This post was not sponsored by any of the following businesses; however, I did receive a discount from Plat to help with this review. All opinions are 100% my own.
Juggling work outside the home and inside the home is always a careful balance and as of late, work outside the home has been a little hectic. During such times, the family meal is a struggle involving creativity, coordination, and assistance.
Ordinarily, I exchange dinners with other families in my neighborhood, but come summertime, the travel schedules of everyone do not always allow for our typical routine. I’ve been experimenting with some other ideas and wanted to share my favorite alternative options for feeding your family:
Meal-Kit Delivery Services:
Have you heard of the new food trend of delivered meal kits? I tried one of the main players, HelloFresh, after seeing one too many friends tout their chef-inspired photos on Instagram. The idea is that a company will package up all of the ingredients you need to make a meal: the meats, the veggies, the seasonings, etc. After week one, I was pretty hooked: I love the convenience of delivered food combined with the opportunity to make something creative and healthy for the family. (I even got my four-year-old to eat beets!)
HelloFresh’s meals arrived by mail in a refrigerated box that kept all of the meat and produce perfectly chilled despite the 90 degree afternoon. I love to cook, but haven’t had a lot of time to devote to recipe hunting and grocery shopping. Hello Fresh takes the planning and prep out of the equation so that I am ready with all of the needed ingredients in my fridge at 5pm on a weeknight.
Most of the meals advertise about a 30 minute prep time, which I found about accurate. The price is about $10/portion, but the meal for “two” easily fed the two adults and preschooler in my home.
I haven’t tried other similar companies like Plated, Blue Apron, and Peach Dish, but am now intrigued to check them out. (Most offer a coupon code of some sort for the first try, so do some internet digging.)
Grocery Delivery:
Although Amazon Fresh has been tempting the Dallas market with its promises of grocery deliveries, it has yet to settle in the Big D. So intrigued by the concept of not setting foot inside a grocery store, I practically jumped out of my seat when I heard about the brand-new grocery delivery app called Plāt (pronounced “Plate”). Founded locally by the owners of Roots Juices, Plāt is an app that allows Dallas shoppers to pick from over 200 grocery items. Groceries are delivered FREE to your front-door within one-hour or at a time of your choosing (you need to be home to deal with frozen and refrigerated items).
Download the app, Plat Delivery from the Apple Store. (Android and online versions are in the works.) Plāt sources natural and organic food similar to what you might see at Natural Grocers (think Annie’s cheddar bunnies, not Pepperidge Farm goldfish). I found Plāt’s selection to be more expensive than going to a store, but the option of “free delivery” within one-hour still made it quite appealing in a pinch. A minimum order of $35 is required. Delivery areas include Dallas, Irving, Las Colinas, Richardson, and Addison.
Bonus: If grocery delivery is your thing, also be sure to check out Artizone, a food delivery service from Dallas’ best local vendors (think: the farmers market coming to YOU). Artizone is currently advertising a $15 coupon code for first-time users.
Restaurant Delivery:
Sure, everybody knows how to call Dominoes or order Chinese food when you are in a pinch. But, do you know about DiningIn.com? DiningIn offers home delivery for tons of your favorite restaurants who wouldn’t normally deliver.
And if you don’t see one of your must-have eats on DiningIn.com, check out the Favor App on your phone. Favor will run any and all errands (think dry-cleaning or tailor pick-ups) for folks in Big D proper. That means you can go all out and order a Bob’s steak without ever putting on a pair of heels tonight!
For more Grocery Delivery & Food Delivery Options in Dallas, check out these past posts:
- Grocery Shopping from Home in DFW
- Schwan’s: Bringing Groceries to your Door
- Artizone: Amazing Local Food Vendors at Your Door
**Again, this post is not sponsored, and opinions are 100% my own. These are all companies that I really and truly love and wanted to share it with my inner circle.
My favorite is Burgundypasturedbeef. They deliver organic, grass fed meats (as well as cheeses) to your door step. It’s so wonderful! I order a whole month worth to meet the ten-pound minimum required for delivery and its super tasty and so nice not to run to the store!
p.s. it’s also local ^ so it supports Texas economy as opposed to buying meat from sprouts or whole foods which is often imported from places like New Zealand.