Planning meals, clipping coupons, and making trips to multiple grocery stores can take up a significant amount of your time. Planning healthy meals your whole family will love can be complicated, but online food delivery services help make things easier. From prepared foods to raw ingredients and recipe ideas, food delivery services let you control your diet without having to do a lot of legwork. Here are just some of the options available to make your life in the kitchen beyond simple. 

Surplus Produce Delivery

Some companies offer surplus produce at discounted prices, letting you sample a variety of fruits and vegetables each week. You'll typically find average options, such as onions, carrots, strawberries, and apples, but you may also find some surprising fruits and veggies you've never tried before. Selecting produce for the week makes it easier to plan meals and snacks, such as pot roasts with carrots, celery, and onions or yogurt parfaits topped with blueberries or raspberries. With some produce delivery companies, you can select the items you want as well as your delivery date, while others may choose an assortment for you based on your personal preferences. 

Butcher Delivery Boxes

Butcher delivery boxes provide a host of benefits for you and your family. These services may use local sustainable farms to source beef, poultry, pork, and even some dairy products, so you can feel good about adding meat to your diet. Standard options, such as ground beef, chicken breasts, and pork cutlets, simplify meal planning for each week. You may be able to find specialty items throughout the year, such as Christmas hams and whole turkeys for Thanksgiving, to make holiday shopping easier. Your subscription plan can be based on the types of proteins you prefer and the size of your family to ensure proper portion sizes and to help reduce food waste. 

Meal Delivery Services

For the easiest way to plan meals and ensure healthy, delicious choices for your family, you may want to consider a meal delivery service. These services range from oven-ready prepared meals to boxes filled with ingredients and recipe cards. The option you choose will depend on the amount of time you have to dedicate to meal prep as well as your culinary skills. Remember that the menus change every week, so there may be some weeks with fewer choices to appeal to your whole family. It's a good idea to have backup plans for meals just in case. 

A Combination Of Services

Combining all three of these food delivery services gives you the chance to have plenty of fresh foods available for from-scratch meals and some simple, ready-to-cook meals for days when life is too hectic for cooking. Remember that with each option, there may be additional choices for add-on foods. Produce delivery companies might offer canned goods and staples, and a butcher box delivery might provide freshly churned butter, cheeses, and other farm-fresh dairy options. Consider mixing it up with multiple services to find the perfect balance. You can always skip a week with one service to help prevent wasting delicious food. 

For more information, contact a company like Stay'd.