It can sure be challenging to find the time or motivation to shop for, prepare, and cook nutritious meals following any long and laborious work day. This even rings true for those days off when just about every other task needs tending to, making it nearly impossible to get a proper meal in.
But the quality of your meals should never have to take a backseat, no matter what you’ve got going on in your busy day-to-day life.
For anyone needing a little assistance in the kitchen, trying out a meal delivery service such as a meal kit subscription or ready-made meals can be tempting (and with good reason!). However, it can also be confusing when it comes to choosing between the two types of services.
While we believe ready-made meals do come with greater benefits, it’s still worth exploring what each meal delivery service has to offer. In this article, we’ll break down both meal kit subscriptions and ready-made meal delivery services along with their unique advantages and downsides.
Meal Kit Subscriptions
How it works: A meal kit delivery service will usually follow a subscription model and requires you to order online from a fixed menu. You’ll then receive a box containing a variety of raw ingredients, mostly pre-prepped with the exception of certain foods, along with corresponding recipes to cook.
Most meal kit subscription services work by delivering a set number of meals on a weekly basis, with your dietary needs and preferences always considered. You’ll also have the ability to pause and resume your subscription as needed.
Benefits of meal kit delivery: Depending on your specific needs, the benefits of meal kits can vary. This type of meal delivery service may be the ideal choice if your main goals are to skip the hassle of grocery shopping, meal planning and food prep, all while saving a little bit of money.
Additionally, there’s the benefit of learning new cooking skills that can be used outside of recipe following. So if you’ve always dreamed of impressing Gordon Ramsay (or more realistically your friends and family members,) a meal kit subscription service is a great place to start – no cooking classes required.
Downsides of meal kit delivery: There are some less-than-ideal features of meal kit subscription services that you should consider. This includes the fact that you’ll still have to do all the cooking, which can be rather time-consuming and exhausting, especially at times when you don’t feel like doing anything other than reheating and eating.
Moreover, most kits following the subscription model will only cover a single meal type (e.g. lunch or dinner only), thus presenting some limitations.
Who is it best for?
All in all, a meal kit subscription service will typically be the preferred choice of people who have the time and desire to cook themselves but need a little extra assistance or guidance.
Prepared Meal Delivery
How it works: With this type of delivery service, you’ll order from a variety of ready-made meals online – or in other words, meals that have already been cooked, cooled, and then packaged for you to reheat before consumption. Generally speaking, with a ready-made meal delivery service, you’ll get to choose your meals on a weekly basis with the option of pausing and resuming as needed.
Benefits of prepared meal delivery: Just like with a meal kit subscription, the benefits of ready-made meal delivery will differ depending on your needs. But with that being said, prepared meal delivery definitely takes the cake when it comes to saving you precious time and effort.
If you’re ordering from Citizens Table, you’ll have the opportunity to select from an extensive range of over 80 delicious meal options suited to your dietary preferences. You can also feel good knowing that we only use responsibly-sourced, fresh local ingredients that are free of toxins and antibiotics, always delivered in eco-friendly packaging designed to ensure optimal freshness.
Furthermore, with Citizens Table, you’ll have an abundance of different chef-inspired dishes to choose from every single week with our rotating menu. Is your mouth watering yet? We don’t blame you. Also, managing your meal planning online is a walk in the park, as we keep everything as simple and easy to navigate as possible.
Additional advantages of a prepared meal delivery service include the freedom to choose exactly what you want to eat, as well as the benefit of not having to do any dishes as you can reheat and eat right from the meal’s original container. Plus, you won’t have to worry about portioning or food waste, as each meal follows a portion size already conveniently set for you.
Downsides of prepared meal delivery: The only real downside to ready-made meal delivery is cost, as prices will generally be higher than that of a meal kit subscription service. But there’s good news: prepared meal services like Citizens Table offer competitive pricing with our plans, as we believe convenient and delicious dining should be affordable and accessible for everyone.
Who is it best for?
At the end of the day, a prepared meal delivery service will typically be the top choice for people who don’t have the desire or time to cook the meals themselves, and who simply value having more options when it comes to meal selection.
Healthier Eating Is an Advantage of Both Meal Delivery Types
Let’s face it: healthy food is rarely ever quick and convenient. That is, until now – especially with the help of ready-made meals. If another key goal of yours is to improve your diet by incorporating more nutritionally balanced meals with fresh, whole ingredients, then both meal kits and ready-made meals can offer this benefit.
Ready to make your decision?
We hope this article has helped you to better identify the type of food delivery service right for you!
If you have a particularly busy schedule and are looking to skip ingredient purchasing, food preparation, and cooking altogether, then choosing your ready-made meals from Citizens Table is an excellent choice.
Get started with your personalized meal kit delivery here by browsing the custom menu for your area.