Can meal kits work for one person?
Living alone has its perks -- mainly, the freedom to browse online deals for as long as you want without any judgmental looks from a roommate (or is that just us?). One thing that's harder to romanticize when living alone is finding the time (and motivations, let's be honest) to cook healthy meals night after night. Meal delivery services like Blue Apron can be great for couples or large families looking to solve the dinner problem, but do meal kits work just as well for people who live alone?
The short answer is yes, the right meal kit subscription can be beneficial for people who live alone. It will take a bit of planning, but there is the potential for big savings if you sign up for the right meal delivery service. Plus, meal kits cut down on cook times and leave you with fewer dishes to clean, no matter your household size.
Let's break down how the right meal delivery plan can make a subscription worth your money.
Can meal kits work for one person?
Some of the best meal delivery services that you can sign up for today are just as good for a busy home as they are for people who live alone. Single people, pay attention: Here are all the tips and suggestions you need to make meal kits work for your lifestyle.
Meal kits are a step up from home cooking -- even if you live alone
Many budget-friendly meal delivery services offer prices that are too good to pass up, even if you live alone. EveryPlate is one of the most affordable meal kit services out there today, with first time subscribers paying as low as $1.49 per serving. EveryPlate also currently offers a $1 add-on menu for active subscriptions, including $1 ranch steak, $1 garlic bread, and $1 roasted potato add-ons. This means you can yell "nearly free steak!" when your weekly meal kit box arrives and no one can stop you. We consider that a win. Thanks, meal kits.
Are you a foodie at heart? If you enjoy cooking, then you might be ok with paying a bit more for high-quality, chef-approved meals that are as fun to prepare as they are nutritious. For our review of Blue Apron, we found their recipes to be the most rewarding for the aspiring chef. Steak tips with truffle fettuccine? Spinach and mushroom gnocchi? Blue Apron's dinner menu is one of the best out there in our book, making it a great fit if motivation is the missing piece when it comes to you and avoiding the sense of defeat that comes with ordering takeout or delivery on a weeknight.
How to save money on meal kits when you live along
Most meal kits cost between $8 and $12 per serving, with the cost per serving going down the more you order. This might give you pause if you live alone and want to switch to meal kit delivery without overpaying. The key to making meal kits work when it's just you and your shadow is to get a bit creative.
If you want to build the perfect meal delivery plan for solo living, here are three important tips to keep in mind:
- Don't be afraid to order more meals per week to capitalize on lower costs per serving. Don your meal prep extraordinaire hat to make one dinner last several days by storing leftovers for lunch or dinner later in the week. Tossing ready-to-heat meals and marketplace products and ingredients into a meal delivery order can help to balance out fresh ingredients with shorter lifespans.
- Don't gloss over those breakfast and lunch add-ons. These days, meal kits offer more than just dinner options, with single-serving breakfast and lunch dishes that make for great meal plan additions for anyone that lives alone. HelloFresh takes this one step further by offering free breakfast items for life with every new subscription -- but anyone interested should act fast as HelloFresh's breakfast offer ends soon.
- Find even more savings by referring friends and family. Don't be afraid to share the convenience and affordability of meal kits with others. Many meal delivery services offer decent savings for referrals. Green Chef goes above and beyond by offering a $35 discount to anyone you send an invite to and sends you a $35 credit for use on future orders.
- Don't shrug off grocery add-ons. Do you tend to overlook your pantry items? Do you even have a pantry? If not, you're missing out; meal delivery services like Hungryroot offer a wide selection of individual grocery items and add-ons alongside their meal kit offerings (sometimes in a separate category labeled "marketplace" or "grocery add-ons."). Savvy shoppers can make two meals out of one by mixing and matching meals with add-ons. Hungryroot aims to cut out grocery trips altogether by offering grocery items such as fresh produce, individually packaged proteins (including plant-based options), snacks, beverages and more. Prices start at $9 per serving, with grocery add-ons ranging from $7 to $10 apiece.
