We know, we know. You want to make healthier food choices – blah, blah – but when is there time between work, friends, scrolling and sleeping? Cue ready-made meals! But with so many players in the market, you’ll go insane with decision fatigue unless you do your research, which is why you’ve landed on this page. Welcome! Here at URBANSWEAT, we make it easy for you by reviewing the newest and best of everything and that includes meal deliveries. It’s a tough job…
Like a bunch of you, I’ve been mainly plant-based for some time now. For me, the biggest challenge with being vegan has been thinking of new and flavourful things to cook. Sound familiar? So, when VOOD popped up on my feed a few weeks ago – a purpose-driven, plant-based, ready-made meal delivery start-up with super-cute branding – it was a HELL YES from me. Cute AND convenient? Win-win.
Originally from Canberra, and now fast expanding into Sydney and Melbourne, we hit them up to try some meals and see what all the buzz was about.
So, here’s our honest review of VOOD:
Being a busy AF workaholic, I’m no virgin when it comes to trying ready-made meals – most have been disappointing, over-priced, and visually unappealing. I’m a foodie – I know how to cook (I just don’t often have the time). I don’t want to eat a tiny, shrink-wrapped, indistinguishable lump of brown and white something which simply tells me to bung it in the microwave for 10 mins. Suddenly lost my appetite…
While it’s true that VOOD isn’t the only healthy ready-made offering on the block, nor the first one targeted to vegans, for us it hits all the marks for easy, fast, tasty real food that’s actually good for you. They don’t have a gimmick like most of the others – this isn’t Gym Bro Meals, Calorie-Controlled Meals or Supermarket Plastic Convenience Meals For The Masses. These are restaurant-quality meals which taste so bloody good you forget they’re even vegan. Here’s how…
1. They make kale delicious
Until now I only knew kale to be tough, tasteless, weird and fluffy. VOOD’s African Peanut Stew changed my mind – with it’s incredible layered flavours and textures, from sticky rice to the creamy stew and crispy seasoned kale topped generously with crunchy peanuts. A meal so good my mouth’s watering just remembering it.
2. They prove faux meat doesn’t have to be bland
VOOD have somehow come up with an incredibly tasty faux mince that tastes like REAL meat. It has all the texture and flavour of meat, with none of that weird oily gristly texture that can sometimes turn you off mid-bite. The Shepherdless Pie is a healthy take on classic comfort food, featuring a creamy mushroom ragu of textured vegetable protein mince. I even double-checked the ingredients list it was so convincing! Meanwhile, the Dan Dan Noodles use textured vegetable protein mince in the most delicious ‘umami’ sauce. This is where you can really tell that VOOD’s ready-made meals are chef-designed. I have never even tasted something that delicious in a top-tier restaurant, let alone in a reheatable vegan meal.
3. There are easy cooking options
Each VOOD meal has a scannable QR code with easy directions for how to warm it up professionally, just like a chef would on the stove-top or in the oven. Everything’s pre-cooked so it’s super-easy. It makes all the difference to taste and flavour – they even show you how to “plate it up”. Honestly, it was even quicker than the microwave and tasted 1000% better. Thank you, VOOD, for reminding a whole generation that a microwave is not the only way to cook food fast. (Having said that, you can also use a microwave to heat it up if you’re at work or in a rush, and it still tastes delicious!)
4. It’s affordable
Nothing’s cheaper (or healthier) than cooking for yourself at home, right? Well, VOOD makes a pretty generous serving of healthy Pad Thai for one for $13.99 which can be ready to eat in 10 minutes. Most Thai restaurants would charge almost $20 for the same quality/portion size PLUS add on 45 mins for delivery time. And to make it at home yourself, it’d take a good hour of your time and the ingredients alone would be 3 times the price (and don’t even get me started on food wastage). No thanks.
5. There’s full nutrition stats
For the health-conscious who track their calories and macros (which is pretty much everybody these days) all the info is there for each meal to plug into your My Fitness Pal or Chronometer app. Just scan the QR code and check out all the details, or find them on the website before you order.
6. The desserts are next level
Yep, there’s even something for the sweet tooths. While the main meals are the real showstoppers, VOOD’s desserts include crowd-pleasers like Sticky Date Cake and THE most deliciously decadent dairy-free Chocolate Fudge Pudding with Macerated Berries.
The verdict:
VOOD is authentic real food delivered as gourmet ready-made meals that will appeal to true food lovers. Every dish we tried was outstanding and ticked every box for flavour, texture, presentation, portion size and satisfaction. There’s no dud dishes or filler ingredients here. Flexible options include buying meals as you want them, or signing up to a meal subscription plan which is even cheaper.
Bonus is that VOOD is also sustainable and focussed on minimising food wastage, whilst supporting local food suppliers, producers, chefs and communities. Find out more here.
Want to try VOOD for yourself? Enjoy this exclusive URBANSWEAT offer – take 20% off your first order with code URBANSWEAT at checkout. Bon appétit!
Want more stories like this one? Check out our HEALTHY EATING section. While you’re here, why not sign up to our newsletter and be the first to receive gym and class discounts, access to exclusive workouts, competitions and a whole lot of fitness information for living a healthy life in Sydney!
