These local meal delivery services are trying to help Alaskans save time 

Emily Brown, nan administrative adjunct of nan Alaska Dinner Factory, reaches for canned nutrient connected shelves connected July 31, 2024. (Leigh Walden/Alaska Public Media)

Emily Brown sorted done nutrient piled onto a cart successful an Anchorage commercialized kitchen, double-checking that nan full bid was ready. There were prepared, individually wrapped Italian focaccia sandwiches, positive nan ingredients for cauliflower shrimp tacos and beef fajitas — each fresh for nan recipient to quickly combine themselves. 

“This bid here, they ordered each ample meals,” said Brown, administrative adjunct astatine Alaska Dinner Factory.

In galore communities crossed nan country, Americans person embraced meal-kit services for illustration this — wherever each of nan ingredients for a tasty meal are delivered to your doorstep. But astir nationalist options aren’t wide aliases easy disposable successful Alaska. So section companies for illustration Alaska Dinner Factory are stepping in, and trying to capable nan state’s meal-kit void.

Brown said Alaska Dinner Factory’s subscriptions are astir celebrated among families. The institution started successful 2006 aft nan proprietor realized that cooking takes distant from family time.

“A batch of group don’t deliberation astir really valuable that clip astatine nan extremity of nan time conscionable sitting together astatine nan meal array is,” Brown said. “The full extremity is conscionable bringing group backmost together and saying, ‘Hey, really was your day? What happened today?’ And nutrient conscionable makes it truthful overmuch much comfortable.”

But it’s not conscionable families, Brown has noticed an uptick successful aged couples ordering stiff meals. 

The institution has a regular transportation programme called Alaska Fresh that provides microwavable meals to elders. Each comes pinch a protein, starch and a vegetable.

Stacks of nutrient successful a locomotion successful freezer astatine Alaska Dinner Factory successful Anchorage. (Leigh Walden/Alaska Public Media)

All meals are made to order, which results successful minimal nutrient waste, Brown said. The company’s paper rotates betwixt 14 different entrees each month. The family dinners provender six group and costs astir $35. Meals tin past up to a twelvemonth successful nan freezer. If customers hide to order, they tin besides plaything into nan company’s storefront and prime up a microwavable repast from nan cooler. 

Meals require minimal cooking connected nan stovetop, successful nan oven aliases a crockpot. Each repast is packaged pinch clear cooking instructions, Brown said.

“The astir magnitude of activity you’re putting into it is boiling immoderate h2o to navigator immoderate pasta, and past heating up nan different ingredients to propulsion together,” she said.

The institution delivers astir 3,500 meals each period crossed Alaska. It began shipping to agrarian communities successful 2022. Brown said agrarian orders don’t relationship for a ample information of sales, but nan institution has regular customers successful Kodiak, Wrangell and Nome. Delivery has extended to see smaller communities, too, for illustration Brevig Mission and Adak, where nutrient costs are importantly higher.

It’s not nan only repast work that ships to agrarian parts of nan state. Feed Me AK is an individual repast prep work and ships wherever Alaska Airlines flies. Instead of larger portions, nan Anchorage-based institution sells individual microwavable meals for arsenic debased arsenic $10.50 

Amber Rotar, who opened nan business successful 2017, said location are galore reasons why personification mightiness opt for a premade meal.

“The champion logic that I ever sewage from personification was a female who had raised for illustration six aliases 7 kids. She’s like, ‘They’re gone now. And it is conscionable arsenic galore dishes for maine to make meal for maine arsenic it was for 7 people. And I’m not into it,’” Rotar said.

Rotar was a bodybuilder who utilized to meticulously scheme and hole her meals. A friend suggested she move it into a business. Originally, she thought different bodybuilders would dress up nan bulk of her customers. But she said her meals are astir celebrated among moving professionals.

She said repast mentation takes a batch of clip and patience.

“Meal prep is benignant of considered for illustration a luxury item,” Rotar said. “If you get down to it, you tin do it yourself.”

Both Rotar and Brown person tons of competition. There are plentifulness of options for convenient meals for illustration edifice takeout aliases nan ready-to-eat deli astatine nan market store. But Rotar said those options aren’t often arsenic patient arsenic home-cooked meals. 

Each of her meals are sold pinch a nutrition sheet, truthful customers cognize really galore calories and really overmuch protein, fat and carbs they’re consuming. 

She said she doesn’t sacrifice spirit for nutrition. 

“I want group to person good, healthy, enjoyable food,” she said. “I dream that comes crossed not only successful what I make, I really attraction astir what I produce, and I attraction astir nan group that usage my service.”

Rotar said she’s looking to expand. She’s moving to adhd much pickup locations connected nan Kenai Peninsula and hopes to waste nan meals wholesale to java shops and gyms successful nan adjacent future.