Home-cooked trumps takeaway or fast food any time of day. You have carte blanche over your meal options. You can explore the culinary world as a home chef and discover new recipes.
However, you may be unable to cook for yourself daily, much less grocery shopping. Others may recommend meal prepping, but prep time can take longer when planning your weekly meals. You may not have the time to cook a bunch of meals in one go. What do you do then?
Pros and Cons: Meal Kit Delivery Services
Services offering freshly cooked meals or easy-to-cook meals aim to save time-strapped professionals from the hassle of cooking every night. You can either have cooked meals delivered to your doorstep or order fresh ingredients along with a recipe card if you still want to put the finishing touches on your dish. You can then kick back and eat your meal or follow the instructions on the card to put together your dinner.
These meal subscriptions will cost you, but you’ll also be able to enjoy several benefits that will make the investment worthwhile. Convenience is an obvious one. At the same time, those with specific dietary needs will also gain some control over their eating.
For today, we’ll try and answer the question, are meal kits and meal services worth the trouble?
A Meal Plan Will Save You Time, Effort and Mental Space
Home-cooked food is the best, but it takes time and mental effort to cook and prepare a meal everyday. You must think of a dish and recall the right ingredients from the first time and online directions.
You’ll have to search for recipes for those rusty in the kitchen. In fact, home-cooked meals can be doubly troubling when you’re cooking for two people, and the best cuisine you can whip up is microwave-based.
Once you know your meal, you must head to the grocery store and buy your ingredients. Afterwards, you go home and cook, taking care not to burn your food and flavour it just right. Then, you finally eat, but you have to repeat the same process the next day. And that’s not even taking into account the dishes.
A nightmare. Right?
Meal delivery kits cut this process down to save you stress. You just have to get out your cutlery, and dinner’s served with fresh meals. With ongoing promos, you can even save money by going with takeout!
Bon Appétit!
If you go the home-cooking route, the services ensure that the recipes are easy to follow. You’ll then enjoy warm meals without taking too much time away from your day.
A Meal Subscription Service Can Provide You with Healthy Meals
Due to hectic schedules and sometimes a lack of cooking skills, healthy eating can be hard to keep up consistently. Busy professionals tend to buy fast food and other quick eats. These meals don’t have much nutritional value compared to their home-cooked counterparts, but they’re convenient and require zero effort. A meal delivery service will fit the bill if you value a well-balanced diet despite your busy life.
You’ll be able to enjoy delicious meals made from organic ingredients. You’ll be able to choose from a selection of popular dishes, so you won’t have to scrape the bottom of the barrel. And again, you will be able to incorporate your protein, carbs, and veggies.
Meal Kits Can Help with Dietary Needs or Weight Loss
If you want to take it a step further, some meal prep services cater specifically to dietary restrictions and health and fitness goals. These services may offer advice from a nutritionist who will recommend the appropriate diet based on your weight, height, allergies, and existing health conditions.
You can request keto, paleo, low-carb, or gluten-free meals. You can also choose your portion sizes or the number of meals you’ll have in one day to maintain a low-calorie diet. If you’re bulking up, you can request a higher protein intake.
What to Look For in a Meal Delivery Service?
Check the Source and Quality of Ingredients
Now that we’ve established how meal delivery can help you, it’s time to pick out the best service for you. Not all kits are created equal. One aspect you can scrutinise is the ingredients themselves.
An excellent meal prep service will always use or serve fresh ingredients. Even better if the service sources the ingredients locally wherever you are in Australia: this is how you know that you’re eating high-quality ingredients. If the food is less than fresh, you might consider switching to a new subscription.
Read the Recipe Cards
Set on the minimal cooking option? You’ll want the recipes to be simple to put replicate. The whole point of the service is to save up on time, and the last thing you want is to get bogged down by complicated methods. The service must have easy recipes so that you can complete your meals and still have enough time for your busy schedule.
At the same time, the recipes must be varied. This requirement also applies to already cooked meals: a range of dishes and ingredients should be available for nutritional value (and enjoyment). You may have quinoa one day, tacos the next, and soup by the end of the week.
A service is only worth your money if you get to enjoy different meals every time you sit down to eat. That’s why the best meal kits are those that offer a multitude of choices without tasting bland.
Watch Out for Food Waste
Again, if you want to try your hands at cooking, are you receiving just the right amount of ingredients? Food waste can occur if the service gives you too much of one item. Most likely, you won’t use the leftovers since your meals are planned. Still, you should avoid food waste, and minimising waste is always the best path to take. So, you can ensure that your subscription service gives precisely the right amount you need. In case you want more of one ingredient, you can pop into the store real quick and get a little something extra for yourself.
Weigh the Cost of the Service
Lastly, of course, you have to look at the cost. Is the service asking for a premium or a reasonably affordable price? The appropriate budget will directly correlate with the aspects discussed earlier. You can justify a premium fee if you can obtain the freshest ingredients, versatile but accessible recipes, and the right amount of produce.
The price becomes more fitting if you request diet-specific meals such as keto or paleo. Some diets require expensive ingredients to provide you with all the necessary nutrients.
Meal Prep Delivery Kits Are Worthwhile When Chosen Carefully
As you’ve read above, meal plan delivery services can be the most convenient way to get in healthy meals without compromising your time, as you balance the quality of service with the cost. Try different subscriptions out and discover what works for you. You’ll find the right meal prep delivery kit if it checks all your needs for your lifestyle. You can then enjoy home-cooked-style meals even without cooking that much yourself.