Veg It Out: Israeli vegan food made easier – but what about taste? - review

Food subscription services have exploded in recent years, with more and more options available, all focusing on different and specialized options.

However, people with dietary restrictions, such as vegans or vegetarians, have often been left on the sidelines with minimal options. That is until Veg It Out stepped onto the scene in 2019, offering healthy, balanced vegan meals, showing that eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated.

Veg It Out founder Bayla Haskel came to Israel for seminary and stayed for National Service before making Israel her permanent home.

The idea for a vegan subscription service came to her when traveling in China, where she says she “noticed firsthand what the Western diet of highly processed foods, excess sugar and lack of vegetables was doing to people’s health.”

This experience, she explains, made her decide to make it her mission to “not let people’s exhaustion from life get in the way of eating really good food that is amazing for their bodies.”

Fast forward a few years, and Veg It Out offers subscribers the option to receive either three, six or nine meals a week, which will then be delivered in a freezer bag every Monday morning, ready for the customer to eat, with no cooking other than two or three minutes in the microwave.

While the menu changes on a weekly basis, each meal is guaranteed to contain a balance of vegetables, proteins and grains.

Excited about the prospect, I set out to sample five of the meals, ready to find the latest offerings available on Israel’s ever-growing vegan scene.

The first thing I noted was the clear list of ingredients printed at the top of each meal, as well as an easy-to-see kashrut label and a sign indicating that the ingredients were vegan and gluten-free.

As a vegan with a vegetarian and celiac partner, it can often be hard to find food suited to our various dietary needs, so the clear labels were appreciated and further highlighted the way in which Veg It Out makes subscribers’ needs central.

1. Tofu Sesame Bowl

The first bowl that I sampled came heaped with beetroot and carrot, as well as a sweet chili sauce to pour over the food.

While the tofu was well seasoned and the sweet chili sauce a nice addition, the carrots and beetroot overwhelmed the flavors, making the bowl all one-note. Additionally, the meal felt like it lacked acidity, something that could have been amended with just a splash of lemon or vinegar perhaps.

All in all, I would rate this bowl a 6/10, as the beetroot was overwhelming in its quantity and flavor.

2. Pesto Bowl

Moving on to the pesto bowl, the flavors immediately felt more balanced, with sun-dried tomatoes, haricot beans, sweet potato and zucchini on a bed of rice noodles, topped with pesto sauce.

The sauce was the star of the show – creamy and flavorful; and the colors of the vegetables stood out against the green, creating an enjoyable eating experience for all the senses. 

The beans themselves were slightly overcooked, and the sun-dried tomato got a bit lost among the other flavors, as there was less of it than the other vegetables. However, overall, I would rate it an 8.5/10. It was a satisfying meal and one that I would be happy to eat again.

3. Greek Bowl

Made up of bell pepper, zucchini, Kalamata olives, red onions and tofu, with an olive oil dressing, this bowl had strong, punchy flavors that melded together beautifully, creating a zingy and delicious Greek salad-inspired meal.

The quinoa in the salad and the addition of the tofu made it a well-balanced meal, and to me personally, the best one in that week’s selection. I would rate it a 9/10 and would gladly eat it again.

4. Curried Lentil & Sweet Potato Bowl

One of the meals that looked most intriguing when unpacking the Veg It Out freezer bag was the curried lentil and sweet potato bowl, which was comprised of a curried lentil puree, sweet potatoes and red cabbage on a bed of brown rice.

While the food tasted fine, the curry was definitely mild, and the lentils were perhaps more inspired by curry than an actual curry.

The flavors overall were weak and definitely underdone, with the red cabbage itself not seeming to have any seasoning added to it.

Overall, I would rate this bowl a 7/10, as some stronger seasoning and a splash of acidity could have greatly improved the overall impact.

5. Butternut Squash Bowl

Last up of the five meals, this bowl was comprised of butternut squash, red onions, green lentils, quinoa and a tahini sauce.

I found that the combo itself lacked flavor, relying on the tahini sauce to pack a punch, which, although delicious, it did not succeed in doing. The underseasoned vegetables overwhelmed the tahini, weakening its taste rather than benefiting from it.

The flavors in the bowl were mild, and everything was heavily underseasoned. For me, this bowl was the most disappointing, and I would rate it a 5/10.

Final thoughts

Having tried a week’s worth of meals from Veg It Out, I would conclude that the vegan meal service is definitely geared toward people who are vegan for the health benefits rather than for various other reasons, and so are looking for a health-conscious, vegetable-heavy option.

Each meal is packed with protein and nutrients, and there’s clearly a lot of care that goes into ensuring that this is the case. And the fact that they are made from gluten-free and mostly allergen-free ingredients is an added bonus.

Prices start from NIS 168 for three meals; NIS 329 for six; and NIS 479 for nine meals. There is always an option to add additional meals for an added cost. Delivery starts from NIS 20, and there’s a choice between setting up delivery as a one-off or having deliveries every seven days.

If you’re a busy vegan on the go who is looking for healthy, quick meals full of fresh vegetables and natural flavors, Veg It Out may be the perfect solution for you. 

However, if you enjoy eating more processed food, like vegan cheese, meat or even fish, you may find that the flavors and meals offered by this subscription service are not quite what you’re looking for. ■

For more information: vegitout.com/