10 healthy meal delivery services in Dubai…and some across the UAE
Before I indulge you in the many meal delivery services in Dubai, if you like to eat out healthily, here are my own personal recommendations of low-carb friendly restaurants in Dubai, which pairs well with the low-carb regime I followed at the time.
I am usually a sceptic when I come across strict ‘quick fix’ dietary programmes. I firmly believe healthy eating is a long-term vision, and given our ancestors’ diet, should encompass a variety of cooking techniques with a balance of food groups – all in moderation of course. And yes that can still apply when dining out regularly, and in my case restaurant reviewing. I do of course understand adjusting one’s eating habits if suffering from severe intolerances or allergies, and I can also respect ethical views.
The fact is we have a growing movement for healthy meal delivery services in Dubai and across the UAE. I count ten. Perhaps there’s more. Some of these support stringent diets, others offer more balanced meals – and many provide short and long-term programmes for both. It’s one of these services whose delivery rocked up on my doorstep, and along with your feedback on my social media channels, that prompted me to research this market and share a few more options. So voila here’s FooDiva’s top 10 or perhaps only 10 round-up. All offer a consultation service with a nutritionist in advance.
- Detox Delight – A cool box arrives from this German outfit’s Dubai branch with a 24-hour meal and juice plan (pictured here). Many but not all dishes abide by raw foodism and vegan diets. The Thai asparagus, mange tout and pineapple salad with coconut lime chilli dressing for lunch, and the veggie curry with some flaxseed crackers for dinner are wonderfully wholesome, filling and bursting with flavour. Top marks for the two interesting fruit and veggie juice blends too. However, the brekkie snack of mango chia seed pudding with granola is too milky (soy surprisingly) for my liking. I replace it with slices of watermelon and Greek fetta (the latter not really detoxifying I know!). No hunger pans at all – clearly the cheese helps ;). I could happily follow this diet once a week, or perhaps after an indulgent holiday – but nothing more. Dubai only. Prices start at AED370 for a 24-hour meal plan.
- Kcal Extra – Priding itself on healthy fast food, Kcal which has six cafes in Dubai, also offers weekly and monthly meal delivery plans across the emirate based on a daily calorie limit. Dubai. Prices start from AED2,450 for a 20 day (5 week) programme, but you can also order single dishes from its regular menu.
- Daintree – A Dubai-based healthy food delivery service where all meals use organic produce and are free from gluten, dairy, GMO, soy, corn, hydrogenated fat and refined sugar. Dubai. Prices start at AED230 for one order of three meals.
- Health Factory [HAS SINCE CLOSED DOWN] – Meal plans are based on natural, healthy ingredients that provide essential vitamins and minerals. Diabetics are also catered for. Dubai aside, deliveries to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain. Prices start from AED1,650 for lunch meal delivery over 26 days (excluding Friday).
- Live’ly – Meal programmes are based on a weekly changing menu published on its website. All dishes are free of animal fats and butter, whilst desserts are prepared with natural fruit sugar, fructose. Let’s hope it is indeed natural, like honey, and not high fructose corn syrup. Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Prices on request.
- Right Bite – All dishes feature natural, wholesome ingredients – free of additives, artificial sweeteners and flavour enhancers. Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Prices start at AED336 for a seven-day lunch and side dish package.
- Simply Healthy Foods – Healthy meal plans are formulated based on dietary requirements and are calorie counted. Dubai only. Prices start at AED1,200 for breakfast, lunch and dinner over a two-week period.
- Slim ‘n Lite – Meals are free from artificial colourings and preservatives. Gluten-free breads and pastries are prepared fresh daily. Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Prices start at AED55 a day for a lunch box over a minimum five-day period.
- Balance Café [HAS SINCE CLOSED DOWN] – You may know this one as a café in Oasis Centre, but Balance also offers monthly meal delivery programmes prepared by a chef in conjunction with an Ayurvedic consultant. One FooDiva reader praises its virtues, “I lost 20kg in 12 weeks last year following a Balance Café plan.” Dubai. Prices on request.
- 77 Veggie Boutique – Dubai’s first all veggie, organic café which opened last year also offers healthy meal plans. And needless to say you won’t find any meat in sight. Dubai. Prices start at AED900 for either lunch or dinner for a month.
As an alternative, if you relish cooking but can’t spare the time for grocery shopping, we have a couple of options where ingredients are delivered to your door with recipes – Cookabox and Dinner Time.
Have you tried and tasted any of these services? Or else, could you be tempted? Are there any more worth mentioning? How do you feel about dietary programmes?
A bientôt.
FooDiva. x
Lovely round up!! I’ve tried 6 of them, I have lately become obsessed with K-cal’s burger, being a burger lover. After a while, they all tend to taste the same and your taste buds kind of dies out. I believe though, it ‘s a great way to ‘control’ your quantity especially if you are on the go. You become then ‘aware’ of how much you really ARE meant to be eating. But then, that reminder fades away very quickly haha!
I am with you on the KCal burger its fabulous! great round up 🙂
Haha just had the Kcal burger yesterday! Why didn’t I find this place before! Amazing and guilt free 🙂
OK I am adding KCal’s burger to my burger wish list Michelle/ Debbie. I too love a good patty and if it can be healthy even better! Portion control is my biggest bug bearer, and the only way to resolve that is with meals delivered to your door – otherwise it’s so easy to over-indulge.
Being a lover of meat, I would not normally even think of ordering in ‘healthy’ food – however, this list has made me starting thinking about the merits of this type of service. Very thought provoking.
Meat if rightly sourced is healthy Garry and some of these services will cater to the carnivore in you 🙂
Livefreshr.com seems to be the service everyone is talking about these days. I have used them for the last 2 weeks and been very impressed so far with the variety and quality of the ingredients etc.
Thanks Thomas for the heads up.
Superb roundup. I have tried three out of the many you have listed. Although I am not fussy with food and I like trying out new dishes and new styles of cooking, after enrolling in a meal programme, I realised that I do crave for the type of food I have grown up eating – Indian food! And that’s where Simply Healthy Foods worked great for me – occasionally I did dig into a fish curry and a chicken tikka!
Thanks Ishita, good to know. Fish curry and chicken tikka can be healthy too if the saturated fat content is limited 🙂
I am surprised to read that there is such a big choice of healthy deliveries. As I am not a meat lover, healthy food deliveries are such a good idea for those who are busy and do not like to cook. Personally though, I rather prepare my own food with natural fresh healthy ingredients. Healthy eating is a way of life for me !!!
I too was surprised with the multitude of options here Kelly. Doing your own grocery shopping and preparing food at home is of course the ideal way, but for time-starved individuals that’s not always an option so these services come to rescue, albeit at a price.
What a useful list! It’s great to know that there are so many healthy food delivery companies in the UAE. Glad to see the demand for healthy food in the country is on the rise 🙂
Thanks Erum. With the UAE’s high rate of diabetes, I hope services like these will help encourage healthy eating.
Thanks for this list – i am trying the cookabox recipe option as a tester to see if it is feasible for our lifestyle.. or we may have to go for cooked meal options.
I am not a fussy eater but the wife has limitations in her palate. Picking the right option is necessary
Pleasure. Would love to get your feedback Partha once you’ve tried and tasted it.
I ordered an oriental box and what a delight… took longer than it said on the box, but then I am no professional.. I could put it together quite easily and the flavors were good!! I will try livefreshr.com and see what they have to offer as well 😉
I should have asked you to review for me Partha 😉 Great, constructive feedback. Hope LiveFresh works for you too 🙂
Great roundup Foodiva. I’m always looking for healthy alternatives and came across Just Salad the other day. I was surprised to find it here as I know from my days living in New York. It’s definitely an amazing option for those seeking healthy food as well. Thanks for your roundup many on your list I’ve yet to try.
Thanks Antoine. I still need to try Just Salad – always here great things about it. Thanks for the reminder, and good luck with your healthy eating drive 🙂
Hello Foodiva, This is Lovely Ranganath here 🙂 Would love to be included in your list the next time round. Do check us out.
( https://www.facebook.com/Healthtrendz ) . Healthtrendz is an initiative of the Dubai World Trade Centre’s in-house catering arm which has always had an indisputable reputation for providing service of the highest standards and delivering a world-class culinary experience to its clients.
I am not too sure how you work but would love to touch base.
Lovely Ranganath
Sr.Nutritionist (04 3086338 / 6559 )
Thanks for a great line up. I’ve tried 3 of them already and I must say, kcal extra is best by a mile. Also love the restaurants they have!
Pleasure Janet, good to know 🙂
Great round up 🙂 Ive tried 2 of them and Kcal Extra comes out top for me. Best quality food, Serious about the results and great service oh and one of the cheapest too! Daintree is ok but too expensive and had problems with the service.
Kcal Extra is indeed a good one. But, the list should definitely have Wagamama which has 3 branches including one at palm. And we have office delivered multiple times, always hot and fresh. Also, their health drinks of raspberry and avocado are awesome for someone on diet.
Hello Foodiva,
Would love to be included in your list the next time round. Do check us out from here http://laptoplunch.ae/
Hi,
I know its an old post, but i wanted to get a meal plan from for 1 month and wanted to know if there are any suggestions, I’m thinking abt K cal … any feedback…
any new places have opened up???
I have used Kcal a number of times since I wrote this post including a monthly plan, and it’s my all-time favourite Divya. More info here: http://www.foodiva.net/2016/02/23-low-carb-friendly-restaurants-in-dubai/
Hi,
Loved reading your article. Was wondering if you cold help me out with a food related query. I am looking for vendors in dubai who can provide me food boxes for an event i am doing. so i would need food for my team. Is there someone you can suggest ?
I think http://www.theospoint.com/ must be in the last. Even I recommend for in top 3.
Been on the Theos Point meal plan for 3 months now and absolutely love it 🙂
5 Start for you Theos Point *****
I have tried Kcal meal plan for weight loss and it is so disappointing. I have just cancelled the plan, as the food quality is below acceptable. It perhaps depends on what you are used to eating. If you are ok with picking up a ready meal from a supermarket and just need to heat it up then this maybe acceptable to you. But I appreciate food and eating the food that they offer is not an option for me at all. They also charge you 20% if you cancel your plan. Hoe ridiculous is that? I have only started a day ago (today received a second delivery). Don’t you agree that they should let me go an apologize for my bad experience? Anyhow good to know. Definitely not advisable.
Hi Victoria, it’s Jessica from Kcal Extra. I saw your comment and wanted to let you know that we’re really sorry about your experience, I’ve spoken team and I know that they have been in touch and sorted things out.
We have shared your feedback with our kitchen team and the issues you raised have been investigated. We strive to stock our kitchen’s with quality ingredients and our team works tirelessly to make our recipes as delicious as possible and we hate the thought of it tasting like a supermarket ready meal.