Getting a handle on my weight has been a real nightmare for me. You see, I’ve got Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) – a complex hormonal disorder that produces extra testosterone, increasing insulin resistance and making it hard to keep the kilos at bay. And yep, adult acne – among other things – is also very much a thing because of it. Fun!
It was suggested to me that I go on a ketogenic diet to manage these symptoms. If you don’t already know some Tom, Dick or Harry doing keto (trust me, if they’re doing it, you’ll know), it’s a low-carb, high-fat diet aiming to get you into a state of ketosis. This means your body will burn fat instead of carbohydrates.
It’s controversial as all hell (Magic Pill, anyone?), but I’ve only got my own experience to go off and to be quite frank, it’s been super beneficial for me. Weight’s dropped, acne’s chilled and, once my body adjusted, the energy levels were through the roof.
But is it right for you?
That’s something I can’t answer for you.
I am not a dietician + have no authority whatsoever in the nutrition department – let’s just make that abundantly clear. This article is for those who have already decided on eating keto or low carb, alongside a professional who knows wassup with your body and the way it operates, of course.
So with that in mind, here’s a roundup of low-carb meal delivery services in Australia. Perhaps you need help getting started. Maybe you’re just sick of cooking or are too time-poor for meal prep. No judgement here. Below you’ll find some options that could come in handy during these times.
Low Carb Emporium
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Low Carb Emporium is an absolute lifesaver for anyone who sucks at making food from scratch. One of the hardest things about undertaking a ketogenic or low-carb diet is finding replacements for things you didn’t know were riddled with carbs and sugars. Take most barbecue sauces for example: RIDDLED.
This website is basically a perfectly curated, low-carb Woolworths, with an extensive range full of choccy bars, broths, oils, sauces, spices, drinks, jams – look, I think you get the drift. Place is packed. Can personally vouch for this Vitawerx White Chocolate Bar ($4.25) which is off-the-chain good.
Low Carb Emporium delivers in Australia + New Zealand.
Foober
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Foober delivers fresh (frozen is like, so 2015) meals weekly, and they work with fitness professionals to help prepare these for you based on your health needs – including dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian, paleo and keto meal plans. The keto meal plan starts at around $100 for 2 x meals per day during the working week.
For those already on keto, that’s roughly the same amount as a weekly grocery shop anyway.
You can go up to 4 x meals across 7 days, and can even include snacks for $2 a day. The range here is really damn good, with carbs ranging from as little as 3g a meal. You can always modify your meal plan to make the carb count higher or lower, but whatever you do, try the Coconut Butter Chicken topped with Kale and Cauliflower Rice. You will not regret it.
Foober delivers to Sydney (and Melbourne + Brisbane in 2019).
Thr1ve
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THR1VE offer fresh ready-made meals home delivered – all you’ve got to do is tick the Allergy Filter on the right hand side of the website and tick “keto friendly”. They’re around $10 a pop, which is pretty standard for your average lunch or din-dins, let’s be real.
While some of these meals creep into the 10-15g carb count per serving, the servings are quite big, and I actually had them for lunch and an afternoon snack. So yes, I felt less bad about it. All in all they were quite delicious and the homemade vibes gave me a lil’ taste (literally) of home. The cauliflower + broccoli rice is a time.
Thr1ve delivers to Sydney, Central Coast, Newcastle, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane.
Be Fit Food
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Be Fit Food create and home deliver mild-keto meal programs – key word here being mild. It’s perfection for keto newbies who are rightfully terrified of giving up their precious carbs. While it’ll still drive you into a “level” of ketosis, you won’t miss out on any of the five essential food groups and yes, are more unlikely to cop the infamous keto flu.
Ease into it! Mild or not, it’s still helped people shed an average of 5kgs in a fortnight on their Be Rapid range aka their most popular plan to date. There’s also easy-to-follow instructions and a supportive Facebook group to help you through.
Be Fit Food delivers to Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland and South Australia.
The Protein Bread Co
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For many, the worst thing about going keto or low-carb is the ultimate bread sacrifice. It’s not even about the taste – well, for me at least, it’s about the simplicity of it all. Being able to whack a bunch of ingredients onto something and then being able to hold it in your hands without creating World War III on your kitchen bench? Yep, I miss that.
Well, I did until I discovered The Protein Bread Co.
Along with low-carb bread, The Protein Bread Co. also has low-carb pancakes, low-carb cookies, low-carb pizza bases, low-carb muffins, low-carb carrot cake – you name it, they got it in low carb. Made from all-natural ingredients in Sydney, the company helps inject that old wave of edible normalcy back into your life. Hot tip: use the pizza bases to make toasties. Truly phenom.
The Protein Bread Co. delivers to Australia, NZ + The United States.
Nourish’d
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Nourish’d have a three-week rotating menu to choose from, usually including up to five different keto meals a week. Lunches: sorted. The service has worked with a nutritionist to balance carbs and fats for their keto range, aiming to stick to less than 10g carbs and 20-25g of fat per portion side.
Obviously, keto is done differently amongst everyone – some sticking to less than 20g carbs, others 50, so it’s about picking which best suits your needs. All the meals have their nutritional information exposed, so you can find out the carb count before you commit. For me? The Szechuan Chicken (pictured above) was a real mood.
Nourish’d deliver to areas in NSW, Victoria and QLD.
5.4
I reckon if my sister could marry 5.4 meal delivery, she would. She’s not keto but insists she’s low-carb 90% of the time, and she’s got the rig to prove it (she’s lost around 20kg and kept it off for the better half of the last decade).
5.4 low-carb meal plans are low carb, low sugar – with both women’s (4-7g carbs per 250g meal) and men’s meal plans (6-10g carbs per 300g meal) available. These are also low saturated fat, so that’s something you might need to consider when upping your fat intake on keto.
The best part about these ones? They’re good to chuck straight into the freezer if you’re untrustworthy with perishable goods (it me). Zero wastage, in terms of both grub and money.
5.4 delivers to areas in Victoria, NSW, QLD, ACT and WA.
Like I said before, I’ve undertaken a ketogenic diet to help my PCOS on advice from a medical professional, so if you’re considering going on any sort of eating plan, you should absolutely consult yours too.
