Among the meal kit craze, Zoni Foods is carving out a niche for itself. Developed by Zoe Lloyd and Nilofer Ahmed (graduate students at Yale's School of Management), Zoni Foods offers innovative, 100% plant-based frozen meal kits.
These frozen stove-top meal kits are priced affordably and available in retail stores, unlike meal kit delivery services like Blue Apron and Plated. Lucky for us, we got a chance to sample Zoni Foods before their dishes hit the market.
What is Zoni Foods?
Zoni Foods is a frozen meal kit that currently offers three options:
1. Carrot and Zucchini Noodles with a Coconut Cashew Sauced paired with Spiced Chickpeas.
2. Soba Noodle with Peanut Cilantro Sauce and Bean Fritters
3. Sweet Potato Spirals with Cashew Garlic Sauce and Lentil-Kale-Mushroom Fritters
These are not your traditional meal delivery kits with long ingredient lists, complicated instructions and extensive prep. Zoni meals only require three components, three cooking steps and one pan-- and can be cooked in under 15 minutes.
How Zoni Foods was Developed
While many meal kits exist nowadays, Zoni Foods is one of the first fully plant-based kits. The founders of Zoni Foods (Zoe and Nilofer) wanted to make healthy, nutrient-dense foods more accessible to those who might not have the time nor money to cook wholesome meals.
Zoni meal kits also use innovative methods to help preserve the ingredients without the need for the excess sodium and artificial preservatives found in other kits.
Zoni Foods also recognized how hard the meat industry is on the environment. Animals raised for the meat industry require large amounts of land and water. By reducing the quantity of meat that we consume, we can lower our carbon footprint .
The founders also believed in creating plant-based foods that were not just for vegans. Zoni Foods meal kits are composed of innovative vegan recipes that are packed with protein and nutrients that make #meatlessmonday realistic, and enjoyable, for all of us.
My Experience
I tested out the Spiralized Sweet Potato Noodle with Cashew Garlic Alfredo Sauce and Lentil-Kale-Mushroom Fritters.
Unlike other meal kits I have tried that come with an overwhelming number of ingredients and steps, the Zoni Foods meal was packaged and cooked simply. True to their word, the meal was ready in 12 minutes.
Prior to trying Zoni Foods, I was concerned that a frozen meal kit would not taste fresh, but that was not the case. The sweet potato noodles had the perfect crunch and the lentil-kale-mushroom fritters added a nice savory touch.
Zoni Foods offers a delicious, quick dinner solution for busy college students and adults alike. You can find their full line of products in grocery stores starting in August. In the meantime, check out their website and subscribe to their newsletter to stay updated.