Diet Deliveries To Help You Stay On Track
A steady increase in the number of restaurant reviews I am now doing has meant only one thing; a waist line to match. Something had to give (and I preferred that it was not my Current Elliot jeans) so when the editor of Belle About Town suggested that I review the growing trend of diet delivery services in London, I finished my mouthful and leapt at the chance.
Instead of googling blindly, I asked around for recommendations. I discovered that there are a number of companies offering comparable services which are, quite simply, food for the fat and lazy. Living a stones throw from three leading supermarkets, I could not see why I would need someone to deliver my meals daily. And anyway, what would the rest of the family eat while I nibbled on a brazil nut?
Here I put the top diet deliveries to the test to see if they were really a simple and delicious way to help you lose weight.
My Food
Contact details: www.myfood.co.uk or call 01202 697100
Cost per day: £17-£19 depending which option you take
Philosophy of company: My Food suggests that you could lose 7lbs in 14 days. The company has been running this service of delivering pre-prepared meals for 7 years and allows dieters to choose and purchase their package or their ‘Eat In’ meals either by phone or online.
A dish I loved: I loved the Crimson Salad which was the first meal I ate from the My Food box of meals but the accompanying Falafel Bake was rather solid and not falafel-like.
A dish I hated: I would not go as far as saying that I hated this food but I did not like it either. Even before I tasted it, the meals felt very packaged and did not look appealing in their texture, smell or colour.
Overall diet thoughts: I am not a fussy eater but this food would make me miserable if I had to eat it every day. There is little wonder their customers lose weight.
The Pure Package
Contact details: www.purepackage.com or call 0845 6 123 888
Cost per day: £32.95 – £39.95
Philosophy of company: Pure Package focuses on the perfect balance of food within your lifestyle. The company is aiming for their dieters to control their portion sizes, to eat fresh organic food and to enjoy each mouthful.
A dish I loved: Wild Mushroom Barley Risotto was completely delicious and hugely satisfying.
A dish I hated: Tomato and Basil Omelette was not pretty to look at but I do think eggs never reheat well.
Overall diet thoughts: Everything at Pure Package is elegant from the delivery cool bags to the menus to the food packaging. Clearly a great deal of thought has gone into all that they do and, as a result, I felt like the diet was one big treat.
The Detox Kitchen
Contact details: www.detoxkitchen.co.uk or call 07967 301 754
Cost per day: £35.99 (protein package)
Philosophy of company: The team at Detox Kitchen aim to provide a convenient, stress-free detox package which, with their specific instructions, would allow you to safely and effectively cleanse your body.
A dish I loved: Papaya, carrot, fennel and spinach salad with ginger and soy dressing.
A dish I hated: I could not possibly hate any of the food but, as you might expect, found the pshyllium husk (a gentle way to get things moving!) a little unpleasant to swallow.
Overall diet thoughts: This service is totally centred on detox, not just dieting. The instructions are as extensive as the thought and planning which has gone into its development. I even received an email midmorning to incentivise me further as my blood sugar levels dipped.
Other services available include: Eurodiet which is a low carb diet that incorporates high protein carb replacements like their reengineered pasta. BodyChef, a low GI diet that provides balance and ensures you stay fuller for longer. And Nosh Detox which provides fresh, organic food with loads of fruit and vegetables, delivered to your door.
So, did I lose weight and would I ever do this again? Without doubt, the pounds dropped while my mouth watered less and less at the children’s tea. But essentially the whole process was a novelty and anyway, surely you burn more calories by cutting your own carrots?
