What’s for Dinner?

You dashed out of the office at 6 p.m., squealed into the dry cleaner’s parking lot to pick up your clothes, got gas, and made it home before band practice ended: Your busy day is over, you think. Then you realize you didn’t make plans for dinner. Looks like it’s takeout or delivery again.

With more and more people eating out, picking up meals to go, and ordering in, it might seem that the homemade, nutritionally balanced meals of the past are just that—past. But two local companies, Diet Gourmet and Lifestyle Gourmet, have stepped in to fill the void. Your options vary by taste, calories, service plans, and menu options, but the gist is the same: You choose breakfast, lunch, and dinner from a rotating menu. All that’s left to decide is your daily calorie intake, the amount of food you order (three meals and two snacks a day vs. dinners only), and the number of people you plan to feed.

Whether you need to lose weight, lower your cholesterol, or just take control of your diet, these services have one thing in common: They make eating “convenience foods” a healthy, delicious option for singles and families alike.

	Diet Gourmet 972-934-0900 www.dietgourmet.com	Lifestyle Gourmet 214-692-1500 www.lifestylegourmet.com
Years in Dallas	13 years	4 years
Number of Meals Delivered Weekly	“We have many happy clients, but the exact number is confidential.”	2,500-3,000 meals delivered each week.
Service Boundaries	Most ZIP codes in central, southern, and northern Dallas and Fort Worth. Overnight shipping is available anywhere in Texas.	Downtown Dallas north through Frisco and from White Rock Lake and Garland through Las Colinas. But they do make occasional exceptions.
Client Favorites	Breakfast: Peach French toast soufflé served with low-fat turkey bacon Lunch: Citrus Salmon pasta Dinner: Artichoke stuffed chicken	Breakfast: Crepes with fresh fruit Lunch: Custom burgers and entrée salads Dinner: Chicken-and-sour-cream enchiladas
Claim to Fame	Diet Gourmet President Donna Leonard created her own organic baby food line, Lil Tummies for Busy Mummies, in 2004.	Dr. Kenneth Cooper, founder of the Cooper Aerobics Center and one of President Bush’s physicians, recommends this program. Several of Dr. Cooper’s family members are also clients.
What Makes the Meals Healthy?	Meals utilize a basic ratio of 50 percent carbohydrates, 23 percent protein, and 27 percent fat. Low-carb meals are available.	Meals are low-fat and low-cholesterol and are prepared fresh every morning.
Vegetarian Options	More than 100 vegetarian options.	Almost every one of the 300 meals has a veggie version.
Food Preparation	Food is prepared in two local kitchens to guarantee freshness.	Two full-time chefs receive fresh ingredients every morning. Meals are delivered refrigerated but never frozen.
A Big Surprise	No contracts! Choose the meals, the quantity, and stop and start dates that work best for you.	Gourmet preparations: In addition to comfort foods, Lifestyle Gourmet offers homemade crepes, strudels, and biscotti.
Success Story	An insulin-dependent client lost more than 100 pounds and was able to stop taking insulin medication.	One client lost more than 80 pounds after using the three-meals-a-day plan for seven weeks and was able to discontinue use of blood pressure medications.
Pounds Lost	Average of two pounds per week.	With the meals and exercise, customers lose an average of two pounds per week.
Average Prep Time	Less than 10 minutes from refrigerator to table.	One to two minutes.
Contracts and service plans	Menus repeat every five weeks. Food is delivered on Monday and Friday.	Four-week service plans; clients order from a different menu each week. The number of meals can vary, and selections can be adjusted when needed.
Price	$18.40/day per person for three meals a day at 1,100 calories; $20.35/day per person for three meals a day at 1,700 calories.	$36.95/day per person for three meals and two snacks. Couples and families receive discounts.