What It Is: Kate Upton x Urban Remedy Meal Plan
Who Tried It: Grace Gavilanes, PEOPLE.com associate editor
Level of Difficulty: 4/10
When I think Kate Upton, three things come to mind: Her laugh-out-loud role in The Other Woman, her picture-perfect relationship with husband Justin Verlander and her totally enviable physique (and body-positive attitude to boot!). Upton’s a supermodel whose hectic schedule keeps her on the go, but she makes sure to eat clean, nourishing meals throughout the day no matter what.
In late June, Upton announced on Instagram that she partnered up with Urban Remedy and its founder, Neka Pasquale, to create an exclusive Kate-Upton-approved meal plan that promotes an organic diet.
The three-day meal plan ($189; urbanremedy.com) features salads, a veggie burger, a black rice bowl and several shots of juice for fitness fans to take before, during and after their workouts. As People.com’s self-proclaimed guinea pig, I was immediately intrigued and knew I had to try it out. But this isn’t just another celebrity who has no personal attachment to the product she’s endorsing. Upton tells PEOPLE she’s long been a fan of the company and its delicious and healthy offerings.
So, what advice did she have for me before I kicked off my living-like-a-supermodel adventure? She recommended I pay extra-close attention to subtle and noticeable changes I’d be experiencing in those three days. “I always can tell when I’m eating clean because I sleep better, my skin clears up, and I have significantly more energy,” Upton tells PEOPLE of her own experience with the service. “It truly makes a huge difference.”
And with that heads-up, I was off:
Day One
Tell Me About Your Day: I don’t even know how to describe what I felt on my first day. Surprise? Total satisfaction? I was just happy, and yes, most definitely surprised. I kicked off my three-day journey on a Wednesday, which in theory sounded perfect. I’d end this meal plan right before the weekend so if I’m miserable I can just treat myself to cheese fries on Saturday, I thought. But here’s the thing: The meals were really, really good — even the smoothies, which I was skeptical about at first. I usually start my day off with a big ol’ cup of oatmeal and a banana, but the Green Berry smoothie was first on the meal plan’s Day 1 list. I don’t have an ongoing relationship with smoothies so I was curious about my very first beverage on the plan. The drink was sweet and thick, but not in an overwhelming way. I was immediately satisfied and much to my surprise, felt satiated. A much lighter green juice (Slender Greens) came next for “mid-morning.” Clearly unexperienced, I kind of forced myself to drink Slender Greens 1.5 hours after the Green Berry, despite still feeling quite full. Lunch called for Thai Veggie Noodles and Chicken. The noodles were made from zucchini, and the dish was delicious. It even came with a spicy ginger lime dressing! And because Kate Upton knows every sane person needs an afternoon snack to get them through the mid-day slump, she included Sour Cream & Chive Zucchini Chips (1/2 bag) in the plan. I was extra cautious about not eating the entire bag. At around 5 p.m. I ate dinner, a Vegan Caesar Salad that came with parmesan seed cheese made from hemp, sesame and sunflower. I did feel hungry a few hours later, though, so I ate an RX Bar after coming across a “plan tip” written at the top of the meal plan schedule card that read, “Listen to your body and eat when hungry.” I took it as a sign to enjoy the chocolate sea salt bar, which I do end up doing while also vowing to not force-drink the mid-morning juice so soon after my breakfast.
How’s Your Skin? I’ve always been prone to breakouts so I’ll be honest and say I wasn’t expecting an overnight miracle. Regardless, I did keep an extra-close eye on a bump I saw forming on my right cheek that morning.
How’d You Sleep? Like a baby. But I think it had less to do with the meal plan and more to do with my A/C being on the whole night.
How About Your Energy Levels? I will say, I did feel healthier since I was being encouraged to focus on portion controls, and not just eating cupcakes or cookies whenever I needed a break from work.
Day Two
Tell Me About Your Day: I felt like a contestant on the early-aughts reality show Temptation Island, but instead of hunky guys, my temptation came in the form of a catered company lunch and DIY sundae bar. I must persevere! And I did. Somehow. In the morning, I happily gulped my breakfast — a Mint Cacao Chip smoothie — which almost made me cry because it tasted like a cheat meal but is so, so good for you because of the vitamin-loaded spinach, banana, cashews, mint and cacao in it. Lunch and dinner were comprised of Rainbow Salad + Chicken and Ensalada Bowl salads. The afternoon snack, a Cacao Chip Protein Bar, was exactly what I needed after being tempted with goodies. Oh, I also downed almost two liters of water throughout the day … which I mindlessly end with an RX Bar while reading a few articles on my phone. What can I say? I’m a creature of habit.
How’s Your Skin? The bump on my cheek got bigger. Again, not your fault, Kate Upton. I blame that one night earlier in the week when I didn’t deep-clean my face for this soon-to-be volcano-sized zit on my face.
How’d You Sleep? Not very well but it’s entirely my fault. I stayed up late to watch a re-run of Southern Charm. I am too invested in the Thomas-Ashley-Kathryn drama to feel guilty.
How About Your Energy Levels? I definitely started feeling more confident on Thursday, mostly because I coolly rejected the free sandwiches and ice cream being served at work. I did, however, stand within feet of the free food just to see/smell it but found myself back at my desk minutes later (hair flip).
Day Three
Tell Me About Your Day: My morning started off with a 7 a.m. boxing class at Shadowbox, which meant I was finally able to try out the plan’s pre-, mid- and post-workout shots. Since I’m only really used to chugging water while exercising and making a protein shake right after, the shots — made with ingredients like beet root (pre), cucumber (mid) and ginger (post) — were a nice little departure. The post-workout shot, in particular, was a nice kick thanks to the ginger and turmeric. It claims to reduce inflammation and officially woke me up. After that, I made my way to work, had a Green Berry smoothie and a Happy Belly juice hours later, when my body was finally ready. In terms of food, Day 3 of the plan is the best one yet. Lunch and dinner were comprised of an umami plant Veggie Burger — which I had to stop myself from eating so fast because it is that good — and a Black Rice Umeboshi Bowl that came with salmon. Salmon! I was thrilled because as much as I love salads, I do appreciate a variety in my protein (i.e. something other than chicken). The afternoon snack called for the last half of the Sour Cream & Chive Zucchini Chips bag, which ended up being more than half because I was so paranoid about eating the entire thing on Day 1. I was very satisfied throughout the day, mostly because I finally got the hang of drinking my mid-morning juice when I felt less-than-uncomfortably-stuffed. That evening was a little trickier. My good friend was treating me and four of her other bridesmaids to a nice dinner a week before her wedding. It took me a very long time to order because I a.) wasn’t that hungry at all and b.) wanted to make Kate Upton proud! In the end, I chose roasted chicken with veggies for my entrée … and a little slice of peach cobbler with blackberry ice cream for dessert. (Sorry, Kate!!) It sounded too delicious to pass up.
How’s Your Skin? The little bump on my right cheek grew into a full-fledged whitehead, which — spoiler alert! — eventually disappeared almost a week later.
How’d You Sleep? Pretty good! Waking up early for a fitness class before work usually catches up with me at the end of the day.
How About Your Energy Levels? I felt pretty good at work. Not tired one bit.
Conclusion
The meals were delicious and very easy to prep since all I really had to do was mix in the dressing, chicken and salmon. No microwave needed! It was a much-needed reboot to my system, which up until starting the meal plan, only recognized the chocolate chip waffles and chicken nuggets I continuously ate during a weekend binge. The only downside is that the meal plan does have a hefty price tag, which makes sense considering every meal is fresh and packed with nutrients your body needs. That being said, I would definitely still treat myself to the Veggie Burger and a few Mint Cacao Chip smoothies in the near future. The best news? You can buy any item individually.