First of all, I’d like to apologize for being MIA. I’m sure the situation doesn’t actually warrant an apology, and I’m worrying over nothing. Still, I fully intended to be present and provide you with information and recipes for the last couple of weeks.
Unfortunately, the move from Hawaii to Kansas was more difficult than I could have anticipated.
But, with the NEW YEAR quickly approaching (are you a New Years Resolutioner?), you may be looking for ways to improve your health and wellness that are convenient and fit your lifestyle.
SO I thought I would discuss a few of the meal prep/planning companies I’ve used previously and a few that are on my radar.
*If you’d like me to review a specific meal prep company, please comment on this post, and I’ll make a separate (or more thorough post).
The following companies are listed based on my first to most recent experience.
Fuel Meals: My first experience with a meal prep company was WAYYYY back in January of 2015. I initially explored this company because they delivered to where I would be TDY for a six-week military training course. It’s been nearly five years since I’ve tried their service, but I do remember being pretty satisfied with their clean food/“bro diet” meals. Like 7/10 (which is honestly as satisfied as I can get on a “bro diet.”
They’ve changed their website and now offer meal services based on meal plans (and for various dietary preferences to include keto), which is excellent. Additionally, Fuel Meals allow you to order by the pound, which could be helpful during a bulk or in a large family. Their price range is $7-$13 dollars per meal plus shipping, and they offer a 10% discount for making your order a weekly subscription. I’m sure SO MUCH has changed in the last five years for this company, so go ahead and check them out if you’re looking for a meal prep service that delivered food right to your door!
Good Clean Food: This company is a local Hawaii Company providing Paleo/ Whole30/Plant Based/Keto and Clean food meals. The company uses local ingredients, and they’re not your typical food. Meal Prices range from $10-$15, and meals are delivered (up to twice a week) to a local refrigerator (located in CrossFit gyms across the island). I tried Good Clean Food in 2016 when I was pregnant and unfortunately struggled with the higher-fat meals. I also found the pickup to be a little inconvenient as I wasn’t apart of a CrossFit gym at that time, so picking up my meals at a convent time was a little bit of a struggle (schedule-wise). If you’re on Oahu and you’re looking for a meal prep company (and you don’t have intolerances to higher fat diets), check them out!
Bite Meals: Bite meals was the first meal prep company I used after having Addison (early 2017). I was looking to stock my fridge and freezer with healthy and quick meals. My first two deliveries were incredible, but my husband felt like it wasn’t enough food, so we ended up eating out a lot, which made ordering meals a little wasteful. I’ll say that flavor-wise, there wasn’t a meal I didn’t like. Bite Meals also change their menu pretty frequently, which I thoroughly enjoyed (especially their Thanksgiving meals that year). They came with scratch-off tickets that gave you discounts on your future order. I actually even attempted a second run at Bite Meals and noticed I experienced more issues with shipping (and damaged containers/meals) than I had before. I wouldn’t call this a foul on the company because I honestly never reported the issues to them. I also watched a Youtube video by Registered Dietician Kara Corey (https://youtu.be/mOVNFTYuXgc) about Bite Meals macros, possibly being inconsistent with food weight (which is a risk you assume anytime you eat out or don’t prep your food). This video, combined with the understandable but extremely expensive shipping costs were why I decided to end my subscription. I’m sure many things have changed since I was subscribed to Bite Meals, so please feel free to check them out (and their recent reviews) if you’re looking for a meal prep company!
Blue Apron: Prepping for this move (obviously we’re in the present now), I decided that I wanted to try Blue Apron. This was my first meal KIT delivery service, but I wanted to try my hand at cooking out of the box (but healthy) meals for my family. I purchased the three meal-four serving plan, which breaks down to about $33 per meal and $8 (+ some change) per serving. So far, Blue Apron has been my favorite experience because it forces me to do something I enjoy (cooking). If that becomes a little too challenging to schedule in, then I can hold or chance my subscription to better fit my needs.
I’ve cooked 4 Blue Apron meals so far, and they’ve all been delicious. In fact, the very first meal I made was the one pictured (we were too hungry to take pictures of the plated food…. SORRY). It was incredible despite having made it without oil/butter/or cooking spray. It’s that easy that even though I didn’t have some of the extra but naturally necessary ingredients, it still came out tasting great. The meal ingredients come in their own, individually labeled bag, and each meal comes with a recipe chart. My experience so far has been great, and I look forward to continuing this subscription (even if it’s only a weekend dinner type thing).
BUT, there are a LOT of other meal PREP companies out there.
A few that I’ve heard great things about are:
Clean Eatz:
This is a company I’ve recently seen “blow up” on social media by a bunch of East Coasters. This North Carolina based company provides catering, cafe pickup, and shipping to your door. I haven’t tried them, but if I did do another review (for blog’s sake), I’d order from this company. All of their meal plans have five stars, start as low as $8, and you may be eligible for free shipping. If you’re ordering a meal plan online, it doesn’t look like you get to choose your specific meals. That would honestly be a deterrent for me, and I read a few reviews from users who found that to be a little frustrating as well. No one wants to pay for a meal they don’t/won’t eat.
I assume the service /options are better if you live near a Clean Eatz cafe, so check them out and see if there’s a cafe near you.
Icon Meals:
I heard about Icon Meals from some “influencers” on social media that I admire. I’ve even considered trying this company out previously because the majority of people I’ve seen that have tried them have raved about them (yes, some unsponsored individuals as well). The only reason I haven’t tried this company before is that they’re just a little too high-calorie for my dietary preferences. I like to eat throughout the day and not over “spend” calories or macros on one specific meal. But if you’re bulking or prefer to eat only a few meals a day, I’ve heard their meals are on point in the flavor department.
The Crumb Corner 