Meal delivery plans can be a convenient way of following a gluten-free diet. A person can choose weekly meals and have them delivered directly to their door.
This article explains how gluten-free meal delivery services work, what options there are, and why a person might need to choose a gluten-free diet.
A gluten-free diet can help manage symptoms of celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that causes damage to the small intestine when a person eats food containing gluten.
Celiac disease is not the same as gluten intolerance or a wheat allergy.
Gluten intolerance or sensitivity can produce similar symptoms to celiac disease, but gluten sensitivity does not cause damage to the lower intestine.
A wheat allergy is an immune system response causing a person to experience allergic reactions to food or drinks that contain wheat or wheat proteins. Barley, oats, and rye can also contain wheat proteins.
Not everyone who is allergic to wheat is allergic to the gluten found in wheat products.
Meal delivery services usually offer weekly plans that allow a person to choose meals for a week. They then deliver meals to the person’s door in a single package that the person can store in the fridge before consumption.
Different services may offer their meals in different ways. For instance, meal kits contain ingredients that customers need to prepare and cook according to the included recipe. Other meal delivery boxes contain ready-prepared meals that customers can heat up in the microwave or otherwise cook quickly.
Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based.
Sun Basket
Sun Basket offer easy-to-cook meal kits that use organic produce certified by the United States Department of Agriculture. The company also use responsibly sourced meats and seafood.
There is an extensive gluten-free dinner menu, which includes dishes such as:
A person can choose to receive two, three, or four recipes per week that make two to four servings per recipe.
Customers choose two or more dinners for weekly delivery, and there is also the option to choose a weekly delivery of breakfasts, lunches, and add-on items.
It is possible to cancel the plan at any time and skip weeks when a person does not need deliveries.
Sun Basket prepare their meals in a facility that handles wheat, and as such, there is a risk of cross-contamination. Therefore, Sun Basket gluten-free meals may not be suitable for those with celiac disease or severe gluten intolerances or wheat allergies.
Sun Basket is available for purchase here.
Freshly
Freshly offer prepared, single-portion meals that a person can heat up in just 3 minutes. They also offer dishes for a wide range of dietary needs.
All Freshly meals are gluten free. Freshly make their meals in kitchens certified by the Gluten Intolerance Group and do not handle or store any products that contain gluten.
People with celiac disease or severe gluten intolerances can safely order from Freshly.
A person can choose which meals they would like delivered weekly, from a weekly rotation of options. It is possible to skip or cancel a week if a person changes their delivery by the weekly deadline.
Freshly meals include:
- masterful pesto penne
- palm noodle pad thai
- chipotle chicken stew
Freshly is available for purchase here.
Fresh n’ Lean
Fresh n’ Lean offer prepared meals made with fresh, organic, non-GMO whole foods that can be heated in minutes.
There are keto, paleo, and vegan menus available, and all Fresh n’ Lean meals are gluten free.
A person can pick which meals they would like delivered each week. It is possible to exclude up to three ingredients from the meal plan overall.
Their meal range includes:
Fresh n‘ Lean is available for purchase here.
Green Chef
Green Chef meal plans cover vegan, vegetarian, keto, and paleo diets.
Boxes include prepared organic ingredients and sauces, as well as easy-to-follow recipes. It takes around 30 minutes to prepare a recipe.
Green Chef deliver meals weekly, biweekly, or monthly, depending on the subscription.
Examples of gluten-free Green Chef meals include:
- creamy chimichurri chicken
- squash latkes with steak hash
- pork chops with tahini sauce
Green Chef is available for purchase here.
Veestro
VegNews named Veestro the best meal delivery service in 2018, a year in which Veestro delivered over 2 million plant-based meals.
Customers choose their plan and then the meals they would like, which cover breakfasts and dinners.
There is a wide range of gluten-free meals to choose from, including:
Veestro is available for purchase here.
bistroMD
According to the bistroMD website, one of the founders — a doctor who works in nutrition and weight management — is responsible for the nutritional composition of their meals.
This meal delivery service offer a range of tailored programs, including men’s and women’s programs, programs for individuals living with diabetes, and gluten-free programs.
The 5-day program includes five breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. There are additional programs that cover only lunches and dinners.
A person can choose their plan and then the meals they would like delivered each week. They can also benefit from consultations with bistroMD dietitians.
The bistroMD menu is readily available, but gluten-free options are only viewable when a customer is curating a plan.
Sometimes, the number of calories in a gluten-free diet for children can be too low.
In adults, following a gluten-free diet may cause a decrease in the amount of healthful whole grains a person consumes. This in turn may increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Therefore, people who do not need to follow a gluten-free diet for medical reasons should not do so.
Several other studies, such as a 2018 review and a 2018 evaluation of the effects of gluten-free diets, conclude there is little evidence to suggest that a gluten-free diet leads to weight loss or better health overall.
Foods labeled “gluten-free” must contain less than 20 parts gluten per million by law, which is far below the amount that can cause symptoms in people with celiac disease.
Checking with the meal delivery company about their food preparation methods can help ensure there is no risk of gluten being present in the meals, even in trace amounts.
