Saturday, April 20, 2013

National Meal Delivery Services to Avoid


Having meals delivered on a consistent basis can be extremely convenient, especially when you are working on a busy schedule or unable to cook for yourself throughout each day. 

Unfortunately, not all meal delivery services and prepared meals options are equal, so it is important to find companies that provide healthy, balanced and delicious dishes. Knowing some of the least desirable meal delivery services available will help you to avoid them so you are capable of finding a service that is right for you and worth the investment.

Each link will take you pictures and videos of actual meals purchased for these reviews.

Tradition Meal Solutions

One meal delivery service to avoid is Tradition Meal Solutions, which provides nutritional meals that are easy to cook and ideal for senior citizens. Although the meals provided by Tradition Meal Solutions are no more than 625 calories each, the prepackaged meals are often watered down and without flavor. Many of the meals available lack in seasoning and do not reheat well when you are using a microwave.

Some meals available include chicken Parmesan with potatoes and vegetables, lasagna with brussels sprouts and even breaded pork patties with applesauce and spinach. The majority of the food that is offered from this service is highly processed and does not come from fresh ingredients. Additionally, prices vary based on whether you are using the private pay page on the website when placing an order. Most of the meals average about $6.99 in price, which is relatively affordable but not worth the value for the ingredients and lack of flavor you receive.

Mom's Meals

Mom's Meals is another meal delivery service that should be avoided if possible, even though the company promises freshly prepared dishes that have been created by their own executive chefs. There are no added preservatives in the meals that are available and all dishes arrive fresh to customer's doors. Unfortunately, many of the meals available from Mom's Meals can easily be compared to frozen dinners, making the $5.99 price for each dish unreasonable and a bit pricey.

Additionally, the service does not offer a no satisfaction guarantee and it can become difficult when requesting a refund for meals you do not enjoy or want to eat. The nutritional labels on all of the meals are difficult to read along with the heating instructions, making it challenging for senior citizens to get the most use out of the food.

Gobble Green

Gobble Green is a meal delivery service that specializes in vegan food dishes that are delivered directly to your doorstep. Using Gobble Green is ideal if you are on a vegan diet, although it is not recommended if you are seeking flavorful, satisfying dishes for all of your meals. It is impossible to read the reheat instructions for the meals once you have heated them once, and there is also no satisfaction guarantee available for unhappy customers. There is a minimum order requirement of at least $25, but it is possible to purchase the meals and snacks a la carte, giving you more options without being restricted to the dishes you do not enjoy.

Unfortunately, most of the meals including vegan macaroni and cheese, Thai vermicelli and cashew pesto pasta are bland and lack in overall seasoning. For prices ranging from $7.49 to $7.99 per meal, this service is not highly recommended, even for those who are dedicated to the vegan lifestyle. Without the option to reheat your meals, you may lose out on the investment if you are unable to finish the entire dish in one sitting.

HomeStyle Direct

HomeStyle Direct provides prepared meals that can be delivered on a monthly or bi-weekly basis depending on your needs. The service only provides individual meals which must be purchased without the option of a package deal to save more money. This delivery service is also not recommended as it requires all customers to call the company directly to obtain a username and password before you are even capable of placing an order.

All meals from HomeStyle Direct must be defrosted before heating and cooking them, making the entire process of eating a hassle, especially if you have a busy schedule. Each meal ranges in price from $5.95 to $5.99, making it affordable. However, due to the bland ingredients and lack of seasoning, this service is not recommended.


Chef Piquanti
Gourmet-Reviews.com

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Top Prepared Meal Delivery Services as Mother's Day Gifts


Good Mother's Day gift ideas can be hard to come by. It is very difficult to reconcile what to possibly buy a woman who has raised you. Meal delivery services are ideal presents for this holiday, because they provide a thoughtful, freshly cooked meal for your mother that emphasizes your level of care without forcing you to stress out the morning of the holiday. 


Here are some top notch meal delivery services especially for Mother's Day that are bound to leave your mother immensely satisfied with her generous, compassionate child. Each link takes you my complete review page with has videos and pictures of actual prepared meals I purchased from each supplier.

DineWise

DineWise may possibly have the largest selection of prepared meals to choose from in the country, encompassing seafood, breakfast entrees, Italian cuisine, beef, poultry, and even an extensive menu specifically for the holidays. The packaging is incredibly user friendly, with each component of the meal coming in its own microwaveable bag to ensure a simple reheating process for the client. This also allows the client to choose whatever sides or vegetables they would like with each entree, making individual taste preferences a first priority.

DineWise is consistently considered to be the best national supplier of prepared meals in the country and their constant improvements and changes to their menu only serve to emphasize this point. Their food quality is comparable to that of what you would find at a restaurant.

MagicKitchen

MagicKitchen has a well claimed reputation of employing high quality chefs to create their food, utilizing only the freshest, best ingredients in their recipes. Customers can choose from a variety of options ranging from food bundles or main course meals to sides, soups, and desserts. They also strive to offer healthy meals to meet special dietary needs, including vegetarian. Customers can purchase up to twelve servings of some of the main courses, perfect for holiday feasts.

The courses consist of seafood, pasta, meat, poultry, and even breakfasts. The cardboard microwave trays do a superb job in allowing the customer to reheat meals evenly and with ease. The value for this meal service is unmatchable.

HomeBistro

HomeBistro is known for providing their meals in airtight plastic bags, storing the food while it simultaneously cooks in a pot of water. This method of cooking is revolutionary in that it will not cause food to become overcooked, instead preserving the food's essential natural flavors and juices, as if you were eating it fresh. The meals can be reheated in a microwave as well as in a water bath.

This particular meal service also allows the customer to save tremendous amounts of money by enrolling in their e-mail newsletter service that sends out coupons on the regular. HomeBistro's high quality menu is difficult to be challenged.

Healthy Chef Creations

As far as Mother's Day gift ideas go, Healthy Chef Creations seems to be the ideal food service of choice to create a satisfying holiday experience. The founder of this company specializes in organic meals geared for weight loss, new mothers, and gourmet family creations. He creates his meals using free range and organic proteins, phytopower, and low energy dense foods.

Clients also have the option to be a student to a free cooking class if they sign up for a 90 day meal plan! Families have the ability to customize large orders to accommodate any dietary needs within the unit. Because only organic foods are used, customers can rest assured that no harmful ingredients are being ingested at any time. Customers are also able to choose portion sizes, including child portions, and receive meals through overnight shipping. Steaks can even be cooked to your specific preference.

Gourmet Station

Gourmet Station is widely unique in that they offer 3-4 course gourmet dinners specifically for special occasions and holidays, having a selection that extends to steak, seafood, soup, and desserts. Their menu fuses in variety from Parisian, Tuscan, Cajun, and American foods, providing the client with an immense range of variety in palette choice.

The food is widely considered to be five star, with options ranging from Manchester Quail to Peking Duck to Lamb Top Sirloin. If you want to treat your mother on this special day, this is the delivery service to select.

I hope my personal experience with these prepared meal delivery services helps you choose the perfect Mother's Day Gift for your Mom.

Chef Piquanti
Gourmet-Reviews.com