How to select a Meal Prep company

Authored by Takera Gholson

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.

Boycemode

Boycemode

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Sam Boyce founded Boycemode after he changed his lifestyle for the health benefits. Boycemode is a vegan, plant-based meal prep service. The Boycemode lineup includes meals, cleanses, tonics, and smoothies. Weekly or monthly subscriptions can be canceled anytime. You can substitute items or inform the team of allergies through their contact page.

Boycemode delivers meals to Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia.

Options: They offer a weekly subscription of five, seven, 10, or 14 meals per week, with an option to include cleanses, smoothies, and wellness tonics. Each meal plan is accompanied by side salads, trail mix, and fruit. There is an option to purchase a starter trial, or stand-alone subscriptions for tonics or smoothies. 

Price: Starting at $75 per week for a five-meal weekly subscription.

Rebel Chef Meals

Rebel Chef Meals

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Ashley Hernandez started Rebel Chef Meals after an unfortunate accident caused her to take some time off for reflection. In hopes of healing her injuries through natural remedies, and helping others see meal planning as “convenient, affordable, and delicious,” Chef Ashley devoted all of her attention to her meal planning company. Rebel Chef Meals delivers to select locations around Atlanta, Georgia. 

Options: Meals are offered on an a la carte basis. Choose from breakfast, salad jars, lunch/dinner, snacks, and desserts. The “By the Pound” option allows customers to purchase proteins by the pound and sides by the half pan. Meal categories also include pescatarian, vegetarian, and vegan options. 

Price: Starting at $9 per meal for breakfast or $13 per meal for a protein and two sides for lunch or dinner, with $10 off when you purchase $110 or more, and $5 off for new customers.

Macrobites

Macrobites

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MacroBites is the creation of David Lewis Jr., Jarrette Atkins, and Fritz Georges. These three childhood friends reformed their lives and came together to create “Cuisine for the Culture”. Customers can pick up or get orders delivered from their Asbury Park, New Jersey market. The trio gives back by providing free meals to those in need of healthy meal options around their community.

Options: When shopping online choose from packages of six or 10 meals. Choices include breakfast and lunch or dinner, with vegan options. Fill your cart with curated meals or a la carte proteins and sides by the pound for delivery. If you are able to pick up your order MacroBites has a selection of wraps they offer in-house. MacroBites’ meal packages include vegan options and they ship nationwide. 

Price: Meals start at $80.99 for six meals for delivery. Wraps start at $12.99 for in-store purchases.

Black Restaurant Week
Author: Black Restaurant Week

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