The real cost of takeout and food-delivery
It is no surprise that in today’s fast-paced world, convenience reigns supreme. For many, preparing a home-cooked meal feels like a cumbersome task involving an undesirably rigorous process. When you cook at home, you’re responsible for everything from planning recipes and buying groceries to cooking and cleaning. The process of meal preparation can often feel like an insurmountable and eternal burden, all for a few brief moments of enjoyment. For working professionals, mothers, and students, meal prep can pose a particular challenge as they juggle endless responsibilities. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of life, the concept of takeout and delivery have become a staple in the lifestyles of many.
The shift from home cooking to takeout isn’t only a reflection of changing food preferences – it’s also a response to evolving lifestyles. As work hours grow longer, academic work intensifies, and social commitments pile up, cooking often takes the backseat and becomes low on the list of priorities for those of us with busier lives. This has normalized eating out or ordering in – quick fixes to keep up with the demands of a modern lifestyle and culture.
In their latest report, Doordash mentioned that, according to the National Restaurant Association, more than half of US consumers that lead a lifestyle that involves takeout and delivery and consider it to be an important component of their lifestyle. Additional statistics showed that one out of every four members of Generation Z in the US gets their food delivered to their home.
Even though this sounds like a fun and easy convenience for life where one can order in and enjoy it at their comfort, everything has a price. Beyond the financial toll, this lifestyle raises critical questions about health and sustainability. For example, cooking has a reputation for building connections with loved ones. Since ordering in has become so common, people are losing something irreplaceable, namely the emotional and cultural rewards of cooking.
Additional cost and loss of cultural reward aren’t the only expenses. People are also compromising on the nutritional aspects of their food intake, and that’s a fact that can’t be ignored. Restaurant meals are often high in unhealthy fats, calories and sodium whilst lacking essential vitamins and nutrients like fiber. Over time, this imbalance can lead to mental and physical adversities including fatigue, sluggishness and even long-term heart risks.
Learning about the food that we consume empowers one to make better choices. People can use apps like Cronometer and a number of other options to keep track of their meals and better understand their nutritional impact. There are also meal prep delivery services like HelloFresh, among others, that can help one enjoy the convenience of takeout while at the same time making sure that the meals consumed are healthy and nutritious.
Meal prepping services allow people to plan their meals and have a weekly schedule of dinners and lunches. Many people are now choosing such services because it helps them stay on top of managing their meals while understanding the nutritional content of those meals and being better able to meet their own needs. These services can save you time and mental effort, since you can get all of your ingredients for the week all at once, something that saves a grocery trip after a long day at work.
HelloFresh, one such service, offers around 60 recipes every week to choose from. According to their website, all one needs to do is pick a plan and get access to all the “step-by-step recipes complete with nutritional information and fresh, pre-measured ingredients.” There are a wide variety of meal plans available, with the ability of customize based on one’s needs and also cancel at any time if the service is no longer the right fit. HelloFresh also ensures that all the ingredients are carefully packed with special ice packs and insulation in order to ensure food safety. Since all meals come with information on their nutritional content, it is a relief for people with dietary restrictions. It includes a good amount of information around all the food allergies, and it is displayed on the meal kits when one chooses their meals.
While takeout and delivery are here to stay, they do not have to be at the expense of one’s health or financial well-being. Meal prep services can help merge the convenience of takeout with the rewards of cooking at home. As these kits come with measured ingredients and recipes, it gives people the confidence to cook while saving time in the kitchen. These options are also budget friendly compared to restaurants, allowing people to supplement meals with fresh produce or whole grains at home.
Eventually, it is an immensely personal choice between options like cooking meals at home, ordering out from restaurants, or using a meal prep service. While these choices often stem from being pragmatic about the situation one finds themselves in, they also reflect how one balances their time, energy and resources. There needs to be a shift in the focus towards encouraging people to make informed and balanced decisions that best align with their needs. Whether it is through learning to cook easy, simple and nutritious meals or explore meal prepping, there are always a lot of ways to find harmony between lifestyle and health. Food is beyond just sustenance. Food can be a universal language of culture, creativity and connection. In the end, it is not about choosing one over the other but crafting a lifestyle that embraces balance, satisfaction, and well-being.
