If you watch network TV or use social media ever, no doubt you’ve seen countless advertisements for meal delivery kits. Such kits claim to save you money as well as make cooking easy and fun. But are they all they claim to be?
In some cases, yes. Meal kits do work well for certain situations, although in others, you may save more money and time by simply heading to the market for yourself. Let’s take a look at a side-by-side comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of meal kits compared to trips to the grocery store.
**Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by PSECU, a Pennsylvania-based credit union.
Advantages of Meal Kits –
On average, meal kit delivery services cost approximately $8-$12 per meal, with the average for grocery-bought meals being $12. So when it comes down to price tag alone, on the surface, meal kits appear more affordable.
One advantage meal delivery kits have is allowing you to customize your plans somewhat to meet certain dietary restrictions. For example, many popular plans offer vegan alternatives, gluten-free options and plans that follow popular diets like keto. Additionally, these kits provide managed portion sizes, so those trying to lose weight can monitor calorie intake more effectively.
Finally, such plans help those who are new to cooking master the skill. These budding chefs learn what ingredients blend together harmoniously as well as how long to cook various dishes. Then, when they want to tackle their own recipes, they have the foundation to do so well.
Disadvantages of Meal Kits –
Many meal kit delivery services fail to take into consideration families with small children. Young ones may not eat nearly as much as adults do, and they often turn their noses up at some of the dishes. This situation can result in a parent needing to prep a separate meal for their child or send them to bed without dinner. Parents already walk a fine line between enticing their kiddos to eat healthfully and making sure they get the nutrients they need to grow without adding fuel to the battle fire.
Additionally, shipping costs do add up. While you can minimize these costs somewhat by buying in bulk, an additional $10 in shipping costs can drive prices up significantly. Even still, most meal kits rank as less expensive than shopping at the grocery store.
If you live to cook one or two big meals per week then heat up leftovers for the rest, you’re out of luck with meal delivery services. Because of the portion size control inherent in such kits, you’ll have to cook and clean up after a new meal every single night. This setup defeats much of the convenience factor for those who opt for meal kits due to time constraints.
Finally, while meal kits offer some control over dietary restrictions, you can’t select specific ingredients that align with your own personal code of ethics. Many consumers, for example, prefer to avoid products containing palm oil. Cultivation of palm oil decimates orangutan habitats and threatens their extinction.
Advantages of Grocery Shopping –
Some people turn to meal kits because they find grocery shopping to be too much of a chore. For these folks, such kits make sense. But others enjoy the leisurely process of strolling the aisles, selecting the freshest ingredients from their local farmers market and experimenting with new recipes.
Grocery shopping also creates teachable moments for kids. For example, giving children younger than kindergarten age a dollar or two to spend on what they want can lay the foundation for teaching them about opportunity cost later in life. Older kids can help make the shopping list based on the amount you have to spend to learn budgeting skills.
If you’re a crazy coupon lady (or gent!), you can often find bargains that make your total cost cheaper than it would be with meal kits. Many stores will allow you to combine their coupons with ones downloaded from popular online sites for twice the savings.
Grocery shopping will enable you to make large enough servings to have leftovers. If you work more than one job or simply have a hectic schedule that involves running kids to soccer practice some evenings, this perk can save you considerable time. You can still serve healthy meals without having to make pots and pans dirty every night.
Finally, you can shop more sustainably from the grocery store, selecting only those products that meet your personal ethical standards. You can also avoid ingredients such as excess salt, sugar and artificial preservatives.
Disadvantages of Grocery Shopping –
Of course, grocery shopping has its pitfalls. It does take considerable time to locate everything on a list and check out. If you need specific items, you may have to frequent multiple stores to obtain all of them.
When you shop, you run the risk of impulse spending. It’s much easier to say no to that candy bar or bag of chips when you’re sitting at home eating a measured meal than it is when you shop on an empty stomach and it’s staring you in the face.
Additionally, you could end up creating food waste. How many times, for example, have you bought strawberries with the best intentions of making smoothies, only to let them rot in the fridge? If you buy too much, you risk throwing some of it away, which indirectly contributes to hunger.
Finally, despite educational efforts, many consumers continue to use plastic bags in jurisdictions where they remain legal. Please, bring your own reusable bags to the store. Doing so will safeguard your purchases from accidental breakage and help to protect the environment.
Meal Kit or Grocery? It’s up to Your Needs.
Whether you opt for a meal kit delivery service or go to the traditional grocery store depends on your family’s unique needs. While meal kits have several advantages, so does hitting the market. In the end, it all comes down to what suits you and your time and budget the best.
Good points made. I have only used boxes a few times, but was so surprised with the quality of foods sent and the recipes too (we found some new weekly favorites)!