For anyone who wants to know a bit more about SWK. Thanks for asking, Cherie.
I'm on my fourth box now and , after a bit of dithering, intend to go with a four weekly subscription for a while, because I also love planning and cooking my own meals. Usefully, there's always the option to order an extra box with just a few day's notice, if wanted.
Here's the link to the starting page:
From here, there's links to How it works, About us and FAQs as well as the option to log in and, separately, to see the meals on offer for that week. From that last, you can see the ingredients with any allergens clearly signed as well as nutritional info but you can't see the actual method until you are subscribed - fair enough, I guess.
Once subscribed, you set your preferences - e.g. vegan, chicken, fish, etc, and how often you want a box (weekly, fortnightly, three or four weekly), how many meals you want in a box (three, four or five) and whether it's for two people or for four.
What it doesn't do is give dietary options and by that I mean keto, low carb, paleo, etc. It is Slimming World, after all But all the meals are syn free and balanced - at the very least a third speed foods, lean protein and reasonable carbs; I have rarely had all the carbs but keep some uncooked for another meal sometime.
For those of us using the SW structure, there are no healthy extras included either and I think if the recipe is an SP recipe, it says so.
Changing preferences is very easy, as is skipping a delivery and cancelling - it's all there on your account page, you don't have to go searching as you do for some.
What do you get?
It's similar to other subscription boxes, of course. You get everything you need to make your chosen recipes, sorted into bags with anything perishable (meat, yogurt, etc) in a separate part of the box with very efficient ice blocks keeping it chilled.
The very first box and the cauli was so big it wouldn't go into the relevant bag!
The only things you have to find yourself are spray oil, salt and pepper.
You also get - and this is different - a booklet/mini magazine with generic info, an article or two and recipes for all fifteen meal choices for your box. That is very handy and I've made some of the other recipes with success. The ingredients are all easy to get hold of, nothing 'niche'.
I'm keeping them all - there's some good recipes there.
I've numbered the booklets to make it easier to reference a specific recipe in future planning.
In classic SW style, the portions are pretty large. After all, they are catering for tall, large men who need to eat substantial portions and littlies like me. The meat and fish are generous amounts and the veg can serve three or more, depending on appetite.
The box itself is very substantial. I've seen no damage apart from a couple of bashed corners.
Quality?
Excellent, so far. Nothing has been less than really good. Vegetables are fresh, meat and fish have been great.
As already mentioned, portions are large. For me, as two person meal usually makes enough for three, should I choose.
I haven't had a missing ingredient yet (unlike a certain other delivery company where it got so bad it contributed very much to me cancelling the subscription). The worst thing that has happened is that there have been a couple of substitutions - and they have worked so no problem. They are clearly signalled too.
Let's look at one meal in a bit more detail.
When the box comes, I get out the chilled stuff I need for the meal I'm making that night and pop it in the fridge and the rest goes either in fridge or freezer (meat and fish).
Then I take out the bags and put them straight in the fridge as they are. Now I am pretty confident everything will be there, I don't open and check.
I collapse all the packaging and take it to the card recycling bag.
Then I settle down with a coffee to read through the mini-mag.
This is the bag for golden butter bean and veg paella, one of their vegan meals. I plan to have it Monday and have scribbled paella on the tape at the top, for convenience.
As it will make at least two portions, most likely three, looking at the individual ingredients, I will have the first one as per the recipe, the second on maybe with added prawns and the third maybe with chicken or it might go in the freezer for another time. I'll see how I feel.
Here's what's inside the bag - veg, herbs, spices, everything. I might add some mushroom too as I love mushroom and there's nothing to stop you subbing, adding, leaving out - whatever works for you.
Cons:
1. It IS a subscription service; you do have to sign up. However, you don't have to be a Slimming World member and there's full nutritional information on the back. It's easy to skip and cancel.
2. There's no getting around the fact that it's comparatively expensive. Meals are around £6 per person plus cooking costs. Cheaper than a meal out or a take-away but I can make the recipes with my own ingredients for less. However, portions are large and generally enough for three me-sized portions so that brings it down to around £4 per portion, much more reasonable.
Postage is extra, by the way.
3. While they are happy to leave the box on the doorstep, it is better to take it in and sort it out straight away; after all, quality does deteriorate fairly fast in the warmer weather. That makes it awkward for those working away from home - or it would do, except that there's a free choice of any day in the week, including Saturday and Sunday, for delivery.
4. What might be a con for some is that it is very much Slimming World structure based. It's not 'quirky' in anyway, it is down to earth, balanced and pretty wide ranging but wouldn't necessarily suit everyone. It restricts fat and sugar but not carbs, for example. It uses spray oil but you could use 'real' oil and allow for it.
5. You do have to like cooking. It's not a takeaway. I happen to really enjoy cooking and the instructions are clear and have worked well (so far).
6. As with all these, there's a default choice and you do have to remember to go online to look at what they are and change them. It's dead easy but you have to do it.
I think that's about it except to say that while it's a subscription service, it is not one of these services where you can get discount codes, free meals, money off if people use your discount code and so on. What you see is what you get. So I get no benefit or advantage at all from recommending or reviewing it. I just genuinely think it is really good and helpful for anyone who wants to enjoy healthy, balanced, delicious meals that fill you up and leave you feeling great.
It might change at some point but, for now, I am really happy to go for a box every four weeks, to broaden my recipe base and enjoy things I might not usually have.
(disclaimer - as mentioned, this is an independent review. SW hasn't asked and doesn't know I am making it. I hope I have all the info correct; apologies if there are any errors.)
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