Anyone use a meal delivery service?

[TheVTCGuy]

Well, one of my many self improvement goals is to eat better, healthier and not out so much. I can cook, but usually am too lazy and/or never seem to have the right ingredients. I wanted to have meals delivered that were almost ready to go, maybe a package with all the ingredients necessary for a meal and a very easy preparation plan; oh, and also healthy. I tried Blue Apron but found their recipes a little too complicated, took me a long time to prepare and I would usually end up eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead

Does anyone use any of these services? Have any recommendations for a bachelor that puts together an easy and quick meal?

[brandrea]

I applaud your decision toward making healthy choices Paul.

When my wife gets burnt out from meal planning, she’ll use Goodfood. Not sure if they have single size portions or not…

[~JJ]

We liked blue apron, but thought the recipe had too much prep time too. Tried a couple healthier options and they tasted like described. Haven’t found one that works for us, yet.

[Thug]

There’s a variety. I had friends use HelloFresh. They end up just cycling through the various companies to get the discount rate.

[JasoninDenver]

I find the options limited and the costs outrageous. Our neighbors signed up thinking it would be easier than doing the shopping themselves and let us be test subjects a couple of times. None of us were impressed.

They have gone to the Whole Foods delivery option and simply order pre-prepped veggies and meats there. I might try that.

[Dan Pierce]

Paul,

My wife ordered Hello Fresh during the height of the shut down and we were happy with the results. Everything needed was supplied. My wife did a great job w/ the prep & cooking. Some of the meals forced us out of our comfort zone with good results. The prices were not a bargain, but not a rip off either. Plus it was all delivered.

However, over time the portions decreased in size and many of our favorite dishes were no longer available.
dP

[Blansky]

While I'm sure these companies work okay.

The problem is something like Weight Watches, in that it removes the person from the equation and the "ritual" of making/preparing healthy food.

And what soon happens is that preparation, from the study, to the shopping/farmers markets, to the spices, to the fun of doing the cooking and trying new things is never achieved.

Farming it out to someone else, whether it's a store, a deli, or the maid, to make it a lifestyle it needs to be done by the individual. It's a conversion, and a metamorphosis, that happens to make a person healthy. And once you do the conversion you will never go back to eating manufactured "food".

Using a proxy, the person soon gets lazy, stops ordering and will revert back to eating crap.

Personally I think the ritual and the lifestyle are an integral part of healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle. And it's a basic human craft, to know how to make your own food.

And chicks dig it.

One trick I learned is to plan the meal (evening meal) the day before or that morning and have the ingredients ready, the meat thawed that morning, and every thing planned out, so when you get home in the afternoon you're set to go. If you don't, when you come home you may plunk yourself in front of the TV and finally drag your ass up at 6 and have some junk instead.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Dan Pierce

…

However, over time the portions decreased in size and many of our favorite dishes were no longer available….dP

This is a good point … I wonder why they do that. It was the same with Goodfood.

We also found that we needed to add extra spices to make the food more tasty. Not always, but often enough. No big deal, but sometimes it tasted bland without some extra added pizzazz.

Still a great option for those who don’t love menu planning and cooking

[Danny83]

Paul you live like 5 mins from Whole foods

[Sperry]

A neighbor did (before she moved into a 'community'. I shoveled her walk, tidied up, and generally we were close. When she realized how much extra food was being delivered by the meals service she called me over and regularly dumped boxes and bags of healthy, quality prepared food items on me.

I gained forty pounds.

[Atone]

For what it’s worth I get blue apron for about 2 meals/week. The rest of the time I eat as cleanly as possible (no processed foods, MINIMAL if any sugar) and have felt great, sleep better and more energy. Bounced back and forth with this for the past year and a half.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Sperry

A neighbor did (before she moved into a 'community'. I shoveled her walk, tidied up, and generally we were close. When she realized how much extra food was being delivered by the meals service she called me over and regularly dumped boxes and bags of healthy, quality prepared food items on me.

I gained forty pounds.

Only 40?

Thanks everyone, and I was using another service when I (was) trying to lose weight. It was very simple as they were almost pre-made and ready to put in the oven, maybe add some sauce or something but it was quick, easy, and designed to be a health-weight loss option. But after a couple months it started tasting like cardboard. So, I am still looking.

[BrazenC5]

Lose weight? Protein shakes.

Sent from my SM-G781U1 using Tapatalk

[Chewbacca]

Dominos delivers meals.

[shaunylw]

Originally Posted by Chewbacca

Dominos delivers meals.

. No way you can eat that, you would get pepperoni in your fur.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[shaunylw]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Only 40?

Thanks everyone, and I was using another service when I (was) trying to lose weight. It was very simple as they were almost pre-made and ready to put in the oven, maybe add some sauce or something but it was quick, easy, and designed to be a health-weight loss option. But after a couple months it started tasting like cardboard. So, I am still looking.

Paul,

I did keto for a while. I don’t know that i would recommend keto, but carbs for me were the killer. I peel back the carbs and the weight falls off. I was around 194 at the highest and got to 178 within a few weeks. Now when i gain a few i watch the carbs and I’m able to take the weight off pretty easily.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Sperry]

To lose weight? Quit your job and focus on physical fitness.

Start the day with an apple sliced in halves, smeared with 30g peanut butter [easier to weigh the jar before/after to get a feel for the amount; 30g is not much!] Maybe five-to-twenty sit-ups.

Then to the YMCA for 30 minutes treading water in the deep end.

Home for a shower [chlorine removal] and a sliced grapefruit and banana bowl.

To the beach for a two hour walk. Audio Books are a great date.

About 2pm, a head of romaine with some shredded cheese and a can of no-salt tuna. Olive oil, vinegar, pepper, oregano.

Before bed, another apple. Or maybe a nice cut-up red pepper?

No alcohol, red meat, fried foods, restaurants, take-out foods.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by Sperry

To lose weight? Quit your job and focus on physical fitness.

Start the day with an apple sliced in halves, smeared with 30g peanut butter [easier to weigh the jar before/after to get a feel for the amount; 30g is not much!] Maybe five-to-twenty sit-ups.

Then to the YMCA for 30 minutes treading water in the deep end.

Home for a shower [chlorine removal] and a sliced grapefruit and banana bowl.

To the beach for a two hour walk. Audio Books are a great date.

About 2pm, a head of romaine with some shredded cheese and a can of no-salt tuna. Olive oil, vinegar, pepper, oregano.

Before bed, another apple. Or maybe a nice cut-up red pepper?

No alcohol, red meat, fried foods, restaurants, take-out foods.

Thank you, I appreciate the advice, but you misunderstand. I have lost 30 pounds since my heaviest ever, and almost 25 since the first of the year. When I wake up I have a peanut-butter and banana smoothie for breakfast. Lunch time I will have another if I am home, or something light if out. I exercise (almost) every day, today I did two miles on the treadmill and light weight training. It is the evening meal I am trying to solve. The peanut butter banana smoothie doesn’t give me enough of a full feeling and I can’t sleep. A lot of times, I am too lazy to cook anything and end up having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which is actually very satisfying and 300 calories. I shop, but never seem to have enough ingredients to cook even when I have the desire to do so. What I am seeking, is a service that delivers meals in single packages and need very little preparation and of course, healthy as well. Blue Apron was not.

[AzPaul]

Sounds like what you really need is a convenient place (or three) to pick up a healthy meal when you don't want to cook.

[TheVTCGuy]

Originally Posted by AzPaul

Sounds like what you really need is a convenient place (or three) to pick up a healthy meal when you don't want to cook.

Are you inviting me over for dinner Paul?

[AzPaul]

Originally Posted by TheVTCGuy

Are you inviting me over for dinner Paul?

Always welcome.

[Sperry]

No advice here, sorry. Metamucil is my evening go-to. De-Lish!

As the sage says, Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and sup as a pauper.

Going to bed hungry can be satisfying when you awake, but it gets some getting used to, as the stomach shrinks in size.

However, if I eat anything heavy after 3-ish, I sleep horribly. Generally I'll avoid food after 5pm.

[m j b]

Originally Posted by Sperry

Going to bed hungry can be satisfying when you awake, but it gets some getting used to, as the stomach shrinks in size.

Lucky you. I can't get to sleep if I'm hungry, or when I don't eat enough dinner my rumbling stomach will wake me later, and keep me up until I eat something.

Paul, if you want to do some Keto, I used "Factor 75" (linkie here) for a little while, and I probably lost a pound or two, but I think Keto is a bit unhealthy, what with all of the fat and red meat. I don't eat pork, and I try to avoid red meat. But it is very tasty and easy to prepare.

OK, I'll rarely eat a little pork bacon or a smidgen of pork sausage, but generally I try to avoid it mostly because it disagrees with me, not because of anything else.

I do most of the cooking in our family, and I tend to keep it simple and fresh. For instance, I'll cook salmon (broil) and just have a side of broccoli. If I'm real hungry, I'll add rice, but I'm trying to avoid carbs a bit (still need to drop 5 pounds). I have a killer recipe for ratatouille, so I'll make a big pot of that, portion out servings and freeze them so that it's quick and easy to reheat for a side. I also make big ole' pots of chili or vegetable lentil soup or my famous vegetarian lasagna - they all freeze great, so it's easy to defrost and microwave a meal.

All of these meal prep companies, aside from being expensive, don't do anything you can't do yourself. The advantage is for the time-strapped who can't do their own shopping, or those who can't come up with recipes.

A Costco or Whole Foods rotisserie chicken isn't particularly healthy if you're watching your sodium intake, but otherwise it's not bad. You've got your meal done right there, maybe with a big green salad or some fresh steamed veggies, and leftovers for chicken salad or chicken soup or just chicken for several days.

HTH.

Chef Michael