A New Way to Dine: A Look at Meal Prep Services in Greater Cincinnati

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Photo: Ello, Unsplash

Whether it's a busy life schedule or you don't like cooking, professional meal prep services can lend a helping hand — and Greater Cincinnati is chock-full of great meal prep options.

This story is featured in CityBeat's Sept. 6 print edition.

It's no secret Cincinnati has a vibrant food scene, offering a range of culinary delights from diverse global inspirations to cherished local cuisines. And the good food doesn't stop with just restaurants: the Queen City is also home to locally owned meal prep businesses that make it easy to produce chef-created meals at home with little to no preparation required on your end. 

While meal prepping at home on Sundays for the upcoming week ahead has gained popularity through social media, sometimes schedules — or preferences — don't allow for this. Whether it's a busy life schedule or you don't like cooking, professional meal prep services can lend a helping hand. Professional meal prep services can be beneficial if you're starting a new diet, whether it's becoming a vegetarian or vegan, gluten-free, starting to count macros or just trying to eat a more well-balanced diet and searching for a bit of direction. Many even provide breakfast, lunch, dinner and in-between meal options like snacks and desserts to make it even more convenient. 

Jackie Djordjevic started her business, Heirloom Chef, out of a need to gain control of her health and wellness after being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis as a teen. She used her culinary degree and over 13 years in the food industry to create meals catering to special dietary restrictions, including a variety of gluten- and dairy-free options. Heirloom Chef is also a Whole30-approved partner. 

And they're not just for individuals, but families, too. "Many of our customers are busy families looking for easy and healthy weeknight dinners," Djordjevic said. Djordjevic offers a weekly rotating menu where customers can order entrées, with past offerings including pork fried rice, Greek chicken burgers and vegan Tuscan bean & artichoke salad, along with seasonal soups and specialty snacks, like the gluten- and dairy-free peanut butter honey chewy granola bars. 

Kathleen "Mimi" Borne started a specialty meal prep business, Mimi's Macros, after beginning her own fitness journey two and a half years ago. She used the knowledge she gained through her own personal weight-loss journey to create meals that help balance macros and boost protein. "All of the meals come with a nutritional label and a listing of the grams of protein, carbs, fat and fiber in each dish," said Borne. "I try to boost the protein and lower the fat and carbs in all my dishes by creative use of ingredients." These protein-packed meals include a Philly cheesesteak quesadilla and Buffalo chicken salad to turkey, sweet potato chili and apple bottom crumble cake. Many meals are also gluten- or dairy-free, conveniently noted on their website when ordering. 

And local meal prep services aren't just great for specialty diets but also excellent choices for everyday meals that provide a tasty mix of healthy and indulgent foods. Family Thyme Kitchen was founded by a mother-daughter duo, Emma Werle and her mom, Heidi Lancaster, who use family recipes and locally sourced produce to create everything from family-friendly sheet pan meals to freshly prepared mason jar salads topped with homemade dressings. "We believe in balance — and so we like to ensure we are offering a perfect balance each week," said Werle. 

If you're looking for a more personalized chef approach, Chef Jaime Carmody started Out of Thyme Kitchen Studio after years of working in restaurants and hotels for most of her culinary career. “We can provide the full personal chef experience, where meals are delivered on the client's schedule to their home or office," Carmody said. "Or clients can pre-order and pick up ready-to-heat meals." Some of the weekly meal offerings include pork tenderloin with chipotle aioli, classic lasagna, Brussels sprout salad and cherry pie bars.

In addition to meal prep services, Out of Thyme Kitchen Studio also hosts cooking classes for aspiring chefs of all skills. "I love to cook, but it's really about working with people and providing services that provide comfort and sustenance," said Carmody. "Whether it's a take-home meal, a dinner party to celebrate a special occasion or a cooking class teaching clients new culinary techniques, there is a strong personal connection." 

Not only are most of the local meal prep services flexible in their offerings, but they also make it reasonably convenient to get the items. If you need a week's supply of meals, there are several options, like Heirloom Chef, Mimi's Macros and Family Thyme Kitchen. These services require customers to place weekly orders a few days before the desired delivery date. Once the order is set, all the items for the entire week are delivered to the customer's address on a specific day. 

Out of Thyme Kitchen Studio offers both weekly meals and the opportunity for a bit more flexibility, where customers can place orders by 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and the food will be prepared and ready for pick up the following day after 3 p.m. 

While some businesses, such as Family Thyme Kitchen, offer customers the flexibility of opting for recurring weekly meal plans, they also provide à la carte choices. This no-commitment model holds true for the other establishments previously mentioned, making it easy to try new places, select your favorite dishes from various meal prep businesses or even rotate one or two offerings with an at-home meal plan. 

Meal prep services also make it easy to deal with different dietary preferences in a household. For example, Heirloom Chef offers dairy-free and plant-based soups and meat options to please both herbivores and carnivores. And many of these businesses believe in sourcing ingredients locally when possible. Out of Thyme Kitchen Studio and Mimi's Macros use several local businesses for protein and produce. Family Thyme Kitchen sources as many ingredients as possible from local businesses, especially during the summertime, when almost all of their produce is locally grown. “We believe in supporting our local food system,” said Werle. 

Heirloom Chef, 1719 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. Info: heirloomchefcincy.com. Mimi’s Macros, mimismacros.com. Out of Thyme Kitchen Studios, 11915 Montgomery Road, Loveland. Info: outofthymechef.com. Family Thyme Kitchen, familythymekitchen.com.