Beltway Bambinos

I am the shopper of all groceries and planner of all meals in our house. And yes, I’m also the preparer — lucky me! I enjoy meal planning because I have come to follow a few Instagram food bloggers who haven’t failed me and are also healthy. However, there are times when I loathe trying to figure out what to make for dinner. So I present to you a few tried and true options that you will thank me for later. We’ve tried them all and loved each service (the ones we didn’t favor aren’t included) just choose whichever selection(s) work best for your needs and lifestyle and don’t forget to use those discount codes we’ve included. All of these also serve as great gift ideas for friends who had a new baby, an upcoming dinner you are hosting or send to someone who may be recovering from an illness. Here’s to making meals a little easier and depending on your audience, perhaps a bit more delicious.

Gather Round Family Chef Service provides a totally customized and effortless dinner experience to help busy families eat great even when life gets crazy. Chef Ariel Voorhees cooks in your kitchen, so her meals are unique to your family’s preferences and restrictions. Gather Round takes the planning, shopping, cooking, and cleanup off your perpetual to-do list so that parents can focus on what’s important: raising a relaxed and healthy family at the dinner table and beyond. 

Gather Round also offers one-time assistance! The Pack the Freezer Service puts wholesome, comforting food in your freezer so you can feed your busy family without lifting a finger. The Pack the Freezer Baby Shower is a fun and active cooking party that provides functional and delicious support for the expectant family’s busy time ahead.

For those who have lost their cooking mojo, Gather Round’s Show Me the Way plan brings it back with weekly menu-planning help. And Chef Ariel loves teaching a group of friends how to cook new dishes with interactive lesson-feasts! 

Healthy Fresh Meals is a local meal prep and delivery service that was founded in 2016.  Healthy Fresh, aims to provide the DMV with healthy meals that are conveniently delivered to your front door! Eating clean is not always easy, so they’ve made it simple enough to fit every individual’s needs. Whether you are looking to lose weight, live a clean and healthy lifestyle, or build lean muscle mass through a natural diet, Healthy Fresh Meal service has a line of meals to fit your lifestyle including vegan and vegetarian options, whole30 and paleo, and their meals can scan in ‘my fitness pal’.  All meals and snacks are prepared weekly from scratch using only fresh ingredients. The meals are cooked, sealed, and delivered to you within 24 hours, being delivered on Sunday and because of their packaging the food can last up to one week. Each meal is a single serving portion. Use the code beltwaybambinos10 and get 10% off your order.

This was one of our favorites! My husband and I ate them for both lunch and dinner and were completely satisfied while our Bambinos enjoyed the breakfast options. The food was fresh and delicious and all very healthy.

The Scramble: Easy Cooking. Joyful Eating. is their motto.
The mission is to make healthy and happy eating a stress-free part of the lives of busy families.

Each week members receive 8 main dish recommendations that are paired with side dish suggestions and a make-ahead breakfast option to help make mornings easier, too from The Scramble. With that comes a personalized grocery list which is created based on the recipes members select and then additional grocery needs can be easily added to the list, ensuring a quick and efficient shopping trip. In addition, members can customize their plans to fit their families dietary needs and preferences, save their favorite recipes into a personal recipe box, and search our database of over 1,300 recipes. 

All recipes have been test by families to ensure that the preparation times are accurate and that the meals are appealing to all different sorts of eaters. Not only does the service reduce stress around feeding your family, but members report saving 5+ hours/week on planning and food preparation, and $90+/week on food costs (a major difference from meal kit companies, which often cost more than what families have been spending on food).

Little Green runs conscious + nourishing plant-forward cleanses promoting a healthy individual + a thriving earth. A Little Green Cleanse is about detoxing your body using the most nutrient-rich, fresh, real foods available to us. It’s about building healthy new habits in your kitchen and lifestyle that will nourish you, reboot your system, and help keep our planet sustainable. Start this journey by selecting from an upcoming 10- or 5-day Cleanses, starting on September 29th. You will remove allergens, toxins, foods causing inflammation, blood sugar disruptors, gluten, dairy, meat, alcohol, and processed foods, and will increase your intake of plant-based foods, as well as eggs and fish. You choose your recipes, cook your food, and are guided daily with a focus, a bonus recipe, and an optional meal plan. You will reboot your cellular structure, detox your digestive tract, bolster your immunity, gain energy and focus, and feel fresh, comfortable, healthy, and vibrant. Since you live in the DC area, you are also likely eligible to order food delivery and get your 3 meals a day cooked, prepared, and delivered with care by KitchKat Catering! Check out the menu here and just imagine indulging in these delicious meals, while re-booting your system at the same time!

Kat Runyan of KitchKat Catering, which we’ve featured and ordered food from several times has been cooking in the kitchen since she was 10 and soon after college turned her love of food into a career. KitchKat has been preparing well-rounded and wholesome meals for families in the DC area for almost 10 years. Through private cooking, Kat was introduced to clients with gluten, soy, dairy and other dietary restrictions which helped to cultivate her own passion for clean eating.  This affinity for healthy foods led to the collaboration with nutritionist, Christy Ross of Little Green, to bring the same clean eating and carefully curated cleanse menus to those looking for a lifestyle reset.