Sift is a popular meal kit delivery service that provides pre-portioned ingredients and recipes to make home cooking easier. With the rise of plant-based diets in recent years, many meal kit companies have expanded their offerings to include more vegan options. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at what vegan choices Sift has available and how they cater to vegan customers.
Quick Overview of Sift
Sift is a San Francisco-based meal kit company that launched in 2013. Their model involves customers selecting recipes from a weekly rotating menu, with pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards delivered to their door. Sift aims to provide high-quality organic produce and ethically sourced proteins in their kits. Their recipes cover a range of cuisines including American, Mediterranean, Asian, and more.
Sift serves most major metropolitan areas in the Western and Southwestern United States. They offer a variety of subscription plans ranging from 2 recipes per week up to 4 recipes. Pricing starts at $72 per week for 2 two-person meals. Sift requires a weekly subscription and does not currently offer single meal purchases.
Sift’s Vegan Options
Sift has made a concerted effort in recent years to expand their plant-based offerings. Currently, they indicate that around 30% of their weekly menu is either vegetarian or vegan. On a typical week, 6-8 of their recipes are completely plant-based and vegan.
Their vegan choices span global cuisines like Thai coconut curry, Mexican quinoa bowls, Middle Eastern falafel, Italian pastas, and more. Sift uses ingredients like tofu, tempeh, lentils, chickpeas, beans, quinoa, and vegetables as vegan protein sources. Their recipes avoid dairy, eggs, and other animal products, making them compatible with a vegan diet.
Some recent vegan options have included:
- Coconut Chickpea Curry with Brown Rice
- BBQ Jackfruit Sandwiches with Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges
- Cauliflower and Millet Stir Fry with Ginger Sesame Sauce
- Spaghetti with Garlic Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Sauce
- Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Spicy Guacamole
Sift has also introduced a “Plant-Powered” series of recipes that are predominantly vegan, further expanding choices for vegan customers.
How Sift Caters to Vegan Customers
Sift makes it easy for vegan customers to identify which options work for their diet:
- Clearly labeled vegan recipes – Each vegan recipe is marked with a green leaf icon.
- Advanced filtering – Customers can filter recipes by dietary needs like vegan when selecting their weekly meals.
- Allergen notifications – Sift lets you provide allergen information so any ingredients you need to avoid are flagged.
- Dairy-free substitutions – Vegan customers can opt for dairy-free alternatives like coconut yogurt and plant-based butter.
- Flexible protein options – You can swap in different vegan proteins like tofu or beans if preferred.
Additionally, Sift provides helpful resources for vegans like guides on how to stock a vegan pantry and easy ingredient swaps. Their customer service team is available to help vegans tailor their meal selections and assist with any questions.
Sift recipes highlight nutritious plant-based ingredients and typically avoid highly processed meat and dairy substitutes. The recipes cater well to a whole food, plant-based vegan diet.
Nutrition & Ingredients
Sift’s vegan recipes are full of nutritious fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and plant-based protein. This aligns well with vegan dietary needs for nutrients like:
- Protein – From sources like beans, lentils, tofu, edamame
- Healthy Fats – From avocado, nuts, seeds, olives
- Iron – From leafy greens, beans, lentils, whole grains
- Calcium – From tofu, greens, sesame seeds, almonds
- Zinc – From beans, nuts, oats, tofu
- Vitamin C – From fruits, peppers, broccoli, potatoes
Sift avoids ingredients that vegans cannot eat such as:
- Meat, poultry, fish
- Eggs and dairy products
- Honey
- Gelatin
- Some wine and beer clarified with fish ingredients
When sourcing ingredients, Sift indicates a preference for organic, non-GMO, sustainable options whenever possible.
Reviews
Reviews from vegan Sift customers have been overwhelmingly positive. Here are some examples:
“As a vegan, I love the variety of plant-based options from Sift. The recipes are so creative and use whole food ingredients.”
“Sift makes it really easy to filter for vegan meals. I never have to worry about getting ingredients I can’t eat.”
“The vegan recipes don’t feel like boring meatless imitations. They hold their own with unique flavor combinations.”
“The nutrition is on point with healthy protein sources and veggie options.”
“Customer service has been great at helping me customize my plan for my vegan diet.”
While reviews are overwhelmingly positive, there are a few areas some vegans noted for improvement:
- Increase total number of vegan options
- Provide more lower carb vegan choices
- Clearly label recipes that can be made vegan with a simple ingredient swap
How Sift Compares to Other Meal Kit Companies
Compared to other major meal kit companies, Sift is ahead of the curve when it comes to vegan offerings. Here’s an overview of how Sift stacks up against the competition:
Blue Apron
- Typically offers 2-3 vegan recipes per week
- Labels vegan recipes with a leaf icon
- Limited substitution options for vegans
HelloFresh
- Launched vegetarian and “Fit & Wholesome” recipes to appeal to vegans
- Around 3 vegan recipes each week
- Lets you filter by diets and swap ingredients
Home Chef
- Added a “Lifestyle & Diet” section with vegan recipes
- 2-4 vegan options per week
- Allows ingredient substitutions
Sun Basket
- Has a dedicated vegan menu with lots of choices
- 10 or more vegan options per week
- Lets you filter and see full nutrition info
Sift keeps up well with competitors, offering a similar number of weekly vegan options. Sift’s whole foods plant-based approach stands out from competitors relying more on meat analogs. Overall, Sun Basket leads the pack when it comes to vegan variety and options.
Should You Choose Sift for a Vegan Diet?
Here are some key pros and cons to consider about using Sift for a vegan diet:
Pros
- Wide variety of flavorful, whole foods plant-based recipes
- Makes it easy to identify and select vegan options
- Ingredients sourced with sustainability in mind
- Simple to swap proteins and customize recipes
- Nutritious recipes provide balanced vegan nutrition
- Good customer service support for vegan diets
Cons
- Smaller vegan selection compared to leading competitor Sun Basket
- Could improve low carb vegan options
- Requires weekly subscription unlike competitors with single order options
For vegans looking for hassle-free meal kits with lots of plant-based choice, Sift is a strong contender. Their vegan recipes focus on whole foods and nutrition versus meat and dairy substitutes. Sift makes choosing vegan straightforward with filtering and substitutions.
Vegans needing maximum variety and low carb options may want to also check out Sun Basket’s huge vegan menu. But Sift keeps up with most competitors for vegan offerings while focusing on delicious, plant-based ingredients.
The Bottom Line
Sift provides a range of appetizing, plant-based recipes perfect for vegans. Around 30% of their weekly options are vegan friendly spanning global cuisines. Sift makes it simple to identify and select vegan meals when ordering. They offer substitute ingredients and resources tailored specifically to vegan diets.
While Sun Basket edges out Sift for total vegan variety, Sift keeps up with other top meal kit companies for plant-based options. Their nutritious whole foods approach suits a health-focused vegan diet. With creative recipes and helpful customer service, Sift is a great choice for vegans looking for high-quality meal kits conveniently delivered to their door.