by Sheila Julson

Morrow had worked for many years as a certified personal trainer and noticed that some clients weren’t getting results they wanted, despite vigorously working out several times per week. As a self-described “nutrition nerd” and vegetarian/vegan, she began offering meal preparation services for clients.

Morrow had also lost her father to cancer, which led her to further question the role of food in health and diseases. McNicol had been attending a plant-based culinary school at the time, and Morrow had noticed there were no other meal prep businesses in the Forth Worth area offering 100 percent plant-based meals. She realized she had a viable business idea.

As young entrepreneurs with limited financial resources—Morrow is 24 and McNicol is 26—starting a business without a substantial loan was a big hindrance. “A commercial kitchen is the only way we’ve been able to grow,” Morrow says. After trying a few different spaces, PlantSet Meals now has two homes: Locavore, a rent-by-the-hour kitchen business and event space in Fort Worth that hosts a hub of fledgling foodie entrepreneurs; and Viridescent Kitchen, in Plano, a commercial kitchen space and café that’s open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, serving cooked-to-order breakfast or lunch from different chefs. PlantSet Meals is there Wednesdays and Fridays.

Morrow handles most of the marketing and business aspects, and McNicol is the head chef. Doctors, including cardiologist Dr. Baxter Montgomery, whose Garden Kitchen Foods plant-based café, in Houston, inspired the menu. Their goal is to educate people how to positively impact their bodies through food and fitness. Morrow also designs weight-loss meal plans, and will add classes and holistic personal training packages.

Heartier appetites will appreciate the lasagna, made with brown rice noodles layered with tomato basil sauce, zucchini and fresh greens, topped with their scratch-made cashew cheese. Nutrition bars and breakfast cookies are available for a nourishing on-the-run breakfast.

Most of the ingredients are made from scratch, including the sauces and most vegan cheeses. Customers can review the meal choices online and place their orders four days before delivery. People can order just once or get a subscription plan to choose weekly meals and save 10 percent. Meals are delivered on Monday evenings, which is free with orders of $25 or more. They can also be picked up at Viridescent. PlantSet Meals delivers to Fort Worth, Frisco, McKinney and Plano.

Convenience often comes with an added downside of single-use plastic packaging; however, Morrow says all their meal containers are compostable, made with wheat shell fiber. “You can put it in your composter and it biodegrades within 90 days,” she notes. The containers can also be microwaved or put into the oven.

PlantSet Meals also has a presence at farmers’ markets and does pop-up events. In addition, they offer corporate catering services.