What do you do when you struggle to find sustainable food storage solutions? If you’re Jessica Bell, founder of reVessel, you realize other people have the same issues and create a solution. Read on to be inspired by this locally-based company’s determined mission and make sure to try her recipe for Amaze Bars included below.

Jessica Bell. Image: reVessel.

What was the motivation for starting reVessel?

To create change, we have to let go of what is familiar—for me, it was cheap, processed convenience food and finding a better way to eat food that fueled my busy life. As a high-level gymnast, eating whatever fast food I wanted seemed to work out okay because chronic inflammation is not easily seen on the outside. I was disconnected from intrinsic health and longevity while mine was quickly failing. With multiple chronic diseases, I entered motherhood burdened by exposure to the 80,000+ toxins in our environment and I had no defense because I failed to protect my body with the medicine that is inherent in real, nutrient-dense food. I did not want to be a hostage to pharmaceuticals and simply wanted an alternative to the fast convenience food that we had been sold in the Standard American Diet. My literal lifesaver was the return to real, organic ingredients and eliminating exposure to toxins, over 12,000 of which are found in food packaging that can migrate into our bodies and cause long-term damage. Like so many with unexplainable illness, I realized I was far from alone in the health journey—and like me, so many others needed a more convenient way to pack up good food, as carrying glass was heavy and fragile and plastic and takeout food packaging only undermined the recovery.

"To create change, we have to let go of what is familiar—for me, it was cheap, processed convenience food and finding a better way to eat food that fueled my busy life."

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Loading up on locally grown greens. Image: reVessel.

What reVessel kit do you recommend to someone just learning about your products?

Recommending one of our kits is like recommending a bike. First, you just need the right size to safely and efficiently transport you from point A to B. Then, you realize that owning something from reVessel opens up so many more benefits and opportunities with where you can go with one system and how you can influence your health and that of your family like being able to cook or bake in the containers at home or while traveling. You can also use the individual parts to shop a farmers’ market, pack up a loaded lunch for work, or take a family dinner to the beach in style without the toxins in food packaging, all while minimizing the everyday impact on the planet. To date, the Adventure Kit is the favorite among adults packing up for the day, but our Explorer Kit, due out just in time for summer, is a highly anticipated release.

Ligthweight vessels are easy to stack and bring along for a farmers' market haul. Image: reVessel.

In addition to your products, what other steps do you take to support a sustainable food system?

reVessel is a company that sees the immense opportunity to use food as a vehicle for good. We connect industries, economic systems, like conscious capitalism, to human and planetary health. With all stakeholders considered, we aim to support a circular economy in how food is consumed both from the home and outside of the home by partnering with restaurants to replace disposable containers that contain hidden toxins, deplete natural resources, and leave behind a damaged environment. Food waste is another big factor. When consumers can easily pack real food and preserve it, less food goes to waste. reVessel supports the tradition of food preparation and offers some easy-to-follow recipes and videos to inspire. And finally, as part of our give back, we support farmers in breaking dependence on toxic chemicals to grow healthier, more nutrient-dense food.

Image: reVessel.
Image: reVessel.
Image: reVessel.
Image: reVessel.
Mmmm. What would you dig into first? Image: reVessel.

What is the most rewarding thing about owning your business?

Hands down hearing how the community of reVessel users experience the products and seeing the products in the world actually solving problems is most rewarding. We are on a mission every time someone packs food in a reVessel product and replaces disposable packaging linked to endocrine disruption, cancer, obesity, and neurotoxins with something designed for safety and functionality to make life better.

What do you enjoy about San Diego’s seasonal ingredients?

The beginning of spring is so whimsical and dreamy. It gets me really excited about all the blooms and birthing of new life and possibilities. I’m watching buds swell on the persimmon, fig, peach, and apple trees in my yard in anticipation of what’s to come this summer and fall. We are also sowing another generation of seeds that we’ve saved. When winter winds down and temperatures increase, I enjoy the dino kale and herbs that are thriving in the garden. I’ll often use them in one of my favorite dishes, like Tuscan kale and white bean soup with rosemary and garlic. Enjoying this with a Prager Brothers sourdough grilled cheese makes for a delicious and hearty meal. The avocado tree in the yard is an absolute treasure and is part of nearly every day, sometimes multiple meals a day. The trick is having enough harvested so they can mature over 10-12 days without any gaps.

What is your go-to dish when cooking for your family?

I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make dinner really efficient. I am typically soaking beans for a night of Tuscan white bean soup with garlic and rosemary. When making this dish, I usually have enough for a second meal to freeze in reVessel’s 8-cup storage container. I have also been loving the tamale bake from our recipe catalog. It tastes as good as a traditional tamale, but it’s fun and easy to make into a casserole—and a serious crowd-pleaser.

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Trisha Weinberg
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