In Northern Virginia, dinner can be just a doorstep away. From gourmet kits to fully prepared dishes, a growing number of meal delivery services are changing the way residents eat — saving time, reducing stress, and even helping some achieve their health goals. But with so many options, how do you know which one is right for you? We’ve explored a few of the many options available.
Mighty Meals
Based in Gainesville and started by two NoVA fitness trainers and a chef in 2015, Mighty Meals has proven mighty successful in expanding over the past decade. The meal-prep company prepares thousands of healthy, locally sourced, chef-prepared meals weekly. Mighty Meals offers more than 150 meals in its rotating menu, with new items added every week. Customers can order complete meals, items a la carte, snacks, desserts, low carb or calorie items, gluten free, vegan, and high protein items. Also available are vegetarian and breakfast options.
Get food delivered up to four times weekly with no minimum orders or subscriptions; most meals range from $11.99 to $15.99. Delivery fee is $10; free for orders of $130 or more.
Meal Dealers
Founded with a goal of providing restaurant-quality food at home, this Warrenton-based, scratch-made meal delivery service offers healthy options that actually taste good. “The biggest misconception right now in the food and health industry is that you need to eat boiled chicken and steamed broccoli if you’re on a diet,” says founder and chef Alex Clemente.
Meal Dealers accept orders for single meals, but do the bulk of their business in weekly subscriptions, averaging nine to 11 meals a week. The food can be frozen or microwaved to heat in about two minutes, and is delivered to your door. Cost ranges from $9.99 per meal to $13.99. Delivery takes place Sundays and Mondays. For orders of $100 or more (after discount and before tax), Sunday delivery is free. Otherwise, there is a $10 delivery fee for orders less than $100 and also for Monday delivery.
Vegetable + Butcher
Ariane Valle (vegan) and Turner Hoff (meat eater) opened Vegetable + Butcher in 2016. Nutrition-minded customers choose meals fully plant-based or can include animal protein. Order breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks, as well V+B 1-7 day cleanse kits. Meals vary in price depending on whether they’re part of a trial order or subscription. Four meals weekly costs about $67, eight meals costs $130, and 12 meals runs $189, with vegan dishes costing less than those with meat. All prices include free delivery. The most popular subscription plan is eight meals per week, which works out to $14/meal for vegans (or $112/week) and $16.25/meal with meat. V+B also delivers for pickup to Oak Health Club in Ashburn. Deliveries, made Monday, Wednesday and Friday, are free.
Dinners at Your Door
Dinners at Your Door doesn’t require a subscription or meal plan; order what you want when you want from its rotating menu of freshly prepared, fully cooked meals. The scratch-made, nutritious dishes are delivered to your door on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Entrees include side dishes and are created from organic, local, all natural ingredients. Meals offered include seafood, beef, poultry, lamb and pork, as well as high-protein, low-carb options. Prices range from $12 to $27 per entree. Meals are packaged individually in freezer and microwave safe containers. Dinners at Your Door chefs are also available for romantic dinners, cooking classes, dinner parties, and special events. Delivery runs about $20 depending on where you live.
Nutri Muscle Meals
Nutri Muscle Meals is a local meal prep delivery service based in Leesburg. The company delivers prepared meals from a menu that rotates every other week. Packages can be purchased for 10 or 15 meals weekly, with prices ranging from $14.75 to $15 each. Customers place orders by Friday at midnight for guaranteed Sunday/Monday delivery, which runs about $30. Menu items may include halal meat and include breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Dine on dishes like a southern style chicken bowl, a beef empanada with Spanish rice, or turkey pepperoni pizza with cauliflower crust.
Feature image of Meal Dealers courtesy Ryan DeLesDernier
