What is Meal Service?

Complete, delicious and nutritious meals prepared just the way you like them. They're portioned individually, ready for heating in the microwave, oven, on the stovetop or in a toaster oven. Really fast food that tastes really great, ready in your freezer for whenever you want it!

How The Meal Service Works and Fees
A Healthful Approach
Local ProducersThe 100-Mile DietKeep Edmonton Original
OrganicVegetarianSpecial Diets

How The Meal Service Works

Step 1 - Getting Started

I'll send you a detailed food questionnaire which will determine your likes, dislikes, any food sensitivities or restrictions, and specific preferences such as organic, vegetarian or special diets such as celiac or SCD (specific carbohydrate diet). During a follow-up consultation, we'll discuss the questionnaires, your favourite foods and what you enjoy.

Step 2 - The Menu

Using the information from our consultation, I'll create a personalized menu for you to approve. It will include 5 different entrees with side dishes of vegetables and starch as appropriate. Of the entrees, 3 will be protein-based (meat, poultry, game, or seafood) and 2 will be vegetarian using legumes, lentils, pasta and whole grains.

Step 3 - The Cook

During our consultation, we'll book the first cook day. For your personalized meal service, I will

shop for groceries (included in the fee)
prepare the meals in a licensed commercial kitchen
portion them for freezing and storage

Step 3 - The Meals

All the meals are individually portioned unless otherwise requested, and fully cooked unless otherwise discussed. Containers are purchased by the client, or by me as a disbursement paid by the client. Depending on your preference, they can be

plastic - Gladware, Ziplock or Rubbermaid, etc.
foil - aluminum containers with paper lids
glass - Pyrex, Corning Ware, Anchor Hocking, etc.

Each meal will be labeled and a menu will be provided with heating instructions based on your preferred method. The meals will be delivered frozen from the commercial kitchen to your freezer.

Fees

Fees were formerly based on a per person basis, starting wtih 2 persons as the base fee. However, my clients include singles, couples, families, and some of them use the service only occasionally, so I've made a change in the fee structure.

A base of 20 meals can be enjoyed by one person for 20 meals, a couple for 10 meals, or a family for 4 to 6 meals. As every meal is individually portioned and frozen, each person can also enjoy whichever meal they choose. Occasional clients enjoy the meals over the course of a month or even two, using them on only on nights when they are too tired or have no time to cook.

Do you have a larger family or want meals to cover both lunch and dinner? Don't mind enjoying the same meals on a more frequent basis? All meal services can be increased by increments of 10 for a nominal fee increase.

Healthful Service

Organic Service

Vegetarian Organic Service

Note: All services can be packaged into smaller portions for lighter eaters. For example, 20 meals can be portioned into 30 smaller meals. In addition to the extra cost of containers, there may be a slight fee increase. Please contact us if this service adjustment is of interest.

Special Services

Food allergies, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, Gourmet Meal Service, and other special requests can be accommodated on an individual basis. Please contact us to discuss.

Menu and Meal Consulting

Some clients may want to become their own personal chef, learning how to be more efficient in the kitchen, cooking two weeks worth of meals in one day.

Others may need some support and tips regarding special diets to help incorporate the changes into their routine.

There are clients who want help creating menus for dinner parties or special events and simply want assistance in planning the theme and meal courses.

Consulting services are done on an hourly basis at $50/hour.

All fees are GST applicable.

A Healthful Approach

Conventional wisdom has people believing that if food is good for you, it probably doesn't taste good, but it's not true. Using wholesome and fresh ingredients in recipes sampling cuisines from around the world, it's become deliciously easy to eat well and healthfully.

Wherever possible, I avoid the use of artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, MSG and often use organic ingredients and condiments for better flavour and quality.

I don't cook for "diets" any longer as they're a short-term solution that doesn't support a lifestyle change that can maintained. However, I do work with a dietitian whose approach works for me. Cooking nutritious and balanced meals that taste great keep us satisfied and help reduce cravings. Plus, having meals ready in your freezer minimizes the temptation to stop at a fast food restaurant on the way home.

Several clients I have cooked for or consulted with have had special requirements, such as celiac, chron's & colitis, SCD (specific carbohydrate diet), and food allergies. Sometimes a cooking class or consultation better serves these clients to help them learn recipes, shops and techniques to accommodate their special needs.

Local Producers, The 100-Mile Diet & Keep Edmonton Original

The 100-Mile Diet is one of the newest trends in eating. Its principle is to use products from producers located within a 100-mile radius of where you live. This is a terrific way to reduce one's ecological imprint and supporter local producers and businesses.

Whenever and wherever possible, I try to do this, using seasonal vegetables and meats from local producers. To obtain a good variety and quality of produce in different seasons, and to use spices and herbs in various ethnic cuisines, this isn't always possible. Like the meals I prepare, it's about balance. Try local first, then made in Canada. You'll be surprised to find it's easier than you think.

As much as possible, I like to use local businesses such as Planet Organic, The Italian Centre, Roots Organic, Cameron's Meats, Treestone Bakery, Crestwood Wine & Spirits, Bon Ton Bakery, Billingsgate Seafood, Fin's Seafood, Wild Earth Foods, Lucky 97, El Safadi Market, Canakor Foods, Hiep Thanh Trading, 99 Supermarket, The Italian Bakery, Sunbake Pita Bakery - and of course, the wonderful merchants at the many local farmers' markets.

When I do need to shop at a larger market, I like going to the Save-On in Old Strathcona. Not only do they have a wide range of organic, natural and ethnic foods in addition to the usual fare, the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful. Though it is a chain, the store management is very supportive of local charitable and community events, truly a hallmark of a local business.

Keep Edmonton Original is an exciting and important initiative to encourage everyone to support local shops and businesses in an effort to maintain the unique spirit and energy of Edmonton. Learn how you can help Keep Edmonton Original and as a business owner, become a member.