LAST UPDATED: June 27th, 2019

When thinking about eating habits, you might have to personalize your meal plans in order to satisfy dietary requirements. This is true for everyone, to some degree, because everybody needs a different amount of calories. Your sugar might be low; you might have high blood pressure; you might have heightened gluten sensitivity. Whatever the reasoning, you are unique, and therefore your needs must reflect that. With Home Bistro, a meal delivery service, you are safe and thankfully out of harm's way. They offer alternatives to their regular meals, such as low-carb, low-fat or diabetic options, which is good for families and for seniors as well. Founded in 1999, the DineWise brand bought Home Bistro in 2009, making the two brands susceptible to comparison. Home Bistro is primarily known for its professional chefs, creating and constantly renovating their menus. The most unique aspect, however, is that meals are flash-frozen, making it different than its competitors.

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The Good

Gift-worthy
Convenient
Lighter Side menu
Portions

Meals are flash-frozen and delivered in plastic pouches that you defrost once ready to eat. Some customers claim that this makes the meals gift-worthy, so if you're in need of different holiday ideas, this is a great one. Meals are pricey, but definitely worth it as a holiday gift-especially because professional chefs cook these meals. Because it is now owned by DineWise, it even receives its fair share of publicity, and your friends will thank you for these gifts. Meal delivery companies are always convenient because they are, in essence, offering services that we are either not willing to, or cannot, do. If you are retired, or you are a busy parent, you might not be able to go to your local grocery store, cook, and clean every day. You might be retired and not have the same energy levels as you did before. This is a great way to conveniently manage healthy eating while facing potential health problems you might have. These chefs make it convenient to order delicious, home-cooked meals, which are then brought straight to you, without the hassle. All you have to do is warm it up, which many people claim to do through the use of a microwave. There is a Lighter Side menu, which is important to note if you're trying to lose weight and don't have other dietary requirements. This menu has many options, including shrimp pomodoro with whole-wheat spaghetti, grilled chicken with whole-wheat cous-cous, and ravioli with baby asparagus. These are some of the options offered in the menu, but they are constantly changing and adding new ones, so there is definitely variety, if you choose to purchase from this light menu. Meals are perfectly portioned, too. You won't be left feeling hungry, but you won't be too full. They are a decent size, which is good, because when trying to eat healthier or lose weight, it is important to make sure that our stomachs shrink. This will make our goals easier to reach, but aside from that, it is important to eat less because we are essentially training our bodies to learn the difference between being hungry and being full.

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The Bad

Weight loss
Alternatives
Comfort foods
Expensive

If you are looking for a weight loss option, this delivery plan isn't for you. The menu offers 19 choices, which is enough, but when compared to the regular menu, they should expand the special diet menu. Home Bistro also doesn't specialize in diet plans, as they do not provide a basis or guide for clients to follow. For this reason, exercise plans are not given either. The good news is that this option does guarantee that your meal will be no more than 500 calories. The meals also do not contain more than 30% of your recommended sodium and fat intake for the day. In terms of health issues, this one doesn't offer as many alternatives as companies like Magic Kitchen do. Magic Kitchen offers meals that are low in fat, carbs, and sodium, dairy-free, gluten-free, or vegetarian. Because this company is also made for families and older clients, they can be compared in terms of options, plans and prices. Taking away a certain amount of credibility, they offer a few comfort foods, including clam chowder, or fried chicken, which you can have with gravy, mac & cheese, and succotash, or with mashed potatoes, collard greens and gravy. Their gourmet desserts are also based on empty calories and consist mostly of unhealthy ingredients. Deep-frying techniques are not only fattening, but also clearly unhealthy for those older clients with potential health problems. The company needs to cater to more specific needs, or reduce their unhealthy options, in order to match up to its competition. The company is expensive compared to similar programs, too, but the packaging and flash-frozen process has made all the difference, which is where they have succeeded. Aside from that, there is a sales section on the website, which always has special offers on certain foods. It is constantly changing, so check out the sale section if it interests you to know which foods have been reduced, given that the regular prices intimidate you.

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The Bottom Line

Home Bistro is not for everybody, but if you enjoy the occasional indulgence or want a few healthy options, this might work for you. We recommend that you use Magic Kitchen instead, if you are serious about health issues or nutritional needs. If weight loss is what you're seeking, and you want variety, we recommend that you investigate the company Deliver Lean. They offer many options that get you fit, and also options that meet most of the nutritional needs you might have. These two companies are more narrow-minded than Home Bistro and their focus is exactly what you might be looking for. However, Home Bistro is great for those who enjoy the taste of a healthy meal, but might want some real decadent dessert or occasional fried chicken. It is definitely the company you go to when you want to splurge, but it is also great when you want a little bit of everything.

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