As fall gets underway and we resume hectic work and school routines, time and motivation to cook can sometimes be in short supply.

This is where prepared meal delivery services can be a godsend. There are plenty of “meal kit” options like Blue Apron, Home Chef and Plated available nationwide, but those meals require a certain amount of cooking.

But fully prepared, heat-and-eat meals offer genuine time savings and convenience to busy professionals, working or new parents, and anyone else unable to cook for themselves regularly. Market researchers put the value of the prepared meal delivery industry at about $8.74 billion in 2022, and they expect it to jump to more than $19 billion by 2029.

Rhode Island-based meal delivery company Feast & Fettle is a prime example of the industry’s growth. The six-year-old company has more than 7,000 customers in four New England states and just entered the Maine market in September, gaining another 150 customers in its first month here.

“We were kind of shocked, we didn’t expect that many folks already,” said Feast & Fettle CEO Carlos Ventura.

We talked with Ventura and the owners of six Maine-based prepared meal companies about the particulars of their operations (all except one offers delivery) to help you find one that matches your particular needs. Whether you’re health-minded, seeking plant-based options, are a senior with a medical condition, or just a busy family that needs some crowd-pleasing comfort food, there’s a service here that can help.

FEAST & FETTLE

Online: feastandfettle.com

Based in: East Providence, Rhode Island

Launched: 2016

Number of regular customers: 7,000 in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Hampshire; more than 150 in Maine

Number of entrée options each week: 14 (including three vegetarian/vegan choices). Options rotate weekly, and Feast & Fettle has more than 1,000 main and side dishes in its repertoire.

Price per meal: $15-$25

Top-selling dishes: Sausage, White Bean and Kale Soup; Baked Ziti; Classic Chicken Pot Pie

Accepts modifications: Yes

Gluten-free options available: Yes

Minimum order requirement: $75

How it works: The weekly ordering deadline is Thursday at noon for delivery the following week, Sunday through Thursday (you choose the day). Food is delivered to your home chilled, not frozen, packed in insulated bags with commercial-grade ice packs.

You can order a la carte or choose from a number of different membership plans ranging from two entrées and four sides for one person ($69/week) to four entrées and six sides for four ($239/week). Regular membership has no fee or requirements, while the Select membership ($10) includes perks like unlimited delivery and customizations.

Delivery area: York and Cumberland counties

Delivery fee: $10 for regular members, free for Select members

LAKE & CO.

Online: lakeandco.me

Based in: Yarmouth

Launched: March 2020, in response to the pandemic. “When COVID happened, we thought, ‘How can we help our community and also keep our staff employed at the time?'” said owner Hannah Lake White.

Number of regular customers: 30-45

Number of entrée options each week: 12-15

Price per meal: $14-$28

Top-selling dishes: Brined and Roasted Whole Hens, Quiche

Accepts modifications: Yes

Gluten-free options available: Yes

Minimum order requirement: $50 for delivered orders, none for pickup

How it works: Lake & Co. puts out its weekly menu on Friday. Order anytime until Monday at midnight. Food is ready for delivery throughout Maine or pickup at the Yarmouth kitchen by Friday midday. The a la carte menu changes every week, and meals are delivered chilled, though offerings also include flash-frozen staple dishes like lasagna, soups, chicken pot pie and shepherd’s pie.

Lake & Co. also sells various packaged items as well, including specialty sea salt, olive oil, fermented sauerkraut, gourmet pastas and more.

Delivery area: Statewide

Delivery fee: $20 to $60, depending on distance from Yarmouth

LIZ’S KITCHEN

Online: lizskitchenme.com

Based in: Portland

Launched: 2014

Number of regular customers: 30-45

Target customer: “Health-minded people, those who don’t have time or interest in cooking,” said chef-owner Liz Warfel. “It’s hard to eat healthy when you’re not cooking yourself.”

Niche: Meatless meals. While Warfel said most of her customers are meat-eaters, her menus skew heavily toward plant-based foods. Liz’s kitchen offers five vegetarian/vegan meal options weekly.

Number of entrée options each week: Six

Price per meal: $14-$15

Top-selling dishes: Orecchiette with Roasted Tomatoes, Basil and Parmesan-Ricotta; Sriracha Chicken with Black Beans and Corn

Accepts modifications: Rarely

Gluten-free options available: Yes

Minimum order requirement: $50

How it works: Liz’s Kitchen posts new menus online at the start of each week. Place orders by midnight Friday; deliveries arrive the following Tuesday. Food arrives chilled, not frozen, in microwave- and dishwasher-safe containers.

Delivery area: Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Falmouth, Yarmouth, Cumberland and Westbrook

Delivery fee: No

MAGNO TERRA CAFE

Online: magnoterra.com

Based: Yarmouth

Launched: 2021

Number of regular customers: 80

Niche: Chef-owner Toni Magno-Fish said her operation emphasizes variety, offering about 25 total grain bowls, salads, soups, sides, mains and desserts each week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Magno Terra prepared meals are currently available for pick-up only.

Number of entrée options each week: Three or four

Price per meal: $8-$9

Top-selling dishes: Creamy Roasted Garlic Chicken, Parmesan-Crusted Chicken or Eggplant

Accepts modifications: Yes

Gluten-free options available: Yes

Minimum order requirement: None

How it works: Magno Terra Cafe does not offer delivery (though Magno-Fish said she expects to offer delivery service starting in 2024). The cafe releases its menu between Wednesday and Friday. Place orders by 5 p.m. Sunday for pickup at Magno Terra Cafe the following week.

THE MAINE MEAL

Online: themainemeal.com

Based in: Skowhegan

Launched: 2012

Number of regular customers: About 45

Niche: “Our mission is to help support a healthy and sustainable Maine food system,” said Maine Meal co-owner Kelly LaCasse, which includes paying a fair price for high-quality ingredients, aiding fishermen or farmers who have an excess harvest, and focusing on local sourcing. All The Maine Meal’s proteins are from Maine, and produce in-season comes exclusively from Maine farmers. The operation also uses grains from Maine Grains, along with local honey and syrup.

Number of entrée options each week: Eight to 14

Price per meal: $16-$35, with “bundle deal” discounts available

Top-selling dishes: Braised Beef Chuck in a Cabernet Sauvignon Reduction with Local Mushrooms and Onions, Squash and Apple Bisque, Lobster Alfredo

Accepts modifications: No

Gluten-free options available: Yes

Minimum order requirement: No

How it works: Place your order at least a week ahead of when you’d like it delivered. Meals arrive fully cooked, vacuum-sealed and frozen (fresh pasta arrives chilled, not frozen). Boil in bag to reheat. “My husband (Maine Meal Chef Mark LaCasse) prefers that method because it’s the most gentle way to reheat, as opposed to microwaving, which really depreciates the product.”

Delivery area: Most of Maine, but does not include locations north of Orono. Weekly deliveries are available for customers on The Maine Meal’s Brunswick-Portland route.

Delivery fee: Free in Skowhegan; $10 up to 10 miles from Skowhegan; $15 for more than 10 miles from Skowhegan; $20 for special delivery orders.

MAINE-LY DELIVERED

Online: spectrumgenerations.org/maine-ly-home-delivered-meals

Based in: Augusta

Launched: 2016

Number of regular customers: 50-100

Niche: Maine-ly Delivered is aimed at seniors who don’t qualify for Meals on Wheels or are on a Meals on Wheels waitlist, as well as people recently discharged from the hospital. Many customers have medical conditions.

“We’re not competing with restaurants,” said Spectrum Generations CEO Gerard Queally. “We’re dealing with people who are having difficulty feeding themselves. We’re providing a nutritious meal that helps ease stress off the caregiver and ensures that the customer is eating appropriately.”

Number of entrée options each week: Five

Price per meal: About $10

Favorites dishes: Turkey and ham dinners, pasta dishes

Accepts modifications: Meals can sometimes be tailored to meet particular medical restrictions.

Minimum order requirement: Five meals

How it works: Customers can order any day of the week from Maine-ly Delivered’s online monthly menus, which have been reviewed and approved by a registered dietician to ensure that each meal meets a full third of the customer’s daily nutritional needs. Meals are delivered by volunteers and arrive Tuesday through Friday, depending on location.

Delivery area: Kennebunk, Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, Somerset and Waldo counties, as well as the towns of Brunswick and Harpswell

Delivery fee: None

TOPSET MEALS

Online: topsetmeals.com

Based in: Scarborough

Launched: 2017

Number of regular customers: About 180

What sets them apart: “Our passion for quality over anything,” said owner Noah Tranten. “To be able to produce incredible quality food that surprises people even when they eat it a week later and exceeds their expectations is what we’re driven by.”

Number of entrée options each week: About three meals, plus bulk protein and carb options

Price per meal: $14.50-$15

Top-selling dishes: Chicken Meatballs; Cheeseburger Bowl featuring ground beef from Pat’s Meat Market

Accepts modifications: Yes

Minimum order requirement: No

How it works: Topset puts out a new menu Fridays at noon, and accepts orders until end of day Sunday or Monday. Deliveries arrive chilled, not frozen, on Tuesday.

Delivery area: Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Falmouth, Portland, Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook and Yarmouth

Delivery fee: $6

Copy the Story Link