Bargain Box

What's in the box: Pre-portioned fresh ingredients and easy recipe cards for your chosen 3 to 5 dinners, sized for 1, 2, 4 or 6 people.

Bargain Box is the budget brand from the My Food Bag group. It sells itself plainly as New Zealand's most affordable meal kit. Each week you pick from up to 25 recipes and choose 3, 4 or 5 dinners for 1, 2, 4 or 6 people. Prices start from $6.95 per plate, and the lowest rates go to larger households. Delivery costs an extra $9.99 a week. The menu leans towards family favourites and takeaway style dishes such as curries, tacos, nuggets and fried rice. Vegetarian, Low Carb, Balanced and Heart-Healthy options are mixed in. Recipes take five steps or fewer, and some are ready in about 20 minutes, so they suit busy weeknights and less confident cooks. The company says 98% of its produce is sourced locally and that all its meat is free-range or free-farmed, which is a welcome promise at this price. The trade-off is that the cooking tends to be simpler and less adventurous than in premium kits. The per-plate savings also shrink if you only cook for one or two, and the delivery fee takes a bigger share of small orders. For households that want fewer supermarket trips and less food waste without paying premium prices, Bargain Box is a sensible, practical choice.