Take Back Dinner Time

For those on the go, or those that just want more time to themselves, the thought of planning and cooking dinner can quickly become overwhelming. The concern of keeping dinner interesting and healthy can quickly make eating out seem like the best option for you or your family. It’d definitely be more convenient to have a box dropped off at your door with everything you need and step-by-step instructions on how to make a home-cooked meal. Or to have your normal groceries dropped off so you don’t have to drive to the store. Thankfully with the enterprising minds of today’s entrepreneurs, all of these services exist! You just have to choose which is right for you. Before showing a few services to consider, let’s go over the basics of meal and grocery delivery.

For meal delivery, you will generally get a box of meal supplies once a week. When you sign up for the service you can choose what day of the week you want delivery, how many meals you receive, and for how many people. The website or app for your chosen service will let you select from a list of meals each week. These recipes tend to include easy prep, low calorie, veggie-focused and more. Keep in mind that the total price for the box you build will be charged once a week, and can vary if you choose less meals or extra add-ons at the time. Should you be on vacation you can choose to skip a week’s delivery, and you will not be charged that time. When you get your box, you will have most of the items you need for the week including meats, vegetables, and grains. Many services will not include small things like butter, salt, and cooking oil, so double check recipes and your home supplies before you start cooking. Certain services are also built around getting pre-made meals that are microwave or oven-ready. No prep is necessary – just heat and go!

Grocery delivery works in much the same way as getting meals, but it gives you more control over what you get and how you use it. While meal delivery will have you going through a certain company that is accessible only online, grocery delivery can be through your local grocery store or an online service. While you won’t generally have a weekly charge, you will either have to meet the order minimum amount or pay delivery fees on top of the amount for your grocery items. Some stores have memberships available with perks like free shipping or fuel rewards, but will be an additional recurring cost. Keep in mind that some stores while participating in grocery delivery, may actually have higher prices online than in the store.

While the cost of your orders with either type of service may seem similar to that of going to the store, the main pro of these subscriptions is their convenience. You can save time, money, and gas by not making miscellaneous trips to the store. For those that are unfamiliar in the kitchen it’s a great introduction to cooking processes.

Listed below are some popular services for meal and grocery delivery if you think that you would like to give it a try. There are tons of services out there so this list is by no means comprehensive, but it will give you a good starting point.

Meal Delivery:

• Every Plate
• Hello Fresh
• Home Chef
• Little Spoon
• Gobble
• Dinnerly

Grocery Delivery:

• Walmart
• Winn-Dixie
• Publix
• Instacart
• Kroeger
• Misfit Market

For further information visit your local branch of the Citrus County Library System and ask about our free technology classes. Classes are held throughout the county on a wide range of topics and subjects. For additional information about programming please call your local library branch, go to the library’s website, citruslibraries.org, or follow Citrus Libraries on Facebook and Instagram at @CitrusLibraries.