topic Re: Meal delivery plans in Community Chat

Meal delivery plans

goldensrbest — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 14:18:47 GMT

Taking a look at some,in order to see the plans one has to sign in.

Re: Meal delivery plans

On It — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 14:43:05 GMT

I encountered that problem when I tried to look. I hope others on here will have some information to share. I will be watching for responses.

Re: Meal delivery plans

AngelPuppy1 — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 14:37:40 GMT

Same here! I have been thinking about this but I want value as well as simplicity and taste. I hope some here will have some input as to what plans are worth the money.

Re: Meal delivery plans

cindyNC — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 15:41:09 GMT

My BF wanted to sign up for one after having a dish at his son's house. The dish he liked was from Gobble - which is not the most or least expensive.

He ended up selecting Hello Fresh and we received our first order this week. We live in the country.......UPS delayed the delivery for one day and one of the packages of meat in the shipment was broken.

Hello Fresh refunded our money for that order. Most of the dishes included in the free selections appear to use lots of ground meat. The soy beef bowl we had was very good, but the beef was greasy. Have not tried the pork burritos or the chicken sandwiches yet.

I have a second email account set up for all the food blogs I subscribe to - you could do that when you are checking the services out.

Re: Meal delivery plans

conlt — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 15:41:35 GMT

I had Freshly for a while and they have since went out of business. I found the meals to be repetitive and I guess part of the decline for me is that I do not like carrots. Almost every meal had carrots.

I got tire of the meals and sometimes would forget to cancel. I ended up with uneaten meals.

So my experience was just OK. at first, I liked the convenience but realized I could buy a few lean cuisine meals and have about the same thing for less expense.

Re: Meal delivery plans

goldensrbest — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 15:55:28 GMT

So much sodium in meals you buy at grocery store, i do get tired of thinking of what to buy, just me,i cook several times a week ,freeze.

Re: Meal delivery plans

Mmsfoxxie — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 16:07:50 GMT

I haven't used one in a couple of years but I've used Blue Apron, Home Chef, Hello Fresh and a couple of others that I don't remember the names of. They all were good but the portions were small and the slicing and dicing was very tiresome which is why I stopped. Never any leftovers to make a none cooking next day. Hello Fresh was the most expensive.

Re: Meal delivery plans

Rose429 — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 16:23:16 GMT

@goldensrbest I have been looking and it makes me mad that u have to give email, phone and payment on some to even look at prices and meals. I am alone and I get very tired of trying to come up with healthy meals or spending a lot of time in the kitchen to cook just for me.

Re: Meal delivery plans

PhilaLady1 — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 21:22:02 GMT

I have an apartment condo, and I noticed that one of my neighbors gets Dinnerly boxes delivered for a few years. Haven't tried it but looked it up, it's advertised as affordable and the reviews appear to be good. The website pictures make the food look delicious, but that's what they all do, so who knows? My point is that apparently she likes it because the boxes keep coming.

ETA: oh, I see what you mean. Unless I am doing something wrong, the website won't let me see what the meals, ingredients, etc. are, without signing up first. To heck with that!

Re: Meal delivery plans

Squirrels Are Trash — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 16:39:03 GMT

I subscribed to several Sunbasket, Munchery, Factor 75, Hello Fresh, and Blue Apron a few years ago. Most of them want your email in exchange for seeing their menu. I created a burner account. At the time, I was WFH at a very high-stress job (eventually giving me a stroke.) So convenience and prep speed were important.

All the selections get repetitive, and there were weeks where they would emphasize one ingredient so it would be in everything. Portion size was fine for me, but I'm not a big eater. I could imagine where a man wouldn't feel satisfied. I have no idea what they cost now, but at the time they were at the high end of reasonable (for me). There were lots of specials and BOGOs that I leveraged. At the time, getting myself fed in a reasonable time, with decent healthy food, was my priority.

Re: Meal delivery plans

Mz iMac — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 18:46:47 GMT

@goldensrbest @Squirrels Are Trash @PhilaLady1 @Rose429 @Mmsfoxxie

I live in a 50+ community. The majority of folks here use "Chefs For Seniors." From what I have heard, they are cheaper than the "meal programs" you see on tv all the time.

You may wish to check if there is one in your town or state.

chefsforseniors.com/

Re: Meal delivery plans

rockygems123 — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 19:38:57 GMT

@goldensrbest wrote:
So much sodium in meals you buy at grocery store, i do get tired of thinking of what to buy, just me,i cook several times a week ,freeze.

@goldensrbest

I cook also and what I found in Blue Apron, Hello Fresh (thought this one bad quality) and others that the chopping seemed excessive and I have good knife skills. Also there were specific steps and I felt off balance, I woudn't necessary cook this way so it was not good for me.

There can be lots of sodium in these meals too, it's a nice thought to get away from cooking once in a while though isn't it?!

I like the suggestion from @Mz iMac of Chefs for Seniors and I did check, there is a location here in the Denver metro suburbs, will be looking into it.

Hope you have one in your area, it may be a good option.

Re: Meal delivery plans

Mindy D — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 20:51:55 GMT

@goldensrbest wrote:
Taking a look at some,in order to see the plans one has to sign in.

@goldensrbest @I hate when companies do this. This requirement made me stop looking at Zulily and was recently cited as a major reason for the company's failure in articles I read.

Re: Meal delivery plans

Mindy D — Sat, 30 Dec 2023 21:17:21 GMT

@Mz iMac wrote:
@goldensrbest @Squirrels Are Trash @PhilaLady1 @Rose429 @Mmsfoxxie

I live in a 50+ community. The majority of folks here use "Chefs For Seniors." From what I have heard, they are cheaper than the "meal programs" you see on tv all the time.

You may wish to check if there is one in your town or state.

chefsforseniors.com/

@Mz iMac Thanks for this great suggestion. Their menu looks fantastic and you can choose for special needs such as low sodium, soft,etc. but the only problem is that a real, professionally trained chef comes into your home kitchen and cooks the meals. In my area the chef attended fine culinary schools and he's probably great. The chefs bring their own equipment. For some people this might be great but I don't really want to have someone coming all the time. I could not see the prices, but there's a ton of variety. You can view the foods without logging in but you can not see prices and plans without logging in.

Re: Meal delivery plans

Mz iMac — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:43:01 GMT

@Mindy D According to their website, they deliver at least in my county. Even the video shows them making a delivery in their own van.

I've only seen 1 "personal" chef come & go on my floor. My other neighbors have their meals delivered. Also, those not comfortable ordering using computers or cell phones, you can do everything "over the phone." You will be dealing w/your "personal chef."

From their FAQ........

The price of our services are region-specific and depends on your individual needs. Our goal is to provide an affordable solution that seniors can use long-term. For example, in Madison, WI where the company was founded we have clients that’ve enjoyed chef-prepared meals every week for 6+ years.

We offer three different service packages to meet a variety of needs: Standard, Custom, and Non-Standard.

The Standard Package: your chef prepares ~12 individually packaged servings of meals during a 2-hour home visit, depending on the items ordered. Select from our weekly menu rotation, with the ability to modify the dishes to meet your dietary needs and food preferences. The price of the Standard Package typically ranges from $140-$240 for grocery shopping, menu planning, and meal preparation depending on your specific needs, service frequency, and the market you live in. The average cost in most markets is $159/service. The cost of groceries is separate. Contact your local franchise owner for specific pricing information in your area.

The Custom Package: the chef prepares ~12 individually packaged servings of meals. Custom Package clients are able to have more control over their menu, and the chef can even utilize dietary information from your doctor or dietitian. There is usually an additional $10-$40 surcharge for the Custom Package depending on the scope of your dietary needs. The average cost in most markets is $179/service. The cost of groceries is separate.

Hourly Package: this covers basically everything else. If you need the chef to cook for 3+ people, prepare food for a dinner party, or want help with holiday meal prep that’s what the Non-Standard Package is intended for. The price for Non-Standard services depends on the nature of the job, and local franchises charge an hourly rate for the chef’s time, generally $50-$80/hour. The cost of groceries is separate.

Re: Meal delivery plans

CelticCrafter — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 00:56:46 GMT

@cindyNC wrote:
My BF wanted to sign up for one after having a dish at his son's house. The dish he liked was from Gobble - which is not the most or least expensive.

He ended up selecting Hello Fresh and we received our first order this week. We live in the country.......UPS delayed the delivery for one day and one of the packages of meat in the shipment was broken.

Hello Fresh refunded our money for that order. Most of the dishes included in the free selections appear to use lots of ground meat. The soy beef bowl we had was very good, but the beef was greasy. Have not tried the pork burritos or the chicken sandwiches yet.

I have a second email account set up for all the food blogs I subscribe to - you could do that when you are checking the services out.

@cindyNC my daughter and son-in-law get Hello Fresh and they do like it. I also think a lot of the meals are ground meat and I know I would get tired of that.

Re: Meal delivery plans

Mindy D — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 02:09:19 GMT

@Mz iMac @I'm going to recheck my local website and see if I missed something. Your post does say the Standard Package is a home visit and Special package is charged for hourly. This leaves me confused as to how a customer gets delivery. I'll look further. I'm thinking the delivery is with the Custom Package. Thanks.

Re: Meal delivery plans

SaveTheTurtles — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 02:04:10 GMT

I like to have control over what I'm buying and not boxed into something. Do people purchase these when they don't know how to cook?

Re: Meal delivery plans

ScrapHappy — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 02:10:23 GMT

My BIL uses Hello Fresh from time to time. He's a picky eater, well....he likes good food and he's a good cook himself. It's just sometimes he gets home late or just doesn't feel like cooking.

Re: Meal delivery plans

Lucky Charm — Sun, 31 Dec 2023 02:23:22 GMT

UPS just delivered my Sakara box today. It's for M-T-W, but I've already eaten one of the meals.

Sakara is very easy to work with, you can skip a week's meal. You just have to do it the Wednesday before.

Unfortunately, I forgot to either skip or switch my 3 day meals. (You can do 3 day meals, 2 day meals, or all 5 day meals).

So I got *stuck* with an icky meal, my fault. I could've doubled up on something else (or even tripled up on something I like).

I do 3 day weeks and choose Breakfast and Dinner, but those, too, you can switch up.

Sounds confusing, but it's not.

Great organic food. Things you wouldn't probably make or have or buy. But nutritous to the nth degree. That's what I'm mostly after. (You can eat and eat and not get the goodies your body needs.)

You can accrue points and can take up to $75 off a plan. You're not *dinged* if you skip weeks or if you cancel.

Great company (women owned!), great food.