Whanganui's Kate Stewart tackles Nadia Lim and My Food Bag

Nadia Lim, the inspiration behind My Food Bag

When My Food Bag was delivered to my door, I have to say it looked vastly different to my usual food bag.

It contained no baked beans or any of the makings of a standard cheese and pineapple toasted sandwich.

I was like a kid on Christmas day - my My Express Bag was full of surprise and wonder. Items I had only been able to covet on supermarket shelves were now in my hot, not-so-little hands.

Fresh monkfish, pulled beef (which I assume is preferable to pushed or dragged beef), bok choy, salami, spices, gremolata, capers, baby spinach, sundried tomatoes and a huge avocado I just about mistook for a pumpkin ... you get the picture.

With the fridge now bulging with proteins and fresh veg and a pantry containing foreign objects such as coconut cream and fish sauce, spice blends and linguini, I set about studying the five recipes I would soon be feasting on - all of them, I was assured, achievable in 30 minutes or less.

Vietnamese chicken with brown rice; chicken and avocado burgers with an apple slaw; pulled beef and a parmesan mash; Sri Lankan fish curry and a salami and sundried tomato pasta. This was going to be a global culinary experience. Thank heavens for drool-friendly recipe cards.

The great thing about all the meals was that they allowed for flexibility. If you wanted more spice or seasoning, you could add it - or take it away. You could even omit items altogether or feel free to add your own, hopefully, fungus free bits and bobs from the fridge. Each recipe could be used as a suggestion and base to build on.

With a bottle of Sav Blanc as my sous chef and a stopwatch at the ready, I gathered the impressively portioned and prepacked ingredients for the Sri Lankan fish curry and let rip.

The instructions were clear and easy to follow, right down to the cooking of the basmati rice, which was fluffed to perfection, even if I do say so myself.

In minutes, the kitchen was filled with the fragrant aroma of curry spices.

With a glass of vino in one hand and a carrot in the other, I made the call to serve peelings of carrot, as opposed to risking my fingers in the suggested chop method. My sous chef and knife skills dont always see eye to eye, and I was looking forward to fresh fish, not fish fingers.

The resulting meal was delicious. They all were. I may have gone a little over time but I blame my sous chef for the distraction. Move over, Gordon Ramsey.

With each My Food Bag recipe catering for four generous servings, it goes without saying that the freezer is stocked with plenty of leftovers. Great, too, that My Food Bag gives you meals that will freeze well. The pre-packing also made clean-up a breeze.

The price point is debatable and for many would be at the high end but when you factor in delivery, the premium ingredients and well-portioned packing of goods, then add the ease and speed of preparation, I can see it being a perfectly acceptable spend for busy, mid-high income earners who appreciate a balanced and tasty menu that goes beyond your standard meat and three veg.

I'm also in favour of anything that promotes a family to, hopefully, unplug and spend quality time together ... the sharing of a meal certainly does this.

The My Food Bag option ticked all the boxes - and left me with 10 intact, fingers.