How To Lose Weight Using Meals Kits

This is a collaborative post.

I can still remember the first time I ever realised that food could be delivered to your door. I must have been seven years old watching WWF wrestling and suddenly, a man knocked on my door and handed my Mom a box of fresh, hot delicious Pizza. My young mind was blown and my tiny belly was full to bursting.

Take out and food delivery are now of course part and parcel of our culture. You pick up the phone, or open up your app and choose a ready-made meal of your liking. And hey presto, within 30 minutes it’s on your doorstep and ready to eat.

But… There is no denying that this heavy reliance on takeaway culture is one of the myriad of factors fuelling a western (if not global) obesity epidemic. For the first time in history, more people are dying from overeating than they do from starvation and the WHO projects an obesity and diabetes epidemic within the next 20 years.

As such, it’s understandable that more of us than ever are trying to lose weight, improve our nutrition and get on some kind of diet.

And the good news is that the latest generation of food delivery services are here to help us achieve this goal.

Meal Kits or Food Subscriptions

Meal Kits or Food Subscriptions are a service you sign up for (and pay for) and in exchange, get a box of fresh ingredients and recipe cards sent to your door in order for you to make your own delicious healthy meals. Depending on your own needs, you can have anywhere between 2 – 7 meals sent per week and enough to feed just you, or your whole family. Meal Kits are individually bagged, the portions perfectly measured out, and the recipe cards ridiculously easy to follow. Everything you need is provided with the exception of salt and pepper which you need to provide yourself.

Meal Kits are booming – they are ideal for young professionals and working families who struggle to find time to plan and prepare meals. They are also suitable for bad cooks who need somebody to guide them through every step of the culinary process. 

If you shop around, you can find a meal kit subscription to suit most diets including vegetarian, high protein or low calorie. As such, meal kits for losing weight are absolutely IDEAL. If you are on a diet and trying to shift a few kilos, then meal kits are probably the easiest way to do this other than going on hardcore juice fast. Believe me, the alternative option is to spend hours in supermarkets reading the back of food packets, trying to calculate its vitamin and calorie content and trying your hardest to walk straight past the frozen pizza section – it isn’t fun and that’s how most diets fail.

Losing Weight With Meal Kits

Firstly, all meal kits emphasise healthy meal options. Last night, my meal kit dinner consisted of cauliflower and curried lentils whereas, left to my own devices, I may have gone for pizza and fries. 

Another bonanza of meal kits is that the portion sizes are just right. When I first started using Hello Fresh (other meal subs are available), I actually found the portions to be a bit small and they didn’t quite seem to fill my plate. However, I soon realised that this was because I had got into the habit of over-eating and making mega-sized potions that would feed somebody twice my size!!!!! Now I go to bed feeling less bloated after my evening meal.

I can pretty much guarantee you that joining a meal kit subscription will help you to eat better and lose weight without you even trying. And it gets better – if you are serious about shedding some pounds, then you can go for a low calorie or low carb option.

Are Weight Loss Meal Kits Sustainable?

There are downsides to meal kits. Firstly, they are not exactly cheap. Whilst the introductory prices are usually very enticing, once they get you hooked you can easily end up paying $5 – $7 per meal – it is most definitely cheaper to go out and construct the meal yourself in the supermarket. However, bear in mind that what you are paying for is convenience – they do the planning, save you wandering around the supermarket and deliver it straight to your door.

The other issue is that after a few months, the menus can get a bit repetitive. I mean, most Meal Kit subs do mix it up quite a lot and do offer some genuinely inspired meal options but if you are on a restricted menu (vegetarian or low carb) then it’s only a matter of time before you go full circle.

And of course, even though the meal kit is delivered right at your door, you still need to cook it yourself!

In summary, I honestly promise that a meal kit diet is one of the easiest ways to kick start your weight loss ambitions. Even if you only go with it for a month or two, you will see the benefits and best of all, you can take those months to start educating and preparing yourself to eat healthier and happier ever after.