Page 64 - Spring2020

Technology as Servant

MEALS IN A BOX: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UNSUSTAINABLE

By John Moody

Meal kits Over the past decade, meal kits (or what Particular brands vary in terms of frequency
involve I call “meals in a box”) have become one of of delivery and dietary accommodations, with
the fastest growing segments of the U.S. food some offering gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free
varying economy, with annual growth estimated at 25 to or other options.

degrees of 30 percent. Using a subscription model, online Meal kits fall into two broad categories.
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preparation companies offer a wide variety of home-deliv- Some are almost (or even completely) ready to
ered meal options. In addition, supermarkets eat right out of the box after reheating or cook-
by the are entering the fray, offering in-store meal kits, ing. Others involve varying degrees of prepara-
purchaser— which accounted for ninety-three million dollars tion by the purchaser—in some cases, quite a
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in some in sales in 2018. bit of preparation and more than we expected.
While not a new idea, the latest meal kit Let’s dive into the details of these semi- to-fully
cases, quite a concept seeks to take convenience to a whole prepared meals delivered right to your door.
bit of new level for the growing number of Americans
preparation. who cannot or will not take the time to prepare PLASTIC AND PACKAGING
The first thing you will notice with most
food for themselves, or who want cooking tasks
to be made as simple as possible. Offering “some meal kit services is the tremendous amount of
variation of the following,” consumers pay plastic and packaging used. All the items come
between sixty and one hundred eighty dollars encased in plastic, sometimes right down to
per week and “receive at their doorstep a decon- rather small amounts of seasonings, marinades
structed meal in a cardboard box—premeasured and sweeteners. Insulated boxes are also crucial
groceries, step-by-step recipe instructions, and for these services. It is startling to realize, but
the almost-realized fantasy of a home-cooked a few pounds of food may be accompanied by
meal.” a few pounds of packaging.
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But how do these services stack up? Our Not all companies are equal with regard to
household tested kits of various kinds from a packaging. Some use less—or use more sustain-
half dozen companies, and I interviewed people able, recyclable or lower-environmental-impact
who had used over a dozen more. While wading options. Generally, the more “ready to eat” the
through the options, I found that there is a com- meal, the less total packaging is involved.
pany for almost every conceivable diet—from In many parts of the country, recycling isn’t
vegan and vegetarian to ketogenic and paleo. available for most of the packaging materials

SUMMARY OF MEAL KIT SERVICES

COST: Ranges from around eight to nine dollars per person per meal on the low end to as much as $12 to $14 on
the high end. Generally, the more meals you get from a service, the lower the cost per meal.

CONVENIENCE: Meal preparation can take as little as a few minutes to over an hour. Typical for many services is
an estimated prep time of twenty to forty-five minutes.

CHOICES: We found that only a few companies, mostly paleo, had high-quality ingredients. All of the meal services
allow some degree of customization, but it varies greatly from company to company.

64 Wise Traditions SPRING 2020