With the global COIVD-19 epidemic taking its toll, we are currently living in challenging times. The world changed right before our eyes and things that we took for granted vanished overnight. With most restaurants shutting down and grocery stores running out of supplies sooner than they can restock has pushed us to change our habits. Against this background, the humble food delivery industry is turning out to be the proverbial dark horse.
Food delivery companies have transitioned from selling convenience to selling modes of survival with reports flowing in fast about how food couriers provide a vital service to the millions quarantined during the coronavirus outbreak. Especially if you have strict dietary restrictions or at high risk of contracting coronavirus, should you have to venture to the grocery store, you may want to weigh your options for meal delivery services.
Tips for Choosing a Meal Delivery Service
When it comes to meal delivery services, there are countless options. Some services offer meal kits for the whole family, others focus on personal dietary restrictions and weight loss plans. With so many services available, how can you find the one that’s right for you? To narrow down your choices, take the following questions into consideration:
What is a Meal Delivery Service?
Before you enroll for a meal delivery service, you should understand what it is. Meal delivery services deliver meals, fresh or frozen ingredients, along with recipes to people’s homes. This should help you understand how different it is from a company that delivers cooked food picked from a restaurant.
What Should You Consider When Evaluating a Meal Delivery Service?
When shopping for a meal delivery service, you should have a good idea of what features you’re looking for the service to include. Here are a few factors and tips for you to consider:
Delivery Method
An important thing to consider amid the epidemic is the delivery method. As stated already, safety should be everyone’s concern. We live in houses, shaded from the sun, which enables the virus to survive longer on plastics, bags, and other such items. Most companies have already enforced stringent rules concerning “contact”.
Companies are stressing on ensuring that your food is touched as few times as possible on its way from the farms and through the warehouses on their way to you. Companies are encouraging that your food is left on your doorstep for you to pick it up ensuring minimal interaction, significantly breaking the chain.
Know Your Budget and Research the Delivery Process
Pricing on meal delivery services varies from $5 per serving to upwards of $30 per meal. Find a budget that works for you and your family. Some companies deliver to your door, some to a common area such as your patio and some deliver only in certain cities. You also want to make sure you research your options and find out if the cost includes shipping fees. This should factor into your budget if you need to account for extra shipping costs.
Some companies only deliver on select days, while others offer the option to choose the day your box is delivered. Consider these things and find out what works best for you. You can click here to read a Sun Basket Meal Delivery Service Review to get an idea of one option for meal delivery.
Allergens and Food Preferences
Find a meal delivery service that works best for you, keeping your food preferences and allergies in mind. There is a service out there for everyone — non-GMO, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, paleo, no red meat, gluten-free, organic, plant-based, and kid-friendly.
Nutrition
A wholesome meal is so much more than just calories. Find a meal delivery service that gives you a full nutrition panel against every recipe. This would include the amount of saturated fat, total carbohydrates, fiber, sodium, and more. Some services also take into account the additional calories for the oil that you will use to cook the meal. Knowing the nutrition profile will help you make the best decision for your health.
Selection and Ingredients
Would you prefer to choose your meals each week, or would you like to be surprised by what is delivered? If you have picky eaters at home, choosing your meals is probably the best way to go! A big part of choosing the best meal delivery service is comfortable with the ingredients. Do you prefer locally sourced or USDA-certified organic ingredients? Some companies also provide information on what farms the ingredients come from and provide helpful notes from the chef.
Remember, not all companies offer organic, non-GMO, or free-range ingredients. If this is important to you, make sure you know where the meal delivery service gets its ingredients. An excellent service will clearly state where and when they get their ingredients.
Customer Service
You want to make sure the company you choose for your meal delivery service has a good customer service department. If you receive your meals and ingredients are missing, there is no recipe card or another issue, and you want to contact someone to fix the problem quickly.
When researching meal delivery services, spend time reading reviews and look out for any indication that their customer service is lacking or hard to contact. You want to choose a company that clearly states an easy way to contact the company, even on weekends or evenings.
Cancellation Policy
Every meal delivery service company has a different cancellation policy. If you are unhappy with the service you chose, you want to make sure you can easily cancel. Some companies are strict about their policies, so you want to read the fine print thoroughly before signing up.
Something Else to Consider
There’s no evidence yet that the virus is spread through food. What you have to worry about is mostly who is touching what and what germs are in the air. As for which service is best, it depends on what you are looking for and this list, along with tips provided, should help you stay indoors, stay safe, and stay healthy.
