A Meal Kit Reminded Me That Cooking Can Still Be Fun

One day Jennifer (my husband Jon’s daughter) asked if she could come over to our house and make dinner for us. She sent me an image of the meal that she would cook.

Learning that it would be from a meal kit intrigued me. I had read about home-service meal delivery services, but we had never tried them. Jennifer said that they had been using different ones for many years, as it helped them to eat more healthily than they otherwise did. Both Jennifer and her husband are busy people, so I easily understood that was a good thing for them.

I had been wondering about exploring the service for Jon and myself. Not that we were that busy, but we ate the same easy-prep dinners every week, and the idea sounded fun.

I was concerned about the expense, but I still wanted to try it. And since Jennifer was already a member of the service she liked, Home Chef, they had a promotion that would benefit both Jennifer and us. Win-win!

I Thought a Meal Kit Meant Less Cooking

Looking back, I should have waited until Jennifer came and made the meal for us. Because if I had, I would have seen how much actual cooking still needed to be done!

But I was so excited to give this a try that Jon and I sat down at the computer and ordered three meals! I mean, the more meals we ordered at a time, the bigger the discount. Who wouldn’t want that?

When Jennifer arrived with her neat little package of food and set off to work, I was so surprised! Even though everything was in neat little packages, there was still a lot of prepping to be done. Cutting the tops off the vegetables, chopping them into bite-size pieces, seasoning them, getting out pans, tinfoil, and cooking containers. Placing things in the oven, the microwave, and a bit on the stove.

Granted, they measured everything, which simplified the process, and naturally, they handled the planning and shopping, but it certainly wasn’t an open package and stick in the microwave kind of meal.

Guilty as charged.

Three Meals Might Have Been a Little Ambitious

So . . . three meals might have been a little overkill for a trial run.

When the box was delivered to the door, I was surprised by how big and heavy it was! I couldn’t carry it, so I had to lift it over the doorstep and drag it inside.

Once I opened the box, I could see what made it so blooming heavy! Packs of ice. A layer at the bottom and a layer on top. The recipe pages were tucked to the side. A little wrinkled, but dry.

They placed three separate packages of meals between the ice. Everything was cold and safe, and it just took a few minutes to find space in the refrigerator. Knowing the three meals were coming, we had finished up the leftovers to make room.

The big box to get rid of and the packs of ice were a problem. I took the ice outside to melt, as there was no room in our tiny freezer to store it. I moved the big box into the garage, where I will break it down and recycle it. Just minor stuff I hadn’t thought about dealing with.

Time to Actually Cook One

I was surprised at how nervous I was making the first meal. Naturally, we decided on the “expert meal” plan to start with. Not intentionally, just what sounded like what we wanted to eat.

The directions were easy to follow once I figured out that Step 1 was in the right column and Step 2 in the left. I am used to reading things in order, down one side and then jumping to the next column. Silly me. They wanted me to read hopscotch.

Once I had the order straightened out, the step-by-steps were easy. Lots of little packages to open with scissors, and I started stuffing them into the big bag that everything came in. Lots of little packages. Every seasoning had its own packaging. Made things very easy, but I feel guilty when I think about waste these days.

It was quite fun putting together a meal that I wouldn’t normally prepare. There were new seasonings I had not tried before, and they added a great flavor. Everything was very fresh. The green beans had to have their tips cut off, and for someone who has opened a can and dumped them in a microwave bowl, this was definitely an upgrade. I realized that the two minutes to cook fresh beans was totally worth it for taste and texture.

The cooking time for the meatloaf was perfect, though we added a few extra minutes for the muffins because we like ours with browner tops.

The meal was delicious. Large on serving size, but we both finished our plates, enjoying every bite.

Cleaning up was manageable. We used more prep dishes than usual, but washing them and loading the dishwasher didn’t take long.

What we enjoyed most was eating something different. We had fallen into a rut, and this healthy meal was both fun to make and delicious to eat.

The next day we did Meal 2. The listing described it as “easy,” but I thought it required opening more packages and using more dishes. But it was so good. The servings were very large for two folks in their 70s. We had a full second meal of it the next day.

Meal 3 is still a day or two off, as we go back to eating as usual for at least one day.

Would We Order Again?

Will we continue to get more meals? Hmmm. Not sure. Still deciding.

Once the discount ended, the cost would be significant – anywhere from $10 to $20 per serving, plus tax and shipping, which was almost $11. That may be comparable to eating out once you include tips and other costs, but since we rarely eat out, it would definitely increase our monthly food budget.

One additional thing for us to consider is the enjoyment we got out of it. The meals were healthy and delicious. It helped me realize that cooking can be fun, and I had gotten out of that.

Your Thoughts:

Have you tried home-delivery meal services? What is your experience with cooking at home after 70? I am wondering if a local service would be worth trying next.