As we have all been faced with varying degrees of staying safe at home, more of the meal prepping has fallen on us as part of our daily responsibilities. Sometimes it feels hard to keep up with and also be mindful of what we are eating. Some have found a real benefit in subscribing to meal delivery services.
There is a lot to think about when deciding on whether a meal delivery service makes sense in your life. Are they actually going to be more helpful? Can they be affordable? And equally importantly, are there plans that are health-minded and able to be personalized for me?
Here are some thoughts about meal delivery plans and the choices available:
Why meal delivery service plans can be helpful now—
- Easy way to plan your meals for the week ahead
- Allows you to budget
- Not wasting money with junk or unused foods
- Menus designed with ingredients for specific meals delivered to your home
- Easy way to home cook a meal when you are not comfortable cooking
- You can stay in place
What to look for in a meal delivery service plan?
- Choice in frequency—decide on what makes sense for you…how many meals do you want delivered each week and for how many meals a day
- Quality of ingredients—is it important that the ingredients be fresh or is is okay that the meals have been prep and prepared so all you have to do is warm it up
- Cost—the cost can very…the fresher the ingredients the more costly the plans can be…also the frequency and quantity of meals each week influences the overall cost
- How much prep is required by you—this is a really important question…all of us are different…be honest in what you are ready to take on
- Flexibility and variety in choice—each plan varies…make sure you find a plan that meets your needs
- Number that can be served with an ordered meal—if you are looking for individual meals or meals to serve a family make sure the plan you like can meet that need
- Calories—this is important to note because plans vary in the amount of calories per meal. Make sure to find a plan that meets your healthy lifestyle needs. In looking at the plans previously I found many of them ranged from 600-1000 per serving per meal. My goal is to find meals for 400-500 calories per meal.
How do I find plans?
- Ask your friends and those who share specific health requirements with you like those in the bariatric community or diabetes community
- Look to experts you respect
- Check out online reviews like: ConsumerAdvocate.org
Some examples of plans—as a place to start—
- Freshly- good for quick meals and single people
- Veestro- good for eating vegan
- BistroMD- good for special dietary needs
What to keep in mind once you have your delivery—
- Since most plans come to serve multiple people
- Remember to measure—Livliga helps! Use those LivSpoons!
- Remember to pre-portion for all intended meals from the order received
- Serve your meals up on right-sized plates and sit down to eat it to maximize the pleasure from your meal and the sense of feeling satisfied at the end of the meal
- Think about how the meals you order fit into the bigger daily plan and weekly plan for eating healthy
It is so important to find the rhythm and routines that support us in a healthy lifestyle. For some that can mean taking advantage of meal delivery services. Any way we can create a healthy food environment and sustain a healthy lifestyle is the right one for us.
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