The Organic Dish

On Monday I went to The Organic Dish in Boulder.  This is such a cool “Healthy Discovery”! I am giddy about this find, but let me back up and tell you how I ended up there in the first place.

Planning ahead for meals is not my forte.  I don’t like to aimlessly wonder through a grocery store searching for ingredients at the last minute.  And honestly, I’d rather  just have someone else cook for me.  I’ll do the dishes!

I love to eat.  I love studying nutrition.  I love teaching nutrition classes.  I love how I look and feel when I eat healthy.  But who said meal preparation had to be my passion?

In my defense I can cook and I do cook.  I have cooked for many people in my life and I know they would tell you I make tasty, healthy meals.  But I live alone, I travel a lot, my schedule is erratic and making seven healthy dinners each week, just for myself, is not the highlight of my day!

I was whining about this nutritional paradox to my colleague Dr. Jay Wilson on Monday.  Jay offered up a profound suggestion:  Order some healthy pre-assembled meals.

I’ve heard about these prepare-and-freeze-your-meals-ahead-of-time places, but I never thought they were for me.  Oh my!  As soon as I walked into The Organic Dish I immediately changed my mind – why did I not do this a long time ago?

Customers get meals three  ways:

1) Walk in and buy directly out of the freezer.

2) Order online for pickup.

3) Order online for home or office delivery.  The Organic Dish ships to 48 states.  Orders must be placed online by Tuesday midnight to be picked up or delivered on Thursdays. Delivery is free in Denver (inside the 470 corridor) and Boulder for orders more than $200.  Orders less than $200 have a $10 delivery charge.  Shipping costs outside the Denver/Boulder area are $35 for six meals.  Orders go out on dry ice on Mondays via Fed Ex.  You can keep meals in your freezer up to six months.

The Organic Dish accommodates special dietary needs (low-sodium, gluten-free, dairy or casein-free, low fat, vegetarian). All of the meals are nutritionally analyzed by registered dietitian Natalie Murphy at Begin Nutrition.  The menus change every month and there are about 15-20 meals per month.  There are two sizes: a size that feeds 2-3 people and another size that feeds 4-6 people.  Their ingredients are 95% certified organic and any items not certified organic are listed in orange.  They also buy local produce and meats when available.

The Organic Dish is a zero waste facility which means they compost 100% of their food waste, practice sustainable purchasing options, and recycle cardboard, paper, aluminum, plastics, and hard to recycle plastics (Ziploc bags).

Isn’t that all amazing!  Good, healthy, pre-assembled meals and zero waste to boot.  Each meal is approximately $8.00, which I think is very reasonable considering the high nutritional value you receive and the shopping, prep time has been eliminated.

I met the owner, Becky Hemmerling on Monday.  She was extremely gracious.  I could not wait to go home and try some meals from The Organic Dish.

On Tuesday night I baked the Chicken Verde with Lima Beans and Red Quinoa:

I defrosted the chicken and the sauce and baked it in the oven.

I warmed the Lima Beans and cooked the Red Quinoa for 15 minutes

20 minutes later I had a tasty, healthy meal.

There was enough for one dinner and three lunches, I love that!

Yesterday I put the frozen Pork Ragout in my crock pot.

It smelled amazing as it was cooking.

I put the pork over the polenta (also provided by The Organic Dish) and I steamed some broccoli that I had in my refrigerator.

This made enough for my Thursday dinner and left-overs for this weekend.

Sorry, my pictures didn’t really do justice to the end products but both of these meals were really GOOD!

If you want healthy, time/preparation saving meals, with a lot of variety, go to The Organic Dish.  All you have to do is heat and serve.  They will ship anywhere in the U.S.

Becky from The Organic Dish is now graciously offering you, my lovely readers, 10% off your first purchase with the code “Healthy Discoveries“.  Limit one per household.  Expires 4/30/09, can not be combined with other offers.

Click here to order.  This is such an awesome Healthy Discovery, I am going back again next week!