What’s the first thing you think of after leaving work? Picking your child from daycare, visiting a mechanic or buying groceries? You might not have a car or a young baby, but you certainly order groceries.
Of course, that’s unless you eat at restaurants or you’ve been caught by the growing bug of meal kit deliveries. What are they, you ask? Meal kit providers do the hard work of sourcing ingredients, cleaning and prepping them so that all you do is cook.
Some companies even cook the food and deliver ready to eat meals to you and your family. Okay, but isn’t that super expensive? Discover more details below.
The Providers
From the US and Canada to the UK and Australia, meal kit delivery companies keep cropping up every month. But in many of these regions, a few startups have been controlling significant portions of available markets.
- Home Chef
- Blue Apron
- Sun Basket
- Miss Fresh
- Good Food
- Hello Fresh
In Canada, these companies deliver food in all provinces. However, some companies not included in the list above are more region-specific. We’ll tell you the benefits of these providers compared to the international brands that deliver countrywide below.
How it Works
Meal kit delivery companies cater to people who love healthy meals but lack the time to source proper ingredients. These companies offer a wide range of dishes, from Paleo and vegan specialties to classics and modern-day foods.
Usually, meal kit companies have websites where customers can select dishes and place orders. Most of these sites look the same. There’s a place to check available dishes. Then there’s the pricing section and the FAQ/how it works area.
As such, you can barely get confused about how to place an order. Of course, meal kits available in Canada differ in some ways. For example, some providers also deliver wine and beverages in addition to food. Others provide breakfast meals and snacks.
Ordering Meals
As we’ve mentioned, meal delivery providers are real gifts to everyone who cherishes healthy meals. That’s because they offer family-friendly foods and have a vast range of dishes, from Vegan and paleo to low-carb and gluten-free meals.
Ordering a meal, therefore, is as simple as choosing what you want to eat and placing your order. Admittedly, these companies have menus that change weekly. So, before you order pork Bolognese or smoky shrimp, ensure they are available on the list.
Comparing Prices
Meal delivery companies price their foods based on the amount of food ordered and the number of times it must be delivered weekly. Delivery fees tend to be constant regardless of the amount of food requested.
To give an overview below is the estimated cost of ordering meals for two persons thrice a week at Canada’s leading providers.
- Hello Fresh–$79.99
- Miss Fresh—$65.94
- Good food–$66.95
- Chef’s Plate–$59.94
- Cook it–$67
The prices are pretty competitive. But the beauty of it is that you can cancel orders at pleasure or skip some weeks without incurring cancellation charges. You can pay using credit and debit cards or e-wallets like PayPal.
Why Meal Kits are Trending
If everyone you know is talking about meal kit services, you’ve probably thought of joining the wave. But are these services as incredible as people say? What are the benefits and disadvantages of ordering from online meal kit companies?
- Health Benefits
Let’s get it out there. We all want healthy meals for our families. But due to busy schedules, sourcing organic vegetables, low-carb legumes and lean beef can feel impossible. Meal kit companies solve this problem by finding your favourite ingredients and prepping them for you.
The result is that you get to cook nutritious dishes for your family without spending hours finding appropriate ingredients. That means they are also convenient. In fact, some of these companies do everything, including cooking.
- Specialty Diets
So, you want to try the paleo diet? Say no more. Leading meal kit companies can prepare and provide mouth-watering paleo meals to you every week. They avail various recipes so that you choose what you want to eat.
Depending on the provider, you can select from up to five specialties, including gluten-free, vegan, seafood, diabetes-friendly and pescatarian dishes.
- Trying New Meals
Got an itch to eat Mediterranean foods? There’s no need to worry about finding the right ingredients. Instead, all you have to do is find a meal kit company with this dish and order from them.
If you decide to eat carb-conscious foods the following week, lean and clean or vegan snacks, you will know what to do. That’s what meal kit companies are all about, giving you the freedom to try any healthy dish in the world conveniently.
Things to Consider
Similar to most online services, not everyone is pleased by meal delivery kits. A report by CNBC shows that over 50% of new customers cancel their subscriptions within six months. So, what could be the problem?
- Costs
Meal delivery companies promise to do the hard part of cooking healthy meals for you. They source seafood organically, find recipes all over Canada, clean, prep and deliver them to your doorstep.
However, they also charge you $5 to $15 per serving of two people. Assuming the average cost is $10, you would have to spend $70 per week. And if there’s a delivery fee of—say $7, it costs over $100 for weekly dinners. That’s a price some people find unmanageable in the long run.
- Choices
Meal kit companies have a specific menu per week. That means if you don’t like what’s offered, you have to settle for dishes you don’t particularly want to eat. What’s more, these companies don’t always pair the main meal with your favourite side dishes. Again, reigniting the problem of lack of proper choices.
To Conclude
Not everyone is on board the meal delivery trend in Canada. But if eating healthy dishes is something you want, you should try them.
