IT’S TIME TO GIVE UP on the plain old chicken, rice and broccoli combo that’s been haunting your muscle-building journey for what feels like forever. With the widespread availability of affordable, high-protein, and most importantly, palatable meal delivery services in Australia, there’s no reason to rely on the same bland meal prep you’ve already done to death.
No longer must you meander through the aisles at your local supermarket, laboriously scan the back of packaging for nutritional information and spend almost all of your free time meal-prepping only to grow tired of the meal halfway through the next week. Building muscle doesn’t have to be a chore you suffer through. Meal delivery services offer delicious meals that surpass the standard stodgy protein shakes and have far more flavour than the chicken and rice combo we’ve already lambasted profusely.
There’s a meal delivery service for everyone. Whether you’re new to the muscle-building world or are trying to add a few more kilos of brawn to become the next Mr Olympia, the highly customisable nature of meal delivery services means that they can provide exactly what you need, regardless of your goals, dietary requirements and cooking capabilities. For those who find cooking meditative, some meal delivery services offer pre-portioned meal kits to keep the task in your hands. For those who’d sooner visit the Uber Eats website than their own kitchen, vacuum-sealed, ready-to-eat meals are also available.
Meal delivery services really are having a moment. In today’s world, where free time is scarce and our need for nutritious, wholesome food is high, anything that makes eating healthily easier is bound to garner interest. As you’d expect, the market is packed with meal delivery services right now. Some are great, some are not, and not all the good ones will cater to your needs if building muscle is your goal.
To help you find the meal plan that’s right for you, we’re breaking down our favourite meal delivery services, for a variety of dietary requirements. But first, some information to keep in mind when choosing a service.
Why is diet important if you want to build muscle?
Gaining muscle is about more than just pushing yourself at the gym, nutrition is equally important. Training and diet work in tandem to promote muscle growth, and eating nutritious food ensures that muscles have what they need to grow and recover. Without the right diet, you’ll see your results stagnate and you might even run into more serious issues with injury and heightened soreness.
What should you eat to build muscle?
You’ve likely encountered the concept of ‘bulking’ by this point, where prospective body sculptors wolf down as many calories as they can in an effort to bulk up and add mass. There can be some confusion in this area, as bulking is primarily used to gain weight and add mass, but it won’t necessarily result in muscle growth. For that reason, if you’re trying to gain muscle without bulking up, eating as much as possible won’t always be the answer. But there is one thing you should prioritise – protein, and a lot of it.
Studies have shown that consuming more protein than the recommended daily intake effectively promotes muscle gain. In addition, one study from the American College of Sports Medicine showed that when paired with strength exercise, higher protein intake stimulates protein synthesis for up to three hours after working out.
Besides protein, maintaining a balanced diet is essential. You can’t live off protein powder and chicken. Healthy fats, carbohydrates, vegetables, calcium and strong sources of fibre should also factor into your diet. Luckily, most meal delivery services provide all of these macronutrient groups.
What are the best meal delivery services for muscle growth?
My Muscle Chef
My Muscle Chef ticks all the boxes when it comes to providing nutritious, high-protein meals that will promote muscle growth. You’ve doubtlessly seen a few of their offerings on supermarket shelves, but My Muscle Chef also has a delivery service that caters to a variety of needs. Whether you’re after muscle gain – which, if you’re reading this article, is likely – weight loss or calorie control, My Muscle Chef has a meal plan for you. The ‘Muscle Gain’ plan promises muscle and lean mass, with five to seven-day meal plans that include at least three meals and snacks per day.
MACROS
It’s difficult to find a fault in MACROS’ ready-made meals. The Gain meal bundle lets you select anything from seven to 24 meals per week, starting at $96 for seven meals. The 450-gram meals are designed by dieticians to be high in protein and offer nutrient dense calories. At an affordable rate, you’ll get everything your body needs to build muscle while saving countless time otherwise spent labouring over the chopping board.
Hello Fresh
Having been the face of meal delivery services in Australia for more than a decade, it’s highly likely that you’re already familiar with Hello Fresh – you would’ve at least seen some of their ads. While Hello Fresh doesn’t offer a specific ‘muscle growth’ meal plan, a subscription allows you to select from a rotating range of 25 recipes a week and is extremely customisable. You can swap, add or upgrade ingredients and request double servings, while also being able to skip a week or cancel your plan at any time. But if muscle growth is your goal, selecting the ‘protein rich’ filter is all you’ll need to do.
Dineamic
Dineamic operates under the goal of bringing athlete-level nutrition to the everyday Australian. It’s founded by former Essendon AFL player and premiership winner Jason Johnson and accredited dietitian Karen Inge. Dineamic allows you to shop pre-made meals by your nutritional goals, including goals that require high protein consumption. With pre-made meals starting at $11.50, Dineamic utilises a carbon neutral kitchen, for those with eco-conscious inclinations.
Marley Spoon
Another one of the established heavy hitters, Marley Spoon has built a reputation for being an exceptional meal delivery service – and deservedly so. Marley Spoon offers 70 nutritious, pre-portioned recipes to choose from weekly and prioritises low-waste cooking. Again, the emphasis is on customisation here, as with 70 recipes to choose from, high-protein meals are aplenty. A weekly two-person box with five meals each will set you back around $125, which works out to about $12.50 per serving.
Chefgood
Chefgood is another meal delivery service with a high-protein meal plan option. You can choose from 5, 7, 10, 14 or 20 ready-to-eat meals per week, and the most popular 10 meal option only costs $115. As anyone who has been a devotee of the chicken, rice and broccoli (CRB) combo will know, that’s basically cheaper than the classic CRB, and it’s certainly far less bland.
Nourish’d
Here’s one for the coeliacs, Nourish’d is the only meal delivery service in Australia that’s 100 per cent gluten free. Of course, it also offers much more than that. Nourish’d’s meals are free of preservatives and are made with RSPCA-approved meats. A rotating menu of over 60 ready-to-eat meals ensures that you don’t get bored with familiarity. And with most meals ranging from $10-15 per serving, they’re as affordable as they are tasty.
Youfoodz
A long-standing favourite of the gym-going community, Youfoodz are one of the most popular pre-made meal companies, and you’ve likely seen them on supermarket shelves before. Youfoodz also do meal delivery, with fresh meals delivered to your door, ready to eat. Meal plans can also be customised to suit specific lifestyles. By selecting the ‘high protein’ option, you can receive meals that are 30 per cent larger, for only $1 extra per meal.
Soulara
We’re heading into specialised territory now. Soulara is a plant-based meal delivery service, perfect for people who want to get ripped while maintaining a plant-based diet. The meals are designed to be high in protein and nutrient dense, to account for the macros you’re not getting elsewhere in a plant-based diet. They’re also supremely flavourful, with recipes borrowing from African, European, Mexican and Mediterranean cuisines. Meal plans are available in medium and large bundles, medium being 350-gram meals and large being 450 grams. These bundles can provide anything from seven to 24 meals per week, from as little as $86 for the seven-meal medium bundle.
Garden of Vegan
Using 100% organic ingredients with no preservatives or additives, Garden of Vegan (great name) proclaims itself the healthiest, organic, plant-based meal delivery service in Australia. Garden of Vegan offers multiple meal plans designed to bolster fitness, including plans targeted at increasing muscle mass, improving performance, and one that’s simply called “Shred and Sculpt” – which we’re big fans of. Each meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and sides. If you’re vegan, plant-based or simply looking to optimise your gains through that diet, you can’t go wrong with Garden of Vegan.
Editor’s note: the prices of all meal delivery services listed here vary depending on the kit and subscription. All details can be found on each service’s website.
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