My Honest Gardencup Review: Worth It, or Just Expensive Salad?

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When it comes to my schedule, I could have better eating habits. I know people who skip breakfast, but lunch is toughest for me to lock down. Instead of settling in for a decent meal, I often end up snacking through the middle of my day. In the past, meal kits have been a huge help in keeping me on track for a while, but it’s been at least five years since I’ve used one. So, when Gardencup gave me the opportunity to try some of its new menu items, including newly launched pasta options, I had to see what it was all about.

What Is Gardencup?

BUILD YOUR SALAD AT GARDENCUP

• Ready-to-eat meal delivery service with plant-forward ingredients
• Vegan and vegetarian-friendly
• Offers leafy salads, pasta bowls, soup, snacks, sides, overnight oats, and sweet treats
• Packaged in recyclable cups so meals and snacks can be eaten on the go or at home
• Can be ordered in packs of 6 or 9, delivered weekly or every other week
• Starts at $78 for a 6-pack, plus tax and $12.99 shipping

How Gardencup Works

There are only three steps to start a Gardencup subscription: First, you’ll select your pack size (6 or 9 Gardencups). Second, you pick your meals. Third, you choose how often they’re delivered. If you want to try out the meal service before committing to a regular auto-shipment, simply skip the next order after placing your first. Each cup comes packed to the brim with all its fresh ingredients, including dressing and other toppings that are inside of their own separate packaging. When you’re ready to eat one of the salads, just open the Gardencup, add the dressing, top the cup back up and give it a vigorous shake to mix everything, and it’s ready to eat from there.

Gardencup meals arrive in a cold insulated box with ice packs, and you can usually keep them in the refrigerator for up to 6 days after delivery for optimal freshness. You can also choose which meals get delivered each week – and remember, two half-cups can be ordered as the equivalent of a single full-size Gardencup.

My Experience With Gardencup

As someone who loves the convenience of a grab-and-go meal, I was pleased with the fact that Gardencup prevented me from skipping lunch the entire work week that I tested it. All of the meals I received were preselected for me, so I did not have a traditional Gardencup experience in that aspect, but everything else was par for the course. From the time the order was placed, it took exactly one week to arrive on my doorstep. My Gardencup box included the Chipotle Chicken and Couscous Bowl, vegetarian Pesto Pasta Bowl, Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta, Green Goddess Chicken Pasta, Herb Chicken and Lemon Orzo, Peach Cobbler Overnight Oats, and Garden Chicken Salad. The chicken salad and overnight oats came in half-cups that, together, amounted to my sixth cup. For what it’s worth, the Herb Chicken and Lemon Orzo was my favorite.

I was impressed by the quality of food in each Gardencup upon delivery. The cups were cold when I opened the box, and all of the salad greens (spinach, arugula, kale, etc.) looked fresh and not wilted or discolored. The rotini in my Pesto Pasta and Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta bowls was a bit soft, which could be attributed to the moisture in the cups from the fresh produce, sauce, and cold storage temperatures rather than being overcooked. Regardless, it didn’t take away from the taste of the dishes as a whole, and I really enjoyed both meals. Since the cups can be recycled or repurposed for leftovers, pantry storage, and more; I decided to hold on to half of mine to reuse for salads I make at home.

Things You Should Know About Gardencup

Gardencup typically takes 1-2 days to arrive once shipped. If your delivery takes 3 days or longer and is warm with 100% melted ice packs, you can contact the brand within 24 hours for a pack replacement, according to the company’s Fresh Guarantee.

Additionally, if you order heat-to-eat meals, make a note of which ones they are because it’s not marked on the Gardencup labels. I had to look up the heating instructions on the Gardencup website. Also, plan to eat these meals somewhere you have access to a microwaveable bowl as Gardencup’s plastic cups are not microwave-safe.

Final Verdict: Is Gardencup Worth It?

In my opinion, no meal delivery service is a long-term solution for ensuring you hit three meals a day, but they can be a great complement to meal planning that can help take the stress out of cooking or ordering takeout from week to week, especially when life gets busy.

Gardencup is a solid option for those looking for healthier ready-made meals that are filling and flavorful. It’s best suited for one person if you want nearly a full week of lunches or dinners to yourself, but a two-person household could easily split a 6- or 9-pack (by substituting the ninth Gardencup for two half-cups), and a three-person household could evenly divide a 9-pack if you don’t mind scaling down the number of meals per person. It’s one of the easier meal subscription services to order from as the menu doesn’t have an overwhelming number of options and the brand is constantly introducing new items to the lineup so you’ll have opportunities to switch it up. All that considered, it’s totally worth it in my book, and I’d definitely try it again.

Ready to get started with Gardencup? Build your first pack now.