Four Meal Delivery Services We’re Loving
With all of the extra time we're spending at home right now, our family has been experimenting with meal delivery services.
After all, cooking three meals a day while working full-time during the quarantine is no easy feat. Needless to say, this mama needs all the help she can get! Breaking down our faves below and what we love so much about them.
1) Hello Fresh
Hello Fresh was our family's gateway meal delivery services so it's one of my favorites. I was initially drawn to it because I had heard it's so kid-friendly and affordable.
That said, I wasn't so sure it would be the best fit for me due to my dietary needs. I'm a gluten-free vegetarian and I wasn't sure there would be enough options available. While the options are certainly a lot more endless if you don't have dietary restrictions, if you do, I'd still give this service a try!
I added my dietary needs to my order and when my Hello Fresh bags arrived at the door, I was pleasantly surprised. Each meal comes in a separate bag full of fresh ingredients and a recipe card. As one of the worst cooks ever, I wasn't sure how these meals would turn out because the directions seemed rather long.However, after diving in, I realized they were totally doable and the meals turned out so delicious.
They did take a good 30-60 minutes to prepare so with Hello Fresh, it's important to set aside enough time to cook. In the end, I felt like a bonafide chef and my family was loving it.
2) Raised Real
This is a meal delivery service for babies and toddlers and it's pure perfection. We initially fell in love with Raised Real when Naiya was Sadie's age and this tine around, we're loving it just as much.
You essentially enter in the age of your baby on the Raised Real site and from there, they send you fresh, organic baby meals curated for your tiny human aged from 6 months to 2 years. Each meal contains plant-based, non-GMO, big 8 allergen-free & nutrient-dense ingredients.
They're also big 8 Allergen-Free which was an especially big deal to us with Naiya.Meals come straight to your door in frozen packets full of fruits and veggies. You steam them (we use the beaba), blend them (for younger babies) and voila, he or she has delicious meals ready to go.
3) Sakara Life
Out of all the meal delivery services I tried, Sakara Life one ended up being the most organic to my natural eating style. The Sakara Life meal delivery program is based on a whole-food, plant-rich diet that includes fresh, nutrient-dense, and delicious ingredients.
Sakara's organic meals are based upon 9 pillars of nutrition: no calorie counting, plant protein, eat your water, greens, good fats, nutrient density, sulfer-rich foods and body intelligence.There's a customized weekly schedule (up to three meals a day) and I fell in love with them.
I felt less bloated overall, more energized and my skin felt like it was glowing. I also ordered the 10-day reset, a collection of teas, protein powder, bars and detox water drops that is so great--especially during the quarantine.
4) Green Chef
Our family fell in love with Green Chef! This meal delivery service functions much like Hello Fresh in that you order meals based upon your dietary needs.
That said, the difference lies in the fact that it's a certified organic company that uses significantly more organic, non-GMO ingredients in its meals.It also offers a wider selection of dietary plans--including gluten-free, paleo, keto, and vegan.
For this reason, Green Chef was especially helpful for my dietary needs and Naiya and Phil fell in love with it too.We made yummy sweet potato tacos as well as a bowtie pasta dish and both were fan faves in our house. It's a bit more pricey than Hello Fresh but since it has more options for people like me, I find it's totally worth the cost.
Have You Ever Tried A Meal Delivery Service?
What are your favorite meal delivery services? Did you try them before the quarantine or is ordering meals to cook in a new thing for you? Tell us all the things in the comment section below!
Photography: Azusa Takano