4 Fabulous Meal Prep Companies Founded in Vancouver

These local companies will help you put a healthy homemade meal on the table without all the hassle

These local companies will help you put a healthy homemade meal on the table without all the hassle

After too many nights of dining out and holiday parties, there’s nothing I crave more than a home-cooked meal. There’s something rewarding about being able to cook a dish from start to finish. Unfortunately, cooking—or even the effort of thinking up a different recipe every night—can be a time-consuming endeavor that not everyone has the time or energy for.

Thankfully, meal preparation kits are now a popular option in Vancouver, providing a convenient solution to aspiring home chefs who want the experience of cooking their meals, without the hassle of grocery shopping, and other time-consuming preparation.

Most meal prep or meal subscription companies offer wholesome, nutritious meals, with an online interface where users can pick from an ever-changing selection of meals. After ordering, a kit with all the necessary ingredients (and usually a recipe card) is delivered to you.

So, what’s for dinner? We’ve rounded up some of our favourite Vancouver-founded meal prep delivery companies…

 

1. Fresh Prep

Pictured: KOKOMO Mexican Macro Bowl

Launched in 2015, Fresh Prep is a Vancouver-founded meal-kit service that delivers everything needed to make home-cooked meals in 30 minutes or less. Subscribers pick online from a weekly selection of recipes, and all ingredients are already portioned and chopped for convenience. Because Fresh Prep has its own fleet of drivers for delivering meals, they are able to provide customers with text updates on arrival times and delivery confirmation. Fresh Prep is currently offered through 17 municipalities throughout the Lower Mainland as well as in Victoria, B.C.

Some of the recent meals from Fresh Prep include: the Mexican Macro Bowl (designed in partnership with KOKOMO vegan eatery in Vancouver), Seared Yellowfin Tuna and Cumin-Chipotle Glazed Pork Medallions.

 

2. Fuud

Pictured: Corn Husk’d Cod with BBQ Veggies and Pesto

Offering nine recipes each week for its customers to choose from, Fuud’s meal kits feature fresh, whole, organic and artisan ingredients that are sustainably and locally produced. Some of their recent local farm partners include: Zaklan Heritage Farm, Hazelmere Organic Farm and Cherry Lane Farm. Instead of chopping their veggies, Fuud prefers to send whole ingredients so their customers can see the quality of the locally grown produce.

This is a great choice for customers who value sourcing local, and who consume a diet high in organic and free-range meats. Some of the recent meals from Fuud include: Corn Husk’d Cod with BBQ Veggies and Pesto, Pulled Pork on Crispy Polenta Cakes and Baked Miso Salmon with Crispy Cauliflower.

 

3. The Good Stuff

Whereas most of the other companies on this list focus on dinnertime meal preparation, The Good Stuff offers a convenient solution for breakfast in the form of ready-to-blend frozen smoothies. Each of their 10 smoothie recipes was designed in partnership with a dietician and delivered in paper cups that can be conveniently stored in the freezer. To enjoy, all a customer has to do is add liquid (like coconut water or almond milk), blend in a blender, and pour back into the same cup.

The smoothies have fun names like Wise Ninja, Thunderbird and Kitsilano Sunrise, many of which were inspired by local neighbourhoods or other points of relevance to the founders. Customers can hand-pick their flavours, or order a “collection” of smoothies designed with different health goals like the “Detox” collection or “Strength” collection.

 

3. F.I.S.H. (Fresh Ideas Start Here)

Seafood retailer F.I.S.H. (Fresh Ideas Start Here) was opened in 2008 with the goal of educating people about the bounty of fresh fish and seafood available in our local waters and directly sourced from local fishermen. Continually providing its customers new options for putting sustainable seafood on their table, they’ve introduced D.I.Y meal kits, themed around easy-to-assemble meals, including “Poke Party” and “Taco Fiesta.”

For those who want to take their dinners to a gourmet level, their newest kits include Caviar, Baked Lobster and Bouillabaisse. In addition to being a dinner-at-home option, F.I.S.H’s meal kits would also be a great addition for dinner parties, corporate lunches or a unique hostess gift.