Hey, Good News: Those Meal Kits You Love Have a Surprising Benefit

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If you’re not the biggest fan of grocery shopping or get easily tempted by the ads you hear on your favorite podcast, chances are that you’ve tried a meal-prepping kit like Blue Apron or HelloFresh. These meal options make cooking totally easy (no stress about measuring ingredients) and prevent you from having to run to the store when you realize you forgot to pick up basil again. Now, thanks to a new study, there’s another reason to subscribe: Meal prep kits are better for the environment than traditional grocery shopping, NPR reported.

You might be surprised by this information—after all, most of these kits do tend to have a fair amount of single-use plastic—but scientists stress the importance of looking at the bigger picture. The study, published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling, shows that because meal kits result in less food waste, they have a smaller carbon footprint. Because they’re produced for a direct-to-consumer model, too, they cut down on emissions from distribution.

So if you’ve been wanting to try a meal kit, now might just be the best time, and there are plenty of options to test out too. If you want to give a plant-based diet a try, consider Purple Carrot. If you’re about all things organic, try Sun Basket. And if you want to have a dessert option, go for Plated.

Of course, there are other ways to reduce the carbon footprint of your eating habits too. Shop locally at your farmers market and when you’re cooking, consider how you can cut down on food waste (by saving veggie scraps to make broth, starting a compost bin, or just being mindful of your leftovers). Your kitchen is about to become a lot greener.

See more on sustainability: Good News: You Already Have Everything You Need to Live a Sustainable Life How One Person Finds Home Decor Treasures in Other People’s Tras Target’s New Sustainable Products Will Make You Actually Want to Clean the House

Rebecca Deczynski

Writer/Editor

Rebecca is most often found digging through troves of vintage treasures, both in-person and online. Ask her to recommend a good book to read or an obscure Instagram account to follow, and you won’t be disappointed.