I am a food blogger. That means I eat out a LOT. If you are like me, then you tend to go for the savory and extravagant items on the menu. I mean, if I am going to pay restaurant prices then I want to be sure I am getting something I wouldn't (or couldn't) necessarily make at home. As a result, I eat a lot of good food but don't always ensure that I am getting in veggies or my desired amount of protein. It's for this particular reason that a Syracuse based meal prep service, such as Real Healthy Eats, is a game changer.
I did an entire week of eating meals from Real Heathy Eats so I can give you the rundown: meal reviews, suggestions, and even a special discount. But first, let me tell you a bit more about the service.
About Real Healthy Eats
Real Healthy Eats is a meal prep service committed to serving healthy, keto, and gluten free meals. Operated by Shawn Kearse, a motivated cross fit trainer, Real Healthy Eats strives to meet the need for accessible, healthy food in Syracuse and the surrounding areas. Their customers aren't just fitness-buffs, but rather regular folks who want to prioritize their health in an easy and affordable way.
My particular interest in this service is the fact that it is low calorie, high in protein, packed with veggies (micronutrients, people!), and is gluten free. As many in The Eating Club know, I have been following a largely gluten free diet for the past 5+ years as a way to treat and live with IBS. I have struggled with digestion issues my whole life and, consequently, tend be hyper-focused on the foods I allow into my body. Even still, it is a challenge to always choose the "healthy" options I need--which for me means dairy free, gluten free, low acid, etc. I see this service as a great way to take the pressure off ordering a healthy dinner or cooking healthy in the moment.
So what is keto?
People who follow a keto lifestyle choose to avoid carbohydrates in order to keep their body in a state of ketosis. Ketosis is the burning of fat in order to produce ketones which can be used for energy instead of carbohydrates.
Do I follow a keto diet? No. Will I continue to order these meals? Yes.
Without starchy carbohydrates in my meals, I was able to deprioritize the need for carbohydrates and instead focus on the more nutrient dense aspect of the meals. It is common for people to center meals around meat (i.e. steak, fried chicken, etc) or "empty" carbohydrates (i.e. pasta, white rice, etc), leaving vegetables as an after thought. Ordering keto meals helped me reverse this mentality around how we prioritize certain food groups.
So, what if I'm not keto?
A healthy meal is a healthy meal--keto or not. But I get it. As an athlete, I require a lot of calories so I wound up supplementing my Real Healthy Eats meals with thinks like rice and cornbread but I did not make nearly as much as I would normally. Why? Because my meals already had way more protein and vegetables than I typically make; thus leaving less room for those carbs.
If you are still unsure about taking a dive into keto meals, simply reach out to Real Healthy Eats. They are open to substituting side with non-keto options like mashed potatoes, brown rice, etc. They understand that "healthy" meals do not look the same for everyone. The Real Healthy Eats chef is also celiac and specializes in gluten-free carb-full baked goods!
Meal review
A week of meals comes with 10 entrees, 5 breakfasts, and 1 batch of desserts. I will recap a few of the big highlights for me.
Pancakes & Sausage: You get three fluffy pancakes and more than enough sugar free syrup. I think I prefer the taste of syrup with sugar but hey, its keto and you can hardly tell the difference. The pancakes are what make this breakfast really shocking. They are fluffy, buttery, and tasty as ever...but low carb!? Pretty awesome. The breakfast sausage is your standard tasty little links.
Roast beef dinner: A true power meal. 40g of protein in beef, a heaping pile of fresh green beans, and a side of cauliflower "mash" with gravy. I recommend this option because you cant beat the protein and veggies. The cauliflower mash is made to look like mashed potatoes and, honestly, wasn't as bad as I suspected it to be. Its nothing like mashed potatoes but a good enough excuse for me to have gravy on cauliflower.
Eggroll bowl: This was my absolute favorite. A mix of cabbage, bellow peppers, onions, and carrots all thinly sliced and wonderfully flavored along side ground pork. Yum! It is topped with sirracha and I added even a smidge more because I like a kick.
Suggestions
Get the eggroll bowl! There is enough in one meal to serve two if you cook a cup of rice on the side and split it.
Don't be afraid to supplement the meals with things like toast, rice, or potatoes. Whether you are trying to begin your journey ketosis or just eat healthier, cutting out carbs entirely overnight can be aggressive. Nothing wrong with easing into the lifestyle by adding your own side of brown rice or baked potatoes!
If you are gluten free, contact Real Healthy Eats about their non-keto gluten free baked goods. They make some amazing carb-filled keto bagels!
Follow Real Healthy Eats on Instagram and subscribe to their newsletter so you don't miss any updates, menu changes, specials, etc.
10% off your first order
I have tested and honestly reviewed Real Healthy Eats as a part of a paid partnership. I want to extend this opportunity to you with a discount for 10% off your first purchase using code: "Syreatingclub"
You can purchase items a la cart, as a weekly subscription, or a monthly subscription. A week subscription (15 meals plus desserts) is just $100...or $90 with the discount! A wonderful deal if you ask me. Don't hesitate to leave a comment or email me directly with questions about my experience or recommendation requests.
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