I’m a Vancouver-based mom and writer who loves to cook. Hope you enjoy!COVID-19 Update
With strict self-isolation measures in place, Vancouverites have been cooking at home a lot more than usual. People have been finding meal kit companies a sanity-saver during the pandemic. If you’re tired of trying to figure out what to cook or if you’re looking to cut down on grocery store runs, meal kits are here to help.
Are Meal Kits Safe To Use During The Coronavirus Pandemic?
According to the World Health Organization, there is no evidence that points to COVID-19 being transmitted through food nor food packaging. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations explains that the virus spreads from person to person, not from packaging to person since the virus has low survivability on surfaces.
Safety Precautions To Take When Handling Meal Kits
Local and international authorities say that risks associated with food and meal kits are very low. However, if you are still concerned, you simply need to wash your hands after handling meal kit packaging, after putting the ingredients away, before you start cooking and before you eat. When you wash your hands, use soap and wash for at least 20 seconds. It’s also good practice to disinfect countertops prior to food prep.
And don’t forget to opt for contactless delivery.
Lastly, read about how meal kit companies are responding to COVID-19 to see if the service you’re considering measures up.
Updated on May 4, 2020
The new year is fast approaching and with it comes many resolutions to eat healthier.
When researching ways to eat a more nutritious, well-rounded diet, the idea of “meal prepping” is often shared. Typically, the act of meal prepping involves preparing big batches of healthy food ahead of time, ensuring that you are never without a nutritious option. There are over 9-million posts on Instagram tagged #mealprep. Popular meal prep menus include steamed veggies, baked proteins and whole grain rice.
The idea of having wholesome food available all week with minimal nightly effort seems incredible… but when you’re facing your third meal of steamed broccoli and lentils it can be really hard not to order some delicious take out or fill up on leftover holiday chocolates.
An alternative to meal prepping is making fresh, healthy meals every day, but if the thought of shopping, chopping and baking exhausts you then a meal kit delivery service might be for you.
Meal kit delivery companies have been popping up all over the globe in recent years. By supplying easy to follow recipes and all the required ingredients, meal kit delivery services offer an amazing DIY approach to healthy eating. They are a great alternative to Sunday meal preps or nightly cooking sessions for the health-conscious, busy family, or anyone just looking to mix up their regular mealtime routine.
I’ve rounded up 5 of my favourite vegan/veggie meal kit delivery available in Vancouver to share with you.
The Good Stuff
The Good Stuff is a Vancouver-based company that offers pre-packed cups filled with everything you need to quickly blend a delicious and nutritious smoothie each morning. All you need is a blender and any liquid you have on hand, like almond milk or coconut water.
Smoothie packs are delivered frozen, ensuring produce remains at the peak of freshness until blended. The Good Stuff is doing their part to reduce waste by packing their smoothie ingredients into recyclable cups that once blended, your smoothie will perfectly fit back into. The smoothie pack top even has a perforated slot for their supplied paper or glass straws.
You have the choice or ordering curated packs for specific interests like weight loss, muscle gain and overall health or you can pick whichever smoothies you want and create your own box. And all their smoothies are vegan!
The Good Stuff’s smoothies are competitively priced between $6 and $7 per 16oz smoothie.
Fresh In Your Fridge
Fresh in Your Fridge
$32.92Fresh In Your Fridge was founded in Vancouver by a holistic nutritionist. This service is as convenient and personalized as they come. It starts with a consultation with a certified holistic nutritionist who takes note of your dietary needs, lifestyle, and preferences. Your nutritionist then designs a weekly meal plan, does the grocery shopping and cooking, before dropping off delicious meals at your home.
Fresh in Your Fridge caters to every specialized diet including the vegan diet. Meal plan options are available for one person, couples, and families. They use 70-100% organic ingredients and work with any type of allergy or dietary restriction.
Price per Plate:
- $325 for 8 meals ($40.63/meal)
- $485 for 16 meals ($30.31/meal)
- $605 for 24 meals ($25.21/meal)
If you’re interested in trying Fresh In Your Fridge, mention ‘MKC’ when filling out the intake form for 10% off your first order.
Fresh Prep
Fresh Prep’s Cashew Rice Noodle
Fresh Prep
$10.36| Delivers to: | Canada |
|---|---|
| Dietary Plans Available: | Diary Free, Gluten Free, Pescatarian, Vegan, Vegetarian |
| Dinners for: | Two (Couple), Four (Family) |
| Price per Plate | $10 to $15, $5 to $10 |
| Free Shipping? | Yes |
| Intro Deal: | First 2 meals free |
| Sustainability | Ocean Wise, Recycling, Sustainability |
| HQ Location | Vancouver |
Founded in Vancouver using ingredients sourced from BC farms, Fresh Prep delivers up to 4 ready-to-make meals per week right to your door. Their meals are individually packed in a reusable cooler bag. Each kit contains all of the ingredients you need to make your meal and a recipe card (which you can use again to remake favourites.)
Fresh Prep recipes take under 30 minutes to make, all ingredients are premeasured and chopped for your convivence. Fresh Prep changes their recipe offerings by season and even gets in the holiday spirit by offering recipes like “scary pizza” at Halloween.
Fresh Prep offers a few staple meals that repeat every week for about four weeks, meaning you can reorder your favourites. Fresh prep has 2-3 vegan / vegetarian meal options per week. You can view upcoming menus on their website, allowing you to easily decide what to order ahead of time, I’m looking forward to lentil sloppy joes and creamy sundried tomato gnocchi.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh
$12.72| Delivers to: | Australia, Canada, Europe, United States |
|---|---|
| Dietary Plans Available: | Low-calorie, Vegetarian |
| Dinners for: | Two (Couple), Four (Family) |
| Price per Plate | $5 to $10 |
| Free Shipping? | Yes for order above $50 |
| Intro Deal: | Yes |
| Sustainability | Recycling |
| HQ Location | Germany |
HelloFresh was founded in 2011 in Germany, making them the elder statespeople of the list. Their first few customers received hand packed grocery bags with recipe ingredients. Since then, the company has grown across the world to offer customers up to 4 recipes per week.
HelloFresh has 3 options; a family plan, a pronto plan (quick meals) or a veggie plan which has up to 3 recipes per week at $12.33 per serving, including their mouthwatering open-faced mushroom melt.
You can purchase Hello Fresh gift certificates online which make an excellent gift for all of the busy professionals in your life.
Chefs Plate
Chefs Plate’s Smoky Mushroom Avocado Bowl
Chefs Plate
$8.99| Delivers to: | Canada |
|---|---|
| Dietary Plans Available: | Vegetarian |
| Dinners for: | Two (Couple), Four (Family) |
| Price per Plate | $10 to $15, $5 to $10 |
| Free Shipping? | Yes |
| Intro Deal: | First 2 meals free |
| Sustainability | Ocean Wise, Sustainability |
| HQ Location | Toronto |
Chef’s Plate is a Canadian brand focused on sustainability and corporate responsibility. They were actually recent acquired by HelloFresh (above), but they still operate separately with their own menu. Their ingredients are sourced from Canadian farmers whenever possible.. They work closely with Second Harvest and local food banks to donate over 50k meals annually, they have a food waste percentage of less than 1% (compared to the Canadian average of 40%.)
Chef’s Plate offers a special vegetarian meal plan of up to 4 recipes weekly, including some 15-minute meals, like spiced sweet potato curry for especially busy evenings. They have also recently lowered their prices to remain competitive in this ever-growing space.
See more meal kits in our reviews section.