One of the biggest secrets to my weight loss success is that I cook 95% of everything I eat. I control the ingredients and the portions, making sure everything I put in my body is high quality and within my caloric window.
For those who don’t have the time/desire to shop for and cook everything they eat, Meal Delivery Services offer a convenient alternative.
But, while these services are marketed as a healthy option to dining out, are they really that healthy?
Let’s take a look at 3 of the most popular Meal Delivery Services and see the pros and cons of each.
*I have no affiliation with these products/companies and am not being paid by them in any way. I have sampled trials of each of these services and extensively viewed their menus/nutritional information to form my own opinion. Always consult a Doctor before starting any nutrition regimen.
HELLO FRESH
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Full Disclosure: I was not able to finish my week of Hello Fresh meals. While the menu is incredibly extensive, I found the ingredients to be less than, well, fresh.
I ran into celery that was coagulated and limes that had dried out well before they could be juiced. I also found the portions to be very small and barely enough for 2 people, despite their calorie count being 500+. The amount of saturated fat and sodium was also concerning, especially for the portion size.
That said, what I liked about Hello Fresh was the ability to make it myself and the freedom to divert from the menu and pick and choose how much I used of each ingredient. Having the ingredients and instructions dropped off at my door was very convenient and, if used as a base that allows your own creativity and cooking acumen to take over, I can see this being an effective tool for someone in a time crunch who still wants a moderately healthy and home cooked meal.
Overall: 6/10
GREEN CHEF
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Green Chef shares the same parent company as Hello Fresh but, in my opinion, has more options when it comes to dietary needs.
The meals on Green Chef are clearly designated Keto and Paleo, Fast & Fit, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Vegan, and Mediterranean. Hello Fresh isn’t nearly as specific. While the nutritional facts were similar to Hello Fresh in that its dishes are a bit heavy on fat, unsaturated fat, and sodium, Green Chef does get the leg up as they leaned more towards vegetables than grains in the meals I sampled. Plus, as with Hello Fresh, you do the cooking and have full control over how much of each ingredient you use.
With a more specific menu and similar price point, I would give Green Chef a nod above Hello Fresh, especially for those attempting to maintain a specific diet.
OVERALL: 8/10
FACTOR
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I was honestly shocked at the nutrition labels of Factor, especially considering it being so heavily marketed as a healthy meal prep option.
Every meal I saw had 30+ grams of fat and 15+ grams of saturated fat, nearly your entirely daily serving of the latter based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Further more, these aren’t boxes of ingredients for you to cook yourself. These are trays of ready to heat meals that offer essentially zero modifications outside of choosing not to finish the full tray. While the meals are very delicious due to the high fat and sodium content, I found very few options that I would ever include in my own weight loss regimen.
Due to a lack of modification and poor nutritional value, I would not recommend Factor for anything else a quick, convenient cheat meal that can due its part to ruin your diet.
OVERALL: 3/10
VERDICT
You certainly have options when it comes to Meal Delivery Services and, at the end of the day, you have to do what is best for you. In my opinion, finding healthy recipes on website like Skinny Taste are far better alternatives to any Meal Delivery Services.
It may take a bit more time, but I find it to be a much more effective way to control what you eat and how many calories you consume every day.
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