Globally, animal agriculture contributes to 57 percent of water pollution and 58 percent of food emissions, so adopting a plant-based diet seems like a natural way to help reduce that eco-impact. But finding plant-based recipes—and learning how to make vegan swaps—takes time. Time most of us don’t have between work, school, kids, and scrolling though TikTok. That’s where Thistle comes in.
What Is Thistle?
Thistle is a meal delivery service that’s on a mission to make eating nutritious, plant-based foods convenient and accessible. By partnering with local farmers and artisans who utilize sustainable, regenerative, and transparent farming practices, Thistle is able to deliver organic meals and cold-pressed juices directly to your door.
Right now, Thistle delivers to the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, and it ships meals to any address in California. But don’t worry: Thistle carbon offsets customer deliveries in an effort to work toward net zero carbon emissions. There’s also plans to expand this year so even more people can enjoy delicious plant-based food.
The Good
Our overall take: Your taste buds will never be bored with Thistle’s rotating menu that focuses on utilizing produce at its peak quality. This also allows Thistle to take advantage of local harvests rather than shipping ingredients from thousands of miles away.
What Our Scouts Thought:
- “As someone who doesn’t necessarily love juices, I was really excited to try these! I like that they taste really fresh and give me energy for the day. The flavors are also unique. My favorites so far are the Tropical Limeade and Rooted Orange; they’re light and a little tangy with a hint of sweetness.” —Eden Hirsch
- “I really liked the texture, flavor, and quality of the juices and shots. I really appreciate that they’re made from real, organic fruit and veggies with no added sugar. I also liked the convenience of having fresh, plant-based meals delivered directly to my door at an affordable price. Assembling the meals took less than five minutes.” —Robyn Jost-Saylor
Things to Work On
While its products are currently packaged in plastic, Thistle is actively working toward removing single-use plastic from its operations. Until then, its PET containers are 100 percent recyclable, made from 15 percent post-consumer recycled plastic, and made with 65 percent less energy than normal PET.
What Our Scouts Thought:
- “The food is really fresh and heats up quickly. They also delivered so quickly, and everything sent was very high-quality. Even though everything is recyclable, I wish they didn’t use as much plastic.” —Sarah Steiker
- “Something I didn’t like is that the juices come in plastic bottles. I understand it isn’t practical to ship in glass, but anything in plastic—especially for an eco-friendly company—isn’t great.” —Alysha Whitney
Try Thistle Yourself
Want to test out these planet-friendly meals for yourself? Use the code BRIGHTLY at checkout for $25 off each of your first four deliveries.
(Disclaimer: We did not pay any of our Scouts to review these products, but they did receive the products for free. Join our Scouts program if you want the chance to participate in the next product drop!)
This post may contain affiliate links. Brightly will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links.