“Back to school” oftentimes means back to stress when it comes to regular meal planning for your family. Even if your kitchen is fully stocked with the latest and greatest handy gadgets — I see you, Instant Pot — we are often left with that ubiquitous nagging question of “What’s for dinner tonight?” Well, your choices in locally produced options, some delivered right to your doorstep, have gotten a lot better.
Prefare Gourmet Meal Kits will be your budget-friendly go-to service if time is also of the essence. Yes, they offer amazing choices of chef-prepped meat, fish, and vegetarian options, including deluxe chicken ranch burgers with Parmesan fries and smothered chili rellenos for as little as $10 per serving. But what really sets Prefare apart is just how quick they are to prepare — how does less than 15 minutes sound? When you’re carpooling kids from practice and coming home late, the time between walking in the door and feeding a hungry family can feel incredibly harried and stressful. Having a quick and delicious dinner plan is key. The subscription is so simple. Just sign up, order one week ahead from its expansive menu, and your box is delivered the next week. So simple! And you can cancel anytime. Find delicious options and the delivery area at prefaremeals.com.
RollinGreens plant-based on-the-go meals — your local supermarket
For super busy vegans who don’t have the time to cook, Boulder-based RollinGreens has introduced innovative plant-based on-the-go meals that you can keep stocked in your pantry. As seen on Shark Tank, the plant-based protein is primarily made from peas and shiitake mushrooms, making it free from soy, nut, wheat, and gluten. In fact, RollinGreens boasts that its products completely lack “ingredients you can’t pronounce.” RollinGreens is a grassroots, family-owned company that began as a simple food truck.
Now, you can find RollinGreens online at rollingreens.com and at most local King Soopers stores or at Walmart. They come in popular varieties like chic’ken fajita, me’eat Mexican chili bowls, and chic’ken teriyaki.
The best part of this clean and easy-to-pack time-saver is its simplicity: If you can boil water, you can make these meals.
Spade and Spoon fresh meal kits — Denver and Front Range
Spade and Spoon offers fresh meals of locally sourced meats and produce. Unlike other subscription meal boxes that are shipped across country, these are literally packed the day they are sent. No more worrying that your meal is sitting somewhere in transit for days at a time. At Spade and Spoon, you can order amazing varieties of family-sized meals, including pollo asado burritos that feed up to four people, produce-only boxes when you just need to replenish your fresh ingredients, or even overnight waffles with strawberries and cream if you’re craving a decadent breakfast.
We love that Spade and Spoon caters to any type of diet you may have. One peek at their menu on spadespoon.com and you’ll see traditional options along with vegan, glutenfree, and dairy-free meals. If you’ve got a dietary restrictive eater in the house, this is the meal subscription for you.