Shireen's Favorite Things

FIB (Fresh is Better) is an AMAZEBALLS delivery food company. I tried it for three days.

Not only am I one busy chica, I’m also one of the pickiest eaters on the planet. I know, I know; you probably couldn’t tell by looking at my food blog (which borders on gluttony).

Honestly, though, Shireen’s Spotlight is all about “tasting” food, not fueling my body with the type of calories I need to keep up with my demanding schedule, high-octane career and everyday life.

Making matters more complicated, I suffered a major illness a few years ago and not all foods agree with me. I have to be very careful about what and when I eat: quality and timing are everything.

Truth-be-told, I’ve always wanted to try a meal delivery plan, but because of my aforementioned health issues and feeling intimidated by the process of ordering and planning “A Fashionable Diet,” I just never did it. Until now.

Robin Diamond, who’s a friend, media colleague and overall health nut, told me about FIB a few months ago. She thought it would be great for my blog. Naturally, being the skeptic (read: reporter) that I am, I asked: “Is it really worth it?” I was surprised when she said: “Yes, I’ve done it myself and love it.”

My first delivery arrived at my front door (in a nifty brown and green soft cooler) early Monday morning and I can’t lie, I was pretty excited. It was kind of like Christmas, but better, because it wasn’t an ugly sweater or something I had to secretly return or get rid of.

The cooler, sealed with a zip tie for safety, was filled with all kinds of yummy food (I’ll get to that in a minute), packed in compostable containers. By the way, FIB has four main plans: Traditional, Paleo, Vegetarian and Gluten Free.

I normally eat more of a Paleo diet (a lot of green veggies and lean meats,) but because I was a little gun shy, I went for the Traditional plan instead (which they describe as “lean meats, fresh produce and hearty grains”). I got the whole kit and caboodle, too: breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks.

While I took everything out of the containers to photograph and exercise my “Martha Stewart Living” muscle for the blog, for the most part (during my work week) I toted the containers around in my work-bag. I guess I could have taken the cooler, but I didn’t wanna complicate my purse situation (fashion problems are real, people).

My first day of food was awesome, with things like Protein Espresso Pancakes, Teriyaki Chicken, Pumpkin Chocolate Brownie and Tamari Marinated Pork Tenderloin. Each delivery came with a complete menu listing food ingredients, calories, fat, protein and carbs.

After Monday was done, I put my nifty cooler right where I found it and voila! Tuesday morning it was full again. I started my day with a Spinach & Zucchini Chia Omelette, snacked on Eggplant Napoleon, lunched on Round Eye Fajitas (which were my absolute favorite), treated myself to Coconut Squares and finished the day with a hearty Turkey Meatloaf.

Wednesday was my favorite day. The FIB food elf brought Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles, Cassava Biscuit Sandwich, Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Banana Nut Muffin and Hawaiian Chicken Skewers. Mmmm…

I really enjoyed the variety of the foods and the tastes. What’s more, it was EASY and I was NEVER hungry. That last part is big for me…because of my hectic workload and poor planning, more often than not I’m forced into BAD food choices, but instead of eating something that’s not good for me that could potentially wreak havoc on my stomach, I choose NOT to eat at all and that’s bad, too.

I always feel hungry and when I get home from work I overeat late at night and then feel miserable. That didn’t happen once during my delivery days. There’s a lot to be said for food that’s of a consistently high quality. And, I wasn’t wasting money on going out to eat quickly and NOT enjoying it. That’s not all…

What really makes FIB fabulous is their farm-to-table concept. Their produce is local, meats are antibiotic/hormone-free and the fish is caught locally, in our Florida waters.

In a city where juicing and food delivery companies are all the rage, FIB sets itself apart by giving you the tools to empower a healthy lifestyle, protect the planet and do it anytime, anywhere and anyplace: that’s why “A Fashionable Diet” is one of my favorite things.

Check-out FIB on-line at www.fibdelivery.com, or on social media, Facebook: FIB Delivery, Twitter @FIBdelivery, Instagram: @fibdelivery.

This is tailor-made, people. Order what fits into your lifestyle. You don’t have to get every meal or snack. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t really love breakfast, but I thrive on a hearty lunch and a light dinner with a glass of wine (or two). 🙈

The point being, I’m busy and I find myself eating in the car, standing up when I’m on stories, at my desk, sometimes in bed, but “Fresh IS Better” was so convenient, it worked for me. In fact, I haven’t eaten this well in a long time. I can’t *FIB* — I don’t know what took me so long. 😬