Welcome to Thistle! Our plant-forward ready-to-eat meals make it easy for everyone to get and stay healthy while improving the sustainability of our food system. If you’re new to this way of eating, which we outline in Thistle’s nutritional philosophy, your body will undergo some changes and adjustments. We’re here to tell you what to expect and give you some tips for your first month of eating Thistle’s delicious and nutritious meals.

Week 1: Your Body Begins to Reset

Thistle’s meals are high in vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients—good stuff your body needs. Something else your body needs? Fiber. That’s why we pack a lot into each meal. If you’re not accustomed to much dietary fiber, a sudden increase may leave you feeling...bloated. To more comfortably digest Thistle’s nutrient-dense, high-fiber foods, regularly check in with yourself to see how you’re feeling. Perhaps smaller bites like our soups and jar salads will work better than a full meal. And be sure to drink lots of water to help the fiber more easily move through your body. Over time, your body will adjust, and you’ll feel awesome.

With more fiber-filled vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes in your diet, your body will experience another shift: less sugar consumption. And that’s a good thing. But with fewer simple carbohydrates in your diet, you may temporarily have some energy crashes and mood swings. To offset an afternoon slump, incorporate healthy fats like avocados and nuts into meals and snacks.

Making the Most of Week One

Tip #1: Try These Digestion Hacks

You’re already drinking lots of water, right? Good. To further battle the bloat, try cooking some of your Thistle meals. Heat begins the breakdown process before it even reaches your stomach. Also: chew chew chew! If you chew each bite of food about 20 times before swallowing, it’ll be easier for your body to digest.

Tip #2: Lock In Healthy Habits

Your Thistle subscription will help you disrupt bad habits. Instead of unhealthy temptations filling your fridge, you’ll have a week’s worth of nutrient-dense ready-to-eat meals and snacks. Instead of spotty attempts to regularly meal plan and grocery shop, we take care of all planning and prep, and deliver the delicious food straight to your door. We make it easier to lock in habits that help you get and stay healthy.

To further accelerate this transition, try adopting rituals that will cue you to keep up with your new healthy eating habits. For example, if you drink coffee each morning, eat your healthy breakfast immediately after. The daily action of pouring coffee will soon become your trigger to feed yourself a nourishing meal.

Week 2: Cravings May Creep In

After two weeks of eating Thistle’s meals, you feel great...mostly. You may shed a few pounds. You’ll likely feel more energetic, mentally clear, and physically lighter. What’s not to love? One little thing: cravings for familiar comfort foods may creep in. To curb cravings, reduce carb intake and do the same thing you did in week one to help with sugar withdrawal—increase consumption of healthy fats.

Making the Most of Week Two

Tip #1: Plan Ahead

Prepare for cravings by planning ahead . Remove temptation from your life by cleaning out your fridge and cupboards. If you’re used to reaching for a post-dinner sweet snack, stock up on a healthier alternative. Think you can make a switch from packaged cookies to dark chocolate and walnuts? Try it! Overall, be realistic and be kind to yourself:  of course it’s okay to occasionally eat dessert or a favorite comfort food, just be mindful of doing so in a balanced, healthier way. 

Tip #2: Examine Your Motives

Get in touch with your motivations by writing them down. Journal answers to the following questions: 

• Why did you embark on this journey?
• What is your intention behind eating a plant-forward diet? 
• How have you benefited thus far? 

You’ve taken your health into your hands — now’s the time to remind yourself of why you chose to do so. You may be striving toward a goal, acting out of self love, freeing up time in your schedule, or testing a new lifestyle. Regularly re-examine your intentions— especially during meal time!

Week 3: What’s that Glow? It’s You!

This week, you hit your stride. You’ve been feeding your gut a plethora of nutrients and beneficial bacteria, and it shows. You may notice brighter, more evenly toned and blemish-free skin. A healthy microbiome also strengthens your immune system and combats chronic inflammation. Plus, this week, your sleep will be more regular and you’ll be able to pop out of bed in the morning. Afternoon energy crashes become less powerful, or maybe even disappear. 

Making the Most of Week Three

Tip #1: Befriend Beneficial Bacteria

In order to get more healthy microbes into your gut, supplement your Thistle meals with fermented foods like kimchi and kombucha, or start taking a daily probiotic pill. In order to thrive and multiply, these healthy microbes need food known as prebiotics. Lucky for you, prebiotics are abundant in all the healthy plant-forward meals you’ve eaten past several weeks! Regular consumption of both prebiotics and probiotics help beneficial bacteria to multiply in your gut, and your body will thank you.

Tips #2: Express Gratitude

Before each meal, spend a few minutes expressing gratitude. Appreciate yourself for caring for your body and life. Think about everything and everyone it took to get delicious, healthy food safely to your table — from local farms that grew the vegetables to the chefs that carefully chopped and cooked each component to the driver who delivered it to your door. By creating a daily gratitude practice, you can reach greater life satisfaction over time.

Week 4: Behold Your Best Self

Your body has done a lot of relearning and recharging . This is the time to sit back and recognize all of the good effects. Lost a few more pounds? It may be due to the healthier gut created by all the plant-forward meals you’ve consumed. Calories in and out isn’t the only factor of weight loss; the composition of your microbiome matters a lot as well. Is this your first time going gluten-free or dairy free? This week you may notice the disappearance of bloating and brain fog. 

Making the Most of Week Four

Tip #1: Get Outside and Get Moving

Reap the physical benefits of all your hard work. With healthy food benefitting your body and boosting your energy levels, you’ll feel much less sluggish. Exercise is more attainable and enjoyable. Try out a new hike in your area. Each day this week, go for a walk after lunch. Challenge yourself to do a few extra push-ups or pull-ups. It’s important to move your body at least 30 minutes per day. And it’s important to spend time outdoors. Do both at the same time, with Thistle providing the fuel.

Tip #2: Celebrate

Congratulations! You did it—you’ve reached a significant milestone on the journey toward a healthier lifestyle. Your brain has made new pathways connected to healthy eating and eating well is becoming a part of your daily routine. Reward yourself with something that makes you feel good and nourishes your heart . Make or buy something that’s long been on your “want” list, fill your kitchen table with fresh flowers, take a luxurious bubble bath, or cook a celebratory meal with a loved one. Give yourself some kind of gift as a thank you. Commitment is hard work, and you deserve a reward.

With Thistle’s plant-forward meals, we hope you stay healthy and keep feeling great. This isn’t just a ‘cleanse’ that ends after a few weeks. Toss the dieting mindset out the window. Enjoy a vibrant new way of living. You’ve journeyed far to get here. Welcome to the new you.