Is EveryPlate Healthy?

With so many meal kit delivery services on the market, knowing which one you should choose can be challenging. Picking the right subscription is especially important if you’re trying to prioritize nutrition for general wellbeing, weight loss or specific health concerns. 

What Is EveryPlate?

Housed under the Home Fresh brand, EveryPlate is a budget-friendly option for those looking to try a meal kit subscription. EveryPlate starts at just $4.99 per serving for a family of four. The cost of a box depends on how many people are in your household and how many meals you’d like delivered. 

Each week you’ll choose your meals from a menu of options. EveryPlate recipes aren’t as adventurous as other meal kit delivery companies, but their meals will satisfy even the picky eaters in your family. 

Is It Healthy?

Like any other type of meal plan, EveryPlate can be as healthy as you make it. If you want the most nutritious choices, you’ll need to know what you’re looking for. EveryPlate’s variety of 17 meals each week allows you to be selective with the ingredients you put on the table. 

Part of the reason EveryPlate can keep costs so low for their customers is by using common ingredients. As such, they aren’t able to cater specifically to those who have specific dietary restrictions. However, if you’e willing to do the research yourself, you’ll more than likely find meals that can suit your needs. 

Tips for Maximizing Nutrition

Using one or more of these tips will help you get the most out of your subscription and tailor it to your or your family’s dietary needs.  

Choose a Lean Protein

EveryPlate allows you to swap out your choice of meat. Lean proteins are typically the best option since they’re lower in saturated fat. Trade out pork and fatty cuts of beef for seafood, poultry or lean cuts of red meat. 

Lean proteins are also typically lower in calories than red meats, so swapping out your protein is a good start if you’re hoping to reduce your calorie intake. 

Pick One Veggie-Heavy Meal

Among the menu options each week, EveryPlate offers some vegetarian options. Their selection of these dishes has improved since the company’s start. Eating meatless can improve your heart health and introduce plant-based sources of nutrition you’d be missing out on otherwise.

It’s important to note that even though EveryPlate now offers plenty of vegetarian options, these meals don’t always have a good source of protein. Looking at a week of dinners, one recipe had a substantial amount of chickpeas, but the other three options only had minimal amounts of protein found in cheese and sour cream.

Add a Salad

Relying on starchy vegetables and grains helps EveryPlate keep costs low. While these foods are delicious, these recipes often contain more than the recommended amount per meal. Consider adding steamed vegetables or a simple salad to your meal for a better balance.

Also, by adding in more vegetables, you’ll be able to make your meals stretch further. Eat your leftovers for lunch or another dinner and save yourself even more money in the grocery budget. 

Better Than Fast Food

Even if you know nothing about nutrition and just choose the meals that sound delicious to you, you’ll still be better off than ordering fast food. The cost per meal is remarkably similar, but your EveryPlate meals are made at home without all that extra grease.