Wow, it's been a hot minute since I reviewed a meal plan. For those of you who don't know, I started this blog by reviewing meal plans in Singapore during the COVID-19 lockdown. Many of those reviews are my most successful posts, which is great as it means others are benefiting from the money and time I invested to create them.
This time around, I'll review AMGD, a Singapore-based food-delivery company that started operating in 2016. Their slogan is "delicious food that's healthy", let's see if their product truly lives up to their marketing.
This review (and future reviews) will be in a more concise format than previous reviews. Don't worry, I won't skip any of the crucial information that will help you make an informed decision.
What's on offer
AMGD offers 2 food-delivery options, AMGD Passes, where you can buy credits and choose the exact number of meals you want to receive, and AMGD Meal Plans, where you can subscribe to receive meals for 5, 7, or 14 days. This review will only focus on AMGD Meal Plans.
Their meal plans fall within 4 categories:
Student: For those on a student's budget.
Weight management: Fewer calories.
Athletic performance: Higher protein.
Low GI (Glycemic Index): Includes carbohydrates with low GI values, which cause a slower and lower rise in blood sugar levels.
They can be ordered for a minimum of 5 days per week and you can choose to receive 1, 2, or 3 meals daily. I chose to receive 2 Athletic performance meals per day for 5 days.
Choosing meals
AMGD allows you to select the exact meals for each day, which in my case meant choosing 1 meal for lunch and 1 meal for dinner. This allowed me to choose meals that excluded meat (I'm a pescatarian).
I was left with 3 fish meals (Dance Together, My Senor, and Starry Night) and 1 vegetarian meal (Not Mean But Bean). I ordered the following for the week:
Monday: Dance Together and My Senor.
Tuesday: Not Mean But Bean and Starry Night.
Wednesday: My Senor and Dance Together.
Thursday: Dance Together and My Senor.
Friday: Not Mean But Bean and Starry Night.
The cost per meal was S$11.90, with additional charges for delivery (S$24), customs (S$5), and GST (S$11.84). This brought the order total to S$159.84, which means the actual cost of each meal was around S$16.
AMGD does not have any reward or loyalty schemes and the discount code they advertised on their website (STAYSAFESG) didn't work.
Meal delivery
I received my 5-day meal plan in 3 batches: 2 meals on Saturday, 4 on Monday, and 4 on Wednesday. The meals arrived in a plastic bag containing another bag made of an insulation-type material. Each meal is served in a microwavable plastic tray with 3 compartments. There is no indication that anything is recyclable.
Dance Together
632kcal, P31, C34, F39
🐠 The proteins were teriyaki salmon and Tamago egg.
🥦 The vegetables were stir-fried long beans, carrots, and sautéed cabbage.
🍞 The carbohydrate was garlic aioli wholemeal pasta.
My Senor
500kcal, P40, C50, F16
🐠 The proteins were grilled tuna patties and omelette.
🥦 The vegetables were mushrooms (a medley with cheese) and broccoli.
🍞 The carbohydrate was baked sweet potato.
Starry night
500kcal, P40, C50, F16
🐠 The proteins were Cajun prawn and baked tempeh.
🥦 The vegetables were carrots and sautéed cabbage.
🍞 The carbohydrate was turmeric brown rice.
Not Mean But Bean
500kcal, P40, C50, F16
🥚 The proteins were tofu and scrambled egg.
🥦 The vegetables/carbohydrates were cauliflower, carrot, and stir-fried kailan.
My verdict
Overall, I feel relatively indifferent towards AMGD's meals. They're not the worst, but they're certainly not the best. It feels like this is a case of getting what you pay for.
The good
Once you understand the difference between AMGD Passes and AMGD Meal Plans, the meal selection and ordering are easy to use. They also have a mobile app you can order from, but I didn't get to use it.
The calories and macros are fine for those that want to consume a fixed number of calories and an adequate amount of protein daily. For those of you that are tracking, the average calories and macros per meal were 533kcal, P38, C46, F22.
The bad
The initial price per meal (S$11.90) would be the cheapest I've seen in Singapore, however, when you add on the additional costs, it becomes more expensive or equivalent to other food-delivery companies, such as Faba, FitThree, and Umami Chefs.
The meal quality overall was OK, but I didn't finish any of the meals feeling overly satisfied or impressed. More so than other meal plans, AMGD's meals really do feel like someone's meal prepped for the week, which is what you get for around S$12 per meal, I suppose. In comparison to other meal plans that are around the same price, AMGD is lacking.
The ugly
While the variety of meals available would be fine for an omnivore, it's poor for those with dietary requirements. As a pescatarian, I only had 4 meals to choose from, which meant I had very little diversity each day. If you're a vegetarian, this is not your meal plan.
A concern for me is how eco-unfriendly AMGD is. They deliver 3 times per week, meaning their carbon footprint is higher than the typical 1–2 deliveries of similar companies, and all their packaging seems non-recyclable.
At the end of the week, I threw away 3 large plastic bags, 3 insulation-type bags, and 10 plastic food trays. It's a stark contrast from the eco-friendliness of other companies like Faba (whose founder jumps on a bus each week to personally collect their reusable packaging).
My ratings
Price ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Taste ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆
Meal variety ⭐️⭐️☆☆☆
Plan options ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆
Packaging & delivery ⭐️☆☆☆☆
Ease of use ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐☆
If you want to start a meal plan or try a new one, check out my meal plan comparison for a quick guide on price, taste, meal variety, plan options, and ease of use.
If you'd like to stay updated on my workouts and nutrition, you can follow or contact me on Instagram.