While the new year hasn’t signalled the end of the past year’s troubles, many of us are looking ahead, wondering how the pandemic will shape our future. Once things have gone back to normal, will we return to our old habits? Will the economy recover and will the changes that individuals and businesses have had to implement be forgotten?
One of the consequences of businesses around the country shutting down was the temporary end of eating out. In normal times, many Canadians eat out multiple times a week. This may not be great for the bank account, but at least you’re getting a good meal.
With restaurants closed for dine-in options, the alternatives became either cooking yourself or opting for takeout. Unfortunately, the most consistent, affordable, and easy takeout comes from fast food companies, which are famously unhealthy. They contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and many other illnesses.
Healthier food ordered from quality restaurants, on the other hand, takes a lot longer and doesn’t fare well with travel.
For many Canadians who have little to no cooking skills, this caused a conundrum. Which is why meal kit services like GoodFood have become so popular. GoodFood subscriptions have been on the rise in Nova Scotia during the pandemic.
But what exactly is a meal kit subscription service? Will they continue to thrive after the pandemic?
What is a meal kit subscription?
Meal kit subscription services are a handy alternative to eating out for people who don’t know how to cook or who just don’t have the time. You order a certain amount of dinners each week and a box of ingredients is delivered to you on the day. These ingredients are perfectly portioned for one meal and chopped and prepared. In other words, all you have to do is follow a few simple steps and pop your meal in the oven.
These meals are balanced and healthy, as well as tasting great. You only have to have the most basic kitchen skills (you need to know how to turn on the oven at least) and about fifteen minutes. You can choose meals according to your preferences and dietary needs, and won’t waste time and money on ingredients you never end up using.
Is GoodFood a good option for Nova Scotians?
There are a number of meal kit subscription services that have been around for years. One company that is growing fast in Nova Scotia is GoodFood. Also known as MakeGoodFood, GoodFood is a Canadian-owned company that provides some great meal options.
GoodFood is available in Nova Scotia, and is one of the so-called big 3 meal kit companies. The other two are HelloFresh and Chefs Plate. HelloFresh has been around a few years longer, and the same company also owns Chefs Plate. However, GoodFood makes a good case for you to give it a try and happens to be the only Canadian-owned meal kit company.
GoodFood charges around $10 a meal, which is standard in the industry. Their meals are reportedly slightly smaller than those offered by some of the other big companies like HelloFresh. Their delivery service in Nova Scotia itself is reliable.
The impact of COVID-19 on GoodFood
As we’ve established, GoodFood has seen an increase in subscriptions since the beginning of the pandemic. This is in large part due to the need for healthy alternatives to ordering in. Not only are Canadians disillusioned with the options offered by fast food companies, but everyone is somewhat more health conscious now.
Over the course of the pandemic, we have seen time and again that people who live healthier lives are better-placed to survive the virus. Diabetes and obesity are two of the biggest comorbidities, and both are related to unhealthy eating and a lack of exercise.
When the pandemic started, people were okay with ordering fast food more often than usual. However, as it has dragged on, alternatives like GoodFood have become much sought after.
What will happen when the crisis is over?
For the past year, there has been a lot of talk about the “new normal.” We’ve all been predicting what kind of permanent impact COVID-19 may have on our lives. Although there have been a few moments of respite, we have not for the most part had the opportunity to test these predictions.
So with the vaccine on its way, we can only speculate whether people will flock back to offices, whether crowded events will be viable again, and whether meal kit companies will retain their popularity.
There is good reason to suspect that GoodFood and companies like it can expect to continue to grow. While their growth will almost certainly slow down, it is unlikely that people will stop seeing them as necessary. The health consciousness we have built up over the course of the last year will stay with us, and in addition to washing our hands properly, we will be anxious to get healthier in general.
That said, when it is easy to go out to restaurants again and get healthy options that are not ruined by takeout boxes and delivery, people may well reduce the number of meal kits they receive each week.
It might take a while before people are comfortable with crowding into restaurants, but that return will happen. Restaurants are not only popular places to socialise, but are convenient as well. Yes, a meal kit takes only fifteen minutes to half an hour to prepare and is not much work at all, but it still requires some effort, as well as clean-up afterwards.
Humans are creatures of habit and we all know how much easier it is to slip into the bad habits than maintain the good ones. However, if you are intent on keeping up with the healthy changes you have made, meal kit subscriptions are a good medium.
The truth is, we’ve been saying “when the pandemic is over” for the past nine months or so. The longer this drags on for, the likelier we are to stick to some of the changes we’ve made. It is worthwhile to give a service like GoodFoods a chance in order to make the changes that will actually make a difference.
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