Once timid cooks praise meal kits, now eating healthier and together more, they say

It might not have looked exactly like it did in the picture but it tasted great. Photo / Dean Purcell

Non-cooks say their confidence has skyrocketed since jumping on board with meal kits, completely changing the way they create and consume food at home.

New Zealand-owned My Food Bag has delivered more than 50 million meals in six years and some of its recipients told the Herald on Sunday it was a life-changer.

Lena Duffin said her cooking ability had improved greatly, and she had lost 25kg along the way, since she first ordered the service two years ago.

"At first I used to get so stressed in the kitchen especially juggling multiple pots or pans and now I'm a lot more confident. I've been doing My Food Bag and I can't believe how far I've come," she said.

"A few people recommended it, so I thought I'd give it a crack and I loved it … the food is way nicer than the standard rotation of dishes I had before."

She receives the Fresh Start meal option for five nights and while she tried other meal kits, My Food Bag was the perfect fit, she said.

Lena Duffin is an evangelist for My Food Bag after it changed her life. Photo / Supplied

Kevin Bowler, chief executive of My Food Bag and Bargain Box, said it all started with the idea of "building stronger communities by giving people access to great food and great food ideas".

"What meal kits do is they take the deciding out of the equation and give you the recipe inspiration for the week plus all of the ingredients to make the meals."

But they also worked hard alongside chef Nadia Lim, who overlooks the recipes, to encourage Kiwis to eat right, Bowler said.

"I think Kiwis don't eat enough vegetables typically. We use tricks to get them into recipes but don't compromise on the quality of the ingredients.

"Nadia's philosophy, which she calls Nude Food, is making sure all the meat is free-range, the eggs are free-range, and we go organic wherever we can."

My Food Bag chief executive Kevin Bowler. Photo / Supplied

Healthy Food Guide nutritionist Claire Turnbull said there were a lot of benefits to using meal kits but people needed to be wary about sodium levels.

"I think for people who don't normally eat enough vegetables in their meals, they do all integrate vegetables really well," she said.

"The thing to be mindful of is the sodium, that's probably one of the biggest things, as a nutritionist, that I'm aware of.

"If you're using one of these bags and it says season, you do not need to be adding extra salt to them if you're already using their sauces and dressings."

HelloFresh Australia and New Zealand chief executive Tom Rutledge said an in-house dietician checked all recipes to ensure they were well balanced.

Nutritionist Claire Turnbull says to be wary of sodium levels. Photo / File

Keeping that in mind, Rutledge said they also sought to create a product that took the stress out of meal prepping and cooking.

"We wanted to change the way people cook, shop and eat by giving everyone the tools they need to cook delicious, balanced and nutritious meals," he said.

"We focus on creating recipes that are healthy, delicious and easy to prepare."

Before My Food Bag, full-time working mum Alex Cooper said she often got into difficulty when it came to preparing a meal.

"I've never really been an amazing cook or anything like that, I'm not very inspirational with that kind of stuff," she said.

"So teaching real basic ways to make really yummy food and pretty quickly too; most of the meals are made in 40 minutes or less which is great.

"It's not always a money saver but we are eating together more as a family and as a full-time working mum it saves me something better than money, it saves me time."

The instructions are really simple. All you need to do is to follow them. Photo / Dean Purcell

Her family gets the My Classic option for two people and four meals. Living rurally can come with its challenges but for My Food Bag it wasn't an issue, she said.

"I get mine delivered into Edgecumbe and I pick it up from there at a local business, it was easy to organise," she said.

"Driving to town can be really inconvenient, so having everything delivered to me right there, it saves me a trip. It's my little lifesaver."

Duffin encouraged anyone who hadn't tried a meal kit or anyone who was sick of eating the same food over and over to take the leap.

"Just give it a go. The first time I did it I only ordered it for a week and wasn't sure if it was going to work. I ended up loving it," she said.

"I reckon if you're a bit bored of what you're eating or want to take some of the effort out of cooking then it's worth it, for one week at least, it's worth a shot."

'Meal kits, they're game-changers': Our reporter gives it a go

Bacon minestrone, pork 'n' leek cannelloni, potato top beef pie … meals like these sound and look delicious, but for me, they were pretty daunting.

About all I could manage was a few steaks on the barbecue while boiling potatoes and a handful of vegetables. That was until we discovered Bargain Box.

My confidence in the kitchen has skyrocketed and I no longer shy away from the unknown. I don't avoid cooking; I can't get enough.

Sure, for some people it's a lot of money to fork out, but in the long run, I truly believe it's worth it. Real foodies might cringe but I think meal kits are a godsend.

Every Sunday afternoon a courier drops off our meal kit, loaded with all the ingredients and instructions we need for the week.

If I can scrape together a decent meal, anyone can. Photo / Dean Purcell

It takes about two minutes to load everything into the pantry or fridge and that's done. Simple.

Following a day at work, a bus trip and a short walk home, all that's needed is to follow the easy instructions for the meal.

I'm no speed demon - often I'm slower than it suggests on the how-to - but nothing takes more than an hour.

Anyone at almost any level of cooking ability should be able to follow the instructions as well - they are plain and simple, and if you follow them, the meal will be great.

So, if you're sick of eating the same meals each week over and over again and want change in your life, try a food box for a week. You won't regret it.

Meal kit breakdown

Bargain Box

Mini: $99.99 + $10 delivery for five nights. Feeds two people.
Regular: $132.99 + $10 delivery for five nights. Feeds four people.
Mega: $167.99 + $10 delivery for five nights. Feeds six people.

My Food Bag

My Classic: $156.99 for five nights. Feeds four adults.
Fresh Start: $169.99 for five nights. Feeds four adults.
My Family: $129.99 for five nights. Feeds two adults and two to three young kids.
My Veggie: $89.99 for five nights. Feeds four adults.

WOOP!

Foodie Box: $235 for four nights. Feeds four adults.
Balance Box: $243 for four nights. Feeds four adults.
Classic Box: $199 for four nights. Feeds two adults and two or three kids.
Gluten-free Box: $207 for three nights. Feeds four adults.

HelloFresh

Veggie Plan: $130 for three recipes. Feeds four people.
Classic Plan: $189 for five recipes. Feeds four people.
Family Plan: $159 for five recipes. Feeds four people.