Epicured Review 2024: The Low FODMAP Champ?

Epicured is a meal delivery service selling low-FODMAP and gluten-free food. Despite the dietary restrictions, customers have found that the meals taste good and don’t feel too restrictive.

Epicured not only provides prepared meals for low-FODMAP and gluten-free dieters, but it also has options for other diets, such as plant-based and pescatarian. I found that the menu was diverse, with over 20 side dishes and 30 entrées always available. You can order them individually or in money-saving bundles.

On the flip side, its website is a little difficult to navigate, and the service doesn’t offer a mobile app as an alternative. I also found that its prices are higher compared to the industry standard. Its mains, for example, are over $10 per serving, while Factor provides main meals for $103.41 per serving. However, Epicured shines with its customization options and high-quality meals. Read on to find out more about Epicured.

Epicured’s Menu: Low-FODMAP & Gluten-Free Meals

Epicured meals is a specialist service for people following the low-FODMAP and gluten-free diets. The service rotates meals once a month to ensure its compliance with seasonality and improve variety. It uses organic ingredients whenever possible.

Meal Options: Healthy Dishes for Special Diets

Epicured has meals for vegetarians, vegans, pescatarians, and people that are IBD-sensitive or suffering from GERD. Epicured dietitians collaborate with chefs to ensure that meals are low-FODMAP and gluten-free. The service's food is simple, all meals come fully prepared, and only heating is required. The menu has dishes from various cuisines, including French, Italian, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Mexican, and Vietnamese.

You can order dishes separately (a la carte) or in bundles without a minimum order. There are 12 money-saving bundles (5% discount) that may include breakfast, main dishes, salads, bowls, snacks, and tapas. They comprise 6 to 21 items. Vegan, Vegetarian, Comfort, and Chef's Choice are some of the available bundles.

Epicured has 35 entrées, 24 side dishes, 12 bowls and salads, 11 snacks and breakfasts, 10 soups, and 4 beverages. It rotates the meals monthly, which suits eaters following a specific long-term diet. 

If you prefer a prepared meal delivery service that switches its dishes more often, check out Factor, which changes options weekly. Factor has over 29 options weekly, plus add-ons such as smoothies.

The Epicured menu has many breakfast and main dish options for a diverse weekly diet. You won't find lunch specifically mentioned, but you can order various side dishes, soups, bowls, salads, and snacks for your midday meal.

I noticed that Epicured gives fancy names to most of its dishes, reminding me of Michelin-starred restaurants. I also noticed that its selection of child-friendly dishes is small. The Paella De La Huerta is one of the few child-friendly meals. HelloFresh is among the most family-friendly meal delivery services offering many alternatives.

Customization: Epicured Lets You Swap Proteins

You can customize proteins in many meals. If you dislike quinoa, replace it with tempeh. If you don't like chicken, replace it with shrimp, cod, or tofu. Find swap details, if available, when you select the dish.

In my experience, meal delivery services don’t often offer these customizations, especially with prepared meals. Note that you can't customize dishes based on a specific protein, such as Chicken Fricassee or Roasted Turkey Dinner.

 Note that you can't substitute or exclude ingredients except for proteins on certain meals.

Side navigation allows you to filter food according to your dietary requirements. You can filter by:

• Dietary preferences (Vegan, Pescatarian, and GERD-Friendly, for example)

• Nutritional needs (i.e., Low Fat ≤ 15 grams, Protein > 25 grams)

• Allergies (egg-free, dairy-free, etc.)

• Misc. (freezer-friendly)

Few other meal delivery services have such great a filtering system, which is something I like about Epicured. There are loads of options, so you should find what you’re looking for regardless of your dietary needs or habits.

Epicured’s Menu at a Glance 

Unboxing: Well-Organized & Labeled Boxes

Ordered food comes in recyclable, tightly packed boxes. Inside, you'll find well-organized food in an insulated bag accompanied by nutritional information. Epicured meals arrive in reheatable containers, so you don’t even need to transfer your meals to a plate. You can thaw food in these containers if frozen, too.

Epicured doesn't provide heating instructions on the meals themselves. You need to click on the specific dish image on the website to get this information. Note that you can heat most dishes in the microwave oven, though.

Labels with the expiration date are on every Epicured meal. Note that you might miss it at first glance, so do check carefully. Either way, meals usually last 3 days if stored in the fridge. If you put them in the freezer, they should last up to 2 months.

All Epicured containers are reusable. They have removable lids and you can wash them by hand or in the dishwasher for further use.

Cooking With Epicured: Just Heat & Serve

Epicured never delivers frozen dishes, only fresh and pre-cooked ones. You can even eat the meals directly from their food containers to avoid cleaning. If you need to heat a cooked dish, use your stovetop, microwave, or oven. Use a pot, a pan, or a saucepan to heat meals on the stove. To heat in a microwave, use a microwave-safe plate or bowl, unless the food comes in a microwavable package.

Remember that you can store meat-based and other time-sensitive meals for a few days in the fridge. Dishes not containing meat may last up to 1 week, but check the label to be sure. Consider freezing food if you order multi-day bundles, just in case.

Shortlist of My Favorite Meals

I like Turkey Meatballs because they have fewer calories than pork and beef ones. I also love the sound of these since they come with penne, broccoli, and basil Pomodoro sauce. You don’t need to wait long to try them, as they can be heated up in a minute or 2.

Onion-infused olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and lactose-free milk are just some of the ingredients. The dish has 75 g of broccoli, which suits most people with IBS.

Turkey Chili soup is a low-calorie dish containing seasoned ground turkey simmered with carrots, lentils, and chopped tomatoes. This soup should fit the low FODMAP dietary standards and benefit individuals suffering from IBS.

You can quickly heat the soup in a microwave. Make sure to remove plastic components and lids before that. Separately-packed Cheddar accompanies Turkey Chili to the joy of cheese lovers.

Prices: Epicured Is a Bit Pricey

Entrées and main dishes (bowls and salads) cost from $10.29 per serving. The most expensive meals in these categories are Grilled Salmon ($24.63) and family-styled Pulled BBQ Chicken ($58.99).

Most soups cost under $10, with Melon Gazpacho being the most affordable ($3.20). The most expensive soups are Vegan Chili ($11.75) and Three-Spice Turkey Chili ($13.06).

The side dishes range from $3.99 (Gravy) to $19.99 (Braised Beef Brisket) per serving. Snacks cost between $5.99 (Lemon Coconut Energy Bites) and $19.99 (Coffee Cake Bakers Box). Breakfast items cost from $7.50 (Country Cinnamon Oatmeal) to $14.96 (Sunrise Fruit Bowl).

Beverages cost between $5.33 and $19.99, depending on the type and quantity (8 oz vs. 32 oz).

Epicured’s prices are a bit higher than some other services, such as Home Chef, which also has more meal options and allows for more customization. 

However, you can save 5% by ordering bundles. You'll receive the offer when landing on the website; you only need to wait for the pop-up to appear.

Shipping is free over a certain amount, which varies by location. Otherwise, it’ll be $14.99. 

In New York, shipping is free for orders over $100 and $14.99 for smaller orders. If you live in Miami, it’s free shipping for orders over $130; otherwise, you’ll pay $14.99. Shipping to Los Angeles is $14.99 for orders below $125 and free for bigger orders. If you are after a service that doesn’t have shipping fees, check HelloFresh.

Epicured doesn't accept refunds and returns. Contact its customer service if you have any questions or concerns. For further details, check the FAQ section on the website (you have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to find it).

Shipping & Delivery: It’s Available in the Continental US

Epicured delivers its meals anywhere in the continental US. Delivery days depend on the location, and at the time of writing, the schedule is the following:

• New York and the surrounding area: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

• States east of the Mississippi River: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, plus Tuesday for customers in New England and the mid-Atlantic

• States west of the Mississippi River: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

Epicured confirms orders for the next week each Friday at 1 pm EST. You can cancel or skip your order for the coming week until that time for free. The meal delivery service charges a late cancellation fee.

Land on your account page on the Epicured website to order and cancel delivery. The process is simple, just make sure to hit the Update button if you’ve modified your order.

How Epicured Works (Step by Step Guide)

You can subscribe before or after choosing your dishes when ordering for the first time at epicured.com. Signing up is simple, you'll need to specify your name, email and delivery addresses, and other details during registration.

How to Sign Up (Just 6 Simple Steps)

1. Choose meals or bundles – Select the Menu option in the upper-left corner of the Epicured website.

2. Click on individual dishes or bundles to add them to the cart. Examine its contents in the upper-right corner before ordering.

3. Create an account – Add your first and last name and email address. Create and confirm the password before hitting Continue.

4. Add your shipping address – Enter the address, zip code, city, and state to calculate the cost before choosing delivery dates and completing your purchase. You’ll also have to enter your phone number.

5. Choose your delivery dates – Specify when you wish to receive your order. Remember that dates and times depend on the state and the location.

6. Enter payment information – Enter your credit card information to complete the purchase.

Managing Your Subscription

You'll easily manage meals, delivery dates, and other details from your account dashboard. Note that Epicured considers every order recurring. If you wish to change or cancel upcoming orders, do so before 1 pm on Fridays.

Add Epicured specialties to the cart directly from the menu by clicking the Add to cart button. Alternatively, select a dish or a bundle to evaluate the product and add it to the cart. You can manage quantities when reviewing the product and the shopping cart.

Remember to click the Update button if you change your order. Otherwise, the changes won't take place. Keep in mind that late modifications and cancellations (after 1 pm EST on Fridays) will come into effect next week.

Customer Service: Epicured's Support Is Very Good

I found Epicured's customer support helpful for questions about subscriptions, deliveries, and other non-diet issues. If you want to know more about low FODMAP or a specific diet, they can only give you limited help.

You can contact customer service via email (contact form), live chat, and phone. You can even contact them by mail at 65 Sea Cliff Ave, Glen Cove, NY 11542.

Phone and live chat support are available from 10 am to 5 pm EST from Monday to Friday. If you choose the live chat option in the lower-left corner of the website, an agent should get in touch shortly. Another option is to call customer service at (917) 260 8506.

The staff usually responds to emails within 1 business day.

Should you want to cancel your orders, navigate to your account page. Scroll downwards until you locate the Cancel Subscription button. Upon clicking it, verify your cancellation.

I tested the live chat option and a friendly agent connected and answered my question in a minute or so.

How Epicured Compares to Other Meal Delivery Services

• Epicured vs. Factor: In a nutshell, Epicured's weaknesses (pricing and customer support) are Factor’s strengths. You’ll save a great deal if you choose the latter as your primary meal delivery service. Plus its knowledgeable customer support is available 24/7. You can schedule a free online session with Factor’s nutrition coaches and dietitians, too.

• Epicured vs. Green Chef: Epicured has its strengths, such as easy ordering and punctual delivery. But Green Chef doesn't lag in these and stands out in other categories. Its pricing is more competitive, and its customer service is more efficient. It also offers better meal variety and customization. Green Chef is a meal kit delivery service so if you like cooking then you’ll like Green Chef. Like Epicured, it supports various diets, such as plant-based and gluten-free.

• Epicured vs. Blue Apron: Blue Apron can improve a few things to make its boxes more eco-friendly. Yet, it beats Epicured in every other regard. Blue Apron's menu variety and customization options are better. It's also more affordable and its customer service is more skilled.

The Bottom Line: Is Epicured Worth It?

Epicured is definitely worth trying if you follow the low FODMAP diet or suffer from Crohn's, IBD, or celiac. You can order clinically designed meals through Epicured and receive them regularly.

But Epicured’s more expensive than its competitors, such as Factor, which you should consider if you eat high protein, vegetarian, vegan, or Keto among other diets. If you buy easy-prep or family-friendly meals at groceries sometimes, check out Home Chef’s dishes in Kruger shops.

FAQ

Is Epicured low FODMAP?

Yes, all of Epicured’s meals are low FODMAP. Its ingredients are gluten-free, organically certified, non-GMO, and free from hormones, preservatives, and antibiotics.

How much does Epicured cost?

Most of Epicured's dishes cost between $3.20 and $19.99. Grilled Salmon ($24.63) and family-styled Pulled BBQ Chicken ($58.99) are rare exceptions. You can benefit from the 5% discount when ordering bundles. Delivery is free for big orders. Otherwise, the shipping fee is $14.99.

How does Epicured work?

You can purchase Epicured meals separately or in bundles. When you place your first order, weekly deliveries will keep coming until you skip or cancel them. Epicured doesn't have a minimum order policy, but you will pay shipping costs for orders under a set amount. Shipping is free for orders exceeding $100 for New York, $125 for Los Angeles, and $130 for Miami.