I love to cook. The kitchen is my comfort zone. I look at recipes every day and think a lot about my family’s meals.
However, even I get in a rut when it comes to food. If you’re a person who doesn’t like to cook, wants to cook but isn’t quite sure how, or if have a very busy life that makes trips to grocery store taxing, I can see the appeal of a meal kit delivery service.
These boxes from Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, Dinnerly, Home Chef or any of the many other meal kit companies usually come once a week and contain all the ingredients and instructions to prepare 2-4 meals, depending on the plan you choose. My sister-in-law uses one of the above mentioned companies, and was able to refer a friend (me) to sign up to try a box for free. I’m not going to turn down free food, so I gave it a whirl.
The Food:
The first recipe I tried was for Hoisin-Glazed Meatballs with Jasmine Rice and Snow Peas. The recipe was easy to follow. Here are the meatballs ready to bake in the oven.
And here are the snow peas ready to sauté.
Here is my finished dish.
It was quite tasty, as was the other recipe for Bulgogi Chicken Thigh Tacos.
But aside from the food being good, is a meal kit service worth it? It depends.
Pros of the Meal Kit Delivery Food Service
- Just the right amount of ingredients are included for each recipe are included. If a recipe calls for one clove of garlic, you receive one clove of garlic, not a whole head. Therefore, there’s much less waste.
- Not familiar with certain ingredients? This is a good way to try them without having to buy a huge amount. Not sure if your family will dig hoisin sauce? Or maybe you’ve never tried snow peas. (Side note: they are delicious!) Trying recipes from the kit gives you a chance to explore without committing to something you may not like.
- Cute packaging will make you smile. I kept the two egg holder to use for something one of these days.
- You can’t beat the convenience of delivery to your door.
- You get very nice recipe cards with all the instructions and ingredients, so if you like the meal, you have the tools to make it again later.
Cons of the Meal Kit Delivery Food Service
- Excessive packaging could be a deal breaker. Nearly every ingredient is individually packaged, which makes for a lot of trash. This pic is everything left over from one meal. The box came with two meals, along with the Styrofoam and protective wrapping.
- The prices are not cheap, even for a convenience item.
- If you don’t cook fairly soon after everything arrives, you run the risk of food spoiling and being wasted, as the items arrive fresh.
The Verdict of the Meal Kit Delivery Food Service
I won’t be signing up for meal service any time soon. While the entrees were tasty, I can’t justify the trash and the cost. I will go back to scouring Pinterest recipes for free. However, if your budget allows or you are wanting to get better in the kitchen, go for it. Let us know how it goes and happy cooking!
