Because it’s 2015, just about everything we need can be ordered online. From books to clothes and everything in between, we can have the world brought to our door at our leisure. Across the country, subscription services are booming and amongst the plethora of box of the month clubs, there exists in Montreal a niche market of menu planning/grocery delivery services that aim to make our lives better. Miss Fresh is one of these companies and last week we were given a box to try. In the box was everything we need to make three different meals. From meat and veggies to milk and spices, they covered all the bases. Here’s the run down.
The Pros
Each meal came with a grocery list and a recipe to help prepare the meal. We tried the jerk chicken with coconut rice (the before and after are pictured above), the shrimp pad Thai and a pork tenderloin with jewelled couscous. Each of the recipes were beyond delicious. The chicken was flavourful and the pork was perfectly seasoned. What I love the most about services like this is that it gets us out of our cooking comfort zone. We try things that we wouldn’t normally try and it helps broaden our kitchen horizons. Having a box of groceries dropped off right when you need it is great for those who are looking to save time while cooking. From busy urban professionals to soccer moms, everyone likes to have an hour or two of extra time when having guests over. Another great thing about MissFresh is that there is no food wasted. Sometimes we will go to the grocery store and come home with much more than we need. Most of that will go to waste which in turn means we are overspending on food. Having the right portions for everything means little to no food waste.
The Cons
Of course the downside to receiving a box of food is the increase in demand for things like plastic bottles and cardboard waste. These things may all be recyclable but not having any need for these things at all is the direction we should be headed. Secondly, the recipes are often ambiguous when it comes to the portions we are preparing. For example, the jerk chicken came with five chicken thighs but it wasn’t clear how big a portion size was. When measuring out ingredients its important to know the portion size. Though not much reformatting is required, I would skip on the 8 photos and instead put a little more detail in the recipe.
I love the idea having food delivered that will help save me time when I’m rushing home from work. I love stepping out of my comfort zone and cooking with ingredients that help expand my comfort levels in the kitchen. Thinking back to my experience, the pros certainly outweigh the cons. MissFresh is a wonderful service that I enjoyed using but looking at the plastic tubs and cardboard waste, I can’t help but wonder if taking the easy route in the short term only adds to an ongoing issue with long term consumer consumption.
To learn more about MissFresh, please visit their website.