It is estimated that 20 percent of adults in the United States have tried at least one meal kit delivery service. With the demand for convenience in our society, meal kits seem to be the answer for grocery shopping, meal planning, and meal preparation. Anyone who has not tried meal kits might be interested in learning how meal kits work and whether they are worth the investment for preparing and consuming more meals at home. 

In response to this, the Greenup County Extension Office hosted the workshop Meal Kits: Are They Worth It? in partnership with the Cardiac Rehabilitation program at Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital. Emphasis was placed on understanding the benefits and drawbacks of incorporating meal kits into lifestyle and financial goals.  Forty three patients of the Cardiac Rehabilitation program participated in the workshop. Of those surveyed, 100 percent indicated they learned benefits of the kits and 100 percent indicated they understood drawbacks of using meal kits. Further, 85 percent expressed increased understanding of how meal kits fit into their lifestyle and financial goals. 60 percent plan to pursue meal kits to help with meal planning and preparation, whereas 90 percent plan to use the information to examine the amount of money they currently spend on food. 

One participant stated that she had never took the time to plan adequately for meals and seemed to always run out of ideas for recipes to cook with. She also was very encouraged to learn what meal kits could offer to her monthly budget verses always eating out. She also stated that she would be comparing prices and making healthier choices for her meals and budget.