Power Supply - Real Food for an Active Life

Fundamentals

What’s different about Power Supply?

We speak for the taste buds. Seriously, geeky Lorax reference aside, we think your taste buds are made happiest by food that’s crafted close by, in smaller batches by multiple chefs interpreting great recipes. And happy taste buds from responsibly sourced food that’s also really good for you means performing better… a beautiful thing whether in body, mind or both.

So instead of stamping out huge quantities of meals from a giant kitchen somewhere and trucking them all over, we’re working with talented local chefs to bring you a great variety of tasty prepared meals, cooking styles and other food goodies – all dreamed up locally and giving back to the community. And all brought to you in the simplest, effort-free way we can think of.

Where are your meals made?

Right here in the local community. Our network of talented local chefs craft meals in commercial kitchens across the area, within about an hour of all our delivery locations.

Who makes your meals?

Meet the great crew of talented, independent local chefs working to bring you the most variety and taste in the simplest experience possible.

Where does your food come from?

Check out our sources. In short, our chefs are using fresh, high quality sources, with a commitment to be transparent about the choices we make and to help our customers sort through all the food label fog out there by sharing with them what we’ve learned about sourcing. So far we’ve gone deepest on proteins and are actively working on further evolution of our standards across the board with an emphasis on local, sustainable and naturally raised options.

What's your food philosophy and nutritional approach?

The core idea that’s always inspired us most? Helping you eat more of the outer ring of the grocery store (animal and seafood proteins, fresh vegetables, fruit) and less of the stuff in boxes in the middle aisles.

Whether you spend all your time in the produce parts of that outer ring or mix it up more – if we can help you find the approach that fuels you best, with the best and freshest ingredients we can find, we think that’s a good thing. Read more on our overall food philosophy here. And for more on the nutritional profile we're pursuing with each of our meal lines and sizes, check out our nutritional approach in more detail.

What's your satisfaction guarantee?

If you’re not satisfied, we’re gonna try our best to make you whole. Simple as that. Sure, food’s a subjective realm. So the focus here is on making sure you have an awesome experience with us, not so much on curing you of that brussels sprout phobia you happened to chance across in one of our meals. But if we’ve missed the mark on a meal or some other facet of your order experience, you can expect us to take accountability and action to make it right.

Ordering

What’s your order deadline each week?

We ask that you place orders by midnight Thursday the week before you want to receive meals. So orders in by Thursday arrive the following Monday (except for soup or bar orders which show up in the Thursday delivery).

Orders placed after the Thursday deadline will be delivered the week after the following week. Say Thursday is the 1st of the month:

Orders placed before the normal deadline would arrive on the 5th.
Orders placed after the deadline, say Friday the 2nd, would arrive Monday the 13th.

Menu modification requests follow the same schedule.

I’m making a first order, do I need an account?

Yes, so we can make it super easy for future orders. You'll be prompted when you start a first order. Creating an account takes just a couple minutes, you only have to do it once and all your info (payment, order history, plans, etc.) will be waiting for you when you return.

I want to try a recurring order for the ease and value, but am I getting locked in somehow if I do?

Nope. You can pause, restart or cancel a recurring order anytime right within the system with no fees or sad faces from us. Life intervenes and you should be here ‘cause we’re serving you really well, not because of some artificial barrier.

How do I pause my recurring order?

Login to your account, go to your dashboard, and click the “Pause future deliveries” button under the recurring order you want to pause. Note that you’ll need to do this for each active recurring order if you have more than one.

Can I have separate orders for me and someone else under the same account?

Yep, absolutely. We recommend adding separate items to your cart for each person. This allows each order to get a different name label and be managed separately (e.g. change the menu, pause, etc.).

I’m a recurring customer and want to change my order to a different plan, how do I do that?

Simple. You can change settings on any recurring order (menu, meal size, number of meals, payment info, etc.) right within your account dashboard whenever the spirit moves you. Just click "edit order details" on whichever order you want change.

Can I order a gift certificate?

Yep. We call 'em Gift Cards and you can order them online here for instant giftification.

What happens to my order if for some reason my credit card skips (processing terminology for “doesn’t work”)?

We’ll reach out two days before the order window closes so you’ve got time to get us updated info and can still get your meals for the coming week. If you can’t get back to us by then, your order will be paused until the next cycle when you’ve gotten us corrected info.

Can I choose the meals I want each week?

Yes. You can modify any of our weekly meal menus, choosing from any menu (lunch, dinner... whatever stirs your cocktail), using the Mod Your Menu tool. And of course you can always order a menu as is (one-time or recurring) and a tasty mix of meals will come your way without you having to do a thing.

What if I want to avoid certain ingredients, can you keep them out of my meals?

In plenty of cases, yes. We call these standing substitutions which you can set when you place your order. Choose from a list of commonly substituted ingredients (dietary preferences, proteins, etc.) and we’ll swap out any meals featuring that item with another meal from the same delivery.

For finer grain ingredient screening on a week-to-week basis and to choose specific meals, use the Mod Your Menu tool on any placed order to dig out an ingredient you’re not crazy about.

And in all cases a reminder that, while we can screen for dietary preferences on our list that are also common allergens, if you've got a moderate to severe food allergy you should check with your doctor before eating our meals. We make every effort to keep things separate but the commercial kitchens our chefs operate in are also used to prepare food with these common allergen ingredients so we can't guarantee there are no trace elements in our meals.

Delivery/Pick Up

What are the open hours for grabbing my meals at pickup locations?

Gym/studio locations – pickup hours are whenever the gym you’re picking up from (reminder, membership is not a requirement) is open for business, which is typically when classes are happening. Location hours can vary week by week, especially during holidays, so please check the location’s class schedule (links on our locations page) and Facebook page before you head out and time your pick up accordingly.
Office pickup locations – only employees of that business can order and pick up there so hours for getting your meals are whenever you have access to your office building as an employee.

Can you deliver directly to me?

If you’re in the DC/MD/VA area, we’d love to! Our direct to direct-to-you delivery is, however, currently limited to locations w/in the beltway. Check your specific address for delivery service when placing an order.

If we don’t deliver to you yet, email us to let us know you’re interested and we’ll give you a heads up when direct delivery becomes available in your area. Or, if you’re interested in us delivering to your slice of fitness heaven, let us know and we’ll reach out to the owner at your place.

How do I switch my delivery location?

You can adjust delivery location for your recurring order anytime in your account dashboard (click “edit order details”). Or, if you’re starting a new order, just set the location accordingly. Pickup at listed office locations is for employees of that office only, so orders can’t be switched to an office location unless you’re an employee of that business.

If you’re within a direct-to-you delivery area, you can switch from a pickup location to direct-to-you delivery, but note that delivery charges apply.

And a reminder that you don’t have to be a member to pick up from locations we deliver to. You do, however, have to get familiar with the business hours at a gym or studio (see our locations page for class schedules) as meals are only accessible when the gym or studio is open and that can vary pretty substantially, especially during holidays or adverse weather.

What happens to my meals at a pickup location if I don’t pick them up the week they were delivered?

For food safety and fridge space reasons, it’s important for us to regularly clean out pickup location fridges. So, FYI that we remove meals not picked up within a week of delivery.

What happens to delivery in inclement weather?

If the weather’s bad or there are power outages and other events that delay delivery, we make every effort to deliver meals within 24 hours of their original targeted delivery time of Monday or Thursday morning. We’ll notify you by email if we know there’ll be a delay or cancellation so you can plan accordingly.

What happens with delivery on holiday weeks?

Mostly stays the same. In general you should assume that we'll make deliveries per our normal Monday and Thursday pick up schedule for most holidays since many locations are often open, particularly on those holidays that fall on a Monday. On rare occasions, we'll cancel or adjust a delivery date but will give you plenty of notice in advance.

When are meals delivered each week?

We deliver Mondays and Thursdays. If you get a 3-day plan, your meals will arrive Monday. If you get a 5-day meal plan, you’ll receive two deliveries, Monday and Thursday. Here’s the low down on delivery timing on those days:

Gym/studio pickup spots – we aim to get all deliveries made before doors open at pickup locations, which is typically early in the morning before 6am. Please check the class schedule (links on our locations page) at your pickup place for their specific open hours.
Delivery to your home or office – if you’re in a direct-to-you delivery area (DC-MD-VA within the beltway currently), expect delivery before noon. If we don’t offer direct-to-you to your neighborhood yet but you’re interested, email us to let us know and we’ll give you a heads up when direct-to-you delivery becomes available in your area.

What if there is a problem with my specific delivery location?

If there’s something just at your pickup location preventing delivery, we’ll deliver to the next closest location and let you know. If there’s an issue that prevents us from leaving your direct-to-you delivery, we’ll contact you to work out suitable arrangements. Note that re-deliveries in these special circumstances may incur an additional charge.

Are bars and soups available through direct-to-you delivery in addition to meals?

Bars, yes, as long as ordered together in the same order with 5 days-a-week meal plans. Soups aren’t available at this time for direct-to-you delivery. Reminder that bars come with Thursday delivery.

Are there fees for delivery?

Delivery to our network of 90+ pickup locations is free. Direct-to-you delivery to your home or office is $15 per week for 3 days-a-week meal plan orders, $25 per week for 5 days-a-week meal plan orders.

Where is Direct-to-you delivery available?

Generally within the beltway at this time. But best bet, check your specific location on our orders page and we’ll confirm you’re in the direct-to-you delivery service area.

If I get Direct-to-you delivery, what do I do with the packaging, is it recyclable/sustainable?

All of our direct-to-you delivery materials are sustainable and recyclable so you can recycle on your own or just leave everything out (in the delivery box, meal containers rinsed clean) before your next delivery and we’ll pick it up and do the reusing/recycling for you.

If I have multiple orders coming to the same address for direct-to-you delivery, is there a discount on the delivery fee?

At this point, no. Delivery fees are per order (box). Definitely something we’re looking into for the next iteration of our direct-to-you delivery service. In the meantime, if you have two orderers at your place, consider consolidating to a bigger single order (for example going from 5 lunches, to 5 lunches and dinners). You’ll save on delivery fee and still be able to customize your order to different tastes using our Mod My Menu tool.

For direct-to-you delivery, can I be contacted when you arrive to let the driver in?

Alas no. You can expect delivery before noon but in our effort to get your meal bundles to you in a reasonable timeframe, our drivers are not able to interact directly w/ customers in order to fulfill delivery (e.g. ringing up and waiting for customer to come down to let them in). Traffic on the roads of the Capital region are just too darned unpredictable. So when you place your order please let us know any special instructions about where we can leave the package or how to access your location (door code, front desk, etc).

For direct-to-you delivery, can I specify a timeframe for delivery?

Alas, no. Deliveries will arrive between midnight and noon for home locations, and between 8:30AM and Noon for Office locations.

Where can I give you special instructions for delivery?

When you place your order, please let us know any special instructions about where we can leave the package or how to access your location (door code, front desk, etc). We will do our best to honor the special instructions listed in the order, but if we are unable to follow those instructions we'll drop-off the meal package as close to the final destination as possible (e.g. by the front-access door, on the desk lobby, in the vestibule, etc.)

Meal Basics

Do the meals come fresh or frozen?

Fresh, delivered twice a week (Thursdays in the case of soups and bars). Some of our eat cold meals and bars are ready to eat in a pinch without heating. For the rest just warm them up in the oven, pan (our recommendations) or microwave and you’re good to go.

How many people do your meals feed?

All of these are designed for one person. If you want the same thing for more than one person, just change the quantity when you checkout.

What sizes do your meals come in?—How big are the portions?

We offer three sizes - Boost, Standard and XL. Prices are here and you can find more info on each size (calorie range for example) in our nutritional approach.

How did you determine portion sizes?

A combination of feedback over time and guidance from our nutritional professional crew. Our protein/portion sizes tend to run bigger than prepared meal providers with more of a weight-loss background. So our Standard size often equals a large from other providers and our Boost size often correlates with other regulars out there.

Are your meal containers recyclable?

Yes. Our little meal haulers are #5 plastics and rated microwave safe. Most municipalities take #5’s in their recycling programs. And in some areas there are even more direct routes (i.e. where you know for sure where the recycled material ends up) like the Gimme 5 program from Preserve Products which collects containers at Whole Foods and gives them second life as a toothbrush or a dinner plate.

Our direct-to-you delivery (currently available in DC-MD-VA within the beltway) packaging is sustainable too. So, you can recycle on your own or leave out for us (everything in the box, containers rinsed clean) and we’ll reuse/recyle for you.

Do you include information on ingredients, calories and macro-nutrient content of each meal?

Yep. You can find all that for each meal in our online menu each week. Ingredients are also on the meal label itself as is a review code you can use to look up nutritional info for any meal and/or tell us what you think (and we love when you tell us what you think... seriously...love it, so don't be shy). Reminder, there are lots of variables that go into nutritional calcs and this ain't no food factory. So these are targets and ranges, and will have some variability.

How do you determine what ingredients qualify for your Paleo line?

Our Paleo line falls under the “stricter” end of the Paleo range simply so that you have a clear starting point from these meals and can riff around them to your situation or take on What’s Paleo. So meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts. No dairy, grains, legumes, sweeteners (including honey or agave), no preservatives.

We’ve taken inspiration from lots of sources, including the writing and advice of folks like Chris Kresser, Robb Wolf, Kurt Harris, and Dallas and Melissa at Whole9. Like many of these folks, we also believe in the constant evolution of healthy eating so are always looking at new ideas. For more on how we think about food overall check out our Food Philosophy and here's a closer look at our nutritional approach.

Folks inspired by Paleo ideas but looking for a little more experimentation should try our Mixitarian line which adds in use of natural sweeteners, gluten free grains, some legumes, etc. And of course you can always mix and match from any of our lines when you mod your order.

Soups & Bars

Can I order soups and/or bars separately or only with meals?

Either way works for us if you’re getting delivery to a pickup location. Add to your cart straight from the soups or bars pages. Or include with meals when you compose a new order on our order form.

If you’re getting home/office delivery, only bars are available at this time and have to be purchased together with a 5 days-a-week meal plan.

Do soups and/or bars get delivered at the same time as meals?

Yes, but once a week. We include them with the Thursday delivery. So you'll want to plan to order for what ever you think you'll need for a week.

How do I place an order for soups or bars?

Easiest route? Include with meals when composing a new meal order with our simple order wizard. Or if you're getting delivery to a pickup location, add to your cart from our soups or bars page in order to tack them on to an existing recurring order or to purchase just soups or bars. In either event, you'll still choose recurring or one-time ordering. And if you choose the former, you can easily manage your order just like with meals - pause, restart, cancel and change delivery location anytime. In all cases, soups and/or bars come with Thursday deliveries.

Do soups and bars come packaged together with meals?

If you’re getting delivery to a pickup location, no. They each come in separate bundles on Thursday deliveries. So make sure to locate both your meals and your extra goodies in the fridge on weeks when you order both. If you’re getting home/office delivery of meals and also ordering bars (5 days-a-week meal plan required, soups not available at this time), everything will come in one box.

Can I pause soup or bar orders independently from meal orders?

If you’re getting delivery to a pickup location, each order type (meals, bars, soups) is independent of the other. So for example if you have both a meals and a bar order, and you pause the meals for a week, your bar order will still arrive with Thursday’s delivery. If you’re getting home/office delivery, bar orders are only available if purchased together with a 5 days-a-week meal plan. So you can pause the bar order and still get meals, but pausing the meal order will pause the bar order as well. Soups aren't available with home/office delivery at this time.

Have a question not answered here?

Hope these FAQs help. But if you didn’t find your answer here, you can always pull the email rip cord and we’ll be right back at you. Just hit us up at ChowHelpDC@mypowersupply.com.