Next time your Thistle delivery arrives, think outside the box. Sure, each meal is delicious as is, but why not mix it up every now and then with a few healthy food hacks? Here are our culinary team’s top tips for easily adding more variety to your Thistle meals.

Breakfast Meal Hacks

Sweet Potato Hash to Breakfast Tacos

Short on time? This hack takes under a minute.

• Heat up the Sweet Potato Hash in a skiillet.
• In another skillet, warm up a couple tortillas.
• Remove everything from the skillet. Add whatever extra taco filling you have on hand. Some of our favorites: avocado (did you know you can add avocados to your Thistle delivery?), non-dairy cotija cheese, lime, and cilantro. Assemble and enjoy!

Pudding to Smoothie Bowl

Toppings make everything better. Our decadent and protein-rich Mexican Chocolate Pudding—the basis of this healthy meal hack—is no exception. 

• Add sliced bananas, strawberries, or pineapple.
• Top with our housemade chocolate-chile puffed grain granola. 
• Enjoy as a snack or as a breakfast treat.

Bowl to Burrito

It’s easy to transform many of our tofu scrambles or savory bowls into a burrito. For the Black Bean & Plantain Breakfast Bowl, try this meal hack:

• Set aside the salsa. In a medium skillet, sauté the black bean, tofu, and plantain mix until the greens are wilted and the mix is warm. 
• Meanwhile, heat your favorite large tortillas in the microwave or in a dry pan over medium heat until soft and pliable. 
• Add some of the cooked filling to the tortilla, sprinkle on some cheese if desired, and top with the mango salsa. Roll up and enjoy!

Breakfast to Dinner

Not in the mood for a savory breakfast, but craving a warm, hearty meal for lunch or dinner? Turn a breakfast dish like our Quinoa Ranchera into stew:

• Heat a medium pot over medium-low and add the quinoa ranchera mix. 
• Add 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa and one cup of vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. 
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-20 minutes, or until heated through and thickened to your liking. 
• Top with avocado crema and crushed tortilla chips.

Lunch & Dinner Meal Hacks

Bowl to Roll

Many of Thistle’s Mexican and Tex-Mex inspired meals, such as Southwest Sweet Potato Taco Salad, merrily morph into tacos. Here’s how:

• Sauté the greens, sweet potatoes, beans, corn, and sunflower seeds until warmed through and greens are wilted. 
• Warm your favorite taco-sized tortillas (or large burrito-sized tortillas to make a burrito) in the microwave or in a dry pan over medium heat until soft and pliable. 
• Add sautéed filling to the tortillas and drizzle with the chipotle ranch. 
• For a true taco feast, top with crunchy shredded red cabbage, ripe creamy avocado slices, and queso fresco (or your favorite cheese).

Alternatively, keep rolling with a different cuisine. Turn our Asian noodle bowls into spring rolls. Our Miso Bean Thread Noodle Bowl is perfect for this meal hack:

• Soak your favorite rice paper in water until softened. 
• Lay on a flat surface and top with kale, carrots, cooked veggies, noodles, and protein. Roll up. 
• Serve with our Lemon Miso Dressing as a dipping sauce.

Quick to Comforting

A healthy food hack for pasta? Yes, please. For those days when salad won’t do, make it into a hearty pasta dish instead. The Thistle Kale Caesar is a great candidate:

• Cook & strain your favorite pasta, then return the warm pasta back to the pot. 
• Add the entire salad, including the dressing.
• Heat on low until the greens are wilted and everything is completely warmed through. 

For another meal hack that easily goes from cold bowl to hot dish, reach for your skillet. The Beet Poke Bowl works wonderfully:

• Set aside the dressing. Heat up all other ingredients in a skillet for 2-3 minutes, or until the greens are wilted. 
• Top this warming rice bowl with the dressing. 

For some extra inspiration, top with any of the following: 

• Egg for extra protein and savoriness
• Toasted nuts or seeds for more crunch
• Sliced avocado for a creamy boost of heart-healthy fats
• Chili oil or paste for extra heat

When life calls for deluxe comfort food, transform any number of our pasta bowls into a bubbly oven-baked meal. For our Green Pesto Bowl:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease an oven-proof baking dish with oil.
• Add green pesto bowl ingredients to dish and top with your favorite cheese. 
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pasta is warmed through and cheese is golden.

Need a healthy comfort food hack for when you’re feeling under the weather? Turn any Asian-inspired noodle bowl into brothy noodle soup. Thistle’s Hoisin Noodles are a perfect base:

• Heat 1-2 cups of your favorite broth on the stove in a medium pot until it comes to a boil. 
• Add Hoisin Noodle dish contents (including the sauce) and stir to wilt the greens and warm through.
• Enjoy sprinkled with chopped scallions.

Up your Snack Game

Chilled Dough to Warm Cookie

Cookie dough rightfully gets a lot of love. But why not let it achieve its final destiny from time to time? Try turning our Oatmeal Cookie Energy Balls into freshly baked cookies.

• Preheat oven or toaster oven to 325 degrees Farenheit. 
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place energy balls on top. 
• Bake for 8-10 minutes until the chocolate looks gooey and melted (the cookies will not spread very much while baking). Serve warm, dunked in your favorite milk!

Simple Dip to Dipping Decadence

While Thistle’s Black Bean & Cheese Dip is great as a standalone snack, it can also be a welcome component of a crowd-pleasing 7 layer dip:

• In a clear glass baking dish, layer the bean, cheese, and veggie mixture (it’s okay if it gets mixed together). Smooth it out and top with one mashed avocado. 
• Add one cup of your favorite salsa. 
• Top with your favorite sour cream or yogurt, and garnish with fresh cilantro. 
• Serve with plantain chips or tortilla chips. 

Muffin to Somethin’ 

Take one of Thistle’s most beloved snacks—the 24 Carrot Muffin—to the next level with this healthy food hack:

• Heat muffin in the microwave on high for about 40 seconds OR in a 350F toaster oven for 2-3 minutes. 
• Slice in half and spread your favorite nut butter all over. Let it melt into the muffin and get extra gooey and warm!

With a Thistle subscription, each week’s menu presents several opportunities to easily give these meal hacks a try. Healthy, delicious, and (mostly) prepared meals are delivered straight to your door, awaiting your tasty and clever healthy food hacks. Sign up today.