A very special offer exclusively for TDB readers at the end of the post – don’t miss it!
How many days in a row can you eat a salad for lunch?
If you’re new here, here’s something new for you (and so old for you regulars this side of town!) – I’ve been trying to get fit over the last few months. The first and easiest thing to do was eat healthier, or so I thought. When you work in Gurgaon and the only thing you can cook is Maggi (yayyy – ban! *rolls eyes*), the options for healthy eating are limited. I discovered a place that serves the best salad (as good as the ones I had in New York!) but…
How many days in a row can you eat salad for lunch?
My palate was bored out of its mind, ordering healthy food from the same places over and over again. I had started eyeing shammi kebabs and chicken biryani home delivery restaurants on Zomato. My will to eat bland food just for the sake of eating healthy was fast dwindling.
Enter – the folks at Eatonomist.
I had heard about them, but had never ordered because I kept thinking – no one will deliver just one soup! And such delicious sounding meals can’t possibly be healthy. And…I’m sure they’re not reasonably priced.
Turns out, they will, they are, and they sure as hell are! Eatonomist has officially found the perfect balance between tasty, healthy and filling meals. And I propose a re-writing of their slogan from “Healthy Delicious Convenient” to – food heaven for the waist-minded brides in Gurgaon!
What We Did
I decided to try out a lunch a day from Eatonomist’s extensive menu, for a whole working week. You know, mirror the hectic schedule of a working bride who is planning her wedding while completing projects late into the night. Could I manage to eat healthy meals that satiated my stomach and nutrition needs, without letting work and my taste buds suffer?
First Impressions
I was unsure how I would feel about a pre-decided lunch menu for a whole week. I typically eat on a whim – whatever I feel like, whenever I feel like. And the last thing I am is an easy person to feed. I am finicky about my food, and I think I have the discerning taste buds of a Masterchef Australia judge! :p
Fortunately for Eatonomist, they far exceeded every expectation I had and, spoiler alert: I loved almost every single meal they served!
Note: I could bore you with excessively long reviews detailing out every bite I took, but this is not a food blog so I’ll keep it succinct.
Monday: Chicken Satay with Greens, Peanut dipping sauce and Garlic Mash
The tempting aroma from this lunch wafted through my room even before I had opened it up. I took it out of the brown bag it was delivered in, and thought, “that looks like a small lunch – is it going to be enough?” Turns out, it was more than enough. I was full before I could finish! Although, do keep in mind that I have a small-ish appetite.
Chicken satay and I are old friends. I’ve come across so many in my lifetime, but there are few that have passed the succulent-test. Most are dry by the time they arrive on the plate. Eatonomist, though, passed the test with flying colours! Theirs was perfectly moist, with mouth-watering spices. The veggies were yummy, and I suggest dipping them in with the garlic potato mash. I thought the mash must have been heavy because such a creamy texture usually comes from adding some form of fat! Turns out, they are not joking when they say all the food on the menu is genuinely healthy – there was no fat added to the mash, just plain old churning and whipping.
Calories consumed: Under 300 | Price: Rs 250
Eatonomist says: “The Chicken used is boneless and the fat is trimmed down . It is served on a bed of vegetables which compliments the protein and adds fiber to the dish. The carbs are provided by the Garlic Mash which is made without using any cream or butter, instead the potatoes are churned and whipped to attain the light texture.”
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Tuesday: Silken Tofu Tacos
The tacos were crisp, the tofu was soft, and the salsa was yummy. I love sour cream on my tacos, and so I wiped off that tiny round box. The only thing I felt missing was some shredded cheese to sprinkle over my tacos, but that would probably not keep the meal under 500 calories now, would it?
The filling for the tacos was more than enough, and I even had some left over. Of course, I wiped that off too! Another thing I loved was how self-sufficient the packaging is. I thought I’d need to lay out everything on a plate, but their box is so well thought out that I didn’t need to arrange for anything at my end. The tacos, though, are a little messy to eat 🙂 Obviously! So maybe eat it in office only if you’re comfortable making a bit of a mess – on your hands, and…well…face.
Calories consumed: Under 500 | Price: Rs 245
Eatonomist says: “Tofu is a great source of protein for vegetarians. The tacos provide a filling and tasty option for lunch. It is served with salsa and sour cream. We provide this healthy option as a break from mundane lunches at work and boring dinners at home.”
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Wednesday: Chicken and mushroom lasagna with ricotta
A red sauce Italian dish for Wednesday was a tricky affair. I had just eaten my favourite arabiatta pasta for dinner the night before, and the leftovers had made for a yummy mid-morning snack. I couldn’t imagine eating more red sauce. But the lasagna was so delicious, I ended up gorging on it! It tasted very Italian (or my definition of it) and not at all dhaba-Italian, if you know what I mean. I just wish they had given a knife along with it. Then you can cut across the entire dish in a single swoosh, and eat it more easily. Anyway, every layer was so delicious that even if I didn’t get a bite of all the layers together – each individual bite was yummy too!
And if you’re wondering how on Earth they managed to make a healthy lasagna under 300 calories, here’s the secret – they use chicken sheets instead of flour sheets. Unbelievable!
Calories consumed: Under 300 | Price: Rs 255
Eatonomist says: “The beauty of this dish is that there is absolutely no flour. The flour lasagna sheets are replaces by chicken sheets. The dish is all chicken and mushrooms. Chicken breasts are flattened and layered with copious amount of mushrooms in a tangy sauce to make this lasagna which is then lightly baked with fresh ricotta. “
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Thursday: Bengali Fish Curry with steamed rice
This was the dish I was most looking forward to during review week. My mom used to make me fish and rice once a fortnight, and since no one really eats or makes it at my place, I have been missing eating this. I hadn’t found a restaurant to order from regularly, because none of them served fish cooked home-style. Well, this came pretty close!
The boneless basa fish was soft, well-cooked, and yummy. The curry was slightly spicy, and there was more than enough fish to get a bit of the meat in every bite. I did feel that avoiding mustard oil took the fish experience down a notch though. It’s a whole new level of fragrance and taste with mustard oil. Of course, this is a matter of personal preference. That’s just how my mom makes me fish 🙂
The Kachumber salad was spicy, and in my opinion, with too much lime juice. I know many people like their salad with chopped chillies and a generous dose of lime juice, but I prefer mine with a touch of salt and a dash of lime juice.
Despite the lack of mustard oil and tangy salad, this is one dish I plan on ordering every fortnight. Ghar ki machhi aur chawal, welcome back into my life baby! *tears of joy*
Calories consumed: Under 500 | Price: Rs 280
Eatonomist says: “This dish uses fish which has a low oil content and instead of the traditional recipe that contains mustard oil, like all other recipes at Eatonomist, is cooked in imported low cholestrol oil. It is served with steamed fragrant rice.”
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Friday: Keema with Multi Grain Pao
The final meal of the week. I realised, I was going to miss this! Unpacking and exploring a new dish everyday – who wouldn’t?!
This one brought back Bombay memories for me, where keema pao is as commonplace as butter chicken in Delhi. I tore apart the sliced onion rings into tiny pieces and mixed it into the keema. Then I squeezed some lime onto it, broke off a piece of pao, dipped it and drifted off into the recurring day dream of me roaming the cobblestone lanes of Mumbai again.
I had wondered when I saw this dish on the menu – how tasty can multi-grain pao be, really? Considering I (still!) call myself a Bombay-ite, pao is serious business. And keema pao? It needs to be solid. I don’t like mine spicy, and this wasn’t! Adding the lime and onion really brought out the flavour.
That pao was delicious. I think it had a bit of garlic in it, and I honestly thought – that’s a lot of butter, of course it will be tasty! Turns out, they had actually used olive oil. Who would’ve thought the day would be here when we’d be eating multi-grain pao with olive oil on it?!
Calories consumed: Under 300 | Price: Rs 260
Eatonomist says: “This dish will take you back into your grandma’s kitchen except that she never served it with Multi Grain Paos. We ensure that you only eat fat in it’s most natural form. Keema is minced inhouse ensuring low fat content in the meat and it is then steamed to take off any extra remaining fat. The keema is then prepared and served with nutritious multi grain paos.”
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Wrapping It Up
I loved the experience. I loved the food! And here’s why Eatonomist is now my top recommendation for hungry souls in Gurgaon:
- They have an extensive menu to choose from, so you won’t get bored eating the same food over and over again (so important for someone like me!)
- The meals have been planned and approved by a nutritionist
- They are very well priced. All the meals I had cost under 300 rupees. And because it’s filling, you don’t need to order more than one dish.
- All meals are under 500 calories! Most of the meals I had were under 300 calories, and they didn’t suffer taste-wise in any way. Win-win!
- Their food tastes amazing. Ask the 82 other people who voted for them on Zomato and got them a 4.8 rating!!! (5 is the highest)
- If you just want to have a soup or salad, they will deliver just that too! There is no minimum order value 🙂
- You can pre-plan lunches for your whole week, and next week!
- The packaging is spot on. They deliver food in a box you can eat straight out of, along with all the cutlery you will need.
They deliver healthy meals in Gurgaon, so if you’re looking for lunch or dinner that’s reasonable and under 500 or 300 calories (they have both options!) you should try them out. Especially you busy brides who don’t have time to figure out healthy options on every home delivery menu in the city. Someone has already put in the effort to give you over 80 meal options that are packed with nutrition, limited calories and taste – just pick one!
A Special Offer Exclusively for TDB Readers
Two meals at 30% discount!
- Get 30% off on your meal! How to avail: use coupon code “thedelhibride30” when you’re placing the order at eatonomist.com
- Get 30% off on your second meal! How to avail: remember to click a picture of your first Eatonomist order and tag Eatonomist on it. Use coupon code “thedelhibride30” when you’re placing the order on eatonomist.com, and get the discount on your second meal as well!
- The coupon code is valid till 2nd August, 2015
To place an order, log onto Eatonomist.com | Tag Eatonomist on Facebook, Twitter (@Eatonomist) and Instagram (@TheEatonomist)
Happy Healthy Eating, Brides! 🙂
Shinjini Amitabh Chawla 
Hey, do they deliver in Vasant Kunj, Delhi by any chance??! Really want to try this out!
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