Home » Guest » Are Meal Delivery Services Healthy: Let’s Weigh In Are Meal Delivery Services Healthy: Let’s Weigh In Meal delivery services have surfaced in recent years as an answer to the need of many people for convenient food. Many do not have the time to do their grocery shopping and cook at home because of their busy schedules. At the same time, not all of us have the budget to eat out all the time. While meal delivery services are convenient, many people have one question – is it healthy? There is no single best way to answer this question. This will depend on several variables, such as where you are ordering and what you are ordering. Read on and we’ll try to shed some light on this question, and in the end, you can decide if meal delivery service is right for you. The Good and The Bad in Meal Delivery Before we answer the main question, let’s first talk about the benefits and drawbacks of meal delivery services. Convenience is perhaps their biggest selling point. Many of us do not have the luxury of time, and hence, meal delivery services are to the rescue. With meal kits delivery services, you can receive fresh ingredients with recipe cards. Others, meanwhile, provide ready-to-eat meals that you simply have to reheat when you are ready to eat. It will be a great way to minimize waste since orders are pre-portioned. Plus, if you are not good at cooking, you can enjoy tasty meals prepared by experienced chefs. You should also be aware of some of its drawbacks. In some companies, your orders will come with tons of packaging, including plastic and cardboard boxes. This can be bad for the environment. It can also be more expensive compared to cooking at home. Another disadvantage is that you do not have control over the quality of the food and the ingredients that you receive. Plus, meal sizes can be quite small, especially if you are a big eater. Meal Delivery and Your Health Now, let’s go to the main topic. If your goal is to pursue healthy eating, then you might want to turn into meal delivery services. It can be healthy, but this will depend on the choices that you will make. The most important is to pick the right company. This way, you can be confident that they are using only fresh and healthy ingredients. Other companies will usually add junk in your food to make the meals cheaper. MSG, salt, and sugar are also often added to enhance the taste. Preservatives can also be present to preserve the shelf life, especially if the food will have to be in transit for a long time. Choose Healthy Meal Plans In most instances, it is not about the meal delivery company but the meal plan that you are choosing. If you want to transition into healthy eating, then you need to choose your plans wisely. Regular meal plans are not calorie-controlled and can have ingredients that you will find unhealthy. If you are looking for a healthy meal delivery service, here are some plans that you might want to consider. Keto: With a ketogenic diet, you will be mainly eating foods with high proteins and fats and low carbs. This is a great choice for people who find it hard to stay away from meat. However, it can be heavy on fatty and processed food, so be aware of the ingredients in your meals. Paleo: Order this meal plan if you want to eat like the people during the Paleolithic era. Also known as a caveman diet, you will be eating a lot of lean meats, nuts, seeds, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Vegan: For those who want to go plant-based in their diet, look for meal delivery services offering vegan food. When you are on a vegan diet, you will not be eating animal by-products. Aside from eating meat, you will also not eat eggs, milk, and cheese, among other foods that come from animals. Low-Carb: If you want to lose weight, then calorie-counting is one technique that will work. To control your calorie intake, look for meal delivery services offering low-carb meals. This will help you shed extra pounds quickly, especially when complemented with regular exercise. Making Meal Delivery Healthy Aside from picking the right company and meal plan, here are other things that can help in making meal delivery services healthy: Order small portions. This will prevent you from over-eating. Also, order only what is enough for you to avoid consuming more than what is healthy. Meals should be pre-portioned, and calorie counted. If the portions are too big, divide the meal and save it for later. Build your menu. A lot of meal delivery services will let you customize the menu, giving you the freedom to choose healthy alternatives. This way, you will have complete control over what goes into your plate. Load up on fruits and vegetables. Whether you are creating a customized plan or ordering pre-planned meals, see to it that there will be lots of fruits and veggies as they are must-haves for healthy eating. Find the right way of cooking. Look for foods prepared in the healthiest way possible. Avoid those that are fried, especially deep-fried. The best ones are those that are baked, steamed, grilled, and roasted. Stay away from the condiments. Mayo, ketchup, soy sauce, and other artificial flavorings are often used to enrich the taste of food. While they taste good, they can be bad for your health. If possible, buy healthy condiments and use it instead. The Takeaway So, are meal delivery services healthy? It is not a simple yes or no. The answer is that it depends. Yes, it can be healthy, but this will depend on where you will order from and what you will order. You should buy only from reputable companies. More importantly, you should carefully choose what to order. Pick meal plans specifically designed for healthy eaters, such as vegan or low-carb meals. Also, be careful when it comes to food selection. Choose items from their menu prepared through healthy cooking methods using healthy ingredients. Our Weekly Newsletter Current fresh trends in holistic health and alternative medicine Effective self-care tips from TCM and alternative medicine Newly discovered healing techniques and natural remedies Simple and effective Anti-aging and weight loss solutions Solution tool kits for chronic disease management Astrology predictions and much more... Subscribe to our newsletter Your information is 100% secure with us. We will never sell, rent or share your details. Search FRESH TRENDS Harness the Ancient Wisdom of Sound Frequency Healing Why Does Your Health Start from Your Mouth? Ancient Remedies for Cancer Treatments Top 9 Best Health Posts of 2023 The Most Important Key to Accelerate Your Fat Burning Engine About the author: Lucy Liu As a Holistic Health Practitioner, Registered Dietitian, TCM Practitioner, Energy Healer, Master Hypnotist, Reiki Master, Advanced Theta Healing Practitioner, Author and Speaker, Lucy Liu, the founder of optimalhealthsolutions.ca, has gained a good reputation in holistic health after many years of serving patients and clients as a holistic health practitioner. Lucy has developed a unique and comprehensive approach, which combines Western Medicine, Chinese Medicine, Energy Medicine, and Alternative Medicine together, to help others achieve optimal health by creating harmony between the body, mind, and spirit, and maintain long-term success for healthy lifestyle changes. Read More To connect: Facebook: Twitter: LinkedIn: Book Lucy Liu as a speaker and view the topics she offers, please Click Here