It helped me lose weight, save money and go on daily walks, but the plastic issue might be a killer
When MealPal first landed in Singapore, it was impossible to ignore. Startup enthusiast or not, the sheer volume of people handing out flyers, wearing signboards and performing office visits was remarkable.
For a grumpy hedgehog like myself, the natural reaction is always to reject a service that gets so aggressive with its marketing tactics.
However, I got into a lengthy conversation with a friend of mine and she convinced me to give it a go.
I gotta say, I love it.
It forces me to go on little lunchtime walks, I consistently discover new restaurants and it has helped me lose weight. Plus, it is a serious money-saver and picking food for the next day is fun.
I will break down these positive features of MealPal later in this article, but there is a gigantic elephant in the room that legitimately puts in question my willingness to renew the subscription:
During my one-month experiment with the platform, my plastic consumption significantly increased.
Part of this is living in Singapore, a country that consumes an enormous amount of plastic. Nearly ever takeaway food purchase is accompanied by a plastic carrier unless “no bag” is specifically requested.
I recently had a discussion with a local friend who was lamenting that the traditional bakeries create a culture clash. Typically, the bakery employee will wrap each piece of of food in a separate plastic bag, then put all of these in another larger bag meant for carrying. Also, most of the bread-based goodies include a small plastic covering meant to keep your hands clean while eating on the go.
So imagine, if you order a half-dozen items for the family, you have suddenly generated 13 individual plastic “bags”. Then multiply this by millions across Singapore, then remember that Singapore is a tiny, tiny country and suddenly it becomes obvious why the world has a plastic crisis.
The culture clash for her is that these workers mean no harm, and the good ones take pride in offering delicious, clean food full of great flavors.
I’ve asked them not to use the plastic and it just lead to a confusing back-and-forth whereby I was probably given a longer leash for “strange foreigner quirks”. My friend is Singaporean, and these bakeries becomes a push-pull between trying to use less plastic while being respectful to people who are not inherently doing anything wrong.
I bring up this story because it is how I feel when I use MealPal.
The selling point of the service is that you skip the lunch queue and, assuming a willingness to walk to the location, get on-demand food upon arrival.
Typically, restaurants cannot handle the MealPal group + their normal customers at the same time. So, they prepare the MealPal in the morning (which is one reason why users who cancel after 10:30am are still charged for the meal).
This is also why the only option is ‘takeaway’. No reasonable establishment could handle this much on-demand orders in one shot.
In Singapore, this means the food is delivered in a plastic container. Even if I want to bring my own bento box, the restaurant would just dump the food in my “sustainable alternative” and throw the plastic away.
I brought up the issue in a Telegram group and was given a few reasonable work-arounds:
- Call ahead and tell them you have a lunchbox.
- If they start preparing upon arrival, tell them you’d rather eat-in.
- If a restaurant prepares a non-plastic takeaway, make that a go-to restaurant for eating.
However, the best option is to stop using the service and go to the same places with the intention of eating in. Most places will give out washable cutlery which makes a big difference.
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Before publishing this article, I reached out to MealPal to get their advice about lowering plastic consumption while still enjoying the platform. I have not heard back.
Now, all of this being said, MealPal in a vacuum is awesome, and here is why.
Why MealPal rocks
It forces lunchtime walks
This perk comes first because, to me, it seems like the most unique feature of MealPal.
In the evening before ordering, it is the dish that is the star. That means the user is choosing food over location. There is a map to make sure you don’t accidentally walk 10 kilometres, but it also makes 4-5 blocks in either direction seem reasonable.
This is fantastic because the office life can lead to cabin fever and sometimes a short walk can help clarify problems/solutions.
It is great for weight loss (and, ironically, sustainability)
Yes, you read that right. The plastic is an issue, but MealPal has been transformational in my attempt to eat only vegetarian from Monday-Friday. So while my plastic consumption jumped, I have significantly cut down on the amount of meat I eat — which, they say, is very important for the planet.
MealPal has an assortment of filters. They range from meal size to cuisine preferences. During my month, I was able to choose only vegetarian foods, which can be remarkably difficult to find without direction.
This helped me avoid meat and shed a few KGs along the way.
It is more affordable
Typically, meals cost about S$7.50 (US$5.50) a pop. Yes, there is more affordable food in Singapore, but once you step outside of the hawker centers it becomes nearly impossible at that price point.
I found myself eating meals that normally cost S$12-$15 (US$8.75 – US$11) for about a five dollar discount.
But, besides that, it was the consistency of price that saved money. Rather than fluctuating between five dollars one day and 20 the other, I was able to stay at the same $7.50 every single day.
It’s fun!
As bizarre as it might sound, it is remarkably fun to pick out tomorrow’s meal. To be fair, I love food. I watch an absurd amount of cooking shows. I am pretty sure if media doesn’t work out for me I will go to culinary school and I tend to spend the majority of my exercise time brainstorming which restaurant to visit after the workout.
So, while I am probably the ideal target market, I am convinced other people will find it enjoyable. It’s like picking out a little mid-day treat.
Also Read: How founders in Asia can be students of the world
Overall, MealPal has been a pleasant surprise, and for anyone who has a solution to the plastic problem, feel free to comment below.
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