Australians were all enthusiastically baking bread in the first COVID lockdown, this time around, ‘cooking fatigue’ has set in as food delivery orders spike. 

The owners of Workout Meals – one of the first ready-made meal company’s in Australia believe cooking fatigue is behind a huge surge in orders for pre-prepared tasty nutritious meals, with many too tired to prepare food let alone decide what to actually cook. 

Workout Meals Co-Founder Tomi Jurlina said, online orders doubled in March when lockdown happened and in the past week, they have seen orders triple with demand in Victoria strongest. 

“We started the business nearly a decade ago when there was little to no competition and niche demand, but it seems COVID has led to pre-prepared meals becoming part of the norm at the dinner table, said Mr Jurlina.

“We’ve sold 100,000 meals since March, with the most popular dish being chicken parmigiana and any meal with cauliflower rice, as some trying to shift weight are mindful of carb intake,” Co-Founder Dean Deakin added.

“The average cost of a pre-made meal is between $8 and $13 which is often more affordable than eating out costing upwards of $20 for a nutritious meal.”

Workout Meals Nutritionist Gemma Daley said, there is a definite shift away from frozen foods to fresh pre-made meals with no artificial additives or preservatives as people become increasingly health conscious. 

“People are also realising fad diets that don’t allow carbs, dairy or are mostly protein only result in short term weight loss, hence are opting to eat everything in moderation for long term results,” said Mrs Daley.

“Meal preparation is key to staying on track with healthy eating, but not everyone has the time which is where ready made fresh nutritious meals come in handy.”