A little luxury in a jar for sports enthusiasts

Organic, high in protein, without additives: The start-up Löwenanteil promises a lot with its ready meals in a jar. But what can the products do? We put them to the test.

When you think of ready meals, you think of unhealthy products from the freezer, zero nutrients and the only advantage is that they are quick to prepare. The start-up Löwenanteil also promises the latter for its organic ready meals, but otherwise they want to do everything differently. The current six products have names such as "Lentils a la Provence" and "Chili Vegano", are high in protein and are primarily developed for people who exercise regularly and specifically. Löwenanteil's motto: Now I'm full. Well, let's give it a try.

Selection and website: Löwenanteil in the test

The website is nice and simple, with a little lion with a crown in the logo. The few dishes can be viewed very clearly. Quality over quantity? "No chemicals, no added sugar, no bullshit", writes Löwenanteil. 570 grams in a jar, 100 percent natural ingredients and "rich in protein". The Nutri-Score is also given, always A. I've probably never eaten more healthily. Cost: 6.99 euros. For every product, whether with meat, beans or as a curry. I wonder how that works out.

We do a little more research on the website: the big promise is to offer sports enthusiasts a quick meal that contains the necessary nutrients. The protein content is at the top of the jars, so sports enthusiasts can plan ahead. There is also a calorie calculator on the website where I can choose between three goals. The first is to lose weight, build muscle or eat a balanced diet. I not only enter my weight and gender, but also my daily activity or how often I exercise. Löwenanteil also offers the perfect calculation of the number of glasses I need for my requirements. Practical. And the jars are also available in value packs, for example six or twelve of a dish. Or I can take out a subscription. It saves me work, of course, and the dishes can be kept unrefrigerated and closed for over a year. How is that possible without additives, I ask myself.

The order at Löwenanteil in the Startbase test

I order three dishes: chili vegano and the Italian bean stew, both of which are advertised as new. For comparison, the meaty version of the chili, chipotle chili, ends up in my shopping cart. I only get free shipping for orders over 40 euros, so I pay five euros more. I need a user account to place the order. I can pay with the usual options such as Paypal, Klarna or by credit card. I receive confirmation by email, am welcomed into the "Löwenrudel" and am informed that Löwenanteil donates a hot meal to children in Burundi with every order. This is a collaboration with Welthungerhilfe. Anyone who earns money in Germany with expensive organic products can also give back. I think that's good. So I've also done something good with my order.

My lion's share in the test: the taste is convincing

The parcel arrived two days later, which was quick. My three jars are safely stored in a box with an optional six compartments. The website and the jars say: Prepare in three minutes, in a saucepan or in the microwave. In the comments under the dishes, other Löwenanteil customers said that rice or potatoes also go well with it to complement the stew variations. Sounds logical to me. Löwenanteil itself is apparently also aware of this combination. The start-up offers rice and quinoa, as well as protein balls as snacks. But today I'm going to focus on the products in jars.

I'm testing them with two friends, both of whom are sporty, which is Löwenanteil's target group. "The first impression makes me want more," says one of them. "Smells really good," says the other. But: "Given the name, I would have imagined larger portions."

The bean stew and the vegan chili are prepared in a pot, the meaty chili in the microwave - both work and both dishes are warm quickly. And we make our own rice to go with it. When we take our first bite, we all look at each other expectantly and our first verdict: good. "You get what you expect." What does that mean? It tastes healthy. More precisely: the ingredients are delicious, but on the one hand there are no additives and on the other hand it's a stew. This makes it difficult to evaluate individual ingredients. But it is possible with the meat: "Tender and there really are pieces of meat in it" is the verdict. The bean stew is the least intense in comparison: "I imagined it to be spicier than I smelled it." The vegan chili is a little spicy, but just right.

"Now I'm full" is Löwenanteil's motto. I ask them if it's true. Without the rice, the portion wouldn't be enough, they agree. But then the satiety lasts well into the early evening.

Conclusion

It's delicious, healthy and quick. But it's also a little luxury: for seven euros I can cook something delicious myself, including the rice. The target group is certainly not just young and sporty people, but also urban and financially well-off people. Perhaps the appeal is particularly strong among those for whom sport is the focus of their lives. Löwenanteil's Instagram page confirms this impression: anyone who promotes the organic ready meals is a micro-influencer in the field of sport and healthy lifestyle. I still get lots of emails with discounts and offers. I don't use them, but I'm simply the wrong person for the products. However, if you want to save time and plan your food with ingredients, Löwenanteil is perfect for you.

Background to the company

Löwenanteil was founded by Robin Redelfs and Thomas Kley, who received 225,000 euros from Austrian venture capitalist Square One Food in 2019. Their approach: anyone who does a lot of sport and watches their diet is constantly faced with the question: what do I cook today to get enough protein? With Löwenanteil, they invented the solution themselves and have been selling organic ready meals, produced and bottled in Germany, ever since. The name of their company is derived from a fable about a lion. In a figurative sense, it is about the dispute over the best and largest portion of food, Löwenanteil wants to give everyone their own share to eat without envy.