What Meal Kits Taught Me: 14 Pearl Couscous Spoonfuls of Wisdom

We are on a meal kit break. It’s not our first. We’ve tried a few brands; there are pros and cons. It may very well be that, at some point in our busy working lives, we will return to using these products. Come what may, I’ve taken a few lessons away from the experience:

1. Choosing a recipe for the evening helps avoid a sense of overwhelm. It really does help to have a plan and stick to it.

2. Printed recipes are our friends. I am done with scrolling or Xing out of pop-up ads or — even worse — long, sentimental, self-satisfied, first-person preludes to a simple recipe that I really need right now.

3. Breaking down steps mitigates dinnertime ennui. Too many of the perfectly portioned ingredients came in plastic packaging, but I do relate to washing my produce, chopping it all up, and putting it in little ramekins to be accessed at point-of-use. Then I can pour a glass of wine while Step 1 simmers.

4. Timing can be learned. I didn’t always follow the step-by-step instructions. Motivated by my slipping-away energy, I learned that I could go back to zest the lemon and mix up the sauce while the main dish roasted.

5. Chopping is an ever-elusive skill for some. Try as I might, my dices never look like the color-saturated photo. But they taste about the same.

6. Achieving low food waste is another elusive skill. One TV comedy episode referred to the refrigerator’s produce compartment as the “rot drawer.” Sadly, buying produce and then not getting to it before decay sets in is not avoided in meal kits. If the kit sits long enough, you find yourself weeding out boggy tomatoes and questionable cucumbers. However, armed with a recipe and determination you might be able to mitigate this scourge — make a plan; learn what can be used from frozen, boxed, or canned. Get clever about storing or reusing what’s left.

7. If your recipe’s grapes have passed the point of recognizable raisins, suck it up and move on. Improvise! It’s one thing to attempt Chicken Cordon Bleu without the chicken, but it’s copasetic if your poke bowl is minus a vegetable selection, or your casserole’s cheese topping has just one less ingredient to coat in melty goodness.

8. Spice is fun. Meal kits got me to try new taste ventures. When in doubt, toss something in your chosen spice(s) and some olive oil, testing the spice “dose” as you gradually add more. See what happens. Roast well-spiced and oiled stuff until it gets crispy and smells like an enticing restaurant.

9. It is possible for vegetarians to eat way more vegetables. Busy vegetarians (at least the lacto-ovo type like me) sometimes turn to butter, cheese, and starch in their hurry to turn out a satisfying meal. But certain fresh vegetables (peppers, carrots, shallots, squash) do better than others with time, and sometimes you can cut the softened part away. Sometimes, using canned or boxed versions may be the less wasteful option.

10. I will never like kale that I have cooked. It doesn’t matter how it is packaged or seasoned. Some chefs are especially kale-clever, and I am grateful for them.

11. Vegetarian meals are not necessarily low calorie. Vegans must fare much better, but vegetarian meals (lacto-ovo meals, that is) mean that dairy, eggs, butter, and cheese can be on the menu. I must admit, I found these the most enticing ingredients in many meal kits.

12. Ambivalence is an inescapable human experience. The kits are not cheap. Some kits’ packaging purports to be eco-conscious yet doesn’t make “doing the right thing” at all efficient (a disconnect with the frequent point of these options — lack of time and wherewithal). On the other hand, I love the recipes, that the food is all set up for me, and that I don’t have to think too much at the end of a 10-hour workday. I had the same ambivalence about having groceries delivered, and about spending time making shopping lists and clipping coupons. The pros and cons must eternally be weighed. We are all works in progress.

13. Ambivalence can also be a luxury. Not everyone has the choice — should I spend the extra money on a meal kit or take the time to scare up a meal from scratch (or at least from packaged goods on the shelf)? Should I spend the time shopping discount stores or splurge at Whole Foods? When budgets are super tight, sometimes the only choice is what’s on sale, or what you can glean through social programs.

Regarding item 13, years ago I was impressed with Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed — I highly recommend it. Here’s a quote from the book, courtesy of GoodReads.

“You might discover that, nationwide, America’s food banks are experiencing ‘a torrent of need which [they] cannot meet’ and that, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, 67 percent of the adults requesting emergency food aid are people with jobs.”

This quote centers on dated statistics, but I do know that not everyone has the choice of a meal kit, and that includes a host of hard workers who, like me, are tired and just want to put a decent meal together. Which ties into bonus item 14:

14. Sharing makes food taste better. Especially if you share it with someone who truly needs it. Here are some quick tips on food bank donation.