Finding time to cook these days can be a challenge. If you need help in the kitchen then cheap offers for "meal delivery" can be enticing. But not all meal delivery services are created equal. Do you know the difference?
Before conducting your search it's important to understand your needs and to get familiar with the types of services available so that you can find the one that's right for you. The choice will often come down to time and budget.
So first, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you have time to cook?
- Do you enjoy cooking?
- Are you wasting a lot of food?
- Do you dine out frequently? Where - take-out, moderately priced restaurants, fine-dining restaurants?
- What's your budget? Consider the time and money you spend on groceries, shopping, planning, cleaning up, dining out, wasted food, etc.
- What's the value of your time?
Then decide what type of help you need:
Meal Kit Subscriptions
If you're somewhat of an adventurous eater and don't mind cooking and/or you're on a budget then this may be a good option for you.
How it works: Order on-line from a fixed menu; receive a box with raw ingredients ready to cook. Follow the recipes in the box and have dinner on the table in 20-30 minutes (in theory).
Pros: Save some time, try new things, cheap.
Cons: Menu offerings are somewhat limited, ingredients/recipes are often missing, meals may take longer to prepare than indicated. After all, it's not easy to cook with little Suzy hanging around your neck or while on a conference call. By the way, how long has that box of raw ingredients been on a truck and sitting out on your doorstep? Something to think about.
Prepared Meal Delivery
There are many types of prepared meal delivery services from which to choose. Your local caterer may offer a limited weekly rotating menu available for on-line ordering, with the option to pick up or pay additional for delivery. Other companies mass produce and ship fully-prepared meals while others services such as Zest have personal chefs who work with individual clients to offer customized prepared meal delivery services locally.
Pros: Save time. Just heat and eat. You don't have to cook or clean up! Customized services offer the greatest variety with meals cooked to your tastes and preferences.
Cons: Unless you opt for customized prepared meals like we offer, selections may not meet your needs nor be the healthiest choice. Cost is higher than meal kits or doing it yourself. But the time savings is priceless.
Ready to Choose?
Hopefully this information has helped you understand your needs and identify the service that's best for you.
If you're looking for customized prepared meal delivery and are in our service area then contact us for more details and discover how we can help!