Who doesn't want a free pizza delivered right to your door? After all, you're exhausted, you're hungry and it's free, right?
You're not alone. Food apps like fast-food delivery, online grocery shopping and meal preparation kits have proliferated and become ingrained in our habits since COVID-19. Canada's online food delivery market is expected to be worth more than $23 billion this year.
The food apps are convenient, relatively affordable and often not very good for us.
But online retail food options can support our health and well-being, so long as we think strategically and expand our choices, says nutritionist and public health researcher Melissa Fernandez in a recent study on how digital platforms influence food purchasing habits.
In interviews with 34 participants between ages 16 and 60, the researchers learned that the motivations for placing online food orders are the same for all age groups — time and convenience.
In another study, they also found that frequent use of digital food retail services is strongly associated with poor diet and lower food literacy. But the good news is that apps can make it easier to find healthy foods, not just unhealthy ones, if you use them mindfully.
Fernandez offers some tips on how to get the most out of your online options.
It's OK to order in — occasionally
Food delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub can be a lifesaver when you're stuck with nothing in the fridge at the end of a busy work day. The meals are ready when you are, with no prep and no car required. And it can be extra convenient if you're home sick, the weather is bad, or you're drunk or high.
Fernandez says it's important not to blame yourself for giving in to the temptation to order online when you really do need something quick and easy — especially if your overall well-being is at stake.
"Work-life balance is a huge priority for people, and these services are providing some relief to the stressors around selecting food, preparing it and even cleaning up after," she says.
"I think we need to look at our digital choices in a holistic way. The digital services may not be meeting our nutrition needs every time, but how are they meeting our well-being needs?"
Try ordering your groceries online
Fernandez says online groceries can be a great alternative to in-person grocery shopping for working people and young parents who face a daily time crunch, as well as for older people who have mobility issues, or anyone who just hates shopping.
The beauty of ordering groceries online is that it helps you build the habit of planning meals in advance. If you do it mindfully, Fernandez says, you can make healthier choices and save money by avoiding food waste.
Fernandez is also investigating whether online grocery shopping is linked to better diets (think fewer impulse buys), but she found that's not how it works. It's likely that we buy the same things over and over again, whether we shop online or in person.
To get out of that rut, she advises adding fresh fruits and vegetables to your weekly list, but also some items you might not think of at first, like frozen prepared lasagnas, frozen vegetables and staples like eggs and tuna. You can always make a sandwich or scramble some eggs for supper even when there's "nothing in the fridge."
Get fresh meal preparation kits delivered to your door
Fernandez is a fan of meal preparation kits like HelloFresh, Goodfood and Chefs Plate, which deliver fresh, measured ingredients along with a recipe card and all the fixings for a nutritious, colourful meal.
They cost more than either fast food or grocery delivery, but they're cheaper than eating out at a restaurant and definitely healthier. That's because restaurant food — whether you eat it at the restaurant or at home — is generally higher in sodium, sugar and fat and lower in fibre and vegetables than anything you make at home, says Fernandez.
"Think of the meal kit as a treat instead of eating out," she advises. "That way the cost seems less prohibitive and you'll see that the health benefits are worth the trade-off. It doesn't change your meal preparation time, but you get a nutritionally complete meal."
"Meal kits are not perfect, but they're a good alternative to restaurant meals," Fernandez says.
Delegate the cooking
Another plus for meal prep kits is that the instructions are easy enough to follow that you can get your partner, babysitter or children involved in the cooking.
One of Fernandez's biggest worries about the proliferation of fast-food delivery services is that young people may be missing out on valuable life skills.
"Delivery services make it so easy that kids never have to step into a store and they're not being exposed to food selection or cooking — all experiences we took for granted when we were growing up or becoming adults moving into our own places," she points out.
Ignore the promos
It's not as though Uber Eats can't deliver you a healthy meal. If you have the money and the motivation, you can sift through the restaurant offerings and definitely find more nutritious options.
But it's tempting to fall for free delivery or a $5 off coupon, and those are usually not offered for the healthiest choices but rather on the ultra-processed items with higher profit margins.
More and more grocery store apps are also offering promos, but again they're not always the best deals once you take nutrition into account, Fernandez says.
Fernandez was a Canadian Institutes of Health Research Fellow. She is an adjunct professor with the U of A's School of Public Health and assistant professor at the University of Ottawa. Fernandez completed the study as a postdoctoral researcher under the supervision of retired School of Public Health professor Kim Raine, with the help of Jessica Dugan in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences.
