Published Sep 11, 2017

I tried a fitness-focused meal plan—here’s what happened

Healthy meal delivery services are hard to come by. Here's what happened when an editor tried Kettlebell Kitchen's fitness-focused meal plan for a week.

I tried a fitness-focused meal plan—here’s what happened

Healthy meal delivery services are hard to come by. Here's what happened when an editor tried Kettlebell Kitchen's fitness-focused meal plan for a week.

Published Sep 11, 2017

In Partnership With

Kettlebell Kitchen

Written by

Erin Flynn

Published Sep 11, 2017

In Partnership With

Kettlebell Kitchen

Written by

Erin Flynn

I’ve tried the gamut of diets (paleo, Whole 30, low FODMAP, high fat—you name it, I’ve probably done it) all with varying degrees of success. And with so many different methods out there claiming to be the best way to achieve your health goals, it’s tough to find which one actually fits for you.

Plus, once you do decide on a route to take, you still have to put in the effort of planning and actually making your meals (trust me—as a committed meal-prep vet of two years, I am very familiar with chopping and batch-cooking fatigue).

That’s why when I heard about Kettlebell Kitchen, the customizable meal delivery service that does all the prepping (and thinking!) for you, I jumped at the opportunity to try it out.

For Kettlebell Kitchen, the process starts with a simple questionnaire including info like height, weight, frequency and intensity of workouts, and your personal aims (fat loss, muscle gain, or sport performance). Then, one of the brand’s in-house dietitians analyzes your responses and develops a meal plan totally tailored to you.

“The main benefit when you sign up for a meal plan is that it takes the guess work out of what to eat for your goals.”

“Kettlebell Kitchen is a goal-focused food provider in the sense that we provide meals to help our customers achieve a specific wellness goal,” says founder and CEO Joe Lopez-Gallego. “The main benefit when you sign up for a meal plan is that it takes the guess work out of what to eat for your goals… This eliminates a lot of confusion around food choices.”

As involved (and often confused) as I’ve previously been in puzzling together my various personal meal plans, I decided to give the hands-off approach a shot and let Kettlebell Kitchen’s team do the work for me. Plus, with its stated pledge of helping me achieve my wellness benchmarks (co-founder Greg Grossman says some customers have seen results in as little as two weeks) I was definitely intrigued. Would this finally be a method I could stick with?

Scroll down to find out what happened during my trial week.

Delivery was super easy

After making my selections from the pre-screened meals within my plan, I was pretty pumped to get my first delivery. On the menu for the week? Wild salmon cakes, cajun shrimp with pulled chicken, and roasted pork loin with bacon date relish. AKA, yum.

On the menu for the week? Wild salmon cakes, cajun shrimp with pulled chicken, and roasted pork loin with bacon date relish. AKA, yum.

Orders are placed five days in advance so the team has time to snag new ingredients for each meal (to keep everything super fresh, there’s no stockpiling), and meals are delivered twice a week to avoid the age-old meal-prep problem of choking down a five-day-old salad.

Dishes can be delivered to your office or favorite fitness studio, but I chose home delivery for max convenience. My package was brought to my door on Sunday evening in an insulated tote filled with icepacks. I just popped the containers in the fridge, and boom: weekly prep, done.

I discovered new flavor combos

Despite the promise of fresh ingredients, I was still a little nervous my meals would arrive looking like frostbitten TV dinners.

But Grossman assured me that would never be the case. “Our food is fresh, never frozen, and consciously produced to help you achieve your goal and genuinely live better,” he says. “The ingredients are cooked at the last possible minute and blast-chilled to preserve the nutrients and freshness. We then pack them right before sending them out to you.”

Shout out to the chipotle quiche with chicken sausage and Swiss chard I had for breakfast one morning.

And he wasn’t wrong. There wasn’t a wilted veggie to be found, and the meats tasted like they had just been prepared (definitely no rubbery texture). Most impressively, the flavor profiles were on point—shout out to the chipotle quiche with chicken sausage and Swiss chard I had for breakfast one morning, which was rich and smokey with just the right amount of kick.

It made me realize the power of protein

The main difference between my usual diet and the Kettlebell Kitchen meal plan was that I was eating more protein than I was used to—an increase Amanda Montalvo, a registered dietitian at Kettlebell, notes is deliberate and a key element of helping people along their wellness journey.

“Protein is important for a number of reasons: Not only does it help build and maintain muscle mass, but it is also broken down to amino acids and fuels hundreds of processes in the body,” Montalvo says. “Protein also has the added benefit of helping you feel more satiated after a meal and promoting blood sugar balance.”

“Protein also has the added benefit of helping you feel more satiated after a meal and promoting blood sugar balance.”

Feeling more satiated was right in line with my experience. Because the protein-packed breakfast was bigger than my usual smoothie or plain hardboiled eggs, I wasn’t starving by the time lunch rolled around. I actually ended up delaying my lunch a bit, which in turn meant I wasn’t running home to eat ASAP at the end of my work day (and I definitely wasn’t tempted to raid the W+G snack cabinet at 4 p.m.).

Overall, my week of Kettlebell Kitchen meals was one I would definitely repeat. Not only was it a major timesaver, but my body and energy levels responded with a major thumbs up. I’ll have to try the meal plan longer to see where it takes me in terms of workout goals, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to break up with meal-prep for good.

In partnership with Kettlebell Kitchen

Photos: Kettlebell Kitchen

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Food

Published Feb 20, 2025

The Making of an Internet-Famous Fruit: How Sumo Citrus Has Captured Hearts, Tastebuds, and a Devoted Following

Published Feb 20, 2025

In Partnership With

Sumo Citrus

Written by

Maeve McCormick

Photo: Sumo Citrus® & W+G Creative

Published Feb 20, 2025

In Partnership With

Sumo Citrus

Written by

Maeve McCormick

Confession time: I love citrus—zesty limes squeezed on my tacos, fresh-squeezed orange juice on slow Sunday mornings, and the invigorating scent of grapefruit candles when I need to unwind. But when it comes to eating whole citrus fruits? Historically, not my thing. The mess of peeling, the sticky fingers, the rogue juice dribbling down my wrists—for me, most citrus has never been worth the (literal) squeeze.

Then, one day, my roommate came home from the store with an oversized citrus I didn’t recognize. She told me I had to try a piece, while effortlessly peeling it in one smooth motion—no mess, no struggle. I skeptically accepted a slice, wondering what the big deal was.

To my surprise, the experience was completely sticky-fingers-free. And the taste? Unlike any citrus I’d had before—enormously sweet, impossibly juicy, and balanced with just a hint of tang. That was my first bite of Sumo Citrus^®—and now, I understand why The Office actress Jenna Fischer planted a Sumo Citrus tree in her yard, John Mayer peeled it on TikTok, and it has its very own merch (kind of eyeing that beanie, TBH).

So, what’s earned Sumo Citrus this devoted following? Sumo is taking the sweetness on the road for you to experience it yourself with the Tastemonial Tour—and it’s making a special stop at House of Good during our Ultimate Citrus Experience pop-up from February 21 to 23. Stop by for the hype if you're in Los Angeles, and read on to find out how this one-of-a-kind fruit became a seasonal fruit fixation.

Find Sumo Citrus Near You

Sumo Citrus wasn’t just plucked from a tree one day and marketed as the next big thing—it’s the result of decades of careful cultivation, according to Sunnia Gull, AC Food’s vice president of marketing. First developed in Japan in the 1970s, it was naturally bred to combine the best traits of different citrus varieties—including the sweetness of mandarins, the juiciness of navel oranges, and the easy-to-peel skin of a satsuma.

Despite its popularity, growing Sumo Citrus is no easy feat. It takes years of expertise to perfect, and California’s Central Valley is the only place in the United States where it’s grown. Even then, farmers face unpredictable weather challenges, which means every piece of fruit that makes it to the store is a result of careful tending and patience.

The first thing you notice about Sumo Citrus is its size—it’s the largest variety of mandarins. The second? Its signature Top Knot^®, a bump on top of the fruit that serves as an easier way to peel it. The skin practically lifts off, revealing plump, seedless segments that don’t leave your hands coated in juice and stubborn pith.

Every Sumo Citrus is guaranteed to be incredibly sweet, thanks to each being measured on the “brix meter,” to ensure it meets sky-high sweetness standards before hitting shelves, Gull says. For those who prefer their fruit without surprise sour bites, it’s a game-changer.

Beyond its chef’s-kiss flavor and finally-I-don’t-need-a-wet-wipe convenience, Sumo Citrus packs a *serious* nutritional punch. Each fruit contains 163 percent of your daily vitamin C, along with fiber, potassium, and a flavonoid called hesperidin, which has antioxidant benefits. Whether you’re looking for immunity support, a gut-friendly snack, or a natural energy source, it fits the bill. Bonus: It’s the kind of snack I can toss in my bag and eat in two minutes flat—way better than the sad granola bar that’s been in my purse for the past three months.

And while Sumo Citrus is made to eat straight out of the peel, fans have gotten creative with how they use it. The fruit’s sweetness and juiciness make it an ideal addition to everything from bright citrus salads to zesty cocktails and refreshing desserts. Its bold flavor also complements savory dishes—think citrus-glazed salmon or a tangy dressing for roasted vegetables.

All of that creativity may be a result of the fact that Sumo Citrus is here for a good time, but not a long time. Unlike standard grocery store oranges that are available year-round, Sumo Citrus has a limited growing season, running only from January to April. This short window has created an almost cult-like following, with fans stocking up as soon as they see the signature purple sticker in stores.

I get it—now that I’ve experienced Sumo, I fully understand the impulse to grab them while they last. The anticipation is almost part of the appeal: Like cherry blossom season or holiday peppermint mochas, Sumo’s fleeting availability makes it even more special. And when the season ends? People (me) are already counting down the days until its return. Conclusion: Do yourself a favor and grab a few before they disappear for the year. Because once you’ve had a taste of this juicy citrus, there’s no going back.

Psst: Want a taste ASAP? The Sumo Tastemonial Tour is rolling into Belmont Park in San Diego from February 28 to March 1, Boreal Ski Resort in Tahoe from March 7 to 8, Craig Ranch Regional Park in Las Vegas from March 10 to 11, and La Encantada in Tuscon from March 14 to 15—or stop by House of Good in Venice Beach for the Ultimate Citrus Experience from February 21 to 23.