Why I love Gobble Snacks for fresh, party-sized portions every day

I enjoy gobbling long after Thanksgiving, and before for that matter!

The cutely named meal kit is one I’ve tried before, on my four-year journey to try every meal kit on the market. I wanted to do a deeper dive at Gobble again, going into the offerings on the traditional set meal menu, as well as every side and dessert I could get my hands on. Note, Gobble carries my favorite single-serving cookie dough, so get your cookie sheets ready.

How Gobble works

Gobble meal kits work like any other traditional delivery service, where someone signs up for a weekly plan and then fills a box with meals, sides and other extras to be delivered the following week. They also carry specialty meals that serve four, perfect for families, as well as single-serve meals that are ready to heat and eat from the refrigerator in the microwave.

With so many options, Gobble is great for singles and families alike who want meals at their fingertips without a trip to the grocery store.

The price of swallowing

The cost of Gobble varies in price depending on the meal plan you choose. It offers Classic, Lean and Clean, and Vegetarian Dinner plans, each starting at $11.99 per serving.

Services can be ordered for two or four, with two, three, four or five meals per week. There is also a shipping cost of $9.99 after the first week.

Swallow foods

When I first tried Gobble, I was very impressed with the size and quality of the produce and food. Each meal comes prepackaged according to the recipe, making it very easy to pull one out of the fridge and cook.

The meals themselves are also very hearty and make for delicious and healthy dinners. Many dishes have a creamy or meaty sauce or something savory that makes for a hot and satisfying experience. They are also healthy, but not at the expense of taste or portion size, and you can have waste.

We have tried:

• Pizza with artichoke and goat cheese
• Japanese Style Tsukune Chicken Meatballs
• Parmesan Yuca Fries
• Italian Flat Steak and Polenta
• Thai Red Curry Prawns
• Shredded corn, ham, tomato and avocado salad

I really devoured these recipes.

Takeout meal delivery markets their meals as being ready in 15 minutes, and for many of them, that’s really true. I made delicious yucca fries and dip in about seven minutes and my flatbread pizza in 15 (ha)—but some of the more complex recipes can take longer. Not much, though, as the meatballs, steaks, and other foods I tried didn’t get more than 30 (when I was taking my sweet time handling raw meat).

The kit is very easy to follow and can be a great way to introduce children as well as adults to cooking as every ingredient comes pre-packaged and labelled, so you’ll never get confused – Is that quinoa or farro?

This means excess packaging, so the more environmentally conscious may want to clean or thoroughly wash any containers and recycle them.

Gobble’s own meal plans are wholesome and healthy, offering fun flavors spanning American, Asian, Latin American and other cuisines in a very accessible way. I would recommend the Gobble for those who have a little time to cook each night but don’t want to spend it chopping or getting too fancy in the kitchen.

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Final decision

Gobble is a great choice for couples and families, especially two or four, since that’s how many services the plans typically serve. It also offers pre-made meals for one, but you’d be cheating yourself if you didn’t try them all. Be sure to try the chocolate chip cookies and don’t skip the other snacks and breakfast if you want some fun dishes to spice up your week.

How we tested it

• Ease of ordering: When looking at the menu, Gobble is simple to set up and order for each week, but be aware of extras. I always consider how to customize the order, make changes and stop a membership during testing.
• Preparation, cooking and cleaning time: A major selling point of meal kits is that they save time. Ingestible meal kits take anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes per meal, sticking pretty close to what the recipe calls for. I still noticed how long it took me to eat a full meal from unpacking to cooking, eating and recycling.
• Taste and fullness: Meal kits are meant to take all the guesswork out of cooking, including seasonings. When I tested Gobble, I considered whether any of the dishes I ordered needed to be seasoned or changed to make them more palatable. I also thought about how satisfied they left me and for how long.
• Durability: Not all meal kits are eco-friendly or use sustainable practices. To determine where Gobble stood on the scale of environmental consciousness, I reviewed its manufacturing policy and looked at how it sourced its ingredients. Other things I considered were its packaging and whether it could be recycled.
• Price: Meal kits typically cost between $7 and $15 per serving, and so Gobble sits in the middle at $11.99 per serving. I also consider how many meals per week and how many portions I got for the price.

FAQ: What to look for when choosing a meal kit

Diet: Pay attention to the dietary options that each service caters for, from vegetarians and vegans to Keto and paleo.

House size: Count the number of people in your family and then calculate how much they eat to best calculate how many servings you need to feed everyone. Some of the kits detailed above have larger portions, while others are only for one serving.

Budget: Meal kits and services have a wide range of prices. Some offer free shipping, while others have a minimal charge. Specialty or health-related plans may cost more.

Time: Think about how long you want to cook each night. Some meals take 30 or more minutes to cook, not including cleanup. Others are microwaveable and thus require no cleanup time.