For some people, the delivery meal industry couldn't have taken off any sooner. Boxed meals, to them, are the perfect solution to a busy schedule or an aversion to the kitchen. For others though, boxed meals don't solve much and might amount to money poorly spent. To see if boxed meals are right for you, consider the following five criteria: cost, time, level of difficulty, nutrition, and taste.

Cost

Delivery meals are not cheap. Per person, the average meal costs about $13. But if you're someone who often buys too much of one ingredient or another to cook your meals, then a delivery meal service might very well save you money. Subscribing to a delivery service can also help you cut down on waste. That's nothing to gloss over -- each year, we waste about $165 billion in food.