Zone Diet Delivery Varies
If you live in a larger city or urban area and you adhere to the principles of the Zone Diet, an offshoot industry has sprung up for the more elite that can afford the luxury. Marketed under various company names, some even implying affiliation with the official Zone Diet program, daily home delivery of meals has gained popularity. Right off the bat, it should be known that the official Zone Diet plan and it’s founder Dr. Barry Sears neither authorize, endorse, nor underwrite any Zone Diet style home meal delivery services.
Each service company has its own meal plans, varying levels of service and quality. The primary idea is for those who are too busy to shop, measure and cook, well-planned Zone Diet meals can be delivered to your door, already prepared and ready to eat. Most companies have options available for daily deliveries or perhaps weekdays only. The service is quite a luxury so many companies pamper their customers, allowing for consultation and development of custom menu plans based on individual tastes while still following Zone Diet nutritional guidelines. Not simply for singles, the plans always provide for couples or a larger family to have meals delivered too.
What do I get?
Zone diet delivery meals are delivered daily and not generally for every meal during the day. The delivery will include the 3 recommended meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner, and also the recommended, mid-afternoon and before bedtime, snacks. Some items need no refrigeration for the day. Some items do require that they be refrigerated until eaten. Everything is not eaten cold, and some meal items will require a few seconds in the microwave before serving.
Again, because having pre-made meals delivered at home is an extravagance, most services make a fuss about presenting the meals in their best possible condition and restaurant style. No expense is spared on fancy, disposable packaging that makes the food look appealing. A lot of thought is given to this presentation in light of the fact that the meals are not all freshly served at the table for you like they would be in a restaurant. They must be sanitary, and survive being transported.
The foods themselves that are offered are specially formulated to withstand refrigeration throughout the day and still look and taste as good as freshly made when they are actually eaten. Foods that require reheating need to be easily separated from those that do not. In appropriate packaging, the heated portions need to be conveniently microwaved and returned to the main meal for serving. This must be done without degradation of the food quality or appearance.
Be Careful of Imposter Diet Meals
Some services only deliver Zone Diet style meals. However, some services that deliver Zone Diet meals are in the generalized business of delivering diet specialty meals made in the nutritional style of other popular diet plans as well. This might include the South Beach Diet or the Atkins’s Diet. This also means the service may not provide Zone Diet meals, so you will need to ask them. While the company may offer Zone Diet meals, it may also be that the company may not be as familiar with Zone Diet principles and may feature another plan as its main focus. Be careful too that you are not simply getting a diet meal said to be for the Zone Diet, but may be the same one they deliver to your neighbor for the South Beach plan!
The consultant that sets up the accounts will give you a first impression of what expertise the company has in Zone Diet meal planning. It pays to do a little research about other services in your area too. As with anything, read the delivery contract before you sign it and make sure it meets with your approval.