Consider This Before Starting a Meal Kit Plan

This will all change, so it’s important to note, this article is written in June, 2018.

Two potentially HUGE things are happening simultaneously.

1. Americans (and probably most people in developed countries) are taking a second look at how their food is being produced. Like, maybe we lost some quality in the epic scaling up that has occurred since USDA Secretary said ‘Get big or get out’ in the 1970’s.

And

2. There are now approximately 150 commercial size meal kit companies in the US trying to deliver boxed meals, ready to cook, to your door.

What’s great is that, in reality, these are 2 very divergent paths, yet the boxed meal companies are playing off the emotions brought about from people jumping on the organic food bandwagon. It’s a great play, smart, brilliant even. But it’s bogus. Setting the bar at McDonalds…is a low bar (when it comes to food quality).

Pick your waste

I was really struck when a fellow member of a committee I’m part of brought in the box and packaging from a Blue Apron delivery. I was quite literally like ‘h o l y  s h i t’,  THAT is a lot of trash.

It seemed like eating a meal would require a trip to the dump.

I only dare to imagine what a home looks like after a week or a month of Blue Apron deliveries. After seeing that box, my imagination conjures up a huge pile of trash blocking the door to get outside.

But it saves food!

Apparently, 31% of the food at the retail level goes uneaten. It’s conceivable that that number is made up of rotten leftovers in the refrigerator, the fruit that gets a soft spot from sitting in the bowl, and that condiment that’s been in the fridge for a couple years…or more. Blue Apron, and those like it, build a case saying that if you only order what you eat, you reduce the amount of food waste.

Even if I grant this ludicrous defense, what about all the packaging?

The packaging is recyclable!  …  Or is it?

The reason my fellow committee member brought in this garbage display to our meeting was because we were scheduled to meet with the director of the town transfer station, and he was going to open a conversation around why NONE of that packaging actually IS recyclable, with the exception of the cardboard box.

It’s not that the gel freeze packs and foam insulation with a #1 recyclable icon on them aren’t recyclable, it’s that they’re not recyclable in my town. Which raises my eye brow, because we’re pretty nuts about recycling in this small New Hampshire town. To put it in perspective, we’re on the verge of spilling blood because the swap shop has been down for a few months.

Again, EVEN IF all of that packaging was recyclable, shouldn’t the concept raise a little concern for the direction of humanity? Are we really the people who need to generate a pile of waste for a meal? I try to write a lot about mindfulness, and this will be an easy one to cast off if you want to lean on the crutches provided; it cuts down on food waste and all of the packaging is recyclable. Think objectively about that and take a moment to reflect on it. Is it good? Is it right? Should it be the future? Are you proud that your children will remember you for receiving their meals at the front door from a mail man in a box as full with garbage as it is with food?

OR, you could do the opposite.

I pay very little head to USDA sanctioned labels, e.g. organic. Here’s the New Hampshire Man test:

Do I know the first name of the person who grew/raised this food?

Steve and Tina aren’t going to let me buy crappy food from them. (Real names BTW)

They also package their food with only what is necessary, which is often times, nothing at all. Maybe a rubber band for a bunch of kale, or a plastic sleeve for a pound of beef.

I think this is what many people are aspiring for, real good food, grown in quality soil, nearby, with almost no transportation cost. But that doesn’t solve the problem that meal kits are solving. Time.

When we deprioritize our time for food

I’d like to build a rock solid case for why you need to redesign your life with renewed emphasis on allocating time for food, one of life’s true necessities.

But I get it. I’m a family man too and I know that after work, and activities, and meetings, it’s hard to get to the grocery store, and it’s hard to get dinner on the table in time for bathroom activities, stories and bed time.

So here’s my take; if I’m at the point where I’m about to throw in the towel and buy into Hello Fresh, I’m going to let that be my awakening that my priorities are off balance. Maybe swim class won’t work right now, maybe I’ll miss a few town meetings because respecting the food that we put in our bodies is to respect ourselves and that is the most important message I can pass onto my children. Some things in life are going to have to give, nobody can do everything. And for me, I don’t want a pile of trash to represent my meal, and I’m willing to give up other things to make sure that doesn’t happen.

Meeting in the middle

Ok, so you’re not as hard core about food as I am. You’re about to buy into that introductory offer to Hello Fresh because Paula Pant told you how it helped her learn out to cook. (PS, if you want to learn how to cook, join a CSA).

Try this first – ask your local FB group if anyone in your area is doing home cooked meals delivered. There’s someone around me, Small Potatoes is their name, and they prepare meals and deliver them to local families. Way less garbage, money stays local, probably a better commitment to quality food, probably more money because of fewer cut corners and a more personalized experience.

And if you can’t find someone, vocalize your need for one and someone will seize the opportunity.

Guilt is a solid motivator

Yo! Do what you need to do to make your life work. If it means some meal kits because you need some f*n sleep! Make it happen. My objective is not to make you feel guilty, and hang your head when you confess to your mother that you order a meal kit, I just want to help you think about it objectively and exercise caution with the messages that marketers are putting your face.

It would make me very happy to hear that you were considering a meal kit and that this helped you decide to make a different change in your life instead, especially if it resulted in fun grocery store games with kids and combined meal preparation stories.

Have you included your kids in meal prep and grocery store games? I’d love to know the little tricks and games you’ve found the most success and joy with. Toss them in the comments section below. While you’re at it, consider signing up for my newsletter.

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