The word “Paleo” is derived from the word Paleolithic – which refers to the period of time when humans were hunter-gatherers. Therefore the idea is to only eat foods that would have been available to our ancestors back then.
The basics of the Paleo Lifestyle is exactly that, getting back to basics. It’s about eating whole, unprocessed foods, and minimising the intake of processed and refined foods. Paleo offers us a blueprint, or framework for optimal nutrition.
Paleo meals are based on hunter/gatherer techniques, and include food groups such as meats, fish, nuts, leafy greens, regional veggies and seeds.
Benefits:
You are more likely to eat a diet without preservatives, additives or chemicals.
There are anti-inflammatory benefits from plant nutrients, fruits and vegetables, oils, nuts and seeds.
If you are eating more red meat, you will consume more iron.
The Paleo diet is high in vitamins and minerals; it contains unprocessed foods, and is low in foods that trigger allergic reactions. People with diabetes may benefit from improved blood glucose control, weight loss, and high energy on this eating plan.
There are so many health benefits associated with following a Paleo lifestyle, one of these generally tends to be fat loss. Because Plate Up meals only use whole food ingredients, and are all Paleo, we suggest that when combined with regular physical activity, eating Plate Up meals may help with weight management if that is your goal. However, at Plate Up, we focus on fuelling your body with nutritious, natural whole foods, rather than counting calories. It’s important to focus on how good you feel, and the rest will follow.
“Whole foods” is a widely used term that refers to foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Most of the “foods” available to us in supermarkets are processed and refined to a point far from their natural state, often with the inclusion of artificial chemicals, resulting in them having little to no nutritional value.
None of the ingredients used in any of the meals contain gluten. However, there may be traces of gluten in a few other products used in our kitchen, and therefore we cannot guarantee the absence of trace amounts of gluten for those with a high sensitivity.
Absolutely! All of our meals are Paleo which means that they are:
Grain free
Lactose free
Gluten friendly
Additive free
Refined sugar free
For specific allergens please refer to the individual meal information.
From fresh: Pierce the top lid with a fork or peel a corner and microwave for 2-3 minutes depending on the meal.
From frozen: For best results defrost the meals in the fridge overnight then microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. If you are reheating from frozen, defrost in the microwave for 4 minutes then heat on high for 2-3 mins
Due to varying microwave wattages, some microwaves may require slightly more time to heat each meal.
Alternatively, if you want to use an oven to heat your meals, remove the meal from it’s container and place on an oven proof dish. Place in the oven and fan bake at 150 degrees for 10-15mins.
We recommend Plate Up meals to be eaten fresh however if you choose to freeze your order, make sure you place them in the freezer as soon as your order arrives (to maintain freshness).
The meals are designed to be a generous single serving. They range in size from 325g – 380g depending on the meal.
Plate Up Meals are designed to remain fresh in the fridge for up to seven days.
Once you have received your Plate Up order store them in the refrigerator as soon as possible. All meals are labelled with an expiry date.
We recommend storing your meals in the refrigerator to ensure freshness, however if you decide to freeze your meals they will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
Please refer to ‘How do I reheat my meals’ on our website for cooking/defrosting times.
Our meals are made fresh, then vacuum sealed and flushed with a mixture of Nitrogen and CO₂. This displaces all the oxygen in the packaging which means bacteria can’t grow.
All meals are designed to last up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
We source all of the ingredients for our meals from good-renown local suppliers. These are delivered to us fresh daily so to ensure quality driven meals.
No we are not a Halal Certified provider as we do not use exclusively Halal meat in our meals. While our chicken is Halal certified the other meats we use are not. We are unable to accommodate requests for Halal meat only meals.
Absolutely. However, this will most probably alter the taste and texture of the meals slightly, so we do advise that they are better when refrigerated. When reheating from frozen, defrost in the microwave for 4 minutes then heat on high for 2-3 mins.
No, the meals are all made fresh the day before they are delivered to you. Unless you buy our frozen meals. These meals are ones we have made too many of each week and frozen. Keep these meals stored in your freezer until the day before you wish to eat them. Defrost them in the fridge overnight before heating for best results
The day for delivery will be dependent on the option that you have chosen and if you have ordered before the cut off time.
Cut off times for one-off orders are:
Nationwide:
Tuesday delivery - Order before 4pm Tuesday the previous week
Friday delivery – Order before 4pm Friday the previous week
Cut off times for Weekly Meal Box registration are:
Nationwide:
Tuesday delivery – Register before 4pm Tuesday the previous week
Friday delivery – Register before 4pm Friday the previous week
If you miss the cut off time for that week, delivery will default to the chosen day the following week. For example, if you select Tuesday delivery but don’t place your order until Friday (which is after the cut off) you will not receive your meal until the following week.
You can enter your Promotional Code/Voucher Coupon in the ‘COUPON’ section at the checkout.
If you wish to cancel you must let us know as soon as possible, we are unable to cancel or refund orders that are cancelled out side of the following time frames.
Delivery Tuesday - Cancellation by 3pm Tuesday the week prior.
Delivery Friday - Cancellation by 3pm Friday the week prior.
Unfortunately for health and safety reasons, we are unable to receive returned packaging. However, there are several ways the packaging can be utilised in household activities, or recycled.
Your individual meal trays can be recycled in your weekly plastic recycling collection.
Meals are delivered to you in Plate Up cardboard boxes with ‘Woolcool’ insulation technology inside. While your cardboard box can be recycled in your weekly cardboard recycling, your Woolcool (once removed from its lining) is biodegradable so can be used in a number of different ways!
Icepack linings can also be recycled with soft plastics once you have drained the non-toxic liquid down the sink.
Orders can be paid for using a credit or debit card. It is our company policy that all payments must be cleared before food is prepared & sent.
Our couriers are instructed to leave your meal order at the address whether someone is home to receive it or not.
When we send the meal pack we will automatically send an email to let you know your delivery is on its way. You can include delivery instructions in your order for our courier to leave it somewhere safe for example “Please leave parcel around the corner on the garden side of my property.”
You can choose from Tuesday or Friday delivery at checkout. If you need to request a different day please contact our customer service team to see what we can do.
Delivery Days: Tuesdays & Fridays.
We require at least 2 working days to order in the fresh produce and ingredients from our suppliers across the country and prepare any order, as the meals are made fresh! Then we make your meals from scratch, blast chill them and vacuum pack them into their trays. All of our boxes are then dispatched on chilled trucks across the country to your local NZ courier depot where they make the last leg of the journey by your local courier.
Meals are made fresh daily and then vacuum sealed to trap in the flavour.
All meals are then chilled and packed into a cardboard box with ‘Woolcool’ technology insulation inside. Woolcool keeps meals fresh and chilled, and is environmentally-friendly. They are then picked up by the couriers on the same day and delivered specifically to your instructions.
We deliver to any non-rural address nationwide.
Delivery costs include a cardboard box, ‘Woolcool’ lining, ice pack & courier fee from our kitchen to your chosen address. Courier fees vary depending on pack size and destination. The website will automatically calculate this for you at the checkout.
This is generally $18.50 per order for up to 20 meals. More than 20 meals will require a second delivery box and will incur a surcharge that is dependant on your location. Pricing will be calculated at checkout.
Rural properties are more difficult to send meals to because the meals must be delivered within a certain time frame to ensure their freshness.
First check here to see if your address is a rural delivery. If your address is a rural delivery then you will need to get your meals delivered to a work, friend or family members address that is located in a non-rural area.
