Diet catering – what is worth knowing?

The new reality in which we are still trying to find ourselves because of the coronavirus pandemic has forced us to seek new solutions. These also apply to our diet. It is no coincidence that we receive a lot of questions like: what do we think about diet catering? Today, a few words about box diets from the viewpoint of a dietician.

Diet catering, also known as a box diet, is an interesting alternative for people who want to eat healthily. Choosing this service has certain advantages, first of all it will save us a lot of time – we are not responsible for shopping or cooking, and ready-made meals for the whole day are delivered straight to our door. Trying catering can also help you discover new, healthier tastes or serve as culinary inspiration.

Diet catering in Poland has developed very dynamically in the last few years, currently there are already dozens of companies on the market. A large choice is not always easy, so when choosing a box diet, it is worth paying attention to several aspects. We have prepared a list of the most important issues for you.

Boxed diets – where to start?

Before we decide to buy diet catering, it is worth asking ourselves a few questions about our expectations and possibilities:

• Is our goal to reduce/maintain/gain weight?
• Does the diet have to include the elimination of a particular product/product group?
• Are there any disease entities present that require dietary modifications?
• Will all meals be provided by catering?
• What resources are we able to allocate?
• Is reheating food a problem for us?

The answers to these questions should only serve as a starting point for further exploration and, due to the individual needs of each of us, we will also discuss aspects strictly related to diet and food in the following section.

Diet catering and balanced meals

Apart from matching our expectations, it is worth verifying whether a dietician watches over the prepared dishes and on the basis of which guidelines or rules the diet chosen by us is prepared.

Number of kilocalories

The main issue is the choice of the number of kilocalories. The supply should be appropriately selected taking into account gender, age, height, body weight, physical activity and the planned goal. Some websites offer special calculators which can be used to calculate the appropriate amount of kilocalories. However, if the website does not have such a function, please visit our calorie calculator – Fitatu.

In the case of very active people (or athletes), the supply of kilocalories is considerable, and many catering companies offer meals only up to 3000 kcal. In such a situation, it will be necessary to supplement the pool of kilocalories with additional snacks or meals from outside the ready-made boxes.

If the goal is to reduce body weight, the kilocalorie supply should be reduced accordingly. However, cutting down on kilocalories in a menu should not be drastic, and too low an amount will not have a good influence on our well-being or health. Therefore, 1200 kcal (and less!) proposed by some companies will be a good choice only for a few people.

Macronutrients

Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are macronutrients. It is worth paying attention to whether the chosen box diet pays attention to their amount and what are the ranges in each diet model, and what distribution is suitable for us.

Preliminaries

Allergies and intolerances, or elimination diets – most diet catering companies have various diet options available in their offer. The most common are options excluding zoonotic products, gluten, lactose, or milk and dairy products.

Not many companies allow the elimination of particular allergens or selected products (e.g. disliked ones). This is due to the organisation of work and preparation of meals in larger quantities – so there is no possibility to adjust the menu 100% to our preferences.

Boxed diets – what else is worth paying attention to?

Price

Classic diet models are available from around 35-40 PLN per day including delivery. The price varies depending on the diet plan (elimination diets are often more expensive), the number of kilocalories and the place of delivery. Some companies offer discounts in case of delivering more meals to one address – then it is worth persuading friends from work or neighbours.

Delivery

The time and place of delivery of meals are very important for people who are away from home most of the day. It is important that meals for a given day are delivered before you leave home. In the offers you can find delivery of meals in the early morning (even 4 a.m.) or late evening (one day in advance). Alternatively, you can choose to have your diet delivered to your workplace – but here you unfortunately delay the consumption of your first meal.

Containers

The vast majority of companies offer plastic containers with the option of heating them in a microwave oven. This is a simple and convenient form, but unfortunately not very environmentally friendly. It is worth looking for a catering company with ecological packaging – some suppliers have glass packaging, for example, and meals are delivered in jars.

Opinions, test days

Before making a decision, it is worth looking at other people’s opinions. Often you can find out whether the meals are filling, the presence of vegetables, the variety of meals and their freshness and taste. After choosing several catering services that meet our expectations, the ideal solution is to order test days, on the basis of which we will select a winner in our category.

Location

At the very end, it is worth paying special attention to where the ordered meals come from. Why? Among other reasons, so that they are always fresh, regardless of the day of the week. How much time in advance do the meals have to be prepared if they travel several hundred kilometres on their way to our door? Are we sure to get a fresh menu on Monday? Of course, some companies already have branches in several cities, but it is worth asking for this information at the source, when ordering.

Is diet catering definitely for me?

When choosing a box diet, it is worth making a prior analysis of the catering services available on the market and establishing our priorities regarding meals. People who are ill, dislike many products or have allergies may not find an offer that meets their requirements. You should also be aware of the fact that a box diet for the whole family will be associated with a considerable cost. The boxed diet is certainly an interesting alternative for people with limited time or cooking capabilities, but who want to eat consciously and healthily.

Be sure to share with us in the comments your experiences with catering, which you liked best and which you liked least, and what else you should pay attention to when choosing a box diet!

If you prefer to cook yourself and want to control your diet, use the Fitatu application. More information about Fitatu can be found at: https://www.fitatu.com