We all have busy schedules and most nights we’re tired when it comes to making dinner. And even when dinner gets made, we wonder if it’s healthy and nutritious enough for our families. In this day and age, it’s not only more difficult to eat only whole foods, but also a lot more expensive. We’re constantly looking for easier ways to keep ourselves fed in a way that’s healthy, easy and that won’t break the bank.
The Plated Info
Willbert Kinnear is the founder of Plated Convenience, and gave us a few insights into how Plated Convenience came to be. Starting out in 2015, Plated Convenience was inspired by the limited healthy options for families to enjoy. What makes them different to the convenience meals found in store freezers is the lack of preservatives such as unhealthy amounts of salt and sugars. The name came from the need for convenience in an ever-moving world, and though their goal to bring nutritious meals to people and their families. Their foundations are as healthy as their meals, built on strong values, including sustainability, partnership and adapting a new lifestyle. Kinnear commented that they want to remain personal within the impersonal cyberspace. They’re striving for change that is authentic and lasting.
“When customers start telling us how they feel healthier every day, that is when we get most excited.”
One thing we all want to know is why we should choose one brand over another, I asked them what sets Plated Convenience apart, and their answer was nothing less than genuine and courteous towards their competitors. This is what they had to say: “There are some great players in the industry, people who are likeminded, who above profitability are aware of our social responsibility and our opportunity to really make a deep change within the nutritional space in our country. We respect them and want to partner with them in creating education about what we offer. We value the why, not simply the how and we aim to separate ourselves in service delivery, quality and innovation because we are driven by really producing healthy eating for everyone.”
All I can say to that, I wish myself and a lot of people had that attitude and humility in my daily life.
With people having dietary restrictions and a variety of new diets and health trends, it seems merely impossible to cater to all. As Plated Convenience states, they customise meals to each customer, ensuring the best possible nutrition for their unique diet. Apart from their general diets, they do offer meals for lean diets, vegans, vegetarians, banting and even for kids.
One concern that rises with all convenience meals and also our guilty take-aways, are single use containers – especially plastics. Since sustainability is one of their foundational values, Plated Convenience is concerned about their environmental footprint. Although their only current option is mostly plastic, they do only use recyclable plastics and are within the research process to find better alternatives.
My Plated Experience
I had the privilege to take part in Plated Convenience, where I simply switched one meal out of my day for a healthier alternative which I could simply pop in the microwave for a few minutes.
My overall experience with Plated Convenience was seamless, effortless and delicious. Who knew that there is fudge that curbs cravings without the guilt? This was only one of many delicious bites I had the pleasure to taste for myself.
For the 21 days, I was provided a total of 21 meals and 21 snacks. This was perfect. I am someone who had done my fair share of diets, and I found that making small and gradual changes over an extended period, leads to better and more lasting results.
The biggest question most of you want answered is: were these meals tasty and filling? Definitely! From their scrumptious cottage pie to their truly South African boerewors specialty, every meal was well seasoned, with great flavour and most importantly filling. I’m not the biggest athlete out there but I do partake in yoga and Latin dancing, and both these activities can not only work up an appetite but require a steady source of energy. Also, as someone who does battle insulin resistance, it’s even more important to ensure my sugar stays consistent. And Plated Convenience did exactly that!
More often than none, I would have my meals for lunch instead of dinner, since my body needs more energy to get to the end of the day rather than at the end of the day. For someone who was constantly on the move and always has somewhere to be, the meals really kept me satisfied through the day and the best thing was that I didn’t eat one salad! Actually, I had a couple of brownies and pieces of fudge, and not one ounce of guilt. Their snacks are expertly prepared to satisfy cravings and keep them at bay. I would probably start to replace my snacks more often with Plated Convenience snacks – it’s not overly sweet and added bonus, it has a higher nutritional value than my go to chocolates and chips.
Out of all of the meals I would probably say their Alfredo was my ultimate favourite, but that’s probably because of the bacon. But in all honesty, all of their meals were delicious, and I didn’t feel that I missed comfort food or “good food” because the meals were comforting and delicious and proper good food.
At the end of the day I didn’t weigh myself to see how many k’s I dropped, but I did lose over 15cm in one month by simply making a small change with Plated Convenience. They definitely inspired me to carry this through the rest of 2019, and hopefully I’ll have the disciple to carry it through for life.
Next time your family is in need of a healthy and nutritious convenient meal, consider Plated Convenience.
For more information and to order Plated Convenience, visit: https://www.plated.co.za/