What do you get when you combine two working adults, two hungry children, and 7 days of the week? A LOT of food.
I won’t lie: There are some days I open the pantry and have NO idea what we’re going to eat that day. I’ve done what many of us do. I’ve resorted to snack food as meal food (think ants on a log, string cheese, goldfish crackers.) I’ve relied on the old favorites of chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and pasta with hot dogs. I’ve rerouted us to restaurants when I just cannot even deal with boiling water.
All of these options have something in common: they’re not sustainable! We all enjoy variety and fresh food, and we needed new choices. I decided it was time to invest in ready meal prep services, and see what was available for busy families in San Diego.
I decided that we would try three different local companies, and evaluate them independently. I hope my reviews are helpful for you and your meal prep process!
Fresh Meal Prep – Eastlake, CA
Fresh Meal Prep was our very first experience – ever! with a meal prep service. As a South Bay family, we loved that their pickup site was less than five miles away. If you ever invest in a meal prep company, I highly recommend starting with the ones nearest to you, since most add optional delivery fees. If you can pick up the food yourself, you save money!
Pros with FMP: The food is clearly labeled, and easy to pick up. It’s also very affordable. You can start with 6 meals a week for $58. If you commit to a month of meals, the price drops further! When we had questions and needed help from their customer service, they answered immediately and were extremely accommodating.
Cons with FMP: The company doesn’t change their menus week to week, so even though we signed up for a month of meals, we got bored 2.5 weeks in and asked for a delay in our next order. We also found some undercooked veggies and inconsistent prep issues with some of our favorite dishes, like the steak with chimichurri and cauliflower mash.
Healthy Momma Meal Prep – locations throughout San Diego
Healthy Momma was meal prep company #2 for our family. We were immediately impressed with the variety and the size of their operations. The website was also easy to navigate and use.
Pros with Healthy Momma: A rotating menu every week was a big plus. Prices were fabulous. We got the package deal one week, and loved every one of the 15 meals inside. If you REALLY love a meal, order it in Family Size! You get two adult servings and two child servings in one tray. Delivery is an extra $10 for any order, but there are pickup locations across San Diego! And they always added extras in the bag for us, like dessert treats or new products to try. The kids loved the Beanja bean-based hummus.
Cons with Healthy Momma: Popular meals sell out fast, so you need to be on top of things! You can purchase meals individually, or in bulk at a discount, but then you don’t get to pick which meals you get. We did also feel like we were ready to move on and try new meal prep options after a couple of weeks.
Meal Prep Sunday – San Diego, CA
Meal Prep Sunday was our 3rd meal prep company, and we’re actually still using them now. Of the three options we tried, these guys were my husband’s favorites.
Pros with Meal Prep Sunday: Free delivery, and a rotating menu. They also have different meal plans for men and for women, for weight loss or bulking, etc. The food is fresh and very satisfying.
Cons with Meal Prep Sunday: Similar meal deals for men and for women were both competitively priced, but for some reason, it was more expensive for the ladies, so my husband and I actually share the men’s meals. Costs come out to about $11/meal, so the other options on my list are cheaper.
NOTE: Although San Diego Moms Blog has partnered with some of these companies in the past, my review was independent. We paid full price for our meals, and my review is based upon those purchases.
What are some meal prep services you have used?
