Tips For Making A Super Creamy Smoothie
Why Im A Firm Believer In Daily Harvest
If you have been following me for any length of time you know that Im a huge fan of Daily Harvest.
I am a busy mom and business owner. Usually, Im hopping around from one task or errand to the next. My days are like fast and the furious creating recipes, photographing, making videos, cleaning the house, helping with homework or running to football practice. So finding time for food in the midst of it, even though Im a food blogger is hard. Shocker! Can anyone else relate?
Ive been using Daily Harvest now for almost 5 years and Ive never looked back, you can check out my other review here for more details. Its enabled me to be a busy mom on the run while still eating healthy and keeping to my goals. You can put together your first box here and make sure to use this Daily Harvest Promo Code: JOYFUL get up to $40 off your first box!
Why I Love Daily Harvest
Read more: Best Smoothies on the Upper West Side
For me, it took away the element of worry. I cook and make food for a living, but sometimes I just want to pick something up and not have to worry about preparing breakfast, lunch or dinner. I have enough demands on my day and time already. Daily Harvest helped minimize those demands by allowing me to pick something out of the freezer and have a healthy, fresh, nutritious meal in minutes. So why is Daily Harvest great?
- Convenient Delivered to your doorstep
- Customizable Make your box your own
- Fast and Easy Ready in one step and less than five minutes
- Ingredients You Can See Listed on the cup and visible in the cup
- Clean and Plant-Based Top-quality fruits and veggies
- Freezer, Not Fridge Ingredients pulled at their peak and frozen for no risk of spoilage
- Dietary Flexibility Gluten-free, keto, paleo theyve got it!
- Unique Recipes Combinations that even the pickiest eaters will love
- Variety A recipe for every time of day
Recommended Reading: How Much Is Smoothie Box
Daily Harvest Smoothies: Great Flavor To Start Your Day
The second cup I tried was the cherry and açaí smoothie. I chose this one because of its immunity-boosting factor. Packed with açaí, cherries, raspberries and blueberries, this ready-to-blend smoothie is exactly how the website describes it: a berry explosion.
All the ingredients blend nicely together, and none of the flavors overpowered each other. The smoothie is light, refreshing and would be the perfect drink to have on an early spring morning.
To make mine a little sweeter, I added grape juice to the mixture. The addition of this liquid base gave it the right amount of sweetness without ruining the flavor of the smoothie.
Next, I tried the lychee and dragon fruit smoothie. This one was my favorite by far. I loved the tropical flavor you get from the lychee, dragon fruit, pineapple, strawberry and peach. I thought this smoothie would be very sweet, so I only added water to it, but I was pleasantly surprised. The smoothie has the perfect combination of sweet and tart, as well as the perfect consistency when blended.
Loaded with vitamin C and antioxidants, I made this smoothie when I had a cold, and it definitely helped me feel significantly better. The only downside is I seem to be allergic to something in this smoothie. Otherwise, I would drink it again.
After all, the best aspect of the smoothies is how customizable they are. You can add any liquid, sweetener or protein powder to the base to make it satisfy your taste buds.
Acai And Cherry Beautifier
I picked this smoothie first because the ingredients looked similar to smoothies the boys have had in the past
It was a hit! The boys absolutely loved it, so I only got a little taste, but it was really good. I cheated a little and added a splash of apple juice to make it a little sweeter and more appealing for the kids. Next time, Ill try it with just water because Im not sure this smoothie even needed the extra sweetness.
Full disclosure, there were the tiny kale chunks in all smoothies that had kale as an ingredient. Anytime I use kale, theyre there. They dont seem to bother the boys at all, but I always wonder if its my blender? Or just the norm? Anyway, I was curious if this magical smoothie-creator had found a way around those, but no such luck.
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Cons Of Daily Harvest
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One of the biggest cons of Daily Harvest that I see with other meal delivery services as well is that they are just as expensive as eating out and ordering from a restaurant. While the ingredients may be more nutritious, I was still surprised to see smoothies and soup available for $7.99, especially when they still needed to be blended and prepared.
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The 9-meal subscription is perfect for an individual because all items are a single serving, however, the plan isnt big enough for both Matthew and me to enjoy, especially seeing as Matthew eats way more on a daily basis calorie-wise than these meals offer
Want A Daily Harvest Promo Code
You can put together your first box here and make sure to use this Daily Harvest Promo Code: JOYFUL get up to $40 off your first box!
If after a few days you realize its not for you, no worries. Just cancel or pause your plan! Switch up your picks before each delivery, skip a week as needed, or add to your box at any time flexible plans allow you to fill your current box with anywhere between 6-26 items. Its super easy to manage with their flexible deliveries and plans so that it fits in your needs and budget!
DONT MISS A RECIPE ->
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How To Fit It Into Your Daily Routine
In the first part of this Daily Harvest review, I want to talk about how I fit them into my daily life. When I first started with Daily Harvest they only had Smoothies. I loved that on its own. But over the past 2 years that have broadened their scope of collections and yall Im so grateful they did. If you wanted to, you could literally have Daily Harvest for breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and dessert! Shoot, you can even have it for coffee or a matcha if you wanted!
Breakfast: I start every day with breakfast. Not only does it help my brain mentally get started but it boosts your metabolism as well. Some of my favorite items for breakfast are: Banana + Greens Smoothie, Strawberry + Peach Smoothie, Acai + Cherry Smoothie, Cherry + Dark Chocolate Oat Bowl or the Apple + Cinnamon Oat Bowl. The Smoothies are just two steps, add your preferred liquid and blend. The Oat Bowls can be heated up in minutes or served as an overnight option.
Lunch: This is one of the hardest meals for me to sit down for. Im usually on the go so I need something quick. I LOVE their Harvest Bowls they take 3-4 minutes in the microwave and then Im out the door. Here are some of my favorite items to use for lunch: Broccoli + Cheeze Harvest Bowl, Beet + Wild Rice Harvest Bowl, Brussels Sprouts + Tahini Harvest Bowl and Butternut Squash + Chimichurri Harvest Bowl. All of the ingredients are gluten-free, dairy-free and plant-based.
Daily Harvest Meal Hacks
I love that Daily Harvest makes it so easy to eat healthy and keeps it delicious. Over the years Ive started to add more protein to my diet, if you want to find out why go here. That being said, I like to hack the Daily Harvest meals a bit to fit my dietary needs. Namely show me the protein! haha. I top my Harvest Bowls with eggs, shredded chicken or ground turkey. Here are the two hacks I wanted to show you today.
Portobello + Pesto Flatbread: While this Flatbread is great on its own, featuring whole frozen broccoli, artichoke, portobello, spinach, basil, and cashew, I like to make sure Im meeting my macros for the day. So I added 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, 4-5 halved cherry tomatoes, and 1/2 cup shredded chicken. Follow the same cooking instructions and voila. Dinner perfection!
Strawberry + Rich Rippled Berry Compote Scoops: Yall. Im in love with this hack. First off, the heavenly Scoops key ingredients are: coconut, strawberry, dragonfruit, raspberry, vanilla bean and probiotics. Already a great start! But I turn this creamy luscious ice cream into a beautiful parfait. Add one scoop of the Strawberry + Rich Rippled Berry Compote, top with almond granola, diced strawberries and blueberries. Repeat one more time. Dive in!
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What Is Daily Harvest
Ok lets back up for a second. What are we talking about again? Well, if youve never heard of Daily Harvest, they deliver plant based chef-crafted foods right to your door that can be ready to eat in mere minutes. They started by providing pre-packaged frozen smoothie ingredients that only require a liquid of your choice and a blender. Since then, they have expanded to include more breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options. Their goal is to make healthy eating easy and delicious with over 80 vegan and gluten-free options to choose from. I also love that they care about their environmental impact, too. The delivery box, dry ice bags, cups, and bowls are all either recyclable or compostable!
When you sign up for Daily Harvest, you can choose to receive either 9, 12 or 24 items weekly or 24 items monthly. I particularly like that there isnt a set menu, and you dont need to choose a specific amount from each category. So if you prefer a mix of smoothies and harvest bowls, thats great for you! But if someone else prefers oat bowls and soups, they can do that, too.
Here is the full list of categories they offer:
- Smoothies
- Bites
- Lattes
If you are interested in trying it out, you can to get up to $40 off! Now lets dive into my favorite categories!
The Verdict: If Youre Big On Health And Short On Time Daily Harvest Is Perfect For You
After trying a few selections, I think Daily Harvest is perfect for people who are limited on time but still want a healthy diet of superfoods. These meal kits only take a few minutes to make, after all. Theyre convenient for someone who has 30 minutes to eat or hates waiting for their food to cook. Theyre also great to take on the go because you can place the leftovers back in the container it came in.
Outside of the select Daily Harvest bowls I had a chance to indulge in, the company also offers a variety of soups, sweet snacks, and even coffee and matcha lattes.
Daily Harvest is also great for anyone who wants to eat healthy foods but cant stand to spend time in the grocery store. All the meals come frozen, so you dont have to worry about them going bad before you eat them.
Another great thing about Daily Harvest is you can either get it delivered to your home or your job. They give you the option to order a set amount of meals each week or order 24 meals each month.
Their pricing structure incentivizes you to order more cups. For example, if you order 12 cups per week, youll only pay $7.49 for each cup compared to $7.99 per cup for six cups each week.
Overall, I really enjoyed my experience with Daily Harvest. I loved how unique each meal was and how I could make them whenever I wanted. The smoothies were perfect to have with a light breakfast or lunch.
Read Also: Vegetable Only Smoothie Recipes For Weight Loss
Preparing And Trying The Foods
When it was time to try the food, I found all the items easy to prepare.
The meals, for example, could either be microwaved or cooked on the stove, while the smoothies just needed to be blended with water or milk.
Because everything is frozen, removing items from the container was sometimes tricky, and blending the smoothies definitely required a bit of patience . However, it was still much easier and more convenient than preparing items from scratch.
I enjoyed most of the selections that I tried and felt that there was enough variety that it didnt get too repetitive.
My favorite item was the Cacao Nib + Vanilla Bites, which can be eaten straight out of the freezer for a simple and delicious snack.
I also liked the oat bowls and chia bowls, both of which were easily prepared by adding plant-based milk, popping them in the fridge overnight, and enjoying them cold for a quick and easy breakfast the next morning.
That said, some of the items became a bit too soft and mushy after cooking, including the Sweet Potato + Wild Rice Hash and the Brussels Sprouts + Lime Pad Thai harvest bowls.
Additionally, because many of the meals and smoothies are relatively low in calories and protein, I often found myself still hungry after eating.
For this reason, I think Daily Harvest can help save time and round out your diet by providing a few nutritious meals or snacks that you can enjoy throughout the week.
Heres a closer look at how Daily Harvest compares to some of its competitors:
Latte: Ginger + Turmeric
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Our last latte is a golden mix of turmeric and ginger! I went a little off the menu with this one because I found myself without milk after I opened a pod. I made the crazy choice to try this with orange juice, even though Will thought I was insane. Insane I might be, but this combo was out-of-this-world delicious. If you feel brave, give it a try! Much to my delight, it was a sweetly tart winning combination. It felt like some sort of super cold killer juice, which is perfect for this time of year. I did also manage to try it with almond milk, and it was equally magical. I found it was naturally sweet and the turmeric and ginger taste very herbal but rich. The creaminess mellows out the brightness of the ginger into something comforting and sunny.
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Whole30 Compliant Daily Harvest Smoothies + A Coupon Code
Daily Harvest Smoothies have become a staple in my house! Rather than a the strawberry-banana smoothie rut I know a lot of us can get into, Daily Harvest PACKS its smoothies with SO many creative, nutritious ingredients! Most of their smoothies have Whole30 compliant ingredients , so I want to share with you the Whole30 Daily Harvest Smoothies!
Wait, PAUSE. Are smoothies Whole30 compliant? GREAT question. This is one I get a LOT. Ive covered way more than youd ever want to know about Whole30 smoothies in this blog post here: Whole30 Smoothie Rules.
*Please be sure you fall under one of the demographics of people where smoothies could be an appropriate part of your Whole30 before moving forward!
Reminder here that we want to mimic the Whole30 Meal Template as much as possible, even with a smoothie. So when youre deciding which Whole30 Compliant Daily Harvest Smoothies are right for you, try to choose ones that are lower in fruit and higher in veggies and healthy fats like nuts and coconut.
None of these Whole30 Compliant Daily Harvest Smoothies are going to have added protein . What I do is use my Whole30 Daily Harvest Smoothies as a really good BASE, then I always add a good source of fat PLUS Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides . This ensures youre getting adequate protein in fat.
Before I get into which smoothies are good to go for Whole30 I wanted to touch on the ones that arent Whole30 compliant and why so you can be sure to avoid them.
Passion Fruit + Greens Smoothie
Ingredients: Organic mango, water, organic passion fruit, organic spinach, organic tahini, organic hemp seeds, organic moringa leaf powder
Taste: The gritty texture from the seeds never fully blends out, but if you can get over that mouth-feel this smoothie is quite enjoyable.
Overall Thoughts: The passion fruit and mango create a balance of tartness and I love them protein-packed hemp seeds. Did you know that vitamin C-rich moringa has seven times more vitamin C than an orange?? This smoothie is all about nourishment and I am here for it!
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How Do I Sign Up For Daily Harvest
Signing up for Daily Harvest is easy, and can be done on their website. They have a large menu of food options you can choose from including smoothies, Harvest Bowls, Harvest Bakes, flatbreads, soups, oat bowls, chia bowls and their healthy ice cream line: Scoops!
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Step 1: Choose the size of your plan
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Step 2: Choose the food youd like in each shipment
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Step 3: Select the date of your first shipment, and youre off to the races!
You can choose between their small, medium and large plans with 9 items, 14 items and 24 items, respectively, and choose the cadence as well. I found that a weekly plan was far too frequent for me and my schedule, and I ended up having too many items left over and needed to push almost every shipment a week or two later. However, if youre a person who hates to cook and wants to embrace a healthier diet this year, then it could be worth choosing a plan with a more frequent cadence and more food per shipment. Likewise, it might be helpful to divide up the cost of each shipment with a roommate or partner.