The conversation of meal kits vs. prepared meal delivery services has gained much attention in recent years. With new meal delivery companies joining the industry all the time, a record number of people have turned to premade meals or meal kit services to get nutritious, tasty meals on the table with minimal effort.
If you’ve been on the fence about choosing prepared meals or a meal kit service, this simple guide will make it easy to choose the right type of meal delivery to fit your lifestyle, budget, and dietary needs.
Meal Kits
Pros
- Meal kits are a great way to try new recipes and gain confidence in your cooking skills
- A variety of meal plans are available to accommodate dietary needs and preferences
- Minimize waste with pre-portioned, quality ingredients.
- Save time grocery shopping while still preparing your own meals
- Choose the number of servings per meal
- Quick, easy recipes reduce cooking time and make it super simple to cook delicious food
Cons
- You will still spend time prepping ingredients, cooking, and doing dishes
- Meal kits can be more costly than traditional grocery shopping
- While healthy recipes are available, there’s less focus on macros
Prepared Meals
Pros
- Save time with no shopping, preparation, cooking, or dishes.
- Prepared meals can be tailored to specific dietary needs
- Try a large variety of flavors
- Many companies offer chef-prepared meals
- Nutritious meals make it easier to achieve health and weight loss goals
- Prepared meals can be used for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Cons
- Prepared meals tend to cost more because you’re paying for convenience
- More packaging waste
- Most prepared meals are only available in a single-serving size
Comparing Meal Kits & Prepared Meal Delivery
Meal delivery services have come a long way over the years. While there used only to be a couple of big-name companies to order from, now there are so many great companies to choose from.
There are meal kit and meal prep delivery services to accommodate so many different dietary needs, but before you can choose the meal delivery service you want to order from, you first have to decide if meal kits or prepared meals are a better fit for your lifestyle.
Meal Kits
Meal kit delivery has revolutionized mealtime for busy families who want to reduce food waste in their kitchen. Most meal kit companies offer meals with 2 to 4 servings, with some companies offering even more servings per meal.
The concept behind meal kits is simple: bring pre-portioned, raw ingredients and high-quality, easy-to-follow recipes to your door each week. This allows you to create meals you can be proud of and still feel good knowing you’re enjoying a home-cooked meal. You don’t have to be experienced in the kitchen to prepare meals, plus it’s much healthier than fast food!
Meal kits stack up well against traditional grocery costs when you consider how much time you save and the fact that there is absolutely no food waste. Plus, many meal kit companies use eco-friendly packaging.
You get just the right amount of fresh ingredients to prepare your meal options that week, so nothing will go bad before you can use it! Meal kits can accommodate some dietary preferences and restrictions, but there typically aren’t as many customizations available as you find with meal prep delivery.
Prepared Meal Delivery
Prepared meals or meal prep delivery services, take the guesswork out of meal prepping by doing all the work for you! Nutritionally balanced meals are tailored to your needs, chef-prepared, packaged, and shipped fresh or frozen to your doorstep each week.
Most meal prep services ship single-serving meals, so prepared meal delivery can be more challenging if you have a family to feed.
Many people make the switch to prepared meal delivery when they want to eat healthier but aren’t sure where to start. You can filter meals to be gluten-free, plant-based, low-calorie, high-protein, and so many other things!
Your specific dietary needs and long-term health goals should be taken into account to choose the best meal plan. Meal prep delivery can be used for as many meals per week as you want, too. Lots of companies offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner options in addition to quick snacks or smoothies to take on the go.
One of the biggest benefits of meal prep delivery is the ability to try new recipes and flavors you never would have made on your own.
There’s a huge variety of menu items to try, so you don’t have to feel bored or stuck in a rut while making healthier eating choices. On the other hand, you do pay a little more for the convenience of these ready-to-eat meals.
FAQs
Are prepared meals better than meal kits?
It’s tough to say if prepared meals or meal kits are better; they differ. u003cbru003eu003cbru003ePrepared meals are great time savers and make it easy to have total control over your nutritional intake, while meal kits can build confidence in the kitchen and can be ordered with multiple servings per meal.
What are the benefits of meal delivery services?
They save time on grocery shopping and meal planning while introducing you to new flavors and recipes you wouldn’t usually try. Meal delivery services also help lower food waste and can be catered to fit specific health goals or dietary needs.