We Tried Gardencup Salads. Here's What We Loved and What Was Just OK
Quick and easy lunch with little to no additional dishes needed A healthier choice than many other prepared meal services
A healthier choice than many other prepared meal services Flavorful
Flavorful Good portion sizes
Good portion sizes Reusable containers
Reusable containers The website is easy to navigate and designed nicely
The website is easy to navigate and designed nicely Nationwide shipping Don't like Premium options can be pricey
Premium options can be pricey Sides like the soup and chia collagen pudding received mixed reviews
Sides like the soup and chia collagen pudding received mixed reviews Extra $11 for shipping
Extra $11 for shipping Packets included in the salads are hard to open
Let me start by saying that there's nothing groundbreaking about having a salad for lunch. Here's what's groundbreaking: Salads that are shipped across numerous state lines and still show up cold, tasty and crunchy. That's exactly what we got with Gardencup.
At the CNET office in New York, we got to taste 10 salads, including one with pasta, a soup and a chia pudding. Across the board, we were impressed with the quality of the salads, but the soup and pudding were lackluster.
At CNET we've tested numerous meal kits over the years so we can help take the guesswork out of the equation for you. We always aim to find one that strikes a balance between tasty and healthy -- all without having to break the bank.
We're happy to report that Gardencup has left us with fond memories thanks to the flavor, convenience and nutritional value of the meals. Here's everything to know about the meal delivery service that left me wanting more (deliveries.)
How GardenCup works
You choose your plan based on whether you want six or nine salads each week. Then you start loading up your pack. There are 17 salads to choose from, as well as Producecups, soups and other healthy snacks.
Gardencup delivers nationwide and each area has different delivery days, which you will see when you begin the checkout process. You can change your schedule or cancel your subscription at any time. However, if you don't cancel your subscription or pick out your salads, you'll still receive an order of salads the company picked for you.
You have full control over building your pack on the website.
Corin Cesaric/CNET
The service is a bit reminiscent of Farmer's Fridge, which CNET's resident meal-kit expert David Watsky tested out in 2022 before it shuttered operations. What he liked about that service was similar to what I liked about Gardencup, so if you're a former Farmer's Fridge customer, this might be the perfect replacement.
GardenCup pricing
Salads: Most salads are $12 each, but salads with steak, which are considered 'premium' options, are $13.49. Vegetarian salads are $11.
Soups: There are only three soupcup options -- chicken tortilla, vegetable chicken noodle and Tuscan canellini bean stew -- and they're $9.98 each.
Produce: Producecups -- which contain fruit served with almond butter, veggies served with hummus, hard-boiled eggs, grilled chicken and more -- are between $6 and $10 each.
Extras: There are also a handful of Snackcups to choose from, including egg salad, tuna salad and chia pudding, and they are each $9.
Wellness shots: There is also a five-pack of wellness shots available for $19.95. However, we did not test them out, so we are unable to comment on the flavor.
Shipping: Shipping is an additional cost. For delivery to New York, the shipping cost is $11.
The lids include some of the nutrition information of each meal or snack.
Corin Cesaric/CNET
What we ate and how we liked it
At the office, we tried 10 salads, a chia seed pudding and a soup. Each salad was well liked, but the side options were less impressive. Here are some of our staff's specific thoughts on the salads we tasted.
Asian chopped with honey garlic chicken: The toppings were crunchy and the lettuce was so fresh. The chicken was delicious and not rubbery like in other premade salads. The dressing and topping packets were hard to open though. When I finally got the toppings open, they exploded all over my desk. -- Carly Marsh
Steakhouse wedge salad: Despite the steak being a little well-done (I'm team medium rare), the greens and veggies included were fresh, crisp and chopped, making it easy to eat on the go. Not to mention how transportable and reusable the packaging is. Wash it and use it as your new water cup. Or a vase. To each their own. -- Lai Frances
Mediterranean salad with grilled chicken: The chicken from this salad tasted so fresh and was a lovely accompaniment to the plentiful greens and vegetables from the jar. I'd happily eat this again as an alternative to ordering from the more expensive salad stores around our office. -- Mike Sorrentino
Caprese with grilled chicken: The tomatoes were perfectly ripe, the chicken was tender and the lettuce was crunchy. What more could you want from lunch? -- Corin Cesaric
The dressing packets were located inside of the containers.
Corin Cesaric/CNET
Pesto pasta bowl with grilled chicken - The pasta bowl tasted fresh and came with a generous portion of chicken and some added greens. The pasta was well-prepared, and the serving size was solid. Personally, I would've liked a bit more pesto, but overall, it definitely hit the spot. -- Joey Kaminski
Chicken tortilla soup: This was a functional soup but it didn't really rise above the level of a simple cup of soup from the grocery store. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I don't see myself going out of my way to order this one. --Mike Sorrentino
Chocolate strawberry chia pudding with Obvi collagen: My first time eating chia pudding will also be my last after trying this chocolate strawberry version. It partially froze after sitting in the refrigerator overnight, and I wasn't a fan of the taste or texture. -- Meara Isenberg
Who is Gardencup good for?
Gardencup is great for anyone who's too busy to make weekly lunches or for those who want to replace their current lunches with healthy alternatives. It's also great for anyone who simply wants a convenient lunch option throughout the week.
After testing out Gardencup, I wanted to order my own pack because of the convenience. As someone who's planning a wedding and a vacation all at once, the idea of not having lunch on my to-do list was quite the draw at this time. Plus, living in NYC, I've often paid more than $12 for a salad from Chopt and Sweetgreen. To me, Gardencup is a way to both save time and money.
The salads also have a QR code on the lid that will give you the full details on each salad, including the ingredient list and nutrition labels.
Corin Cesaric/CNET
Who is Gardencup not good for?
Gardencup is probably not the best option for one person who won't be able to get through the salads in a timely manner. The salads should not be frozen and although they are supposed to be consumed within five to six days of delivery, I personally don't think I'd push it past three or four regardless of how fresh it came.
If one person still decided to subscribe to the service, I would suggest ordering some Soupcups, Producecups or Snackcups in place of the salads so you don't have to deal with wilted lettuce at the end of the week.
The Gardencup containers are fully reusable.
Corin Cesaric/CNET
How we test meal kits or food services
When testing meal kits we consider various factors, including how easy or difficult it is to order on the brand's website, the price for each meal, the shipping length and the quality the delivery arrives in. We also think about how much packaging is used for the delivery and if it's recyclable, reusable or compostable.
We also take into account the variety of meals offered by the brand and if they can accommodate various diets and dietary requirements. After unboxing the meals, we taste them and look for fresh ingredients. We also look at the nutrition labels of each meal to determine if the meals can be a part of a healthy diet.
To account for varying opinions and preferences in taste, we crowdsourced our CNET co-workers as taste testers at our New York office. One of our taste testers doesn't eat dairy, for example, so she was a perfect person to try out the dairy-free Asian chopped salad with honey garlic chicken. Another tester wanted a high-protein lunch, so they opted for the premium steakhouse wedge salad, which has an impressive 35 grams of protein.
From left to right, strawberry spinach salad with smoked ham, pesto pasta with grilled chicken and caesar with grilled chicken.
Corin Cesaric/CNET
Final verdict on Gardencup
I loved this delivery service. The packaging also didn't seem overly wasteful since the salad cups are both recyclable and reusable. However, I would love it if there was a way to ship back the empty cups for the company to reuse them and make it even less wasteful.
Overall, I was impressed with Gardencup -- especially the salads -- and I can see this being the perfect meal kit for busy families who still want to eat healthy throughout the week.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
2 minutes ago
- Fox News
Doctor urges parents to take 'digital pacifiers' away from children
'The Anxious Generation' author Dr. Jonathan Haidt describes the impact of smartphones on Gen Z's mental health and reveals 'nature's recipe' for growing up on 'Fox & Friends Weekend.'
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Should You Take a Vitamin B12 Supplement?
Credit - Photo-Illustration by TIME (Source Images: eyenigelen/Getty Images, Sersol/Getty Images) Everyone needs vitamin B12: It helps the body produce red blood cells and maintain healthy brain function, along with so many other things. But are you getting enough of it? Here's what to know about vitamin B12 and whether you should consider upping your levels. A boon for brain health 'Vitamin B12 is important for brain health because it helps protect nerve cells in the brain, which support memory and thinking skills,' says Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology dietitian and certified diabetes educator in New York. It's water-soluble, so the body does not store it in large amounts, and daily intake is essential. The current federal recommendations are for adults to get 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 per day. Great food sources of B12 include seafood like oysters, salmon and tuna, beef, and fortified products like nutritional yeast, plant-based milks, some breads and breakfast cereals, says Routhenstein. But some recent research suggests that some people may need even more than that. Vitamin B12 deficiencies can impact your brain function even when your intake levels are considered normal, says Dr. Ari J. Green, a professor at the University of California, San Francisco's department of ophthalmology. In a recent study, Green and his colleagues found that people with B12 levels that were technically normal but on the lower end of the range had impaired brain function. 'We could detect neurological impairment at levels currently considered 'normal,' independently of other factors like years of education," particularly in older people, says Dr. Alexandra Beaudry-Richard, a resident at McGill University and co-author of the study. 'To us, this should reinvigorate a conversation about how much B12 is needed for optimal neurological function.' Read More: Should You Take a Vitamin D Supplement? Other studies have found that people with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment tend to have lower B12 levels—and supplementation with B12 can reduce the rate of brain atrophy. However, on the opposite end, the study showed signs of a possible detrimental effect on the brain when people had high B12 levels in their blood. 'This warrants further studies to evaluate what healthy B12 levels are on both ends of the spectrum,' says Dr. Ahmed Abdelhak, one of the study's authors and a clinical instructor in neurology at UCSF School of Medicine. Should you take a B12 supplement? You can (and should) get B12 from your diet, but some people may have a tough time getting adequate levels of the nutrient from food alone. Older adults are more likely to develop vitamin B12 deficiencies because the vitamin requires stomach acid to be absorbed, and stomach acid production starts to decline with age. Routhenstein recommends people look closer into their B12 status starting around age 50 or if they are at higher risk of a B12 deficiency. This category includes vegans and vegetarians, people taking specific medications that interfere with B12 absorption such as metformin or proton pump inhibitors, and those who have gastrointestinal disorders like Crohn's, celiac, or atrophic gastritis. You can get tested for a vitamin B12 deficiency at your annual physical. If you are deficient, your doctor might recommend supplementation. Read More: 7 Surprising Symptoms of Lyme Disease The UCSF study authors recommend checking levels starting at age 70, but you can get it checked on a standard blood test at any age through your primary care physician. Dr. Ralph Green, a professor of pathology and lab medicine at the University of California, Davis—and another author on that recent study—says that checking B12 may also be valuable for people who have unexplained symptoms that have been linked to B12 deficiency. For those with declining gastric function, he says taking supplements is likely the best way to promote absorption, and the level of supplementation a person should consume depends on whether their absorption is normal or not. Pregnant women, too, need higher B12 intake to support fetal brain development; if you're pregnant, consult with your ob-gyn about optimal B12 levels for you. What kind of B12 supplement is best? B12 in supplements and fortified foods can be more easily absorbed than from food, especially for older adults and those with absorption issues, says Routhenstein. If your doctor has advised you to take a B12 supplement, it's best to ask them to recommend specific dosages and brands. But Routhenstein recommends following these general guidelines when selecting a B12 supplement. Always look for those with methylcobalamin on the label, as this is the most bioavailable form of B12, meaning the body can absorb it the best. It's also the optimal form for heart and brain health and nerve function, she says. Sublingual (under the tongue) or liquid B12 is often touted for better absorption. This form of B12 does so 'by bypassing the digestive system and entering the bloodstream directly,' says Routhenstein. Of course, no supplement is a cure-all, and there are other ways to support brain health, including maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen. Activities that stimulate multiple brain areas simultaneously are excellent at promoting cognitive longevity, Beaudry-Richard says. Practicing a musical instrument, dancing, and studying a foreign language daily, for example, all recruit 'brain circuits responsible for vision, hearing, movement, emotions' and more. 'It's like a full-body workout for the brain,' she says. Contact us at letters@
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Colorado rabbits seem to be growing horns and tentacles. What's behind 'Frankenstein rabbits'?
A Colorado Parks and Wildlife representative told Yahoo that this virus is common in the Midwest during the summer. People in northern Colorado have been reporting sightings of wild rabbits with black horns and tentacles on their faces. The rabbits appeared to have 'black quills or black toothpicks' and 'a scabbiesh-looking growth over their face,' some Fort Collins residents told local outlet, 9News. Others have dubbed them 'Frankenstein rabbits.' These dark growths are most likely caused by a virus that tends to pop up in the summer in states like Colorado, South Dakota, Minnesota and Texas. The virus is Shope papilloma virus (SPV), which causes wart-like, waxy growths on a rabbit's face and is spread through biting insects like fleas or ticks, Kara Van Hoose, a spokesperson for Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW), told Yahoo. The virus is found in cottontail rabbits and is common in Colorado, especially during the summer when there is higher rabbit density and insect activity. While CPW has received around a dozen reports of sightings over the last week, Van Hoose speculates that there probably aren't that many cases of SPV, but rather, many people are likely seeing the same group of infected rabbits. There is no risk of virus transmission to humans or other animals, though the CPW recommends that humans and pets should still stay away and not interact with infected rabbits if they cross paths. However, the CPW also notes that domestic rabbits, if they are housed outside, could contract the virus from infected insects or rabbits. What to do if you spot a rabbit with SPV Rabbits remain mostly healthy after contracting SPV, even if the growths get very long and start to look like horns, which is why the CPW does not recommend euthanizing the infected rabbits. 'If someone sees a rabbit with the black tumors on its head or neck it is not a concern for Animal Control,' Julie Lindstrom, a supervisor at Sioux Falls Police Animal Control, told Keloland, a South Dakota outlet. 'There is no rehabilitation for wild rabbits with this disease.' SPV is only harmful when the growths start to interfere with a rabbit's ability to eat or drink, which does not happen in every case. A person may be able to spot if this is a problem if they notice the rabbit doesn't seem able to hop properly, Lindstrom said. If you find a dead rabbit on your property, regardless of whether it is visibly infected or not, Lindstrom noted that it is safe to wear gloves and handle the animal yourself if you feel comfortable. Solve the daily Crossword
