How are Mealz meal ideas created?

Every week, our food content team comes up with a new collection of meal ideas to simplify consumers' daily lives. With 5 ingredients, 5 steps and an average preparation time of 25 minutes, nearly 40,000 meal ideas Mealz are ordered every month. Let's talk to our content manager, Camille Alglave, about how our meal ideas are created.

What steps are involved in creating the recipes?

Camille A.: Every month I put together a list of general themes and think about key words I can search for on social networks such as Instagram and Pinterest. This gives me an idea of the current food trends, as well as more classic meal ideas. I also look at the statistics for the uptake of our recipes. This helps me identify those that work best or, on the other hand, those that were not as popular, so that I can adapt to shoppers’ likes and preferences. I take care to create meal ideas that are well-balanced, paying attention to the seasonality of ingredients and their in-store availability. Finally, the meal is prepared in our test kitchen for the photo shoot and any ingredient that doesn’t work well is substituted or removed.

What are your sources of inspiration?

C.A.: I’m passionate about food, and meals are very important to me. I’ve always had an appreciation of very traditional recipes, such as the classics of French cuisine, but as time has passed, I’ve become open to trying vegetarian food, which has helped me to see vegetables from a new perspective. I find inspiration for my recipes in books, but also on social networks, where I discover ideas that are more original, as well as new trends.

I take care to create balanced meal ideas, while respecting the seasonality of products and their availability in the store.

What qualities do you prioritise when creating new meal ideas?

C.A. : Above all, I pay attention to the seasonality of the ingredients, because for me it’s important to focus on sustainable food that contributes to a shift towards a more climate-friendly lifestyle. When I develop meal ideas, I also try to create a dish that is balanced, but at the same time really appetising! I think about the customer experience of shoppers too, and the kind of recipes they would like to see featured whilst they are making their online purchases. I wonder about which recipes would work best for different moments in their lives. For example, world cuisine to make a change from the usual daily fare, comfort food for cold winter evenings, a variety of salads for a summer filled with freshness, finger food for evenings with friends, family meals for Sundays – whilst keeping to our criteria for meal ideas, and making sure the ingredients are readily available and the dishes easy to prepare.

Finally, what are your own favourite meal ideas?

C.A.: Pasta bakes, cheese-based dishes, recipes based on courgettes and roast meats such as beef and chicken.