I recently ordered my first LM Prep food delivery that arrived this Monday to the club. I had my reservations, "Will it taste good?", "Will it be fresh?", "Is it worth the cost?", "How big are the portions?". So, I thought, if I am questioning, then I may not be the only one.
First, the ordering system is super simple. You can order from the app or online. You can create an account and store your information so it's ready to go when you are. The meals are listed by category and have ingredients, nutrition information and pictures which helps. You can also look for full nutrition labels on the site/app under heating and nutrition. So, for things like fiber (for my KETO conscious friends) and typical food allergy ingredients (contains milk for example), it’s all listed for you. I typically try to eat "clean" which is one of the 5 main categories; Clean-Living, KETO, Plant-Based, Low-Carb and Mediterranean. After checking the dishes and digging into ingredients, I noticed that all the ingredients in all categories are whole, unprocessed foods and nothing added. That made my first order even more fun, I tried a few categories to see if there was any difference.
Second, price. This is a big one for me. We are a family of 4 so watching the budget is a must in my house. At first glance, I thought, that’s a little pricey for my taste. But then I started to look at the actual menu items. We aren’t talking Taco Bell here or even Chick-Fil-A. These are restaurant quality meals. When I started to compare to local restaurants that I often visit, I was more than surprised. I found that for most items, there were only a few dollars difference. I also looked at some of the items as a, "is it worth it compared to the casual dining options close to me". The Chipotle Chicken Bowl from LMPrep is listed as $13, so I compared ingredients, nutrition, and price to a Chicken Burrito Bowl from Chipotle restaurant. Finding that with almost the same ingredients listed, the casual restaurant bowl is $11.00. Not too bad, but then I looked at the actual nutrition – LM Prep Chipotle Chicken bowl has 440 calories vs almost 900, 25g of fat vs 41g and 30g of carbs vs 93g. That difference is a huge benefit for my own health. Is that worth the $2? Yeah, for me it is.
I also love Chicken Parmesan – like really love it. And the local places around me do one heck of a job making it. I didn’t order it this time, but I will. And just for a cost comparison, both closest Italian restaurants near me have it on the menu at $19. LM Prep offers it with broccolini for a side at $13. And friends this one is on the KETO menu which means no side of pasta. But a total of 5 grams of net carbs for this type of dish! Heck yeah! I can spend that extra $5 on a ton of zucchini noodles or boxes of pasta if I want.
What about the Chia Pudding for all of you that need an energy-packed breakfast or post-workout snack? Chia has so many benefits (vitamin B, zinc, magnesium and fiber) and when you add peanut butter protein (10 grams to be exact) , berries for energy, unsweetened coconut flakes and almond milk for good fats and plant based calcium, this one is a winner.
Now on to the foods I ordered. I am a huge tuna fan. I eat the tuna appetizer at Oscar’s (local restaurant here in Eldersburg) as my meal. That means the Sesame Crusted Tuna was definitely on my order. I know fresh sushi grade tuna is not on the value list when it comes to meats, so no I do not have it weekly, but it is one that I will order as a treat for me. I also don’t love to share (sorry husband), and I wanted to see if the portion size was up to my standard. This meal did not disappoint. 6 large slices of fresh tuna, rice, snap peas, seaweed salad and bok choy – perfect! And for $16 vs the $14 I pay for an appetizer, this will be ordered again.
I also ordered the Beef Banh Mi Bowl, because we do not have anywhere to get Vietnamese fair local (at least a 25-minute drive one way). I do crave outside of the local box meals where I live without having to make it myself or make an hour drive to pick it up. I have this one in my bag for lunch today. Super excited.
The last one I ordered was the Kung Pao Chicken Bowl with cauliflower rice. I wish I could tell you how good it was, but my husband ate this one and he was the one who didn’t share. He also didn’t realize it was cauliflower rice and from the low carb menu. So only 360 calories, 15g of net carbs, 35g of protein and no added sugars. Comparing it to a few chain Asian restaurants – these numbers along with the sodium content are under half of the average nutrition numbers at places like Panda Express and Hunan Garden. This one is a little pricey compared to most Asian restaurants but the health benefits for a classic Asian dish are huge.
When you order, there will be added tax. That’s a given with food in Maryland. But no delivery fees. Meals are made with fresh ingredients and delivered cold for you to do the re-heating. I found this to be much better than picking up curbside when my food gets home lukewarm or weirdly not right because it has been sitting in a container, in a bag, under a heat lamp, waiting for me to arrive. I feel the shelf life is good for a few days. Honestly, I’m not letting good food sit in the fridge to see how long it will stay good.
Pick Up – well that is at Merritt Clubs. What better motivation to get your workout in and then head home with a freshly made meal? Here in Eldersburg we see all the parents and grandparents bringing in the kids for swim lessons, dance, karate or play time in our Kids Club. I know they would love not having to plan dinner for when they get home.
Is this family friendly? That completely depends on your family. Would I love it if my kids ate all the foods offered from LM Prep? Heck yeah. I mean, don’t we all want our kids to eat all the fruits and veggies we serve? Will my 8-year-old eat Banh Mi? Nope. Will my 13-year-old eat Sesame Tuna – no way, but I’m not sharing anyway. One thing we do eat a ton of is chicken and sweet potatoes. I meal prep weekly and sometimes the thought of cooking all day Sunday makes me grumpy. So, will I try the bulk cooked meats and veggies to be delivered for my busy spring nights? The nights when my main evening job is kid taxi driver. The nights when I don’t have time to cook and we typically hit fast food joints to spend the same amount of money. Chick-Fil-A for a family of 4 is over $35 in my house anyway.
Wrapping it up – LM Prep. Yes, the food is worth trying. Will I order again? Definitely. So I recommend you give it a try. When you find that you have started making excuses for your own nutrition because of time and convenience, LM Prep has you covered. When you want a healthy date night in – they’ve got you there too. But most of all, when you are ready to clean up diet but don’t know where to start, let LM Prep help you.
And check this out – if you order soon you can use my discount codes.
- Spend $50 get $5 off with code SHERRI5
- Spend $75 get $10 off with code SHERRI10
- Spend $100 get $15 off with Code SHERRI15
LM Prep meals are prepared in-house by Executive Chef Parker Greene and his team. The menu features wholesome meals prepared through clean cooking techniques. All menu items are made-to-order and use local products. To learn more, click here.
