New research reveals 98 per cent of meal kit users say they are helping relieve dinnertime stress with all members of the household pitching in to create something satisfying.
Meal kit providers such as HelloFresh say the reason for their growing use is their ability to offer a variety of easy-to-follow recipes, high-quality ingredients and the convenience of door-to-door delivery each week.
Not only does it save time grocery shopping, there's reduced waste and a chance for consumers and other family members to increase their culinary skills or try a variety of foods they might not otherwise feel confident cooking.
A new study of 2500 Kiwi households by HelloFresh found that almost all (98 per cent) agree that meal kits have taken the stress out of deciding what to cook each week and introduced them to a greater variety of food in their diet.
The results have also revealed six in ten (58 per cent) of respondents find a meal kit subscription has helped increase the culinary skills and confidence of their children in the kitchen.
HelloFresh CEO Tom Rutledge says the market has expanded significantly in the past 12 months – with more Kiwis seeing benefits beyond the convenience meal kits provide.
"We all feel busier than we've ever been," Rutledge says. "Hello Fresh and other meal kit brands are able to transform a necessary, potentially stressful part of the day, into a pleasant household pursuit that also provides a hands-on learning experience for children.
"We've all seen kids cooking and how proud and satisfied they are to contribute to something everyone then eats.
"We harness that enthusiasm and make it easy for kids to increase their involvement with our recipes which are broken into smaller steps that can be easily delegated to 'kitchen newbies'. Over time they graduate to more complex tasks and eventually prepare an entire meal by themselves."
Rutledge says the HelloFresh study also shows three quarters (75 per cent) of Kiwis say meal kits have introduced new cooking skills and techniques they otherwise would not have been exposed to: "We're proud to be able to be a part of the cooking journey for so many Kiwi families."
"As well as taking away the stress of deciding what to cook each week, over half - 59 per cent – reported saving two hours or more each week when taking into account the grocery shopping, cooking time and planning," says Rutledge. "Around four in ten (41 per cent) said they spend this additional time with their loved ones, 29 per cent to relax or pursue a hobby and 10 per cent use it to exercise more."
Rutledge says the study suggests Kiwis using meal kits were less likely to waste excess food with 77 per cent saying the kits had reduced the amount of household food wastage while 89 per cent said they had a more varied diet as a result of using a kit.
He says the majority (53 per cent) have also found a meal kit subscription provided them with more certainty around their food budget or reduced their overall weekly spend.
"We know our customers are savvy when it comes to managing their weekly food budget and therefore want value for money," says Rutledge. "But we are also finding that they value their time, peace of mind and occasions that bring the family together. Meal kits are proving to be a popular way of achieving this."
Head to HelloFresh to see what's on the menu and get the peace of mind only a wholesome, balanced meal can bring!