We’ve all been there – just got home from work and that dreaded question is tossed out – “What’s for dinner”. Everyone is hungry, no one can decide what they want and you don’t have everything you need to make something quickly in the fridge. This is when most people default to picking up take out, it’s quick and feeds everyone. But the amount of time it takes to get the food and bring it home, and the cost – it’s actually more expensive and takes more time to feed the family.
Enter the subscription food boxes that seem to be bringing home cooking skills back to a younger generation and helping making meal planning that much easier. But what most lack is the ease of preparing the meals, and they often still take 30 minutes or more. Committing to a box meal service can be hard to do, especially with a limited menu that changes each week, and the cost of subscription. So what is the alternative?
If you’re tempted to try a boxed meal service, but don’t quite what the commitment our friends at Kroger have a solution for their shoppers – their Prep + Pared meal options. The prices are comparable to subscription box services, but they’re prepared fresh and ready to grab in your produce section. Each box feeds 2 people and they start at only $14. But what makes them different than the other options?
Currently Kroger has 9 different Prep + Pared Meal Kits. Inside each box is everything you need for the recipe including fresh vegetables, meats, spices. We only had to add a little olive oil and salt and pepper. The Prep + Pared kits not only have all of the ingredients inside, but they are already cut and chopped and ready to go. The recipes are easy to follow and all you have to do is open and follow the instructions. This extra step they’ve done for you, shaved several minutes off your dinner cooking time.
Last night we shook up our Taco Tuesday by making the Prep + Pared Beef Fajita Tostadas for dinner. From start to finish, including making the tostadas only took 20 minutes. In less time than a trip to the store we had dinner ready, and a change on our traditional meal. With the ingredients separated out in the package, it’s easy to customize the meal to our liking. The Beef Fajita Tostadas were good, but not as spicy as we like – so next time we will kick up the spice a bit by adding some of our own. But the easy of dinner, trying a new recipe and providing healthier food options in a short amount of time is amazing for the price.
The Kroger Prep + Pared Meal Kits have a lot of different options you can choose some. If you have allergies, check the ingredients on the box before you grab them, but they are easily customize-able for your diet. There are some already marked gluten free, others vegan and some that are marked that they are dietitian meal plans.
Check out the Prep + Pared Meal Kit Current Options:
- Shrimp Scampi with Lemon Garlic Fettuccine
- Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Black Beans + Quinoa
- Pan-Roasted Coriander Chicken with Lemon-Glazed Carrots
- Crispy Ricotta + Basil Meatballs with Chunky Marinara + Penne
- Vietnamese-Inspired Spicy Lemongrass Pork with Coconut Rice + Cabbage Salad
- Beef Fajita Tostadas with Chipotle Black Beans
- Corn + Black Bean Chilaquiles with Roasted Salsa
- Chimicurri Steak with Chili-Rubbed Sweet Potatoes + Zucchini
- BBQ Chicken Flatbreads with Tangy Slaw
To find out which Prep + Pared Options are at your local Kroger, check your local produce section or their website for availability.
