There's no question that Fall is a busy time of year for parents everywhere shuffling their kids from activity to activity. In short, time is just not on your side, so preparing a full dinner for your family and enjoying it all together feels like an unrealistic luxury. But you're not alone, and you don't have throw another bowl of powder mac 'n cheese in the microwave to get them fed (not that there's anything wrong with that when you do.)
Instead of calling in an individual order from your favorite, go-to restaurant (again), try out a local meal delivery service or weekly family-style dinner options that can feed the whole family. Whether you're looking for pickup or delivery, these places offer a wide range of meals to suit every palate and family, with healthy options so you can put away the pots and pans and take back your time.
PCMeals The family-owned, Midland Park-based portioned meal service brings in fresh ingredients each week to help you nourish yourself and your family with healthy, nutrient-rich foods. PCMeals offers three plan options depending on your goals, including PowerClean Performance meals for athletes, low carb PaleoClean meals for lean muscle, and the vegan, plant-based PureClean meals. The meal plans are all created to help you keep a healthy weight, boost your immune system, heart, and brain health, and include dishes like lemon chicken piccata, scallion steak stir fry, and mixed vegetable egg white frittata, each for about $11 to $13 per portion.
Trunk Pop DinnersThe professional chefs behind Trunk Pop Dinners — who have cooked for a slew of celebs — offer daily servings between two and five people. It's a no-commitment service, too. Just check out and order from the featured daily dinners on the website before noon (you can get just one or many), and choose from any customized options like hot or needs to be reheated, and head to their Cresskill location to pop your trunk open and grab the food. Freshly prepared choices include pomegranate glazed salmon, vietnamese lettuce cups, and slow-simmered brisket to enjoy on your own or with your whole crew. You can also find sides, soups, and desserts for a full course meal.
Weco HospitalityFlexibility is the name of the food game with Weco, a daily dinner service which provides a variety of meal options with no subscription necessary. You can order starting at 4 pm on Wednesdays (but items sell out quickly) from the dinner form that will get sent directly to your email when you sign up, and find options like butternut squash risotto, prime rib, salmon piccata, and even options for the kids like chicken parm sandos. All you have to do is reheat and add the finishing touches. The best part? They deliver to towns all over Bergen County, so you barely have to lift a finger.
The GroceryOrder, pick up, enjoy. Just three simple steps to get delicious meals from The Grocery's kitchen to yours. The River Vale-based spot has a variety of grab-and-go meals that you can order in advance and pick up at their location, including appetizers, entrees and sides, desserts, brunch items, and kid-friendly options (chicken strips and mac n cheese, we're looking at you). Think: honey mustard salmon, roasted chicken, quinoa salad, and brown butter mashed potatoes. Plus, you can get an early start on the holidays with their Thanksgiving Package or Thanksgiving a la carte, with dishes like butternut squash risotto balls, cornbread sausage stuffing, and of course, a roasted and carved turkey with gravy.
MangiamoThis Italian restaurant is now offering family-style meals that serve up to five people, so no one in your crew goes hungry. You can choose from a pasta dish with marinara sauce, vodka sauce, or garlic and oil, plus a meat dish like chicken francese or chicken parmigiana, and a salad. Vegetable options are also available, but be sure to place your order the day before to make sure it's available and ready for you.
Rockin RootsExecutive chef Michael Merida (of Food Network fame) expanded his Hillsdale-based cafe to offer weekly family meals that you can grab by the day or the week. Family style dinners are offered Tuesdays through Fridays, and include a main dish and two sides per person. Check out the menu on their Instagram page each week, and choose from options like a Greek platter, General Tso cauliflower, and roasted chicken or vegetable enchiladas. You can place your order up to 6 pm the day before, and grab it at their location between 5 pm and 6 pm. While you're there, you may want to try a delicious smoothie or cold pressed juice from their drink menu.
MademealsDelivering to a number of towns around Bergen County, Mademeals aims to provide fresh and locally sourced organic options to the area. Plus, there are just so. many. meals. You are restricted to certain dishes on certain days, so you can really customize based on what you're in the mood for. Find breakfast like eggs and oats, or full-course dinners including a chicken rustic bowl, miso salmon, and thai peanut tofu bowl, or pick meats and sides by the pound if you want to feed a full family. Along with one-time meals, Mademeals also lets you customize your order based on the number of people (five to 16), or you can choose a no-commitment subscription plan and save.
