Food subscriptions have become increasingly popular in recent years, especially since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
A variety of companies, such as HelloFresh, Blue Apron and Home Chef offer different options to make life easier for overwhelmed people cooking at home.
These companies allow consumers to choose from a list of online recipes for the week and have the portioned ingredients shipped to their homes, according to an Aug. 7, 2019 Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon article.
Ordering food subscriptions saves customers time they’d usually spend planning their own recipes, going grocery shopping and meal prepping.
In the age of the isolation and safety protocols, these boxed shipments have allowed people to keep their pantries full without possibly exposing themselves to COVID-19 or even leaving the house at all.
Meal subscriptions also reduce food waste, according to a blog post by Sams/Hockaday & Associates, an Illinois insurance company for seniors.
Perfectly portioned ingredients means people are less likely to leave uneaten leftovers, while normal grocery shopping usually leads to overconsumption, poor food choices and wasted money, according to the same blog post.
Regulated portions lead consumers to eat better quality food; which in turn creates better relationships with food, according to the same blog post.
These subscriptions also alleviate the issue of missing or forgotten ingredients that would otherwise warrant an extra trip to the grocery store.
While having food subscriptions makes meal prepping easier, having a constant flow of ingredients and recipes forces you to cook, according to a July 9, 2019 New York Times article.
Cooking can be time consuming, but it allows people to practice their skills in a controlled environment.
Consistently cooking will also expose the consumer to a larger variety of recipes. It forces people out of their comfort zones as new foods are being marketed to them. They can no longer use the excuse of “I don’t know how to cook it” or “I don’t know what ingredients to use”.
If a person didn’t like eating certain foods before, they now have the chance to learn new ways to cook them in a way they enjoy. Through practice, people can eventually tailor recipes to fit their own taste while still eating better.
Food subscriptions can be extremely helpful, but they do come at a price. Meals could be between $9 and $12 once the subscription costs are broken down, according to a July 24, 2019 article by The Simple Dollar, a finance coaching website.
While these services can make eating more convenient, some people simply can’t afford it. However, many food subscription companies allow customers to opt out of a weekly subscription or meal plan without canceling their whole membership, whether it's because they can’t afford it or they simply don’t like the meal options offered.
Aside from the tangible benefits of food subscriptions, they add a bit of fun to your life. Receiving an ingredient box at your front door can make someone feel like a kid at Christmas. That feeling makes the daunting prospect of cooking seem more exciting and less like a chore.
Food subscription companies are changing how people view cooking one box at a time. They’re the future of grocery shopping, home cooked meals and an unburdensome lifestyle.
