Epicured Review 2024: Everything You Need to Know

The idea of a diet with medical restrictions does not resonate with deliciousness. But Epicured is a meal delivery system that combines good taste with healthy choices. Epicured can satisfy people in need of gluten-free and low FODMAP (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols) food. The meal delivery service will give you the required nutrition with many conveniences.

Epicured meals are perfect for people overburdened with their modern lifestyle and have no time for prepping or cooking. Read the detailed review about this meal delivery system to understand why it’s perfect for meeting your nutritional requirements.

Epicured is a meal delivery service that works on subscription. But it is slightly different from all the other meal delivery services that work on a subscription basis. Epicured offers an a la carte selection from a menu ranging from over fifty items. All the food items from Epicured are gluten-free and low FODMAP. Epicured can offer you recurring deliveries. But your meal plans will not vary until you manually select them.

Epicured was founded by Richard Benett and Renee Cherkezian in 2015. Richard has always been focused on improving the healthcare system. He used to work at Northwell Health, the largest health system in New York. One evening Renee came to him with an idea of “food as medicine.” The two classmates co-founded Epicured and developed it into a hub of clinical and culinary expertise.

The meal delivery system attempts to leverage the natural healing power of food to make people eat, feel, and live better. Epicured teams up with chefs, doctors, and dieticians to create functional and flavorful menus. The meal delivery system is highly beneficial for people with Colitis, IBS, Crohn’s, and other health issues.

Epicured focuses on top-notch safety and hygiene protocols. All tools, equipment, surfaces, and appliances are cleaned and sanitized before and after use. The cooking area of Epicured is firmly segregated to adhere to the highest standards of safe meals. Epicured prioritizes customers and offers them healthy and delicious food to make them feel better. The meal delivery service loves constantly innovating to offer you new items to discover.

Epicured has an array of food items on its menu. Roughly 30 heat-and-eat entrees, four soups, eight salads, and more than 20 vegetable, grain, and protein sides can be seen on their menu. Apart from lunch and dinner, you also have a selection of snacks, beverages, breakfasts, and desserts. But everything on Epicured’s menu is low FODMAP and gluten-free.

The menu remains almost the same with some seasonal additions. Sometimes specials are also offered with collaborators. The name and price of each item are available on the menu page. You can use several filters related to ingredients and nutrients.

The nutrition-specific accommodations in the filters include various major allergens and health condition restrictions beyond gluten-free and low FODMAP diets. Some items also allow customers to select which protein they want such as fish, poultry, tofu, or beef.

You have the option of adding individual items to your cart or choose from the themed bundles available at Epicured.

• You can get the Chef’s Favorites Bundle. It contains some of the favorite new items from chef Dani Chavez-Bello, a culinary expert with work experience across the US and Europe.
• You can also choose one from options such as “freezer filler” bundles which contain a variety of freezer-friendly food items.
• You can also try out seasonal selections like the “summer bundle.”
• The Multi-Day Bundles at Epicured are also a popular choice as they contain specific menus for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner.

After you have added all your favorites to the cart, proceed to checkout and select a day of delivery. If you need to make any edits to your recurring order, do it before 1 p.m. on Friday for the upcoming week.

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Epicured has over 30 heat-and-eat entrees in its extensive menu. Customers can choose from four soups and eight salad bowls. With over 20 grain, vegetable, and protein sides on its menu, Epicured offers a lot of healthy choices. Epicured offers a complete meal experience to customers with various options for breakfast, snacks, dessert, and drinks.

In some cases, customers can customize the type of protein they want in their diet. The two major types of meal plans available under Epicured are as follows:

Low FODMAP diet

Low FODMAP is one of the primary ideas behind all Epicured meal plans. FODMAPs refer to sugars and fibers that are hard to digest such as garlic, cabbage, pears, milk, pasta, and others. They pass through the small intestine without being fully digested. After passing into the colon, FODMAPs ferment and lead to gas formation.

When they reach the small intestine, they pull water into the gut. The water and gas build-up and stretch the intestine. This process leads to bloating, cramping, pain, flatulence, constipation, or diarrhea. People with a sensitive intestine need to consume a low FODMAP diet all the time.

Features of Epicured low FODMAP diet

• The low FODMAP meals from Epicured enable better digestion.
• The meals prevent bloating, cramping, stomach pain, flatulence, constipation, or diarrhea
• The meals, prepared with fresh ingredients, are the best for people with digestive disorders

How does Epicured prepare a low FODMAP diet?

• The low FODMAP diet revolves around nutritional intervention phases that include elimination, reintroduction, and personalization.
• The complexities of the low FODMAP diet make it difficult to start without the advice of a dietician.
• The Health Network of Epicured consists of some of the best dietitians and doctors focused on gut health.

Why choose a low FODMAP diet from Epicured?

• The low FODMAP meals from Epicured are 100% approved by dieticians.
• The chefs at Epicured do not compromise deliciousness while cooking healthy meals.
• Stomach cramps and gassy feelings can be avoided with the low FODMAP diet from Epicured.

Gluten-free diet

Epicured also focuses on preparing gluten-free food, which means all the items on their menu are exclusive of the protein gluten. Gluten is commonly found in different types of cereals. Unfortunately, a lot of people are allergic to gluten. To give customers more, Epicured decided to provide meals without it.

Features of Epicured gluten-free meals

• The dishes on Epicured’s menu do not contain wheat, rye, or barley.
• Even the pasta and roll from Epicured are 100% gluten-free.
• The meals prevent foodborne illnesses suffered by people with gluten allergies.

How does Epicured prepare a gluten-free meal?

• They use oats from gluten-free harvest to help people with digestive disorders.
• The gluten-free meal plans are designed by their Michelin-star chef and Chief Culinary Officer, Dani Chavez-Bello.
• A team of dedicated dieticians and doctors work at Epicured to offer the best meal plans for people with digestive disorders.

Why choose gluten-free meals from Epicured?

• All gluten-free meals from Epicured are made with the best ingredients.
• Good Housekeeping called Epicured the best gluten-free meal delivery service in 2021.

Epicured offers options for vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian meals.

On a weight loss diet, there are a few things that you have to keep in mind. Epicured offers plenty of low-calorie dishes that align with an effective weight-loss diet plan.

The first thing that Epicured does that would help you stay on top of your weight loss goals is to provide you with nutrition facts for each and every food item on its menu.

A perfectly portioned meal like the Chicken Hawker Lettuce Wrap contains 300 calories per serving, 0g trans fats, 15g carbs, and 27g proteins. Multiple studies emphasize on the importance of a high-protein and low-carb diet for weight loss.

Epicured also targets weight loss goals by way of specific dietary meal programs such as the omnivore elimination program, vegetarian elimination program, vegan elimination program, fiber-fueled bundle, and much more.

Close to all of the Epicured meals, including the bundles and elimination programs, offer a balanced, clean, and nutritious diet. Low in fat, sodium, and even carbs, their meals are fine-tuned to reduce gut inflammation, boost metabolism, and ensure good digestion – all contributing to weight loss as well.

Even their elimination programs have meals that are low in calories. The Pescatarian Elimination Program offers a set of meals that are 100% low FODMAP and gluten-free. The meal program includes a multiday cycle of well-portioned breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, and dessert, offering a complete meal package for someone with weight loss or weight management goals in mind.

Here is a quick peek at some of their weight loss-friendly meals:

• Falafel Wrap: 460 calories
• Falafel with Kale Sesame Salad: 470 calories
• Chicken Paillard: 500 calories
• Mediterranean Sea Bass: 350 calories

The advantage of subscribing to Epicured’s meals is that you can follow a vegan or vegetarian diet with a surplus of meal options, unlike many other meal delivery services.

Epicured boasts in its culinary collection a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian meals that are both nutritious and delicious. Fresh fruits, veggies, and low-FODMAP ingredients like bell peppers, bok choy, carrots, green beans, lettuce, eggplant, and more are incorporated.

In addition, Epicured is a low-FODMAP-focused meal subscription service which means all its meals are gut-friendly, alleviating symptoms like bloating.

Epicured has more vegan and vegetarian recipes than pescatarian, dairy-free, freezer-friendly, and low-fat meals combined. Other abundant diet meals include a gluten-free diet, an IBS-sensitive diet, and a low-FODMAP diet.

If you want a whole meal program dedicated to a vegan and/or vegetarian diet, choose any one of the following options:

• Vegan Elimination Program
• Vegetarian Elimination Program
• Plant-Based Vegan Bundle
• Vegetarian Bundle

1. Thai Green Curry (Chicken)

Are you craving a healthy but delightful serving of chicken? The dish from Epicured is a wholesome combination of chicken and mixed vegetables. The dish is cooked in light coconut oil and green curry sauce. Basil and cilantro are simmered in the end to enhance their flavor. It’s perfect for lunch or dinner with a serving of steamed basmati rice.

Epicured offers everything under the à la carte system. Therefore, you can order as much as you want. Apart from the hot and savory entrée-style meals, you have a variety of food items to choose from. Fresh salads, vegetable sides, snacks, desserts, and even smoothies and juices are available at Epicured.

Their add-ons come in the way of small plates like grilled shrimp, pulled barbecue chicken, roasted turkey, or salmon with dill. You can simply add each portion to your cart after finalizing the meals you want.

Side dishes like the cucumber potato salad, green beans, and cumin roasted potatoes are a better fit for their main course meals. If you want to double the portion serving of the meal, you can easily include these in your plan.

For a mid-evening snack, I recommend the healthy hummus dip, herbed quinoa, roasted baby carrots, or perhaps something sweet like the energy bites which come in a wide variety of flavors such as lemon coconut, almond cranberry, mocha espresso, and peanut butter chocolate.

Speaking of sweet things, their dessert menu highlights the classics like chocolate chip cookies, chocolate fudge brownies, and exclusive treats like coconut macaroons or the pumpkin loaf.

How much you do end up paying weekly, with Epicured, depends on many factors, not only the size of your order. Location plays a vital role in determining how much you end up paying for shipping. If you live in the areas where Epicured offers free delivery above $100, you pay for the meals and add-ons exactly.

The ideal cost per serving of Epicured meals falls between $12.99 and $18.99. The good in-between cost per serving is around $15 if you order a sufficient number of meals every week.

The average weekly cost for 4 meals that are gluten-free and low FODMAP with a few add-ons is $75 or higher. If this is your first time, ordering below $100 is also a possibility; however, you will have to pay a $10 shipping fee – higher if you live in the states west of the Mississippi River.

Maintaining a subscription with Epicured meals is not a bad idea once you’ve gotten a taste for their recipes and health-conscious menu palate. Once you know that Epicured is the right choice for you in the long run, calculating your monthly budget for 3–4 meals per week is a good start.

The average cost per serving of an Epicured meal falls around $15. The typical quantity of meals an individual orders for one is 4 meals per week. For a family setup, the number of meals per week is 3–4 times.

To sum up, a “per-person” budget for Epicured meals would be $240 per month which only includes 16 meals in total.

The cost per month can go well and beyond that if you order more meals and add-ons on the menu. But on a per-month basis, you need not worry about paying for shipping because all orders above $100 come with free shipping which means you save the extra $10 that you would have had to pay for an order below $100.

Epicured offers meal delivery across the United States, covering 48 states. Epciured currently delivers via the following:

• Private courier to the metropolitan areas in New York
• UPS 1- day ground to a majority of lower and northeast New England
• UPS 2- day ground to a huge part of the region lying east to the Mississippi River
• UPS next day air to the remaining parts of the continental United States

Epicured meals are packaged in Polypropylene (PP) plastic containers which are recyclable, freezer-safe and microwaveable. The box in which the meals are delivered are well-insulated. Epicured also throws a few non-toxic ice packs in the boxes to keep your meals at the right temperature.

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Epicured uses plastic containers to pack their entrees, bowls, salads, snacks, and desserts. The meals, packed in Polypropylene plastic, are freezer-safe and microwaveable. Not only is this an efficient way of heating and eating meals, but it saves time and effort in cleaning up after you’re done eating.

To break it down, Epicured’s packaging looks something like this:

• Recyclable exterior cardboard box
• PET plastic liners made of recycled plastic bottles
• Reusable and recyclable ice packs
• PET plastic containers
• Additional items like small packets made of recyclable PET plastic

Epicured also ensures that all of their plastic containers are dishwasher-safe which means they can be reused for storing pantry items as needed.

Having said that, there is a possibility that when you order your first meal box, you might feel discouraged to have to deal with all of the plastic packaging because Epicured does send lots of plastic packaging in the form of containers, packets, trays, etc.

However, for the sake of the freshness and quality of the food, which needs to be kept cold during transit, the excessive recyclable plastic may be overlooked.

Epicured brings with it the advantage of following a restrictive diet like low FODMAP and gluten-free. The meal programs are fine-tuned to suit the needs of people with digestive problems like IBS, celiac disease, frequent bloating, acid reflux, and digestive inflammation.

The extra delight that makes Epicured an even better choice for health-conscious people is that most of their meals are cooked with organic-certified ingredients. All their meals are non-GMO and preservative-free, and meat is antibiotic-free and hormone-free.

Gluten-free alternatives to common ingredients like flour are used. For example, in place of breadcrumbs, which come with standard gluten bread, is almond flour or coconut flour which mimics the crunchy texture of the food.

Epicured ingredients are also high in plant-based ingredients that are used in place of conventional ingredients like sweet syrup made from pure maple, milk from almonds, flour from brown rice, tortillas made from corn, etc.

When it comes to allergies, it’s worth mentioning that all the meals are prepared in a kitchen that uses milk, egg, fish, tree nuts, wheat, shellfish, peanuts, and soy. The recipe page of each meal and food item is prescribed its own disclaimer to highlight the common allergens that the meal contains.

On that note, while there are some customizations you can make by selecting your choice of protein, dairy-free, and gluten-free ingredients, Epicured is not an allergy-friendly meal delivery service for people struggling with severe food allergies.

The great thing about Epicured meals is that they are never frozen. The meals are cooked and packed with ice packs to maintain a cold temperature during transit.

Once you receive the package, however, you may feel the need to keep the meals in the freezer when you want them to last for a longer time than just 5–7 days.

In the refrigerator, the meals will stay fresh for 7 days. If the meal contains meat, it’s best to consume the food as soon as possible. Freezing the meals to preserve the texture and flavor of nonvegetarian meals is what I would recommend you to do, even if you plan on eating the meals within 7 days’ time.

Meal preparation, similarly, is quick and effortless. The meals are packed in microwavable containers which means they are safe to eat out of after heating.

But if you prefer the quality of the meal to taste delicious and satisfying, you can heat the meals on the stovetop or oven. It may take longer than simply microwaving the meals, in the case of using an oven add 15 more minutes for heating, but the rich flavors of the meal will be worth the extra effort.

A popup appears as soon as you open Epicured page on your browser. As a thank you for choosing Epicured as your meal delivery service, new customers get $20 off on their first order. You simply have to enter your email address and zip code to sign up and place your order.

Discount-wise, you can cut costs by ordering bundles instead of individual meals. The bundles vary according to diet type and size, giving you the option to choose anywhere between 2- and 8-week meal programs.

• If you want to place an order at Epicured, you will have to create an account. You can create an account in the beginning or create it at checkout. While creating your account, you will have to provide basic personal details, delivery location, and payment information. You will not come across any preferences questionnaire while creating your account. Therefore, no pre-selected or recommended meals are available.
• While ordering, you can choose from a variety of menus and add whatever you like. No subscription options are available for ordering family-sized meals. But you can add as much as you want every week. With the static menu, you don’t have too many customization options. You can choose a protein source like beef, tofu, or eggs in some meals. Otherwise, you will have to select the meals as they are.
• After adding your preferred items to the cart, you will have to click on the checkout option. If you are already logged in, you don’t have to add your login details during checkout. You will be able to see the charges at checkout. You will have to select your payment ahead and go ahead with placing your order.
• If you want different orders every week, you will have to manually change your orders. You can visit the website and change meals with a few simple clicks. You can also cancel or skip meals quite conveniently on the website. You can also modify delivery dates and subscription details on the website without any hassle.

There is no doubt that Epicured is a healthy and satisfying meal delivery service. But is that enough to meet the needs of a family? Probably not unless all members of the family are on a restrictive diet like low FODMAP or gluten-free.

Even though it follows a restrictive diet plan, the meals do not taste like they’re gluten-free or even low FODMAP. For making healthier food choices, Epicured is a good choice for the more health-conscious members of your family.

There is no clarity on how kid-friendly the meals are, though their menu does feature many classic dishes like mac and cheese, wraps, sandwiches, sliders, curries, small bites, noodles, and pasta that kids love to eat.

Overall, the meals are comforting to eat even if you’re not on a diet as the portion sizes are satisfying and appetite-quenching.

Some meals have fewer calories than others. Meals that use only low-FODMAP ingredients are ideal for someone who usually experiences symptoms like stomach ache, bloating, cramping, etc.

As someone who prepares meals for their entire family, you will appreciate the easy cooking process of the meals which require not more than just a few minutes for microwaving. Microwaving a single meal takes, at most, not more than 5 minutes. You can even heat multiple meals at a time if you have a large oven. All this is done with no extra equipment whatsoever.

Epicured meals are clinically recommended for people with digestive disorders. The meal delivery system can reduce symptoms related to colitis, IBS, Crohn’s disease, and non-celiac gluten sensitivity. Considering it offers healthy food, we didn’t have high expectations regarding its taste. Despite this, Epicured does not fail to satisfy your taste buds.

A majority of the items on its menu pass with flying colors in terms of seasoning and balance. People are highly unlikely to need adjustments to the flavors of the food items. The dressings and sauces from Epicured are exceptional. The freshness and quality of ingredients is another reason behind giving Epicured a chance.

Modify Health

For an even better diet-friendly culinary experience, Modify Health is a superb alternative to Epicured. The cost per serving of Modify Health’s meals is more affordable. They offer additional meal programs for diabetes, low carb, heart-friendly, and Mediterranean.

The menu offers breakfasts and entrees starting from $9.95 for breakfasts and $12.95 for meals. The majority of ModifyHealth meals contain no more than 500 calories with lots of healthy veggies and high proteins.

In addition to everything else, the low-FODMAP and gluten-free diet plans are also appetizing with quick-to-heat meals and over 40 different recipes to choose from. You can order as little as 6 meals in one box and customize your meal preferences after looking at each recipe’s nutrition facts and ingredients list.

Factor

Factor provides you with nutritious and delicious meals plus dietician support. Their meal plans include keto, calorie smart, vegan and veggie, protein plus, and chef’s choice. The price per serving, compared to Epicured, is also less, falling between $11 and $13.5 per serving.

The dietician support includes a free 30-minute dietician consultation so you can understand better what your body needs. It’s a good choice for someone new who’s looking to switch to a healthy diet plan without feeling restricted. Plus, Factor offers an amazing first-timer discount, giving you up to 50% off on your first box.

The Good Kitchen

Still looking for a healthy, premade meal delivery service that’s good for people with severe allergies? The Good Kitchen prepares meals in a facility that’s free from gluten, peanut, and soy. So, if those are your weak spots, you can still enjoy plenty of delicious and nutritious meals here.

Their menu offers a combination of classic recipes like shepherd’s pie, beef burger, noodles, coconut curry, and worldly cuisines like enchiladas, Mediterranean salads, chicken fajitas, and more. For food sensitivities and allergies, The Good Kitchen meals are safe and delicious to eat with protein customizations.

The elaborate FAQ section of Epicured contains answers to most of your general queries. Reaching the customer service of Epicured is not difficult. You have the option of contacting them through email, call, phone, or live chat.

But one drawback of Epicured is that they don’t offer customer support on the weekend. The customer support team is also not available after regular business hours.

The customer support team is efficient at answering delivery-related questions. But they don’t have adequate knowledge to answer diet-related questions. It’s surprising no dietician is available on the customer support team to answer diet-related queries.

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Epicured offers something that not many meal delivery services do – a menu that’s both tempting and nutritious for people on a low-FODMAP diet. Their dietician-designed meals are consistently good, catering to specific dietary needs.

However, it’s pricier than competitors like Factor, ideal for high-protein, vegetarian, keto, and vegan diets.  Epicured is a prominent choice for specialized, health-conscious dining, though it’s crucial to weigh its costs against your diet and budget priorities.