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Cooking is difficult — it requires copious amounts of energy and copious amounts of motivation to exert that energy. Sure, it can be a relaxing experience sometimes, but when you’ve exhausted yourself at work all day, the last thing you want to do upon arriving home is prepare an elaborate meal. And with a slew of delivery services at our fingertips, why shouldn’t you order the Popeyes chicken sandwich (again) and have it at your doorstep in 15 minutes? But the new year still being new, and our resolutions somewhat fresh in our minds, we find ourselves wanting a home-cooked meal.
That’s where meal delivery services come in. Meal subscriptions are nothing new — they’ve been around for some time now — but for many they remain uncharted territory. You’re probably most familiar with Blue Apron and Hello Fresh, the OGs of meal delivery services. While they’ve remained popular, a whole slew of new kits are constantly cropping up — and they’re becoming increasingly personalized. If you’re hesitant to try meal delivery due to dietary restrictions (or maybe you’re just a picky eater), or you’re worried about the meals becoming repetitive, allow the below options to ease your concerns; each one is easily customizable depending on your needs and cravings.
So it’s not as though each kit will be a mystery box — you’ll have complete control over what you eat. But if anything, you’ll be more prone to try things you might have never previously considered, all with the satisfaction that you made it yourself. And in the immortal words of your fellow home cook Ina Garten, what’s better than that?
The Best Kit for the Aspiring Vegan: Purple Carrot
So you wanna be a vegan? Ease yourself into the lifestyle with Purple Carrot, a plant-based delivery service. There’s no need to worry that these meals will leave you wanting for more — most of the meals are high in protein, meaning they’ll fill you up and keep you satisfied. The brand also offers ‘TB12’ performance meals as part of a collaboration with Tom Brady.
The Best Kit for the Cooking Challenged: Freshly
Not everyone is a good cook, but that doesn’t mean you’re beyond learning. If you find yourself uncomfortable wielding a knife, or feel like you could probably even burn water, Freshly is ideal for those who are just beginning. The meals are already prepared and typically only require a bit of assembly. Okay, so it’s not cooking per se, but it’s close enough.
The Best Kit for the Top Chef Wannabe: Sun Basket
For those who consider themselves real experts, Sun Basket will make you feel like you’re on your own cooking show. The recipes are considerably more advanced and include ingredients like fig agrodolce and caraway cabbage (I have no idea what either of those things are). They also offer a variety of meal plans, from paleo to diabetes-friendly, and you can even get singular items like yogurt and broth.
The Best Kit for the Single Guy: Home Chef
Ah, the single life. Admittedly, it can be a little depressing, especially when you sit down to have a meal all by your lonesome. But allow the meals from Home Chef to take your mind off your lack of a significant other — eat your feelings instead! These single-serving meals are classic dishes — sun-dried tomato penne, chicken bernaise – and if you do happen to find a lucky lady, you can always adjust your meal plan to two servings.
The Best Kit for the Always Busy Person: Daily Harvest
Life gets hectic, and sometimes, even an already prepared meal is too time-consuming. So when you need something in your system but can’t find the time to chop and dice and simmer, make a smoothie instead. Daily Harvest offers 23 smoothie flavors, all packed with good feeling ingredients. The food arrives frozen so all that’s required of you is throwing it into a blender, and then you’re good to go. And if you feel like you want something a little heartier, they also offer harvest bowls, soups and oat bowls.
The Best Kit for the Takeout Junkie: Gobble
If you can’t bring yourself to quit takeout just yet, allow Gobble to help you wean yourself off of it. Each recipe is designed to be ready in 15 minutes, meaning everything arrives chopped, diced and marinated. You’ll never order Postmates again.
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