Maybe someone you know has told you about the mental and health benefits of meal prepping, or that it will help you take the effort out of worrying about food, but you're wondering... is meal prepping right for you? We know how much meal prepping can help, but we also know that getting started can be a daunting task. OR, you just don't have the time to prep, but you know you want to manage your food consumption.

So… we put a list of top responses to our question: Why do you use a meal prep service:

1. Save time

There are never enough hours in the day to do everything we want. Fewer and fewer of us are taking the time to cook our own meals. A meal prep service will not only eliminate hours a week of cooking and shopping, but also the time and effort of planning out a menu and putting together recipes. All this will give you more time for hobbies, friends or family and, in general, all the things you want to do. If that sounds like you, Here are some of our favorite time management tips for busy people.

2. Reduce food waste and help the environment

That feeling of having to throw out rotten food we never got around to eating just aches in the gut. Getting your meals pre-delivered means not having to buy more than you need and less food thrown in the trash. It’s been reported that over 21% of food waste results from consumers who buy too much. When meal prep services buy all their ingredients in bulk, this also significantly reduces all the excess food packaging compared to individuals buying it at home. On top of that, many of these services use bio-degradable packaging so you can feel good about helping the environment while saving time and money. Learn more about reducing food waste here.

3. Reduce stress and sleep better

Having most of your meals taken care of for the week means you have the comfort of knowing you have food to come home to. Not having to spend time and energy planning your meals every week will reduce your grocery shopping to a minimum and take a massive load off your decision-making fatigue. This huge reduction in stress will also translate into longer and better sleep. For more tips about improving your sleep, Click HERE.

4. Health benefits

Reducing stress will have a tremendous positive impact on your health, but meal prep services also help you choose healthier food ahead of time and control the nutrition going into your body. The more nutrition in your food, the more you will gain from your exercise practice, the more success you will achieve from your other health practices and being healthier will translate to being happier overall.

If you’re trying to eat according to a specific diet or have allergies or dietary restrictions, meal prep services make it easy to control your portions and the ingredients that go into your food. Most of these services now even cater to special diets like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, low-carb, etc.

5. Achieve your goals, build willpower and save money

Two things here...

1. Using a meal prep service will get you into a routine. Eating healthier makes it easier to turn down bad food. Avoiding impulse purchases and takeout will save you money and help you stick to your goals. All this will strengthen your willpower while helping to improve your finances and your health.
2. IF you Calculate Macros, then it's super easy to find a meal prep service that provides meal based on your personal macro nutrients. That will be a help whether you're trying to gain weight, lose weight, or put on muscle mass. Click here to learn How to Calculate Macros.

6. More variety and it’s delicious

Beyond breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you can also order a huge assortment of food items ranging from juices and smoothies to salads and snacks; even desserts. With constantly evolving menus, you get the opportunity to try new dishes from a diversity of cultures you may not have otherwise and could reward yourself with the experience of discovering new foods you love.

The kitchens are run by professional chefs which provides the added benefit of eating quality food that would be served in a restaurant but at a fraction of the price. The larger buying power of these businesses allows them to source fresher and higher quality ingredients that also make the food even more delicious.

7. It’s easy, inspiring and the benefits will reverberate outwards

If you’re going to make positive changes in your life, the most important factor is that it needs to be effortless to implement. That’s why trying a meal prep service needs to be at the top of your list: it’s extremely easy to get started. We’ve all purchased an item online. It’s just as simple. Sign-up, choose what you want and checkout. For the 5-minute investment you spend per week to choose your meals, you just bought yourself food, peace of mind (which is priceless) and countless extra hours of free time.

All this extra time will help you live longer and happier so you can enjoy more time with friends and family. When they see how much it’s benefiting you, it will inspire them to make more changes and we can all feel good about helping ourselves, our community and the global environment through supporting businesses (like meal prep services) that make a positive impact.