Walmart Is Rolling Out New Meal Kits, but Are They Worth up to $15 a Pop?
I don’t like to admit it, but I kinda hate cooking — almost as much as I kinda hate grocery shopping. It’s not so much the cooking itself, but the time it takes and the mess it makes.
From finding recipes to cleaning up, meal planning is a bit of a process –– a process I could and would love to do without if meal kits would fit into my budget.
Instead, meal planning remains a constant battle for me, and if I don’t do it on the weekend, it’s not happening –– I’ll just end up stopping for fast food or skipping meals, neither of which is a great option.
For this reason, I haven’t given up hope for meal kit services. I’m convinced something will come along and cater to those who might not mind paying for the convenience but can’t always afford it. It looks like that day has come. Maybe.
Walmart just announced it has new meal kits available at 250 stores. The retail giant plans to expand their availability to 2,000 stores this year.
New Meal Kit Options Now Available From Walmart
Priced from $8 to $15, each kit is portioned to serve two people, and you don’t need a subscription. What’s more, the kits are available on store shelves and via Walmart’s Online Grocery Pickup service. Although they can be a little pricy, Walmart’s meal kits may be an option for people on a fixed budget.
I’ve used Walmart’s same-day pickup service for other items and walked out of the store feeling just as cool, calm and collected as when I walked in, so I’m game for testing same-day pickup with the new meal kits. But if you prefer not going anywhere near Walmart, the chain has meal kits, snack boxes and farm-fresh crates available for delivery, some of which come with free shipping.
Available Walmart meal kits include four preportioned options: steak Dijon, basil garlic chicken, sweet chili chicken stir-fry and pork Florentine. And if you’re already a fan of Walmart’s rotisserie chicken –– and live close to a participating store, of course –– you can now choose some curated ingredients to combine with the chicken for a quick meal, including Thai curry chicken and chicken fried rice.
If you’re like me and want something quick and easy, Walmart’s one-step meals may be worth looking into. There are 10 options available: chicken Alfredo, cheesy ravioli bake, meatloaf, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken Parmesan, pulled beef, chicken Marsala, curry chicken, pot roast and chicken enchiladas.
While I can’t say if these are healthy options just from reading the names, Walmart claims they are “made and assembled fresh in-store daily,” which means you may avoid the sodium and preservatives you find in the frozen food section — and maybe even feel a little more satisfied for almost the same price.
Jessica Gray is an editorial assistant at The Penny Hoarder. She plans to give Walmart’s meal kits a little test drive in hopes of finally solving her meal planning woes.
