You can’t turn on the television or open a magazine without seeing a commercial for a meal kit service. You’re probably seeing adverts in your social media feeds if you’ve ever Googled one. Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, Dinnerly, and Home Chef are just a handful of the many options available. Every month, it seems, new specialised possibilities emerge. You’re covered if you want a cardboard box full of ingredients delivered to your door on a regular basis. Are they, however, worthwhile? The prices can be quite exorbitant, and you still have to prepare the food. Before you get your first box, think about the benefits and drawbacks of diet food delivery service.
Pros of using a meal kit
Easy preparation
One of the main selling aspects of meal kit boxes is this. All of the items for your meal are thoroughly cleaned, prepped, labelled, and ready to use. To get your meal started, you only need to do a little effort. Simply take the products you’ll need for your recipe from the refrigerator, open them, and you’re ready to begin preparing dinner.
Simplified decision-making
For some, the most difficult aspect of grocery shopping and meal planning is just having too many options. Modern supermarkets allow you to get almost whatever you want, whenever you want it. If you have trouble making decisions, the abundance of options might be daunting. Weekly meal kits nearly always have a limited number of options each week, but those options are limited. It’s a lot easier to pick three meals from a menu of seven than it is to put together a menu from scratch.
Less food waste
The majority of meals are created to serve a specified number of people (usually two or four). Most significantly, this means you’ll only get the items you’ll need to make the number of servings you’ll be serving. Instead of buying a full bag of frozen peas, for example, you only acquire the amount you need. This not only streamlines your cooking procedure, but it also reduces food waste. Meal kits, according to a 2017 research, minimise food waste by 27% when compared to meals made with materials purchased at the grocery store. This is beneficial to both the environment and your refrigerator.
Better nutrition
Because all of the ingredients are fresh and there are no additives or preservatives, the meal kits are often healthier than what you may pick up at the drive-thru on your way home. Meals are usually nutritionally balanced, so if you have trouble incorporating leafy greens into your diet, using meal kits to complement your diet may help you consume a wider variety of vegetables and grains.
Learning something new
Meal kits have the unintended benefit of exposing you to new recipes that you might not have tried otherwise. Following the recipes may possibly teach you a few new cooking methods. You can make a recipe without using a ready to eat diet meals if you find one you truly like. Options for special diets Vegetarian and gluten-free diets are catered to by the majority of meal kit businesses. A rising number of customised meal kit businesses cater to certain dietary requirements and preferences.
Cons of using diet food home delivery
Meal kits frequently advertise their cost, claiming that they are less expensive than identical restaurant meals. When compared to buying groceries and performing your own prep work, though, the cost comparison doesn’t stand up as well. A meal kit dinner is usually less expensive than takeout if you’re replacing it. However, if you’re substituting traditional grocery shopping and cooking with meal kits, keep in mind that the convenience can be costly.
Your food is on a schedule
No matter what service you use, the ingredients you receive will largely be perishable, so you’ll need to make your meals within a few days of delivery. It’s not a major issue, but you’ll need to make sure the deliveries line up with your needs so your kit doesn’t go to waste.
You’ll still need to go grocery shopping
You can replace multiple weekly diet food home delivery service, but you’ll still need to visit the grocery store (or order a delivery) for the rest of your essentials and additional meals. In other words, meal kits are a potential supplement to your weekly menu, but they’re not really a good replacement for grocery shopping.
You need to continually plan ahead
Most services allow you to select your meals from a larger list. They also let you pause deliveries or skip weeks when nothing looks good. But you need to remember to monitor your account regularly or risk getting a box full of meals you don’t want. If you forget and miss the deadline for changing an order, you’ll be charged and shipped the default kit for the week.
More packaging waste
All ingredients are separately packaged and labelled. There’s also the shipping box, the padding/insulation inside the box, and the ice pack/cooling source that keeps your ingredients cool and fresh during transit. This generates a significant amount of packaging. Fortunately, much of it is recyclable, but there are still a lot of materials involved.
It’s disputed whether this is worse, better, or fully negates the reduction in food waste, but it means additional trash and recyclables to consider for the end user. Meal kits have both advantages and disadvantages, and only you can decide which is ideal for your family. Many services provide a “trial” period during which you can try out the service for free. If you’re thinking about signing up for a meal kit service, give it a week or two to see if it’s the right fit for you.
