Eating healthy is a challenge today. Busy schedules and varying meal preferences often leave no time for cooking. I was looking at online recipes to learn how to cook faster and healthier. But it can take around an hour to find a delicious recipe which fits my standards and which is not expensive to prepare.
After trying out a few of these online recipes, I realized more time was being spent researching, shopping and preparing the meals. It seemed like there were no options for me to eat better. I then joined a cooking class but I rarely had the time to attend due to my long work hours.
Bistro MD is a meal subscription plan for people like me. You get the ingredients delivered to your door together with cooking instructions. In just a few minutes, you can have your meals ready.
If you’ve tried such a service before, you need to know the company is different. It offers standard and vegetarian meals to choose from. But it also has meal plans for diabetics. My father has type 2 diabetes. As a result, I only order the food recommended for this condition which I eat myself and which I also take to my father’s place as he lives nearby. It saves him a lot of time researching food for diabetics.
Bistro Md Features
Weekly Delivery Program
There are 3 main subscription plans to consider. The 5-day play, the 7-day plan, and the custom plan are the main recommendations of the company for most users.
Within the 5-day plan, you get 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 5 dinners. This turns to 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 7 dinners in the 7-day plan. I chose the 5-day plan just because I prefer to prepare my own favorites during the weekend.
The custom plan is a bit easier to deal with if you want just dinners or lunches. Any of the vegetarian or gluten-free plans can be adjusted to the custom plan.
If you want to create a custom plan to include both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, you can arrange it over the phone. I also order diabetics and non-diabetics meals in my custom plan which is set to 5 days per week.
Customizable Menus
Custom menus are the main solution to avoid food waste. Some people eat any type of meal. Others like only specific foods. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t eat anything, you can choose a custom meal plan.
Even custom meal plans benefit from the input of a dietitian. Together, you set up the plan under the user account on the website. Here, you’ll be able to see which meals are coming the following week. In case you don’t like the meals you see, you can change them a few days before they’re sent to your address.
The advantage of this system is it allows me 24/7 access to the menu. Standard menus don’t allow any customization. But when my father points out a certain meal he’d like to eat, I go back online and find it for him. On occasion, I need to choose whichever is closest to his preference. Even if there are 150 meals to choose from, my father’s preferences can’t adhere to all the time.
Meal Examples
I’m going to give you an example of one of my favorite meals on the website. It’s the caramelized mushroom and onion frittata. This meal is served with potatoes and chicken sausages.
Apart from its amazing look, this meal is also tasty. It covers essential macronutrients to power even my active days. The protein in the eggs is needed to help me recover from physical activity. Mushrooms offer essential fiber and onions make the entire meal taste better. I eat it with potatoes and sausages for the taste. My father leaves the potatoes out.
Another option my father loves is the apple cinnamon oatmeal with scrambled eggs. He gets good fiber, carbohydrates, and protein. Losing muscle is a problem for diabetics and he needs his protein. The added fruit is sometimes there just for décor. But I’m sure cinnamon helps his blood circulation.
Meals for Diabetics
My father is not on insulin and I’m glad he can keep his diabetes under control wit healthy meals and an active lifestyle. But not everybody is as lucky. Insulin takers normally have to be very precise about what they eat.
If this is your situation, I recommend discussing your meal needs over the phone with the company. They deal with thousands of such special requirements on a daily basis.
Here’s the official approach to these meals. Foods for diabetics don’t include trans fats. They are free from additives. These meals have high nutrient value as they’re not sourced from freeze-dried foods. Shelf-stable foods are not used in these meal plans either, they might come with all types of additives which are not helping anyone on diabetes.
The purpose of these meals is to create something unique, that those with severe diabetics can consume without inflicting their condition. Chefs prepare these meals themselves before publishing them online. A typical meal for diabetes on the website has less than 25 grams of carbohydrates. Protein content per meal can be calculated with a customer service representative. From what I understand, it varies as it depends on weight, height, and age.
Pricing
A 5-day program for diabetics with 5 breakfasts, 5 lunches, and 5 dinners costs $119.96. A 7-day plan with regular meals costs $142.46.
To this price, you need to add the cost of shipping. You pay a flat rate of $19.95 for shipping. A few offers are available year-round. When I’m writing this text, the company offers 25% off for the first week on any meal plan plus free shipping.
Pros
Cons
Final Verdict
The company has many other weight management meals and plans for you to consider losing weight. I simply subscribe because of the delicious food on offer. My only complaint is that popular meals often take a couple of weeks to be back in stock. Broccoli-filled chicken is one of these meals I like and which are not always in stock.
There are a few incentives to try the subscription plan on your own. With reduce fees for the first week, you can see how the system works and how you like the meals. Most of them can be prepared in around 5-10 minutes. You don’t have to be a chef to prepare delicious meals.
But if you have any specific nutritional needs, feel free to call or e-mail the company describing your needs. They have knowledgeable advisors who’ve probably already dealt with many other customers with similar needs. Customer service is another area where the meal subscription plan is a bit better than its alternatives.
