Silver Cuisine Meal Delivery for Older Adults: A Complete Review

Silver Cuisine by BistroMD provides doctor-designed and chef-prepared meals that cater specifically to adults ages 50 and older.

All the meals are fully prepared and flash frozen prior to delivery, and they can be reheated in your microwave in 6 minutes or less.

Unlike many other food delivery services, there’s no set menu. Instead, you choose from over 150 rotating menu items, including breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks.

That said, Silver Cuisine also offers nine specialty menus, including:

• Heart healthy. Meals contain no more than 600 mg of sodium and 3.5 grams of saturated fat.
• Gluten-free. Meals comply with the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) gluten-free standards, meaning they contain a maximum of 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten (1).
• Diabetic. This meal plan is designed to provide a consistent number of carbs at each meal, with no more than 25 grams of net carbs per meal.
• Low carb. Each meal provides 25 grams of net carbs or fewer.
• Low sodium. Meals contain no more than 600 mg of sodium.
• Menopause. Meals are lower in carbs and focus on lean proteins.
• Dairy-free. Items are free of all dairy products.
• Mediterranean. Meals center around ingredients typically used in the Mediterranean diet, such as fish, lean poultry, whole grains, and olive oil.
• Vegetarian. Despite the name, this menu plan is pescatarian. Menu items prioritize vegetables and include a mix of plant-based proteins like tofu, as well as fish and seafood.

The website makes it easy to filter meals by these menus. You can also filter by meal type and category within the type of meal, such as frittatas for breakfast or soups and stews for lunch and dinner.

And while the service offers classic American-style dishes like meatloaf and sloppy joes, the company prides itself on offering a variety of cuisines, ingredients, and flavor combinations.

Silver Cuisine doesn’t have a minimum order requirement. Instead, you order the meals you’d like to receive and choose the quantity.

Orders can be placed online or by phone, which can be helpful for older adults who may not be internet savvy or have access to a computer.

Currently, the company does not offer a subscription plan. However, if you’re interested in setting up recurring weekly deliveries, you can do so over the phone.

After placing your order, you can expect your box within 2–5 business days. However, note that meals are only delivered Monday through Wednesday. So, depending on when you place your order, you may have to wait until the following week to receive your food.

All meals arrive fully prepared, frozen, and within insulated coolers containing dry ice. Once you receive the meals, store them in your freezer for up to 1 year.

From an environmental standpoint, the company uses delivery boxes made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper and printed using vegetable-based ink. Additionally, the coolers are constructed from at least 60% post-consumer recycled foam products.

According to Silver Cuisine, all meals are made with the freshest ingredients, flash frozen for optimal quality, and contain 74% less fat, 49% less sodium, and 25% more fiber than the majority of store-bought frozen meals.

Furthermore, all recipes are free of trans fats, monosodium glutamate (MSG), fillers, and nitrates. While the tofu used in the plant-based meals is made from organic soybeans, the majority of ingredients found in Silver Cuisine meals are conventional.

In terms of nutrition, each recipe is designed to be nutritionally balanced and provide 20–25% of calories from healthy fats, 30–35% from complex carbs, and 40–45% from lean protein sources.

The only exceptions are the diabetic and low carb menu plans, which contain no more than 25 grams of net carbs per serving.

Finally, Silver Cuisine randomly tests its gluten-free meals and ingredients to ensure that they meet FDA standards. Additionally, the gluten-free meals are prepared in a kitchen that implements extra protocols to reduce the risk of cross contamination.

Silver Cuisine meals are individually priced and start at $5.49 per serving for breakfasts, $7.99 per serving for lunches and dinners, and $10.99 for a package that includes 5–6 servings of snacks.

One benefit of the meal service is that there are no contracts or minimum orders. Instead, you pay per meal or snack packet and can order as much or as little food as you’d like.

However, as there’s a flat-rate shipping fee of $19.95, it’s more economical to order a large number of meals and snacks at once — provided that you have the freezer space to store them.

For AARP members, the company offers 25% off plus free shipping on your first order of $99 or more, as well as 10% off and free shipping on all future orders of $99 or more.

The main downside of Silver Cuisine is the lack of options for those following certain diets or with severe food allergies.

Other than choosing gluten-free or dairy-free, the service doesn’t allow you to filter recipes by a food allergen. Instead, you have to click on each meal to see a full list of allergens and ingredients.

Furthermore, as the meals are not produced in an allergen-free kitchen, there’s a risk of cross contamination.

While the company caters to some specialty diets, it doesn’t currently offer vegan, renal, keto, or paleo diet plans. Additionally, the vegetarian menu contains fish-based meals. Thus, it’s a good fit for those on a pescatarian diet, but not for those who follow a vegetarian diet.

As the majority of ingredients used are conventional, it’s also not a good fit for individuals who prefer to eat mostly organic.

Finally, another drawback to consider is the shipping fee. As the meals are frozen and will keep for up to 1 year in the freezer, you’ll get the most for your money by ordering a large number of meals at once.

However, if you prefer to buy only a couple of meals or snacks each week, the shipping fee will add up over time.

Several other services deliver prepared meals geared toward older adults.

For example, Magic Kitchen also provides frozen meals that are low in sodium and cater to diets commonly prescribed to older adults, including a renal plan designed by registered dietitians.

You can place your order either online or over the phone, or even sign up for a Seniors Meal Program that auto-ships meals on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis.

In general, Magic Kitchen’s meals lean more toward standard American recipes, offering less variety than Silver Cuisine in terms of flavor combinations and inspirational cuisines.

Magic Kitchen meals cost $11–13 per serving, making Silver Cuisine the cheaper option. Shipping costs at Magic Kitchen vary by location and order size.

Another company specializing in prepared meals for older adults is Mom’s Meals. While the meals are all precooked, Mom’s Meals arrive fresh, not frozen.

This service offers specialty diets that aren’t available from Silver Cuisine, including cancer support, renal-friendly, and puréed.

One potential downside is that you can’t view the menu options until you sign up, making it difficult to know ahead of time whether the types of meals align with your food preferences.

Mom’s Meals start at $6.99 per meal, with some specialty diets starting at $7.99 per meal. A major benefit of Mom’s Meals over other services is that the meals may be fully or partially covered by health insurance programs like Medicare and Medicaid.

Silver Cuisine by BistroMD is a good option for older adults who are unable or unwilling to go grocery shopping or cook and would prefer preprepared meals. Plus, as all the meals can be reheated in the microwave, the service doesn’t require you to have access to a full kitchen.

Not only is there a large variety of meals to choose from, but each recipe is designed to be more nutritionally balanced and lower in sodium than most store-bought frozen meal options.

Additionally, as many older adults are prescribed low sodium, heart-healthy, or diabetes-friendly diets due to health conditions, the service can be a convenient way to make it easier to adhere to these dietary restrictions.

However, it may not be a good fit for all individuals, as there are limited or no options for those following a vegetarian, vegan, keto, or paleo diet. And, unlike other services designed for older adults, Silver Cuisine doesn’t currently offer a renal-friendly menu plan.

It’s also important to keep in mind that the shipping fee is expensive, as well as that the majority of the ingredients used are conventional. As such, it’s not the best choice for those who prefer to only order a few meals at a time or eat organic.