Grounded Goods is an Earth-conscious, healthy, food subscription box focused on supporting regenerative farming efforts. From Grounded Goods:
Regenerative farming has the potential to slow down, or even reverse, global climate change by putting carbon back into degraded soils and restoring those soils to health in the process.
Choose between Omnivore, Vegetarian, or Vegan subscription options. This month's products are all vegetarian and vegan, so there was no difference between these boxes.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Grounded Goods
The Subscription Box: Grounded Goods
The Cost: $49.95 + free shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Save 10% off your first box!
CODE: ADDICTION10OFF
The Products: Shelf-stable foods from regenerative farms and companies that are committed to regenerative supply chains. Omnivore, vegetarian, and vegan subscriptions are available.
Ships to: US
Grounded Goods February 2018 Review
This is my first experience with Grounded Goods, but in only a matter of moments after opening the box, I knew I'd struck gold. I'll get into more of why I felt that way later, but for now let's take a moment to appreciate this month's theme: Sunday Brunch. Going out to brunch is such a fun trend these days that I fear my contemporaries have forgotten how special it can be to pull out all the stops with a homemade feast and coordinating gathering on a weekend morning. This month's Grounded Goods box equips you with a few amazing items to get you started.
On the flip side of the theme introduction is a list of all the items you'll find in your box, as well as a little info on what makes each good regenerative and a brief shout out to the farm from whence it came. For me, this was the perfect amount of info provided; it informed me without overwhelming me.
Bongo Java Honduras Coffee, 12 oz. — Estimated Value $12 (buy a 1lb. bag for $14)
I have a feeling my household isn't the only one that starts each morning off by getting the coffee going first, and then we think about what we'll eat. I couldn't find the exact flavor of Honduras coffee on the Bongo Java site, nor the exact size, but it's a good place to start if you're interested in researching the products from this coffee-farming cooperative. As far as the regenerative stuff goes for this coffee, the Grounded Goods info slip explains that the members of this coffee coop pay a "voluntary carbon fee" to support carbon-sequestering agricultural practices. In layman's terms, this means increasing organic content in soil to remove carbon from the atmosphere. These efforts are proven to help not only reduce, but reverse climate warming!
I'm sure you're curious to know how this coffee tasted! I received whole beans, so the first step was to grind them. Ideally, I would've taken these beans to a grocery store where I could select the coarseness of the grounds, but I instead just decided to grind them in an old coffee grinder we have in our house. The grounds ended up a little fine for our purposes, but we popped them in the French press nonetheless. Once brewed, it was amazingly aromatic and sooo flavorful! My husband snuck a little heavy cream in the mug before I got the chance to snap a photo of the coffee black (we normally drink black coffee, but we're on an indulgent kick with heavy cream!), but I think it looks as strong as it tasted. The flavor was surprising! We'd describe it as acidic, with almost a lemon rind tone to it. I don't know that we'll make this coffee for every day, but it was an awesome treat for the weekend. Very caffeinated, too.
Kernza® Flour Pancake Mix, 1 lb. 1 oz. — Estimated Value $15
During the week, we make scrambled eggs for breakfast almost every day. So, this pancake mix made for a super-special weekend treat. Kernza is described by the info slip as "a newly-developed perennial cousin of our familiar wheat, developed by The Land Institute in Kansas." It explains that "Perennial grains allow for much more carbon storage than annual grains" because perennial plans grow deeper roots that store carbon and also have no need for tilling or disturbing the soil.
Since our Sunday brunch was enjoyed just the two of us, I decided to halve the recipe printed on the packaging. I used 3/4 c Kernza pancake mix, 1/4 c unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1/4 c heavy cream, 1 egg, and approx. 1 Tbsp butter. I also couldn't help myself from tossing in some chocolate chips just to add to the decadence of the pancakes! It made two gigantic pancakes (you can see them trying to morph into one in my frying pan), and while they aren't the most picturesque pancakes I've ever made, they were sooo good! I decked them out with a pad of butter on each, a little sprouted almond butter (on the upper half of the right-hand pancake), a bit of peach conserve (on the lower side of the left-hand pancake), and of course some local maple syrup (not pictured). The few bites I took of just plain ol' pancake were very whole-grain-tasting, surprisingly salty, and a little grainy in consistency. It might not be for everyone, but I love that healthy grain taste, so I was into it. My favorite bites were the ones that included chocolate chips, almond butter, and syrup...my husband was smitten by the whole mess altogether!
The Philosopher's Stoneground Creamy Sprouted Almond Butter, 8 oz. — Retail Value $14.99
My eyes grew wide when I pulled this jar of almond butter out of my box. I love almond butter, but only treat myself to it every now and then since it's much more expensive than peanut butters, even all-natural ones. This jar is especially pricey—about $15 for just 8 oz. of the goods—but it's also way more tricked out! First of all, the almonds in this butter are sprouted before being ground, which makes them easier to digest and makes their nutrients more readily absorbed. Secondly, this company, of course, sources regenerative ingredients, and they also dry-farm organic almonds in an effort to conserve water.
Finally, this almond butter is given a little flair by being flavored with coconut oil and vanilla. The result? A surprisingly sweet (and really delicious) flavor. I had to make my nut-butter-loving husband promise not to demolish this jar in one sitting so we could enjoy it throughout the next few weeks!
A quick aside: this is true of all the products in the Grounded Goods box so far, but this almond butter is a great example of the complex question of value for this subscription. If you're like me and your toes start to tap at the mere thought of what good, nutritious secrets might be hiding in a slightly higher price-point health food item like almond butter, you're off to a good start. If you're down to completely nerd out over the slow, conscious organic farming methods and specialty ingredients used in the product, even better yet. If you're an eco-warrior who is made to tick by the concept of regenerative farming and its effects on the Earth, you're going to freak out over this box. I also have friends whose care for the Earth manifests in other ways, and buying into expensive foods is not how they go about it. That's fine, too, but it's good to be honest with yourself and recognize that it doesn't mean Grounded Goods isn't an awesome value—it just means it's not right for you.
Frog Hollow Farm Peach Conserve, 8 oz. — Retail Value $10
Finally, a jar of something that ain't hard to love: peach preserves. This comes from Frog Hollow Farm, which I learned from the included info is a California-based farm that's committed to soil health by way of composting methods. Of course, you have to love peaches to fall for this spread as hard as I did, but that's really the only barrier to entry. Once you open the jar, the smell is just undeniably summery.
As for the flavor, I mean, it tastes blissfully peachy! I ate some on a slice of toast to show you the way it spreads easily, while also being chunky. Yum!
Verdict: I am so impressed by the quality and thoughtfulness of the Grounded Goods sub box. My first month was so, so tasty, and I learned a little about regenerative farming while I was at it! Value-wise, this box costs $49.95 including free shipping, and the four items added up to about $52. So, it's about an equal dollar value, but for someone who believes in regenerative farming and wants to support that cause through the foods they consume, the time and energy you save not having to research and purchase these individual products (and pay for shipping per item) greatly increases the value of this box.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No. Order by 2/28 to get the March box!
Good to know: Monthly shipments go out the first week of the month, around the 7th. Domestic orders in the United States usually take 1-3 days to arrive. The cut-off date for receiving the following month's box is the last day of the month.
Coupon - Use code ADDICTION10OFF to save 10% off your first box!
Value Breakdown: At $49.95 for this box, you’re paying approximately $12.49 per item. Here’s about how it would break down per item:
- Coffee: $11.53
- Pancake Mix: $14.41
- Almond Butter: $14.40
- Peach Conserve: $9.61
Check out more healthy food reviews in the Food Subscription Box List!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What do you think of Grounded Goods?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.