Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/85727
rity. The dishes are made with organic ingredients, 90 percent of which are sourced locally and purchased directly from farmers. The philosophy extends to the company's biodegradable/compostable containers, and composting food scraps. "There were and are still few options available to those interested in prepared raw meals," Amsden remarks. "I wanted to make them available to people no matter where they live in the country, and provide them meals they can take with them to work or have waiting for them at home when they return from a long day. The Box also allows people access to prepared raw meals wherever in the country they may travel. The signature Big Matt with Cheese, a dehydrated seed and veggie patty with fixin's on the company's popular onion flatbread, is flavorful and filling, as are the soups and chilled green salads. Other offerings, such as an eggless salad and couscous, have textures and flavors that are heaven for raw foodies, but may require some getting used to for newbies, along with the concept that raw foods, as the name suggests, should not be heated. Vegin' Out Back in 2000, brothers dan and Tim Boissy realized that although vegan and vegetarian food had become quite evolved and palatable, they were not aware of any meal services offering strictly vegan meals. They also realized most of l.A.'s meal delivery services were priced out of reach for the average person. "Our mission is to provide a simple, affordable and sustainable way to get vegan meals delivered right to your door," says dan Boissy. "Most people Vegin' Out's coconut curry chick peas delivery takes a "Trader Joe's-like" approach that keeps customer costs down and gives them the freedom to portion and pair the dishes however they like. "like Trader Joe's, you don't have a million choices for bagels. you have are too busy to find time to cook a healthy meal every night, and vegin' Out (www.veginOut.com) is here to help and to educate. Before experiencing our food, many people think that following a vegan diet means that they have to eat bland food. That just isn't true." Rather than offering limitless choices, Boissy says the weekly vegin' Out three or four, which ensures good quality products at an affordable price, as well as a low-stress shopping experience," he says. "I think we differ from our competitors on price and simplicity. Paleta As a 25-year cancer survivor, Kelly Boyer built paleta (www.paleta.com) out of her personal appreciation for the value of nutrition and how it affects not only physical health, but also mental well-being. "We believe that everybody is different and should be nourished accord- ingly," Boyer notes. "We encourage new clients to pay attention to how they're feeling throughout the day so we can learn how their body reacts to certain foods, which helps to identify what is right for them. As a philoso- phy, paleta eliminates 95 percent of gluten, dairy, soy and sugar from our meals." however, meat is an option. My customized meals were created based on a questionnaire through the user-friendly website, and although delivery is more private-home than apartment friendly, the effort of getting up to let the delivery man in was well worth it. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that most of my meals were as filling as they were fresh, though my lunch items ranked highest in terms of flavor, seasoning and texture. "When we started, organic food was a major trend, but now people Paleta's lentil salad which one fits best with your lifestyle and taste. you may as well enjoy trying them all. n realize that sourcing locally grown fruits and vegetables from small farms is just as important," says Boyer. "Our meals and snacks are handcrafted for each client, allowing us to give them exactly what they need to meet their individual nutrition and fitness goals." you can't go wrong with any of these options, you just have to decide October/November 2012 31 Photo: Courtesy, Paleta Photo: Darren Randle