What’s the value in customized meal planning?

In the old days, it used to be a question of what you get. How are the portions? We typically looked at what we got on the plate, and calculated the value according to the food costs. More was always better. We could take leftovers home in a doggy bag and eat them for another meal.

Today, things are a little bit different. We’re looking at a glut of caloric consumption and what it does to our bodies. We seem to be collectively not very good at portion control or calorie reduction. So sometimes these days, people are paying to eat less. That might sound strange in a different societal context, but it really makes sense in today’s culinary world. In a sense, you’re “seeing the negative space” – looking beyond size to think about how food changes us over time. It’s kind of something that makes your head spin, but it’s something that people have to think about – or ignore at their peril.

Let’s look at how this works with some of our meal options.

Macro Bowls

Our macro bowls are based on careful nutrition and portion control. You get a full meal – but you don’t get a lot of empty calories, or unbalanced meals without correlating nutrition. That’s part of the trend nowadays, and we’ve jumped on that bandwagon to be able to offer a better product. The trend to offer quality over quantity, though, is pretty new, and goes against the grain of the more established trend – to super-size everything that you get at a restaurant. A 64-oz. soda? Really?

More Customized Meals

We also have the ability to deliver meals with different components. Suppose you don’t want any carbs, and you just want to eat meat and vegetables in a sort of paleo diet configuraton. That type of meal planning can be hard to come by, but when you look at our menu, you’ll see how versatile it is, and how much you can micromanage what you eat to have better quality of life and still be provided the nutrients that you need.

For more, keep reading our web site. At AZ Tastebuds, we excel at bringing the right quality and the right quantity to you, through our top-tier meal prep and planning service. Our bowls are the best! We combine great ingredients and excellent recipes to make eating fun, but also, to make it a bit healthier, so that over time, you don’t suffer from “fast food syndrome.” People want to take better care of themselves – and that makes sense! Browse our menu for what you want in AZ.

As a top meal prep and delivery service, one of our best-selling types of products is the prepared bowl, a mix of hearty ingredients designed to whet your appetite in a nutritious way.

Our bowls are in high demand, and easy to deliver around the Phoenix, AZ area. Why do we package food this way?

Bowls and Bowl Containers

One reason that bowls are so popular is that they are easy from a packaging and delivery perspective. The whole dish is contained in one container, so that you don’t have to worry about different components being at different temperatures, or items spilling out of an open container.

In addition, these bowls can be reused and repurposed after delivery. That means less packaging waste, which is important these days. 

The Nutrition of Bowls

You can also look at the bowl from a nutrition standpoint, where you can see the value of getting a good balance. 

It’s important to get different food groups into the bowl, and complement various types of foods with others that have different nutritional value. You don’t just want a whole package of carbs, or a lot of fatty food without food that contains plant sterols and antioxidants, for example. Most people want some dairy, but most people don’t want dairy to be the primary ingredient.

Our chefs work tirelessly to create the kinds of recipes that have that balance that you want when you’re ordering delivery food and meal prep service.

Three of our Bowls

Try the tantalizing tastes of our bowl options to get wonderful meals for any occasion.

Try our cheesy chili with spanish rice, chili and Monterey Jack cheese. Then there’s our Hawaii bowl, which complements white jasmine rice with barbecue chicken, sweet onion and cilantro. We also include pineapple, a fruit known for its beneficial properties and bromelain, a natural chemical in the fruit that has its own health value.

Another of our popular bowls is based on caramelized teriyaki components with vegetable fried rice. Read all about it online, and select your favorites for delivery to your door. 

If all of this sounds delicious, check out our online catalog. Our modern e-commerce site makes it easy to order your meals, and our conscientious staff will deliver. We take a lot of pride in what we do! Whether you’re a senior with limited mobility, a busy family, or a commuter working overtime, or really, anybody who likes food – give it a try!

The last year was a challenging time for all of us, as the pandemic put a hold on our everyday lifestyles. Many things we used to do so freely now could potentially jeopardize our safety and others. One of these things is eating out at local restaurants and cafes. 

Our culture has an infatuation with food, and for a good reason. We all love to chow down on a nice hot meal, but unfortunately, the coronavirus has made it difficult to eat at our favorite restaurants. This has left many of us trying to find ways to enjoy good food without risking our safety. Luckily, here are a few ways you can still have an excellent meal without leaving your home.

Expansion Restaurant Delivery Options

The first option is to have your favorite restaurant deliver the food to your house. Now I know what you’re thinking; “not every restaurant delivers.” While that is the case, there are still ways to have your food delivered. Fortunately, we live in a technologically advanced society, where pretty much anything is possible through apps on our phones. 

There are plenty of delivery service apps that will deliver your food right to your door from any restaurant out there. There is no need to sit there and wish your favorite restaurant could provide when all you have to do is use an app!

Grocery Delivery

The second option changes things up a bit. Instead of eating an already cooked meal, try cooking it for yourself. While you may think that you would still need to go out of your home to get the grocery store’s supplies and ingredients, some apps allow your groceries to be delivered. This means that you can order all of the elements you need and cook your meal without ever stepping foot outside of your home!

Gourmet Prepared Meal Delivery

Finally, if you don’t want to waste your time cooking or you simply don’t know how, you could look into getting a meal service. Meal services cook and prepare healthy gourmet meals for you and your family and then deliver them right to your door. Many people love meal services as they are quick, easy, and delicious. 

Meal services use high-quality ingredients to ensure that you and your family get your money’s worth. Because meal services deliver the food to your door, you don’t even have to step outside. It is the perfect solution for our modern lifestyles.

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you’ve probably heard the term “calories in, calories out.” If you consume more calories than you need, you’re going to gain weight. Conversely, if you burn more calories than you consume, you will burn fat. Counting calories can lead you to some interesting conclusions. Some days, your allotted calorie intake may feel like enough, and some days it doesn’t. Why is that? It’s because foods have different abilities to make you feel full, and this is sometimes referred to as a food’s satiety index.

The concept of a satiety index was developed by Australian Researcher Dr. Susanne Holt. She had University of Sydney students eat different foods, all of the same caloric intake. They rated their feelings of hunger after eating the portion and how it changed over the course of two hours. She found that some foods provide a lot more satiety than others despite having similar caloric values.

Most Filling Foods

Boiled and baked potatoes have been shown to have the highest satiety index. Pulses, such as beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils, provide immediate satisfaction. They are also packed with slowly digesting carbohydrates, high fiber, and protein contents. Fiber is known to improve digestion, control blood sugar and manage cholesterol. It also contributes to a feeling of fullness. Scientific evidence consistently shows that protein is the most effective macronutrient for providing satiety.

Least Filling Foods

Some of the least filling foods are those that we desire the most. Croissants, cakes, and donuts are low on the satiety index. Snacks and candies are usually not very satisfying. Of those kinds of foods, the fiber-rich snack of popcorn outperforms the others. Even though boiled potatoes are a satiety star, fried potatoes were not considered to be very filling. Most cereals you see at the grocery store don’t rank very well on the satiety index. However, oatmeal is one of the most filling foods, according to studies.

Vanishing Caloric Density

Food Scientist, Steven Witherly, brought to light how many popular snacks are created to be addictive. Researchers have spent decades learning about the way that people respond to different food factors and how they can be used to make consumers crave more. One aspect that makes us keep going back for more is crunch. Studies show that even foods labeled as crunchy are more desirable to the consumer. This is even more true when we hear the crunch. Vanishing caloric density refers to how some foods, usually salty snacks, start with a crunch and then melt in your mouth. This tricks our brains into believing that they have no calories and therefore results in overeating. Unfortunately, the calories don’t actually vanish.

At AZ Tastebuds, we understand the way different foods contribute to feelings of fullness. That’s why we can create healthy meals that will help you feel full while sticking to your caloric goals. For healthy and tasty meals prepared for you and your family, we’ve got you covered.

What does it mean to offer the best meal planning services for a clientele?

At AZTasteBuds, we understand that it’s all about cuisine and food quality, but it’s also all about logistics.

By combining the best ingredients and the best preparation methods with the best effective delivery, we are providing value to our customers every day.

The Time-Cost-Effort Matrix

Here’s one key visual way to look at this that we’ve incorporated on our website, because we think it’s so important.

The time-cost-effort matrix contrasts the practice of ordering out with the practice of shopping for food and preparing your own meal. We then add the additional option of getting meal prep delivered.

First, let’s look at the time axis. We’ve estimated an hour and a half to order, drive to a restaurant, park, pick up food and bring it home. That can be longer if the restaurant is backed up due to unanticipated orders.

We estimated an hour for cooking things yourself, including preparation and making sure the food items are on hand.

By contrast, utilizing a delivered meal prep service takes about five minutes.

As for cost, we’ve estimated $14 plus tip for the average restaurant meal, eight dollars for the average home-cooked meal, and presented our price of around $7.95 for each prepped meal delivery.

Then you look at the effort axis, and you really get some of your big savings:

Again, with your restaurant meal, you have travel time, parking, wait time, meal prep and service. You have to drive, maybe in heavy traffic, since it’s usually around rush hour that dinner time comes.

With home cooking, you have the shopping, preparation and cook time.

With a meal prep delivery service, you just pick it up at your door – and eat!

This is a great way to visualize how you save time and money with our excellent meal prep service in the Arizona area. We take care to plan effectively, to give you the economies of scale savings that feed your family for less without sacrificing quality …or taste! To find out more, browse the web site and find out how we tickle our customers’ taste buds, with easy, effortless delivery that doesn’t require re-inventing the wheel every time you want to eat dinner. Our commitment to you is that we worry about the quality and excellence of every meal that goes onto your plate – so that you don’t have to! Ask us about menus, logistics, and more. That’s what we are here for.