The ever-proliferating meal delivery industry is changing the way we eat by making it easier to cook restaurant-standard meals at home. Here’s our round-up of the latest health and fitness food delivery services…
Fresh Fitness Food (From £23/day for three meals)
In a nutshell: Based in London, Fresh Fitness Food focuses on tailoring meals to your specific fitness and health goals. Whether you are looking to build muscle, lose fat or boost general health, Fresh Fitness Food will adjust the meal selection accordingly, earning it top spot on our round up of the best fitness food delivery services. Simply input a few stats regarding your weight, height and training, and a selection of meals will be formed.
There are a number of other dietary options available, such as gluten- or dairy-free, you can choose. The more options you select, though, the more limited the selection. The website also has plenty of information about how it calculates macros and calories based on your health goal.
Women’s Fitness tester, Christine Bailey, says:
‘Fresh Fitness Food is very convenient. A five-day trial will cost from £23/day (for two meals). You can select how many meals and/or snacks you prefer. The meals arrive between midnight and morning Monday to Friday, with the food for the weekend arriving on Friday. It arrives in recyclable packaging and many of the containers are made from biodegradable material.
‘Many of the dishes can be served cold or hot for convenience. For example, we tried the Cajun Spiced Chicken with red cabbage and cherry tomatoes, quinoa and chickpeas. Many come with a little pot of vinaigrette or dressing. However, the meals can be a little repetitive. We also received the same dish but with Cajun salmon rather than chicken. Similarly, we received two scrambled egg dishes so there is quite a lot of doubling up. This might be problematic if you are relying on these meals daily.
‘Hot meals on the plan require two to three minutes in the microwave, making them a quick and easy after-training option. Taste wise it was a little hit and miss. Some were delicious while others were not to everyone’s taste. It’s certainly a luxury, so if you are looking for a fresh, healthy option that arrives at your door this is a handy choice when it comes to fitness food delivery services.’
Grubby (From £16)
In a nutshell: Grubby is making plant-based cooking more convenient without costing the earth, earning it a spot on our round up of the best fitness food delivery services. It specialises in championing produce from British suppliers, and delivers London meals via zero-emission electric vans or bicycles. There are more than 100 plant-based recipes to choose from. You simply log on to the website, choose your meals and select a delivery date, then Grubby provides everything you need.
In the box, you’ll find pre-measured ingredients, accompanying recipe cards and even a QR code to curated Spotify playlists to listen to while you cook. Grubby also shows the carbon footprint of each recipe on its website. This means you can see the planet-friendly savings of your meal.
Women’s Fitness tester, Angela Kennedy, says:
‘I was excited to try this plant-based meal kit with a welcome emphasis on British produce and suppliers. The meals arrived in recyclable packaging with minimal plastic. The colourful veg was all firm and fresh, nothing soggy or wilting.
‘My first recipe was Thai Rainbow Quinoa with Peanut Sauce. It took just 30 minutes to prepare but did actually feel like I was cooking a meal rather than just heating things up. I enjoy cooking so this was a bonus. The result was delicious, especially the tangy peanut and tamari soy sauce.
‘The second dish was Lebanese-style Potatoes, Roasted Aubergine and Lemon Tahini Dressing. A hearty and filling feed, which was scrumptious. I had to cook the potatoes for a bit longer than the stated time. A sprinkle of toasted pumpkin seeds at the end was a great touch. I was very impressed by the inventiveness of both recipes. Definitely got my tastebuds tingling!
‘Although this kit is aimed at vegetarians and vegans, it’s a great choice for anyone wanting to get more veg into their diet. With meat-free recipes that fill you up and are popping with flavour, it gets a big thumbs up.’
Mindful Chef (From £5.75 per portion for a two-person meal)
In a nutshell: Mindful Chef offers a wide range of nutritious, pre-portioned-ingredient recipes for one person, two people and families. There are 20 recipes to choose from weekly. This includes Vegan, Flexitarian, Vegetarian and Pescatarian options. All meals are free from dairy, gluten and refined sugars.
Mindful Chef uses sustainably-sourced ingredients, including only LEAF accredited fruit and vegetables and 100 per cent British meat, free-range chicken and pork, grass-fed beef from native breeds and sustainably caught fish. The healthy food brand also boasts a Ready to Go range of chef-prepared frozen meals, smoothies, broths and soups, breakfast boxes and frozen desserts. You can purchase these from Waitrose, Planet Organic, Ocado and more.
Women’s Fitness tester, Louise Pyne, says:
‘If you’re bored of rotating the same go-to meals week after week, Mindful Chef’s recipe box subscription service will get you out of the rut by jazzing up mealtimes with wholesome, sustainable meal plans. I tried the family meals (from £4.28 per portion) and, as a family of four, loved that ingredients were pre-portioned for extra convenience.
‘Specific dietary requirements were also catered to, which was great. The menu changes on a weekly basis. Flavour is at the forefront with lots of herbs and spices included in each recipe to elevate simple ingredients. Portion sizes were ample and the step-by-step instructions provided in the recipe booklet made prep a breeze.’
MunchFit (From £9.99)
In a nutshell: MunchFit is a chef-prepared, fitness food delivery service that aims to help you reach your health goals with its nutritious meals. Delivering pre-prepared meals, that come in 95 per cent plastic-free trays which can go in the microwave, the Lean and Strong plans cost from £9.99 for two meals daily for three days.
Each recipe has been carefully curated, with an average of 550 calories, 25g protein and 45g carbohydrates per meal. You can also find the
full ingredients list and nutrition breakdown on each meal tray. There are four fitness-focused plans to choose from: Lean (low carb), Balanced (weight management), Strong (high protein), and Green (plant-based).
Women’s Fitness tester, Sarah Sellens, says:
‘MunchFit’s easy-to-cook meals (simply pop in the microwave or eat cold) couldn’t have been more perfectly timed. I was extremely busy and struggling to stay on top of my healthy eating goals, so welcomed a go-to option. As someone who loves cooking, I’m not used to the heat-and-eat approach However, I felt reassured that the meals had been lovingly prepared by someone else using good food and smart nutrition principles.
‘As a pescatarian, I opted for the Green plant-based option. Meals included the Za’atar Burrito with Courgette, Aubergine and Hummus, Char Siu Tofu with Konjac Noodles and Asian Greens, and Pesto Bean Croquettes with Pea and Leek Quinoa and Tofu. I particularly benefited from the hearty breakfast options, such as Spiced Apple Bircher Crumble. I rarely have time to eat well first-thing and often do morning exercise on an empty stomach.
‘With macros equalling 21g protein, 38g carbohydrate and 470 cal, it certainly highlighted that there’s a lot more I could be doing with my own meat-free cooking to upgrade my protein intake. My only bugbear is that some meals felt a little bit too light and left me hungry for more. However, that might just emphasise how I need to rethink my own portion sizes!’
Green Chef (From £39.69 for three meals for two)
In a nutshell: Green Chef is a new healthy recipe box from the HelloFresh Group that offers meals based on five dietary preferences – Vegetarian, Keto, Low Carb, Flexitarian and Balanced Diet. The aim is to make it easier to follow specialist diets without compromising on flavour or taste.
There are a wide choice of recipes to choose from, with 17 recipes being created weekly by their team of chefs and registered nutritionists. Simply set up an account and order through the Green Chef website or app. There is an emphasis on responsibly-sourced ingredients. Plus, Green Chef is committed to offsetting 100 per cent of its in-box plastic and direct carbon emissions, earning it a spot on our round up of the best fitness food delivery services.
Women’s Fitness tester, Eve Boggenpoel, says:
‘Long working hours recently meant my healthy eating goals had been slipping. So, I was keen to use a recipe box to get back on track. Sister company to Hello Fresh, Green Chef certainly follows suit, using the freshest of ingredients. Even the almonds were moist and crunchy.
‘All three meals I tried were delicious. The Apple, Feta and Butternut Squash Giant Couscous had a great combination of textures and the ingredients worked really well together. The sweetness of the butternut squash perfectly complemented the sharpness of the feta.
‘My second meal, Squash, Ginger and Green Chilli Dahl was beautifully creamy. The fresh ginger balanced the richness of the coconut milk to perfection. And thanks, Green Chef, for your method for cooking basmati – I’ve never got it that good before!
‘The final meal, Ras-El-Hanout Aubergine and Crispy Chickpeas was a revelation. So simple to make, the freshest-I’ve-ever-tasted chickpeas were easy to roast and made the meal feel extra special.
‘Timings were good, but I was a bit concerned about salt quantities: one dish had more than half your daily limit. While the scheme is 100 per cent carbon and plastic neutral, I’d have preferred more paper packaging for the food items. I would be even happier if they collected the previous week’s boxes for reuse, as some companies do.’
