling, but I was thoroughly impressed. The heavy duty ice packs do an exceptional job of keeping everything cold and were still solid when they arrived at my door (and even several hours later since I wasn’t home when the package arrived).
CONS
- No specific low FODMAP meal plan option. Unfortunately, there isn’t a dedicated “low FODMAP” meal plan option. However, when I posted on Instagram asking my followers if anyone uses Sunbasket, someone let me know that she is low FODMAP and is able to sub ingredients and make it work! If there was a low FODMAP option, I would recommend this to everyone newly diagnosed with IBS as it can be very overwhelming to cook for youself at the beginning stages of low FODMAP. Hey Sunbasket, this audience needs you!
- Lots of packaging– any time something gets shipped to you, there’s going to be packaging involved. If you have an Amazon Prime membership or frequently order items online, then this really shouldn’t be an issue for you as you’re probably used to lots of packaging. Despite there being lots of packaging, I was impressed by the care that went into making sure as many parts as possible could be recycled or composted.
OTHER NOTES
- I like to have kale, collard greens, spinach, or chard on hand to add additional dark leafy greens to the meals.
- I found it nice to add roasted sweet potatoes, brown rice, or quinoa to my meals for additional carbs and to make the dishes last for more meals ($$ saving tip!).
- I found that the recipes tended to overestimate how much oil needed to be added to the pan. Try starting with less.
1-Pot Turkey Quinoa Skillet
One of the recipes I chose as part of my Sunbasket week 1 delivery was the “Superfast Tex-Mex Turkey Skillet.” I loved the flavors and simplicity.
And even though it was made with onion and garlic powder, I was confident that I could make an equally delicious low FODMAP version.
If I dare say so myself, I think I made it even better! My family agrees. And I added quinoa and collard greens to make it a more nutritionally-balanced meal. Winning!
Enjoy, my friends!
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- ½ lb ground turkey
- 1 small zucchini (about 175 g or ⅓ lb), cut into ½ inch half-moons
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- 10-oz can (284 g) can petite diced tomatoes w/ green chilies (~1 cup)
- 4-oz (113 g) can diced mild green chilies (~1/2 cup)
- 1 cup water
- 1 Tbsp ancho chili powder (NOT chili powder blend which typically contains onion/garlic)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups loosely packed chopped collard greens, stems removed (about 5 small leaves)
- 3 stalks green onion (green part only for low FODMAP)
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- 3 Tbsp raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 lime, quartered
- Add pumpkin seeds to a dry skillet over medium heat and allow to cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to make a popping noise. Remove from heat and transfer to another dish to stop the cooking process. Set aside for serving.
- In a large skillet with lid, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and bring to medium heat. Once oil is hot, but not smoking, add the turkey and break it up with a metal spatula or wooden spoon. Allow to cook until lightly browned and no longer pink. Remove turkey from skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add additional 1 Tbsp olive oil to the skillet along with the zucchini. Saute a minute or two, stirring once, until zucchini is slightly browned.
- Add quinoa, diced tomatoes, green chilies, and water to the pot and bring to a gentle boil. Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
- Without stirring, return turkey to pot and add chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and collard greens. Allow to cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until quinoa begins to look cooked (it will pop open a little, revealing the germ of the kernel). Once this happens, stir in the green onions and mix until everything is well incorporated. Increase heat and allow remaining water to evaporate and flavors to infuse.
- To serve, divide between 3 serving bowls and garnish each bowl with a pinch of fresh cilantro, 1 Tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds, and a lime wedge.
* If you don't like to have many spices on hand, you could replace the seasonings in this recipe with ~1-2 Tbsp Casa de Sante Mexican Seasoning, but my guess is it would be spicier.
* If you do not tolerate any grains, feel free to omit quinoa and only use ¼ cup water.
* For more spice, consider adding 1 pinch or two of cayenne pepper.
I made the 1-pot turkey quinoa skillet for dinner. My family really enjoyed it – very tasty and filling. I didn’t have the ancho chili powder and I added cayenne pepper and still delicious !