I Was Shocked (and Delighted) by the Convenience of Daily Harvest's New Harvest Bakes
If you have any stake in the healthy eating scene, odds are you've heard of Daily Harvest. The popular meal service made a name for itself through its wide selection of nutritious frozen foods, most notably its line of celeb-endorsed smoothies. And while its flatbreads and forager bowls make excellent snacks or light meals, Daily Harvest just released a new line of hearty vegan dishes that work as a sharable side for the whole family.
The brand's harvest bakes can satisfy vegans and meat-eaters alike. These heat-and-eat dishes are packed full of vegetables and a surprising amount of protein, and there's a good amount of flavor variety between the four options, which made me eager to dig in and taste them for myself.
Scroll down for my honest review of Daily Harvest's new harvest bakes, from picking out my meals to the very last bite.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
On This Page
How I Tested the Service
Signing Up for Daily Harvest
Daily Harvest Bakes Menu
Daily Harvest Packaging and Delivery
Harvest Bakes Prep and Cooking
Harvest Bakes Flavor and Quality
Cost of Daily Harvest Bakes
Daily Harvest Sustainability and Sourcing
Daily Harvest Customer Service
My Final Take
Who Daily Harvest Bakes Are Good For:
Who Daily Harvest Bakes Aren't Good For:
How I Tested the Service:
Daily Harvest was kind enough to send me a wide variety of tasty treats. And while I adored the pretty pink mulberry + dragon fruit oat bowl and fawned over the cold brew + roasted espresso bean chip ice cream, the real stars were the harvest bakes.
My boyfriend was thrilled to hear that dinner would be covered for the next few days, though it ended up being more for me than for him. Logan is an all-American eater, which is a polite way of saying he enjoys a good amount of meat and cheese in his diet. While I was more than happy to eat the vegan harvest bakes as my main course, he enjoyed them as a side dish. But that's the beauty of the harvest bakes: They can be a complete dinner for some and a healthy heap of veggie goodness on the side for others. Either way, we were both satisfied.
My overall rating for Daily Harvest bakes: 9.2/10
Buy now: Daily Harvest bakes, $11.99; daily-harvest.com. Use code PARENTS40 for $40 off your first order.
Pros:
Vegan eating made easy
Packed full of flavor
Good variety between different bakes
Serving size is family-friendly
Tons of essential nutrients in one meal
Sustainably sourced ingredients
Stays good in your freezer for up to three months
Cons:
Won't feed a family of three or more alone
Only four options (for now)
Signing Up for Daily Harvest: How It works
You have to be a Daily Harvest subscriber to order the harvest bakes, but signing up for the service is easy, as it should be. Once you enter your zip code and email address, you'll choose the size of your first shipment: small (nine items), medium (14 items), or large (24 items). Medium is the most popular option, but large is the best value with a reduced price for individual foods.
Next is where the fun begins—time to browse the menu and make your selections. There's a wide variety of options to choose from, including smoothies, flatbreads, soups, oat and chia bowls, and, of course, the new harvest bakes.
When you check out, you'll be able to see when your first box is scheduled to arrive, but have the option to push it back by a week or two. The day of the week that you receive your order is fixed based on your zip code and can't be changed.
Sign up: Daily Harvest subscription, from $48.99 per week; daily-harvest.com. Use code PARENTS40 for up to $40 off your first order.
Allaire Nuss
Daily Harvest Bakes Menu: Four Flavors
The harvest bakes are some of the meal service's most substantial items to date. These pan-sized, veggie-packed meals are surprisingly filling, especially when you consider that all of the ingredients are plant-based. Currently there are only four options available.
The Daily Harvest bakes I tested:
Buy now: Daily Harvest bakes, $11.99; daily-harvest.com. Use code PARENTS40 for $40 off your first order.
Allaire Nuss
Daily Harvest Packaging and Delivery: Mostly Recyclable
Daily Harvest's packaging is designed to keep your food frozen upon delivery. This was a relief for me since I took my box of goodies on a five-hour road trip right after receiving the shipment. I'm happy to report that my food stayed in good shape throughout.
Most of the packing materials are eco-friendly. The cardboard box is padded with an insulated paper and starch liner that helps maintain the temperature of your food. The box, liner, and paper sleeves that label your harvest bakes can all be recycled, but the foil tray that holds your food needs to be thrown out. Consult Daily Harvest's handy recycling guide for detailed instructions.
Fair warning: Daily Harvest uses dry ice to keep its shipments frozen. I learned this the hard way when I picked up the ice pack and felt a searing burn on my fingertips. Nothing serious, but it definitely wasn't a fun experience. So, don't touch the cold pack! Just let it sit for 24 hours before disposing of it in the trash. Not the most convenient option, I know, but it did keep my food cold.
Allaire Nuss
Harvest Bakes Prep and Cooking: Super Convenient
If I had to pick my favorite thing about Daily Harvest's new harvest bakes, it would probably be how easy they are to prepare. All you have to do is preheat the oven to 450 degrees, remove the paper sleeve and plastic film from the dish, and bake for 22-27 minutes.
The nutritional information is listed for single servings, but I found that the harvest bakes are big enough to share as a side dish. One bake alone probably wouldn't have satisfied both my boyfriend and me as an entree, but it was perfect when split as a main course for me and a side for him.
Allaire Nuss
Harvest Bakes Flavor and Quality: Filling and Flavorful
I don't know about you, but the most important food component for me is flavor, and Daily Harvest delivers on that front. I especially loved how different each harvest bake tasted. Here's what I thought of the four flavors:
Cremini + smoked paprika ropa vieja: This veggie medley packs a little heat, which is more than welcome for my palate. I'd even prefer it a bit spicier, but that's nothing a few dashes of red pepper flakes can't fix. The subtle smokiness of the paprika helped the colorful assortment of veggies shine, which was a mix of cremini mushroom, plantain, bell pepper, tomato, and green olive (all organic, of course). I'd compare the taste to a supreme pizza, though this harvest bake packs far more essential nutrients into the recipe. It was also my boyfriend's favorite.
Chickpea + coconut curry: As someone who lives and breathes Thai takeout, I was most excited to try this bake. It was pleasantly saucy (as any good curry should be), and the flavors were bold with a seasoning blend of coriander, ginger, turmeric, and more. The cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas were cooked perfectly and made for warm, filling bites. Needless to say, my stomach was satisfied.
Gigante bean + artichoke olio: This earthy bake pairs gigante beans with asparagus, artichoke, and cauliflower. Its saucy texture made it taste like a homemade artichoke dip, which had me longing to eat it with tortilla chips instead of my lone spoon. Either way, it was still delicious.
Squash + wild rice gratin: This was probably my favorite dish out of all the Daily Harvest bakes. The tender delicata squash contrasted nicely with the crunchy bites of shaved brussels sprouts and almond slivers. I especially appreciated the nuttiness from the almond inclusion, which was just subtle enough. The fall flavors were on point and the wild rice made it feel more like a burrito bowl than a vegetable medley.
Buy now: Daily Harvest bakes, $11.99; daily-harvest.com. Use code PARENTS40 for $40 off your first order.
Cost of Daily Harvest Bakes: Worth It for the Health and Convenience
Since Daily Harvest is a subscription-based meal service, you need to be a member in order to try the harvest bakes. Once you're signed up, you'll receive recurring shipments each week for small and medium boxes, or you can opt for monthly deliveries of a large box. This allows you to mix and match different Daily Harvest products, meaning the price of your shipments aren't fixed. You're charged based on the accumulative prices of the different foods you chose for that shipment. For example, a cart full of the $7.99 smoothies will cost less than a cart full of the new (and more expensive) harvest bakes.
The harvest bakes are $11.99 each, which I think is a decent price based on the nutritional contents and the convenience. Plus, the dishes have a longer shelf life than most of the fresh produce you'd buy at a grocery store.
Buy now: Daily Harvest bakes, $11.99; daily-harvest.com. Use code PARENTS40 for $40 off your first order.
Daily Harvest Sustainability and Sourcing: Regenerative Farming
Daily Harvest is very open about its efforts to be a sustainable meal service, starting with where it sources ingredients. The company works directly with farmers to help "transition their land from conventional to organic and increase biodiversity," a process known as regenerative farming. The crops are always free of chemicals and preservatives, and they're frozen around 24 hours after harvest to retain the highest amount of nutrients.
Much of its packaging is also compostable and/or recyclable, which encourages consumers to help the planet out where they can.
Daily Harvest Customer Service: Here to Help
If you have any questions or concerns about Daily Harvest, there are a few ways to contact the customer service team. You can email them at contactus@daily-harvest.com or call 888-302-0305. There's also a live chat function on the website, which is appropriately named Sage. For answers in a pinch, reference Daily Harvest's FAQ page.
The meal delivery service currently has a 3.7 out of 5-star rating on Trustpilot based on more than 1,000 ratings. Some of the negative reviews are from people who received thawed food, but many found the customer service very helpful in these instances.
One customer named Melissa was especially pleased with their response time, writing, "I was having issues with one of my smoothies that arrived crushed. Due to this, I sent a photo to customer service, and straight away, they expressed their apologies to me, and refunded me the cost of the smoothie and also credited $10 to my account for future purchases. I absolutely love their attention to detail and how caring they are. Thank you again!"
Daily Harvest Reviews: Overwhelmingly Positive
Reviews for most of Daily Harvest's products are pretty positive, with customers praising the natural taste of the foods above all else. This trend applies to the new harvest bakes, too, and though there are fewer reviews since it's a newer product, most people like what they've tried so far.
One reviewer named Emily raved about the harvest bakes on multiple fronts, writing, "The homemade flavor was nothing short of amazing, and I enjoyed the variety of texture between the squash and rice. I liked that they're big enough to share, but it's one serving, so you don't have to. I think it's worth every cent and will be getting again."
A subscriber named Rachel was also pleased: "Love how [Daily Harvest] is always coming up with fun flavor combos you wouldn't think of. Served [the harvest bake] over rice and it made a great dinner for two."
But a customer named Selah was perhaps the most enthusiastic, exclaiming, "If you don't like richly spiced, hearty, filling, lick the bottom of the pan dishes, then stay away! But if you do, buy two and save yourself the craving for more!"
Daily Harvest Bakes: My Final Take
Daily Harvest bakes are a great way to sneak more veggies into your family's diet. As a veggie lover who lacks creative spark (and motivation) in the kitchen, I was happy to have these convenient, healthy meals on hand. I also found that they taste great on their own, but truly shine when paired with additional grains and sides.
I just wish there were more options, which honestly speaks to how much I enjoyed them. Most other meal services have way more meals to choose from weekly. To be fair, Daily Harvest only just launched its harvest bakes at the start of 2022, so there's still plenty of time for new bakes to drop. And there are many more delicious (albeit, smaller) foods you can put in your cart, including flatbreads, forager bowls, and harvest bowls. Still, the new harvest bakes are by far the heartiest option on the menu and make for the most fulfilling meals. So, I'll be keeping an eye out for new harvest bakes in the future, and I'll stock up on my favorite Daily Harvest treats in the meantime.
Buy now: Daily Harvest bakes, $11.99; daily-harvest.com. Use code PARENTS40 for $40 off your first order.
Who Daily Harvest Bakes Are Good For:
Those looking to eat healthier
Those wanting the taste of home-cooked meals with minimal effort
Vegetarians and vegans
Who Daily Harvest Bakes Aren't Good For:
Those who prefer meat for their proteins
Those looking to gain hands-on cooking skills
