What’s for dinner? It’s a perennial question. For some, it’s an excuse to dig into the newest cookbooks or blogs for inspiration. But for those of us who hate grocery shopping, don’t feel comfortable with our cooking skills, or have zero time to plan (let alone cook!), the question causes a fair bit of anxiety and stress.
Luckily, more companies are entering the meal delivery business pioneered by Blue Apron (among others). From meal kits (complete with recipes and pre-portioned ingredients) to prepared meals and smoothie packs, companies want to make home-cooked, healthy meals convenient and easy. And they are tailored to nearly every diet under the sun, from Paleo to gluten-free to omnivores to vegans.
Not sure which meal delivery service is for you? Don’t worry.
Need-to-know: Chef’d is for all those time you’ve ever watched Top Chef and wished that you could eat what Padma Lakshmi was eating, too. The Los Angeles-based company has big-name chefs, nutritionists, and foodie gurus (from TV personality Robert Irvine to clean eating expert Keri Gassman) create a range of recipes. You just need to find a favorite, place your order, and you’ll receive all the pre-portioned ingredients you need (organic wherever possible) to get dinner on the table. And if phrases like “mince garlic” send you into panic mode, don’t worry: Chef’d has videos demonstrating cooking techniques on its website. Some recipes called for cooking techniques I haven’t dared try at home otherwise (poached fish anyone?). But thanks to the step-by-step directions, I plated a perfectly cooked piece of fish.
Healthy factor: Chef’d offers a range of recipes to meet your healthy, gluten-free, or Paleo needs, like the Mediterranean Citrus Poached Halibut from Top Chef alum Fabio Viviani or the Green Chili Turkey and Cilantro Rice Bowl from Chris and Heidi Powell of ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss. And, if you’re a Tone It Up Nutrition and Bikini Bundle member, you can sign up to receive weekly dinner meals, all approved by the Tone It Up nutrition team.
Need-to-know: Freshly promises healthy meals in two minutes or less—in other words, it’s your alternative to ordering Seamless on days when you’re too busy to even set the table (never mind cook). Your meals arrive at your door—not frozen, but fully cooked—so that all you have to do is reheat. Choose breakfast, lunch, or dinner from Freshly’s weekly menu, with Three Bean Ancho Turkey Chili and Denver Omelette among the customer favorites. And yes, they plan on expanding their menu throughout the year.
Healthy factor: All meals are high in protein, low in carbs, and contain zero gluten, refined sugars, or hormones. Curious about the nutritional profile of each dish? Just head to the website for ingredient lists and nutrition info. And to cut down on food waste, Freshly also donates extra meals to local shelters and farms.
Need-to-know: Green Blender is here to help you break out of your smoothie rut. Each week the company sends you five seasonal smoothie recipes and all the pre-portioned ingredients you need to make two 12-ounce servings of each smoothie. Founder Jenna Tanenbaum finds inspiration for recipes everywhere, from cheesecake and mojitos to seemingly un-smoothie-fiable foods like salads. And perhaps most impressive, the company has yet to repeat a smoothie recipe.
Healthy factor: The smoothie kits are packed with organic, non-GMO produce and superfoods—including all-star ingredients like goji berries and camu camu that not everyone has access to at their local supermarket. Case in point: Subscribers recently received a mandarinquat (AKA a hybrid of a mandarin orange and a kumquat), which is said to taste a bit like a Sour Patch Kid.
Need-to-know: If you care about where your veggies come from, meet Green Chef. It’s the first USDA-certified organic meal kit (which covers synthetic pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs). Choose from five different menu types—vegetarian, omnivore, carnivore, gluten-free, or Paleo—then your delivery date. Weekly menus are available online so you’ll know what’s available. Each box is jam-packed with all the fixings to make three meals for two people in less time than it takes to catch up on the most recent episode of Girls (think 20–35 minutes). Plus, you can add additional servings and change your menu preference with each delivery. And for those who like a nice neat fridge, the ingredients come color-coded.
Healthy factor: About 95 percent of Green Chef’s ingredients are organic, and they vet their suppliers to ensure they maintain ethical and sustainable practices. Meals all lean toward the good-for-you side of things, with entrees like Lemon-Dill Broiled Salmon, Herb-Roasted Tempeh, and Quinoa and Spinach Fritters recently dropped off with subscribers. A highlight: The Sweet Potato Noodle Bake. It was jam-packed with veggies and the smoky almond bread crumbs added just the right crunch on top.
Need-to-know: Think of HelloFresh as the Food Network-approved cousin to Blue Apron and Plated (Jamie Oliver is a partner, creating one recipe a week for subscribers). Straightforward, easy-to-follow, and also—and this is key—hard to mess up, the directions walk you through every step of preparing dishes like Mahi Mahi Piccata (which was surprisingly rich in flavor, considering how few ingredients it had). Their recipe cards even tell you how difficult each dish is to make, in case you’re still very much on the “How do you sauté?” end of the cooking spectrum. And for every HelloFresh box purchased, they’ll donate to the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation.
Healthy factor: Their on-staff registered dietician evaluates every meal before it appears on the menu to make sure it’s balanced and healthy. Plus, they make nutrition labels available on their website, boxes, and recipe cards.
Need-to-know: Get the mint juleps ready, because every week PeachDish offers four Southern- and seasonally-inspired meals (typically two vegetarian options and two meat- or fish-based choices) delivered to members. You’ll get to learn about—not to mention cook with—menu mainstays of the South, like middlins (AKA broken rice that’s a bit like grits).
Healthy factor: This isn’t your grandmother’s biscuits and gravy. For example, PeachDish’s Smothered and Covered Chicken with Herb Grits and Celery Salad is a lightened up version of a southern favorite, with skinless chicken breasts pan-seared instead of dropped into a deep fryer. And the flavorful Pork and Gold Rice Middlins was like a Southern version of risotto, but without all the cheese. Ingredients are regionally and seasonally sourced and organic wherever possible. And nutritional facts for each meal are available online and on the recipe card.
Need-to-know: Maybe you can’t find high-quality, Paleo-friendly ingredients. Or you’ve had the same steak and roasted veggie combo on repeat for weeks. Or maybe you just can’t imagine cooking dinner after a crushing a WOD. Whatever it is, Pete’s Paleo will take care of you. The San Diego-based company plans, shops, cooks, and delivers meals from its weekly seasonal menu right to your door. Think Ethiopian Spiced Duck with Roasted Bell Peppers and Gold Beets and Braised Pork with Sweet Potato Hash and Braised Celery. All you have to do is reheat and serve (setting the table: optional).
Healthy factor: Since it’s Paleo, you know your meals will be full of grass-fed and pastured protein and in-season produce, as well as free of gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, and sweeteners. Plus, the delivery service has developed relationships with local suppliers and farmers from whom they source ingredients.
Need-to-know: If you drool over the brightly colored veggies at your local farmers’ market, you’ll love Purple Carrot. Former New York Times columnist and cookbook author Mark Bittman teamed up with the vegan meal kit company to develop and curate your weekly menu of seasonal plant-based meals. (Think Mushroom Pho with Fresh Tofu Skins and North African Orzo Risotto with Raw Fennel Salad.) The week’s menu debuts every Friday and can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. In case you needed that extra push, it will finally convince you that going vegan is easy.
Healthy factor: Purple Carrot tracks down organic (whenever possible) and always non-GMO ingredients for the plant-based, whole food meals. When you open the box, you’re greeted by elegantly designed recipe cards, which provide directions, nutritional info, and a little background on each dish—including the region it comes from and the adjustments Bittman made to make the recipe plant- and weeknight dinner-friendly.
Need-to-know: Sakara wants to help you fill your plate with good-for-you, plant-rich whole foods that, yes, are incredibly Instagrammable. The organic food service (which up until recently was only delivery to New York City) serves up creative salads jam packed with colorful veggies, trendy superfoods, and healthy grains, as well as unexpected sandwiches (like a red beet burger) on the seasonal weekly menu.
Healthy factor: The combination of plant-based protein, vegetables, and superfoods are designed to nourish you from the inside out. Meals are free of gluten, dairy, eggs, meal, and seafood, and ingredients are organic. And for those on the East Coast and Southern California, Sakara Life can accommodate up to three allergies for an additional fee.
Need-to-know: Veestro cooks up plant-based, whole food meals, freezes them, and then delivers their fully-cooked meals to your door. So: No washing, prepping, cooking, or cleaning up for you! It was created by a brother-sister duo who had a hard time eating healthy, given their over scheduled lives. (Sound familiar?) You’ll find entrees like Red Curry with Tofu and Veggies, Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce, and an Enchilada Casserole, along with salads, soups and desserts.
Healthy factor: All of Veestro’s meals are 100 percent plant-based and made with organic, non-GMO ingredients—and free of preservatives. While some foodies may turn up their noses at frozen food, the meals are frozen when fresh so they arrive ready to reheat. While we did find that the meals had to be reheated longer than the instructions indicate, you’ll still enjoy your meal relatively quickly and with minimal cleanup.
© 2017 Healthy Food Deliver. All rights reserved.
