RealEats review: What to know

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RealEats meals arrive unfrozen. When a person is ready to eat, they may heat the food in a microwave or warm the pouch containing their dinner in a pot of boiling water. They can also freeze the pouches.

This article provides more information about RealEats and explains why balanced nutrition is so important.

RealEats are a New York-based company offering prepared meals for those who have little time to cook but would prefer nutritious food over takeouts.

According to the company’s website, many of the ingredients come from farms in the Finger Lakes agricultural region of upstate New York.

The meals contain no preservatives or GMO ingredients.

Reviews

Currently, there are limited independent reviews of RealEats.

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) have not accredited the company, although they have given them a rating of A-. They have not received any customer reviews or complaints about RealEats.

An individual may choose to receive four, six, eight, or 12 meals per week, with the price per meal decreasing the more people order.

After a person selects their main meals, they may add breakfasts, snacks, and smoothies to their order. Shipping is free.

RealEats provide a weekly delivery service with no subscription required. If someone does not place an order by 11:59 p.m. on a Wednesday, the system automatically generates an order based on their previous orders. However, customers may pause or cancel their subscription at any time at no extra cost.

Once the package of meals arrives, the food will last for 7 days in the refrigerator. Each package has a best-by date.

One of the main differences between RealEats and some other meal delivery services is that the meals are ready to eat and involve no preparation.

In contrast, many companies offer meal kits that require 30–45 minutes to prepare.

It also offers significant customisation options. People can swap components of any meal, such as the protein or sides, for other options to personalize meals to their tastes.

Most of the packaging is made from recycled materials and recyclable. Deliveries are packaged in insulated packs with frozen gel bags to help keep ingredients fresh during transit.

The cost per meal goes down the more meals a person orders. The following plans are available:

• 4 meals for $39.96 ($9.99 per meal)
• 6 meals for $63.96 ($10.66 per meal)
• 8 meals for $87.92 ($10.99 per meal)
• 12 meals for $135.84 ($11.32 per meal)

People can pause, skip, or cancel deliveries at any time.

Shipping is free.

Real Eats states that it uses simple, fresh ingredients and does not use preservatives or sweeteners. Each meal uses as few ingredients as possible.

Each of the main dishes revolves around one of the following protein ingredients:

• chicken
• fish
• beef
• seafood
• tofu

The dinner comes with two side dishes: either a vegetable and a grain, or a starchy vegetable and a nonstarchy vegetable.

Vegetable side dish choices may include:

• steamed broccoli
• roasted butternut squash
• sauteed mixed vegetables
• mashed potatoes
• green peas
• potato salad
• honey glazed carrots
• steamed asparagus
• red cabbage slaw
• turmeric chickpeas
• cilantro corn

Grain side dishes may include quinoa, different types of rice, and grits.

People can swap any protein or vegetable side for another option to suit their tastes.

People can place meal pouches into boiling water or a microwave. Each meal takes less than 6 minutes to cook.

Add-on items

Add-on menu items may include:

• breakfasts, such as baked blueberry oatmeal or huevos rancheros frittata
• soups, such as four bean chili or ginger carrot soup
• meat entrees comprising 2–3 servings, such as a smoked duck breast or salmon fillets
• extra side dishes providing 2 servings, such as roasted cauliflower or creamy grits
• snacks, such as goat cheese, peanut butter bars, and smoothies

Dietary choices

RealEats provide meals for people with specific dietary requirements, offering low calorie, gluten-free, and paleo options.

The company’s website lists nutritional information for each meal, which can guide a person’s selection.

RealEats offer few vegan and vegetarian meal choices. If someone follows one of these diets, they may wish to use a meal delivery service specializing in plant-based meals.

Learn about some of the best plant-based meal delivery services here.

Many of the RealEats meals contain about 600 calories, making them suitable for an eating plan that can help a person maintain a body mass index (BMI) within the healthy range.

The average daily calorie requirement ranges from 1,600 to 2,400 for adult females and 2,000 to 3,000 for adult males, report the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

According to research, females consuming 1,500 calories or less and males consuming 2,000 calories or less per day may lose about 1 pound of body weight each week. However, because calories provide the energy that the body needs to function, it is essential to avoid overrestricting them.

It is possible to meet a reduced calorie intake using RealEats’ meals. For example, their barbecue grilled chicken meal has 460 calories, and the peppercorn steak meal has 470 calories.

The soup choices are very low in calories, with a serving of the four bean chili soup providing 210 calories and a serving of carrot ginger soup containing just 50 calories. Combining a soup with a fresh green salad would make a low calorie but nutritious lunch.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that a healthy, balanced diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products.

It should also be low in saturated fat while including protein sources, such as fish, poultry, lean meats, eggs, and beans.

Meals from RealEats are generally nutritious, as they include fresh vegetables and healthy sources of protein. However, not all the dinners perfectly conform to national guidelines for a balanced diet because they contain more protein than experts recommend.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) say that if a person consumes 2,000 calories per day, their diet should include 50 grams of protein. Some RealEats meals contain most or all of this daily amount in one meal.

In these cases, a person may wish to reduce their protein intake at breakfast and lunch. For example, a breakfast of oatmeal with fruit and a lunch of a large vegetable salad would be rich in nutrients and fiber while only adding a small amount of protein.

If someone has special dietary needs, especially if they need to watch their protein intake, they may benefit from getting advice from a registered dietitian. This professional can help them select their RealEats meals and plan the other meals in their diet.