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These local businesses are making meal prep easy
These meal delivery services offer healthy lunch and dinner options
Team Tasting Victoria
September 18, 2024
Life can be hectic, and finding time to prepare nutritious meals can be overwhelming nowadays. With busy work and school schedules, social commitments, and endless to-do lists, cooking from scratch often falls to the bottom of the list. Having simpler meals and options that can make our days less busy can be a game-changer for anyone.
Fortunately, there are many Victoria companies offering solutions to make your dining experience less of a hassle, but an enjoyable experience, without sacrificing quality or health. Get to know them, try them out, and let us know if they make a difference in your life.
Specializing in plant-based meal delivery services, Easy Vegan offers a variety of chef-prepared vegan meals that are ready to heat and serve, making it easy for anyone to enjoy healthy, plant-based meals without cooking. The company uses fresh, locally-sourced ingredients and provides a rotating menu to keep options diverse and exciting. The recipes can be prepared in under 30 minutes, making your dinner both fresh and easy.
Recipes per subscription can be for 2 or 4 servings, and you can choose to receive 2, 3, or 4 recipes each week. You can pause, cancel, or update your subscription any time. You can choose to pick up downtown or delivery right to your door.
The menu includes recipes like gochujang tacos, zucchini pesto gnocchi, squash and couscous salad, falafel bowl, and more. Price per serving is $13.50. If you choose the 2 meals per week for 2 adults, serving a total of 4 portions, your meal kit will come to $54 per week (pick-up) or add $5 for delivery.
Address: 736 View St.
This Week’s Lunch (for kids and teens)
Packing lunches takes a lot of time, and it can be overwhelming to plan a weekly menu, grocery shopping, preparing, and packing. This Week's Lunch is a locally-owned weekly subscription service that delivers prepackaged healthy dietitian approved lunches for kids and teenagers directly to your door every Sunday.
The company offers a rotating menu of fresh, nutritious meals prepared with high-quality ingredients, made fresh on delivery day, and are approved by an on-staff registered dietitian.
Each meal includes a main, a fruit, a veggie, and healthy snack items. Each meal selection can have a variety of options to ensure that your child has a good assortment of lunch options, for example the salad choice could be caesar, Asian, tex-mex, dill or everything bagel, served with chicken, black beans or chickpeas.
The company offers the option of 3-week boxes and 5-week boxes: to choose from elementary, middle or high school.
A full week box includes 5 full meals:
5 main items: Each week you can choose your menu for the week
5 portions of vegetables: Assorted, including tomatoes, mini peppers, mini cucumbers, etc.
5 portions of fruits: Assorted, including apples, strawberries, grapes, bananas, etc.
5 snacks: Including healthy brands of crackers, chips, fruit bars, and granola bars
“Take and Bake" meals that are convenient, easy to prepare, and prepared by chefs. Unlike most take-out where food is prepared in a restaurant, bagged up, and then taken home, Refire Kitchen is slightly different. It’s a hybrid between home cooking and takeout, you cook the meals at home and it’s taken out of your oven when it’s best.
Refire Kitchen’s menu of comfort foods includes the popular shepherd’s pie, lasagna, pulled pork mac and cheese, butter chicken, jambalaya, and more, along with soups, dips, and salads. As much as possible, they try to source many of the ingredients locally.
Stock up for the week with a variety of prepared meals, picking up at one of their three locations or ordering online for delivery.
Downtown: 843 Fort St.
Admirals Walk: 100 Aldersmith Pl.
Sidney: 2372 Beacon Ave.
Freebeets make nutritious, easy, and enjoyable ready to eat meals to heat up at home, or to enjoy at their downtown location. Their main focus is health, convenience, and local sourcing. The team of experienced chefs and nutritionists craft meals that are not only delicious but also designed to fit different lifestyles and dietary requirements. Whether you’re looking for vegetarian, vegan, or high-performance options, the diverse menu has something for everyone.
They offer a subscription where the plans include:
Healthy lifestyle plan: balanced meals that support overall wellness.
Eat clean, get lean plan: designed for those who want to maintain a clean diet and stay fit.
Hearty meal plan: comforting, home-style meals perfect for family dinners.
Athletic meal plan: high-performance meals that fuel your workouts and recovery.
The subscription is very flexible, including weekly deliveries and one-week trials. Whether you are looking to eat clean or simply enjoy a balanced meal without the hassle, Freebeets is a great option.
Address: 1527 Amelia St.
Wholesyum Baby (for babies and adults)
Wholesyum Baby is another fantastic local food service founded by a passionate mom who wanted to provide nutritious, convenient meals for her child. The company, just founded in June this year, delivers frozen veggie and fruit purees made from local produce, perfect for introducing young ones to new foods, adding to morning smoothies, and getting an extra serving of veggies into different foods like muffins and pancakes.
Some of this season’s puree selections include beet, zucchini, butternut squash, apple, and a berry beet boost blend.
Chef on the run has been in business since 1997 and now they offer ready-to-heat meals that are cooked fresh daily. Each week, they offer seven different entrees, five starch, and 10 vegetable dishes to choose from.
The menu includes soups, barbecue spareribs, apple butter chicken, spinach and ricotta ravioli, baked maple ham, vegetarian chili, and many more options for everyone.
Along with the ready-to-eat meals, they have a take-out deli with made-to-order sandwiches and homemade soups. They offer delivery Monday to Friday and weekly service to other areas like Brentwood Bay, Cordova Bay, Salt Spring, and up-Island.
The meals are balanced, nutritious, and reasonably priced at $9.45 per entree or $13.75 per meal.
Stock up for the week with a variety of prepared meals, picking up or ordering for delivery.
Address: 9781B 2nd Street
A meal service designed for those seeking convenience and balanced nutrition in their busy lives. Founded by Todd and Melissa Rozell, the company provides chef-prepared meals that cater to various dietary needs and fitness goals.
They offer several options, including a customizable meal plan, subscription services, and à la carte selections. Meals are prepared using high-quality ingredients, many of which are sourced locally, and the service is designed to help people save time by eliminating the need for grocery shopping or cooking. Customers can simply heat their meals and enjoy. The option to customize meals is great for those who want to pick any protein, any carb, and vegetables to create specific meals and accommodate allergies, preferences and dietary restrictions.
The service also includes free consultations for those interested in tailoring their nutrition to specific goals, whether for fitness performance, weight management, or simply maintaining a balanced diet. Delivery options are available, along with the ability to pick up meals at certain locations in Victoria. Subscriptions can be paused or cancelled at any time.
Address: 570 Pritchard Creek Rd.
Other local businesses that could be helpful to make dinner time and lunches easy are The Nom Nom Nutrition, Wolf Meal Prep, Urban Forage, Local Urban Bites, Food on the run Oak Bay, and Fresh Prep (delivery from Vancouver).
Did we miss any? Let us know at [email protected]