Culture Diary: Happy Meals— HelloFresh and Meals in a Box

Last night, after finishing work for the evening, I did as many Americans do and shut my laptop, poured a glass of wine, and started making dinner. I got out my cutting board and knife, then opened the brown paper bag I’d put in my fridge earlier that morning.

Last night’s meal was sirloin steak with garlic pan sauce, mashed potatoes, and roasted broccoli. I’d paid extra for this particular meal when I selected it last week, thinking I’d need all the treats I could get this week.

So I chopped the potatoes, scissored the little packets and pouches, and followed along the recipe card. Prep: 5 minutes. HAHAHAH. This is the lie of big meal kit: that it will make your life easier. In some ways, it does. But you’re still chopping, still using and washing dishes and pots and pans, and still running around the kitchen, trying to keep 3 different dishes going without burning the house down or setting off a smoke alarm.

I tried Blue Apron a few years ago, lured by the promise of a life made easier. But I found it was too expensive and I was out and about too frequently (and unpredictably….remember those days?) to count on being able to make a fairly involved meal three times a week. So I cancelled after the trial.