my days normally To start, I get up 10 minutes before I have to start work, drink an energy drink, log on to my laptop, and then get a headache around 3pm when I realize I haven’t eaten anything ( and much less one nutritious stuff). Between my hyperfocus from ADHD and my simultaneous temporary blindness from ADHD, I tend to eat like a toddler and accidentally let produce go bad because what’s out of sight is absolutely out of sight. Sometimes I feel like a Sim The Sims 4wandering aimlessly around my house in search of somethingnot realizing that all my Needs bars are flashing red. When I remember to eat, I am a herbivore and can eat deli meats or adult lunchables for 90 percent of my meals. I like containers. I like sandwiches. I am a food enthusiast not able He doesn’t like to think too much about his next meal.
garden mug. Gardencup is the answer.
Gardencup is a meal subscription service that delivers freshly prepared salads, bowls, soups, produce, and individual snacks to your door. And I’m a little upset that I tried it because now I don’t think I’ll ever be able to stop taking them.
Where have you been?
Gardencup is a little different than other popular meal kit services because you can completely customize your order each week. Choose a six- or nine-pack, create your package (there are vegan and vegetarian options), and choose your shipping frequency. Order totals vary by item. High-protein salads are $12, while snacks and produce are $6 to $9. Can register at Gardenclub after placing at least five orders to earn a percentage as cash back. You can pause or skip automatic deliveries and cancel your shipments easily in your account settings.
Photography: Louryn Strampe
Each jar is filled to the brim with goodness. Hearty salads are elegantly packaged, with dressings and wet ingredients on the bottom and fresh vegetables on top. Simply shake them up when you’re ready to eat and you’ll have a fresh, dressed salad in no time. They are also well packaged; sometimes I had to eat a few bites of peeled spinach to have enough room inside the jar to shake it well. Of course, you can also throw it all in a bowl. For items like Producecups (pineapple or cut apples with almond butter, carrot and celery sticks with hummus) or spreads like tuna salad, just try. (Please note that you will need to bring your own crackers.)
The main thing I love about Gardencup is how easy it makes my life. I’m already thinking about money, doctor’s appointments, going to the gym, career growth, maintaining my friendships, my godforsaken emails, the state of the world in general, and whether or not I can rock cool-toned purple lipstick. (I can’t.) Despite my love of delicious food, the last thing I want to think about is having to eat a damn meal three times a day. Gardencup lets me run on autopilot for a while. I reach into my refrigerator, grab a cup of Something, and eat it knowing it’s nutritious and ultimately tastes good. Sometimes the meals are a little bland – my chicken noodle soup could have benefited from a little black pepper and I would add my own dressing to some of the salads if I wasn’t reviewing them. But compensation is not at all a problem for me and my lifestyle. It is better to have a cup of food and have to add your own dressing to it than to not have a cup of food at all. And these weeks, eating well more easily and frequently with the help of Gardencup means that cooking or dining out has felt more like a luxury and less like another thing on my to-do list.
Photography: Louryn Strampe