ZenMeals vs YFood
YFood is the drinkable meal you can grab at Coop; ZenMeals is a cooked meal that arrives in your fridge. The short verdict: YFood wins on availability and grab-and-go speed, ZenMeals wins on whole ingredients and fibre. They solve the same problem — no time to cook — in very different ways.
ZenMeals delivers two freshly cooked whole-food meals — the Super Veggie (about 490 kcal, 27 g protein, 18 g fibre) and the Nutty Pudding (about 400 kcal, 9 g protein, 14 g fibre) — within Zurich, from CHF 49 with free shipping, ready in under two minutes. YFood sells ready-to-drink 500 ml meal replacements at roughly CHF 5 per bottle, with about 500 kcal and up to 34 g protein each, available in Swiss supermarkets and online. ZenMeals is fresh food from a Kreis 6 kitchen; YFood is a shelf-stable formulated drink. Our recipes are inspired by Bryan Johnson's Blueprint protocol; ZenMeals is not affiliated with Bryan Johnson or Blueprint.
ZenMeals vs YFood at a glance
| ZenMeals | YFood | |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | Whole foods, minimally processed, longevity-focused recipes with citations on our research page | "This is food": drinkable complete meals with balanced macros and 26 added vitamins and minerals |
| Freshness | Cooked fresh weekly in Kreis 6, Zurich; delivered chilled; 3–4 day shelf life | Shelf-stable bottles with months of shelf life |
| Processing level | Recognizable ingredients: lentils, broccoli, nuts, olive oil | Formulated drink based on lactose-free milk, added protein, and micronutrients; under the NOVA system this category of product is generally classed as ultra-processed |
| Protein & fibre | Super Veggie: about 27 g protein, 18 g fibre. Nutty Pudding: about 9 g protein, 14 g fibre | Around 33–34 g protein per 500 ml bottle; fibre is modest and varies by product |
| Prep time | Under 2 minutes (reheat or eat chilled) | Zero — open the bottle |
| Price frame | From CHF 49, free delivery within Zurich, subscriptions save 5% | About CHF 5 per bottle at Swiss retailers (roughly CHF 29.70 for a 6-pack) |
| Who it's for | People in Zurich who want real cooked food without the cooking | People who need a meal they can drink at their desk or on the train |
Choose YFood if
- You need something you can buy right now, at Coop, on the way to a meeting.
- Zero prep matters more than texture. Nothing beats unscrewing a cap.
- You want high protein in a small, portable package.
- You're outside Zurich. YFood is available across Switzerland; we aren't yet.
Choose ZenMeals if
- You want an actual meal: warm lentils and vegetables, a chilled pudding with real berries.
- Fibre is a priority. Our two meals carry about 32 g together; drinkable meals are typically much lower.
- You'd rather eat ingredients you can name than a formulation, however well designed.
- You want food cooked this week in your own city, from organic ingredients.
What YFood does better
YFood's distribution is genuinely impressive. You can find their bottles in supermarkets, kiosks, and gyms across Switzerland — no subscription, no delivery window, no planning. Their drinks are consistent, taste good by most accounts, and pack more protein per franc than we do. For a commuter breakfast or a meal during a hike, a bottle in your bag beats a chilled meal that needs a fridge. YFood built a very good answer to "I have ninety seconds and no fridge." That's just not the problem we set out to solve.
Frequently asked questions
Is YFood healthy?
YFood covers macros and micronutrients on paper, and for a skipped-lunch emergency it's a better choice than a candy bar. The open question with all formulated drinks is what you miss versus whole foods: fibre, food matrix, chewing, satiety. A randomized trial found people eating ultra-processed diets consumed about 500 more calories a day than on matched minimally processed diets. The citation is on our research page.
Is ZenMeals more expensive than YFood?
Per calorie, yes. A YFood bottle is about CHF 5; our subscription starts at CHF 49 with free Zurich delivery. You're paying for fresh weekly cooking, organic ingredients, and food you eat with a spoon and fork. Whether that's worth it depends on how many meals a week you're replacing. See how it works for what a week looks like.
Can I combine ZenMeals and YFood?
Plenty of people mix categories: a drinkable meal on travel days, cooked meals at home. Our meals cover lunch and dinner at home in under two minutes; a bottle covers the train. There's no rule that says you have to pick one system for every meal.
Try the cooked option
If you're in Zurich and want real food with almost none of the effort, order the Super Veggie and Nutty Pudding subscription — from CHF 49, free delivery, pause or cancel anytime. Full nutrition numbers are on nutrition information, and common questions are in our FAQ.
More comparisons
See how ZenMeals stacks up against other ways to eat well in Zurich: