All right, we already know what you’re thinking:
“I’m not some lazy millennial who doesn’t know how to cook for myself! I can do all the cooking and grocery shopping myself!”
But before you write-off meal delivery services altogether, here us out. There are actually a lot of benefits that come from them you may not even know about.
In the age of Hello Fresh, Good Food, Miss Fresh, and a seemingly unending list of alternatives, there are actually some really good reasons to seek out a meal kit delivery service of your own. From the obvious benefits of saving time and money to the surprising health advantages, you may just find yourself excitedly looking out for that big box of food on your doorstep every week.
Your Time
Img source: Lynda.com
Starting with the obvious, meal delivery services help immensely with saving you time. In today’s “Gig Economy,” it’s normal for many people to not only have their day job, but an additional “side hustle” as well. Whether you’re driving for a ride-sharing service like Uber or Lyft, working as a freelancer on your time off, or have even started a side business of your own, chances are you’re very busy.
As the old adage goes, time is money. The time you spend driving or walking to the grocery store, shopping, and then eventually cooking your meal all adds up throughout the course of a week (and even more in a year). That’s the time you could be spending getting additional work done or spending with those around you if you already find yourself working all the time — don’t let it go to waste! A meal delivery kit removes commuting and shopping from the equation and offers a bag-to-table time of under an hour.
Your Money
This one may seem counterintuitive at first because you’re spending money for a service, but let’s look at the math here. When looking at a comparison of 5 meal kit options in Canada, we can see the average cost per serving of a meal. For a service like Good Food, the cost per serving of a home-cooked meal can be as little as $8.75/serving for four people. In fact, even for the more expensive options, the price never goes beyond $13 per serving.
Img source: makegoodfood.ca
When was the last time you dined-out for less than $8.75? The chances are that unless you’re choosing incredibly frugal options from fast-food joints, you’re likely spending far more than that. For reference, let’s consider a quick option like Chipotle on your way home from work. If you’re getting a steak burrito bowl with guacamole, a bag of chips, and the smallest drink option available, you’re spending almost two times the cost of that $8.75 at a whopping $16.25 (not including a tip if you’re getting it delivered). And that’s for just one person — the choice is pretty clear in this situation.
Your Health
When it comes to convenience food, Chipotle isn’t nearly as unhealthy as many of the other options (especially if you’re opting for water and no chips). But if you’re aiming to keep within a tight food budget and need to opt for a quick meal, well then fast food clearly isn’t going to be your best bet either. This is really where meal delivery services shine.
Not only are you saving time by not needing to commute and shop for food, but you also don’t need to spend time planning out healthy meals for the week to avoid fast food. Meal delivery services are well aware of their target market and have options accordingly. Many offer vegetarian and gluten-free choices specifically, and the rest of the meals aim to deliver a healthy alternative to otherwise bad fast food options. For example, look at this Mediterranean Baked Veggie meal from Hello Fresh that can be made in 30 minutes! (No, they’re not sponsoring this post, this is just a good idea!)
The Bottom Line
You may be hesitant at first with a meal delivery service because of the cost involved and while yes, you are paying a little extra for the convenience, there’s a lot of extra value added by them. Between the time you save, the money you could actually end up saving by not eating out or ordering delivery multiple nights a week, and the healthy options you’ll have for dinner each night, there’s a strong case to be made for delivery services. It’s now a wonder they’ve gotten so popular.
