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The Value of Meal Prep Services

Are you looking for a way to eat delicious, healthy meals without having to cook them yourself? Meal prep services may be the solution you’ve been searching for! Let’s take a look at the eight reasons you should use a meal prep service.

By Cindy PagePublished 3 years ago 6 min read
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MEAL PREP SERVICES…

1. SAVE YOU TIME

Meal prep services are convenient! No need to walk around the grocery store for what seems like an eternity, only to get home and realize you forgot the main ingredient to your recipe. Even once you have everything you need, you still have to cook it — not to mention all of those dirty pots and pans afterwards!

Thankfully, you can save time (and the headache of clean-up) by ordering your weekly meals through a meal prep service. They do all of the dirty work for you, from measuring portion sizes and calculating calories, to prep and cook time.

The only thing you have to do is re-heat, relax and enjoy! You won’t even have dishes to clean — just rinse and recycle the containers they are packaged in.

2. SAVE YOU MONEY

Let’s face it, frequently eating out at restaurants can take a toll on your bank account. When you don’t have the time or energy to cook, going out to eat is the easiest way to solve the problem. Even buying groceries gets expensive, especially when trying to stay healthy and shop for organic food and produce options.

With meal prep services, you can have pre-prepared meals right in your fridge, so no need to spend extra money going out when you don’t feel like cooking, or buying every ingredient yourself. Prices typically range from about $8 to $12 per meal, depending on the number of meals you order weekly. Take a look at the total savings this could mean for your family:

DINING OUT VS. MEAL PREP SERVICES VS. GROCERIES

How much does a week’s worth of healthy meals for a family of four actually cost?

Dining Out

$360

per week

Groceries

$275

per week

Meal Prep Services

$225

per week

The average price for a meal when dining out is $12.75. If your family of four goes out to eat just one meal a day for the whole week you would spend an average of $360.

On the other hand, groceries can cost a bit less if you plan accordingly and stick to that plan, costing an average of $275 a week.

However, the average for meals from a meal prep company comes out to about $225 a week, and the food is already prepared and ready for your family to enjoy!

As you can see, meal prep companies can help your family save hundreds of dollars every month, especially if you’re used to dining out frequently. Additionally, by paying a set price up front, you can keep track of your monthly spending and remain on budget.

3. CONTROL YOUR PORTION SIZES

One of the hardest things for people who are trying to lose weight to learn is portion control. It is easy to over-indulge when you’re hungry, or when you simply aren’t aware of the exact number of calories you’re consuming in a meal.

By ordering from meal prep services, you can choose what you want to eat without having to worry if you’re getting the correct portion size. With the calorie count readily available on the package, it becomes much easier to remain within your daily calorie intake and give your body the nutrients it needs. This allows you to more easily obtain a balanced diet — not too much, and not too little.

A note: Remember to give yourself time to adjust to a portioned diet, and be patient. After a few weeks, your mind and body should start to adapt. With a little time, recognizing what a healthy portion size looks like will become much easier when you see food served on a plate, and when you’re cooking for yourself!

4. HELP YOU REACH YOUR FITNESS GOALS

We’ve all heard the saying, “weight loss is 80 percent diet and 20 percent exercise”. So if you truly want to reach your fitness goals, you are going to have to think about what you’re eating.

Meal prep services can help make sure that what goes into your food is good for your body, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight. You no longer have to plan each meal in order to get the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Instead, you can order meals that are made with quality ingredients and rich in vitamins and minerals, like sweet potatoes or salmon.

5. CUT DOWN FOOD WASTE

Did you know that food waste is responsible for 8 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions, and that in the United States alone 27 percent of food ends up being wasted? When we cook our own food, it can be hard to know exactly how much to make. This often leads to leftovers that eventually end up in the trash. As global warming continues to be a pressing issue, meal prep services offer a way people can help cut back on food waste.

By using already prepared meals packed in proper portion sizes, food waste becomes much less likely. This means that there will be less energy used to make food, helping lower our carbon footprint.

6. REDUCE STRESS

Yes, cooking stress is a thing. You probably don’t even realize you have it! Cooking stress is the overwhelming feeling of anxiety that comes from having to prepare meals. People can have different types of cooking stress. For some, it involves the fear of not being able to follow a recipe perfectly, while for others it’s about the time it takes to have everything prepared and then cleaned up afterwards.

Meal prep services can reduce cooking stress because you longer have to do any of the cooking yourself, which means no difficult recipes to prepare. Ordering pre-prepared meals also takes away the stress of going grocery shopping. You won’t have to think about going over budget on groceries and cooking every single day.

7. ADD VARIETY TO YOUR MEALS

Tired of eating the same thing, but aren’t sure how to mix it up? By ordering from a meal prep company, you no longer have to eat the same things every single week. The variety in menu options allow you to try a variety of dishes, offering your tastebuds new flavors to indulge in.

More than that, it’s important to have a varied diet in order to keep your body healthy. The only way to make sure that your body is getting all of the vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly is to “eat the rainbow”. This means that the foods on your plate should offer a variety of colors, and therefore benefits.

8. PROMOTE A BALANCED DIET

Speaking of vitamins and nutrients, getting the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables can be difficult, especially when attempting to calculate the daily values of nutrients you need. Meal prep companies offer a variety of balanced meal options to make this easier.

These meals typically contain servings of the core food groups recommended by the USDA. Veggies, proteins and carbohydrates will give you the energy and nutrients you need to stay active and healthy. By not having to plan these balanced meals yourself, you can just enjoy the meals and know you’re getting exactly what your body needs.

READY TO GIVE MEAL PREP A TRY?

As you can see, the value of healthy meal prep services can change your life. Meal prep provides convenience, variety, and health benefits, all without having to break the bank.

At Up Fresh Kitchen we have an assortment of meals to choose from. From delicious salads to protein-rich bowls, we offer quality meals prepared with nutritious ingredients to help you stay healthy.

Our meals can even be delivered, so you won’t have to leave the house to get your favorite healthy and flavorful meals. All you have to do is check to see if delivery is offered to your neighborhood during the checkout process.

If you’re ready to experience the chance meal prep can bring to your life, we’re ready to help! Click below to get started with your order.

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