Silver Cuisine is a delivery service for senior Americans. Nutritionists design macro-targeted fresh meals that are frozen and delivered to your door. This can be an excellent option for those who need a little help.
Their website has been in operation since 2016, but their parent company, BistroMD, has been around for much longer. BistroMD is made specifically for weight-loss, where Silver Cuisine targets healthy meals for seniors.
The service has been seen on a variety of television programs, such as The Doctors and Dr. Phil, and is endorsed by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
If you’ve been searching for Silver Cuisine reviews, you’ve come to the right place.
Pros:
- Large variety of rotating menu items.
- No minimum order requirements.
- AARP Members are eligible for discounts and free shipping.
- Freezer meals can stay fresh for up to a year.
Cons:
- Silver Cuisine is a more expensive option compared to other delivery services.
- Portions can be small.
- Some users report bland taste.
Overview
Many older Americans face increased pressure as they age. From mobility issues to health problems, a delivery service could be an excellent option. Not having to worry about shopping, preparation, and cleanup can take a huge burden off of seniors.
Silver Cuisine is a freezer meal delivery service. While it’s geared towards older adults, anyone can order from them. The meals are designed by nutritionists and created with seniors in mind.
AARP members can also get some attractive discounts. Steep reductions are available for your first order, and further orders are discounted by 10 percent. In addition, orders can qualify for free shipping.
Customers can choose from over 150 meal choices, which rotate often. They have specialty diets for health issues and gluten-free or vegetarian options. There is no minimum amount to buy, and no required purchasing.
Features and Benefits
Silver Cuisine specifically designed their meals for senior citizens. Designed to help older people stay active and healthy, delivery meals can support those who have mobility issues, health needs, or just don’t want to cook anymore.
Delivery meals can free up time so that you can enjoy your retirement! Since the meals are frozen, they can also last a long time. Perfect for when you need an emergency meal or daily support.
The Food
Many freezer meals can be loaded with salt and sugar to enhance flavor. Silver Cuisine doesn’t load their food up with preservatives or sodium like many store-bought freezer meals.
The dishes are all created by food scientists to meet the needs of seniors based around macronutrients. These are the properties of food that include protein, carbohydrates, and fats. They all play a vital role in keeping you healthy. Imbalance can cause health issues or weight gain.
Since you can see the nutritional information directly on the website, you are able to decide which meals are right for you.
Silver Cuisine also offers snacks, like healthy nuts. Protein shakes are a great option for those who need soft foods, and of course, they have delicious desserts. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner options are all available.
Specialty Diets
Silver Cuisine offers a few specialty plans that help with health issues. These include:
- Heart Healthy.
- Menopause.
- Low Sodium.
- Diabetic.
Other delivery companies offer many more health-related diets, but Silver Cuisine does have a few further special options:
- Vegetarian.
- Gluten-Free.
- Dairy-Free.
- Mediterranean.
Some meal delivery companies require you to order bulk meals when you use a specific diet, but not Silver Cuisine. Each meal is chosen by you, à la carte. So, you can order from the Heart Healthy meal plan but also add in a favorite meal that may not be under that plan.
The American Heart Association’s (AHA) recommendations for sodium, calories, and fats are met for Heart Healthy meals. If you’re looking to cut out carbohydrates, it’s easy! Every meal has reduced carbohydrates, and Silver Cuisine tries to use only complex carbs in their meals.
I will mention that the vegetarian options are debatable. The proteins come from seafood. To me, that’s a pescetarian option and not a true veggie option. If you’re eating vegetarian for health reasons, this might be fine. However, if you don’t eat meat or animal products as a matter of principle, this may not be the best option.
Quality and Safety
One great feature of the diets is that they are tested and held to FDA standards. Each meal contains, on average, 40–45 percent lean protein, 20–25 percent healthy fats, and 30–35 percent from complex carbohydrates. This means that the dishes are well balanced and keep seniors healthy. The meals are made by chefs, not machines.
Gluten-free meals are sampled randomly and tested for cross-contamination. This is wonderful, as some people with extremely aggressive celiac disease can be seriously hurt by gluten.
Shipping
Silver Cuisine ships their food frozen with dry ice to keep it at the optimal temperature. Some users report that the ice can sublimate, creating wet packaging. However, since the food arrives in plastic containers, it shouldn’t affect the food itself much.
They also use a 100 percent post-consumer recycled inner packaging, which keeps the food from moving during shipping. This can be recycled with the rest of the packaging, which I love.
Shipping is a flat rate of $19.99, but if you use an AARP discount or order over $100 worth of food, this is waived.
Delivery
The meals are delivered by FedEx, generally in two business days. Similar to other companies, the food is dropped off at your door. They do not require a signature, which means that your food can be left if you are out. This can be a great benefit, but could also present some issues.
Firstly, the company doesn’t assume any responsibility with shipping as this is contracted out to the third party. However, unlike other companies, they do allow customers to receive refunds for food that is unacceptable.
Secondly, since shipping can be over two days, it’s likely that the dry ice may not stay fully frozen. This can be compounded if the delivery is placed in a sunny spot, or stays outside for a long time in the summer.
I would say it is incredibly important to attend to your delivery as soon as it arrives. Meals should be immediately placed into the freezer. A full week’s worth of meals can be a high volume, so make sure your chill chest is cleaned out.
Alternatives
Mom’s Meals
The Mom’s Meals company has some benefits over Silver Cuisine, but of course, also some failings.
Mom’s is the more economical option. Some users can even qualify for discounts or free meals through insurance and Medicare/Medicaid. In general, the meals are less expensive, even when paying full price.
Both companies have diet plans geared towards common ailments that many seniors suffer from. However, unlike Silver Cuisine, their meals have far more sugar and sodium, even the diabetic and low carb options.
The options for diet plans are also much higher, including cancer and renal failure diets that are not available in other services.
They also make refrigerator meals, unlike the freezer options that Silver Cuisine provides. The meals can stay good for up to two weeks.
- More economical option.
- A larger variety of specialty diets available.
- Works with your insurance to possibly receive free or discounted meals.
To learn more about Mom’s Meals, check out their website here.
MealPro
This service is both a subscription and à la carte menu. Creating a recurring order also gives you points that can be redeemed for free food.
The company also delivers daily in the pacific region of the USA and areas of British Columbia areas of Canada. This makes it one of the only companies that delivers to areas outside America. In other regions of the USA they ship weekly, delivering Wednesday through Friday for recurring orders.
Shipping is also relatively low, around $10 for Pacific and Mountain regions. Their packaging is both microwave and oven safe, and fully recyclable.
The company does not offer specific diet plans; however, their meals are naturally made without common allergens like nuts, milk, and shellfish.
- Much nicer packaging than Silver Cuisine.
- MealPro serves a larger delivery area.
- No discounts for shipping, unlike Silver Cuisine.
- No specific diet plans.
Have a look at their website and meals here.
Conclusion
Because BistroMD is a specialty diet program, you can trust that their service for older Americans, Silver Cuisine, is a caring and healthy option.
Seniors can stay independent and feel more secure with food in the house. Those who can’t reach the grocery store due to driving restrictions, carry heavy groceries, or don’t have the energy to cook can all be helped by Silver Cuisine.
If you are in need of extremely healthy food that can stay for months in your freezer, this may be the right program for you. Though paying out of pocket can seem expensive, discounts through AARP can help alleviate the cost.
To get started with Silver Cuisine, have a look at their website here for more information.
