meal delivery services, recommendations?
4 months ago
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Home Delivery Meal Kit Plans - Qs and (hopefully) As
Comments (42)Well, I received my HelloFresh box yesterday. (I canceled my subscription but I'd already paid for the first week of three choices) I haven't made any of the meals but here are a few of my first impressions.. Rory, I believe you signed up in the same week I did so I'll be curious to hear what you thought. I chose three meals-- a shrimp and asparagus risotto with meyer lemon, a spicy apricot chicken with green beans and couscous and a steak with tomato vinaigrette. Two were under 600 calories, one was at 630. That's a caloric range I am comfortable with... still, I feel the menus are wayyyy too light on veggies. Even more so when I opened one of the meal boxes. The quantity of asparagus was very small-- about the size (or even a bit less) than what I'd use for one serving. I am not completely anti-carb but I will often double up on veggies over carbs. the packaging was simple and the instruction cards were clear and seem to be complete. They are definitely worthy of saving for to make another time though I wish they were much smaller. I won't likely keep them. The quality of the proteins looks pretty good-- I'll know better when I prepare the dishes. I will say that given the initial week cost only $29, I don't think I'd have been able to shop for these meals on my own for the price... but then had I shopped on my own, I'd probably have ditched at least 1 of the carb side dishes (cheap) and added veggies/salad makings (more expensive). Petalique, I think you are right on target. I need to come up with my own ideas for "kits" and shop based on them. A number of the dishes across services are things I either already make or could easily make. I just need to be motivated to stick with the shopping. On a side note: I have decided to try the every other day fasting-- 500 calories one day, eat what you want the next day. This will require that I keep up with shopping so that I have good, fresh produce for the 500 calorie days. I am just going to have to get better about planning and going to the market. I don't plan on pigging out on the "eat what you want" days but I am going to want some variety on those days since the 500 calorie days aren't likely to have much variation....See MoreMeal delivery options--Omaha steaks? Others?
Comments (15)Thank you for all the feedback. I guess I'm always a little worried that the recipients might have said the food was good to avoid hurting my feelings? I have sent it to my parents a few times though and I think they would have steered me away if it wasn't actually good. Bonnie_ann, I am glad to hear that your SIL also said she appreciated the Omaha Steaks food. I think it is best to steer away from any of the meal kit services because I'm not sure either of them feels up to cooking--they got a double whammy this week. And they are well off enough financially that gift cards feel unnecessary if that makes sense. Thanks so much for all the feedback. I emailed my mom and asked if they had any particular favorites. She usually answers in a day or two so I will plan to place an Omaha Steaks order this weekend and go with her suggestions....See MoreOpinions of Freshly, the meal delivery service?
Comments (12)Am I correct that you want already prepared meals vs kits? Ubereats is super simple if it is available in the area-- but whether it fits her needs depends on what restaurants are available in her area. None deliver to my house but my parents are closer to the city and they have full offerings from a variety of different style restaurants... .diners to finer dining... healthy to indulgent. I'd go that route if only because of the variety and because you can decide NOW and have something at your door in 45 min. Some locations offer little more than pizza and sandwiches. I recommend you download the app and load her address in and see what they offer! If it looks like it will work, you can get an ubereats (or uber) gift certificate! There are local services here for meal delivery-- basically caterers who do it on the side or personal chefs... but you need to plan a week in advance....See MoreBlue apron or other meal kit services
Comments (23)I think it is worth a go if in a recipe/meal prepping rut. So many options now. Should be a fit for any diet need. Epicurious lists and rates a bit over 20 services. NYTimes as well. Most do have a good discount for a trial box. I would just make sure cancelling is easy. Some offer every other week delivery and most weekly . Many are customizable. Some are more advanced in prep and palate and some just for basic learning cooks but new flavors and kitchen experiences not unlike a cooking class. Carbon footprint can be argued on many levels. Your distance to shopping in person, how many stops needed, etc. Often more packaging in a bag of groceries from a local market. Every stocked shelf item comes in boxes. Shipped from the field to a processor to a central distributor to the grocery back room to the shelf. Lots of processing, trucking and travel hidden in the back room. If you garden, have fruit trees, raise chickens for eggs and fryers, goats for milk and cheese, etc... process for the winter by canning, freezing, fermenting...you've got a good argument about package waste. A couple tomato/veg clam shells, protein on foam trays, plastic bags of basics like onions and potatoes....a plastic bottle of dish soap. I know nothing about plastic manufacturing so I'm just making this up, 😂, but it seems like some single use products could make 30-40 small thin plastic bags....or more. If you purchase pasta in plastic, is goes in your pantry and used later. Empty a single grocery bag of its packaging and it will be equally abundant in wasteful packaging. Far from perfect, raise both hands, but this covid mess has solved so many of my issues using local grass fed meat share including fresh pasture eggs, straight to the freezer, no re-packaging, no clam shells, veg raw in box, no bags, Dry beans in burlap, no cans. Laundry and dish wash and washer soap in cardboard concentrates. Here is a link to a blogger that has a good review, HERE So many available but just picked one random as NYTimes has a paywall....See More- 4 months ago
- 4 months ago
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