# Meal delivery services (fresh, frozen, packaged) -- anybody using one? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meal-delivery-services-fresh-frozen-packaged-anybody-using-one/915681 "2020-07-18T16:28:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meal-delivery-services-fresh-frozen-packaged-anybody-using-one/915681/1 "2020-07-18T16:28:33Z")
There have been a couple of threads in the past on this topic, but since the lockdown the subject has become timely again. I live by myself and meal planning has become tedious. I know: First World Problem. Still, there you have it. My sympathies to those who are meal planning/cooking for a household–different dilemma. The other members of my household eat crunchies from a bag and smelly substances from tiny pop-top cans, so they’re good. I’ve been looking at Nutrisystem, not because I want to lose weight (although I could stand to lose a little), but because I want someone to send me stuff to eat without me having to figure it out. Who has used Nutrisystem? I know there are different plans–I’d want the diabetic/low carb one. Another one I’m looking at is [Daily Harvest](https://www.afoodiestaysfit.com/daily-harvest-review/). It’s vegan, and while I’m not vegan, I’m okay with that. I’m fine with small portions. I do Intermittent Fasting, so I don’t eat breakfast. I’m not going to say money is no object, but it’s not a major consideration. I know it will cost more than if I get my own groceries. I’d just as soon it not be 10 times more on principle, but the convenience is worth some extra. I’ll keep on buying fresh fruit, salad stuff, milk. I have a friend who keeps chickens, so I can get good eggs. I don’t want the kind where they send you the ingredients and you cook. And I don’t need something different to eat all the time–I’m fine without a lot of variety. I suppose I could come up with a week’s worth of menus for myself and just make that over and over, the way I’m wearing the same clothes over and over and washing them on Saturday… and that might be the best thing. This may turn out to be a bad idea, but I’d be interested in other people’s experiences. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meal-delivery-services-fresh-frozen-packaged-anybody-using-one/915681/2 "2020-07-18T20:31:04Z")
well here’s a best-of list because there’s one for every category > **[We tried 21 meal delivery kits — here are the best of 2023](https://nypost.com/article/the-best-meal-delivery-kits/)** > > From HelloFresh and Blue Apron to Freshly and Purple Carrot, we tried 21 meal kits and food delivery services and chose the best.  maybe this could help… ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meal-delivery-services-fresh-frozen-packaged-anybody-using-one/915681/3 "2020-07-18T21:15:01Z")
Thanks. 🙂 I read that very article this morning. Daily Harvest is on that page, pretty far down. After reading more, Nutrisystem doesn’t look all that great. Daily Harvest is vegan and everything is IQF (individually quick frozen) on site. So it’s not like heating up frozen entrees exactly. Apparently, it’s more like microwaving the separate-but-heaped-together ingredients and then stirring them into the finished dish. It’s healthy stuff like kale\*, chick peas, tahini, quinoa… Whole Foods-type stuff. I can supplement from my stockpile of ice cream sandwiches. 😇 Make sure I cover all the food groups. . . . . . . . \*Dear God, isn’t kale over **yet**? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meal-delivery-services-fresh-frozen-packaged-anybody-using-one/915681/4 "2020-07-18T21:58:47Z")
I’m waiting on a Star Trek type replicator. Then I’ll be happy.😉 ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meal-delivery-services-fresh-frozen-packaged-anybody-using-one/915681/5 "2020-07-18T22:32:07Z")
A friend gets Fresh n Lean . [https://www.freshnlean.com](https://www.freshnlean.com). I’ve tried about a dozen of hers. Very tasty, though expensive. They always have sign-up specials which she says don’t run out. The meals are all pre-cooked, vacuum-sealed, not frozen. ---
**Author:** ![SomeDeadSinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@SomeDeadSinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeDeadSinger)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meal-delivery-services-fresh-frozen-packaged-anybody-using-one/915681/6 "2020-07-18T22:35:45Z")
I’ve used Freshly in the past and the meals were decent. Not as good as scratch cooking, but I expected that to be the case. Currently I use a service called Foodsmith that’s only available in the California bay area. You might want to see if there are smaller local services around where you live.