You spent your Sunday catching up on Stranger Things instead of mapping out your week of meals. You planned to go to the grocery store after you hit the gym post-work, but were too tired. It was raining. There are a million reasons why the best laid plans for cooking a nutritious meal fall by the wayside, and in those especially busy times (like maybe uh, the holiday season), meal delivery services can be life-saving.
The prepared meal delivery service Forkful caters to a wellness-minded crowd, offering recipes that are made with organic ingredients, are seed oil-free (according to the brand’s Instagram account), and align with a number of different eating styles. And with prep times as quick as two minutes—possible because all meals are delivered fully cooked and just need to be heated—it sounds like a great choice for over-booked folks who want a quick meal solution without sacrificing nutritional value.
I tried Forkful for three weeks to see if it delivers on its promise of quick-to-prepare, delicious, healthy meals.
What is Forkful?
On its website, Forkful describes its meals as “fully-prepared, all natural, chef-cooked” and “dietitian-approved.” “Natural” is one of those healthy-eating buzzwords that can mean many things, but a bit of digging through Forkful’s literature tells me the brand is using it to mean organic ingredients—although it’s unclear whether all the ingredients are organic, or just some.
All recipes are clearly labeled with their nutritional information and tagged with the diet-types they fit into (e.g. low-carb, Paleo, keto, vegan), which makes it easy to choose recipes that fit your chosen style of eating.
Unfortunately, Forkful’s site doesn’t offer much information or transparency about the business. I couldn’t find information about the chefs who prepare these meals, the dietitians who approve them, how the recipes are created, where the service is based, or if there are certifications or third parties that support the brand’s health claims. (Forkful folks, if you’re reading this, I’d love to see this information in an easy-to-find place!)
Pros and cons
How does Forkful compare to other meal delivery services?
Ordering and delivery
You’ve perused the sample menu, like what you see, and are ready to sign up. Just click “Get Started” to place your first order. (Note that the sample menu seems to be a new improvement to the ordering experience; older Reddit reviews indicate it wasn’t possible to see any meals before you enter your payment information).
