How to select a Meal Prep company

Meal prep has been around for years, but more and more people are turning to meal prep to save time, save money, or save their health. Meal prep is the advanced preparation of meals. Anyone can meal prep by making meals in larger quantities to consume over multiple days, such as cooking all of your meals on Sunday to enjoy during the week. 

Meal prep should not be confused with meal kits. In recent years meal kits have emerged as a way for consumers who want to add variety to their weekly lineup. Meal kits are often sold through a subscription service that provides every ingredient you need including raw meats—some exclude staples like salt, pepper, and oil which you may already have in your pantry—along with recipes to cook a full meal. Meal kits differ from meal prep in that meal kits often require cooking while meal prep will usually only require reheating. 

Meal prep can be done at home by consumers or purchased from professional cooks. Since meal prep services provide meals already cooked, meal prepping may be ideal for anyone looking to save time during the week by making sure all of their meals for the week are ready ahead of time. This could be anyone from busy moms to busy commuters. If you need meal prep ideas, meals can be purchased through a meal prep service. Some services allow customers to purchase protein and sides packed separately for you to create your own meals. Ordering by the pound, or the pan, allows customers to mix and match and create meals to support their diets, whether that be keto, paleo, low carb, vegetarian, or vegan. 

Meal prepping can be an ideal option for anyone trying to adhere to a specific diet. Those tracking fat, sodium, cholesterol, and even gluten may choose to meal prep to ensure they are consuming the right nutrients to maintain or improve their health. While vegetarians and vegans may go the way of meal prepping if there are limited options for purchasing meals that align with their lifestyles.

When ordering individual meals it is common to receive them packed in Tupperware for easy grab and go. Prices for prepared meal prep services can vary depending on a number of factors. How many meals will you order? Do you only need prep for weekdays? Are you ordering breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Would you like to add snacks? 

If you are considering giving meal prep a try, one of the Black-owned meal prep companies below might be the right one for you to get started. Prices vary with some companies offering subscriptions, weekly packages, or a la carte options.