Have you ever tried a meal home delivery service?  There are many types available, and they have a wide range of prices. I’ll be honest, I was looking for a way to gain some time back in the day.  I work full time and have a two-hour commute, and that doesn’t leave much time when you also need to help the kids with homework, get the kids to extracurricular activities, exercise the dogs at the dog park, cooking, dishes, etc.  It also takes time on the weekends to create a meal plan and shop for it.  I needed help, and it was worth spending a little extra money.

The most expensive services seemed to be those that that deliver freshly refrigerated meals that only need to be reheated.   To prevent spoilage, the deliveries are more frequent.  There are services that will send freshly made frozen meals to your door, usually in containers with dry ice to protect the products.  With these services, you can order larger quantities if you have freezer space.  This cuts down on the packaging and delivery costs a bit.  Another type of service available are those that package the ingredients for you and send it along with a recipe card so that you can make the meal yourself. 

Each type of service has its benefits.  First and foremost, convenience.  You won’t have to prepare a meal plan and a shopping list, and you won’t have to grocery shop and cart everything home.  If you pick the pre-made meals, the cooking portion is a timesaver as well.  There are plenty of options when it comes to meal types.  These services offer a variety of meal including balanced low-fat meals, vegetarian meals, meals for specific food allergies, Keto meals and many more.  You won’t have a hard time sourcing what you need.

I found that I loved bulk ordering frozen shakes for breakfast, but as time went on, I was honestly surprised that my favorite service became the one that delivers the ingredients and recipe card.  I realized that I loved the cooking part, just not the sourcing part.  And, I loved knowing that I prepared a homemade meal for my family.

If I had any tips to give, I would say to capitalize on any introductory offers that are available.  It is nice to try a service out in an inexpensive way to see if it is something you would like to continue.  Also, each service will usually tell you what pantry items they do not normally provide in their recipes so that you can keep them on hand.  For instance, they may not include olive oil when they give you instructions to sauté something.  And finally, I found I liked to keep extra vegetables on hand.  If the meals seem smaller than what you are used to, you can always add vegetables without adding a lot of calories.  Happy Eating!