In a city where the escalators move faster than most places on Earth, it is no surprise that Hong Kongers generally rush through life – caught up in a whirlwind of work, play and work once more. To cope with this hectic lifestyle in one of the world’s busiest cities, anything that saves time is welcomed and valued. If a regular, unavoidable part of our daily schedule can be shortened, then it is a godsend – and popping first to mind here is meal prepping.

For those unfamiliar with the term, these are handy services that prepare, package and send meals based on your dietary and fitness needs. You can choose how many and which meals you want to get each day and how many days you want them delivered to your doorstep.

Meal planners usually arrange for the day’s meal packages to arrive in the morning so that they can then be reheated according to the provided instructions to suit individual eating routines.

In addition to saving time, meal subscription plans come wrapped in perks. Meals are planned by dieticians or nutritionists and prepared by talented chefs based on a profile created for each subscriber, who completes a questionnaire regarding their eating habits. This not unduly lengthy Q&A – remember, time is of the essence – encompasses dietary preferences like plant-based or pescatarian, food allergies or items ruled out for reasons of health or faith, and fitness goals – if the customer wants to lose or gain weight.

Buying a bespoke meal plan is a feasible and convenient way to eat healthily every day, so here are Hong Kong’s best meal subscription services to trim precious time spent in the supermarket and kitchen.

Nosh

Nosh has earned its reputation as a leading meal provider to busy Hong Kongers. Letting you choose the type of diet you want to follow – keto, flexitarian, pescetarian or vegan – Nosh designs a custom meal plan based on your fitness needs. Whether the goal is to drop a few pounds for an event scheduled in three days or gradually lose weight in a month or more, Nosh offers short-term and long-term plans to help its customers achieve their ideal body mass index. For clients who are unsure of their nourishment needs, Nosh’s nutritionist steps in to discuss and determine customised plans. In addition, all ingredients are fresh and premium, and experienced chefs prepare these healthy foods.

A typical package consisting of three meals per day will cost anywhere between HK$200 to HK$500 and you can also opt for two meals per day. If you are looking to be economical, you may want to opt for a long-term plan because, for instance, a three-day balanced diet plan is priced at HK$315 per day while the same plan will cost HK$266 per day if you choose a 30-day subscription. Nosh.hk

Nutrition Kitchen

Ideal for those gymgoers, Nutrition Kitchen is the preferred subscription meal plan of personal trainers as it makes it easy for customers to sustain a healthy diet by providing meals with the ideal amounts of macronutrients, particularly a high quantity of proteins to help with muscle-building. The most popular for body weight transformation is the low-carb package with each meal being around 400 calories for women and 500 for men and they are priced at HK$4900 and HK$6000 respectively for a month-long three-meals-per-day plan. The nutrition data – the number of carbs, proteins and fats – is specified for each dish allowing you to make an informed decision while personalising your plan to include your favourite from the provided options. Furthermore, you can also satisfy your sweet tooth by adding one of the healthy snack options or nutrition-loaded smoothies.

The company sources ingredients of the highest quality and its team of nearly 400 chefs cooks daily, enabling each subscriber to receive freshly prepared meals every morning. The delivery service is only available on weekdays, so it is perfect for office workers who may have weekend brunch or afternoon tea plans. nutritionkitchenhk.com

Eatology

Adhering to a tagline that reads, “Eat healthy, Live easy”, Eatology offers multiple diet plans, including the likes of Asian, Mediterranean, paleo and ketogenic. The brand prepares your ideal plan by collecting basic information like your height, weight, age, daily activity level, dietary choices and fitness goals that could be simply just to eat healthily or want to lose weight and build muscles. But, if you wish to seek advice from an expert first, you can always send the aforementioned details to the company’s in-house dietician who will be happy to discuss and guide you in finding the perfect meal plan for you.

Moreover, the meals also tempt foodies as they are designed by top chef Vincent Leroux, who previously worked at Michelin Guide restaurants. Thereby, every single Eatology plan, which is estimated to be HK$1800 for a five-day three meals-per-day plan, can be likened to the taste of eating in a fine-dining restaurant. High safety standards during preparation and delivery, and biodegradable packaging tick the right boxes, too. eatologyasia.com

Bain Marie

Those who are personally diligent about sustainability will favour Bain Marie for its determination to follow a zero-waste operation – only the exact quantity of food ordered is prepared and the cutlery provided can be washed and reused. Equally laudable is the use of fine, organic ingredients and the banishment of preservatives so you can devour a delicious meal guilt-free. Each meal comes with a variety of dishes and all packages allow you to try different cuisines.

Daily menus are decided by skilled dieticians based on your calorie requirements, depending on whether you need a low-calorie plan for losing weight or more to build and strengthen muscles, then cooked by a team led by chefs who have been part of Michelin-starred kitchens. A plan will typically cost anywhere between HK$1600 and HK1800 for a five-day plan. bainmariehk.com