Contemporary n’ Lean is a meal supply service that caters to those that observe high-protein, Paleo, keto, Whole30, and vegan diets. It was based in 2010 within the kitchen of a one-bedroom condo, and the corporate is now headquartered in Anaheim, California.
Contemporary n’ Lean ships meals to clients in all 50 states. Every week, clients are despatched randomly chosen meals from their chef-curated menu to suit their chosen eating regimen or a la carte meals. We ordered a field to be taught extra about what the service has to supply.
All of the Contemporary n’ Lean meals are chef-curated and able to warmth and eat.
Pricing: It Varies
Contemporary n’ Lean affords six meal plans along with an a la carte meal plan possibility: Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Whole30, Commonplace Vegan, and Low Carb Vegan. The worth per meal begins at $7.93 however will fluctuate based mostly in your chosen eating regimen and the variety of meals you order. Transport is free.
Apart from the Whole30 plan, you select meals out of your chosen eating regimen and may order breakfast, lunch, or dinner, a mix of two meals, or all three. You’re solely given choices to order for 5 or seven days. For the Whole30 plan, you possibly can order 5, seven, or 10 entrees and both zero or 5 breakfasts.
Moreover, you possibly can order a la carte meals to construct your weekly meal plan for an $85 minimal.
Right here is the pricing breakdown:
Protein+
- Breakfast for five or 7 days: $10.75 per meal
- Lunch or dinner for five or 7 days: $14.99 per meal
- Breakfast and lunch or dinner for five or 7 days: $11.09 per meal
- Lunch and dinner for five or 7 days: $12.43 per meal
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for five days: $10.36 per meal
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 7 days: $9.75 per meal
Keto
- Breakfast for five or 7 days: $10.50 per meal
- Lunch or dinner for five or 7 days: $15.43 per meal
- Breakfast and lunch or dinner for five or 7 days: $11.25 per meal
- Lunch and dinner for five or 7 days: $12.99 per meal
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for five days: $10.63 per meal
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 7 days: $9.97 per meal
Paleo
- Breakfast for five or 7 days: $10.50 per meal
- Lunch or dinner for five or 7 days: $15.43 per meal
- Breakfast and lunch or dinner for five or 7 days: $11.25 per meal
- Lunch and dinner for five or 7 days: $12.99 per meal
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for five days: $10.63 per meal
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 7 days: $9.97 per meal
Commonplace Vegan
- Breakfast for five or 7 days: $10.50 per meal
- Lunch or dinner for five or 7 days: $12.64 per meal
- Breakfast and lunch or dinner for five or 7 days: $9.78 per meal
- Lunch and dinner for five or 7 days: $10.05 per meal
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for five days: $8.45 per meal
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 7 days: $7.93 per meal
Low Carb Vegan
- Breakfast for five or 7 days: $10.70 per meal
- Lunch or dinner for five or 7 days: $13.92 per meal
- Breakfast and lunch or dinner for five or 7 days: $10.99 per meal
- Lunch and dinner for five or 7 days: $12.27 per meal
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for five days: $10.09 per meal
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 7 days: $9.41 per meal
Whole30
- 5 or 7 entrees, no breakfast: $15.43 per meal
- 10 entrees, no breakfast: $12.99 per meal
- 5 entrees, 5 breakfast: $11.25 per meal
- 7 entrees, 5 breakfast: $11.54 per meal
- 10 entrees, 5 breakfast: $10.63 per meal
How It Works: Chef-Curated Meals
All of the Contemporary n’ Lean meals are chef-curated and able to warmth and eat. Begin by choosing your meal plan. You’ll then select whether or not you need 5 or seven days’ value of meals, together with which meals (breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner).
At this level, you might be additionally given the chance so as to add whether or not you have got any allergic reactions to eggs, sesame, dairy, shellfish, tree nuts, or soy, in addition to an choice to exclude as much as three components out of your meals, similar to cilantro, curry, and olives.
Subsequent, you possibly can add “bulk and sides” in addition to branded equipment. Lastly, you might be prompted to take a look at and are given a pre-set “ship by” date.
Beneath all six plans, you may be despatched meals at random. The a la carte plan, however, means that you can select from round six entrees and three breakfasts every week.
Verywell Match / Maxwell Cozzi
Selecting Meals: Principally Pre-Chosen
Whereas some meal plans like keto and Paleo have a spread of things on the menu, the low-carb vegan plan solely supplied 4 choices consisting of a soup and three plates of greens. Nevertheless, they’ve since up to date the low-carb vegan plan to incorporate six choices.
After choosing your variety of meals and forms of meals for the week, you possibly can select so as to add extra breakfasts, snacks, entrees, proteins, and greens.
You’re billed weekly and if you wish to cancel or skip per week, it’s important to notify the corporate by Saturday at midday PT.
What We Made
For the needs of this evaluate, we ordered 5 days’ value of dinners from the Paleo meal plan and didn’t make any customizations or add meals allergic reactions. We acquired:
- Creamy broccoli soup
- Stir fry greens with braised beef
- Ginger candy potato bowl with shrimp
- Purple pepper-infused salmon and veggies
- Greens con pollo
Packaging: Effectively-Insulated
Our meals arrived in vacuum-sealed, BPA-free recyclable trays in an insulated cardboard field with ice packs. All meals have been ready and able to warmth and eat except the soup, which was packaged individually from the rooster breast—so it required an additional step to organize. The field was well-insulated, and the ice packs saved the meals chilly.
In whole, there have been 19 items of packaging in our supply. Contemporary n’ Lean claims that a few of its packaging gadgets are recyclable, such because the plastic meal trays and seals. The padding/insulation is biodegradable. For the ice gel packs, observe the producer’s directions printed on the packaging.
Verywell Match / Maxwell Cozzi
Buyer Assist: Full Slate of Assist
The meals themselves arrived in plastic trays with written preparation directions in addition to an ingredient checklist and vitamin information label. This data can be accessible on the web site, the place you possibly can click on on the meals that have been delivered to you.
You may attain buyer assist via e mail, an internet request web page, and by cellphone day-after-day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. PT. We reached out by way of cellphone and acquired speedy help, and likewise obtained a same-day reply to an e mail we despatched.
Vitamin: Specialists on Employees
Every meal is crafted with vitamin and components in thoughts to suit inside the specified eating regimen. Nevertheless, there isn’t a point out on the web site of how the corporate determines its dietary parameters or if it employs a dietitian to help in menu improvement. Contemporary n’ Lean did inform us, nevertheless, that it has two nutritionists on its employees. One is a holistic nutritionist licensed by the American Health Professionals & Associates, and the opposite is a Precision Vitamin Stage 1-certified nutritionist. By way of menu creation, Contemporary n’ Lean added, “We develop our menu by analyzing present world meal developments in addition to what’s seasonal.”
Every meal comes with a vitamin information label in addition to an ingredient checklist. The meals that have been delivered to us on the Paleo plan have been particularly excessive in protein and fats, and decrease in carbohydrates. Contemporary n’ Lean additionally takes your indicated meals allergic reactions into consideration when sending you your meals for the week.
The Cooking Course of: Easy
The meals have been straightforward to reheat from the directions offered which included instructions for microwaving meals, reheating in an oven, and cooking on the stovetop. For those who decide to microwave the meal, you’ll not want any extra cookware. Nevertheless, in case you use the oven or stovetop, it’s best to have a pot and an oven-safe dish readily available. Microwave reheating was the quickest however resulted within the least palatable and visually interesting dish. Thus, we suggest utilizing the oven or stovetop.
Verywell Match / Maxwell Cozzi
Taste, Freshness, and High quality: Contemporary, however Missing Selection
All of our meals arrived vacuum-sealed of their trays and nothing was spoiled. With reference to menu variety, we discovered the meals on the Paleo plan to be related to one another—they have been primarily a serving of animal protein served over greens.
Contemporary n’ Lean Is Good For
Contemporary n’ Lean is sweet for individuals who prioritize following a selected eating regimen above all and are usually not involved with the particular meal itself as they will be unable to choose and select. It’s additionally a superb possibility for anybody on the lookout for fast meals at an reasonably priced value that solely have to be reheated.
Contemporary n’ Lean takes your indicated meals allergic reactions into consideration when sending you your meals for the week.
The Competitors: Contemporary n’ Lean vs. Seattle Sutton’s Wholesome Consuming
Contemporary n’ Lean and Seattle Sutton’s Wholesome Consuming each supply ready meals with little or no possibility for personalization. With Seattle Sutton’s Wholesome Consuming program, you realize precisely what meals shall be despatched to you. The other is true for Contemporary n’ Lean. Whereas Contemporary n’ Lean is concentrated on catering to particular diets, Seattle Sutton’s Wholesome Consuming is geared in direction of calorie and portion management to assist weight reduction and weight administration.
Lastly, Seattle Sutton’s Wholesome Consuming meals are crafted following really useful pointers for good well being set forth by the American Coronary heart Affiliation, American Diabetes Affiliation, Nationwide Institutes of Well being, Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention, and the Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics. Contemporary n’ Lean doesn’t reference a dietitian or evidence-based sources in crafting its meals.
Closing Verdict
If you’re critical about following a high-protein, keto, Paleo, vegan, or Whole30 eating regimen however don’t need to spend time cooking, then this service could also be for you. Whilst you gained’t be capable to choose the meals, you possibly can a minimum of be assured that you may be consuming inside the eating regimen plan that you simply observe.
Methodology
We ordered, cooked, and evaluated meals from 27 meal supply providers to get a way of every one’s choices, vitamin profiles, costs, and, after all, flavors. We contacted the customer support groups at every of the businesses, collected knowledge, and wrote detailed critiques about every one.
Our writers are all registered dietitians and depend on their analysis and its ensuing knowledge to tell their critiques.
