I would love to be a girl of never-ending energy … a whirlwind of activity … a nonstop warrior … a go getter. Alas, this is not the case. I am a girl of fits and starts. I have a ton of good ideas, some I even try to implement. But my follow through isn’t always there.
However, in my latest quest for simplification and organization I have taken the plunge into the world of home meal delivery and I have to say it is great. Even Jimmy thinks its a great idea and not just the next best thing to spend our money on. We’ve started a subscription to Home Chef.
Now, I will confess that much of this idea came from the constant barrage of advertisements I hear while I am listening to the stories on my phone (check out the blog). So, while I trust my favorite podcasters to tell a great story or to give me great book recommendations, should I really trust them with my weekly food budget? It turns out, the answer is yes. Here is what I have found out 2 months into my subscription:
Why I Love It
No Waste – This is a huge one for us. No matter how much I try to contain myself, I always, always, always over buy at the grocery store with the big plans of making meals every night and finally adding more fresh produce to our diet. HA! That’s where my starts ends up in fits! With Home Chef my refrigerator is cleaner then ever. I actually use almost all the food in there before it spoils or turns to liquid in the corner of the vegetable bin (you all know what I mean).
Jimmy cooks – YAY! Don’t get me wrong. Jimmy can be very helpful in the kitchen if I ask and he has time and can play his own music during prep. But Jimmy has never been a self starter in this area. Who knew that all along there was a solution to my problem – meal kits. He loves the fact that everything is right there for you. You still have to prep but it is all packaged, neatly labeled and perfectly proportioned. He gets excited about cooking now and has made several of the meals for me while I finish up work or delightfully sip a glass of wine as he busies himself in the kitchen. I love that boy!
Substantially less grocery shopping – I confess that there are times I love to wander around the grocery store looking for all the ingredients for my next culinary masterpiece. However, those times are few and far between and more often than not I just love to get in and out as quickly as possible. When you have 3 meals a week already planned and shopped for, weekly grocery shopping is much quicker as you are usually getting only a few staples.
Cost – I think when all is said and done, the price works out to pretty much the same. When I was doing my research on which service to use (i.e. spending 2 minutes Googling “best home meal delivery services” until I found one article that seemed convincing) Most of them average around $10 per person per meal. While there are times you can definitely get better deals doing it yourself, the time it saves is totally worth the little bit extra you spend.
Variety – There is a fit for everyone. Seriously, it seems that if you want gluten free, dairy free, Paleo, whole foods, organic, vegetarian, vegan, Twinkies – it is all out there is some form or another. Some meal services specialize in certain areas, but I find that most will have some or all of the above options built in.
Time – Who doesn’t need more of that. These meals are super quick and fun to put together.
Taste (last but not least) – Everyone of these meals (even the more unique ones I have picked) has tasted good, fresh, and healthy. For being quick recipes they certainly pack a lot of punch in the taste category.
Becky Sums Up
It has been a great experience all around and can’t wait to see all the great new recipes Jimmy will be cooking in the future!
Contentment and French Fries 