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From classic meal kits to $400 personal chef creations.
My love of cooking tends to ebb and flow, and we’re in a bigtime ebb right now. (Ebb is bad, right? Ocean scientists, email me). Warmer weather and longer days make me want to spend every second that I can outside, and I don’t want to waste precious sunlight preparing meals—or worse, waiting at the grocery store self-checkout for a human attendant, which I think has taken days off my life.
Meal prep, meal kits and meal delivery services solve all those problems, and there are lots of Vancouver-based companies to choose from—almost too many.
So I spent a good chunk of my Friday researching nine different services and their prices, dietary accommodations, delivery areas, and importantly, menu items.
From à la carte style salads to traditional meal kits to a personal chef service (yes, we have one of those) here’s what I found. You be the judge.
Cost: From $12.26 per meal Cooking required: None (heat and eat) Dietary accommodations available: Vegan The deets: When you sign up for Manna’s plant-based meals lunches and dinners, you can order between 3 and 7 meals per week, per person in your household. What looks good: Chick’n Picatta Delivery area: Vancouver, the surrounding Lower Mainland, and the Sea-to-Sky corridor (Whistler to Chilliwack) Website: mannamenu.com
Cost: From $11.60 per meal Cooking required: None (heat and eat) Dietary accommodations available: Keto, low-carb, plant-based The deets: Fed is very diet-focused, with “streams” to pick from that fit certain lifestyles (like keto, low carb/high protein and diabetes). They offer breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. What looks good: Pesto pork bowl Delivery area: Entire Lower Mainland (see delivery zone) Website: fedfedfed.com
Cost: Varies, around $15 per meal Cooking required: None (heat and eat) Dietary accommodations available: Gluten-free, paleo, vegan, keto The deets: Menus go live every Saturday, and subscribers order each meal individually for the week. All of the meals are designed to last in the fridge for 7 days. What looks good: Lean beef chili Delivery area: Entire Lower Mainland (map here) and pickup available at South Vancouver headquarters Website: 2guyswithknives.com
Cost: $15.99 per meal Cooking required: None (heat and eat) Dietary accommodations available: Vegan The deets: Select your meals à la carte style and add on a delivery fee. What looks good: Edamame and watermelon quinoa bowl, slow-cooked BBQ jackfruit, breakfast bowls Delivery area: North Van, West Van, Vancouver, Burnaby, New West, Coquitlam, Port Moody, Richmond, Langley Website: chompveganeatery.com
Cost: Starts at $395 weekly for 1 person Cooking required: Minimal or none Dietary accommodations available: All The deets: This is next level when it comes to meal delivery. Fresh in Your Fridge pairs you with a nutritionist and personal chef who cater all meals to you, specifically. Everything is cooked and prepared for you. What looks good: Cajun salmon with sweet potato mash and dijon-roasted vegetable medley Delivery area: Vancouver (can book a call to arrange) Website: freshinyourfridge.com
Cost: Varies, salad bowls start at $11 Cooking required: They do the prep, you cook it all Dietary accommodations available: Vegan, vegetarian The deets: This isn’t traditional “meal delivery” in the sense that it’s not individual meals—rather, you order prepared food from Tractor (big enough to share!) some of which requires cooking. Their new “grill at home” options include tacos, ribs and burgers. What looks good: Cajun chicken club with Caesar salad Delivery area: Throughout Metro Vancouver, including the North Shore, Richmond, New Westminster, Burnaby and the Tri Cities Website: tractorathome.com
Cost: Varies Cooking required: Varies Dietary accommodations available: Vegan, Gluten Free The deets: Like Tractor, Legend’s isn’t specifically a meal delivery service—it’s grocery delivery, so there’s no subscription involved. But we’re including it because the groceries available include many ready-made heat-and-eat meals. What looks good: Sweet potato/black bean enchiladas Delivery area: Entire Lower Mainland, Whistler, Sunshine Coast and more (see details) Website: legendshaul.com
Cost: From $10.50 per meal Cooking required: You do the cooking in under 30 minutes (results might vary, of course) Dietary accommodations available: Vegetarian, Halal (chicken and turkey only) The deets: Royalty in Vancouver’s meal prep scene, Fresh Prep has a zero waste kit available for the eco-conscious (which should be everyone, really—it’s 2022). The menu is quite expansive, with over 10 meal options each week, plus add-ons. They also just launched a Thai noodle kit collab with Maenam’s chef Angus An. What looks good: Spicy chorizo penne Delivery area: Entire Lower Mainland plus some Vancouver Island and Okanagan areas (see map) Website: freshprep.ca
Cost: Varies, entrees around $15-$20 Cooking required: None (heat and eat) Dietary accommodations available: Vegetarian The deets: If you’re into counting calories (which, hey, can be pretty harmful for both your mental and physical health, just saying) this might be the service for you—Crave Healthiness has a lot of calorie and macro talk on their website, and there’s a big focus on weight loss. What looks good: Roasted chickpea tuna summer salad Delivery area: Lower Mainland, will deliver in surrounding areas for extra fee (see details) Website: cravehealthiness.ca
Originally posted June 2022