5 of the best produce delivery services

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Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is typically a key part of what experts consider a nutritious diet. Here, we explore some of the best product delivery services that may be worth considering.

Ongoing research shows that what a person eats has a direct effect on specific health conditions. Studies have found the following:

• Fiber from fresh fruits and vegetables helps people feel full, promotes healthy digestion, and supports healthy cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
• Eating whole grains may reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
• A higher intake of fruit and vegetables may lead to lower rates of heart disease, lung cancer, metabolic syndrome, and chronic pulmonary obstructive disorder.

Eating a diet rich in fats, sugars, and processed foods but low in fresh produce is associated with an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. It can also affect a person’s mental health.

However, it is not always easy to purchase nutritious foods. Researchers have discovered areas within the United States known as “food deserts” — places within all 50 states where individuals do not have easy access to supermarkets or fresh foods.

The following are some recommended produce delivery services that an individual may consider.

Misfits Market

Misfits Market’s produce delivery service offers affordable foods by using certified organic, nongenetically modified fruit and vegetables that grocery stores might consider unsuitable. The company also offers dry goods, staples, snacks, coffee, tea, oils, sweets, herbs, and spices. However, the brand cannot currently guarantee that its boxes are free of certain allergens.

Misfits Market delivers to many states using eco-friendly packaging, but there are some states that the company does not serve.

Subscriptions are weekly or bi-weekly, while people select the shipment size and delivery day they prefer.

Imperfect Foods

Imperfect Foods is a produce delivery company specializing in rejected grocery store food that is still good to eat. Their produce includes staples, such as carrots, and more unusual items, such as romanesco.

With an emphasis on sustainability, the company also offers meat, seafood, dairy products, snacks, and plant-based products. Individuals can choose between organic and conventional produce and specify their dietary preferences or requirements.

Once a person signs up to the service, they receive weekly deliveries that they can amend according to their preference. Deliveries will automatically continue each week until they opt out.

Imperfect Foods delivers throughout the Midwest, in much of the Northeast, and all along the West coast.

The Fruit Guys

Serving individuals, families, and businesses, The Fruit Guys offer a mix of seasonal fruit and vegetables based on where a person lives. The company also sell nutritious snacks, fruit, and tea gift boxes.

The Fruit Guys deliver across the continental United States, working with more than 200 small farms across the country. People can receive weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or one-time food shipments.

The company also donates excess fruit and 20% of its annual profits to promote sustainable projects and fight hunger.

Farmbox Direct

Farmbox Direct only sells organic or all-natural produce. Individuals who subscribe to this delivery service select the size and type of produce box they would like before signing up for weekly or bi-weekly deliveries with recipes featuring the week’s produce.

The company delivers nationwide using recyclable packaging and ice packs to help goods retain their freshness.

Individuals can also customize their delivery schedules and cancel at any time.

Hungry Harvest

Hungry Harvest began trading in 2014, delivering so-called ugly foods and rescued staples to customers along the Eastern seaboard, parts of North Carolina, and the Detroit Metro area. The company also helps fight food waste and hunger.

Hungry Harvest works alongside public schools and community centers to offer people food at roughly half the usual cost of some retailers.

Individuals select the size box they would like, opt for organic or conventional products, and customize their delivery with rescued staples.

Studies have shown that a nutritious diet generally includes:

• fresh fruit and vegetables
• soy products
• nuts
• foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids
• low levels of fats, especially trans fats
• modest intake of animal proteins
• limited amounts of added and refined sugars

Regional or national traditions sometimes shape some diets, while other eating habits developed from the need to promote specific health outcomes. They include the following:

• Mediterranean diet: This diet has associations with a lowered risk of cardiovascular disease through:
  • emphasizing eating fruit and vegetables at every meal
  • incorporating olive oil and nuts instead of saturated fats
  • less red meat
  • consuming wine in moderation
• Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet: The DASH diet promotes eating fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy while reducing fat and cholesterol to lower blood pressure.
• Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurogenerative Delay (MIND): The MIND diet advocates eating more fresh fruit and vegetables and less red meat, fat, and sugar to prevent cognitive decline with age.

Generally, experts accept fresh fruit and vegetables as essential ingredients in a nutritious diet. A growing body of scientific evidence shows a link between a diet rich in produce and a lower risk of health issues, such as heart disease, obesity, and cancer.

Produce delivery services can make it easier for people to eat fresh fruit and vegetables regularly. A range of options, including organic produce and services that deliver staples, are available.

Many services emphasize using “ugly” or “rescued” food that is still fine to eat but looks slightly different. Some companies also dedicate some of their resources to fighting hunger and aiding sustainable efforts.