As a meal prep company with an online food delivery system, your customers rely upon you to fuel their bodies with healthy options. Not only do they want something tasty, but meals that are nutritious for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When packaging meals keep the needs of your clients in mind by providing smart choices for individuals and families alike.
Tips and Tricks for Healthy Meal Prep Lunches
Keeping your meal ideas fresh and exciting can be challenging. Here are some tips and tricks for creating healthy lunches to satisfy the needs and requirements of all ages.
Tips
- Lean Proteins – Make dishes that incorporate lean proteins which help lower cholesterol and promote high metabolism. Some lean proteins to consider for your next online menu are:
- Chicken
- Fish
- Turkey
- Eggs
- Tofu
Your customers will appreciate that you have considered their health and love that they can enjoy a delicious rotisserie chicken for their mid-day meal. Freshly prepared chicken tastes good hot or cold and is a great addition to a healthy whole-grain sandwich too.
- Vegetables – When preparing a meal, vegetables should be on top of the list. Veggies nourish the body and contain plenty of fibre to help keep a healthy gut. Plant-based items are so versatile that they can be incorporated into almost any type of dish. Meat alternatives like vegetable patties with a side of broccoli soup or carrot salad and gazpacho are sure to excite anyone’s tastebuds.
- Whole Grains – Do you love cooking with quinoa? You are in luck because this whole grain is a perfectly healthy meal base. Get creative with quinoa by incorporating ethnic spices and adding a medley of vegetables into the mix for a well-rounded dish. Whole grains come in many forms such as wild rice, bulgur wheat, and oats. These can be used to create dishes for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Your food prep software can help you manage your customer’s preferences and highlight meals with these grains. Don’t forget to mention your healthy meals can help control weight and lower the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Why not put this benefit on your packaging? It will get people interested in your meal prep dishes for more than just convenience.
Tricks
- Plan – List the dishes you want to offer your customers and rotate your menu weekly or bi-weekly. Changing your selection keeps them intrigued and re-ordering new items. Purchase only the ingredients you need so nothing goes to waste. When an item is on sale, create your dishes around that specific ingredient to reduce food costs. You can check your food prep software to help monitor the average amount of food you sell each week. Statistics help you stay on budget. Healthy meals are easy and cost-efficient to make if you prep ahead of time.
- Prepare – Similar to planning, prepare what you can beforehand. Take time to chop, slice, and dice as much as you can (doing so only for ingredients that will stay fresh once cut). This gives you more time to concoct the meal for your online food delivery system and walk-in customers.
- Portion Size – Each item you offer should be no bigger than about a cup or the size of your palm. Food portions should never overflow the edges of an average plate. This helps your customers stay on track to healthy eating without feeling hungry throughout the day or overfull. This general rule is for people who regularly eat three meals a day.
Extra Things to Think About
When providing meals that are ready to eat at the moment, remember the following:
- Packaging – Use containers that will travel well so there is no spillage. You don’t want your food to go to waste and your customers don’t want their hard-earned money to be spent on a mess they have to clean up. Put your meals in containers that zip or clip shut for a solid seal.
- Display – Think of how your food will look when customers open it. Make dishes that appeal to the eyes as well as the tastebuds. Things like healthy salad rolls or sliced poultry are great because they keep their shape well when transported.
- Separated – Keep each part of the meal in its section by using containers that have dividers like bento boxes. People will be happy to know their sauce from the chicken didn’t leak onto their kale.
Ordering Online
An online food delivery system is a great way to gain customers who would otherwise only order from a storefront. At Meal Prep Tech, we help you grab the attention of this client base with a system focused solely on meal prep. Take advantage of automating everything from orders to delivery, to customer data and inventory. Helping your clients stay healthy benefits both them and your business.
