If you follow me on Instagram, you might have noticed that I’m currently sitting-out life in favour of sticking to the Iso rules. There’s a chance I might have mentioned it once. Or twice. All summer….. (Hazzer P reference. If you don’t get it, you really won’t get me). And whist one particularly hateful troll ended a rant with the reminder that I’m not the only person to be isolating in a global pandemic, the doing it totally solo part (I live alone) has still been tough. Because after the initial tears at the triple header of bed-bound recovery from surgery, lockdown II, then iso (and not even because I went anywhere risky – I was playing Good Samaritan to a neighbour), the panic set in: how will I eat? But actually, one good thing to come out of lockdown is increasingly sophisticated ways of ordering food. From meal prep and groceries, to picnic hampers (isolation-friendly garden not included)… here’s my tried and tested faves…
Fresh Fitness Food
Individually tailored meals delivered daily (by fitness elves between 11pm-6am. But don’t panic, they don’t wake you), following a consultation with one of the FFF nutiriotnists. Meals are planned and prepp’d according to your health & fitness goals and MACRO needs – it’s the ultimate functional food. But – happily – not at the expense of taste. You can eliminate foods you don’t like, and one of the first questions I was asked was whether I prefer sweet or savoury. You can also manipulate portion size to include snacks if you’re more of a ‘little and often’ eater, and can adjust the menu on the handy FFF app. Even if you’re not in iso, having pre-prepared meals delivered completely eliminates guess-work, making it easier to track progress. And after my ‘airport rules’ style of eating through lockdown, a week of FFF was a much-needed reset – I’ve found it easier to make healthy choices since. Use my code OLIVIACOXLONDON10 for 10% off your first order, or OLIVIACOXLONDON50 for £50 off your first order.
Zapp App
24/7 delivery service that rocks up to your door within 20 mins of ordering. To call it grocery delivery would be to do it a dis-service, as there are all SORTS of things listed on there – home, health & beauty are well catered for, too. Their “essentials” category has everything from shoe polish to iPhone cables, and there is a pleasingly large section dedicated to loo roll. Bcos 2021. Pick-up is from dedicated “Zappstores” in your local area, and there is an exceptional level of attention to detail. My order arrived on an electric scooter, in paper bags (inc a cute hand-written note on the side), with a pack of Candy Kittens as an extra treat. I was also told who had packed my order (thank you, Karen). Nice touch, right? Some of the fresh foods are of the more farm-shop ilk – Belazuu Black Tapenade, Iberico Ham, and Quince Spread made it immediately to my basket. But there are also store cupboard essentials, and an impressive selection of fruit & veg. The 1.99 delivery fee is waived if you spend over 30, which is not at all difficult to achieve.
Jiffy App
Sort of like a super convinient convinience store. Similar principle to Zapp, although smaller catchment area and instead of a standard menu, you have to enter your address before the available items are shown. Stand-out highlights are the suncream section, which makes Jiffy perfect for heat waves. And their free-from section is particularly impressive. Plus, there is zero minimum order which is helping fight against food waste.
