Are meal-kits Replacing Home Cooking?

No matter where you live, you have probably heard of, and probably eaten a meal prepared from a meal kit. Meal kits are a popular way for busy people to purchase and prepare healthy, tasty, and attractive meals with limited effort. 

The meal-kit craze began in Sweden in 2007 with the launch of Middagsfrid. It was an immediate success and soon became popular in other countries throughout Europe. 

A meal kit is sent directly to the customer’s home. Usually, the customer buys a subscription. The ingredients for each meal are fresh, clean, chopped, and premeasured. Seasonings are included in just the right amount. Often, perfectly prepared sauces will come with the meal you select. There are simple instructions on how to prepare the dishes and cook them. Nothing will be complicated. The end result is a beautiful and delicious meal that you cooked at home, without shopping, chopping, guessing, and spending hours in the kitchen.

The Numbers

The growth of this industry would be impressive by any standards, in any market. But when you consider the global obstacles that industries have faced recently, it is mind-boggling. According to Statica.com, in 2007, there were 150-meal-kit companies. This was 10-years after the first company was opened. The industry had already grown to a 5-billion industry. 

The meal-kit industry today is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world.in 2021, it has an estimated value of 11.6 billion dollars today. Some manufacturers expect their numbers to double by the end of 2022.

Photo credit: Ella Olsson

Why the instant interest?

Today’s parents are educated, involved, and on the move. They are committed to their children having a quality life. This means besides school, they enroll them in sports, clubs, and social activities. As a family, they have friends and attend family functions. They have private family time for bonding and communication. As professionals, parents are maintaining their adult social circles, business associates, and pursuing their career goals. 

Every parent knows, in order for people to do their best, they need healthy food. You cannot have the mental clarity, vitamins, and nutrition you need every morning if your dinner is a burger, fried chicken, tacos, or pizza, 7 days per week. 

When meal-kits were introduced. You could subscribe for meal-kits and almost like magic, everything you needed to prepare a healthy meal was in your kitchen when you got home for work. You didn’t have to worry about having an ingredient, because it was there, in the exact amount you needed. Simple instructions were included and minimal efforts were needed. In no time and without wearing yourself out, you could put a home-cooked meal on the table for your entire family to enjoy.

Special dietary needs

Depending on the meal-kit company you choose, you can buy kits that provide special foods for your specific needs. Some examples include, but are not limited to:

• Gluten-free
• Vegetarian food 
• Diabetes
• Low-fat
• Low cholesterol 
• Kits geared toward certain age groups
• Weight control

Covid

The pandemic caused a lot of problems with the global economy. A lot of companies went out of business and many more sent their employees home to keep them safe. The adjustments were swift and dramatic. Working from home meant less time for parents. They are now trying to adapt to working in an environment where the only support they have is virtual. There is no co-worker you can casually ask a question of. There is no one at the coffee pot who has been there and is ready to laugh because he went through the same thing. 

However, the meal-kit industry is one industry the pandemic did not hurt. People were told to stay home as much as possible. They were told not to flood the supermarkets and not to overstock on food. People were told to limit their contact with other people and not to pass money through “to go” windows if possible. The safest way to obey these rules and to feed your family healthy meals was by meal-kit. Sales for meal-kits went up. 

Photo credit: August de Richelieu

Diabetic meal-kits

More than 422 million people suffer from diabetes globally. This is not just about convenience, how you feel, your energy level, or your performance. This is a disease that has no cure. In order to control it, and live a normal lifespan, you must control the quality and quantity of the food you eat. 

People with diabetes are no different than anyone else. The only difference is they have less time. They cannot skip meals, avoid exercise, or ignore the fact that their body is sending them signals. Having a meal-kit that takes their dietary requirements into account is an amazing tool for them. Diabetics are at the mercy of the glucose (sugar) levels in their blood. Since their body does not produce the proper insulin to control it, they must monitor it and keep it in a safe range. Failure to do so will ultimately lead to damaged kidneys, bladder, veins, heart, and nerves. It can lead to loss of limbs, confusion, coma, and death. They monitor their blood with a blood glucose monitoring system. 

 

The Ascensia Diabetic Care company is an international leader in the diabetic industry. They are the makers of the Contour blood glucose monitoring systems product line. They understand the importance of every diabetic having a quality blood glucose monitor and strive to have meters that fit into every lifestyle and every budget. They also have a program that can provide a free blood glucose monitoring system in some cases.

 

Conclusion

Meal-kits are a healthy way to bring back home cooking to the family. They do away with fast food and allow us to provide good food, fast. We get food that we are proud to serve our guests, and food that gives us nutrition and value. During this trying time of COVID, we limit our exposure to grocery stores and the worry or handling of fruit and vegetables that contaminated hands may have handled. We do not have to try to fit trips to the market into an already hectic schedule.

 

When we have a diabetic in our family, life is easier for everyone when we can take a little pressure off. Being able to prepare a diabetic-friendly meal that is easy and delicious is a rare treat. 

 

The bottom line is this. People are willing to pay for the convenience and service of a good product that is good for them and those they love. So it looks like meal-kits are here to stay, and they just might be the healthiest addition to our kitchens in years.