Food & Beverage

Colorado Meal Prep: Fresh Local Ingredients

Published: Feb 29 2024 00:23

Colorado Meal Prep: Fresh Local Ingredients

Choosing a Colorado meal prep service that sources fresh, local ingredients offers a bounty of benefits, from supporting the local economy to enjoying more nutritious and flavorful meals. Here’s a quick guide to help you navigate your options:

• Local Sourcing: Meal prep companies in Colorado are increasingly partnering with local farms to provide fresh, seasonal ingredients.


• Health Benefits: Local ingredients mean meals are packed with nutrients and free of many chemicals found in mass-produced food.


• Supporting the Community: Choosing local meal prep services boosts the local economy and strengthens community ties.


• Sustainability: Shorter travel distances for ingredients mean a smaller carbon footprint and less packaging waste.


• Variety and Taste: Menus change with the seasons, offering a diverse array of meals that are both tasty and healthful.

Quick Comparison

When selecting a meal prep service in Colorado, consider factors like where the food is sourced, menu variety, sustainability practices, and customer feedback to ensure you're choosing a service that aligns with your values and lifestyle.

What to Look For

When you're picking a meal prep service in Colorado, think about these things:

Where They Deliver

• Do they bring meals to your area? Are they only in big cities or all over the state?


• Can they send meals to other states?


• How soon do you need to order before they deliver?

How to Order

• Is their website or app easy to use?


• Can you pick what you want in your meals or do they decide for you?


• How often can you order? Once a week, every other week?


• Do they have any deals if you order a lot?

Where the Food Comes From

• Do they get their ingredients from local farms and producers in Colorado?


• Do they tell you where their food (like meat and veggies) comes from?


• Do they use special ingredients from Colorado that are fresh and in season?

Different Meals

• How many different meals do they offer each week? Is there a good mix for different diets?


• Do they have meals for one person or for families?


• Can you change your meal if you don't like something?

Being Green

• Do they use packaging that you can recycle or compost?


• What do they do with food they don't use?


• Are they careful about not harming the environment?

What People Say

• What do reviews say about their meals, taste, and delivery?


• How good are they at listening to what customers want?


• Do they make sure you're happy with your order?

Choosing a meal service is about what's important to you, like taste, health, or helping local farmers. These points can help you find a Colorado meal prep service that fits your life and supports local, healthy eating and farming.

Comparison of Colorado Meal Prep Services

1. Eat 100 Foods

Delivery Area

Eat 100 Foods brings meals made with food from nearby farms right to your door if you live in or around Denver, like Aurora, Lakewood, and Littleton. They don't send meals outside of this area yet.

Process and Ordering

Getting meals from Eat 100 Foods is easy. If you're new, sign up on their website, pick when you want your meals, and choose what you'd like to eat. If you've ordered before, just log in to change or pause your next meal. They deliver food once a week, from Tuesday to Saturday.

Ingredient Sourcing

Eat 100 Foods tries to get all their food from local places in Colorado. They get things like veggies, dairy, and meat from nearby farms. They pick food that's ready to eat now so it's as fresh and full of goodness as possible.

Menu Variety

Their menu changes every week and has 8-12 main dishes. They have meals for everyone, whether you eat everything, are vegan, follow a paleo diet, or can't eat gluten. Some meals you might see are citrus salmon, turkey meatballs, and cauliflower fried rice.

Sustainability and Packaging

Eat 100 Foods cares about the planet. They use packaging that you can compost or recycle. They also make sure not to waste food by using leftovers to make things like stocks and sauces.

Customer Feedback

People who order from Eat 100 Foods say the food is fresh, tastes great, and they're happy with the service. They like having different meals that fit their diet and that the food comes from local farms. Some people wish there were more options with fewer calories.

2. Spade & Spoon

Delivery Area

Spade & Spoon brings meals with fresh stuff from local farms right to your doorstep if you're in places like Littleton, Lakewood, Aurora, or Centennial around Denver. But, they can't send meals outside these areas just yet.

Process and Ordering

It's pretty easy to start getting meals from Spade & Spoon. If you're new, go to their website, sign up, pick your delivery days, and choose your meals. If you've ordered before, just log in to change or skip your next delivery. They drop off meals once a week, from Monday to Saturday.

Ingredient Sourcing

Spade & Spoon works with more than twelve local farms and food makers to get stuff like veggies, dairy, eggs, and meat right from Colorado. They even tell you about these farms on their website.

Menu Variety

Each week, Spade & Spoon has 8-10 main meal choices. They make sure there's something for everyone, whether you're vegetarian, vegan, paleo, gluten-free, or following a specific diet. You might find meals like turkey meatballs with green chili, peppers stuffed with quinoa, or salmon with a beet salad.

Sustainability and Packaging

Everything they pack your meal in can be recycled or turned into compost. They also give away food they don't use and make soups and stocks in big batches to cut down on waste.

Customer Feedback

People really like how fresh and tasty the meals are. They're also happy with the service and how easy it is to support local farms while not making a lot of trash. Some folks do wish they could get these meals a bit further away from Denver. Most are glad they can eat well and help local farmers at the same time.

3. FIVE EGGS

Delivery Area

FIVE EGGS delivers meals made with local ingredients to places around Denver like Aurora, Lakewood, Littleton, and Centennial. Right now, they don't deliver to places outside this area.

Process and Ordering

If you're new to FIVE EGGS, you can sign up on their website, pick when you want your food delivered, and choose what you want to eat. If you've ordered before, you can log in to change or pause your order. They bring food to you once a week, from Monday to Saturday.

Ingredient Sourcing

FIVE EGGS works with more than 15 local farms and food makers in Colorado to get things like veggies, eggs, meat, and dairy. They share stories about these farms on their website.

Menu Variety

Each week, FIVE EGGS offers 8-12 main dishes like spicy turkey meatballs, tofu stir fry, and salmon with green chili. They have food for all kinds of eaters, including those who need gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, or paleo options.

Sustainability and Packaging

All the packaging FIVE EGGS uses can be composted or recycled. They also give away food they don't need and use leftovers to make things like soups and sauces, so nothing goes to waste.

Customer Feedback

People like the fresh, tasty meals that come from local farms. They're happy to support local farmers and like that there's not much waste from packaging. Some folks wish there were more options that had fewer calories or were vegetarian.

4. Thornton Healthy Meals

Delivery Area

Thornton Healthy Meals brings meals to people in Thornton and nearby places in Northern Colorado. They don't send meals to other states right now.

Process and Ordering

It's easy to start with Thornton Healthy Meals. New folks can sign up on their website, pick a day for their meals to come, and choose what they want to eat. If you've used them before, you can log in to stop, cancel, or change your meal choices. They deliver once a week, from Monday to Saturday.

Ingredient Sourcing

Thornton Healthy Meals works with more than ten local farms and producers in Colorado to get good stuff like veggies, eggs, dairy, and meat. They tell you about these farms on their website.

Menu Variety

Every week, they have 8-10 different meals made by chefs. They have food for all kinds of diets like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan. Some meals you might see are turkey meatballs with green chili, peppers filled with quinoa, and salmon with maple dijon.

Sustainability and Packaging

All the packaging they use can be recycled or turned into compost. They don't waste food. They give away what they don't use and make soups and stocks from leftovers.

Customer Feedback

People say the meals are fresh, tasty, and have a lot of variety. They also like how the company treats customers well and supports local farms. Some wish they could get these meals in more places.

5. Various Other Services

Delivery Area

Some other meal prep services in Colorado only deliver to certain places like Boulder, Fort Collins, or Colorado Springs. They focus on serving people in these areas.

Process and Ordering

How you order can be different depending on the service. Usually, you sign up on their website, pick when you want your meals, and choose what to eat for the coming week. Some let you pick exactly what you want, while others have set meal plans.

Ingredient Sourcing

These smaller services get their food from farms and producers close by. This means they use fresh, seasonal stuff and help the local food scene.

Menu Variety

The food you can get ranges from simple, home-style meals to fancier dishes made by chefs. They usually have options for different eating needs, like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and more.

Sustainability and Packaging

They tend to use packages that you can compost or recycle and try not to waste food by using leftovers to make things like soups. Being small, they often care a lot about being eco-friendly.

Customer Feedback

People like how fresh and tasty the meals are and how easy everything is. They also appreciate the good customer service. Some wish they could customize their meals more or have more choices. Knowing they're helping local farmers is a big plus for many.

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Pros and Cons

Here's a simple look at the good and bad points of some popular Colorado meal prep services that use fresh stuff from local farms:

Eat 100 Foods is great if you like meals that change every week and are made with local farm food. But, they only deliver in the Denver area right now.

Spade & Spoon partners with lots of local farms to make fresh meals and cares about the environment with their packaging. But, you can't choose exactly what you want, and they also only deliver in the Denver area.

FIVE EGGS uses ingredients from many nearby farms for their healthy meals and focuses on being kind to the planet. However, some people would like more options that are vegetarian or have fewer calories.

Thornton Healthy Meals offers meals with local produce to Northern Colorado and uses recyclable packaging. Their menu isn't as big, but people love how fresh and tasty their meals are.

In short, the "best" meal service depends on where you live, what you like to eat, how much you want to spend, and if you care about helping local farmers and eating healthy.

Evaluation Criteria for Choosing a Meal Prep Service

When you're looking for a meal prep service in Colorado that uses fresh, local ingredients, think about these points:

Ingredient Quality and Sourcing

• Where do they get their food from? Knowing about the farms or local producers is a good sign.


• Do they tell you where the food comes from? This means they're open about their sources.


• Do they use fresh ingredients that are in season? This means the food is likely more nutritious.

Menu Variety and Customization

• How many different meals do they offer each week? Having 8-12 choices is usually enough.


• Can they make food for special diets like gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan?


• Can you pick what goes into your meals, or are they already decided for you? Being able to choose is nice.

Taste and Food Quality

• What are people saying about how the food tastes?


• Are professional chefs making the meals? This could mean tastier options.


• How do they cook and prepare the food? Simple or fancy recipes?

Ordering and Delivery Experience

• How early do you need to order your meals? Once a week is common.


• What days do they deliver? Make sure it fits your schedule.


• Is it easy to order and get your food? Look for services that let you pause or change your order easily.

Sustainability and Packaging

• What kind of packaging do they use? Look for options that are good for the planet.


• What do they do with food they don't use? Giving it away or using leftovers is great.


• Are they clear about how they help the environment? This is important if you care about sustainability.

Pricing and Value

• How does the price compare to others? Try to stay below $12 per meal.


• Are the meals big enough for what you pay? Look for 400-600 calories per meal.


• Do they offer any deals if you order a lot? This can save you money.

Customer Service

• What do reviews say about their service? Good service means they care about customers.


• Do they solve problems quickly? This is crucial.


• Can you easily get answers to your questions? Good communication is key.

Thinking about these things will help you pick a meal prep service in Colorado that fits what you want, whether that's eating healthy, saving time, or supporting local farmers and sustainable food.

Benefits of Supporting Local Meal Prep Services

Choosing a meal prep service in Colorado that uses fresh, local ingredients is a good idea for more reasons than just getting yummy food. It helps our community and the environment in big ways.

Economic Benefits

When you order from a service that buys its stuff from nearby farms, you're helping our local economy. More money stays right here, helping small businesses like family farms do well. This also means more jobs for people working in farming, making food, and delivering meals.

Buying from these local companies means we get a variety of foods that aren't always available at big stores. This variety is good for our food system.

Environmental Benefits

Local meal services are also better for the planet. The food doesn't have to travel far, so it uses less gas and causes less pollution.

These companies usually farm in ways that are better for the earth, like using less water and harmful chemicals. They often use packaging that's better for the environment and give away food they don't need, which means less waste.

Health and Nutrition Benefits

Food from local farms is fresher and has more nutrients because it doesn't have to travel far. This means it's better for you.

Eating food that's grown locally can also keep you away from harmful chemicals. And knowing where your food comes from can make you feel better about what you're eating.

Community Connection

Ordering from local meal prep services also helps you connect with the people who grow your food. You get to learn more about how your food is made.

These services share stories about their farm partners, which helps you feel more connected to your community and understand the hard work that goes into farming.

All in all, choosing services that use local, fresh ingredients is great for getting tasty meals and also helps our local economy, the environment, and our health. It's a good choice that helps everyone.

Conclusion

When you pick a meal prep service in Colorado that uses fresh stuff from around here, you're doing more than just getting good food to eat.

By choosing these local businesses, you're helping our area's economy. This means more money stays here, helping small farms and food makers do well and create jobs.

Getting food from local farms is also better for our planet. It cuts down on pollution from trucks moving food over long distances and reduces waste. These companies usually use packaging that's kinder to the environment and make sure they use up all the food.

Also, food that's picked fresh and close to home has more nutrients and tastes better. This can help you stay healthy.

Plus, buying from a local meal prep company lets you learn more about where your food comes from and connects you with the people who grow it.

All in all, choosing a meal service that uses local, fresh ingredients is good for our community, the environment, and your health.

When you're looking at different meal prep options, think about how they make life easier and tastier, but also how they help with bigger things like taking care of the earth and supporting local businesses. Making a smart choice can lead to good things.