The idea is simple, and yet, it has become one of the most in-demand types of services today. Millennials have fallen in love with meal kit delivery and have brought the rest of the population along with them. These kits, in a wide range of styles and meal formats, provide all of the ingredients necessary to prepare a meal for two to four people.
No grocery shopping needed. No worrying about how to prepare foods - it all comes with videos and instructions. A self-contained food blog in a box. But, why is this happening and what can we expect from this industry?
Why Are Meal Kits Popular?
Meal kits have taken many of the pain points out of making food. First, it is important to understand the Millennial mindset that has set the tone for the meal kit industry. This group of individuals wants to eat healthy, but they do not have a lot of experience preparing food. They are short on time and want fast, easy solutions to meals. Meal kits solve this. They are:
- Healthy and all of the ingredients are clearly stated
- Most are organic as well
- Time saving, removing the ingredient prep required (20-30 minutes average per recipe)
- Predictable. They allow individuals to pre-plan their menu. This means there is no need to rush out to the grocery store on the way home from work
- Variable. This helps avoid the dreaded same-meal-each-week
- Pre-portioned. This helps to minimize leftovers and control calorie intake
All of this combines into a service that checks off the right boxes for a busy, health-concerned person with disposable income: time-saving, healthy, and offers variation.
Choosing the Right Package for You
One of the nice benefits of meal kit delivery is their ability to customize menus to meet specific health, diet, and allergy needs. Many of them are organic or gluten-free. Some are specialized for specific diets or ways of living such as those for low carb, weight loss, or even non-GMO.
In addition to this, individuals can customize them to fit their needs. This includes choosing the number of portions per meal necessary. And, they allow individuals to choose from a set of recipes. This means the individual gets to choose the meals they want from a range of options.
Which Companies Are Standouts?
There are dozens of meal kit companies. Here's a look at some of the standout and most well-established meal kit companies today:
Cook It
Cook It delivers in Quebec and Ontario. They offer gluten-free foods, ready-to eat meals, and a range of menu options. You can choose from various portions per meal. And, you can choose a subscription here without a commitment.
Chefs Plate
This Toronto-based company delivers throughout Canada. It offers two- and three-person meal subscriptions without commitment. There's a new menu every week.
GoodFood
GoodFood delivers along the East Coast of Canada and offers subscriptions without commitments. The company allows individuals to choose the portions right for them and offers various menus.
MissFresh
This organization delivers throughout Canada and offers subscriptions without the need for commitment. Individuals choose the number of recipes and portions they want.
HelloFresh
Hello Fresh delivers throughout Canada. The company offers gluten-free meal options and subscriptions without any commitment. Choose the number of recipes and portions desired each week.
Each of these meal kit delivery options open the door for new opportunities, tastes, and plenty of flavor. They keep costs low while enhancing the number of recipes people can enjoy. For those looking for a menu that's diverse and even healthy, meal delivery services like this are ideal.
Meal Kits for Food Bloggers
On first impression, it looks like meal kits are a potential drain on search volumes for foodie bloggers, but they may actually work in their favor in the long-run.
Meal kits are a stepping stone for amateur cooks and a younger generation who are unsure of what's required to fully cook a meal, or which ingredients to combine to compliment each other. This builds experience and confidence, opening the world of home cooking and creating a new generation of visitors to food blogs in search of exciting new recipes, or variations on the meal kit they received.
It's also possible to cheat a little using a meal kit subscription to start a food blog - your content planning is essentially done for you, leaving you to simply cook and photograph your meals. No more planning. No more ingredient prep. Just cook, photograph, and post. You can avoid duplicate recipes by customizing the recipe to your personal tastes - adding bacon as a topping, cashews or almond slices, or hemp hearts to any number of dishes.