With many of us leading increasingly busy lifestyles with long commutes, even longer working hours and fitting in time to sleep and relax in between, there is little wonder why so many people just can’t - or won’t cook. After all, after a ten hour day at work, who wants to be standing in front of the stove, chopping and mixing and trying new things, when it might not quite turn out as planned? Not to mention how some of the recipes you can try are just plain, boring, uninspired and worst of all unhealthy. No, it’s much easier to revert to a few tried and tested recipes, or reach for convenience foods or the takeout menu.
There is a middle ground though - meal subscription boxes. These have exploded in popularity in recent years and given the reasons above, it isn’t hard to understand why. Food delivered to your front door, in perfectly measured quantities and step by step recipes to enable you to make gourmet food in just a few minutes? No wonder everyone loves them! They also make excellent gifts for those truly hard-to-buy-for people in your life.
Ever Wondered How Meal Subscription Boxes Work?
Most meal subscription boxes work in a similar way - you sign up and choose your plan. This may be one tailored for one or two people, a family or cater for specific dietary requirements, such as vegetarianism. Some even offer options such as gluten-free. Once you have decided on your plan, you browse the menu choices and add them, before payment. You usually have to sign up for a minimum amount of meals per week - three meals for two people, for example. Food boxes are then delivered on a weekly basis, in an insulated box. As standard, they usually have the exact portions of all the ‘main’ ingredients, and the recipe to follow. You may have to add some ingredients such as oil, salt and pepper, and eggs.
Subscriboxer have the low-down on the best subscription boxes, but here, we look at what we think are some of the best ones out there at the moment.
1. Hello Fresh
An internationally popular subscription box, Hello Fresh is renowned for its no fuss, simple ingredients and recipes. They’re simple and nutritious, and there’s nothing too fancy, just simple home cooked food. Recent menus have included Swedish meatloaf, Mediterranean roasted chicken and chicken tacos. Prices start at $7.87 for a family serving and $8.99 for the classic and veggie plans. There is also no commitment - you can cancel, pause or modify your subscription at any time, making it the perfect box for anyone with a busy lifestyle. The website gives you all the recipes to recreate yourself, as well as showing detailed nutritional information and even the best wines to pair with each meal.
2. Plated
This is an excellent one if you’re worried about the environmental impact that your lifestyle may have. Perfect for vegetarians, experienced cooks or even newbies to the kitchen, Plated has plenty of options, suitable for everyone. They use artisanal ingredients, carefully consider where their products are sourced from to reduce the effect on the environment and use sustainably caught fish and pork and poultry that have been raised without antibiotics or any added hormones. Meals recently featured on their menu include sun-dried tomato chicken and seared steak. They also have a range of desserts. Prices start from $11.95 per serving.
3. Martha and Marley Spoon
This is a particularly useful food subscription box if you are an Amazon customer, especially if you have signed up to Amazon Fresh. They can be ordered directly from their website as well. It has a good selection of great seasonal dishes for any aspiring cook to add to their repertoire. Current menus include butternut squash pizza and lemon and paprika shrimp. Prices start from around $9.20 a month. You can skip deliveries, as long as it is done more than five days before.
4. Blue Apron
This one is for the foodies, or the ones who might want to try taking their cooking skills up a notch without any risks. They use responsibly sourced, high-quality ingredients and all their meal plans are designed by chefs. Prices start at around $7.49 per serving, and recent additions to the menu include seared tilapia and orzo pasta and piccadilo-style beef ragu. Like the other boxes, they are flexible and simple to cancel or skip.
Shopping and making your own meals isn't easy. Add some healthy convenience to your life and enjoy these meal subscription services.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post about how to save time and improve your health on a lean budget with food subscription boxes.
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