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Detailed information about Diet Gourmet

Ordering & canceling : We accept orders any time, even the day of pick up, but you must call our headquarters in Houston or Dallas to see if we have extra diet meals on hand if you have not placed your order 48 hours in advance. To ensure an order, place or cancel an order 48 hours before a Monday or Friday. If you cancel after these times, you are responsible for the payment of that order. Ordering for an upcoming date is your responsibility. When calling to cancel your healthy meals, you will receive a cancellation number for your records. Due to our high standards, Diet Gourmet can not be responsible for the freshness of our food if any food is not picked up or eaten on the designated day. If Monday's healthy meals are not picked up by Wednesday or if Friday's healthy meals are not picked up by Saturday you will be billed.

Packaging : This menu applies to the 1,100 and 1,700 calorie levels and rotates every five weeks. Calorie adjustments are made through portion size.  All healthy dinners are in black, microwave-safe containers. Most lunches come in clear containers and are meant to be eaten cold unless otherwise noted. Breakfasts come in clear plastic bags unless they are intended to be heated.

Alphabetical freshness code : (A,B,C,D) : Indicates the order meals should be eaten for guaranteed freshness. Gold Star meals should be eaten within one (1) to two (2) days.

Food notes : If a particular fruit or vegetable is not available or does not meet our freshness standards, we reserve the right to make substitutions. We encourage you to add herbs and spices to your meals to accommodate your taste. If sodium is not a problem for you, you may want to add a pinch of sea salt to your low sodium meal. Every precaution is taken to eliminate pesticides from Diet Gourmet foods. We wash all our fruits and vegetables extensively, except for grapes and berries. Grapes and berries are highly susceptible to molding, especially after they have been washed. To ripen fruit, set it out at room temperature. CAUTION: We take great effort to ensure that all shells, stones or similar particles are removed from our beans, quinoa, nuts, etc. However, it is possible that we may have missed one. Please eat your healthy diet meals carefully. We do not guarantee side item or ingredient substitutions of any kind and are not responsible for allergic reactions, injury or fatality from inadvertent inclusion and subsequent ingestion of clients deletion requests of meals, snacks, sauces, seasonings or side items, even if listed in your file. 
  Beyond natural chicken
We buy birds grown without growth hormones or steroids.  They are fed a balanced healthy diet of soy, corn and clean water at all times.  They are not "caged" but live in large temperature-controlled barns, free to move about, play chess, listen to the radio and watch their favorite TV show "The Apprentice" although they have been caught watching "The Brady Bunch."  On average, less than one percent of the birds are treated with animal antibiotics.  If treated, birds are withdrawn and tested to ensure they test negative for antibiotics before processing.

Vegetarian & Gold Star meals : Our vegetarian diet meal menu is lacto-ovo. No meat or meat by-products are used. Eggs and low-fat dairy products, which are a good source of protein and calcium, are used. The meals have the proper food combinations to provide a complete protein. Vegetarian and Gold Star meals are designed to fit into both calorie level plans. Vegetarian and Gold Star dinners range from 358 to 456 calories per meal.

Carb-friendly & protein-only options : Carb-friendly option meals do not contain carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, corn, lima beans, peas, pasta, large amounts of bread products, refined sugar, white rice (we use brown rice) or couscous.  These meals can be used on a Sugar Busters* or Zone* type diets.  * Diet Gourmet is not affiliated with the above diets.  Protein-only option meals do not contain side dishes and some sauces are served on the side.  Weight is based on before cooking.

Heating and freezing instructions : Heat but never re-heat any meal.  Before heating remove plastic ramekins and items in plastic wrap. MICROWAVE USE: . Vent dishes. Read printed instructions on each meal. OVEN USE: Remove from dish. Place food in an oven-safe dish. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and depending on the quantity and density of the meal, heat for 15 to 25 minutes or until hot. FREEZING DINNERS: We do not recommend freezing, it will compromise their quality.  Dinners may be frozen for up to two weeks, wrap them in foil, plastic wrap or sealed freezer bags. MICROWAVE USE FROZEN DINNERS: To heat frozen dinners, remove foil or plastic wrap, and heat on high for 5 to 6 minutes.

Storage :  Refrigerate your healthy diet meals immediately at 38 to 40 degrees. In warm weather, use a cooler with ice for transporting your meals.

Medical notes : Contact your doctor before starting any diet weight loss or exercise program. Medical supervision is suggested for persons who have a medical metabolic problem such as diabetes, a history of heart disease, kidney problems, etc. We suggest that you drink two glasses of skim milk a day for added calcium (1 cup=86 calories). Drink plenty of purified water. It is a good practice to take a multivitamin/mineral tablet that contains 100% of the RDA. We recommend that you lose no more than two pounds per week.

Pickup & delivery meals: Outlets are the most convenient way to pickup your order. The meals are kept refrigerated until you arrive, ensuring maximum freshness. There is a fee for deliveries and outlet pick ups other than our headquarters. If you are not available to receive delivery, we will provide a cooler and cold ice blocks for your convenience, if requested. Food must be refrigerated within two (2) hours if left in a cooler.  Coolers are not a substitute for refrigeration, but rather a temporary fix.  Client accepts responsibility to place old coolers outside for pick up or we will replace old ice packs with cold ice with each new delivery. We will charge you $18.00 for each cooler we leave. Upon their return, we will credit your account. Credit to your account can be used toward the purchase of Diet Gourmet food. You are welcome to leave your own delivery cooler if this fits your situation better.  Diet Gourmet requires the appropriate keys and or entry codes (kept confidential) and will follow any reasonable instructions such as leaving it in a garage.  Please use common sense with this, although we understand that one person's common sense is another's 'bizarre request'.  Diet Gourmet is not responsible for any order once it is delivered.  We also ship overnight to 98% of Texas, see our pick up and delivery web-page for more information.

Billing : Credit cards are debited four(4) days prior to pick up days. This way your receipt will reflect a paid in full, total on them when they are printed.