Meal delivery apps make eating well convenient

Late-night studying and crunch-time assignments prove to be obstacles in the way of a college student’s meal time. Laziness, along with odd class hours, can prevent a student from straying far from his or her room to forage for food. Empty fridges, limited funds and lack of epicurean knowledge can all lead to a hungry student. New meal delivery apps, however, provide a convenient and cheap way to feed students with options other than ramen and mac and cheese.

The app Postmates goes beyond conventional food delivery to bring the user anything from groceries to medication to liquor, perfect for a busy day where a trip to the grocery store is just not possible. Postmates gives the user endless options for delivery items, whether they be food or pharmaceuticals.

One of the most fun and diverse culinary experiences in Los Angeles is the famous world of food trucks, something natives and tourists alike adore. Dishes from favorite food trucks are sometimes hard to come by since these trucks tend to operate on a structured location schedule. But, a new app called Nummy brings the food truck foods of fantasy right to the front door. A popular food truck called Roaming Hunger created this app in order to bring some of its favorites to the couch potatoes of Los Angeles. Roaming Hunger will deliver anything from meatballs and burgers to mac and cheese. These comfort food gems are delivered for free, almost exclusively in the area surrounding USC.

For those students still trying to lose the freshman 15, or trying to stay healthy for the upcoming semester, the app Munchery delivers fresh-made, cold meals for the more health-driven student. These meals range from a plethora of cuisine inspirations and are prepared with fresh, seasonal ingredients to give a nourishing meal. Munchery fights to combat hunger by donating proceeds from each meal to a local food bank. Their company also strives to remain sustainable and green, using recyclable materials to package their food and bike delivery to minimize gasoline usage.

Despite the desire for convenient and cheap food, sometimes it feels great to treat oneself with a nice meal. The app Caviar caters to this demographic, delivering high-quality meals from some of the best restaurants in the area. Apps like Caviar also have real-time GPS tracking so users can monitor how far away their food is and how long the preparation will take.

Foodie Shares, a new app that was recently launched in Los Angeles, has transcended the traditional means of food delivery that neglects the holistic story of cooking a dish. This app desires to design a community based network of chefs and users, encouraging a dialogue between the two. Chefs on the app can post and share their dishes while users can order the food, post feedback and see chef profiles. The chefs maintain a significant amount of control with this system and can determine where and when they deliver and the cost of the delivery.

Of course, among the list of notable food delivery apps are the oldies but goodies. One of the most popular delivery services is GrubHub, an app that allows users from over 600 U.S. cities to have dishes from their favorite local restaurants delivered to their front door. At USC, students can have delivery and take out from some popular nearby dives. El Cholo, Trio House and Agra Cafes are just a few of the choices that deliver straight to students’ front doors. GrubHub offers a wide variety of restaurant choices within the chosen area, also saving the user’s past orders for a more efficient future purchase process.

A similar service to GrubHub is Eat24, an app from which there are an endless amount of restaurants to choose. No matter what the craving, Eat24 gives the users the option to pay upfront and keep a line of communication with the chosen establishment, 24/7. This means that any mess-ups or order-altering is taken care of immediately.

No matter what the flavor, price or potential for greatness, Los Angeles plays host to a range of amazing food delivery apps perfect for a plethora of occasions, including, but not limited to, late nights out with friends, study sessions, a lazy Sunday or just a desire for a new culinary experience. These apps open up endless possibilities.