Note: This is an independent review. I have no commercial relationship with any of these services.
There are lots of options for meal delivery services in Australia, and it can be confusing to decide which one to follow. I’ve been trialling a bunch of them and have reviewed to help you decide. I’ve only included services that deliver ready to heat meals, not the prep yourself meals (such as Hello Fresh).
Follow these steps to set up your meal delivery service:
Step 1: Know your daily energy requirements
To help you choose the right service and plan, it’s helpful to know your daily energy requirements, that is how many calories you should be consume per day to lose weight (if that’s your goal). I’ve included a calculator so you can determine yours based on your age, height, weight, activity levels and weight loss goal. Usually the daily calorie intake sits between 1200-1700 calories per day for people wanting weight management.
Calculate your daily caloric intake
Step 2: Choose your service
I’ve reviewed six services, I’ve ordered, eaten and researched each one. I’ve picked my top choices based on food quality, taste, accessibility and variety.
Soulara (plant based)
Cost: $10-12 per serve
Delivery Locations: They don’t publish where they ship to, but after some digging, it seems they ship to: Adelaide, Brisbane, Blue Mountains, Byron to Tweed Heads, Canberra, Central Coast, Darwin Metro, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hobart, Melbourne, Mornington, Newcastle, Northern Tasmania, Perth Metro, Sunshine Coast, Sydney Metro, Toowoomba, Wollongong.
Delivery Days: Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday.
Food quality: Decent quality and taste with a higher variety of veggies compared to other offerings. There are some highly processed ‘meat alternatives so be wary not to choose too many of those options. Go for dishes where the protein source comes from legumes or nuts. Also be careful not to choose carb heavy meals (bulked with rice, noodles or pasta). Look for meals with the most variety of veggies in them.
Caters for dietaries: Vegan, high protein, calorie controlled, nuts, sesame, soy, gluten, alcohol, chilli, garlic, onion.
Verdict: This is a good option particularly suitable for those wanting to reduce their meat intake and ramp up their veggies. I like the simple interface, there is flexibility in meal options and a decent variety. The calories are shown on each meal but they don’t offer a full calorie controlled plan, you need to work that out yourself.
Made for Mothers
Cost: $13-20
Delivery locations: East coast and Melbourne check delivery locations here
Delivery Days: Usually arrives within a week of ordering
Food Quality: By far the highest quality and most diverse flavour of all the services I tried. Their range includes nourishing dishes such as broths, chicken soup, Ayurvedic kitchari, cacao elixir & smoothie cubes.
Caters for dietaries: Some vegan and gluten free options
Verdict: If food quality is a top priority for you (and you live in their delivery radius), then Made for Mothers is worth the investment. Delicious, nourishing and filling. Do be aware that they don’t show calories or do meal plans.
MACROS
Cost: $10-12 per serve
Delivery locations: Whilst MACROS don’t explicitly state their delivery areas, they do cover most metropolitan areas including Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane.
Delivery Days: Sundays and Thursdays
Food Quality: The food quality is quite good (never as good as cooking from scratch!), I was surprised that even the fish retained some good flavour, and the sauces were not too watery. The variety of options is good (although no breakfasts), and you can change portion sizes as needed. They have a range of plans to choose from and quite big discounts for bulk ordering or for couples so consider bulk order and freeze.
Caters for dietaries: Plant based, low carb, paleo, dairy free, nuts, sesame, soy, gluten, alcohol, chilli, garlic, onion.
Verdict: Good variety, decent tasting, easy user experience. The calories are shown on each meal but they don’t offer a full calorie controlled plan, you need to work that out yourself.
My Muscle Chef
Cost: $9-10
Delivery locations: 4,500 suburbs Australia wide, across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and more. Check your postcode here.
Delivery Days: Some areas do next day delivery but the weight loss plans can be up to 7 day lead time.
Food Quality: The lowest quality food out of my top picks, over indexed on chicken and beef dishes (so many!). But having said that they have a good variety of tasty snacks (cookies, bars, protein shakes). Very little options for dietary requirements.
Caters for dietaries: Vegan, keto, low cal
Verdict: If you’re coming off quite a high junk/processed food diet, this is a good transition due to the number/variety of packet snacks. The many locations and fast delivery is also appealing, but its food quality is on the lower side. The weight loss program experience is pretty good, adds up your daily calories and suggests a meal plan (which you can swap). It has a satisfactory questionnaire (I like how it adjusts daily calories based on that day’s activity levels), similar to how Lite n Easy work. It’s takes the least mental effort to sign up. You can access the weight loss program here:
Nourish’d
Cost: $14
Delivery locations: Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide
Delivery Days: Order by 5pm Wed and will be delivered the following Monday
Food Quality: Surprisingly good food quality with a decent amount of veggies in most dishes.
Caters for dietaries: Dairy free, high protein, keto friendly, low carb, nut free, paleo friendly, vegetarian.
Verdict: The only reason why I didn’t include in my top picks is their smaller delivery radius and slightly higher price point, but they are also a good option. Be aware they do not cater for breakfast and each week has a brand new menu, which will suit those wanting variety but not those wanting predictability.
Lite n’ Easy
Cost: $8-10
Delivery locations: All major cities, you need to check your postcode on account creator to see if they deliver to your area.
Delivery Days: 7 day delivery from order.
Food Quality: Food quality was the lowest of all the services I trialled, with the worst taste profile. Lots of high GI, lower nutrient dishes, but plenty of variety.
Caters for dietaries: Vegetarian, high protein, fibre focussed, gluten free, no dairy
Verdict: The cheapest offering, with the most convenient weight loss approach (you will get one box with every meal calorie controlled and portioned out for the week). This makes it simple and affordable. However the nutrient quality and flavour reflects its price point. Not one of my top picks but still fine to use for short periods.
Step 3: Plan a week ahead:
Some of these services have a seven day lead time and the first time you order may take around 20-30min to complete. You may want to order a few weeks ahead or bulk order, and some you need to add breakfasts, so set aside 20-30min well ahead of program kick-off.
Step 4: Decide what you want to learn, your intentions.
Be clear about what you are hoping to learn when following this service. Is it about portion sizes, is it as a time saver, or appetite reset? Be clear so you can take those learnings and transition back to cooking and eating from home more. The food quality of most of these services is not as good as fresh, home cooked meals so don’t use these are a permanent solution, rather as a training ground.
Step 6: Book it!
Hopefully you’ve made your mind up and now you’re ready to order your first week or two! Use the links below to get started. My top picks are:
Any questions please feel free to send me a message!
Note: I have no commercial relationship with any of these services.
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