Vegano Foods Review

Written by: Natalia S

 I’m a Vancouver-based mom and writer who loves to cook. Hope you enjoy!

November 2022 update: Vegano Foods no longer operates as a meal kit delivery company. However, if you are still interested in finding and learning more about vegan meal kits then you should check out our roundup of the best vegan meal kits in Vancouver.

Most of us have heard about the health benefits associated with following a vegan diet. It lowers our risk of many diseases including cancer and heart disease. Eating vegan can also lower blood pressure, improve kidney function, and even reduce pain from arthritis. 

Living in such a fast-paced world, many people find it difficult to get in the right amount of vegetables and nutrient-dense food each day. Not only does there never seem to be enough time in the day to cook healthy meals, but processed meats, dairy products, carbohydrates, and refined sugars are readily available at every corner. 

Vegano Foods offers a convenient option for singles, couples, and small families to cook healthy, nutrient-dense, vegan recipes from scratch, that actually taste good. Being that I already eat a dairy-free, gluten-free, and reduced sugar diet, I was excited to try Vegano since it aligned with my lifestyle and dietary requirements.

I’ve put together some information about this new kit on the block and my first-hand experience with them:

About Vegano Foods

Vegano is Canada’s first 100% plant-based vegan meal kit company based out of Vancouver, B.C.. Launched in January of 2021, they deliver vegan meal kits to Metro Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, and Vancouver Island. 

Their meal kits include 3 meals per week that are perfect for 2 people. The portion sizes are generous and the meals are extremely colourful and full of flavour. Bonus points: None of the meals I tried required me to turn on the oven— just the stovetop—which is perfect for those hot summer days!

Vegano’s ingredients are locally sourced and their packaging is minimal. There are no animal products in any of the facilities so you can rest assured that there is zero risk of cross-contamination. Vegano also practices an Empty Kitchen policy so when there is leftover food at their production facility, it gets used to make soups or sauces.

Vegano Meal Selection & Ordering Process 

Too often I’ll see meal kit companies that offer 1 or 2 vegetarian or vegan options but the selection is limited each week. Vegano is an excellent solution for those who want to eat vegan, enjoy the convenience of a meal kit subscription, and choose from a wide selection of menu items.

The ordering process is similar to other meal kit companies:

• Plug in your personal information (name, contact information, mailing address, etc.)
• Add a credit card
• Select your meals

You’ll have a choice between 9 different vegan meals each week ranging from Pad Thai and Green Curry to Burrito Bowls and Protein Bowls. Vegano rotates their meals a little slower than other meal kit companies; they add 3 new meals while removing the 3 oldest meals every 2 or 3 weeks.

Recipe Quality and Taste

For my order I chose:

• Pad Thai
• Miso Gochujang Soba Meal
• Burrito Bowl

A really cool feature on each of the Vegano meal kits is a QR code that links you straight to your online recipe. This is an awesome digital solution that eliminates the need for paper recipes. If you don’t use the QR code or accidentally rip it before scanning, you can still find the recipes on the Vegano site fairly easily under their Menu section.

The cooking instructions were incredibly easy to follow and some of the vegetables were even pre-cut—so putting recipes together was a breeze. The meals were delicious, flavourful, and satisfying. The leftovers kept really well in the fridge so I often found myself reaching for them for lunch.

I will say though, if you’re like me and try to follow a “veggies most” approach to eating (50% of the plate), I’d recommend adding more vegetables to some of the meals. For example, I added more red pepper to the Pad Thai.  (It’s worth noting that I didn’t need to add additional veggies to ALL the meals.)

Quality of Ingredients

Vegano works with local farmers to gather the ingredients for their meals to provide a truly farm-to-table experience. Other than being environmentally conscious, this approach also allows ingredients to last longer in your fridge. As for organic vs. non-organic, Vegano includes some organic ingredients in their meal kits but not 100%.

Cost of Service

Vegano can be purchased weekly and offers a subscription-style service like many other meal kit companies. You are not locked into an extended contract and can skip or cancel meals anytime.

Vegano’s weekly subscription costs $60 and $9.99 in shipping (before tax, of course). This works out to about $11/plate. 

Delivery and Packaging

Deliveries are made to Metro Vancouver on Sundays, while Vancouver Island, Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton receive their deliveries on Mondays. I love to see these early-week deliveries, since they help with meal prep, allowing you to set yourself up for a week of healthy eating, regardless of how busy your days get. 

I was also really impressed with Vegano’s packaging. It was simple, light, and minimal, using post-consumer recycled packaging that can be recycled or composted.

Because there was no meat inside, the box didn’t need extra insulation like some of the other meal kits out there. It came with an ice pack, and 3 paper bags with the ingredients inside. No additional paper or packaging, no recipe cards,  and no promo information. Just my meals.

Recap: Is Vegano Worth Trying?

Overall, I’d say that Vegano is perfect for 2 groups:

1. Beginners or skeptics of the vegan lifestyle
2. Existing or long-time vegans

For beginners and skeptics, Vegano really puts into perspective how easy, flavourful, and filling vegan meals can be. For existing or long-time vegans, Vegano is the perfect place to find new recipes, meal ideas, and inspiration.

Personally, I think it’s nice to see the meal kit convenience being offered to an entire community that may have felt forgotten about in the past.

Exclusive Offer: If you’re interested in trying Vegano Foods, they’ve shared a referral code with me – apply the code ‘MKC’ at checkout for $20 off your first order.