Even as someone who frequently writes about food and spirits , I admittedly have never been that solid about weekly meal prep. That’s not to say I’ve never tried — we have a farmer’s market literally right across the street on weekends teeming with fresh, seasonal produce, and grocery stores and countless bodegas mere blocks away. But even after-work food shopping runs are still a chore, and there’s nothing worse than messaging your partner, spouse, or housemates and saying, “wait, I thought you were the one planning dinner tonight?”.
We’ve had a lot of fun in the past in our household testing out meal kit delivery services , but sometimes after a stressful day, you don’t want to handle a bunch of prep work even if all the ingredients are shipped straight to you. Enter: Gobble , mostly known for their gourmet, chef-crafted 15-minute meal kits. We’ve taken a break from our usual weeknight routine to whip some of their dishes like Argentinian Steak and Marsala Chicken, and we appreciate that unlike other meal kits, most of the ingredients come pre-packaged and pre-chopped, which cuts down majorly on prep and clean-up time.
What if it’s an extra-busy night, and you don’t want to cook a full recipe from scratch (not even for 15 minutes)? Or you don’t want to turn to whatever’s in the freezer or order takeout again ? The good news is Gobble is now offering some of the best ready-to-eat meals that are just as tasty (and nutritious) as its full-fledged meal kit. They eliminate the need for excessive prep work, trips to the store in advance, and some can also help you hit specific macros and nutrients.
We decided to review Gobble’s Prepared & Ready meals to see if these single-serve dinner and lunch options would work for this busy writer — and whether or not it may be a good fit for you too.
Whether you’re working from home and in need of a ready-to-heat lunch, or living alone and don’t want to waste extra groceries on dinner, Gobble’s Prepared & Ready meal kits come in single-serve portions and require no cooking. The options are crafted by the brand’s team of chefs and are a mix of classic Gobble recipes turned express, as well as new meal concepts that translate better to being reheated in a microwave than some of their regular offerings (I’m sure you wouldn’t want to microwave a stacked Bistro Burger).
Each meal is ready in around three to five minutes, and comes in a well-insulated, vacuum-sealed package that can stay fresh for up to 10 days in the fridge (though you can always freeze them yourself).
You can add these meals onto your weekly Gobble box delivery, or order them separately, and the price comes out to $10.99 — $12.99 per tray. Gobble itself starts at plans for two people that cost between $12 and $17 a meal, plus shipping, depending on how many you order. Plans with four servings are more affordable at about $12 per serving. Your box filled with prepared meals and/or ingredients for their recipes is delivered once a week — but it’s fairly easy to cancel or skip a week. You can also choose either a Wednesday or Thursday delivery, and it should arrive sometime between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.
When I get into the zone while writing, I’m really in the zone, and sometimes that means accidentally forgetting to eat or not looking up until the clock says 8:00 p.m. As someone sick of bag salads or rummaging around for string cheese and popcorn as a “meal”, Gobble really came in the clutch. What we really appreciated was that just because they were fast, it didn’t mean they were flavorless: in our box we tried interesting global dishes like Saag Paneer and Shrimp Pad Thai . If you want to branch out from the typical “meat and potatoes” fare of typical frozen meals, this is a pretty good place to start while still keeping your nutritional requirements in check.
When we heated them up in the microwave, we found that some of the meals took an extra minute or two to fully heat through than the listed time, but that might depend on your microwave’s model. That being said, these were easy to throw in my bag to bring to work or for busy nights when I needed a fast, tasty meal and the portion sizes were always on the money.
If you need a break from cooking or meal prepping, these are a solid option. I feel the meals are still on the level of Gobble’s creative, chef-driven meal kits , so you’re not sacrificing nutrition or flavor for convenience. My favorite of the batch I tried was the Saag Paneer, which was like a great substitution for our local Indian takeout spot. However, one downside is that most of these dishes are a little heavy for lunch, so you might be better off saving these meals for dinner.
It’s also on the pricier side per serving compared to the best prepared meals offered by similar companies, but if your goal is to cut down on time spent in the kitchen, then their convenience is a trade-off that’s easy to make. Not having to think about cleaning up a bunch of pots and pans afterwards was also a win in our book.
Gobble Prepared & Ready Meals: Pros & Cons
From taste, to ease-of-prep, here’s what to consider before ordering these meals from Gobble.
Great variety of flavors : With a focus on international dishes, you’d be hard-pressed to get bored with their menu of meal offerings
Quick and convenient : If you don’t have time to prep a full meal, getting your food hot to the table in three-five minutes is a big draw
Single servings: If you live in a single household, this means not having to meal prep with multiple portions in mind, no having to eat leftovers, and no dishes piling up
Meals can be rich: Most of the prepared meals are pretty hearty fare, which means you might want to save them for dinner if you tend to feel sluggish after lunch
Less vegetarian and vegan options: We noticed most of the meals we tried weren’t very veggie-heavy, and while Gobble does offer vegetarian options, you’d be better off with a service that focuses on plant-based meals if that’s what you’re looking for
Can be pricey: At $10.99 — $12.99 tray, that’s comparable to supermarket hot bar prices, with smaller portions
Gobble’s offerings check all our boxes for prepared, fresh, and easily heated up in a microwave or oven — all with unboring dishes that make us look forward to dinnertime. Even if you’re already doing some meal prep during the week, or still enjoy cooking most days like we do, the Prepared & Ready Meals definitely come in handy for those extra-busy days and stave off the order to just open up a takeout app and call it a night.
While these probably won’t be the best option for bigger families, budget-wise, if you’re just responsible for feeding yourself or you want some extra meal options around the house, these are quick, delicious single-serving dishes that can be ready in just minutes. The benefit of having no-prep and no clean-up options during the week can’t be understated, and Gobble can easily make that happen for you.
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