I’ve been incredibly lucky to avoid most coronavirus-related shortages—disinfectants, paper towels, hand sanitizer—but there’s one affected category at my local grocery stores: fresh produce. The once-vibrant bins at my bodega are noticeably lacking for the first time since I moved to New York City 4 years ago.
As a vegetarian, I consume a lot of fruits and veggies and wasn’t prepared to go without. I placed Shipt deliveries through Target at first in hopes of filling the void, but suddenly found myself competing with an increase of clientele. I thought I was doomed, but then I discovered the Raw Generation Produce Box.
RELATED: 10 Meal Prep Delivery Services That’ll Help You Skip the Grocery Store
The produce box—available with fruits, vegetables, or both—is shipped directly to your front door and includes the same quality produce used in Raw Generation’s array of deliverable juices, soups, and shakes. What you get varies from shipment to shipment based on the freshest produce selection available, but it always includes 25 pounds of goods.
When the company-comped box arrived at my door, I was very impressed by the minimal packaging. I always feel guilty about the excess used in most delivery services, so I was delighted to find that this only contained a Styrofoam container full of fresh produce. Then I immediately emptied the contents onto my (clean!) kitchen floor.
producebox , $80 (was $160); rawgeneration.com
My box included a perfectly ripe cantaloupe, a firm avocado, a fragrant pineapple, a collection of red and green apples, and an abundance of fresh citrus like lime, lemons, grapefruit, and oranges. I’d never seen so much fresh fruit in my life—and I was vegan for a year.
Needless to say, this timely arrival led me to consume more fruit in a two-week period than I ever had. I ate apples for breakfast, snacked on oranges, and dressed my salads in fresh lime juice. Even with the help of my roommate, I had enough produce left over to give some to neighbors and share with friends during social distance walks.
RELATED: I’m Actually Eating Healthier Than Ever During Quarantine Thanks to This Meal Delivery Service
Perhaps the biggest concern with this box would be quality—but I’d place its contents on par with grocery stores like Whole Foods. Plus, it makes the perfect summer companion: The citrus can be used in fresh cocktails, while the produce can be tossed into a delightful fruit salad.
While I loved the abundance of fruit sent my way, I’d probably select the mixed box next time to ensure I get my daily dose of greens. Regardless, I was thrilled by how easy it was to fill up my produce shelves without an 8 a.m. trip to the bodega. Let’s agree that activity should be reserved for egg-and-cheese bagels.
Sign up for our Health Shopping newsletter to get your daily dose of retail therapy with great deals handpicked by our editors—straight to your inbox.