I received a range of pescatarian / vegetarian options:
- Pear and apple nut crunch
- Vanilla fudge ball
- Breakfast frittata
- Wilted spinach with lemon oil
- Side salad
- Spinach chana dahl with rice
- Indian vegetable curry with chickpeas
- Salmon chermoula
- Thai spiced pumpkin soup
- Ocean trout with honey mustard pecan crust
- Roasted kipfler with toasted corn
- Citrus and herb salmon salad
- Vege lasagne
- Vegetable ratatouille
My meals arrived well-packed with ice bricks to keep the food cold. Most of the readymade meals were still frozen upon unboxing. Immediately I was confused over the food items I had received. There were lots of containers and bags of food as well as traditional readymade meals. It was not clear to me what food items were paired together, only some packages such as the fish had printed instructions that indicated the side it was paired with. It would be great if all the items had a colour coding or number system, so you know what is paired with what.
Each food item had the name and ingredients clearly printed on the label, however, there were no nutritional information panels. The allergens and heating instructions were easily identifiable and the use by dates were also located on the labels, with most food items lasting up until the end of the year. Only a few of the items had QR codes which when scanned took me to the Dietlicious website where I could view the nutritional information. I found this to be a poor user experience. Instead, by including the nutritional information panel on the label, you provide the customer with confidence that their meals are nutritionally balanced. This is particularly important when weight loss is the focus.
Dietlicious’s packaging is sustainable and eco-friendly. In 2020, they were the first readymade meal company to make the switch to more environmentally friendly packaging options. Their chilled salad trays are made from biodegradable plant sources, the food trays, cardboard delivery boxes and wool packs are all recyclable. It is also worth mentioning that their kitchens create near-zero food waste. Dietlicious’s environmentally conscious efforts make them a standout in the market and are comparable to readymade meal service Dineamic.
Whilst pairing the items was confusing, each final product tasted delicious (as the name ‘Dietlicious’ implies!) The ingredients were fresh, the flavours were excellent, the use of herbs and spices really came through – I could tell they used high-quality ingredients. Out of all the meals and snacks I tried, my favourites were the Ocean trout with honey mustard pecan crust and breakfast frittata.
