National Post (National Edition)
HACK IN A BOX
COMPARING HOME-DELIVERED MEAL KITS
Remember when everyone was making sourdough during the early days of the pandemic?
Fun times, as was the idea of taking your favourite cookbook and working your way through recipes during the endless weeks of isolation.
That enthusiasm couldn't possibly last, especially given the understandable exhaustion and bouts of depression we've all dealt with at various points during the last 10 months. Hands up everyone reading this who at some point was reduced to eating cheese and crackers or Kraft dinner for weeks after the initial jolt of energy was used up.
It's one reason why so many people have been looking to the various meal kits — the best known being Hello Fresh, Chef's Plate and Goodfood — available for delivery. Each box follows roughly the same format, individual meals in paper (or plastic in the case of Goodfood) and delivered in insulated boxes.
Recipes change every week, with a few vegetarian options thrown in for good measure. Some selections are considered to be gourmet and are priced accordingly. Default meals are sent automatically if you don't submit your selection on the websites.
Components include meat (if you haven't opted for the vegetarian option), side veggies, spices, grains and herbs in sealed bags or containers; you'll only have to raid the pantry for oil, sugar, salt and pepper.
The veggies in all three boxes were fresh and kept well in the fridge, and the recipe cards were easy enough to follow.
We decided to give all three a shot recently for the sake of comparison, buying standard weekly boxes of three meals for two people.
In the end, they're probably not as cheap as if you sourced the ingredients yourself, but they do make things easier on days when you really don't want to think. And, it's not hard to find coupons offering a free week's worth of meals usually offered by friends who have already tried the service. You can unsubscribe at any time, or choose to pause the services for as long as you want.
For those worried about the environmental impact and waste, here's the scoop; some studies have shown that meal kits are actually less wasteful than a trip to the grocery store.
If you're interested in learning more, HelloFresh, Chef's Plate and Goodfood all have statements about recycling on their websites.
HELLO FRESH
Cost: We chose the Pronto plan, which is $78.93.
Review: The company alerted us on the day of delivery via text that the package was arriving, and then immediately after the box was dropped off. Whoever does so has light feet because normally nothing gets past our two highly alert German shepherds. We chose the baked chicken Parmesan, panseared salmon with chutney, and the squash ravioli. All were decent if unremarkable, though we agreed that the salmon wasn't all that bad. One of us developed an unexpected liking for the pan-fried green beans that came with the salmon and the chicken. The best part? There was enough left over from each meal to feed a third family member a block away.
Unsubscribing: Very painless. Despite a few warnings from friends that the company would try and sneak in a few more meals on the credit card, it was a simple matter of going through a few steps to unsubscribe.
CHEF'S PLATE
Cost: We chose the Classic Box, which is $59.97.
Review: The box arrived on the day of with no text warning, but happily the dogs were on the case. Out of all three services, this was easily the cheapest but also our least favourite with bland choices one step up from Swanson, or maybe one step down if you (ahem) have a guilty childhood love for their appalling turkey dinner. We ordered the beef tacos, Japanese chicken salad and halloumi cheese, and while none were explicitly terrible, they were undistinguished. We'll allow that the miso flavoured dressing for the greens in the Japanese chicken salad was not bad at all. Kudos should be given for Chef's Plate offering gluten-free and dairy-free options.
Unsubscribing: We failed to opt out quickly enough and ended up paying for three more meals. Make sure to unsubscribe quickly if you decide you want out.
GOODFOOD
Cost: We opted for the Classic Basket, which was $76.20.
Review: As with HelloFresh, we received a text the day before and upon delivery. This was easily the tastiest of the services with remarkable flavours popping out at every meal, though we'll admit the pearl couscous was not to our liking paired with the smoky citrusy shrimp skewers. The Kefta beef burgers impressed a devoted burger fanatic, and the sambal sauce on the golden chicken was piquant. Goodfood will occasionally offer gluten-free options, as well. Unsubscribing: Unlike the other services, where you can opt out on the website, you have to unsubscribe by email, which takes some time. We realized this too late and ended up with three more dinners that we didn't choose, one of which (sausage and lentil soup) has been declared verboten in the house.