Best Meal Kits for Singles in Canada (2024)
Meal kits have taken over, and with many people cooking more and more at home, this ready-to-go meal prep option has become more popular than ever. That said, it seems like since they’ve come about, meal delivery kits in Canada have targeted households consisting of several people, with most subscriptions offering 2-person and 4-person plans. Some subscriptions even require a minimum number of meal options ordered a week, which, with leftovers, may result in way too much food for one person, not to mention you would have to eat the same meal at least twice in one week (which isn’t a problem if you want to have one portion of your dinner for lunch the next day).
What’s more is that these meal kits often require you to have basic pantry items, which isn’t always a given for a home chef who lives alone. Having said that, these aren’t easy to stock up on because it includes essentials such as salt and sugar. But because of the 2-person minimum issue, single people may be less inclined to try meal kit delivery services as the portions just don’t work out.
Luckily, meal kit services have recognized this dilemma, and more are offering meal kits for singles so that you can experience making new meals without stressing about the potential food waste or repetition of the same meals in one week. Keep reading to learn more about the best meal kit delivery service for one person so that you can see why meal kits have become a convenient staple in many households around Canada.
Are meal kits worth it for one person?
Meal kit companies’ priority is to drive revenue, which is why many of them don’t offer individual portions of their meals. In truth, it takes almost as much time to package a single serving for a meal delivery service than a serving for two or four people, but for less profit, making it less than worthwhile for these companies.
Knowing this, a meal delivery kit for one person may sound unreasonable, as meal kit providers usually break their plans into 2 to 4-people subscriptions and require you to order multiple meals with fresh ingredients. However, the convenience that meal kits offer makes them advantageous to everyone, and there are several ways in which you can handle the portions.
One-person households include every demographic, with the most common being seniors and young professionals. Each of these groups can take advantage of meal kits for one person. Healthy meal options are often simple and, since the company has already prepped many of the fresh ingredients for you, most meals can be ready in 20-45 minutes.
Meal kits for one person are great for seniors who don’t want to spend too much time on their feet while manually chopping ingredients. They save the busy young professional who might only have a small apartment with a compact kitchen time on cooking, giving them the incentive to skip the takeout and play home chef, making their own home-cooked meal that’s healthy and there’s no wasted food. If you need a slice of cheese, that is what you will receive — you don’t have to buy a whole block (and be tempted to eat it later!).
Another reason to choose meal kits if you’re single is that you get the exact amount of ingredients required for a dish, and you don’t have to go out and buy a large amount of something you may never use again. For example, imagine if you’ve never used sesame oil before, but a new pad thai recipe you want to try out calls for a tablespoon of it. If it turns out that you never want to make pad thai again, you’re still stuck with this bottle of sesame oil.
Meal delivery services allow you to experiment with your meal plan in a way that doesn’t require too much investment from you. A pad thai kit would include the exact amount of sesame oil you need so that you don’t have to feel wasteful if you end up not liking the dish (or the taste of sesame oil!).
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If you’re into leftovers, most meal kits start at 2 portions. So even if you don’t choose a meal kit that offers single portion options, you could still take advantage of their convenience as you end up with a delicious meal ready for the next day as well.
Now that you know why it’s worth trying out meal kit subscriptions for one person, let’s explore the best meal delivery service for singles.
Which food delivery service is best for one person?
The meal-kit industry continues focusing on households with several individuals, leaving singles out of the loop. But the good news is that more and more prepared meal kit subscriptions have begun to offer single-portion options for single people. Single people are no longer left out of the loop or restricted with their meal plan options.
To show you what’s out there, here are the best meal kits for singles.
LiveFit Foods
LiveFit Foods prioritizes healthy and delicious food in its meal selection. It delivers all over Canada, with delivery days being Tuesday and Thursday, plus Sunday for those in the GTA. The process is simple, and you can have your meals picked out and set up for delivery in less than five minutes.
The best part about LiveFit Foods is that they offer individual meal options, making them one of the best meal kits for singles. They have a wide range of options for individual meals (more than 100), including:
- • Breakfast
- • Lunch
- • Dinner
- • Build your own
- • Snacks
- • Meal packages
With a subscription, you can save up to 10% off your entire order, plus get free shipping. You can also adjust the frequency of your order, ranging from weekly to monthly. The only possible downside is that these are ready-to-eat meals, so if you wanted to cook, or control how much sugar and oil you put in a meal etc., you couldn’t.
Fresh Prep
Fresh Prep offers 10 meal kit recipes to choose from every week, including a selection of vegetarian and vegan meal kit options. If you’re in the Greater Vancouver area, Victoria, and Alberta, this could be an option for you.
One concern that people have with meal kits is the wasteful packaging. So what makes Fresh Prep unique is that they offer a zero-waste kit that omits the use of single-use plastic in their packaging. Your ingredients arrive in a plastic container with compartments. From there, you return your packaging to Fresh Prep, where it is thoroughly cleaned and prepared for reuse.
Although Fresh Prep doesn’t offer kits with individual portions, you can stick to ordering two meals per week and have an extra portion for leftovers, preventing food waste yet still allowing you to try out this meal kit service.
MealFix Canada
MealFix Canada has great, healthy meals if you live in Toronto or the GTA. The meals are already cooked and portioned in individual packages, ready to heat and eat.
It works like this: MealFix delivers as few or as many meals as you want for the week, depending on how often you want your meal prep. They offer several ways to order, including a weekly subscription plan, meal packages, or a la carte so you can select custom meals.
What’s more is that MealFix Canada offers meals for several different dietary needs and preferences, including:
- • Vegetarian
- • High protein
- • Extra carbs
- • Low carb
These options are great if you have dietary restrictions or are looking for a meal kit delivery service to help with weight loss.
Another unique aspect of this meal service is that they let you place a one-time order, making this a great option if you don’t want to commit. You can try a sample meal or two, which makes this meal delivery service a great place to start.
WeCook Canada
WeCook is a great option if you are looking for meal kits in Quebec and Ontario. It offers pre-made meals but you can buy them in single portions and choose six, nine, or 14 meals. They also have plans where you can order 22-30 meals a week but this will most likely be too much if you live alone, unless you have visitors over or guests staying. The menu is rotating and selected from more than 500 recipes, so variety shouldn’t be an issue.
As well as meals, you can order snacks, groceries, and breakfasts, making this a more complete weekly option. You could skip going to the supermarket altogether. WeCook also lets you choose the portion of meat you want with each meal — Small – 100g / Regular – 200g. You also get to choose the side dishes you want: 1) Rice and vegetables, 2) Potatoes and vegetables, 3) Quinoa and vegetables, 4) Sweet potatoes and vegetables, 5) Vegetables only.
Check out our full WeCook review for full details.
Comparing Ready-to-Eat and Meal Prep Kits for Singles
When choosing between ready-to-eat and meal prep kits for one person in Canada, it’s essential to consider your lifestyle and cooking preferences. Ready-to-eat kits like LiveFit Foods deliver fully prepared meals that simply require reheating, perfect for those with limited time or cooking experience.
In contrast, meal prep kits such as Fresh Prep provide pre-measured ingredients for you to cook fresh meals at home. These are ideal for individuals who enjoy the cooking process but want to skip grocery shopping and minimize prep work. Both options offer convenience but cater to different needs.
Ultimately, the decision comes down to your goals. If you prioritize time-saving and consistency, ready-to-eat kits may be your best bet. However, if you want a hands-on experience with freshly cooked meals, meal prep kits are an excellent choice. Many Canadians find that alternating between the two provides the perfect balance of convenience and culinary creativity.
Meal Kits for Singles: Final Thoughts
There are so many happy singles or people living in a single-person household, but many aspects of society often overlook this demographic. The meal-kit industry has notably not considered single people, but it looks like certain meal delivery services are beginning to take notice and add individual meals to their offerings.
If you enjoy cooking new foods but don’t know where to start or don’t want to commit to any new ingredients, trying out one of these best meal kits for singles is a great place to start.
