Go For the Gold? Our Review of Freshology's Meal Plan

After unpacking all my meals for three days, I was a little concerned about how everything would hold up and taste. However, from my very first breakfast, I was impressed by the quality of food included, especially when it came to the fresh fruit. I was excited to see a nice helping of red grapes and pineapple on the plate and even more pleased that they were refreshing and not too sweet.

I typically associate sausage as a special breakfast indulgence, but these low-fat chicken-apple links surprised me with their tasty flavor. And while the eggs had a little bit of a chalky texture, I appreciated that fresh herbs and shredded cheddar were added to the scramble for more flavor.

Pictured here: scrambled eggs with cheddar and chervil, chicken-apple sausage links, fresh fruit (270 calories)

I was a little wary when I saw this oatmeal in its container, but once I heated it up and took a bite, I knew it would be my favorite breakfast of the bunch. After tasting this hot cereal, the combination of almonds and apricots will definitely become a mainstay in my oatmeal rotation from here on out. The turkey bacon was delicious, and those big and juicy strawberries ended my breakfast on a sweet note.

Pictured here: apricot-almond scented oatmeal, turkey bacon, strawberries (290 calories)

I'll be honest. I'm not a huge pastry-lover to begin with, but I found this scone to be the biggest miss of all the meals in the plan. The base of the scone was dry, flavorless, and for me, inedible. While the Canadian bacon and blackberries with sweet cottage sauce were both fine, they just seemed like strange complements to this heavy, dense pastry. Unfortunately, nothing about this breakfast really made me feel satisfied or satiated.

Pictured here: mixed berry scone, Canadian bacon, fresh berries with sweet cottage cheese sauce, sliced oranges (330 calories)

This Middle Eastern-inspired salad was one of my favorite meals during my three-day experiment. I was jonesing for a refreshing, produce-filled salad on a hot day and couldn't wait to dig into this vegetarian-friendly salad. While I definitely could have used more produce — only three grape tomatoes were included in my meal — I loved the thick cucumber-mint dressing, crunch of the toasted pita chips, and the fact that a vegetarian protein was added to the mix. This light lentil salad offered 14 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber, and it filled me up for under 300 calories.

Pictured here: Middle Eastern-inspired lentil salad, cucumber-mint dressing, toasted pita (290 calories)

High in protein and full of colorful produce, this vitamin-rich teriyaki beef with stir-fried veggies was another winner. The carrots, snow peas, peppers, and onions kept their integrity, staying crisp and crunchy even after heating, and the simple garlic spinach was one of my favorite side dishes out of all the meals. It came with an additional helping of teriyaki sauce, but there was so much included that I only used half of what was available, so I wouldn't drench my meal.

Pictured here: teriyaki beef and stir-fried veggies (360 calories)

While there was no tortilla for me to roll up my "fajitas," I was a fan of this dinner — especially the spicy tomatillo salsa that came on the side. With nearly 40 grams of protein and 28 grams of fiber on one plate, this first dinner was my favorite of the three. It was simple, flavorful, and tasted like I had been slaving away in the kitchen for hours. I was impressed by the balance of flavors and textures and was excited for what the next day would bring.

Pictured here: chicken fajitas, roasted peppers and onions, Spanish rice and beans (360 calories)

I was able to eat the glazed mushrooms, bok choy, and black rice, but overall, everything in this carton was a little fishy for my taste. The dried-shrimp crust on the fish sounded exciting, but the whole thing just missed the mark for me. I took a bite of the gray barramundi, but I didn't even consider eating the whole filet. I typically love fish, but if I were to do the program again, I would eliminate the option to receive seafood.

Pictured here: shrimp-crusted barramundi, black rice, ponzu-glazed mushrooms and bok choy (460 calories)

The chicken was tasty, the quinoa was filling, and the squash, zucchini, mushroom, tomato, and pepper medley was lovely. This is one of the dishes that made the most sense to me in the program. Instead of a ton of different pots cooking and tons of chopping time in my kitchen, I just got to heat and enjoy a filling, nutritious meal that would have taken an hour to cook on my own.

Pictured here: marinated chicken breast, roasted vegetables, quinoa (490 calories)

My favorite dessert from the Gold delivery was the one I was the least excited about at the start. These sweet, chewy cookies hit the spot, ended my first day on a high note, and truly surprised me. And all though they were small, I did liked that there were two cookies included instead of just one large dessert.

Pictured here: oatmeal-raisin cookies (120 calories)

I was excited to taste this pillowy marshmallow tucked between a crunchy, pleasant graham cracker crust and white chocolate topping. While rich and decadent, it was three bites that brought 19 grams of sugar to the table — a little much for me unless it's a special occasion.

Pictured here: marshmallow cloud (170 calories)

The base of this agave carrot cake was moist and tasty, but I found the low-fat cream cheese frosting to be rather thick with no tang. With that said, this bite-sized cake only had three grams of sugar and clocked in at just 150 calories.

Pictured here: agave carrot cake (150 calories)