Sunbasket Review - The most Delicious Meal Kits Out There?
Sunbasket offers one of the most extensive ranges of specialist diets in the meal kit industry. Covering paleo, vegetarian and pescetarian among its many options, it has slowly risen to become one of the most popular health-based and organic delivery services out there.
Meal delivery kits don’t come much Fresher than those on offer at Sun Basket, and the provider is hoping to corner the organic and specialist diet market. It has spent years building direct relationships with independent farmers right across the US, and each meal generates 33% fewer carbon emissions than a grocery store equivalent.
Sun Basket is both known for its sustainable and environmentally conscious ethos, and healthy, delicious meals that are incredibly simple to prepare. What’s more, the provider donates around 1,000 lbs of food each week to food banks, meaning customers are helping to contribute to charitable works.
What is Sunbasket?
Sunbasket is geared to people looking to live a healthy lifestyle. The meals are broken down into different diet types to make your selection easier. You can choose between 2 – 4 meals per week for either two or four people.
You can let Sunbasket make the choice for you by signing up for one of its 10 diet plans, or you can browse the full menu and mix and match your favorites. The menu changes weekly, meaning you’ll always have a lot of variety to choose from, plus, you can even choose to shop for dozens of separate grocery items to supplement your order.
Sunbasket Pros and Cons
- Organic
- Healthy
- Environmentally friendly
- Recyclable packaging
- Creative and tasty dishes
- Meals can be ready quickly
- Buy groceries to supplement your meal kits
- Large portions
- It’s expensive
- Not suitable for those with severe allergies
- Shipping costs extra
- Although recyclable, there’s a lot of plastic packaging to deal with
Who Is Sunbasket Good For?
Health-conscious people – You’ll find lean meats, a ton of veg and almost 100% organic ingredients here. The meal kits aren’t necessarily there to help you lose weight, but they’re a great way to get some high-quality nutrition into your diet
Time savers – Most meals can be prepared quite quickly, with an average cooking time of around 20 minutes, which is great for people on the go. You can hold on to the handy cooking cards too and replicate your favorite meals in the future
People that love extras – Unlike most meal kit services, Sunbasket has a huge range of extras and add-ons. You can find a wide variety of grocery items, desserts, organic cheeses, smoothies and overnight oats pots to supplement your main plan
Specialist dieters – If you’re trying out a new diet, Sunbasket has you covered. You’ll find paleo, vegetarian, pescetarian, lean and clean, diabetes-friendly and carb-conscious plans to name a few
Those on the hunt for something a bit different – We’re always impressed by the sheer inventiveness of the weekly recipes on offer here. From new takes on old classics, to totally original ingredient pairings, you’re bound to find something to pique your interest
Who Isn’t Sunbasket Good For?
People on a budget – With the average meal coming in at $11.99 per portion, the costs can quickly add up. You’re definitely paying for top quality here, but those on a budget might be put off
Large families – Maximum meal kit orders are limited to up to four meals for four people per week. You could of course buy additional ingredients and groceries if you had a larger family, but costs can quickly add up
People with allergies – Unfortunately, Sunbasket doesn’t cater to those that suffer from allergies. You could check individual recipes for traces of nuts or other allergens, but the service can’t guarantee they’ll be 100% removed. If you have severe allergies you might want to try another platform
How Sunbasket Works?
Sunbasket rotates around 25 – 30 different meal kits across ten different categories each week. In addition, you can supplement orders with extra pasta packs, sauces, additional meats and a host of desserts. You can order between 2 – 4 meals for either two or four people per week and can include as many add-ons as you like.
Let’s start with Dinner
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Sunbasket Website and App
With such an extensive menu and range of optional extras, it might take you a little bit of time to fully browse everything Sunbasket has to offer. Luckily, everything is broken down into handy categories to make things easier. The current week’s meal kits can always be found at the very top of the menu, while one click will take you to the extras of your choice.
Every meal comes with a calorie count and a prep time, but unfortunately, no prices are listed. You have to create an account before you’ll find out what you’ll be charged.
You can find an accompanying app for both iOS and Android and it operates in an almost identical way to the desktop version of the site.
Creating an account / Sign-up
All you need to sign up is an email address and your zip code, and account creation can be completed in just a few minutes. Alternatively, you can sign in using your Facebook or Apple account to save even more time.
Sunbasket Meal Plans and Meal Selection Options
While the menu is constantly rotating each week, meals will always be broken down into one of 10 categories. Picking one of these will auto-select your meals for you, or you can pick and mix from the full menu. Details of each plan are below:
Paleo: Eat like your neolithic ancestors with high protein, zero dairy, zero gluten and zero grains
Carb-conscious: Each of these meals comes with less than 35g of carbohydrates in total. The calorie deficit is filled with extra protein
Gluten-free: A number of wheat alternatives, however, Sunbasket states this still isn’t suitable for those with severe gluten allergies
Lean and clean: Every meal is under 600 calories and made from a selection of whole foods
Diabetes-friendly: Every menu item here has been given the stamp of approval from the American Diabetes Association
Chef’s choice: A range of hand-picked specials chosen by Sunbasket’s chefs. Selections include seasonal vegetable recipes
Vegetarian: Nice and simple. Delicious dishes with no meat or seafood
Pescetarian: A range of wild-caught seafood recipes with no meat or poultry in sight
Mediterranean: Transport yourself to Italy or the south of France with a selection of whole grains, pasta and responsibly sourced meats full of good fats
Fresh and ready: This is Sunbasket’s range of instant meals that can be ready in six minutes or less
Sunbasket Meal Types
We’re incredibly impressed with the range of meal types on offer, and they’re so innovative it’s difficult to pin them down into a particular category! Some top favorites from recent week’s recipes include:
Tex-Mex turkey skillet with green chiles and tomatoes
Blazin’ Balinese chicken with cucumber-cabbage salad
Walnut mushroom flatbreads with apricots and lemon tahini dressing
Spicy harissa tofu and quinoa bowls with carrots and chickpeas
Braised beef panang curry with jasmine rice and sweet peas
Korean kimchi fried rice with pancetta
Japanese curry udon with carrots, mushrooms and edamame
Choosing Sunbasket Recipes
If you’re on a specialist diet all you need to do is choose the option available and your mels will be auto-selected for you, including vegetarian, pescetarian and Paleo. Or, you can opt to have total freedom over your menu choices.
How Much Does Sunbasket Cost?
Each meal is priced separately, and the average price is around $11.99 per portion. Every delivery will cost an additional $6.99 in shipping charges, and of course any extra groceries you decide to buy will incur more costs. Below is the price for those choosing the weekly meal kits only.
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Servings and Recipes/Week
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Total Cost
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|---|---|
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Paleo
2 people, 2 recipes per week |
$11.99/serving ($47.96 total + $6.99 shipping = $54.95/week)
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test
2 people, 3 recipes per week |
$11.99/serving ($71.94 total + $6.99 shipping = $78.93/week)
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$11.99/serving ($95.92 total + $6.99 shipping = $102.91/week)
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|
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$11.99/serving ($95.92 total + $6.99 shipping = $102.91/week)
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|
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$11.99/serving ($143.88 total + $6.99 shipping = $150.87/week)
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$11.99/serving ($191.84 total + $6.99 shipping = $198.83/week)
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Diet Friendliness
Sunbasket is certainly a great option for anyone looking to eat a little healthier. The lean meats and organic veggies can certainly give you a much-needed nutrition boost. However, the meal kits aren’t specifically designed to assist in weight-loss, but if you watch your calorie intake you could certainly find success.
The platform caters to a good range of other specialist diets though, like gluten-free, vegetarian, diabetes-friendly and paleo.
Add-ons
Add-ons are where Sunbasket really shines. While other meal kit providers might offer the odd smoothie or dessert, here you’ll find dozens of high-quality grocery items to choose from to supplement your order. You could use the service exclusively to do all your food shopping if you wished as there’s such an extensive range of extras on offer. Some of the best include:
- Premade falafel balls
- Cabot clothbound cheddar
- Black Angus steaks
- Wild cold-water lobster tails
- A variety of yogurts
- Gluten-free blueberry waffles
- Protein bars
- Juices
- Organic coffee
- A huge range of additional meats
Sunbakset Customer Service
Most common issues and queries can be answered by browsing the comprehensive FAQ page on the Sunbasket website. If you’d like to speak to a customer service agent you can call the helpline between 6am and 8pm PT seven days a week, or you can text or email if you prefer. If you’ve got an out-of-hours query, you can direct your question to the 24/7 chatbot via the website or app and you may get the answer you need.
Sunbakset Cancellation Policy
It’s incredibly easy to amend orders or cancel your subscription altogether. There are no contracts to sign up to and as long as you cancel before your next delivery is processed, you won’t be charged. All cancellations and order amendments must be made by noon Pacific time on Wednesday, otherwise your order will be charged and you’ll receive next week’s delivery.
Sunbasket Alternatives
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Meal Kit
|
Price / Serving
|
Minimum order
|
Meal options
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Home Chef
|
$6.99
|
4 Servings
|
2-6
|
|
Freshly
|
$8.49
|
8 Servings
|
2-6
|
|
Nutrisystem
|
$9.29
|
5 Servings
|
4-4
|
|
Daily Harvest
|
$5.99
|
1 Servings
|
9-24
|
Final Verdict
While it might be a little expensive for some, there’s no denying that Sunbasket has some of the most innovative and delicious meal kits in the industry. The fresh and organic ingredients are packed with nutrition, and a wide range of speciality diets are well catered for. Plus, the platform has the most extensive range of add-ons hands down.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Long does it Take for Boxes to Arrive?
In order to keep the food as fresh as possible, Sunbasket aims to keep your food in transit for no longer than a day. This means you’ll usually receive your first package around two days after you place your order.
How Complicated Are the Meals to Prepare?
Most meals are fairly straightforward, and you don’t need to be a culinary genius to get started. However, you’ll need to keep some staples on hand in your kitchen like olive oil, salt and pepper.
Is Sunbasket Certified Organic?
Yes, Sunbakset is a USDA certified organic provider
Is there a Referral Bonus?
Yes, if you refer a friend to the service both you and your friend will receive a $40 discount on your next order.
Are Meals Gluten-free?
Yes, all meals are gluten-free, but Sunbasket doesn’t recommend the meal kits if you have severe allergies as some trace amounts may remain.
