Mealtime is one of the family’s most effective bonding times - sharing the day’s experiences while dining on delicious, nutritious food prepared meticulously by mom. The act of meal planning could serve to forge the relationship between mother and child who is trying to learn the art of cooking. Progress saw mothers and children alike getting busy and slowly losing the time for these usual rituals. Fast food chains pounced on the opportunities presented by parents who no longer have the motivation and occasion to prepare a decent, healthy meal. Recent studies on effects of constant consumption of hamburgers, French fries, and like products have prompted mothers to look elsewhere for healthier alternatives.
Companies like Fresh-n-Fit Cuisine, Diet-To-Go, Freshology, and many others, recognized the problems faced by most parents regarding the need to consume nutritionally balanced food, but lacking the necessary free time, so they are offering healthy meals delivered regularly daily. Hectic schedules prevent the kind of activities mothers do regarding planning meals anymore and an establishment offering ready to pick up and ready to eat healthy meals is a heaven sent answer: if they have a delivery service, so much the better! Customers who choose to have their food delivered fresh and “never frozen” have the My Fit Foods and Snap Kitchen: these two deliver to local areas only so you get your healthy fresh food while they are still truly fresh.
The business of delivering “prepackaged health food” originated from Lean Cuisine who first put Weight Watchers points in their product boxes. Being required by the FDA to keep their fat and calorie content within the limits given to “lean products”, Lean Cuisine’s meals are somewhat low in calorie count so that consumers feel dissatisfied and looking for snacks. Dieters have also learned not to base their health standards on just being “lean”; they have become aware of the harmful effects of other ingredients found in Lean Cuisine. High fructose corn syrup, high sodium levels, and other like additives, plus the preservatives needed to make their frozen meals stay fresh, are making health conscious eaters frown.
While being on the expensive side, especially those who cater to celebrities, these businesses boast of all fresh, all healthy ingredients and servings specially prepared by in-house chefs to meet the balanced nutrition the body requires. Others offer customers the choice to customize their meal plans according to their own food preferences, likes or dislikes and medically required diet. The most important thing with these kinds of products is not the price, but the availability of nutritionally balanced foodstuff at mealtimes - less the hassle, effort and time required to plan and prepare them. It is still important, however, to look over what their planned meals include. Dieters who have learned their lesson with Lean Cuisine have become alert to unhealthy components in their supposedly “healthy food”.
James Kim is a guest writer for foodonthetable.com. Food on the Table is a company that provides online budget meal planning services. Their goal is to help families eat better and save money.
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