A Day of Gluten-Free Prepared Meals

A Day of Gluten-Free Prepared Meals from the DineWise Menu.

No doubt everyone enjoys the convenience of having prepared meals to their home, but the industry also focuses on consumers with special diets and nutritional need. Diet meal delivery programs like BistroMD is an example of a company that focuses their efforts in the weight loss category. Other categories include people with diabetes, people on low sodium or heart-healthy  diets, and seniors who may be finding it difficult to get enough calories in their diet as they get older.

What about those that suffer from Celiac Disease? Can they enjoy the convenience of home delivered Gluten-Free Prepared Meals?

Thanks to some of the major companies in the industry, now they can, but it is important to do your research and make sure prepared meals labeled as Gluten-Free, really are. Some companies will call their food gluten free just because the meal components are not made from gluten. Gluten is an airborne contaminant, so consumers must look for terminology on vendor websites that says, "made in a gluten-free kitchen."

We purchased and tried some selections from DineWise, FreshDirect, and Mom's Meals. Our day of gluten-free meals (pictured above) from DineWise included Oatmeal with Peaches, Chicken Tikka, and Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes, but we also tried their Macaroni and Cheese, Penne in Tomato Cream Sauce, French Toast, and Cornmeal-Crusted Talapia. From FreshDirect with tried the Chicken Nuggets and the Meatballs with Rigatoni Pasta. Both companies out-source their gluten-free meals from NuLife Foods. We tried the Three Bean Chili and Denver Omelet from Mom's Meals, which are produced by the parent company Purefoods. They are tested to meet FDA regulations, but we didn't care for them.

The food is shipped frozen in microwaveable plastic trays. We had some issues with broken trays from FreshDirect, which can happen when thin plastic trays are exposed to dry ice. If this should happen to you, it is always best to contact the company's customer service department and request a refund or a replacement. DineWise and FreshDirect offer 100% Satisfaction Guarantees and want you to be happy customers. In our experience, they will bend over backwards to correct any problems that might arise with their products. 

Mom's Meals and PureFoods do not offer 100% Satisfaction Guarantees.

Overall, we found the Tilapia from DineWise to be the best of the meals we tried, and surprisingly, the Chicken Nuggets from FreshDirect came in second, which may be especially helpful if you have a child sensitive to gluten products. The DineWise Chicken Tikka came in third, and we would highly recommend it if you enjoy Indian-spiced food. In our opinion, the DineWise Tilapia meal was good enough to order, even if you don't have food intolerances.

If you are aware of any other companies that offer gluten-free prepared meals, and they state on their website that are prepared in a gluten-free kitchen, please let us know by sharing your comments below. We would be happy to try them out.

Nicole DiLayne
Managing Editor
Prepared-Meals.com