Best Eco-Friendly Meal Kits For 2024

Meal kits have the potential to be sustainable depending on various factors such as sourcing practices, packaging materials, and transportation methods. Some meal kit companies – like Green Chef – prioritize sustainability by sourcing ingredients locally, using eco-friendly packaging, and optimizing delivery routes to reduce carbon emissions. Consumers can assess a meal kit’s sustainability by researching its sourcing policies, packaging materials, and transportation practices before deciding. You can read more about it here.

The most environmentally friendly diet prioritizes plant-based foods, especially if you focus on sourcing sustainable ingredients. Plant-based diets generally have a lower environmental impact than diets high in animal products due to reduced greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water consumption associated with plant-based foods. 

Additionally, choosing locally grown, seasonal produce and reducing consumption of highly processed foods can further enhance the environmental friendliness of a diet. Ultimately, adopting a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts while minimizing the consumption of animal products and processed foods is beneficial for both personal health and the planet.

To make using food delivery, especially meal kit delivery services, more environmentally friendly, consider the following tips:

1. Choose Eco-Friendly Meal Kit Companies: Opt for meal kit companies that prioritize sustainability by sourcing local, organic ingredients, using minimal packaging, and offsetting carbon emissions from transportation.
2. Recycle and Compost Packaging: Responsibly dispose of meal kit packaging by recycling cardboard, paper, and plastics and composting organic materials.
3. Support Sustainable Transportation: Opt for meal kit companies that use electric or hybrid vehicles for delivery or choose delivery options that prioritize eco-friendly transportation methods such as biking or walking.
4. Reduce Food Waste: Follow portion sizes provided in meal kits to minimize food waste. Use any leftovers for lunch or dinner the day after to avoid throwing away edible food.

When it comes to environmentally unfriendly foods, a few notorious culprits have a big impact on our planet. Here are just seven of them:

1. Beef: The beef industry is known for its hefty environmental footprint, gobbling up land, water, and feed. Those methane-emitting cows aren’t helping with the whole greenhouse gas situation.
2. Sugar: The sugar industry is notorious for its extensive use of water, pesticides, and land, often leading to deforestation, habitat destruction, and soil degradation in regions where it’s cultivated.
3. Lamb: Like beef, lamb production is a resource-intensive process that involves lots of land and emits plenty of methane. It’s like beef’s smaller but equally problematic cousin.
4. Cheese: Who knew something so delicious could be so bad for the planet? Dairy cows, milk processing, and cheese production contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and land degradation.
5. Palm Oil: This sneaky ingredient hides in all sorts of products, from snacks to cosmetics. But its production often involves clearing vast swathes of tropical forests, wreaking havoc on biodiversity and contributing to climate change.
6. Farmed Shrimp: Those little shrimp cocktails might seem harmless, but intensive shrimp farming can have devastating effects on coastal ecosystems, including mangrove forests. Plus, all those antibiotics and chemicals they use? Not great for the waterways.
7. Chocolate: Ah, chocolate – the beloved treat that often has a less-than-sweet environmental impact. Not only does cocoa production contribute to deforestation and habitat loss, but the processing of cocoa beans into chocolate also requires significant energy and resources. From roasting and grinding to conching and tempering, the journey from bean to bar is a highly industrialized process that can generate large amounts of waste and emissions.

With the growing trend of eating environmentally friendly foods, here are the top 5 most eco-conscious choices that you can feel good about enjoying:

1. Legumes: Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are nutritious and eco-friendly. They require minimal water and have fewer greenhouse gas emissions than animal-based proteins.
2. Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are your green heroes. They’re light on resources like water and land, making them a sustainable choice.
3. Whole Grains: Quinoa, brown rice, and oats are the wholesome grains that keep on giving. They have a smaller environmental footprint compared to processed grains like white rice.
4. Seasonal and Locally Sourced Produce: Fruits and veggies that are in season and locally sourced are like a breath of fresh air. By choosing these, you’re cutting down on transportation emissions and supporting local farmers.
5. Organic Foods: Going organic means supporting farming practices that are kinder to the planet. Plus, you’ll avoid synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, keeping ecosystems happy and healthy.

According to data from Statista, approximately 13 percent of high-income earners in the United States expressed intentions to boost their spending on meal kit delivery services. This number has steadily increased over the years as meal kits gain popularity for their convenience, variety, and often healthier options compared to traditional grocery shopping and meal preparation. 

However, it’s worth noting that while meal kit services are often perceived as expensive (despite many offering affordable options), people earning less than $100,000 annually are significantly less inclined to do so. This suggests that meal kit delivery services still have strides to make in achieving widespread popularity among the general US population.