“For you, reading this article would be comparable to Christian Grey reading up on 101 ways to tie up your wife in the red-velvet room of pleasure. It’s moot.” YOU’RE FREAKING HILARIOUS 😂😂😂
I’ve never done a meal kit service primarily because of the cost and also waste generated, as you said! But I’m always voyeuristically interested in what people are making/eating 🥰 so thank you for this post!
😂😂 Glad you got a laugh out of my kitchen antics. And yeah, the packaging thing is a real moral dilemma for me. I even use solid shampoo bars to avoid plastic bottles.
I'm a Lushie all the way! I love buying from them because they're all natural AND they take their containers back!!! I feel like it should be legally required for every brand everywhere to take back their containers lol
I use the same pink bar all the time (coconut something?). I have curly hair that's prone to dryness so once I found the bar that worked the best I stuck to it. And I love that when Lush takes back their containers you get a dollar per jar toward your next purchase. It's great incentive to recycle.
Good insight! I haven't done meal delivery, but at one point signed up for a program that gave a week's recipes and a shopping list. That food prep was a lot of work. Buying pre-cut veggies and other shortcuts helped a lot.
I’d like to clarify: love playing in the kitchen, hate grocery shopping. (Luckily my husband does the grocery shopping when he’s here, but when he’s away and I have to do it myself, ughhhhhh the drama.)
"Don't cry for me Argentina," as the song goes - despite the disability I've got the greatest life - just can't shop or cook. But I can write, and I love it! If you're interested, see my substack and read "The Voice Behind the Curtain," that'll catch you up. Blessings!
I was an EARLY adopter of meal kit services back when I was the primary parent and you nailed why on the head. I wasted so much food before that. Loved the novelty and discovery. But most of all, I loved not having to meal plan myself after a long day of creatoring..
I absolutely love to cook. But when Mr. J was first diagnosed, I was so overwhelmed I couldn't even imagine what to make for dinner. A meal service absolutely saved me those first three months. In solidarity.
I am one of the oddities. I love both grocery shopping and cooking. In fact, I do grocery shopping for others as my job. A meal delivery service has never crossed my mind as a thing to do. I appreciate the service though for people such as yourself and others who can't get out to stores. Plus I bet it's a fun thing to get in the mail. Who doesn't love good mail?!
Here in the UK I get a regular delivery of Riverford (organic veg) meal kits. They are eco conscious so the plastic packaging is as minimal as it can be. It means that me and my partner eat far more healthily than before, there’s zero wastage, I enjoy cooking without having to shop and think about what we are going to eat. I started when I wanted to eat better to heal from Long Covid. I think it’s been instrumental in that process, and is now my one ‘essential’ luxury. I can’t go back!
I love this!! I do consider it a luxury as well and for a single person like me it just makes sense. No waste and YES...a lot healthier than I'd normally be eating. Thank you for sharing this Ali!
This is the best thing I've read all month. So informative! I also love the term "kitchen loser" because that describes me perfectly. You've inspired me to try a meal delivery service. Thanks for writing this 😊
I feel you on not loving being in the kitchen, Kristi! Since meal delivery isn’t available here in the countryside of 🇯🇲, I went ahead and married a chef 👨🏿🍳 instead 🤣🤣🤣 when he’s at work, he either leaves food for me or I’m on my own (which equates to fruit, sandwiches, and/or fasting until he gets home hahahha 🤣🤣🤣).
I subscribed to your upcoming doggie 🐶 page and am excited to see what you share there! Thanks for being you. 💗
Deanna! That's the one thing I miss most about living there. Everyone can cook and they ALL do it without hesitation! When I lived in Ochi, my neighbor brought over dinner nearly every day. He was actually Indian from Guyana and LAWWWWD could the man cook Indian food! And I regularly bought tons of groceries and invited Jamaicans over for drinks so they'd cook giant pots of food i could eat for a week. 🤣
I'm so happy your here for Dog Snobs too 😁 There will be more than one story about Jamaican dogs, that's for sure.
HA!!! Cook-from-scratchatarian is the best term I've ever heard! 😂
I honestly wish I liked cooking because I LOVE eating. I worked in fine dining for over a decade and always got to eat the BEST food for dinner on work days. But at home, it's just not a go lol.
My mom is a fantastic cook. Not sure there was ever any formal lessons but I ate well growing up. And I did cook plenty when my son was growing up. I exaggerate when I say we ate poorly. I've just never enjoyed cooking and became a bachelorette after he moved out so cooking was moot lol
We were once gifted a meal delivery service, kind of a sample trial -- it was fine, but since my husband does almost all the dinner cooking and likes it that way, we saw no reason to continue. But if I were alone, I'd probably sign up. As you say, it's actually economical, except for the additional packaging which bugs me too. I kind of like to cook, but not just for myself and certainly not every day. Did that as a mom for decades; over it.
Exactly! I did it every day as well, as a mom. But then again, these type of things didn't exist back then. I think I can cook but seriously lack creativity and oomph.
I love a person with a sense of humor! We tried one of those "magic box" delivery services - my wife loved it, I couldn't stand it. The food tasted pretty good, but the presentation was horrible. Remember those old TV dinners in the crinkled foil trays that were compartmentalized? This was that, and I could never get past the gross image in my mind from my childhood!
Hahaha no I don't remember TV dinners because my mother never would have paid for those. She's a fantastic cook. But these meal kits are actually just ingredients. You still have to prep and cook the food but everything is there and ready to do it. I'm not a fan of frozen dinners because most of them have meat. And I don't think they're super healthy.
Kristi $60 a week for meal delivery is amazing. I got back into cooking again recently after a long absence of sleep walking through cooking the last 2-3 years and it's been a lot of fun. IDK why. FUN THING FOR YOU TO TRY: Watch Gordon Ramsay explain a recipe to you on Youtube at half speed. It is the most hilarious thing of all time watching Gordon Ramsay talk like he's drunk to you while explaining how to cook food. I run the videos at half speed to not miss a beat, but sometimes I'm in my kitchen literally dying from laughter because of how drunk Gordon Ramsay sounds.
Bahahahaa!! I'm totally going to try that! I am mesmerized by TV chefs, I bet slow-mo would be even more riveting lol. And yeah, I can't beat the cost at the grocery store. My kits are probably way cheaper than some because I don't eat meat. I can imagine the meat recipes cost more.
I’m gonna totally try this! Half time sounds like a stitch! I love to cook. And I make up my own stuff. Half time could give me tons of ideas and the processing speed to actually produce them…if I’m not laughing too hard.
“For you, reading this article would be comparable to Christian Grey reading up on 101 ways to tie up your wife in the red-velvet room of pleasure. It’s moot.” YOU’RE FREAKING HILARIOUS 😂😂😂
I’ve never done a meal kit service primarily because of the cost and also waste generated, as you said! But I’m always voyeuristically interested in what people are making/eating 🥰 so thank you for this post!
😂😂 Glad you got a laugh out of my kitchen antics. And yeah, the packaging thing is a real moral dilemma for me. I even use solid shampoo bars to avoid plastic bottles.
Same on the solid shampoo bars. My favorites are from Lush. What brand do you prefer?
I'm a Lushie all the way! I love buying from them because they're all natural AND they take their containers back!!! I feel like it should be legally required for every brand everywhere to take back their containers lol
hahaha a Lushie! I've never heard that. My current favorite is an oatmilk colored one. They last so long that I never remember the names.
Yes! I imagine they would quickly figure out a new cheaper method of packaging their product if they had to deal with the waste.
I use the same pink bar all the time (coconut something?). I have curly hair that's prone to dryness so once I found the bar that worked the best I stuck to it. And I love that when Lush takes back their containers you get a dollar per jar toward your next purchase. It's great incentive to recycle.
Good insight! I haven't done meal delivery, but at one point signed up for a program that gave a week's recipes and a shopping list. That food prep was a lot of work. Buying pre-cut veggies and other shortcuts helped a lot.
I'm excited about the dog pub!!
Yeah I buy a lot of frozen veg too simple because of the shelf life of fresh food. The conundrum of shopping for one!
And I'm so glad you're excited! I've been meaning to get the dog one rolling for months!
I’d like to clarify: love playing in the kitchen, hate grocery shopping. (Luckily my husband does the grocery shopping when he’s here, but when he’s away and I have to do it myself, ughhhhhh the drama.)
Drama 😂 And there are NO eligible men at the grocery store anyway so why bother?
And no dogs. So really where’s the reward?
Oops, 0 for 2 over here! Food prep and grocery shopping are punishment for a guy in a wheelchair!
Oh man. I bet!
"Don't cry for me Argentina," as the song goes - despite the disability I've got the greatest life - just can't shop or cook. But I can write, and I love it! If you're interested, see my substack and read "The Voice Behind the Curtain," that'll catch you up. Blessings!
Sounds like a great life and I like your energy. I’ll go check out your stack now
And of course I’m all in for having 3 substacks and already subscribed to your dog stack!
Yaay!!!! And hey, if you ever want to write dog stuff I'd love contributors!!
Oh thank you! I’d probably love to!
🙋🏼♀️ Fellow cooking-hater and dog-lover here!! Excited to be following along for all the things!!
Woohoo! I feel so validated 😁
I was an EARLY adopter of meal kit services back when I was the primary parent and you nailed why on the head. I wasted so much food before that. Loved the novelty and discovery. But most of all, I loved not having to meal plan myself after a long day of creatoring..
I can understand it even more for parents! Back when I was a parent this stuff didn't exist but would have been so helpful!
Subbed to Dog Blog -can’t wait! I have a story for you when we chat Friday…
I do love to cook and make the prettiest charcuterie boards.
But meal service is on the horizon - IF they pick pretty veggies and not too squishy fruit lollllz.
Yeah once in a while the quality of the fresh veg suffers a bit in the kits. Not my favorite.
Looking forward to chatting on Friday!
I absolutely love to cook. But when Mr. J was first diagnosed, I was so overwhelmed I couldn't even imagine what to make for dinner. A meal service absolutely saved me those first three months. In solidarity.
I am one of the oddities. I love both grocery shopping and cooking. In fact, I do grocery shopping for others as my job. A meal delivery service has never crossed my mind as a thing to do. I appreciate the service though for people such as yourself and others who can't get out to stores. Plus I bet it's a fun thing to get in the mail. Who doesn't love good mail?!
This is true! Delivery days are something to look forward to for sure 😁
During the beginning days of the pandemic, I had been working as a FedEx driver and HATED those delivery days. lol
Hahahahaa no doubt!! My salad delivery guy is so friendly and I look forward to seeing him every Sunday!
Here in the UK I get a regular delivery of Riverford (organic veg) meal kits. They are eco conscious so the plastic packaging is as minimal as it can be. It means that me and my partner eat far more healthily than before, there’s zero wastage, I enjoy cooking without having to shop and think about what we are going to eat. I started when I wanted to eat better to heal from Long Covid. I think it’s been instrumental in that process, and is now my one ‘essential’ luxury. I can’t go back!
I love this!! I do consider it a luxury as well and for a single person like me it just makes sense. No waste and YES...a lot healthier than I'd normally be eating. Thank you for sharing this Ali!
This is the best thing I've read all month. So informative! I also love the term "kitchen loser" because that describes me perfectly. You've inspired me to try a meal delivery service. Thanks for writing this 😊
Haa!!! I'm glad you found inspiration and amusement! For the record, I would ONLY call myself a loser 😂 Happy cooking!
I feel you on not loving being in the kitchen, Kristi! Since meal delivery isn’t available here in the countryside of 🇯🇲, I went ahead and married a chef 👨🏿🍳 instead 🤣🤣🤣 when he’s at work, he either leaves food for me or I’m on my own (which equates to fruit, sandwiches, and/or fasting until he gets home hahahha 🤣🤣🤣).
I subscribed to your upcoming doggie 🐶 page and am excited to see what you share there! Thanks for being you. 💗
Deanna! That's the one thing I miss most about living there. Everyone can cook and they ALL do it without hesitation! When I lived in Ochi, my neighbor brought over dinner nearly every day. He was actually Indian from Guyana and LAWWWWD could the man cook Indian food! And I regularly bought tons of groceries and invited Jamaicans over for drinks so they'd cook giant pots of food i could eat for a week. 🤣
I'm so happy your here for Dog Snobs too 😁 There will be more than one story about Jamaican dogs, that's for sure.
As a demented cook-from-scratchatarian I loved this piece. Very funny but also makes a great case for the idea!
HA!!! Cook-from-scratchatarian is the best term I've ever heard! 😂
I honestly wish I liked cooking because I LOVE eating. I worked in fine dining for over a decade and always got to eat the BEST food for dinner on work days. But at home, it's just not a go lol.
That is a total tragedy! Which bits of cooking do you hate the most???
Food prep and the fact that even when I follow recipes it just turns out mediocre.
Sounds a dumb question, but did anyone teach you how to cook???
My mom is a fantastic cook. Not sure there was ever any formal lessons but I ate well growing up. And I did cook plenty when my son was growing up. I exaggerate when I say we ate poorly. I've just never enjoyed cooking and became a bachelorette after he moved out so cooking was moot lol
We were once gifted a meal delivery service, kind of a sample trial -- it was fine, but since my husband does almost all the dinner cooking and likes it that way, we saw no reason to continue. But if I were alone, I'd probably sign up. As you say, it's actually economical, except for the additional packaging which bugs me too. I kind of like to cook, but not just for myself and certainly not every day. Did that as a mom for decades; over it.
Exactly! I did it every day as well, as a mom. But then again, these type of things didn't exist back then. I think I can cook but seriously lack creativity and oomph.
If it doesn't give you joy, why do it?
I love a person with a sense of humor! We tried one of those "magic box" delivery services - my wife loved it, I couldn't stand it. The food tasted pretty good, but the presentation was horrible. Remember those old TV dinners in the crinkled foil trays that were compartmentalized? This was that, and I could never get past the gross image in my mind from my childhood!
Hahaha no I don't remember TV dinners because my mother never would have paid for those. She's a fantastic cook. But these meal kits are actually just ingredients. You still have to prep and cook the food but everything is there and ready to do it. I'm not a fan of frozen dinners because most of them have meat. And I don't think they're super healthy.
Aren't you kind - GROSS is a better word. You know it's bad when you put it on the floor for the dog, and she won't touch it!
hahahahahaaa!!
Kristi $60 a week for meal delivery is amazing. I got back into cooking again recently after a long absence of sleep walking through cooking the last 2-3 years and it's been a lot of fun. IDK why. FUN THING FOR YOU TO TRY: Watch Gordon Ramsay explain a recipe to you on Youtube at half speed. It is the most hilarious thing of all time watching Gordon Ramsay talk like he's drunk to you while explaining how to cook food. I run the videos at half speed to not miss a beat, but sometimes I'm in my kitchen literally dying from laughter because of how drunk Gordon Ramsay sounds.
Bahahahaa!! I'm totally going to try that! I am mesmerized by TV chefs, I bet slow-mo would be even more riveting lol. And yeah, I can't beat the cost at the grocery store. My kits are probably way cheaper than some because I don't eat meat. I can imagine the meat recipes cost more.
I’m gonna totally try this! Half time sounds like a stitch! I love to cook. And I make up my own stuff. Half time could give me tons of ideas and the processing speed to actually produce them…if I’m not laughing too hard.