Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to some of the most common questions we encounter. If you can't find the answer you're looking for below, please Contact Us – we're here to help!

Our Food

How do I order Eat for You food?

Click the link here to go to our shop. We are releasing new products all the time.  You can also find our stockists here. Sign up to our mailing list so that you are the first to know when each of our new products drop.

Why is Eat for You food organic?

We believe that everyone deserves good food. Unfortunately many of the agricultural practices that have become ‘normal’ are depleting our food of the very nutrients we need, potentially exposing us to pesticides that are damaging to our health and not regenerating the soil. In simple terms, this means we are taking from mother earth and not giving back.

This is an unsustainable model.

Organic agriculture ensures pesticide residue is not present on our food and preserves and may even enhance the nutrient value of our food. For example, did you know that plants produce more flavonoids, terpenes and alkaloids when they are ‘attacked’ by pests. Flavonoids are the pigments we see in some of our foods, such as the purple of beetroot, cream-white of cauliflower/potatoes etc. As well as being a defense system for the plants, these compounds enhance the fitness of the plants and are highly beneficial for our health. As a company committed to producing nutritious food that helps your thrive, it was always going to be organic for us.

We know that organic food is more expensive. Part of that is the need for organic farmers to seek expensive certification of their practices (which we think is a backwards system, and suggest that those using pesticide heavy farming practices should be required to obtain certification instead). Another part of the cost is the more hands on approach to the farming. We believe that being more hands on in growing and harvesting our food is one of the most sustainable things we can do as a species to preserve our planet and improve our health. Nothing beats growing your own vegetables, micro-greens or herbs at home. 

Eat for You is committed to ensuring that everyone can access our food, and we know that home delivered, organic, prepared food in home compostable packaging is out of reach for some people. To try to balance this we:
* Make all of our recipes (and more) available via our e-books for anyone to make at home.
* We provide opportunities for people who are buying our food to donate food to someone in need.
* As a company we are committed to giving back 50% of our profits in community grants, food donations, access to healthcare and support services, regenerative agriculture and more.
Together, by doing the best we can, with the resources we have, we can tip the scale in favour of sustainability and make sure that everyone has what they need to thrive.

Why is Eat for You food batch tested for bacteria?

We want to produce a range of foods that provide reassurance and peace of mind. We started our journey making food for women on their pregnancy journey. There is a lot of uncertainty about what foods are safe to eat during pregnancy. So we set about testing our food so remove the uncertainty. Funny thing is, it turns out everyone actually wants their food to be safe (!). So here we are, still making food that meets the needs of women on their pregnancy journey, but also making great, safe, delicious food for you.
By way of a small segue, bacteria are critical for our health, vital in fact, and we actually want bacteria in the food we eat. Did you know that we are 10:1 bacteria cells to human cells, and something like 1000:1 bacterial genes to human genes. So we are team bacteria here at Eat for You.
What we are testing for and ensuring we never have in our food are pathogenic (disease causing) bacteria. The main culprits for food borne illness are E. Coli, listeria and salmonella. There are over 5 million cases of foodborne illness every year in Australia. For most people, it is a relatively mild illness that runs its course and we carry on. But in pregnancy, while rare, the consequences of a severe foodborne illness, can be devastating. By testing every batch of our food for these pathogenic bacteria, we can all rest assured that the foods we sell are safe.

Why is Eat for You food tested for nutrients?

We believe in truth, honesty and transparency, so we are doing several things differently/above the expected standard of food preparation and our nutrient analysis is another example. Many nutrition information panels on foods are derived from a database of food nutrient values. The last time the most comprehensive database in Australia was updated was 2010. We know that the nutrient content of ingredients change based on where they are grown, how they are grown, the season, how they are stored and so on. To ensure that we provide you with the real values, not just an estimate, we send each of our products to independent laboratories to measure the nutrient content. We get these data back, then we compile our nutrient panel. So what you see is actually what you get, not what you might have gotten if the food was made 10 years ago, grown somewhere else and handled differently. You can see how much the nutrient content of food changes here.

What if my order doesn’t arrive or isn’t right?

Please contact us and we will sort it out. Send us an email hello@eatforyou.com.au and include your order number. We will dive in and see what's going on and rectify the problem. See our shipping and returns policies for more information.

I’d like to stock your food in my shop/clinic/practice. How do I go about becoming a stockist?

Yeah you do! We would absolutely love to work with you to make this happen. Please send us an email wholesale@eatforyou.com.au and let us know your location and the products you are interested in stocking. We will come back to you and start the process. 

Our Packaging

What are the bar wrappers/bags made from and what does home compostable mean?

All of our food comes packaged in a cellulose based home compostable material. Cellulose is a part of all plants and provides the rigidity in their structure. To be ‘certified’ home compostable, packaging must be broken down into carbon dioxide, water and biomass and be undetectable from the surrounding compost in less than 26 weeks. Our wrap is certified to this standard.
We work with Nik at PA packaging solutions for our packaging, because they are leading the way in genuine ‘no greenwashing’ home compostable packaging with Australian and International certifications for their compostable packaging. You can read more about home compostable packaging and why this is our choice on our blog.

What if I don’t have a compost at home, what do I do with the wrapping?

If it’s something you’ve thought about doing anyway, maybe now is a great time to get started. If space is an issue, there are great indoor options such as the bokashi bins that require only a small area of dirt to dig a hole and bury the contents once the bin is full. If you don’t have access to any dirt, and don’t know anyone who does, then put the Eat for You packaging in the general waste bin. The packaging will break down in the landfill. This is a great external resource from our friends at Diggers Club for those keen to start composting.

Can I recycle the postage packaging?

We are shipping with Australia Post using their small shipping boxes. We encourage you to reuse the box and ship something else in it (simply put stickers over the address spaces and pay new postage at the post office). You can also recycle the box in your curbside recycling bin. 

What is the lining in the shipping box, what do I do with it?

Our products are shelf stable, which means they don’t need to be refrigerated to stay fresh. We choose to wrap our product in these great woolpack liners to maintain cooler temperatures, so that the product arrives at your door in the same shape it left our kitchen. The liner insulates our bars/bites against changes in ambient temperatures which can impact nutrient content. When we are expecting extreme temperatures, you might also find a cooler pack in your delivery.

Reuse it! It's a great simple to use insulator for your next picnic/package you are shipping. The wool portion of the woolpack is derived from 'waste wool' and is compostable. The lining on the woolpack is not (yet) compostable. Remove the plastic wrapping and put that with your other soft plastics for Redcycle recycling. The wool can go into your compost like our wrappers.

If you avoid all animal materials, please enter a note at the cart and we can omit the woolpack liner for you.

General Pregnancy FAQs

What foods should I avoid during pregnancy?

Foods to avoid during pregnancy are those that carry a high risk of being contaminated by bacteria, particularly listeria and salmonella. This includes processed meats, raw or undercooked meat and seafood, pâtés, soft cheeses, raw eggs, unpasteurised dairy products. Read more here.

Can I drink coffee during pregnancy?

Yes, if you like. The guidelines for pregnant women and caffeine have recently been reviewed. It was concluded that up to 200 milligrams of caffeine per day is safe during pregnancy. This is the equivalent of ~2 cups of barista style coffee. But the caffeine content of different coffees can vary, so talk to your Barista. It’s also worth checking the label of products that contain coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks (best to avoid these completely), and some over the counter medications to keep your caffeine intake below 200 milligrams.
There are some great coffee alternatives on the market which you may like to try. Chicory root is one that is naturally decaffeinated (the dandelion root has no caffeine, ever) that we've tried and love. 

Is it OK to eat spicy foods when pregnant?

Yes, if you like. Some women may experience heartburn when eating spicy foods, which may cause discomfort for you, but there is no known risk to your baby of eating spicy foods.

Should I eat more of some foods and less of others while pregnant?

Yes. During pregnancy it is important to maximise the nutrient density of the foods you eat. Your body and your growing baby need lots of vitamins and minerals to maintain good health for you, and growth and development of your baby. We recommend lots of plant based foods, fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes and beans, include some meat and fish and keep hydrated with water. Check out our shop with pre-made foods and recipe e-books for some nutrient dense delights.

Can I eat fish during pregnancy? If so, which ones and how often?

Yes. We encourage choosing small fish to minimise your exposure to Mercury which can accumulate in larger fish. Get your fish from the source and always make sure it is fresh (clear eyes, not a strong fish smell) and choose wild caught, not farmed. Mackerel and salmon are great choices, as are anchovies and sardines. One to three serves a week are recommended. Fish are a good source of omega 3 fatty acids which are needed for brain and nervous tissue development in the baby. If you don’t eat fish, you can get some Omega 3s from nuts and seeds such as linseeds (flaxseeds), walnuts and chia seeds. But you will need to identify another source of the Omega 3s DHA and EPA, as these are not found in nuts and seeds.

I’d like some more personal support and advice along my pregnancy journey. Do you offer private consults?

Not yet, but we will. Make sure you are on our mailing list so don’t miss a thing.