Gluten-Free Meals in a Snap

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post for Snap Kitchen, which has provided me with compensation, and contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own and I was in no way influenced by the sponsorship of this post. [Disclosure policy]

Walk-in selections at Snap Kitchen's Old City location

Despite the popularity of make-it-yourself pre-portioned meals, not everyone (yours truly included) has the time - or, frankly, the skill set - to cook meals all the time. With convenience in mind, Snap Kitchen has set out to make healthy, fresh gluten-free meals and sides available throughout the Philadelphia area. The company laid down roots in Philadelphia in 2016, having expanded here from Texas, and built a commissary in the Kensington section of the city. There, employees prepare all-gluten-free meals for sale at Snap Kitchen's seven area locations: Malvern, Villanova, Wayne and in Philadelphia proper (Bella Vista, Fishtown, Old City and Rittenhouse Square).

Snap Kitchen locations also have snacks, sides and drinks

While a variety of prepared foods are available daily at the stores, Snap Kitchen's new meal plans offer greater variety and flexibility. There are five plans, all entirely gluten free: High Protein, Low Carb, Balance, Whole 30,  Paleo and Camp Gladiator. The subscriptions are three-, five- or seven-day plans that reoccur on a weekly basis. You can build your plan by selecting which day parts – breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks – work best and customizing which meals you want to make up each day of your plan. The plans can be managed through the Snap Kitchen iOS app or through the website and can be cancelled at any time.

Snap Kitchen offers free delivery for meal plan subscribers within a designated distance of each store and meals can also be picked up at a "home" location. First-time meal plan subscribers can use promo code GFPHILLY for $20 off their first order.

The company offered to let us try a three-day meal subscription, so we opted for the Balance plan, which is designed for those trying to eat healthier without eliminating specific foods or focusing on a macronutrient goal. Lunch and dinner options were stronger than those for breakfast that we tried. We heated the meals in the microwave, though oven preparation is an option. Here's what we thought of some of them:

Snap Kitchen's naked salmon entree

Naked salmon: Not fishy for the most part and was nicely complemented by the lemon butter on top. Both the salmon and the broccolini were flavorful and fresh.

Naked beef: Beef was tender with only one small fatty portion. The green beans were garlicky and well-seasoned, while the cauliflower was a little bit spicy and was a nice twist to an otherwise conservative meal.

Chicken Parmesan with spiralized squash: The chicken was tender, but the sauce was a bit underwhelming and dish could have used some more cheese. The squash tasted fresh, though slightly undercooked. Overall, we really enjoyed this dish.

Crispy salmon: It wasn’t crispy, but take the good parts of baked salmon and add shaved almond and that’s what you have. It was really good and the roasted carrots and zucchini were the best sides out of all the dishes we tried.

Chimichurri chicken: The chicken was tender though not very flavorful. The chimichurri sauce was good and though it was a little watery, the squash on the side was delicious. The inclusion of tomatoes seemed out of place.

Shrimp scampi dish from Snap Kitchen

Shrimp scampi: Shrimp were tender and not fishy. The asparagus was tasty, but we wish it was whole and not cut. The pasta was a bit mushy but the scampi sauce was delicious - equal parts lemony and buttery.

Breakfast sandwich: The star of the show was the biscuit: it was moist and didn't crumble. The egg white patty was standard but fit the sandwich well. While we weren't fans at first, the sausage patty grew on us. Cheese would have added a bit more flavor but wasn't an option.

Goat cheese scramble: The goat cheese was a nice touch, though there wasn’t enough of it. The egg whites were a bit watery and the tomatoes and spinach oddly felt out of place. The sweet potatoes were hard and nearly inedible.

Breakfast platter: We didn’t like the cheesy cauliflower at first but came around to it. The pork sausage patties were greasy, but the eggs were tasty though underseasoned and superfluously sprinkled with chives.

There were many options that we didn't try but looked tempting, including banana pancakes and chicken sausage breakfast tacos for breakfast, and chicken butternut macaroni, beef lasagna and dan dan noodles for lunch and dinner.

If we continue the subscription, we'll fiddle with some of the different choices to find the ideal combination. Overall, we applaud Snap Kitchen's food for its quality and freshness.