Veestro Review 2024: What's Changed?

Overview

Plant-based service Veestro is available again after being closed for a couple of months. Following the rebranding, all former customers will need to make another account for Veestro’s “new and improved” service. 

The main difference is that meals are now fresh instead of frozen. This means a brand new menu as well as a more restrictive delivery area, so previous customers will need to check if Veestro still delivers to them. Otherwise, you can still expect fully prepared, vegan meals in single portions that are ready to heat and eat.

Veestro is a good option for vegans, but Purple Carrot is a more flexible alternative. It offers a range of single-serving, plant-based meals like Veestro, but it also offers meal kits that work out as better value for couples and families. Plus, its weekly-changing dishes keep things more interesting than Veestro’s fixed menu.

Veestro’s Menu: Prepared Plant-Based Meals

Like before, Veestro’s new menu is entirely plant-based and ready to heat and eat in minutes. But unlike before, the focus is less on plant-based meat alternatives and more on natural ingredients, many of which are labeled as organic.

When I checked, there was still one meat alternative on the menu, the Plant Based Chicken Nuggets and Vegan Mac. That was also the only meal on the whole menu that clocked more than 500 calories (around 600, so not much more).

The new plant-centered menu is suitable for adults who want to stay fit or lose weight, but the homestyle comfort food dishes mean it still appeals to the whole family, even though there aren’t as many fast-food-style meals on the menu.

Meal Options: A Decent Selection of Single-Serving Meals

Veestro continues to have a fixed menu rather than a weekly rotation. This can get repetitive, so if you prefer a plant-based service that has new recipes each week, Green Chef or Purple Carrot will be a better option for you.

There are currently 22 menu options: 13 entrees (lunches or dinners), 2 breakfast/snack options, 5 sides, and 2 desserts. While this isn’t a huge number of choices for a static menu, those 22 dishes include a variety of cuisines and vegan protein sources. For example, some recipes have tofu as the main protein, while others have mushrooms, beans, or legumes. 

Cuisines vary from American and Mexican to Asian and Mediterranean, which is similar to Veestro’s previous menu. This variety means you can try international dishes like Kung Pao Cauliflower and Sesame Vegetable Rice in a very approachable way.

If you live in the Los Angeles area, Veestro’s menu is different than in other locations, but it offers similar types of recipes and cuisines.

The side dishes are meant to supplement non-Veestro meals. They include a carb source and a veggie source and come steamed and seasoned, so you only need to heat them and serve them with your home-cooked meals (or with a Veestro meal to bulk out the portion size, if you want).

You can order 6 to 15 meals each week, depending on your area. In Los Angeles, for example, you can order 6 to 12 meals, while in other locations, you can order 8 to 15. If you need more than 12 or 15 meals, you’ll need to place a second order to get another box.

Also, the portions are single-serving, so one person ordering the maximum would get 2 meals a day for 7 days, but if you're a family of 3 or 4, then 15 meals will only last 3-5 days. Single-serving meals aren’t as cost-effective for couples or families. If you’re feeding more than just yourself, Green Chef’s plans offer meal kits for 2, 4, or 6 people, which can work out better value.

Customization: Veestro Caters to Special Diets, but You Can’t Make Changes to Your Meals

Being vegan, each meal is already free from meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and honey. You can see the nutritional values of each recipe from the menu page, but you need to click on the recipe to see the complete list of ingredients and allergens. 

I think it’s nice that the allergens have a separate category that makes them pop out at a glance, but the most common ones appear at the end of each recipe in capital letters too.

The whole menu is also gluten-free, which makes it a great choice for people who are trying to limit gluten in their diet. However, if you’re very sensitive even to trace amounts of gluten, the kitchens are mixed so there’s a risk of contamination. 

In those cases, Green Chef might be a better option. We tested Green Chef and found that its Gluten Free plan was one of the first services to be certified by the Gluten Intolerance Group and many of its dishes are both vegan and gluten-free. You can also find more gluten-free options in our round-up of our best gluten-free services of the year.

Veestro’s Menu at a Glance 

Unboxing: Neatly Organized + Fully Recyclable Box

Your box will contain all your meal trays stacked together with ice to keep them cool.

They arrive fresh, not frozen, so you need to put them into the refrigerator as soon as possible after they arrive. Then, you have until the best-by date on each meal’s label to eat them. If you liked the extended shelf-life of Veestro’s frozen offerings previously, you can put the fresh meals in the freezer right after arrival. 

You can find all nutritional info, including macros and ingredient lists, on the packaging. It’s always nice when meals are clearly labeled and you don’t have to dig through the website for details about your food.

Everything in the packaging is recyclable, from cardboard boxes to meal containers. The liner is completely biodegradable since it’s made from a cotton blend (and a recycled one, too). As for the ice packs, they’re filled with a non-toxic solution that you need to empty into the trash before recycling the case as well.

Cooking With Veestro: Just Heat & Enjoy!

Veestro’s fresh meals are even quicker to prepare since you don’t need to wait to thaw them out.

Simply heat the meals for a few minutes in the microwave (or until the internal temperature reaches 165 °F) according to the instructions on the package and your plant-based meal is ready.

Make sure to remove the lid before popping the meal into the microwave. Then, heat uncovered on high for about 1 minute, remove, stir, and repeat heating for another 1 or 2 minutes (or until you feel like it’s all heated through).

This method means there’s no cleanup since you can heat and eat directly from microwave-friendly containers. Or, if you prefer, you can transfer the meals to a plate after heating.

If you don’t have a microwave, you can also heat your meals on a stovetop or in the oven. If you choose the oven, you need to first transfer your meals to an oven-safe dish, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and heat for 25-30 minutes.

Shortlist of My Favorite Meals

While looking at Veestro’s new menu, these meals caught my eye:

First, this Asian-inspired Kung Pao. The traditional chicken is replaced here with crispy cauliflower and soaked in a rich, spicy sauce. It’s tagged with the “<500 calories tag” so would be a great lower-calorie choice.

It can be hard to find creamy vegan dishes, but this recipe achieves it by using cashew butter instead of dairy. The linguine is gluten-free and the Oyster mushrooms and broccoli ensure it doesn’t miss out on nutritious veggies.

And last but not least, I have to include this classic plant-based alternative. It’s different from Veestro’s old Chick’n Nuggets, but the new dish is paired with a vegan Mac and Cheese side – kid-friendly and a comfort-food classic.

If you live in the Los Angeles area, the classic Chick’n Nuggets are still available on the menu, so you might be able to get them again.

Prices: Veestro’s Meals Are Averagely Priced

Veestro’s pricing is now surprisingly uniform. With most meal delivery services, the more meals you order, the lower the price per serving. Not with Veestro’s new system.

For most locations, the price per meal stays the same at $13.99, and you can order anywhere from 8 to 15 single-serving meals each week. This certainly makes Veestro less affordable than before. 

However, if you used to have a Veestro account, you can request a generous discount when you sign up again, which is a nice gesture. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that every meal has the same price, including breakfasts, snacks, and desserts. The desserts come with multiple portions, so the price per portion is technically lower, but they do occupy a full spot in your subscription box.

For the Los Angeles area, the prices are a bit different. They’re not as uniform, so you can expect to pay from $7.99 for a side dish (2-4 servings) and between $13.95 to $16.95 for an entree. Also, your box can contain 6 to 12 meals, which can be split into 2 deliveries in the same week. This means you’ll get fresher meals, but also double the shipping fees.

The weekly shipping fee starts at $7.95 and goes up to $12.95, so it’s in the normal range for a meal delivery service. It’s calculated at checkout depending on where you live. 

Shipping & Delivery: Veestro’s Availability Is Limited

Veestro used to deliver to all 48 lower states when its meals were delivered frozen. Now that Veestro has switched to fresh-only, some areas will be out of reach until the company figures out an improved method of shipping that doesn’t compromise the meals over a longer distance.

You’ll need to enter your zip code on the website to check if Veestro delivers to you. I tried with one New York address and it worked, but another New York zip code wasn’t eligible, so it can vary even within the same state.

Bigger, established companies, like HelloFresh deliver to almost everywhere in the contiguous states, so if you have issues with Veestro’s delivery areas, HelloFresh is a safer bet.  

If you’re in an area where Veestro delivers, you need to place your order and choose your meals by Thursday at midnight each week, and your delivery will arrive the next week. Possible delivery days are Sunday through Friday, but this, again, depends on your exact location. For the New York locations I tested, it was the following Thursday.

If you’re in one of Veestro’s local delivery areas, it’s likely that a local delivery courier will deliver your box(es) on Mondays and/or Wednesdays. If you live farther away, UPS will deliver your order, so you’ll receive a shipping confirmation and a tracking number where you’ll find the estimated delivery time.

How Veestro Works (Step by Step Guide)

It’s really easy to sign up for Veestro, no matter if you’re a new customer or if you had an account before the rebranding.

How to Sign Up (7 Simple Steps)

1. Go to Veestro’s website. The first thing you’ll need to do is fill in your name, email, and, most importantly, zip code. This will determine if Veestro can deliver to your area. If not, you’ll receive an email as soon as it becomes available there. If yes, you can go to the next step.

2. Choose your meals. You’ll notice that your cart is already pre-filled by Veestro with a few meals. It’s easy to delete these, choose different meals, or add new ones. You can also add more of the same meal if you like some more than others.

3. Review your order. Before going to checkout, you can take a look at your order and make some final adjustments. You’ll also see the subtotal, or the price before the shipping fees are calculated.

4. Go to checkout. At this point, if you’re a new client or if you’re using Veestro for the first time since its reopening, you’ll need to create a new account. Luckily, you can also use your Google account to sign up (I did this because I find it quicker and more convenient).

5. Apply your promo code. If you have a discount code, now’s the time to enter it.

6. Add your delivery information. I like that you can select your drop-off location (the list includes the front door, back door, lobby, mail room, etc) and even add more instructions if needed.

7. Add your payment information and confirm your order.Then you’re done!

Managing Your Subscription

After you sign up, managing your subscription is hassle-free. If you want to make changes to your order, including cancelation, you need to do it by 11:59 pm on Thursdays, so you can get your meals the next week.

Editing your meals is easy. Just log into your account, select the order that you want to change, click Edit Meals, and choose your recipes. Don’t forget to hit Save at the end. For multiple delivery days, you simply click the tabs at the top of the page to navigate between them.

If you want to cancel your order, you need to go into your Dashboard, select the order you want to change, tap on Manage Weekly Deliveries, and then Cancel Order. That’s it.

You don’t have to cancel your account if you don’t want any more deliveries. You have the option to skip up to 4 weeks if you want to continue with a subscription or switch to a one-time order so you only receive one box and that’s it.

However, you need to keep in mind that if you do that, your meal preferences and dietary information will be lost so you’ll need to enter them again the next time you want to order.

If the cutoff date has passed and you didn’t cancel your order in time, you’ll need to contact customer support.

Customer Service: I Was Impressed With Veestro’s Support 

Old Veestro accounts are no longer usable, so if you were a customer before September 2022, you’ll need to make a new one.

If you're having trouble with your new account, you can get in touch with Veestro’s customer support by phone, email, or a contact form on the website. You can do this even if you don't have an account, as the form only asks for your name and email.

You can also check the FAQ page to find your answers first, but this is much more limited than other services and it doesn’t have a search function, so you’ll have to skim through the questions.

The customer support team is available Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm PT. In the likely scenario that you can’t find your answer on the FAQ page, you’ll need to contact customer support. You can also write or call to suggest new recipes on the menu, request an old one to come back, or simply give feedback on your experience.

It took 15 minutes for customer support to reply by email after I sent a request via the contact form. It said to expect a reply within 24 hours during weekdays, so I was surprised to see such a quick response time (especially as my query was quite complicated). The staff was very polite, even when I kept asking them for more details. 

Lastly, if your meals arrive damaged or spoiled because of the shipping, you’ll receive a refund in the form of a replacement credit that you can use for future orders. However, if you have issues with the food, you can’t return it since it’s perishable.

How Veestro Compares to Other Meal Delivery Services

• Veestro vs. Purple Carrot: Purple Carrot is also exclusively vegan. It offers similarly healthy plant-based options, both as single-serving prepared meals (like Veestro) and as meal kits you can cook yourself in around half an hour. Unlike Veestro, its menu changes weekly so there’s always something new. The recipes are also slightly cheaper, starting at $11.00 per serving.

• Veestro vs. Green Chef: Green Chef has a plant-based plan that’s 100% organic, and has slightly lower prices than Veestro, starting at $9.99 per serving. However, Green Chef only offers meal kits, so this is only a better option if you don’t mind spending half an hour cooking to get dinner on the table.

• Veestro vs. HelloFresh: Another great meal kit delivery service, HelloFresh can feed a family of up to 6 people up to 6 times a week. The menu is omnivorous but features lots of vegetarian recipes and around 6 vegan ones each week. If you want to spend less on food, and if you don’t mind cooking, HelloFresh is a better alternative to Veestro. HelloFresh is affordable, especially with larger orders. For example, a 6-meal box for 4 costs $107.75 with our link.

The Bottom Line: Is Veestro Worth It?

Veestro is a great choice for healthy, plant-based, prepared meals, as long as it fits into your budget. The improved menu features more veggies than before, and the option to eat fresh rather than frozen.

However, there’s a chance that Veestro doesn’t deliver to your area yet. And for some people, the higher price tag may be a problem, especially since it doesn’t decrease with bigger orders.

Check out Purple Carrot if you’d like to try a more affordable plant-based alternative to Veestro. It offers prepared meals like Veestro, but with a weekly changing menu to keep things interesting. Plus, it delivers to all 48 lower states.

For more of the best plant-based options, check out our expert-ranked list of the best vegan meal delivery services of 2024. 

FAQ

How does Veestro work?

Veestro is a plant-based meal delivery service that sends prepared meals straight to your door. You can either get a weekly subscription or make a one-off order and get 8 to 15 vegan entrees, breakfasts, and snacks.

Is Veestro canceled?

Veestro was closed for a while, but now it’s open again with a brand new menu and website. You’ll need to make a new account though, even if you had one previously. But don’t worry, when I researched the new Veestro menu, I found it still offers plant-based, gluten-free, prepared meals, only now they’re fresh, not frozen.

Is Veestro vegan?

Yes, Veestro’s menu is entirely plant-based. You won’t find any meat, fish, dairy, eggs, or honey among the ingredients. Even items like cookies and fudge brownies are made with non-dairy milk and are well-suited to a vegan diet.

Is Veestro worth it?

It depends. For individuals who want fresh, prepared vegan meals, Veestro is a suitable option. However, it’s not the best value for vegan couples or families, who will find more afforable, flexible plans with a service like Green Chef.

How expensive is Veestro?

For most locations, Veestro costs $13.99 per meal. When I researched Veestro’s pricing structure, I found this stayed the same no matter how many meals you ordered.

Do Veestro meals come frozen?

Veestro’s meals arrive fresh, but you can freeze the meals at home if you like. They used to arrive frozen, but this changed when the company recently relaunched. In my research, I found that the change to fresh meals has impacted Veestro’s delivery areas, so you should check your zip code before ordering.