It can be difficult to pick up and prepare fresh ingredients day after day, but online meal-delivery services can make life convenient and and help you out in a pinch. Quickly prepare a savory meal, pick a plan for losing weight or make a positive difference on the environment. These services will get a delicious meal on the table without you breaking a sweat.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron sends you recipes and the ingredients to prepare them, perfectly portioned for the number of people you plan to feed. The company partners with sustainability experts, focuses on reducing waste, and doesn’t use GMOs or added hormones. Blue Apron also takes part in regenerative agriculture, a practice that returns the soil to its natural, healthy state rather than destroying or depleting it as some farming methods can do. Shipping is free. Recipes change weekly and are never repeated in the same year. A two-person plan is $59.94 weekly, and a family plan is $69.92 weekly. blueapron.com
Hello Fresh
This service delivers fresh ingredients and recipes to your doorstep. You pick the plan and quickly prepare the meals at home. Meal plans include classic, vegetarian and family. Prices vary from $8.74 to $9.99 per person per meal. hellofresh.com/tasty
The Meal Prep
If you like shopping locally and want your meal already prepared, then order from The Meal Prep, which is based in Costa Mesa. All meals are made by local chefs and delivered to your door, the office or even your gym. Most meals are gluten-, soy- and dairy-free. They are non-GMO, low in sodium and fat and contain no processed sugars. Meals vary from $6 to $10 per plate. themealprep.com
Plated
If you desire slightly more indulgent foods, try Plated, which will deliver fresh ingredients for cooking anything from chicken taco salad to vodka sauce pizza and rich, peanut butter marble brownies. All dinners are $12 per serving. Memberships range from $24 to $66 per week. plated.com
Z.E.N. Foods
Z.E.N. delivers fully prepared meals to your door that can be heated in under 2 minutes with a microwave or under 7 minutes in mini-convection oven. Meal plan choices include paleo, vegetarian, diabetic, low-sodium and weight-loss meal plans. Z.E.N. offers juice cleanses too, for ridding the body of toxins. Select the length of time for your program to last and pick your favorite meals. Prices vary per meal plan. zenfoods.com
