It's almost impossible to walk into a deli or any place that sells food these days without being bombarded by bottles of green juice and other liquified plants that promise all sorts of health benefits.
I'm not the kind of person who finds superfoods like kale so super. And generally speaking, I'd rather chew my food than be able to sip it through a straw. So, I was surprised how intrigued I was by one particular ad on Instagram — for Splendid Spoon.
I initially assumed that it was a soup cleanse, which I thought to be a far more feasible task than your run-of-the-mill juice cleanse.
I soon discovered that the program involves a smoothie for breakfast, a hearty soup bowl for lunch, another lighter soup for later, and (the best part) whatever you want for dinner.
Finally! I had found a trendy cleanse that didn't sound like a form of cruel and unusual torture.
Still, a week of trying to eat healthy and opening my carnivore mind to a vegan, plant-based diet was not going to be a walk in the park. However, I was up for the challenge.
How Does A Soup Cleanse Work?
Splendid Spoon is a mail-order service. Now is probably a good time to mention that the staff who helped me organize my delivery and answer my questions were extremely helpful.
My food came in this box, which I could easily carry up my six flights (yes, six flights) of stairs.
I received this email on the day of delivery, which helped get me excited about what was going to be on my menu for the next few days.
What Do You Get?
I knew that I was going to start the cleanse the week after I got the package in the mail. So, I decided to freeze all of the bottles and bowls to avoid the nightmare that would be an expired cleanse.
The team at Splendid Spoon informed me that they would be fine in the freezer for a month, or in the fridge for up to a week.
One full week of the cleanse costs $135, and you get a lot for your money.
A one-week package includes: five breakfast meals (smoothies or a bowl), five solid or semi-solid lunches, and five liquid soups.
Starting The Soup Cleanse Day 1:
I have to admit that I felt like kind of an imposter being on the subway trying to suck down a green smoothie. However, the banana in it made it taste OK, and the high-protein content made it filling.
Beans and Greens Stew was for lunch. It definitely hit home in that moment just how "plant-based" this cleanse was going to be.
I honestly felt like I was eating leaves, but I guess that's exactly what I was doing.
I made the carrot ginger "soup cleanse" when I got home, and followed it up by roasting a bunch of vegetables to fill myself up.
Day 2:
One thing that I have to admit really liking is breakfast on the go.
I used to be the kind of person who ate breakfast every day, but somewhere along the way I became the kind of person who would rather get an extra five minutes of sleep.
Luckily, the non-green color of this smoothie made me feel a little less like a poser on my commute.
Day 3:
Another thing I really did like about the program was being able to bring my lunch to work!
As someone who usually eats without fear, I was slightly out of my element when opening this lunch item. Quite honestly, I was freaked out by what (apparently) was Thai coconut curry.
The half-frozen consistency didn't make it look any more appetizing. Still, I popped it in the microwave and gave it a try.
Surprisingly, it was really good! In fact, it was probably my favorite bowl up to that point. Looks can indeed be deceiving.
Day 4:
For a few days, it wasn't too hard to hold off from eating solid food until dinnertime.
However, on day four, I caved. Does eating kale count as caving? I'm telling myself it doesn't.
The cleanse instructions included some instructions about meditation before lunch. While I have to admit that I refrained from doing this to avoid looking like I was falling asleep at my desk, I did decide to give it a try eventually.
In retrospect, the instructions were talking about active meditation, which is apparently some sort of exercise that I definitely don't have time for.
On the bright side, I got a catnap.
Day 5:
Day five was tough. I had pretty much gone through all of the most appetizing-sounding meals and, unsurprisingly, had trouble gulping down an almond-kale smoothie.
The bowl I brought was also intended for breakfast. I didn't realize until it was too late, and I was already at work.
To make matters worse, we have catered lunches at the office each Friday — and the build-your-own-sandwich bar got the best of me.
Bread tasted even more delicious after eating nothing but vegetables for the previous four days, so I didn't feel too badly.
Day 6:
Day six is a designated soup cleanse, and I took it upon myself to make and eat whatever was left over.
I especially liked the cauliflower coconut soup, which is pictured, and the fennel consomme.
In case you couldn't tell, I was not a perfect vegan angel the entire time. For instance, I gifted my roommate the red beet Buddha bowl because I am repulsed by beets.
Conclusions:
Would I do the soup cleanse again? Overall, I was probably not the ideal candidate for this type of cleanse. However, I did really like trying it and found it to be a useful exercise.
What was the overall experience like? Toward the beginning of the week, I was having trouble even finishing all of my food. I definitely felt like my stomach was shrinking, and my body felt like it was responding.
The more vegetable-based smoothies were hard to eat. Luckily, I was easily full because I normally skip breakfast.
How did it impact my body and my life? I did not weigh myself before or after this cleanse. I haven't weighed myself in years, because I'm almost 6' tall and am happy not being 100% sure that I weigh as much as a man.
However, on Friday night I was able to slide into a pair of jeans that don't always fit, and I think the cleanse had a lot to do with it.
I also enjoyed the fact that I was free to do what I wanted for dinner. Having the choice actually made me want to eat my vegetables.
Would I recommend it to a friend? I would definitely recommend this program to someone who is dedicated and passionate about healthy living. I'm not that girl, but it was certainly entertaining to try it on for size.
Final thoughts? I'm going to take a page from the Oprah quote on one of my bowls (all the bowls have cute quotes) and just be thankful I learned that even the most organized and creative cleanse isn't for me.
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