Wouldn't it be nice to have a nutritionist/professional chef at your home to cater meals to fit your unique health and fitness goals? For some of us, that's a reality (I mean maybe if you're Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds). For most of us, we have one of two options: learn to cook and get good at understanding nutrition or use a meal prep company. If you enjoy cooking and know how to make healthy food taste great, maybe meal-prepping for yourself excites you, but if not, a meal-prep company is most likely your best option.
Today, we go over how a meal prep company can help you eat healthier and also reach your fitness goals.
Why People Choose to Hire a Meal Prep Company
Here are the main reasons people decide to opt in and order their weekly meals from a meal prep company:
Reduces stress
Making three healthy meals a day for yourself alone is stressful. If you're cooking for a family of 5, that's even more difficult. One of your children may not be able to eat nuts or soy, so now you need to study food labels like a hawk to make sure you don't accidentally cause your kid to have an allergic reaction.
Next, you need to find a recipe or determine what to make - and often that means making something you know your whole family will enjoy eating (that's no easy feat). Then you need to make sure you have all the ingredients and kitchen items to cook the meal. If not, you're off to the store.
If you're a busy parent, have a part-time or full-time job, are working on your health, or are just generally a human doing your best, meal prepping all the time can be stressful.
Helps you eat more balanced meals
Now, this is if you choose a meal prep company like ours at Primal Balance Nutrition for your meals. Our organic meal prep company meets these standards:
- Non-GMO
- Allergen-friendly (no nuts, dairy, or gluten ever - soy only for the vegans/vegetarians)
- Organic (*we opt in for local produce from farms nearby in Escondido over organic when needed)
- Whole foods only (high-quality protein, vegetables, grains, and potatoes)
- No industrial seed oils
- High protein
- Nutrient-dense meals
- Weight loss friendly
A meal prep company that uses whole foods, so mostly high-quality protein, organic fruits, vegetables, and organic grains is a win for your body. Whether you're trying to lose weight, eat healthily, balance out your hormones, or reach a set fitness, goal, a meal prep company can help get you there.
Hot tip: if you have a very specific fitness goal, such as if you're a bodybuilder, you'd probably want to try a meal prep company that specializes just in this.
Helps you balance your mood and blood sugar
Let's face it, we all get so hungry we get angry. A meal prep company ensures you can eat a meal once you start to feel those hunger pains kick in, instead of waiting to cook or order out to eat.
According to the Center for Healthy Eating and Activity Research, eating around 3 meals a day at the same time helps you maintain a balanced diet and a stable mood as your metabolism is engaged at optimal levels throughout the day. The goal is to eat every 3 to 4 hours to keep your blood sugar consistent so your stomach can properly digest food.
Saves you time
Meal prepping for yourself takes time. Just think about the time it takes to figure out what you want to eat, shop for those items, checkout at the store, drive home, unload your groceries, cook that meal, and then do all the dishes. With a meal prep company, all you need to do is order meals and then wait for them to get dropped off at your home or your preferred location.
Saves you money
The amount of money you save by choosing to order meals through a meal prep company is astounding! Seriously, we did the math and the total is around $800 a week in San Diego, CA! Remember your time is worth money and spending 3 hours a day meal prepping on average takes away from the time you could spend working or also doing something you love.
Gives you time to do what you love more
Think about the three things you'd love to do more of right now. How can you create more space for them in your life? Easy, by finding services that put more time back into your day. There's a reason professional athletes have nutritionists and personal chefs to cook for them! They don't have time to worry about their nutrition or meal prepping. A meal prep company that makes healthy meals is the next best thing. Although if you can hire a private chef, we honestly recommend doing so.
How to Know if a Meal Prep Company Offers Healthy Food
Not all meal prep companies are created equal. Here are some tips to consider before choosing a meal prep company:
Don't Pick a Meal Prep Company That Freezes Meals
Some of you might be thinking, well that's not so bad, is it? We beg to differ. Frozen meals just aren't that fresh. Plus, they can contain chemicals and additives to extend their shelf life. So, they don't taste great (we've heard some meal prep companies' meals taste like vinegar because of this) and they're not the best option - especially if you're trying to eat healthier.
Opt for a Local Meal Prep Company
A local meal prep company (like us!) will source their produce from local farms! Plus, if they're local to a certain city, then you're guaranteed freshness. We make our meals 24-48 hours before we deliver them to you. Delivery is also free of charge! Supporting local businesses supports the local economy too and puts more money back into the community that you live in.
It also encourages sustainable agriculture and promotes a safer food supply. Let's be more sustainable by opting for local whenever possible!
Ask if the Meal Prep Company Offers 1:1 Consultation Calls
Did you know our founder still hops on calls with clients to discuss their nutrition and fitness goals and provide them with advice? We're serious. You can schedule a call with us to see if we're a good fit and will work with your dietary restrictions. If we can't accommodate your needs, we will do our best to find a company that can.
Inquire About Food Practices and Sourcing
A healthy meal prep company is a transparent meal prep company. If the company you're looking to buy meals from doesn't know where they get their produce or meat from, that's an issue. If they beat around the bush and don't give you an answer, that's an issue.
At Primal Balance Nutrition, we are as transparent as possible. We source our produce from Specialty Produce here in San Diego, CA. We get our meat from Wild Pastures and our fish from PureFish. You honestly cannot get better sourcing. We also do our best to only use organic produce, although we do let people know 100% organic is not always possible - you know sometimes farms run out of organic produce. In the event that happens, we then choose hyper-local instead. So, you might not get organic cauliflower from Mexico, but you will get local cauliflower from a farm down the street from you instead. We think that's a big win too, don't you?
Ask to See REAL Pictures of Their Meals
We see so many meal prep companies with massive marketing budgets take stunning food images only to deliver food that looks like mush to their customers. How do you get around this? Ask to see images from previous clients. Ask your meal prep customer service agent to send over a picture of a meal they just made. Look up reviews on Yelp. It makes all the difference.
While our meal prep images may not be Instagram sexy, they still look good and taste INCREDIBLE, so we're okay with that. Here are a few for you to look at fresh out of the kitchen we use:
Can a Meal Prep Company Help You Lose Weight?
The honest answer to this is absolutely! Also, you need to do your part too, so that means choosing healthy meals, exercising daily, and eating regularly. We've helped clients lose weight here at Primal Balance Nutrition, but they also had to put in the work.
We also offer low-carb meal plans (you just ask us to make your meals low-carb when you sign up with us) where you can get more vegetables instead of carbs.
Be sure to check out our meal plans today to get your healthy eating habits back on track. And don't be afraid to reach out if you have a question - or two.