I think most of us understand that diet is the key to fitness and weight loss. It doesn’t really matter how many miles you are running each day/week/month, if you are cramming your body with poor food selections, you really are negating at least a little bit of the work you are putting in. I’m a true case study on this front. As a former collegiate athlete who has a larger frame (6’2 and hovering between 185-210 pounds, given the season – and poor choices), I have always struggled with that sweet spot (no pun intended) between refueling and overfueling.
I have recognized that when I am planful and take the time to complete a meal schedule for the week ahead, I can really make a difference in my body and keep myself from falling off the rails. However, at the risk of sounding like an excuse maker, it’s the actual commitment to finding the time that is the problem. We all have our own busy schedules, and for me getting home from work around 6pm, being in charge of my 3 kids by myself until bedtime, and then trying to find some time for blogging and finally saying “hi” to my wife, it seems like time is limited on a day-to-day basis. Yes, more excuses, I know.
When I recently came across Farm to Fit, it seemed like something that would significantly help me, and many out there like me, with staying on track. In a nutshell Farm to Fit delivers fresh food from local vendors, on a weekly basis to subscribers across Oregon. You can choose how many meals you want per day and how many days per week, with plans limited to daily caloric intake or other dietary needs (such as vegetarian).
And by local, I mean TRULY local. Farm to Fit was started by a couple in a shared commercial kitchen space in North Portland. They then expanded to additional spaces in downtown Portland and also on Sandy Blvd and are now increasing in size in their own spot in NE Portland.
I am going to be partnering with Farm to Fit for a monthlong challenge – eating all their delivered meals in an effort to see just what having healthy planned meals on hand can really do. I am going to stay consistent with my normal running and workout schedule, so any benefits will be primarily achieved through solely this dietary change. I maaaaaay also have a tropical vacation scheduled in exactly a month, so there a little bit more motivation to stay true to this.
Here are some more specifics on Farm to Fit:
Delivery:
Farm to Fit is a true local endeavor that delivers to the following locations.
- Portland
- Beaverton
- Vancouver
- Forest Heights
- Happy Valley
- Tigard
- Salem
- Hillsboro
- Lake Oswego
- West Linn
- Tualatin
Their delivery schedules are on Monday and Thursday afternoons between 2pm and 6pm.
On Mondays, they deliver three days of meals and on Thursdays they deliver up to four days of meals. That way, you are getting the freshest food options and not having to find room for potentially a ton of food on one day. And since all of the meals are fresh (not frozen), they are meant to be transferred into a fridge within 4 hours of receiving them. The meals are delivered in an insulated and reusable cooler bag with ice packs and will be left at your doorstep if you select that option.
- 3 Day Plan you will receive all your meals on Monday only
- 5 Day plan you will receive 3 days of meals on Monday and 2 days on Thursday
- 7 Day plan you will receive 3 days on Monday and 4 days on Thursday
Meals:
Like I mentioned earlier, there are all kinds of food and diet options available (gluten-free, low-carb, diabetic). Not everyone has to go in with a full 21 meal week – you can dip your toes in the water and get only a few days a week to try them out. Additionally, if you aren’t really a breakfast eater, or just love your morning smoothie, you can easily forego that meal and just do lunch and dinner. I’m truly surprised that there are such diverse plans available.
Additionally, as the meals are made and delivered fresh, they have the opportunity to be a little more diverse than some other meal delivery boxes out there. You can check out their recipes ahead of time as well.
Here is the first week of meals that I will be receiving (September 4-10, 2018):
Tuesday 9/4/18
- Breakfast Sandwich: egg disc, Canadian bacon, pea pesto, white cheddar
- Local Baby Head Lettuces Salad: rainbow carrots, snap peas, radishes, hazelnuts, manchego cheese, grilled chicken breast, maple-mustard dressing
- Balsamic Blueberry Pork Tenderloin: grilled carrots, orange-almond couscous
Wednesday 9/5/18
- Summer Peach Omelet
- Sticky Chicken: Thai vegetables
- Halloumi Lasagna: lasagna noodle, Halloumi cheese, grilled peppers, meat sauce
Thursday 9/6/18
- Grainless “Granola” & summer fruit yogurt
- Summer Pork BBQ Bowl: blackstrap molasses bbq pork, grilled corn polenta, warm blueberry slaw, okra-lima bean “succotash”
- Lemon Rosemary Chicken: roasted garlic jus, chef’s vegetable, sweet potato-celery root “boulanger”
Friday 9/7/18
- Lyonnaise Frittata: caramelized onion, brie, peperonata
- Mediterranean Grilled Chicken: tabbouleh, baba ghanoush, cucumber salad
- Roasted salmon with Vietnamese caramel sauce: Warm carrot noodle salad, Thai yellow rice
Saturday 9/8/18
- Southwest Scramble: chorizo, bell pepper, queso fresco
- Summer Vegetable Risotto: carrots, summer squash, bell pepper, basil, parmesan
- Tinalog Turkey Stew: ginger braised turkey, mango, green papaya, jackfruit, brown rice
Sunday 9/9/18
- Breakfast Enchiladas: green chorizo, egg, queso fresco, papas Mexicana
- Spiced Beef Cheeks: roasted parsnips, summer greens
- Summer Grilled Chicken: quinoa salad, stone fruit salsa, almonds
Monday 9/10/18
- Cascade Natural Beef Hash: redskin potatoes, onions, scrambled eggs
- Spanish Chicken Skewers: mojo picon, saffron rice, cauliflower
- Surf & Turf: red wine sauce, mashed Yukon gold potatoes, market vegetable
Farm to Fit is also committed to locally sourcing, finding the best ingredients and using only the most responsible and eco-friendly packaging possible. They have used such local produce providers as Sauvie Island Organics, Gathering Together Farm, Zenger Farm, and Stargazer Farms, among others.
Follow along on Instagram over the next few weeks to see some of the meals and progress.
Subscription: Farm to Fit
Cost (each dependent on how many days/week and how many meals/day)
- 1200 Calorie Plan ($42-$215)
- 1600 Calorie Plan ($48-$242)
- 2000 Calorie Plan ($53-$258)
- Paleo ($42-$220)
- Vegan ($37-$153)
- Diabetic ($48-$242)
Thank you to Farm to Fit or providing us with a month of meals. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
