Food-prep and delivery companies are all the rage right now. Emma trials one of them for us….

“Hi everyone! My name is Emma and I have just completed the 5 day meal plan from Balance meals.

I work long hours at an office based job in London, and sometimes don’t make time for my lunches, let alone healthy ones! So when Who Dares Slims approached me to see if I wanted to trial this and write a review of it - I jumped at the opportunity! Who doesn’t love a free meal! 

Before being asked to do this, I knew literally nothing about Balance. I’d heard of Gousto and Hello Fresh - and Graze for Snacks! That said, I knew that some companies did pre-portioned meals, I just didn’t know any players in the market! It was great, as it meant I had zero expectations of them before starting! 

In terms of the journey for picking your meals - it was super simple. You just go online and they let you select from a range which ones you’d like. You have to order by the Thursday to get your meals on the Sunday. They cater for different dietary requirements and it’s a slick website. 

Receiving the food was also very easy. If you’re not in, they just leave it outside your door or you can pick a different address for the second delivery, like your office so that you don’t miss itl (Oh yes, be aware that you receive the food in two deliveries to ensure ultimate freshness). 

The box arrives with ice packs so if you aren’t in it will last for a while. I was in for the first delivery as it was on a Sunday but the second one was delivered while I was at work. It was just left outside my door so it wasn’t an issue that I wasn’t in, which is perfect if you want an easy solution to food prep if you work.  

Everything in the box is labeled so it’s easy to split them into the correct meals. While the meals do come in plastic containers, however, these are recyclable (or you can keep them for your own tupperware collection!). They also stack nicely so if you don’t have much space in your fridge they will easily fit. I also kept some of the containers so I could use them again for future meal prep. Might give all the Who Dares Slims recipes a go :)

All the meals were really fresh and packed with flavour. I never felt the need  to add any salt or seasoning to the meals. I went for the ‘Maintain and Sustain’ plan and I have to say, they were fairly large and filling - I was not hungry at any point during the week. They also ahve a ‘trim and slim’ plan for those looking to lean up - and a bulking plan for the body-builders!

I was impressed with the selection of meals and cuisines available - so I was definitely not bored with what I was eating! One of my only criticisms is that  most of the meals came with a sauce but I personally found them to be very sweet so I didn’t always add the sauces. 

In summary, It was very easy to have all your meals delivered to your door and you didn’t have to think about what you were eating. Some of the meals didn’t even need to be heated up so they were perfect to have on the go. Balance meals would suit someone who wants to eat healthy food and doesn’t have time to prepare their own food. 

I personally love cooking, and now know that I prefer to cook my own meals from fresh - if you’re like me, then Balance might not be right for you. Getting yourself some fancy (BPA free!) tupperware sets and a slow cooker could be a better investment!”

Here is a list of all the dishes Emma tried:

Breakfast: 

• Chicken & Mozzarella Sausage 

• Chorizo egg muffin 

• Banana Pancakes 

• Granola & Yoghurt (Favourite Breakfast)

• Peanut Butter Bagel 

Lunch:

• Chilli & Lime Thighs, Polenta Chips & Piri sauce (Favourite Lunch)

• Steak and Wedges

• Prawns and Mexcian Rice 

• Halloumi & Quinoa 

• Beef Brisket & Noodles

Dinner:

• Chicken Katsu 

• M&S Beef and black bean stir fry with rice noodles 

• Lamb Koftas 

• Salmon & Root Veg (Favourite Dinner)

• Chickpea & Spinach Curry