Mealtime for Bonzos

TECHNOLOGY is a funny thing, constantly changing our world. It’s changing how we travel, how we get medicine and even how we eat. We’d been hearing lots of buzz about these so-called “prepared meals,” lately. It’s a busy world, no time to cook, etc.

Apparently some people actually get dinner mailed to them in an insulated box. And we’re not talking about a pizza delivery. These are actual ingredients: meats, veggies, fruits, seasonings, sauces—complete with easy instructions for even the most amateur cook to quickly put it all together.

We sat down and looked at some of these services with a calculator and just couldn’t make them make any sense mathematically with a budget. Some of these meals looked great, but as long as a body had time, that body could always make them cheaper with groceries.

But that’s not necessarily what these meals are advertising, is it? It’s not always about the money but the time.

A friend suggested this local Arkansas

chain that offers frozen prepared meals with fresh ingredients for $5 to $7 a pop. They come with meats and veggies, and all you have to do is pop ’em in the microwave.

On Monday for lunch, we decided to pick one up. The breakroom microwave worked like a champ, and let us say, a cheap microwave dinner this was not. For $5 we got a container of smoked chicken, brown rice and roasted broccoli. It was fantastic, and these meals can be frozen for up to six months. It’s almost impossible to get even fast food for under $5 anymore.

So long emergency frozen casseroles. We might have found the perfect option for affordable regular meals. This was a perfect option for days when it’s difficult to leave the office for lunch. To top it off the company is owned by a veteran.

Frozen prepared meals. Who would have thought it would catch on? Now if you’ll excuse us, the microwave just dinged.