New year, new you. It’s what many of us strive towards, but in reality it is easier said than done, especially when much of your personal and professional responsibilities remain unchanged.
If you are aiming to be healthier in 2022, all while managing your time better, meal delivery plans may be the answer.
Here’s a look at some services available in the UAE, and what makes them unique.
Basiligo
For those who don't have time to plan out their meals, Basiligo is a good option that caters to all dietary needs, with no added sugars and preservatives. Using healthy, fresh ingredients, their meal plans cover everything from keto to vegan diets and weight loss options or those for athletes.
You're able to choose your meal plans the week ahead and you have plenty of choices. For example, even though the weight loss plan is based on a restricted calorie count, the food is tasty, so it doesn't take long before your body adjusts to taking in less calories as it's still nutritious and filling.
Best for: Anyone who is looking for clean, healthy food but doesn't have time to cook their own.
Price and delivery: Monthly meal plans range from Dh2,560 to Dh3,600 for five days a week that include breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks.
Available in Abu Dhabi and Dubai; www.basiligo.ae.
Honest Badger Foods
The “honest” meal delivery company serves balanced meals that are rich in plant-based foods and responsibly sourced meats. There are two options for vegans – depending on calorie count – and not only are they dairy and meat-free, but they’re also wheat and refined sugar-free.
Dishes include the blueberry oat bread with almond butter and berry compote, or a Tuscan bean stew. Meanwhile, their protein and protein active packages include free-range and hormone-free chicken, while eggs are organic and free-range. For sustainability reasons, red meat is not included.
A daily package includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, a snack, a nut/ seed pot, a shot of ginger, fresh juice and an herbal tea bag, so you really don’t feel like you’re missing out at all.
Best for: With 70 per cent of meals being plant-based, this is a great option for vegans, or anyone who has sustainability in mind.
Price and delivery: Dh155 per day; delivers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Orders need to be placed four days in advance and deliveries are made between 4am and 7am; www.honestbadgerfoods.com
Kcal Extra
One of UAE’s longest-standing and most popular meal plan services, Kcal Extra was launched after founders of a healthy JLT restaurant – Kcal – noticed a demand for healthy meals to be delivered three times a day at their doorstep. Today, it’s a favourite in the region.
Kcal Extra allows customers to pick between a wide range of plans – from gluten-free to diabetic. Once that’s done, they can book an optional assessment with a Kcal nutritionist that takes their measurements and sets necessary goals.
There are 800 dishes available across cuisines ensuring variety, and the plans are customised. You can expect three meals and two snacks on a daily basis, with dishes such as the honey garlic salmon with green beans and the raspberry chia with fresh fruits and macadamia. Don’t like a dish? You can inform an account manager of desired changes and they will be made within three working days.
Best for: Busy professionals who are short on time.
Details: Prices depend on packages chosen, with the lowest calorie plan from Dh3,100 a month for three meals and two snacks. Delivery is across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah; www.kcallife.com/meal-plans/home/
Keto by Foxxy
Anyone who has ever attempted a keto diet knows this one is no mean feat, it all but eliminates carbs to keep your body in a constant state of ketosis. Thankfully, we have brands such as Keto by Foxxy to prove that you don’t have to give up your favourite baked treats and comfort food to follow the diet.
Meals here are made with no artificial colouring and preservatives, and are low carb, with natural sugar and flour substitutes. With meal options such as the chicken fajita bowl, meatballs and zoodles, and an Asian beef salad, you might just forget you’re on a diet. The fact that the delivery comes with baked treats such as a keto cinnamon roll or chocolate eclair is just icing on the guilt-free cake.
Good for: Anyone following the keto diet.
Details: Prices start at Dh612 for two meals and a snack (1,200-1,400 calories) for a week. Deliveries are made across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, but only Dubai has Friday deliveries. Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah doesn’t have delivery on Fridays and Saturdays; www.ketobyfoxxy.com
Love Food
This delivery service doesn’t believe in the concept of “diet” but rather nourishing the body with the nutrients it requires. So expect healthy and delicious dishes that form a balanced diet, and bid farewell to calorie tracking.
There are four plans to choose between: Vitality, which is for general well-being and weight management; Lifestyle, for those looking to lose weight and try an anti-inflammatory diet; Power, for those on the go; and Keto. A fifth Vegan plan is in the works.
All the plans are refined sugar-free, and use organic ingredients, plus grass-fed, free-range meats. The elaborate meals include succulent cuts of meat (confit duck leg; beef bibimbab), generous portions of fresh vegetables and some creative breakfast dishes (Scotch eggs; sweet potato pancakes) and snacks (blue crab Asian slaw; cinnamon, apple and celeriac chips), making it a gourmet option.
Everything is served in glass containers, including the three flavoured waters, which arrived in a cooler bag each day.
Best for: Those looking to instil healthy long-term habits, not calorie count.
Details: Prices start at Dh2,660 for two meals five days a week. Delivered daily excluding weekends throughout Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi; www.lovefoodme.com
Nourishing Dubai
Nourishing Dubai provides clean, healthy, nutrient-dense meals that are designed to supply your body with the optimal amount of macronutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. All its dishes are organic and free of gluten, dairy, soy, peanuts and legumes.
The aim here is not to count calories or lose weight quickly, but rather to provide your body with everything it needs to find its own optimal state.
The plan consists of three meals a day, with the odd healthy treat thrown in. There is no choice in terms of meals – a 24-day menu is set in advance, consisting of carefully crafted, balanced dishes. Think pumpkin waffles and super seed French toast for breakfast, a lemony scallop and heart of palm salad or red snapper fish tacos for lunch, and wild prawn carbonara and paleo butter chicken for dinner.
Variety is the key here. No recipe is repeated over the month, meaning there’s none of the disappointment of eating the same soggy salad four days in a row that you might get with other meal plans. This is the gourmet approach to meal plans, which is reflected in the price.
Best for: People who like to eat well and are looking to adopt clean, healthy habits in the long-term, rather than seeking a quick weight-loss solution.
Price and delivery: Dh1,000 for three meals a day for five days for women; Dh1,100 for three meals a day for five days for men; Available across Dubai, jeff@nourishingdubai.com
Right Bite
Right Bite offers a variety of packages, from Weight Loss to Convenience and Low Carb, with necessary modifications made on preferences and intolerances. Within that, you can choose according to your calorie requirement, with options between a full day’s worth of meals, only morning or only evening meals, or even a single meal.
Most packages also come with a consultation with a dietitian. While the food quality is great, snacks include the likes of biscuits and cakes which isn’t ideal for those trying to restrict their sugar intake.
Best for: Those looking for tailor-made meal plans, only morning or evening meals.
Price and delivery: Prices start at Dh108 a day or Dh2,160 for 20 days for the vegan plan, with breakfast, a morning snack, breakfast beverage, lunch, dinner and two side dishes; www.rightbite.com
Root’d
From the team behind Freakin’ Healthy comes a meal service which is completely vegan and refined sugar-free. There are four options to choose between: weight management, balanced lifestyle, luncheon plan (for those only looking for lunch) and “I Know My Calorie Count” for the trackers out there.
You can book a week, two-week or monthly plan, delivered five times a week. There are plenty of interesting dishes in the mix, from homemade banana bread to roasted aubergine with marinara sauce to green bean stew with brown rice. You also get to select a week’s worth of dishes, which gives you a great level of control over what you’re eating (and excitement over what’s to come).
Best for: Vegans.
Price and delivery: Packages from Dh96 per day, with breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks. Delivery is done across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah; www.freakinhealthy.com
Simply Healthy
Launched by Dubai clinical dietitian Mitun De Sarkar, Simply Healthy’s premise is simple: everything is customised and calorie-counted. An initial consultation priced at Dh250 helps users understand their goals and create a meal plan designed for their needs. They can then choose meals from a varied menu designed to help them reach their goals.
Meal plans that customers can choose between include Weight Management, Women’s Health (for requirements for pre or post-pregnancy or polycystic ovary syndrome), Food Intolerances, Detoxification, Medical Support and Lifestyle Plans (active individuals).
Best for: People with specific conditions such as diabetes, PCOS, hypertension, etc.
Price and delivery: Prices start at Dh2,800 for three meals, five days a week for four weeks, discounts are available; Delivery across Dubai and Sharjah; www.simplyhealthydiets.com
Sage Plant-Based Kitchen
Sage offers vegan, gluten-free meals with ingredients influenced by the principles of Ayurveda.
In comparison to other plant-based meal plans, the food is inventive, full of flavour and you rarely repeat a dish in the same month. Think pad Thais, stroganoff, moussaka, curries, mac n cheese, stir-fries, quiches and a whole lot more, all using fresh produce and home-made sauces with sprinkles of nuts and seeds, designed to enhance well-being. The team are also always willing to chop and change recipes based on customers' needs and tastes.
Founder Shipra Goel previously worked in human rights law before opening Sage after her father died from heart disease and diabetes. She struggled with allergies, hormonal imbalances, polycystic ovary syndrome and insulin resistance, which she says she overcame via a plant-based diet. "My medical results showed immense improvement in just six months," she writes on the website. "This lifestyle has taught me to lead a healthy, sustainable and ethical way of life that nourishes me and protects the environment."
An added bonus of this delivery service is that it all comes in environmentally friendly and biodegradable packaging.
Best for: Vegans, environmentalists and health-conscious people.
Price and delivery: Prices for a monthly meal plan range from Dh1,100 to Dh3,300 for one meal a day to three meals and three snacks a day. Weekly and high-protein plans are also available. Delivery is available across Dubai; sagepbk.com
Smith St Paleo
Holly Smith, founder of Smith St Paleo, started her food journey by sharing pictures of her healthy, delicious creations on Instagram (she’s particularly famous for her hearty vegan bliss balls).
Smith St Paleo, like its name suggests, focuses on the paleo diet – foods that could be obtained by hunting and gathering. So expect a diet rich in lean meats, fish, fruits, nuts and veggies, and no gluten, grains, dairy and processed sugars.
What’s great about this plan is that the dishes are hearty and satisfying, so you definitely don’t feel like you’re being deprived: think almond butter blondies, banana nut porridge, beef and sweet potato frittata, bacon spinach and onion omelette, with dishes listing the exact calories, carbs, fat and protein.
Delivery costs extra, and you can pick your meals from Smith St Cafe in Dubai Studio City or at Smith's husband Marcus's gym InnerFight.
Best for: People who enjoy their meat without compromising on health or flavour.
Price and delivery: Prices start at Dh500 for breakfast and one main meal for a week. A monthly plan with breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack will set you back Dh2,900; www.smithstpaleo.com
The Health Co
The Health Co offers three meals and two snacks a day, five days a week. All the dishes are prepared with fresh ingredients (nothing frozen or preserved) and delivered at night, so it’s right outside your door first thing in the morning. Sample dishes include fish with lemon butter sauce and brown rice, beef stroganoff and supreme chicken with lentil quinoa rice. They've also launched platforms The Vegains Co for vegans and The Lean Co for active individuals.
Best for: Those looking for simple, fuss-free, healthy food.
Price and delivery: Dh2,180 for five meals for 20 days, Sunday to Thursday. Delivery across Dubai and Abu Dhabi; www.thehealthco.ae
