Ready meals industry addresses personalization, weight loss and senior nutrition demands

17 Sep 2020 --- The ready meals industry segment is seeing a boom in demand for nutritious options that also cater to specific health needs. In this space, companies like Golo, Silver Kitchen, Territory Foods, Mighty Macros and Sprinly are enjoying increased popularity.

With personalized nutrition on the fast track of industry trends, ready meals are also entering the arena, especially as COVID-19 lockdowns reduce consumers’ mobility. Weight loss, senior nutrition and plant-based are also proliferating themes in these convenient options.

According to Innova Market Insights, value and volume growth for meal kits averaged at 3.5 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively over the last five years. In 2019, Unilever, driven by its Knorr brand, was the leading company for meal kits launches. 

Click to EnlargeTerritory Foods is a chef-crafted, nutritionist-designed healthy meal delivery service.Personalization comes into play with diet-specific meals (lentil-based protein, low fat/high protein, Keto, Atkins), gourmet and organic options, vegan ingredients and a variety of international flavors (Caribbean, Asam Laksa, Hawaiian, Vietnamese). 

“Personalized nutrition is making a comeback. Today’s consumers recognize the benefit of these practices and at Golo we make an effort to teach consumers how to prepare these foods. This is while maintaining the nutrient content and combining foods for balance, which are essential,” a Golo spokesperson tells NutritionInsight. 

Boosting metabolic health
US-based Golo’s Metabolic Plan is based on eating real, whole foods while avoiding processed and packaged foods. 

“It’s not a ‘conventional diet’ but rather a healthy eating plan. The plan shows you how to put your meals together to sustainably lose weight. We do not tell you specific things that you have to eat but simply give you a guideline to follow,” the company notes

Since consumers choose the foods they eat, they can personalize the plan to their own individual tastes and preferences. This significantly increases the chances of customer success as it puts consumers in control, the company says

Introducing Golo’s Release
Golo has also launched Release, which is a patented formulation containing seven plant-based ingredients and three minerals that have been clinically shown to improve metabolic health which is key to sustainable weight loss. The natural ingredients in Release work together to address the underlying cause of weight gain and help to repair the metabolism.

“Dietary supplements are either designed for functional purposes or for nutrient supplementation when one is deficient or lacking a nutrient. Supplementation should not be used in place of whole foods to provide nutrition as the benefit of protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals cannot be ignored,” the Golo spokesperson affirms.

They go on to explain that consumers are unaware of the distinction between terms like “fortified” or “functional” when making dietary food choices. Often, poor eating habits are justified with the option to “take a supplement,” hoping to make up the nutritional difference.  

Click to EnlargeMighty Macros Spicy Coconut Chicken contains up to 350 calories.“It is important for Golo consumers to become part of the process of making quality food choices to address both present and future health demands that can be related to micronutrient deficiencies. Golo supports this effort through social networks, internal coaching resources, and educational materials,” the spokesperson says.

Nutrition at your doorstep
Silver Cuisine is addressing the nutrition demands of the elderly by making eating healthy easy. The company says it gives consumers the flexibility that they need, the variety they crave and the convenience of home delivery. 

“Our rotating menu includes over 150 alternating meal options. With no contracts or minimum orders, Silver Cuisine fits any lifestyle. Ordering is easy – simply select the meals you wish to have delivered, and we’ll take care of the planning, shopping, cooking and delivery,” the company notes.

In the same space Territory Foods, a chef-crafted, nutritionist-designed healthy meal delivery service allows consumers access to an ever-rotating menu of over 30 meals per week.

These are prepared by the company’s multi-local network of professional chefs and can be personalized according to appetite, lifestyle and taste. 

In addition to premade meals, family-style sides and mains, desserts and snacks, Territory offers Market Boxes featuring a rotating assortment of chef-sourced farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as dry goods such as grains, legumes, spice packs and sauce kits.

Plant-based and counting macros
Mighty Macros is another healthy meal delivery service, designed by dietitians to support consumers’ weight loss goals. The company says its mission is to make clean and healthy meals accessible to all. 

Click to EnlargeSprinly is a fast-growing, organic, plant-based meal delivery e-commerce brand.Designed for quick results, Mighty Macros’ dietitians have cut down the calories for each dish to 350 or less, but have not forfeited the nutrition needed to live a healthy life.

“Fad diets can gain popularity fast but are not always safe," says James Hughes, Mighty Macros’ in-house dietitian. 

“Our weight loss plan gives consumers a healthy way to reach their goal weight without sacrificing their well-being. Our dietitian-designed, chef-created menu is updated weekly to provide variability and well-rounded meals. Customers can eat worry-free knowing they are getting clean, sustainable nutrition.”

Lastly, tapping into plant-based trends, Sprinly is a US-based, organic, plant-based meal delivery e-commerce brand, which has been pegged as one of the fastest-growing private companies across the country.

“Nine out of ten Americans don’t eat enough vegetables, and our meals help solve this big issue in a convenient way,” says Mary McCann, co-founder and COO. 

By Kristiana Lalou

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