Frozen dinners are getting a healthy makeover–and it’s about to revolutionize your freezer

The last time you regularly ate frozen meals was in college when heating up mac and cheese at 11 p.m. felt like a good idea (no judgment). But since then, you’ve graduated to buying your own ingredients—and resorting to takeout when you just didn’t have time for the whole “cooking my own healthy meals” game.

But guess what? It’s time to make some space in your freezer—because Daily Harvest wants to make frozen a viable (and healthy) option for those nights you just can’t get it together to cook.

The frozen superfood delivery service is already known for its top-notch ingredients. But up until now, the focus has been on breakfast and quick snacks like smoothies, overnight oats, and soups that take convenience to a whole new level. The just-released Harvest Bowl collection marks its first foray into more substantial, veggie-forward dishes, however, which means your freezer is about to get a lot more use.

“We’re setting out to prove that a convenient meal and a nutrient-rich meal aren’t mutually-exclusive. Frozen allows you to have it all.”

“We’ve been discussing a more savory collection that sits at the center of your plate for over a year now,” says Rachel Drori, the founder and CEO of Daily Harvest. And it’s been worth the wait. The collection launched with six bowls featuring eclectic flavor combos (like cauliflower rice with pesto, Brussels sprouts paired with tahini, and butternut squash and chimichurri).

And old-school TV dinners these are not. “We’re setting out to prove that a convenient meal and a nutrient-rich meal aren’t mutually-exclusive,” Drori says. “Frozen allows you to have it all.”

Keep reading for three reasons why it’s time to rethink frozen—and more about the crazy delicious offerings.

These aren’t loaded with questionable preservatives

One major reason many avoid the easy out of frozen meals is because they’re often loaded with salt and preservatives—but highly-processed and sodium-packed are two descriptors you won’t find here.

“We pack our cups with ingredients that have been chopped and frozen within 48 hours of being harvested, which helps to lock in nutrients.”

“Freezing is a natural preservative,” Drori says. She also adds that real, minimally processed ingredients are naturally packed with flavor. “We pack our cups with ingredients that have been chopped and frozen within 48 hours of being harvested, which helps to lock in nutrients,” Drori says. So you’re still getting the convenience of zapping up dinner in mere minutes, but with actual, fresh fixings. 

It makes trying new and cool ingredients easier

Drori says that while recipes for the six bowls are grounded in global comfort foods (there’s a mix of familiar flavors like quinoa and chipotle), the team really set out to shine a spotlight on less common ingredients that also serve a purpose.

For instance, kitchari (a mixture of rice and lentils considered by wellness insiders to be a universal balancing agent) was the inspiration for the Red Lentil + Kitchari bowl. The Daily Harvest team replicated the warming spices and creamy texture of kitchari, but swapped basmati rice for cauliflower rice. “[Kitchari is] the OG Ayurvedic prescription for resetting and purifying your system, Drori says.

“We nerd out about every single ingredient, so you can grab a meal and not have to wonder if it’s healthy.”

But she’s most excited about the Cauliflower Rice + Kimchi bowl. “The spicy tang of the kimchi is perfectly balanced—it checks all the boxes,” she says. “We nerd out about every single ingredient, so you can grab a meal and not have to wonder if it’s healthy,” Drori says.

One other bonus? You don’t have to worry about hunting an ingredient down only to have it spoil when you can’t use it fast enough. “Frozen ingredients also help to reduce food waste,” adds Drori. “All of our recipes are perfectly portioned, whereas cooking from scratch often leaves you with leftover ingredients.”

You can use the bowls in a number of ways

One major #yas factor about the Harvest Bowls is that you’ll never get bored with them. That’s because you can enjoy them in a few different ways. They’re perfectly fine as-is, but they also work as a side dish when you’re really hangry and want a larger meal. And you can also add additional ingredients to the mix.

“We want people to look forward to prepping a Harvest Bowl, topping it with a fried egg or seared tofu or piece of fish, or tossing in extra veggies.”

“We want people to look forward to prepping a Harvest Bowl, topping it with a fried egg, or sautéeing it with shrimp, or even tossing in extra veggies,” says Drori. “And then sitting down to a delicious, nutrient-rich dinner faster than any scratch-cooking or take-out.”

Score three free bowls with your first order with code TRYHARVEST at daily-harvest.com!

In partnership with Daily Harvest

Photos: Daily Harvest