Let’s face it – in today’s world most people don’t have enough time in the day to prepare regular meals. If you’re frequently on-the-go, working long hours at the office, single or all of the above, then you may be eating out a lot. Unfortunately, restaurant food is often loaded with pesticides, chemicals and excess calories and isn’t the healthiest of choices.
As a private chef, I support my clients with healthy, portion-controlled meals that they can take to the office or eat at home, but not everyone can have someone cook for them every day. Or can they…?
If you’re looking for an easy way to get healthy meals without having to cook, then look no further than home-delivery companies. I personally tried and tested a few different options and narrowed the choices down to four that I want to share with you. They’re all created for different lifestyles and budgets, so you can choose the one that fits you best.
VEESTRO
Veestro is a California-based company that was founded by Monica and Mark Klausner – a brother and sister duo who wanted to create an affordable line of plant-based frozen meals. All you have to do is go to veestro.com and choose a pre-selected pack or pick your meals a la carte. Meals will be delivered right to your door, so you don’t ever have to step into a supermarket.
Pros
– All Vegan
– Relatively inexpensive
– Can order as many of your favorite meals as you’d like
– Pick your own breakfasts, lunches, dinners and desserts
– Family meals
– Kids meals
– Juices are available with meals or as juice cleanses
– Gluten-free options
– Desserts are available
– Nutritional information is printed on each label
Cons
– Meals are frozen and take time to defrost
– Lacking fresh green salads
– Not as much variety
– Can’t customize individual meals
– May have to adjust your seasonings to your personal preference
– Individual meals range from $5.49 to $11.99 and packs start at $94.99. Use code S15A4G19 to get 15 percent off.
DELIVERLEAN
Launched in 2012 by Scott Harris and Olga Kuzenkov, DeliverLean’s mission is to make healthy eating easy and delicious. Just two years after its launch, DeliverLean is now the largest meal-delivery company in South Florida. It offers six different meal plans – traditional, paleo, gluten-free, organic, vegetarian and vegan. I loved that I could also order many different juices and cleanses from its sister company – OnJuice.com and have everything delivered together.
Pros
– Juices are available with meals or as juice cleanses
– Gluten-free options
– Organic meals are available
– Delicious healthy desserts can be added
– Six different meal plans to choose from
– Can specify up to three “dislikes” in your meals
– Dietitian on staff
– Affordable prices
– Menus constantly change for variety
– Calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates are stated on the label
Cons
– Minimum of three meals per day for orders
– Vegan meal plan will be improved in the coming months (they just hired a fabulous raw and vegan chef!)
– Not enough fresh leafy greens and vegetables
Three-meals-per-day plans start at $23.95 for traditional menu and go up to $54.75 for five organic meals a day. Mention BOCAMAG to get FREE Delivery. Visit DeliverLean.com or call 888/740-LEAN to get started.
AWAKEN FOODS
Founded by Josh Shader, a former chef at the Boca Resort, Awaken Foods’ mission is to create eco- and health-conscious meals that are tailored to each client. Before you begin, Shader’s team does an in-depth interview to find out your preferences, lifestyle, goals, blood type and even your Ayurvedic body type, which is your natural state of being. Based on all of your information, the company creates a tailored meal plan that will help you achieve your goals.
Pros
– Individualized and tailored plans to each client
– Blood type and Ayurvedic body type are considered in your menu creation
– Meals arrive in oven-safe glass, reusable containers
– Family meals available
– Delivery times can be adjusted to your schedule
– Juices are available with meals
– Gluten-free options
– Organic and non-GMO ingredients
– Menus are customizable
Cons
– More expensive than standard meal-delivery options
– Not enough leafy green salads
Prices range from $19.25 to $92.75 per day. Contact Josh Shader at 954/294-8833. Ask for a 15 percent off discount towards your first week, plus 10 percent off a two-month commitment.
FUEL FOODS
Created by Eric Leander, Fuel Foods is perfect for athletes, trainers and professional body builders who are looking for clean, simple meals to fuel their bodies. What I really liked about this company is that I could order everything online and I got to choose which meals I wanted to have and which ones I wanted to skip. I could also order multiple orders of the dishes I liked the most.
Pros
– No automatic bills
– Pick your own menu with meals you want and skip ones your don’t
– Order at any time of the day – you choose your menu online
– Even non-organic plan has free-range chicken, grass-fed beef and wild-caught fish
– New organic menus are launching this month
– Deliveries take place only twice a week and in the evenings
– Calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates are stated on the label
Cons
– Food was less creative than other companies
– Not enough vegan options or salads with leafy greens
– May have to adjust your seasonings to your personal preference
Meals range from $7.50-$10 each. Check them out at http://fuelfood.com. Call 1-844-The-Fuel for five free meals with your first order or use code BOCA online.
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About Alina Z.
Alina Z., aka “The Green Goddess,” is a certified holistic health coach, detox specialist and raw-food chef (she conducts occasional classes at Whole Foods in Boca). Prior to moving to Florida, Alina hosted her own TV show in Maryland—“Entertaining A to Z”—for people who didn’t have time to cook but wanted to eat healthy. Catch one of her web episodes at eHow.com, visit Alina’s website at alinaz.com, or follow her on Facebook (facebook.com/CoutureFood) or Twitter (@CoutureFood). The Green Goddess blog runs every other Wednesday at bocamag.com.
