A hassle-free lifestyle change: MuscleFood Goal Getters review

Whether you're looking to lose some lockdown weight or are just trying to shift the pounds to feel better in yourself, the thought of going on a diet is not the one.

More often than not, diets don't work, and if you're often busy juggling work, kids, or social events, the need for convenient grab-and-go food can take priority over picking the more nutritious options.

This is where MuscleFood's new Goal Getter meal plans come into play. Its plans are designed to help you reach your goals and are created with easy meal prep, plus nutritious, calorie-balanced foods to help you make the right lifestyle changes without falling into 'all or nothing' habits.

Sound too good to be true? What's The Best's Eleanor Weaver put the Goal Getters Super Slimmer plan to the test over the course of a week to find out.

Note: This review was originally published in August 2021.

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What's included?

> Choose from over 100 nutritious meals and snacks

> Cancel at any time - No contract

> Flexible delivery

When you place your order, you can choose to order for five to seven days, whether or not to include snacks, and your calories per day ranging from 1200-1800+ depending on your activity levels. You can then choose your dietary preferences, meal and snack options, and the delivery date when everything will arrive in one box.

When you start, you'll also receive a welcome booklet, a MuscleFood exercise plan, access to your plan via the website where you can make changes to the delivery date, food choice, and the option to cancel anytime. Plus, you'll receive access to the Facebook community group for support.

The tried and tested experience

I chose to trial the Goal Getters Super Slimmer full meal plan for six days, so my box contained three snacks per day, and three meals per day to last the time period. On this plan, my calories worked out to be 1500-1800 calories a day which would put me in a healthy deficit based on my TDEE (taking into consideration weight, age, height, and activity levels).

I was really intrigued to try this plan - I had gained some lockdown weight and I personally wanted to try to lose a little chub, but in a healthy way, in order to make me feel more comfortable in myself. I was interested in trying a meal plan that focused on making positive lifestyle changes, not just following a destined-to-fail diet. I wasn't disappointed.

Everything arrived in one box, with the necessary items chilled, and I was instantly surprised by the variety of snacks and meals, and how easy this would make mealtime prep.

I chose to go for the six-day meal plan instead of the seven so I could still enjoy a meal out with friends midweek without any meals going to waste. However, I needn't have worried as all the meal pots were freezable so everything could be used.

For breakfast, I was treated to the likes of breakfast bagels, granola pots, pancakes, and overnight oats, lunches including ragu, satay chicken, a Levi Roots veggie pot, and a black bean rice pot, and dinners included pesto pasta, steak and chips, creamy pork gnocchi kits, and even a meat feast pizza! With snacks including chocolate puddings, Oreo-like biscuits and lentil crisps, nothing felt off-limits and I was able to enjoy great-tasting, protein-rich meals and snacks that I looked forward to eating and trying.

With all the meal kits packaged together, I could just grab my meal of choice and get to work with little hassle. I have always really liked the idea of cooking fresh but I often either don’t have the time or effort, so I hoped this plan would stop me from grabbing something that may have otherwise been an unhealthier choice, whilst helping to keep me in a calorie deficit.

With the kits I did make from scratch, I really enjoyed the process of cooking, the prep was easy and only took 10 minutes, and I was proud of the tasty meals I made.

Price

The brand says it works out to £1.92 per meal (options for five, six, or seven days)

My six-day plan worked out to be £72 - £12 a day, or £288 a month. At first, I thought the price seemed a little expensive, but I actually found it to be really cost-efficient.

As you're provided with all the food you'll need, whether that be snacks, meal pots, or the recipe components in your meal kits, no food is going to waste. So often I have to chuck fresh ingredients I don't use, but having everything that's required sent in my weekly box means that everything gets used, nothing goes out of date, and I don't make impromptu food buys my trip to the shops. All my food is ready and arranged at home and the pots can be frozen if I have other plans with friends or family.

You're also paying for the ease and convenience, something that I have found is a price worth paying to encourage healthier eating and a more varied diet. Having meals ready to eat in minutes stops me from reaching for the takeaway apps when I don't have the effort to cook.

What's to love?

First and foremost, I love that this meal plan encourages healthy habits without forcing 'diet culture' down your throat. Unlike other meal and diet services that label foods as 'good' and 'bad', the Musclefood Goal Getters menu is super varied with nothing off-limits. And rightfully so! It keeps you in a sustainably healthy deficit to meet your weight loss goals, and you are encouraged to add fruit and veggies to help fill you up if needs be.

The meal plan makes mealtimes completely hassle-free as you can grab and go with your meals and snacks, and I love the fantastic variety of food on offer that I have found beats my usual go-to meal picks at home - certainly more exciting!

There's also the flexibility that comes with this plan. You can choose to pick meal pots that are ready in four minutes if you don't have the time to cook, or you can cook with fresh ingredients, using their kits that are super simple to follow and require minimal prep. Like other delivery meal services, you can keep the recipe cards for future use too.

You can pick and choose when you have your snacks and meals depending on what you fancy - nothing is planned out and prescribed to you - which I think is really encouraging to keep you on track with the freedom to eat what you fancy.

Another huge testament is how much I actually enjoyed the food and genuinely enjoyed cooking with the kits. Sure, not everything will be to your taste but you can just make sure to include your favourites week on week by editing your choices on the Musclefood website.

What could be changed?

Whilst I really enjoyed most of my meals, some are a little on the bland side so I would recommend having some seasoning to hand to help elevate the taste.

The only real gripe I have with the meal plan is the amount of plastic packaging that is used, especially in comparison to meal services such as Hello Fresh who provide their meals in paper bags with minimal plastic. The majority of Musclefood's plastic can be recycled but there are some exceptions, and while you could reuse the empty pots, it's unlikely you're going to if you're on the plan for a while and end up with an additional one-two pot a day.

Having said that, I appreciate Musclefood is providing a completely different service with different priorities - whilst HelloFresh provides eco-friendly, fresh cooking, the Musclefood Goal Getters menu is designed to help you reach your goals and make mealtimes easy.

However, it's something that may be worth keeping in mind if you're looking to be more eco-conscious.

Verdict

Whilst I never thought I'd say I enjoyed a meal plan designed to help you lose weight, here I am! The MuscleFood Super Slimmer plan is excellent for meal variety, flexibility, and something I have found extremely helpful to help me make positive lifestyle changes.

As someone who often doesn't have the time or effort to cook, the meal plan has provided delicious meals that have kept me on the plan with hassle-free prep and pots you can simply grab and go.

I'd definitely recommend it as someone who is looking to lose weight without falling into dangerous diet territory, and I now use the meal plan weekly. I've also recommended it to my partner who has joined the plan too - he works an extremely busy job and this provides him with meals he can cook and prepare easily for work and on the go.

Whilst I didn't follow MuscleFood's provided exercise plan, I kept to my regular activity levels and lost 1kg over the week, which is proof in the pudding that the plan works and is certainly worth a try.

I followed the Goal Getters Super Slimmer plan, but if you're looking to build lean muscle and are already active, you can try the Goal Getters Lean Machine plan to support your lifestyle needs.

New to MuscleFood? Enjoy £10 off and free delivery on your first week.

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Eleanor Weaver is a Commercial Content Writer for titles such as Yours, What’s The Best, and Mother&Baby.

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