Meal Kit | Ordering | Delivery | Link Match | Contact
Meal Kit
Who can purchase the meal kit?
The meal kit is designed to create affordable, healthy, and high-quality food access for SNAP-eligible households. Anyone who has a link card can purchase the kit.
How many meal kits do you have available?
There are currently three (3) meal kits available for purchase and one (1) cooking essentials kit. If you are interested in seeing the meal kit options expand to specific recipes or dietary options, please send us a note to help us improve.
How many people does one meal kit service?
Each meal kit is designed to feed a family of four. If you would like more, you can simply add another meal kit to feed additional relatives.
Is the produce fresh?
The meal kits are designed to provide high quality, affordable and nutritious foods. Top Box fills the order based on what’s in season, but most of our produce is fresh, and some are frozen.
Where do you source your ingredients?
Top Box Foods shops all month to find the best deals on healthy foods (i.e., fresh fruits and vegetables and frozen meats, poultry, and fish). Their goal is to be inclusive with the markets, balancing the importance of high-quality and healthy ingredients with affordability.
Where can I find nutrition information on the meals?
The nutritional information is available on the website and a recipe card placed inside the kit upon delivery. There is a comprehensive package of materials which includes: nutrition labels, cooking tutorials, shopping menu, and recipe cards, complimentary to your purchase.
How often will additional kits be made available?
Meal Kits will be added on a continual basis, based on a many factors that include: the season, consumer preference, and overall demand.
Will there be additional recipes added?
Yes. New recipes will be added frequently to our website. Check back again for more updates.
Where do your recipes come from?
Our recipes come from Illinois Extension (our organization) and Minnesota Extension (partner organization).
Do you accept senior vouchers/coupons?
Customers who shop using a link card get all recipe-based meal kits (excluding the Cooking Essentials Kit) half off!
Ordering
How do I order a meal kit?
There are three ways to purchase a meal kit.
(1) Directly through our homepage where you will be forwarded to the Top Box page to complete the order
(2) Directly on the Top Box website
(3) Call Top Box at (312) 527-7890 ×200 to place your order over the phone with their Customer Service team.
When should I place my order by?
A consumer can place an order anytime, but for Top Box to deliver it promptly, an order must be made the Tuesday before the Saturday delivery date, by 12:00pm CST. For upcoming order and delivery dates, head to the Top Box website or call the Top Box Customer Service team at (312) 527-7890 x200.
When do I pay for my order?
The order will be processed at the time of check out, but the SNAP Card will charged at the time of delivery. Please plan to be at your home to receive your delivery to process your link card payment in person with your Top Box delivery driver.
Can I make special requests to my order? (such as gluten free pasta, halal or kosher meat)
We don’t take special requests at this time, but it is in our long-term plan to do so. Please do not hesitate to contact us at (mealkit@uic.edu) to submit feedback, which we will consider for future adjustments to the program, additional meal kit boxes, and other requests.
How can I subscribe to this service to order a meal kit regularly?
There is no subscription yet, but that is the overall long-term goal. At the current moment, consumers can place orders anytime they would like.
Delivery
Where do you deliver?
Our partner, Top Box serves and delivers to the Cook County/Chicago area.
How much is the delivery?
The cost of the delivery is free to all our SNAP eligible clients. The cost of your box is exactly what you pay – with no added fees!
When are the deliveries?
The Top Box team will deliver the meal kits to your home on the delivery day closest to your order. Delivery days are the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month.
How do I track my delivery?
Top Box has a robust delivery system in place. At the time of check out, the customer will receive an email confirmation for the order. 2-3 days before delivery, the customer receives a delivery reminder call and an email reminder. On the morning of delivery day, the customer will receive a text with a tracking link for the upcoming delivery, as well as a message when the delivery driver is 30 minutes away with the opportunity to text the driver to confirm.
Do I have to be present to pay when bundle is delivered?
Yes, someone in the household must present to make the payment. The client would need to have a valid ID and their Link Card. To make a split payment, see below.
What if I don’t have enough money on my link card?
At time of delivery, a customer can do a split payment where the link card will be charged first and the remaining balance could be supported by debt or credit card. Please note that the half off discount for customers paying with link card does not apply if you need to pay with debit or with credit card.
What should I do if my box is late or there’s an issue with my delivery?
If there is any issue with the delivery, the order, or the quality of the ingredients, please contact Top Box Customer Service line at (312) 527-7890 *200 to ask questions and provide feedback .
What if I feel unsafe with home delivery?
The Top Box team is dedicated to making it easy for our community to access healthy and affordable food. Our drivers will not enter your building or home and will simply bring your food boxes to your front door and process payment with you there. If you have any questions about this process, please contact the Top Box Customer Service team at (312) 527-7890 *200.