Meal Planning: Meal Kits

While some families start back to school after Labor Day, school has already started full throttle for some others. Trying to get back into a routine can be quite a challenge, especially when trying to plan meals. So before you start making the drive-thru part of your dinner routine, I will posting some ideas and tips that will save you some time and keep your budget happy. First up is.....

Meal Kits

You may already be familiar with meal kits. I even wrote about this a few posts ago. Well since then, other well known brand names have entered the meal kit market. Wal-mart and Amazon are just 2 that have come up with meal kits of their own. In case you don't know what meal kits are, they are essential, meals that come ready to be prepared and cooked by you, the consumer. They usually include proteins (meat, fish, chicken), veggies, and perhaps a starch like rice, pasta, etc... Spices and herbs come in the package as well as the recipe and instructions on how to prepare the meal.

The purpose of the meal kit is basically easy meal prep. You don't have to think about what you want for dinner. You have already answered that question when you bought the meal kit, so now all you have to do is open the box, take out the ingredients, follow the enclosed recipe and start cooking! Easy right!? Well, if you are like me, and prefer a road map so to speak when cooking, then this works out perfectly. Not much to think about. This is also great for beginner cooks. However, meal kits can get costly as they usually ship bi-weekly or monthly, depending on which program you choose.

Ok,, spoiler alert! I am a Tastefully Simple Consultant, so I am quite biased on the meal kits that my company offers. What makes TS meal kits different from all the others? You add your own fresh ingredients. Yep, that's it. What I like about this is that the meal kit gets adapted to you and not the other way around. If you or someone in your family does not eat fish or pork, then you are out of luck and or have to make a separate meal for them. Then the whole point of having a meal kit becomes moot. With Tastefully Simple, you get to choose your own fresh. And not just the protein portion. You can swap out veggies and sides as well. Moreover, you can choose how you would like to cook your meal. Bake, grill, slow cooker? You can also choose cook and prep time as well. Thirty minute meals, 60 minutes meals, or whatever time frame suits you. It's up to you and your schedule! TS also gives you options on the type of meal kit. Family Favorites, Rock The Crock, Dinner Mixers and more.

In short, meal kits are a great tool to help with meal planning and prep. If you have tried any of the meal kits that are out there, like Blue Apron, Plated, Hello Fresh, or even Tastefully Simple, I would love to hear your thoughts. What did you like about them, what didn't you like? Which one of your favorite? Please post your comments here on the blog.

Next post will be about Freezer Meals. Till then!