For the foodie with little time, these services focus on feel-good recipes, which might be plant-based, paleo-friendly, and gluten-free or dairy-free.
Vegetable and Butcher
This health-focused, DC-based food delivery service provides a flexible weekly subscription of ready-to-eat vegan and non-vegan (but paleo-friendly) meals which are all gluten- and dairy-free. Next week, it’s collaborating with vegetarian taqueria Chaia to bring three exclusive recipes straight to your door. The menu (available in vegan and vegan-plus-chicken options) will feature the same sustainable packaging and local produce the Georgetown eatery (and its Mount Vernon Square sibling) have become known for. With one notable exception: tacos.
The three-meal-a-day package does feature a few familiar touches: Chaia’s green rice and homemade tortillas, which show up in black-bean enchiladas with roasted butternut squash and salsa roja. For a midday meal, sugary pumpkin seeds punch up a green goddess salad with herby quinoa and kale. And for breakfast, they’ll serve oats with gingery mushrooms and caramelized onions.
Prices start at $11 per meal, but you have to sign up for a weeklong trial. Place your orders by midnight on Friday, February 28 to receive the Chaia meals on Monday. Both the trial and regular subscription let you decide how many meals a day you want, and how frequently you want them. Delivery to DC and Virginia is free.
Healthy Fresh Meals
Headquartered in Hyattsville, this delivery service aims to drop food off on your doorstep that truly tastes like it comes from a home kitchen, not your front porch. Since its founding in 2016, the company has worked with local farmers and professional chefs to create healthy comfort food.
While the ingredients don’t travel too far, the inspiration for the dishes come from all over the world. A normal week might feature a vegan Thai quinoa or a Brazilian plantain bowl. And there’s no prep necessary. So the cheesy butternut squash lasagna arrives ready to eat ($11.95).
This meal plan is customizable, so order as many enchilada peppers as is required. Meals for the week are delivered on Sundays to homes and on Mondays to business. Price per meal ranges from $10.95 to $14 and there is a $10 delivery fee.
MightyMeals
Two fitness guys and a professionally trained chef walked into a bar. The punchline? They founded a socially-conscious meal delivery company that strives to bring high quality, healthy ingredients to tables across the Metro area.
The menu from the Burke-based company changes weekly, but recent dishes include spinach-and-mushroom egg white bites ($9.99), vegetarian spaghetti squash primavera ($8.99), and Hawaiian-style tofu ($10.99).
Prices range from about $7.99 to $13.99. The customizable plan offers free delivery twice weekly, as well as pickup at gyms across the area. Place orders by end of day Thursday to receive Sunday deliveries, and end of day Monday for Thursday deliveries.
Emma Francois is an editorial fellow at Washingtonian covering everything from food to fashion. She graduated from Georgetown University and has previously worked for USA Today, the Georgetown Voice, and the Chautauquan Daily.
