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Gluten-free meal delivery services may benefit people with gluten intolerance or celiac disease the most. The best services are affordable, provide nutritionally balanced meals, and use organic ingredients.
Many meal delivery services offer extra options to meet a person’s dietary requirements, such as being suitable for people who cannot consume gluten and who are also vegetarian or vegan.
This article discusses some of the best gluten-free meal delivery services available to use, how to choose between them, and who they may best suit.
Medical News Today chooses meal delivery services that fit the following criteria:
Nutritional value: MNT chooses meal delivery services that meet the average person’s nutritional needs and promote healthy eating habits.
Ingredient quality: MNT chooses meal delivery services that use fresh, high quality ingredients. Some also use organic produce or sustainably sourced ingredients.
Variety: MNT chooses meal delivery services that feature a range of flavors and ingredients to suit different taste preferences and diets.
Price: MNT chooses meal delivery services with different price points to suit various budgets.
Availability: MNT chooses meal delivery services available throughout most of the United States.
Sustainability: MNT chooses meal delivery services that reduce their environmental impact by employing recyclable packaging, carbon-neutral shipping, local ingredients, and other sustainable practices.
Reputable: MNT only chooses brands that adhere to industry best practices and have passed our medical vetting process.
People may wish to consider the following before purchasing from a meal delivery service:
Delivery area: Not all meal services can deliver to every location. While most companies can deliver to the contiguous U.S. states, people in Alaska and Hawaii may wish to contact the company for delivery information.
Dietary requirements: Some companies offer meals for multiple dietary requirements, and some specialize in a particular diet. People who are both gluten-free and require certain diets should ensure the company caters to their needs.
Meal amount: People should ensure that the company offers enough meals in each delivery to cover their own needs and those of their family or people they live with.
Certifications: People can check if companies hold specific certifications that indicate. For example, they can find out whether the ingredients are organic or GMO-free.
Preparation time: Companies list the preparation time that a meal requires. Some may require longer times if a person needs to cook the food from scratch.
Variety: People should research the range of meals companies offer. It is important to get a balanced, nutritious diet from meal delivery services. People choosing meal delivery services offering dishes from a range of cuisines may find their diet more interesting.
Subscription and cancellation policy: People may wish to use a company that offers flexibility with their plans so they can easily skip or rearrange deliveries. Companies should clearly state what their cancellation policies are.
Price:Some companies cost more than others. People should consider whether the price per serving is cost-effective compared with grocery shopping at a store, particularly if people are choosing meal kit delivery services. They should also factor in shipping costs in the price.
A gluten-free diet excludes foods containing gluten, a protein present in wheat, barley, and rye.
Gluten-free foods will benefit people with celiac disease, which is an autoimmune condition in which gluten damages the small intestine. The Celiac Disease Foundation states that the condition is hereditary, meaning a person inherits it from their biological parents. Celiac disease affects 1 in 100 people worldwide.
Foods that contain gluten
Around 80% of the protein in bread is gluten, and it is one common food people following a gluten-free diet exclude.
People following a gluten-free diet may have to avoid the following items:
pasta and noodles
bread, pastries, and crackers
croutons and breading
cereals
some sauces, such as gravy or soy sauce
beer
Some foods may also have gluten as a stabilizing agent. For instance, imitation meat and, in some cases, ice cream and ketchup use gluten as a stabilizing agent.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) states that cross-contamination may occur during the growing, processing, preparation, storage, and serving of some foods. For instance, companies may prepare gluten-free products in a facility that handles gluten in other products. As such, these gluten-free items may still not be safe for people following a gluten-free diet.
Foods that do not contain gluten
People can include potatoes, corn, rice, and soybeans in a gluten-free diet. However, some may have co-existing allergies and sensitivities, such as those to soy or lactose. Therefore, they need to plan their diet after considering their food sensitivities.
Several conditions may benefit from following a gluten-free diet, such as:
Celiac disease
Celiac disease is a condition where the body’s immune response overreacts to the presence of gluten, which causes inflammation and damage to the small intestines.
Gluten intolerance, or non-celiac gluten sensitivity, is a term that describes people who do not have celiac disease but experience symptoms of gastrointestinal distress when they consume gluten.
This condition may cause symptoms such as bloating, cramping, and diarrhea when a person eats food that contains gluten.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
IBS is a chronic gastrointestinal condition in which there is a change or disturbance in bowel function. Symptoms of this condition can include cramping, bloating, and passing mucus from the rectum.
A 2019 study found that some IBS symptoms improved for participants who followed a gluten-free diet.
Here, we answer some common questions about these services.
Symptoms of gluten intolerance include diarrhea, bloating, and constipation. If a person experiences these symptoms after ingesting gluten, they may have an intolerance.
A person who believes they may have a gluten intolerance can contact a healthcare professional for advice and any next steps.
According to a 2020 study, the negative side effects of having a gluten-free diet are numerous. The study reports that people can find this diet difficult to follow, expensive, and increases the risk of nutritional deficiencies.
The study states that a well-balanced gluten-free diet is approximately 240-300% more expensive than a well-balanced diet. Additionally, gluten is a difficult substance to substitute, and this can lead to a person becoming deficient in protein, folate, iron, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, B12, zinc, selenium, and fiber.
The study reported that those gluten-free diets are more likely to become more socially isolated as they spend more time at home preparing meals and less time socializing with friends. They also have a higher risk of developing hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and coronary artery disease.
Several delivery services offer gluten- and dairy-free options, including many of the companies in this article.
People may wish to filter meals by vegan dietary requirements. If a person requires meat and the company does not allow them to choose it as an add-on, people may need to source their own protein.
All the meal delivery services in this article offer gluten-free meal kits. Some, such as Daily Harvest, also offer gluten-free beverages, while others, such as BistroMD, offer separate gluten-free meals aimed at males and females.
Although HelloFresh is not certified gluten-free, it does offer multiple weekly gluten-free options that people can choose from.
Yes, Green Chef is really gluten-free. According to the company, it was the first meal kit delivery service to receive an official Gluten-Free Certification (GFCO).
Yes, Purple Carrot does offer gluten-free meals, although these are all plant-based. The company offers these as meal kits, pre-prepared meals, or frozen meals.
Gluten-free meal delivery services offer a quick and convenient way to consume meals that fit a person’s dietary requirements. Several companies cater to several dietary restrictions, which may be beneficial for people who are, for example, gluten-free and vegan.
Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.
