Fuel Meals Review 2024: Is It the Best Option?

Overview

Known as a meal delivery service for athletes and bodybuilders, Fuel Meals has recently changed its menu and now offers plans geared toward weight loss as well as muscle gain.

I review meal delivery services for a living and am familiar with both fitness-focused and weight-loss meal delivery service menus. I’ve pored over nutritional information, studied guidelines, and examined ingredient lists to see how Fuel Meals stacks up against its competition. So what were my conclusions?

Fuel Meals is great for athletes, bodybuilders, and dedicated fitness buffs. People looking for a more generalized menu or dieters who just want to lose a few pounds without joining a gym will do better with other services, like Blue Apron. But if you’re passionate about getting fit and staying fit, Fuel Meals can be a great part of a complete workout regimen.

Fuel Meals’s Menu: Fresh, Healthy Meals for a Healthy Lifestyle

All Fuel Meals meat is hormone and antibiotic-free, and all fish is wild-caught. Vegetables are sourced locally, and all seasonal vegetables are organic and free of pesticides.​​

Fuel Meals preps and cooks all meals in a state-of-the-art facility located in New Jersey with customized equipment designed for small-batch cooking.

Fuel Meals arrive fully prepared and fresh, never frozen. Meals are single-serving, while By The Pound packs and snacks contain between 2 and 6 servings.

Meal Options: Muscle Gain, Weight Loss & More

Fuel Meals offers 4 premade meal plans: 

1. Weight Loss

2. Muscle Gain

3. Performance

4. Best Sellers

The Performance plan features high-energy meals for sustained activity, while the Weight Loss and Muscle Gain plans are self-explanatory. The Best Sellers plan simply includes the most popular meals from across the service.

Fuel Meals assumes you’ll combine its meals with vigorous exercise. The Weight Loss plan provides 1,500 calories per day for women and 1,750 for men. This is considerably higher than the 1,200-1,400 calories per day you get on a BistroMD plan or the 1,200-1,500 calorie Nutrisystem plans.

The 2,500/2,750-calorie Muscle Gain plan is designed to provide the energy you need for intensive workouts, with abundant lean protein to help your body build greater muscle mass. However, this plan will only help you gain muscle in combination with lots of time at the gym.

Fuel’s weight loss meals are typically meat, vegetables, and starches like whole-wheat pasta or rice. Muscle gain meals consist of meat and vegetables. Some entrees make nods to Chinese, Mexican, or Italian cuisine, but for the most part, Fuel Meals offers American Bodybuilder chow.

If you don’t want to be confined to a single menu, Fuel Meals offers an A La Carte option. With the A La Carte option, you can order any of the items on the menu. This is a good option if you know your dietary needs and can keep your meals geared toward your desired end goal rather than Fuel Meals making the choices for you.

If you have a snack craving, Fuel Meals also offers Protein Muffins (available in blueberry or dark chocolate chip) and Triple Chocolate Protein Brownies. You can also order By the Pound packs of proteins, vegetables, and carbs.

No Customization, but You Get a Decent Selection of Meals to Choose From

Fuel Meals typically gives A La Carte buyers a choice of around 30 entries, several By the Pound bulk offerings, and a few breakfast meals and high-protein lower-carb snacks. You’ll have a more limited selection depending on your plan. The Muscle Gain menu usually offers over a dozen meals, while the Weight Loss menu gives you only a dozen or fewer meal options.

Even if you’re signed up for a particular plan and number of meals, you can always add additional items. For example, many bodybuilders will add extra proteins when they’re trying to bulk up. And, unlike most meal delivery services, Fuel Meals also gives you the option for bi-weekly deliveries.

When you sign up for one of its plans, Fuel Meals chooses a selection of meals for you. If you dislike 1 or more of their selections, you can swap in or double up on another meal. Given the size of the menu, you’ll likely have one or more duplicates where you’ll be eating the same meal 2 or even 3 times a week.

The Fuel Meals FAQ claims that its menu page has a filter option that blocks out certain ingredients and allergens. But I couldn’t find any filter on my phone or desktop using several different browsers.

Fuel Meals is working on its website and may add filtering shortly. For now, you’ll have to check the ingredient lists if you have any allergies or sensitivities. You can also contact Fuel Meals through its web form or leave a voicemail message to see if their team can work something out.

Fuel Meals’s Menu at a Glance

Unboxing: Neatly Organized & Recyclable Packaging

Fuel Meals boxes come sized for 7, 14, 21, or 28 meals. If you order more than 28 meals your order will come in 2 boxes. The boxes are insulated and cooled, and all meals are sealed in atmospheric packaging to ensure your food arrives tasty and fresh. All Fuel Meals packaging – including boxes, coolers, trays, and sleeves – is recyclable.

Fuel Meals will remain fresh in your refrigerator for 7 days following delivery or frozen in your freezer for up to 1 month. Some dishes may not freeze as well as others, while egg dishes and fish dishes may not reheat well. Your best bet is to refrigerate your meals and then eat them within 7 days.

Fuel Meals products are neatly arranged in a transport box. When you take them out, you can find a sticker with details on the back of the meal.

Cooking With Fuel Meals: Heat & Enjoy!

Because meals arrive fully prepared, all you need to do is heat them up in a microwave for 2-3 minutes. You can also take your meal out of the microwave-safe container and place it in an oven-safe tray or dish, then heat it in a conventional at 275 degrees for approximately 10-15 minutes.

As with most prepared meals, cleanup is a breeze. You heat up your meal, eat it out of the tray, then put the empty tray aside for recycling.

Shortlist of My Favorite Meals

Here are my personal Fuel Meals favorites. Check out the menu to see which options might work better for you.

Protein Pancakes

Rocky Balboa started his morning with raw eggs. I’d rather have the Protein Pancakes from Fuel Meals.

These classic pancakes are fortified with whey protein and served with a side of turkey bacon for additional lean protein. This is the perfect breakfast to satisfy your pancake cravings while still getting the clean energy you need to get through the day. With 39 g of carbs, 26 g of protein, and just 3 g of fat, these are far from your typical unhealthy breakfast hot cakes.

BBQ Grilled Chicken

Fuel Meals’ BBQ Grilled Chicken brings you an 8-ounce chicken breast marinated in homemade barbecue sauce and served with roasted potatoes over brown rice. With 53 g of carbs to fuel your workout and 48 g of protein to help you build up muscle, this is a meal that gives you what you need to set new personal bests.

Fuel Meals’ By the Pound Bison Burgers give you 1.5 pounds of lean, protein-packed bison meat. If you’re looking to gain muscle mass and ripped definition, you need lots of lean protein so this is definitely for you. Each 8-ounce bison burger contains 58 g of protein with just 8 g of saturated fat and no carbs!

This 460-calorie dish’s main ingredients are chicken breast and brown rice. Red potatoes, garlic, and paprika are other ingredients. At the time of my Fuel Meals Review, this meal had a 4.4-star rating based on 19 reviews. 

Bison Burgers

Fuel Meals’ By the Pound Bison Burgers give you 1.5 pounds of lean, protein-packed bison meat. If you’re looking to gain muscle mass and ripped definition, you need lots of lean protein so this is definitely for you.

Each 8-ounce bison burger contains 39 g of protein with just 13 g of saturated fat and no carbs! The meat comes from grass-fed animals.

Pricing: Unlock Discounts on Larger Orders

Fuel Meals offers 1-time orders, but you’ll unlock free shipping with a subscription. This is a considerable savings, as shipping can be as much as $19.95 or higher per package. 

You’ll also save money on larger order sizes. The minimum order is 7 meals, but if you expand your order to at least 10 items, you’ll automatically receive a 5% discount on every item. By increasing the size of your order, you can actually unlock discounts as high as 15% off each meal! What’s more, you have access to these size discounts whether or not you have a subscription.

The chart displays how your average meal price goes down as the size of your order increases. Note that these numbers are based on the average entree price. Many snacks and breakfast have a lower starting price per serving, while dishes with premium proteins like steak have a slightly higher starting price point.

In addition to its composed dishes, Fuel Meals also offers some items in bulk. In particular, this is a great way to stock up on your favorite proteins by the pound. These are individually priced, but they do count toward your order size discount (1 LB = 1 meal).

If your meals are damaged in shipping or you have any other issues, you can attach a photo and submit a customer service request via the Fuel Meals website.

Shipping & Delivery: It’s Available in All 50 States

Fuel Meals ships out boxes on Mondays and Wednesdays from its offices in Ridgefield, New Jersey. Orders placed Monday through Thursday will be shipped the following Monday, while orders placed Friday through Sunday will go out the following Wednesday.

Fuel Meals ships to all 50 states and Puerto Rico via Federal Express. Depending on your zip code, your box will arrive within 1-2 days after it is shipped. While Fuel Meals doesn’t yet have an app, it sends the FedEx tracking number as soon as your order is shipped, so you can see how your meal is progressing through transit.

If you want to reschedule a delivery or change your shipping address, you can make the necessary changes by logging into your account. Be sure you make any necessary changes before your billing date.

How Fuel Meals Works (Step by Step Guide)

When you sign up for Fuel Meals, your original order becomes the template for all future orders. You can choose between weekly and bi-weekly orders. You can change or update the meals for any week but must do so by the order cutoff date (Fuel Meals sends you an email on the day before cutoff).

After you’re billed, Fuel Meals takes 5-6 days before your delivery to plan and prepare your meals. Once your billing date passes, you can’t cancel or make any changes to your order.

Fuel Meals lets you place a one-time order so you can try its meals at home before making a commitment. This is very convenient for those who are interested in a Fuel Meals plan but are unsure about a subscription.

How to Sign Up (Just 5 Simple Steps)

1. Choose your plan and the number of meals you want. Subscribe to get free shipping.

2. Check the recommended meals in the drop-down menu to the left.

3. Click on Edit Meals to make any desired changes to the suggested meals. Find the button at the top of the drop-down menu.

4. Enter your contact details and shipping address.

5. Enter your payment information and check out.

You can change your billing address from your shipping address on the Payment page if they aren't the same address. Also, save your information for faster checkout in the future if you subscribe.

Managing Your Subscription

You can change your subscription by logging into your account and visiting the Manage Subscription page. From there you can view your meals and change your address and meal quantities.

To add new items to your subscription, view the individual item from the menu and click the Add to Subscription button. The changes will take place on your next billing date.

Customer Service: New & Improved

The easiest way to reach Fuel Meals customer service is via its online “contact us” form. Representatives are available during East Coast business hours, and you can generally expect a response within 1 to 2 business days.

When I previously reviewed Fuel Meals, I tried to reach out via phone. I wasn’t able to reach a representative via phone back then, so I’m glad to see that the service has modernized its customer support section.

The new contact form makes it easy to share your information and documents with the company, ensuring a more streamlined process should you ever need to get in touch. I prefer written communication to the phone in these situations, as it’s always helpful to have a record in writing of your correspondence.

How Fuel Meals Compares to Other Meal Delivery Services

• Fuel Meals vs. Blue Apron: Blue Apron has a broader focus than Fuel Meals, covering more mainstream diets and offering kits and prepared meals. However, it does have a Wellness category that suits fitness enthusiasts. It's also a considerably less expensive choice for fitness-conscious eaters seeking meal kits and prepared meals.
• Fuel Meals vs. BistroMD:  Both services offer complete breakfast/lunch/dinner meal plans for weight loss. But BistroMD offers more culinary choices and better filtering options for allergies. If you’re just looking to lose weight and are not spending hours in the gym, you’ll probably be happier with a BistroMD subscription.
• Fuel Meals vs. Factor: If you’re just looking for healthier suppers, Factor provides a greater variety of prepared meals. Factor also offers a selection of vegetarian and vegan meals that you won’t find at Fuel Meals.

The Bottom Line: Is Fuel Meals Worth It?

For a small but dedicated subset of athletes and bodybuilders, Fuel Meals is absolutely worth it. Serious fitness buffs who want to achieve maximum gains will appreciate these carefully engineered muscle-building meals.

Those who just want to lose a few pounds for an upcoming event will find better choices on our list of the 10 Best Weight Loss Meal Delivery Services. Fuel Meals is a niche service, and those of us who have traded our gym bods for dad bods aren’t part of that niche.

FAQ

Does Fuel Meals have a diet plan?

Fuel Meals has a weight-loss menu geared toward fitness buffs looking to lose pounds and gain definition. If your weight loss plan includes regular trips to the gym, Fuel Meals will help you replace that flab with muscle.

Is Fuel Meals a subscription service?

Fuel Meals is a subscription service, but it also offers one-time orders for those who want to try the meals first. You’ll pay a 10% premium on the price for a one-time order, and you’ll pay for shipping (this is free with a subscription).

Does Fuel Meals have a paleo menu?

While Fuel Meals doesn’t have a dedicated paleo menu, many of its offerings are paleo-compliant. The meals on its Muscle Gain menu are vegetables with a side of meat or fish. And most of the By The Pound packs other than the rice or pasta sides are either meat or vegetables.