"Diet delivery" is a term that is used to describe food services that deliver diet food to people who are trying to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight. There are two basic forms of this service. In one case, diet delivery can be a la carte and ordered at will just as one might order any other kind of food on a meal-by-meal basis. The other version of the service involves a subscription or membership that allows users to order food in advance and receive most or all of their meals from the diet delivery service.
In the latter instance, diet delivery is usually delivered on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. The foods that are delivered are proportioned according to the dieter's needs and goals. In some cases, all of the meals are frozen and must be heated in a microwave or oven before they can be consumed. In other cases, the food is fresh and may only need to be warmed in a microwave or oven. The frozen foods are normally less expensive than the fresh foods. However, sometimes the plans that involve all frozen foods instruct dieters to supplement the meals with fresh fruits and vegetables, which will add to the overall cost of the diet plan.
There are some diet delivery services that will conform to dietary restrictions of members or will at least include meal offerings for people with certain dietary restrictions. For example, there may be a diet delivery service that caters to people who cannot consume gluten or people who maintain vegan or vegetarian diets. There may also be a diet delivery service that will cater to dieters who need to keep their sodium intake to a minimum. It is also possible to find diet delivery foods that are made with organic ingredients or follow the principles of macrobiotic diets.
One of the reasons that people invest in diet delivery services is that it is sometimes easier to simply have all of one's food come from a single source. Although this can be expensive, it is also a good way to make sure that one's calories and fat intake are managed while still consuming enough vitamins and nutrients on a daily basis. Having every single meal — including small meals and snacks — planned in advance is proven to be a good way to lose weight. This is just a way to follow this program without having to do much cooking.