31 minutes ago, Okanagancook said:Note: My profession prior to retiring was Registered Dietitian...Clinical.
I am of two minds about these meal kits. They 'seem' well designed and I am sure they have Registered Dietitians involved in the design of the meals. The shrimp meal has 30 grams of protein just from the shrimp so that goes a long way towards one meeting one's protein needs for the day from a 'dinner'.
BUT, THE PACKAGING! OMG.
I just can't get over it.
We need biodegradable packaging, if possible?
I didn't want to get into the packaging issue right now. I think I have commented on it previously when we used to get kits from Sunizona farms. Sometimes it does seem like a lot.
Edited to say: But feel free to discuss this packaging part of the whole meal kit product, I understand it's important. I did still plan on talking about it, just not before I made dinner. 
I am unlikely to use these kits often and don't really feel a need to defend them. But these aren't subscription kits, they don't need the extra packaging to travel through delivery systems and various weather. Those ones need protection from temperature change and handling. So I suspect these fare better in terms of packaging than those.
But I will say that the packaging is somewhat proportional - if you are buying a bag of uncooked black beans (bulk or not), you are probably buying more plastic than what is used for the beans in this meal kit. Same with rice, butter, etc. I have more plastic in my package of beans from Rancho Gordo than what is contained in this kit for the beans. Will my RG beans go further? Absolutely, but they do not come without waste.
And yes, you could buy an onion or garlic without packaging, but I see people using the plastic produce bags for even single bits of produce all the time. And certainly for damp parsley, etc.
I think the packaging in these kits is not too bad compared to others I have seen. The boxes are recyclable. I think they have tried to minimize the plastic. But what if we compare this to take-out food? How does it compare? Is it preferable at times? What about to some of the other packaging in the grocery stores? The Uncle Ben's pre-cooked rice, or the Trader Joe's mirepoix in plastic tubs?
But yes, it would be nice if the world used less plastic, created less waste, etc.
