Add up the expense of eating out on a regular basis or buying take-away and frozen dinners. Financially, there are costs associated with the inflated price of eating out. There is the cost of getting to a restaurant, even if you drive, plus an ever-present temptation to eat badly.

Most fast-food is sugar and fat-laden, nutritionally lacking, and leaves you feeling hungry minutes after you finish, so it is expensive to your wallet and your health. Frozen dinners are often no better; full of preservatives such as sugar, salt, and chemicals. It’s not diet food you need to stave off health problems like Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease; real food will do. What other options are available to busy families or to people who are dining alone and can’t be bothered to eat sensibly besides eating out?

Meal Time Box Remedy for Hunger

Here is the answer you have been waiting for: professionally cooked meals prepared that arrive at your door, ready to heat and eat. There are almost 40 of them featuring US and international recipes plus protein that covers the gamut. Meal Time Box chefs use fish, chicken, beef, and pork. There are recipes from Asia, Europe, and South America, some of them household favorites or childhood classics; others trendy additions from food trucks and modern restaurants. Right now, there is no nutritional information available, but this young company is working on the details and you will soon know the fiber count, sodium, sugars, protein, and other details relating to your meal.

Many Mouth-watering Menu Choices

Picking out just a few of the options, the variety is impressive though it lacks one thing: vegetarian food. If you are a vegetarian, there is only one source of protein and that is tofu. Also, menu pictures suggest a meal will lack the appropriate amount of vegetables. If you are going to add a salad, these meals could feed two people or last for two meals if images are accurate. Stretch one out to cover lunch and dinner. Some entries include Jambalaya, Bacon Mac N’ Cheese, Beef Cabbage Rolls, Chili Potato, and Roast Beef.

How It Works

Customers have two choices: order a set number of boxes or arrange for a subscription. When you buy a box of 5 or 10 meals these come just once until you order again. Arrange a 10 or 20 box subscription and they arrive every month. The largest subscription is the cheapest and also arrives with free desserts, although no menu choices are indicated in that regard. This could be a hit-and-miss feature, but remember: the desserts are free. Who would complain about free sweets?

Although dessert is a bonus in its own right, the fact this feature is made by a company in Brooklyn sweetens the deal. Consumers these days are keenly aware of the value of sticking with local companies when they can and since New York is home for Meal Time Box, Brooklyn is close to home. Deliveries can be fulfilled in many states but not all; check to see if yours is on the list. I don’t see anywhere on the Pacific Coast listed so perhaps Meal Time Box will branch further west and north soon. They deliver to states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New Hampshire at the present time.

Ready Upon Arrival

An obvious concern is what state food will be in when it arrives. Will it have spoiled in transit? How long will it last? What if a client is not home to receive the box? All of these are sensible questions and Meal Time Box answers them. Food arrives packaged according to FDA-approved and BPA-free methods. Break the vacuum seal to microwave a dish, pop it on the stove, or stick it in the oven according to directions. You will have to take food out of its package if you aren’t using a microwave.

Arrange a place for the courier to leave food when he comes if you can’t be there. You might ask him to drop it with a neighbor, leave food in a cool area under the carport, or even supply a large cooler outside the door. Get food into the fridge or freezer as soon as you can and don’t fret if deliveries are a little late since 8pm is the latest delivery time. Meals last in the refrigerator for a few days but can also be frozen for up to 6 months.

Is This a Diet?

Meal Time Box is not a diet company. They don’t supply low-calorie meals or foods that follow a trendy meal plan. If you are trying watch your weight or avoid certain foods, select dishes carefully. Meal Time Box asks clients what sorts of proteins they want and allergy/restriction information. For example, if you can’t eat wheat, dairy, or egg, let them know. These foods will be avoided. Eventually, each client develops a profile which the company follows carefully as they package each monthly box. You won’t know exactly what is coming each month unless your diet is extremely restricted. At the subscription station online viewers can see what common allergens can be found in each dish so they are easy to avoid.

This Is Expensive; or Is It?

How much are you currently spending at restaurants and burger places to dine out? Does it work out to about $10 per person? If so, then you are spending too much. The cost per meal with Meal Time Box could be less than $8 per time and there is no shipping fee either. You didn’t drive somewhere and were not tempted to buy food you didn’t come out for. Plus, add a few raw veggies or a bagged salad and you have supper for two. Really, this is not as costly as you think. Only someone who makes food from scratch would consider the Meal Time Box poor value, and she would not need to sign up anyway. If you’re not convinced and would rather not spend $60 trying something new, order a 5-meal one-time kit but sign up for Meal Time Box’s electronic newsletter and receive 15% off. You aren’t obligated to continue ordering after that time.