QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
General Questions
What is healmeal and what makes it special?
healmeal is an innovative food startup from Kassel that offers healthy ready meals made with high-quality, plant-based ingredients. Our dishes are based on the Mediterranean diet and focus on complex carbohydrates, plant-based protein, and healthy fats – nutrients that are often linked to positive effects on energy, well-being, and a balanced lifestyle in current nutritional scientific studies.
All meals are freshly cooked, handmade, and delivered frozen. This makes them perfect for anyone who wants to eat healthily in their daily life but doesn't always have time to cook.
How does healmeal differ from other providers of vegan meals?
Healthy made simple. We rely on slow cooking to best preserve nutrients. Olive oil from Crete, our liquid gold for our bodies. We use complex carbohydrates for stable energy and pack a lot of protein into our delicious dishes. All enriched with a variety of fiber and reheated in under 15 minutes! We love it.
Where does healmeal come from? Who is behind it?
We come from the heart of Germany, the most central city in the Republic, Kassel. We are constantly inspired by the historic Grimm Heimat Nordhessen, one of the greenest cities in the country, to return to nature. During countless walks or sports activities, for example in the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe", Europe's largest mountain park, one simply finds inspiration in such places.
The face of healmeal is Felix - he developed, refined, and perfected the dishes over many years until they were what you can enjoy today.
Not just a pure business idea, simply two best friends, one of whom cooked passionately while the other enthusiastically sampled. And then came Hendrik, who at some point said: "Everyone should eat so healthily!"
With energy, motivation, and drive, a friendship idea became a true passion project.
Lukas brought the entrepreneurial experience, Felix the passion for cooking, and Hendrik the drive, and healmeal was born!
What does healmeal mean by conscious food?
Conscious selection of raw materials. Consciously made for your health and longevity. Consciously for the environment and without animal suffering. Consciously home-cooked with love.
Why do you rely on the Mediterranean diet with Mediterranean food?
The Mediterranean diet is based on eating habits from regions where people traditionally live particularly long and healthy lives. It is predominantly based on plant-based foods, healthy fats such as olive oil, complex carbohydrates, and a high proportion of fiber.
Scientific studies on these eating habits show that they can be associated with positive health effects, such as better cardiovascular health, a more stable metabolism, and overall improved well-being.*
These findings refer to the overall diet and lifestyle of such regions, not to individual products. With healmeal, we want to make elements of this nutritional philosophy suitable for everyday life and thus contribute to a balanced, modern lifestyle.
Is the food vegan?
Yes, all meals are 100% plant-based and suitable for a vegan diet.
Order & Subscription Model
How does the subscription model work?
With the Healmeal subscription, you regularly receive a selection of 7, 14, or 28 meals. Delivery is automatic, at a frequency you choose, so you always have healthy food in the freezer – without any effort.
Can I pause or cancel my subscription at any time?
Yes! You can flexibly pause or cancel your subscription whenever you want. Simply do so via your customer account or by contacting our support team.
Is there a minimum subscription period?
No, there is no minimum term. You can try healmeal and adjust, pause or cancel at any time.
Can I choose individual dishes or are there fixed menus?
Yes, you can select individual dishes, but you must order a minimum of seven selected dishes. We recommend our carefully compiled meal rotation, which ensures you get many essential nutrients. This way, you automatically receive a perfect combination of legumes, vegetables, spices, and proteins.
How often do I receive my delivery?
You can choose to have your deliveries every 1, 2, or 4 weeks – depending on how many Healmeals you want to keep in stock.
What happens when I'm on vacation?
No problem! You can pause your subscription or change the delivery address at any time.
Is there a trial box before I commit to a subscription?
You can also place a one-time order, starting from 7 meals, to try healmeal. But be warned: Many report falling in love and not wanting to be without it.
Where can I try your meals individually?
On-site in Kassel, you can, for example, simply grab a meal from the freezer at the Hotel Hessenland, pay at the reception, and enjoy it immediately.
Or you can meet friends there in the evening for a healmeal date 💃
And: if you miss healmeal in your city, feel free to write to us on WhatsApp. We are always open to new partnerships. ∞
Health & Nutrition
Why is healmeal so good for "Longevity"?
healmeal is based on scientific findings around nutrition and longevity. Our dishes combine a wide variety of plant-based foods – rich in antioxidants, fiber, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats – and deliberately avoid industrial sugar, salt, and additives.
Scientific studies suggest that such a dietary style can support healthy cell function and be associated with positive effects on cardiovascular health and metabolic values.
How do you manage to provide such a high protein content per meal?
We combine high-quality plant-based protein sources such as legumes, oat and soy flakes, nuts, and seeds. This combination creates a complete amino acid profile that adequately nourishes your body.
Are complex carbohydrates better than simple ones?
Complex carbohydrates provide long-lasting energy, prevent blood sugar spikes, and promote a healthy gut flora. This keeps you feeling full for longer and helps you avoid a crash & cravings. This doesn't mean white rice is bad; rather, timing is crucial.
Why does every main course contain so much olive oil?
Our high-quality virgin olive oil from Crete is a central component of the Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with anti-inflammatory properties in studies.
Does your diet cover many important micronutrients?
Yes! Many micronutrients are well covered by a varied selection of our dishes! Whether there is an additional need, of course, depends on you individually.
Are your meals suitable for athletes?
Definitely! Our meals are packed with protein, complex carbs for sustained energy, and healthy fats – perfect for muscle building and recovery.
Can I lose weight or build muscle with your dishes?
Yes! healmeal can be tailored to your goal – whether it's fat loss or muscle gain. The right amount of calories is key.
Are the dishes suitable for people with intolerances? (e.g. gluten-free, nut-free)
Our meals are vegan and free from artificial additives. If you have specific allergies, please check the ingredient list or contact us for individual recommendations.
Will one serving fill me up?
In our experience, definitely! There's nothing (okay, little) sadder than buying food and then not feeling full.
Our meals average around 700–850 kcal per serving and are developed to be rich in plant-based protein (at least approx. 28g), complex carbohydrates, fiber, and high-quality fats. For many customers, this ensures a pleasantly long-lasting feeling of satiety.
The exact values may vary slightly depending on the variety. You can always find the binding nutritional values on the respective packaging, and we update them regularly.
Do healmeal meals support a gut-friendly diet?
Many of our meals contain natural fiber from lentils, legumes, and vegetables. A fiber-rich diet can contribute to a more diverse gut flora – a factor often associated in research with a well-functioning microbiome.
Since every gut reacts differently, personal experiences may vary.
Delivery & Storage
How will my food be delivered?
We ship your healmeals frozen in insulated shipping boxes with reusable freezer packs. This ensures your meals remain reliably frozen throughout transit and arrive safely at your door.
Do you deliver healmeal nationwide in Germany?
Yes! We currently deliver throughout Germany - conveniently to your home.
How long do the dishes keep?
Our healmeals are delivered frozen, which means they can be stored for several months. You can always find the exact best-before date (MHD) on the packaging.
What's the best way to store the frozen meals?
The best way to store your healmeals is in the freezer (-18 °C) immediately upon receipt. This way, the taste, freshness, and nutrients are optimally preserved.
Can I also store the food in the refrigerator?
We recommend storing it in the freezer. If you want to eat a dish soon, you can thaw it in the refrigerator. Please do not refreeze after thawing.
Do I need to thaw the dishes before eating?
No, our meals can be cooked straight from the freezer – either in a slow cooker, pan, oven or microwave.
Preparation & Taste
What's the best way to prepare the dishes?
Our meals are ready in minutes – whether in a slow cooker, air fryer, pan, oven, or microwave. Simply heat and enjoy!
How do the dishes taste – more hearty or mild?
Our dishes are balanced in seasoning, based on the principles of the Mediterranean diet. For a little more sweetness, try our breakfast meals – all delicious, natural, and nutritious!
Why aren't the dishes salted?
One of the many unique features of our dishes is that they are unsalted. You can decide for yourself if and how much salt you want to add. This gives you much more individual leeway to cater to your preferences and the needs of your body.
Is there a way to individually season or customize the meals?
Yes, you can of course always add spices or fresh ingredients to adjust the taste to your preferences.
Feel free to add: eggs, feta, sardines, salt, protein powder
Sustainability & Quality
Where do you source your ingredients?
From the best sources that currently (as a young startup) allow us to purchase from them.
Example:.
- Our spices are of organic premium quality from Azafran.
-
The organic supplier Dennree unfortunately still has minimum sales quantities, which we estimate we will reach with your support in Q1 2026.
Regarding regional: Yes, . 🌾
But what's more important to us is what happens in the field, not just where it is located.
If local farmers use chemicals, we simply don't feel good about it — and we don't want to serve you anything we wouldn't eat ourselves.
How do you make your dishes?
Handmade with love by the CEO himself: Felix. 👨🍳
and – according to 2025 statistics – the happiest city in Germany. ☀️
But because you want to know all the details:
We steam our main courses in a steamer with remineralized osmotic water from volkswasser.de
The result: balanced nutrient content, minimal exposure to microplastics or heavy metals.
Sounds nerdy? It is.
How do you ensure that your dishes are truly healthy?
At healmeal, we develop our dishes based on current nutritional science findings – without dogmas, trends, or one-sided dietary ideologies. Instead of committing to a single concept like “purely vegan,” “Keto,” or “Paleo,” we orient ourselves towards the basic principles that are consistently associated with better nutrition in research and large population studies.
This primarily includes a predominantly plant-based, diverse diet with various ingredients, legumes, complex carbohydrates, high-quality plant protein, and abundant fiber. Studies such as the American Gut Study show that a high plant diversity and many different plant sources per week can promote a healthy gut flora – an important component of a balanced lifestyle.
We consciously avoid heavily processed ingredients, industrial sugar, and unnecessary additives, because current research indicates that such foods can have long-term negative effects on health, metabolism, and well-being.
At the same time, we know that nutrition is individual. Depending on tolerances, personal preferences, or lifestyle, it may be useful to additionally integrate certain foods – for example, fermented foods for the microbiome or omega-3 sources such as algae or fish.
Our healmeals offer you a simple, everyday basis for this: nutrient-rich vegan ready meals that combine complex carbohydrates, plant protein, fiber, and high-quality olive oil in a balanced mixture.
So that you always know exactly what you are eating, you will find all binding nutritional values and ingredients transparently and up-to-date on every package.
Why are your meals better than cooking yourself?
Who can cook like healmeal every day with such quality, variation, and nutrient preservation? We, at least, don't know anyone yet, so the second-best choice for those times when you don't have time or desire to cook extensively is healmeal. By the way, direct blast freezing is the most nutrient-preserving way to keep meals fresh.
How sustainable is your packaging?
We are continuously working to make our packaging more sustainable. Here are a few facts:
Our meal trays including the film are made from materials that are biodegradable or compostable (EN13432) according to European standards. They are manufactured from non-toxic, sustainable raw materials and can therefore be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.
For frozen shipping, we use recyclable cardboard and sturdy ice packs so that your meals arrive safely and frozen.
Tip: You can easily reuse the ice packs – for example, for picnics, meal prep transport, or to keep your drinks cool in summer.
For individual products like our cocoa, we are also working to make the packaging even more sustainable. Currently, it consists mainly of paper/cardboard but has a small amount of plastic for protection and durability.
We are open to feedback or tips if you have ideas for more sustainability. 💚
Are your products organically certified?
We are not currently organic-certified. Our ingredients are additive-free and fresh, as our focus is on nutrient density and sustainability – regardless of labels. Feel free to read more under "Where do you source your ingredients from?".