Eat Pretty: Sakara + CAP Beauty

I’m not new to Sakara. I remember reading about them back in 2012, a year after they started, and thinking this is going to take off {I like to consider myself one of the O.G. followers}. Being that I was just out of college and had recently left my job to attend a raw food culinary school in California, I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money on a meal service. Especially when I was learning how to do it myself. In my mind they were for people that either: hated to cook, had crazy busy schedules, and/or needed help making healthier food choices {none of which I felt resonated with me at the time}. I stood firm in that belief for 6 solid years – and then last year happened.

Work was on hyper-speed, we were planning our own wedding, traveling a ton and what used to be my favorite part of my day {prepping, making and eating food} was a reoccurring meeting on my very full calendar. I now check two of my previous three excuses for not subscribing to a meal delivery program. I finally broke down and tried their Detox Level II a few weeks before my wedding {an experience for another post – p.s. it worked like a charm} and I’ve been a big fan ever since.

For those that are not familiar with Sakara, they are an organic meal delivery program based on a whole-food, plant-rich diet that includes fresh, nutrient-dense, and delicious ingredients. All of their meals are rooted in 9 nutritional pillars, all of which align almost precisely with my own philosophies and values about food and nutrition {WIN}. Their primary offering is their Signature Plan, aka Level I, but they also offer a Detox Level II and DIY 10 Day Reset, and last year introduced Eat Pretty.

Fast forward to this year. I had been wanting to do another “reset” after a heavy month of travel in January and a rather indulgent birthday month in February. Their March Detox Level II didn’t work with my schedule, and I was considering their Signature Plan. Then I saw their Eat Pretty program in collaboration with CAP Beauty {basically like a Sephora for natural beauty and wellness only better – similar to Credo and Follian} and was sold.

The Program

PRETTY

(adjective)

1. The sense of vitality and easy that comes from living an authentic and abundant life.

2. The glow imparted by a a diet rich in whole, fresh plant foods; by waking up each day feeling energized and confident in your skin; by being surrounded by people and things that life you up, delight you and inspire you.

– Sakara + CAP Beauty

The entire program is dedicated to enhancing your beauty from the inside out and included a delicious set of meals from Sakara, and a collection of all-natural goodies from CAP Beauty as well. Like all Sakara programs, the meals for either three or five days, and included breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus one extra like probiotics {highly recommend}. I decided to go with three days of meals instead of five. It would cover the majority of my meals during the work week and free up my weekend to enjoy meals out with friends.

The Meals

I have to say, the meals were delicious. Well-balanced flavors, not too sweet {and even if they were sweet it was with coconut sugar}, and surprisingly filling. I struggle with breakfast, mostly because it’s rare for me to eat that much, that early in the morning. Usually I start my day with celery juice and a matcha latte with collagen and have a smoothie mid-morning. Not bad, just different from my usual routine. Reflecting on it, I realize how little time I allocate for myself in the morning before going to work.
When I lived closer to work, I used to carve out 30 minutes before work to eat breakfast and chill before work. When my commute got longer, I opted for 30 minutes of sleep instead of that “me time”, but never really considered the effect. The simple act of sitting down and enjoying breakfast before driving to work had such a positive impact on me. I felt more grounded and ready to tackle the day.

Favorite Breakfast: That’s so hard I love breakfast! I’m a sucker for a good granola – Superseed Muesli w/ Blue Majik Mylk

Lunches and dinners were the perfect combination of light, savory, and filling. Not too heavy to weigh you down, but not too light such that you’d be hungry in an hour. I always tell people that the key to show stopping vegan dishes is the sauce. A piece of broccoli is still a piece of broccoli whether it’s raw or steamed, but add a cheesy sauce and it’s a whole new ball game. Sakara nailed the sauces – especially on the Thai Burger, Cashew Vermecelli and Chopped Salad. I loved the Chana Masala {I love my Indian food}, but I think I might be sensitive to a spice that was in it, because my eyes got itchy and fingers got hot and red after eating it.** I’ve had a similar reaction with a curry from Root Whole Body, but have not been able to pinpoint the exact cause.

**One thing to note is that Sakara is not ideal for people with strong food allergies as they cannot adjust their meals. However, if you have specific questions it doesn’t hurt to reach out to them. They are very responsive.

Favorite Lunch: Thai Burger {if only I could have heated it up!}

Favorite Dinner: Sakara Classic Chooped Salad – that Magic Mushroom dressing was liquid gold.

All In All

Was my skin more glowy? I’d say so. My face was less puffy in the mornings, fine lines were less prominent and the skin around my eyes didn’t look as tired. {Keep in mind that I was drinking celery juice each morning, but I was doing that before Eat Pretty it’s pretty much a moot point.} I used the Marie Veronique Pre+Probiotic Mist Daily {included in the CAP Beauty swag bag and will definitely be purchasing now} and followed with my usual skincare routine {Marie Veronique Vitamin C +E+Ferulic serum, Indie Lee’s Squalane Facial Cream and rosehip seed oil}.

The biggest change, however, was the decrease in my stress level simply due to the fact that I did not have to plan or think about what I was going to eat and how long it would take me to make it. I didn’t even have to think about clean up. Rinse container and recycle, that’s it. I think it freed up 2 hours each day. So all in all, I felt like I got my money’s worth.

What’s Next?

I don’t think I’ll dive into a weekly subscription, but I will explore trying meals for 3 days a week and sharing them with my husband. {If only there was a family plan at a discounted rate…hint hint.} I also plan on doing the Detox Level II again at the end of May for 5 days. I’ve found that mini-resets throughout the year are more approachable than a a full month of detoxing once a year.

XO

-S

If you read through all of this and think “hell yea sign me up!” click here to find out more about their Signature, Detox and 10 Day Reset Programs.