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FAQs | Epicured | Low FODMAP & Gluten-Free Prepared Food Delivery

Frequently Asked Questions

Our Meals and Menu

Do I have to cook your food myself?
Nope! Our chefs have that part covered.

How does the food arrive? Is it frozen?
Our food arrives freshly prepared, chilled, and ready-to-heat. We do not ship frozen food.

We deliver our food chilled for 3 important reasons:
  • It helps maximize freshness.
  • It provides greater control over how and when your food is brought up to serving temperature. Nothing needs to sit in a warming container getting soggy on its way to you.
  • We want you to decide when to enjoy your food. You can heat it up as soon as it's delivered or have it a few days later. If your plans change, you can just put meals in the fridge for later.

How long do your meals last?
Our meals can last in your refrigerator for 3 - 5 days. Each dish is individually labeled with our recommended "enjoy by" date. Freezing meals will, of course, increase the longevity of their shelf life.

Can I eat Epicured for every meal?
Our current menu works great for lunch and dinner. We will be adding breakfast, snacks, and other kinds of treats in the coming months.

What comes with the meals?
Every dish we sell is intended to be a full meal. Many come with sides such as wild rice, mixed greens, or our wonderful carrot purée.

Some components of the dish, like dressings, sauces, cheeses, and rice, come separately packaged, but are clearly marked.

How do I heat my meals up?
It really depends upon the meal. You can find reheat directions for each individual meal on the menu page of our website. Simply click on the menu item for which you would like instructions and navigate to the "Instructions" tab.

We provide directions for microwaves as well as conventional ovens or stove tops. We also indicate which packaging elements are microwave and oven safe.

What if I want to freeze my Epicured meals?
Many of our customers do that! Our soups and lasagnas freeze beautifully, as do some of our saucier dishes like our tajine and our tikka masala. Our containers are freezer safe.

How often do you change the menu?
Some items are seasonal. We add and subtract meals each month in order to take full advantage of fresh ingredients. Some fan favorites will stay on year-round so be sure to let us know what you love!

How Ordering Actually Works

Is Epicured a long-term commitment?
Ordering from Epicured is not a long-term commitment. You just purchase food week-by-week, so each order that you place includes your 1-3 deliveries for the week.

Each week, your previous order automatically regenerates. However, you can easily skip a week, cancel future orders, change your meals, or add/delete individual deliveries. We lock orders by 7am every Friday, so if you want to make any changes for the upcoming week make sure that you get them in before then.

We automatically email our subscribers each week to remind them of deadlines for changes, and if you miss a deadline don't fret we will work with you whenever possible.

Do I choose my meals or do you choose for me?
You choose! Each week you can order different meals from our menu .

Does my order renew every week?
Yes, your order will renew. But you can easily change all aspects of an upcoming order from your profile page.

Orders lock every Friday at 7am. If you have any changes that you would like to make for an upcoming week make sure that you get them in before then.

If you ever miss a deadline just shoot us an email or give us a call. We will do what we can to accommodate your requests.

Any questions on this? Please contact us .

How do I skip a week, edit an order, cancel orders, etc.?
If you go to the Manage Orders tab of your profile page, you can easily view and edit future orders in any way that you see fit.

Pricing

How much does Epicured cost?
We believe that pricing should be straightforward and fair. We want you to spend your money on what matters most: great food and save on other things such as delivery fees.

The average dish price is around $15.

Individual meal prices will only vary if multiple protein options are offered (i.e. a veggie version of a meal is usually cheaper than the beef version).

You will save on delivery costs the more meals you add. You can even get FREE DELIVERY for the week!

Do you offer volume discounts as you order more food?
You will save on delivery costs the more meals you add. You can even get FREE DELIVERY for the week!

How much does delivery cost?
Normally, delivery costs a $10 fee, but you will save on delivery costs the more meals you add. You can even get FREE DELIVERY for the week!

The Down Low on Delivery

What are your delivery days?
We deliver on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. We deliver on three days (as opposed to 7) in order to keep delivery costs down for our customers and because our meals will stay fresh for 3-5 days, you'll be set till the next delivery. We chose MWF because it an even way to spread out the week.

At what time will my deliveries show up?
We deliver our meals in the morning, that way you can enjoy lunch and dinner on the day that they are delivered. You can choose your delivery times but the available windows will depend on your location.

What is your delivery range?
We currently deliver to the New York Metropolitan area, as well as parts of New Jersey and Connecticut. To find out if we can deliver to your area, please use our zip code checker.

If you're out of range and you would like us to expand to your area, please let us know!

Do I need to physically be at the delivery location at the time of delivery?
No, you do not need to be present at the time of delivery. Your Epicured box can be left at your door without a signature required. Just please be sure to include detailed delivery instructions for us at checkout. According to our delivery drivers, the more details the better.

Can I make special delivery arrangements?
Absolutely. Let us know the best place to leave your package so that delivery is convenient and secure. Many of our customers provide keys or access codes for their lobby or vestibule. You can provide special delivery instructions at checkout or contact us with questions.

Can you deliver meals to my home and my office?
We can deliver to either your home or your office. Just please be sure that we can access your home/building during your selected delivery window.

How long can my meals stay in the box before they need to be refrigerated?
This will vary based a few factors, such as when the box arrives at your doorstep and where the box is kept (e.g. in an air conditioned hallway as opposed to outside in the sun). Typically your meals will be ok in their box for 4 - 8 hours after delivery.

Ingredients Sourcing

Is your food organic?
At Epicured we pride ourselves on using wonderful ingredients. Not all of our ingredients are organic, but we use organic ingredients whenever possible.

Are your ingredients locally sourced?
We use various vendors that have proven high-quality control standards. We aim to obtain the highest quality food from as close to us as possible by supporting local vendors. We research all of our vendors extensively and we constantly strive to find the very best sources and the very best ingredients for our customers.

Do any of your meats contain hormones or antibiotics?
No, none of any kind.

Our Packaging

Is your packaging recyclable?
We package our meals in a combination of plant-based fiber containers and lids, PLA plastic containers and lids, and paper containers.

Our plant-based fiber materials are all compostable and our PLA plastic materials are all biodegradable and compostable.

Our butcher paper wrap and boxes are recyclable. The ice packs are made of a 100% nontoxic and waterproof gel and #4 plastics. The liners are recyclable at centers which accept #7 plastics.

How do you keep your meals cold?
We deliver your meals in boxes lined with insulation made of mixed plastics and it can be recycled at centers that accept recyclable #7 plastics. Inside the liner, we include between 1 - 3 non-toxic ice packs.

What do I do with the ice packs?

Our ice packs are filled with a gel that is non-toxic and water soluble (but still not meant for human consumption). The manufacturer's recommendation is to put the entire ice pack in the trash. If you wish to recycle, we suggest cutting open the gel pack, squeezing the gel into your regular trash, and recycling the #4 plastic.

The ice packs are also reusable. You can keep them in your freezer for future use. Many organizations will also accept them as a donation. These include local rescue missions and boy scout & girl scout clubs.

Is the packaging freezer safe?
Yes, all of our entree packaging is freezer safe.

Clinical Relationships

Is there a clinical component to Epicured?
Epicured is partnered with a number of top physicians and registered dietitians throughout New York City. It is with their help and guidance that we are uniquely well-suited to accommodate a variety of gastroenterological conditions.

Do I need to speak with my physician before getting Epicured?
Epicured collaboratively works with physicians and registered dietitians (RD). While our recipes have been reviewed and approved by RDs to be in accordance with the low FODMAP guidelines, this is not a substitute for medical advice from your physician. It is always advisable to consult with your clinicians before starting a new program, particularly if you have a medical condition.

Complying with Diets and Restrictions

Is everything gluten-free?
Yes! Epicured meals are 100% gluten-free -- even our pastas and rolls!

Is everything low FODMAP?
Yes!

How are the meals designed?
Our meals are clinically designed and researched to avoid certain carbohydrates and sugars found in food and food additives which are hard to digest (FODMAPs).

We work with the top dietitians and chefs to ensure that all of our meals are delicious, healthy, and natural, all while remaining 100% low FODMAP and gluten-free.

Do you have vegan options?
Absolutely! When ordering meals, simply click on the "Vegan" filter and all available vegan meals will be listed.

Do you have dairy-free options?
Absolutely! When ordering meals, simply click on the "Dairy-free" filter and all available dairy-free meals will be listed.

How many calories are your meals?
All Epicured meals are intended to be well-portioned individual servings. The calorie count ranges from 210 - 560.

Do you provide nutritional information and ingredients lists for each meal?
Absolutely. Our customers depend on us to be extremely thorough and transparent.

You can find nutritional information and complete ingredients lists for each meal by going to our menu page and clicking on the menu item you're interested in. This will bring up a small window with tabs marked 'Nutrition' and 'Ingredients' respectively.

Everything you need should be there. If you have any questions, please get in touch.

I have other dietary needs that are not mentioned on your site. Can you help me determine if Epicured is right for me?
Absolutely. If you have any questions about whether our food is right for you, please get in touch. While we cannot give medical advice, we will always do our best to answer questions or point you to resources who can help.

About Low FODMAP

What exactly is low FODMAP?
FODMAP is an acronym for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. These are short-chain carbohydrates found in many foods and food additives that can be hard for some people to digest.

The low FODMAP diet is complex and difficult to follow. There are a lot of different kinds of restrictions.

It is clinically recommended for people with IBS, Crohn's, Colitis, and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders to help manage symptoms.

How do you make sure your meals are low FODMAP?
Epicured's expert registered dietitians review every dish in detail. They use data published by Monash University on the FODMAP content of individual ingredients.

How do I learn more about low FODMAP?
There are many wonderful resources out there.

If you're trying a low FODMAP diet for the first time, you should download the handy Monash University FODMAP app .

Some very useful low FODMAP sites are:

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