FAQ

We were busy, stressed, and tired of eating processed food when we didn't have time to cook healthy meals. We looked at the market and didn't see anything we would want to eat long term. We built MealSquares for ourselves first, then started getting requests from our friends and family to sell it to them.

 

Time

The time savings when you only worry about one or two meals a day instead of three is remarkable. With more time and energy to devote to your remaining meals, you can improve their quality and enjoy them more. And for days when you are really stressed, MealSquares take food off your shoulders almost entirely.

 

Health

Researchers have recently concluded that getting all of your essential micronutrients was the most important lifestyle factor for longevity-promoting health. Several key deficiencies are widespread despite the booming supplements industry. MealSquares give you peace of mind that your diet is not missing any key nutrients.

 

Studies of supplements and fortified foods have repeatedly found that they do not have the same health benefits as whole foods. In some cases supplements are even harmful. With a few exceptions, the money, time, and effort spent researching and taking these supplements is a waste.

Learn more here: Enough Is Enough: Stop Wasting Money on Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

 

Our recipe is composed of whole foods rather than the powders and vitamin pills similar meal replacements use. We chose a combination of micronutrient dense foods like eggs, oats, sunflower seeds, carrots to reach our nutrient goals. See our nutrition page for a complete breakdown of ingredients and the micro- and macro- nutrient profile of MealSquares.

 

Firstly, MealSquares are made of natural and familiar foods - they are made from a broad variety of healthy whole-food ingredients like milk, oats, root vegetables, dates, etc. See our nutrition page for the full list. And unlike many commercial baked goods, MealSquares are free of artificial preservatives and flavoring agents.

To determine our nutrient targets for MealSquares, we examined recommendations from many sources: the FDA, the Institute of Medicine, the Linus Pauling Institute for Micronutrient Research, and the work of independent nutrition researchers such as Perfect Health Diet and other resources. We found these sources largely agreed, and where they disagreed, we investigated the available research and had our work checked by our nutrition advisors. We have striven for a happy medium. MealSquares meet all recommended nutrient intakes in 2000 calories, plus extras of some nutrients where the evidence is strong and the risk is low, such as Vitamins D and C.

Given common nutrient deficiencies like magnesium deficiency and potassium deficiency, MealSquares represent a huge improvement over the average diet. Even if there are nutrients unknown to science, they will likely appear in at least one of the nutrient-dense MealSquare ingredients—this represents an advantage of whole foods over supplements.

Romeo Stevens, Cofounder of MealSquares, has been getting 50% of his calories from MealSquare prototypes for over two years and in that time has experienced significant physical health, mental health, and body composition improvements. And a broad base of beta testers have eaten MealSquares for shorter periods with no health issues. As our project matures, we will be performing laboratory assays of MealSquares in cooperation with nutrition researchers and continuing to improve their health profile. We will be keeping up on the latest results in nutrition science so you don't have to.

 

Depends on the sugar and fat! We have worked hard to vet each individual ingredient in MealSquares, as well as balance the overall macronutrient ratios. Our carbs, fats, and protein are all derived from nutrient-dense, highly bioavailable sources. Our fat content comes from a mixture of plant and animal sources tuned based on the best available evidence for health benefits. The per-day sugar content of MealSquares is less than that found in 4 servings of fruit. We've also kept the fructose level below the 30g it is estimated the liver can process each day.

 

Right now, we are focusing on one basic recipe to meet average needs. In the future, based on demand, we are aiming to provide versions for additional dietary goals. If you disagree with the reasoning behind our recipe, drop us a line. We are always happy to receive feedback. As MealSquares users ourselves, we have a strong interest in optimal nutrition, and we are working hard to stay at the forefront of nutrition research. If strong evidence comes along, we will be tweaking our recipe and explaining why.

 

Could you live for years on just MealSquares? Yes, but this likely would not be 100% optimal for your health. For example, no substitute has been discovered for fish as part of a healthy diet (fish oil pills don't cut it). Given the variety of whole foods MealSquares are made from, eating them is an improvement over the average diet.

Learn more here: Dietary Intake of Fish vs. Formulations

 

We print a best by date of 6 months after production. We do this to ensure that the nutrition you are getting matches what's shown on the label, as some nutrients can degrade over time. Mealsquares don't require refrigeration, but you can refrigerate them if you'd like them to last longer than 6 months.

 

MealSquares are vegetarian, but they contain animal products (milk and eggs).

 

Mealsquares can be part of a healthy weight loss plan. Their complex carb, starch, and protein content contribute to high satiety for their size when consumed with water.

 

MealSquares are gluten free, kosher, 99% lactose free, and are lacto-ovo vegetarian compatible. They are free of wheat, soy, corn, peanuts, high fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, and flavoring agents.

Please contact us if you have a common dietary restriction that is not discussed here.

 

Mealsquares are closest to SANS bar or Rx Bars in texture and taste.

 

We currently do not ship outside the US but sign up for our mailing list to stay up to date on when this happens!

 

We send you a special link to manage your subscription via email. If you'd like to make changes at any time, check the email inbox that you used to sign up for your subscription. If you cannot find this link, feel free to send us a message through the contact us page and we can resend you the link.