Eating well is now more convenient than ever.
Over the past few years, getting fully prepared and healthy meals delivered direct to your door has gotten a lot easier. Many companies have sprung up around the country catering to a wide variety of dietary and taste preferences.
With these services you can easily try foods you might otherwise never think to cook for yourself, while choosing meals that fit in your lifestyle and your budget. They tend to appeal to people who are “strapped for time but want to eat high-quality foods without the hassle of grocery shopping and meal planning,” says Candace Pumper, a staff dietitian with the comprehensive weight management and metabolic/bariatric surgery program at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus.
But with so many options out there now, it can be difficult to know where to start. Here are just a few of the top companies offering healthy, pre-made meals via mail order or subscription service.
BistroMD
If weight loss is your goal, BistroMD may be able to help. The Naples, Florida-based company offers fully prepared meals that have been portioned to promote healthy weight loss or other health goals. Developed by a bariatric specialist, BistroMD was designed as a weight loss program to fit a variety of different health needs including:
— Heart health.
— Diabetic friendly.
— Men’s and women’s health.
— Gluten free.
— Menopause.
The company offers several different plans:
— Full program — seven days. Includes seven breakfasts, seven lunches, six dinners + My Night (a structured break to practice what you’ve learned in eating for health) for $149.96 per week.
— Full program — five days. Includes five breakfasts, five lunches and five dinners for $127.46 per week.
— Lunches and dinners — seven days. Includes seven lunches and seven dinners for $127.46 per week.
— Lunches and dinners — five days. Includes five lunches and five dinners for $104.95 per week.
“A reduced calorie deficit, or negative energy balance, regardless of the macronutrient composition, is the most important factor affecting weight loss,” Pumper says.
Fresh n’ Lean
Fresh n’ Lean offers a variety of meal options catering to a wide variety of preferences and health needs, including:
— High protein.
— Paleo.
— Keto.
— Vegan.
— Low-carb vegan.
— Whole 30.
Recipes feature organic, seasonal ingredients, and all meals are GMO-free and gluten-free. Many meals are also marked as dairy- or soy-free. For meals that contain animal products, these meats come from grass-fed, free-range or sustainable sources. All are antibiotic and hormone-free. And the company offers free nutritional consultations.
The company offers a subscription program, where meals are shipped every Friday. There are also some a la carte options, but the minimum order for these items is $85.
Prices for the subscription plan vary by diet and frequency. For example, if you selected the 7 Days Keto option, you’ll pay $10.63 per meal or $159.50 total. The 7 Days Protein+ plan costs $10.36 per meal or a total of $155.35.
Jenny Craig
A long-standing brand in the meal-delivery-for-weight-loss category is Jenny Craig. This commercial weight loss program features prepared meals and snacks as the cornerstone of its approach to helping people shed pounds.
“Jenny Craig provides food based on the package you choose,” explains Emily Rice, a registered dietitian with the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. “This ranges from a few meals and snacks each week to a full day of eating.” The company also emphasizes meeting with a health coach weekly to learn how to make better food choices, set goals, boost your activity level and to help keep you accountable.
The company offers a few pricing options with no membership fees required:
— Simple meal plan, the “most flexible meal plan” includes 14 breakfasts and 14 lunches: $12.99 per day.
— Essential meal plan, the “most convenient meal plan” includes 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners shipped free each week for $20.78 per day. Desserts and snacks can be added for $3 per day.
— Max Up Weight Loss plan, the “most effective and holistic program,” which combines the company’s food with personal weight loss coaching for $26.49 per day.
Nutrisystem
Another familiar name in the field of home delivery of meals specifically for weight loss is Nutrisystem. The well-established company offers fully prepared heat-and-eat meals and snacks designed for weight loss.
Plans are tailored for men or women, and some plans provide access to counselors or nutritionists to help you stay on track.
Nutrisystem splits its programs into two categories that have different price points — men’s meals cost a little more (as they get more food to meet men’s typically higher calorie needs) and women’s meals are a little less.
— The four-week Basic plan starts at $9.99 per day for women ($11.64 per day for men). It includes five Nutrisystem breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks each week and free FedEx shipping.
— The Uniquely Yours program starts at $11.79 per day ($13.04 for men) and includes everything in the Basic plan plus a choice of over 150 menu items, unlimited frozen meals and snacks.
— The top plan, called Uniquely Yours Max+, starts at $13.21 per day ($14.29 for men) and includes all the Uniquely Yours benefits plus seven Nutrisystem breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks each week. It’s the best option for people who need additional structure and convenience throughout the week.
The company also offers partner plans that allow you to lose weight with a second person together. The Basic plan starts at $19.98 ($9.99 per person per day). The Uniquely Yours Partner plan starts at $23.58 ($11.79 per person per day) and the Uniquely Yours Max+ program starts at $26.42 ($13.21 per person per day). The company often runs incentives and promotions to help lower the cost of getting started.
Antonette Hardie, a registered dietitian at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, notes that the meals offered by Nutrisystem are specifically intended to support weight loss. “The taste of these products might not be palatable to some consumers, so be aware that you might not like the pre-packaged items from Nutrisystem.”
Trifecta
Trifecta’s target audience is busy athletes, but anyone can order this company’s healthy, prepared meals that are pre-portioned by macronutrient so you know exactly what’s in each bite. The company offers vegan, vegetarian, paleo and keto options. Weight-management meals are also available, and the company offers nutritional coaching.
Trifecta offers a wide variety of meal plans that range from $99.99 per week for the vegan and vegetarian meal plans to $110.99 for the Clean Meal plan, Paleo Meal plan and Keto Meal plan.
Veestro
If you’re looking for help starting or sticking with a vegan diet, Veestro may be the ticket. Veestro offers 100% vegan meals made with organic ingredients. Gluten-free, high-protein, nut-free, low-calorie, soy-free and kosher options are all available. All meals are vegan, meaning they’re free of meat, chicken, fish, honey, dairy and eggs.
The company delivers to the contiguous 48 states, but doesn’t ship to Hawaii or Alaska. Meals are shipped in quantities of 10, 20 or 30, starting at $12.82 per meal for 10-meal plan. The 20-meal plan starts at $11.93 per meal; the 30-meal plan starts at $11.03 per meal. Auto-ship orders are sent free, one-time orders are charged $9.99 for shipping.
6 top prepared meal delivery services:
— BistroMD.
— Fresh n’ Lean.
— Jenny Craig.
— Nutrisystem.
— Trifecta.
— Veestro.
More from U.S. News
12 Fruits to Eat on a Low-Carb Diet
Tips From Real People to Succeed on the Whole30 Diet
A Day’s Worth of Meals on the Keto Diet
Top Meal Delivery Services for Prepped Meals in 2022 originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 06/17/22: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
