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Thistle Reviews [Pros, Cons, & Is It Worth It?]

Emma 2017 Reviews

6 Total Score

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Are you searching for more convenience and sustainability in your food choices? 

Thistle reviews show the service delivers ready-made meals that are sustainably sourced and packaged for you to enjoy guilt-free. Plus, it’s plant-forward and organic where possible. 

Let’s explore what the subscription is all about and whether it’s right for you. 

All About Thistle

Food subscriptions grow more and more popular as a convenient way to stay healthy. And here, we explore them all. Let’s see if Thistle might be the perfect fit for your diet.

Overview and Highlights

Founded in 2013, Thistle started with a mission to improve consumers’ health by bringing them whole foods farmed sustainably. That way, the environment would be far less affected, which is among the company’s top priorities. 

While researching our Thistle food delivery review, it became clear that the service dedicates itself to people’s health and keeping the planet safe. So Thistle meals are dairy-and gluten-free, plant-forward, and organic where they can be. The company sources all nuts, veggies, and fruits from local farms to reduce its environmental impact. 

What Does Thistle Offer?

Thistle delivers chef-curated ready-made meals with quality ingredients. Since the service does all the hard work for you, you can enjoy your customized menu with no guilt. 

Thistle menu reviews show that you can choose options for breakfast, lunch, snack, juice, dinner, and wellness shots. Also, you can select how often to receive your meals — every three or six days.

If you fall within a local delivery zone (much of San Francisco Bay Area, California, and Los Angeles), you can customize your plan and meals and even add meat protein. But if you’re shipping out, the base plan is six meals per week. Check if your zip code is available. 

Sustainability Initiatives

The Thistle company works on six sustainable missions:

1. Slashing Food Waste: Did you know that we waste between 30%–40% of produced food? Thistle is trying to break the mold and has already cut its food waste by 50% in a year. 
2. Eating a Plant-Forward Diet: Eating a plant-based diet is the most significant change you can make to reduce your environmental impact. 
3. Community Partners: Thistle is very proud of the people it helps each week. The service sends out meals for and volunteers with different initiatives. 
4. Revamping Packaging: The Thistle packaging is pretty great as it’s already 100% recyclable. But reviews of Thistle show the service wants to do even better. It’s currently testing compostable packaging and containers to reduce its impact further. 
5. Sustainable Sourcing: The brand uses sustainable farmers, avoids using produce that isn’t organic where possible, and curates seasonal menus. 
6. Working Towards Net Zero Carbon Emissions: That’s the ultimate goal. Thistle produces and packages in factories that use carbon-free energy. Plus, it takes part in projects that help forests and reduce pollution.

So Thistle is truly trying its best to improve itself and make an impact.

Box Options & Categories

Our Thistle review found that the company follows strict criteria for each of its meal categories. Let’s explore them all.

Breakfast:

• 10 g of fiber
• 100% plant ingredients
• 250–400 calories 
• 0.5–1 oz nutrient-dense booster foods
• More than 10 g of plant protein

Lunch and dinner: 

• Over 20 g of plant protein from legumes, nuts, seeds, tempeh, tofu, or whole grains
• An average of 400–550 calories
• 90%–100% plant ingredients, depending on your plan

The service is perfect for improving your energy, experiencing less bloating, having clear skin, and keeping your mind sharp. Thistle reviews for 2022 show these are only a few of the benefits of eating clean and nutrient-rich food with this service. 

If you’re allergy-prone, you can specify your allergens, and the service will accommodate your needs. Now, let’s explore the boxes.

Essentials Box

It’s a popular choice among customers looking for a full range of weekly options. The box includes two breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

Thistle reviews its meal plans frequently to bring you only the freshest ingredients. As of October 2021, lunch options include items like:

• Crispy chickpea Mediterranean salad
• Southwest sweet potato taco salad
• Fall agrodolce salad.

For dinner, you can enjoy:

• Dishoom biryani
• Korean veggies with rice noodles
• Mushroom, kale, and wild rice bowl. 

If snacks are more your speed, keep on reading. 

Enhanced Box

The Enhanced box is suitable for those that need snacks in between meals with none of the guilt. It includes two breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners. 

One snack option is baby avocado and organic eggs. Thistle meal plan reviews for this box are super positive.

Cold-Pressed Juice Box

Juicing is a brilliant way to stay healthy and maintain your gut function. If you want to give it a try, this package includes six juices and three shots.

Some juice flavors include:

• Hearty Greens
• Rooted Orange
• Balanced Beet
• Intense Greens
• Spicy Citrus

All juices come from cold-pressed whole veggies and fruits in a 12-ounce bottle. We recommend the Juice Box for anyone on a juicing journey. 

Shots available:

• Glow — Lemon and turmeric detoxifier
• Probiotic — Zingy & vibrant probiotic
• Nourish — Refreshing antioxidant booster
• Fight — Echinacea and ginger immunity booster
• Boost —Cayenne and ACV energizer

Researching our Thistle food review it’s clear that the two-ounce shots pack a serious punch to get you ready for the day. 

Lite Bites Box

If you’re a snacker, this is the box for you. It includes:

• Two snacks: They arrive ready to eat and are perfect on the go. 
• Four jar salads: Some options include Spiced Seed and Kale, Kale and Quinoa Caesar, Southwestern Black Bean, and crunchy Thai peanut salad.
• Four soups: You can enjoy flavors like Chile Verde, Thai Carrot Squash, Sweet Potato corn chowder, and spring minestrone. 

There’s a range of items to pick under each category so check them out. 

Thistle Price, Discounts & Options

Plans start at $42 per week and a single meal at $11.50.

You can order up to 10 items of each category. The more you order, the more the price goes down:

• Breakfast: $12.50–$14.99
• Lunch: $11.50–$14.99
• Dinner: $11.50–$14.99

Note that all meat options cost an additional $2 per meal. Also, remember that Thistle bills you each Thursday before your delivery. 

Saving Opportunities 

There are often deals for signing up, so always check out the website for a Thistle promo code. Also, you can make use of the Refer a Friend Promo. If a friend of yours signs up with your code, you get $20 off your next order and $10 off for three more weeks.

Website Experience

The site is easy and quick. We love the simple design. It gives you all the information immediately, with additional dropdown menus on top to help you navigate. 

Thistle.co reviews are pretty great. Consumers like how easy it is to set up a profile and use the platform. 

Ordering Process

Here’s how to sign up:

• Go to the Thistle website or download the app. 
• Enter your zip code and email.
• Click “Get Started.”
• Choose how many meals you want per week. 
• Select your meal preferences (protein types and allergies).
• Enter your personal information. 
• Provide billing information and click “Start Enjoying Thistle.”
• Create a password.
• Checkout.

You can select your meals once you finish that. The process is easy and only differs slightly for those that aren’t local (outside San Francisco Bay Area, California, and Los Angeles). 

Managing Your Subscription

Once you sign up for your first Thistle delivery, you can change your information very easily. If you want to skip or cancel, you can do that straight from your profile. 

Since the service is dealing with perishables, you can’t return a box. But if there are any issues with your order, it’s best to contact Thistle directly. Follow the steps below to do that. 

Shipping & Packaging

The service is available in California and parts of ID, NV, OR, WA, and AZ. Thistle delivery reviews complain that most of the US doesn’t have access to the subscription. But shipping is included, which is always great.

Your order will arrive in a cardboard box with insulation inside and gel packs to keep your meals cool. All the packaging, including the meal containers, is recyclable. To recycle your gel packs, you can dispose of the liquid in your compost area or the trash.

Customer Service

Our Thistle food delivery review confirms the extensive FAQ section can answer any questions you might have. We managed to find a lot of additional information there. 

If you want to contact the service directly, you can use the following:

• Website form
• Thistle phone number: +1 833-837-5662
• Email: hello@thistle.co

Consumers don’t have much of a problem getting through to the company. But some suggest it’s not very helpful with concerns.

Thistle Reputation & Customer Satisfaction

We rely a lot on reviews to help us decide whether a service is worth it or not. And Thistle customer reviews vary quite a bit. 

Those who like the service are loyal, enjoy the food, and haven’t had many issues with service or delivery. But not all customers have had a good experience. Some Thistle bad reviews complain about the delivery, with many not receiving their orders. Additionally, some have had an issue with leaking packaging and the use of too much plastic. 

Despite some issues, ratings are pretty good and range between 3.5–4.1 stars online. 

Thistle Alternatives — How Does It Compare?

There are so many top-rated subscription boxes to choose from. So how do you decide? Well, we’ve made a comparison to help you out. 

Thistle vs Daily Harvest

Thistle meals need only a quick reheat. In contrast, Daily Harvest meals arrive frozen, so there’s a bit more prep, and you may need to add milk or water. 

While both companies offer plant-based options, with Thistle, you can also add meat protein. Also, the services provide organic ingredients where possible and provide juices and snacks. 

Thistle plans start at around $42 a week, or $11.50 per meal, which is a bit more expensive compared to $8.99 for Daily Harvest. Still, you’ll get more quantity with Thistle.

Thistle vs Sakara

The most significant difference between these two is the price. Sakara is much more expensive than most meal subscriptions — $70 a day. In contrast, Thistle starts at $42 a week. 

Both companies offer plant-based menus, but Thistle gives you the option to add meat or fish to your meal. 

Sakara seems a better choice for those wanting to lose a drastic amount of weight without bouncing back. On the other hand, Thistle is a healthy meal service for anyone who wants to maintain weight. 

 Thistle vs Methodology

Thistle meals come fully prepared and ready to enjoy. In contrast, Methodology ingredients come in separate glass jars that you assemble at home, and some meals need preparation on the stovetop. 

Both services are gluten and dairy-free, but you can get more protein options with Thistle. Price-wise, Thistle meals start at around $11.50, whereas Methodology servings cost between $15–$20. 

But what if you enjoy cooking at home? If you want to cook with pre-measured ingredients, consider meal kit services. Also, we compare Freshly with other subscriptions to highlight the differences.

Wrap Up — Is Thistle Worth It?

Thistle is a brilliant service for those who want to remain healthy in a convenient and sustainable way. The service offers an extensive range of options so you won’t get bored with the food quickly. That‘s a problem with many other meal subscriptions. 

In our opinion, it’s worth giving Thistle a go. Compared to similar services, the price isn’t bad at all. 

FAQ 

What is Thistle food?

Thistle is a meal subscription service with a full range of vegan, dairy, and gluten-free menu options. You can also add meat or fish protein. The meals come fully prepared straight to your door and might only need a reheat. 

How much does Thistle cost?

Meals start at $11.50 each and go up to $14.99. The price decreases the more meals you order. If you add meat or fish, you’ll pay an additional $2 for each meal. 

Is Thistle organic?

The service provides organic ingredients wherever possible. Thistle reviews its practices at all times, ensuring its partners follow a stringent set of protocols to bring consumers the best locally-grown ingredients.