Are There Any Chef-Prepared Meal Delivery Services?

It seems like these days, you can’t swing a bat without hitting a handful of meal delivery services either as a meal kit or prepared meal. Most deliver to your home; they’re very focused on particular dietary needs or lifestyle. They’re vegan-only gluten-free only, protein-focused to power your exercise, or they’re centered on women or man’s nutritional needs. They come in a variety of delivery styles; pre-chopped and ready to cook, already prepared, or just un-prepared whole ingredients for you to cook. Often they are laser-focused on their food niche; they aren’t providing chef quality, gourmet food that actually tastes good and is nutritious. The biggest thing they’re all helping you to think out of the box when it comes to your food, all while staying inside the box—literally.

So, let’s break down what each category means.

Chef-prepared delivery services

Chef-prepared meals might sound self-explanatory, but there’s so much more to it. Chef-prepared means that each meal was cultivated by a chef with years of experience and designed so that the flavors balance each other out in total harmony. Gourmet is an overused word but is a good description of great-tasting and nutritious food.

For example, at Snap Kitchen, we focus on having gourmet level food by employing a lead chef on staff who works specifically to ensure the deliciousness of each meal delivered to your door.

Nutritionist or dietitian-directed delivered services

It’s important to note that Nutritionists and Registered Dietitians (RD) are two different things. Registered dietitians have gone through rigorous amounts of education and are registered and board-certified food and nutrition experts. They also need to complete a set of criteria set forth by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, including 1200 hours of supervised practice.

Dietitians are trained and certified to handle many different situations, from clinical work in hospitals to working in food service or 1:1 with clients in private practice.

Nutritionists are a lot more varied. In Alaska, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania; Nutritionists are required to hold the same license as certified RDs. But other than those six states, there is no regulation around who can call themselves a Nutritionist.

For example, at Snap Kitchen, we have Registered Dietitians on staff to ensure that the quality, safety, and balance of our food is of the highest order. 

Gluten-free meal delivery services

Many meal delivery services talk a big game about their ability to cater to different allergens, but what about gluten-free? Is there a difference between being certified gluten-free versus just gluten-free? In short, yes!

Let’s take a look at the difference a little more closely. For example, Snap Kitchen is 100% gluten-free. However, it’s important to note that while our kitchen doesn’t cook any gluten-containing ingredients, we don’t have a certified gluten-free kitchen at this time. We have laboratory-tested many of our meals for gluten contamination.

A certified gluten-free kitchen means that the kitchen does not use any gluten-containing ingredients and has to be certified gluten-free by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). 

Ready to take a look at the different meals we offer here at Snap Kitchen? Check out our completely rotational menu, which is 100% gluten-free and uses only the best ingredients so your body can feel re-energized, re-charged, and nourished.