Frozen Food Sales Are Rising, and Celebrities Are On Board

Daily Harvest is a plant-based frozen meal delivery service with premade smoothies, chia parfaits, soups and grain bowls loaded with superfoods and nutrients from whole fruits and vegetables.   

The female-led company received $43 million in a third round of funding led by venture capital firms, as well as Serena Williams, Gwyneth Paltrow, Olympic athlete Shaun White, celebrity chef Bobby Flay and actress Haylie Duff this month. And as a result, it has expanded its product line to include 33 meals that are ready to eat instantly. 

Daily Harvest items seem to be nourishing the need for healthy fast food, in contrast to “the frozen aisle, [which] is literally and figuratively a very cold place,” CEO and founder of Daily Harvest Rachel Drori told Moneyish.   

Frozen food is finally turning around, and the market is now estimated to reach more than $360 billion by 2024, according to the Mintel Global Food and Drink Trends 2017 report. There was a 257% increase in the number of vegan food and beverage launches in 2016, compared to five years ago, says the report, and many brands have attempted to break into the healthy frozen food space. 

Daily Harvest customers can opt to order six to 24 cups weekly at $7.99 each, or monthly (approximately 24 cups) for $6.99 each. You can choose a combination of any snack or meal, such as the immunity-boosting tomato minestrone packed with veggies including zucchini, tomatoes and chickpeas; a cacao and avocado pudding said to taste like chocolate and loaded with pea protein; or sundaes such as chocolate brownie batter made with cocoa, black beans, hemp protein and coconut. Each require minimal prepping effort: Just add water and heat for soups; smoothies need a liquid base such as milk added before being tossed into a blender; and grain bowls can simply be microwaved or sauteed on the stove.

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Nutritionists say eating frozen fruits and veggies is actually better for you. New research from the University of Georgia found that frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts, with some retaining even more nutrients, particularly when it comes to vitamin A.