UPDATE: Kroger to unveil new pre-prepped meal kits at local stores

Kroger will introduce its pre-measured and prepped meal kits in four of its Dayton-area stores starting this Saturday, Sept. 2.

The meal kits — sold under the brand name Prep + Pared — will be available at Kroger stores in Beavercreek, Englewood, Centerville and Troy. In the coming weeks, they'll be coming to Liberty Twp. and Middletown stores, and other Dayton-area and northern Cincinnati stores, a Kroger spokeswoman told this news outlet this morning. By the end of September, Kroger will have 37 local stores offering meal kits.

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Here’s how Kroger officials describe the Prep + Pared meals in a release:

“All of the kit ingredients are fresh, 100 percent prepped and measured, offering only what is needed to prepare the meal, so there is no food waste, and cooking time is in about 20 minutes or less. Each Prep+Pared kit feeds two adults and ranges in price from $14 to $20, and there is no subscription or pre-order needed.”

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The stores will offer eight dishes/recipes, which include: Vietnamese-Inspired Spicy Lemongrass Pork, Athena’s Lemon Chicken Saute, Peruvian-Inspired Salmon, Crispy Fish Tacos, Moroccan-Inspired Vegetables, Chimichurri Steak and Chicken Enchiladas Rojas, and, available soon, Stuffed Poblano Peppers. Kroger officials said they will continue to rotate and add new recipes.

Kroger initially introduced the meal kits in several Cincinnati-area stores: Sharonville, Hyde Park, Oakley, Harpers Point and Newport.

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“Customers tell us that they love the convenience of the kits and how easy it is to make a fresh and delicious, restaurant-quality meal at home in no time,” Margaret McClure, vice president of merchandising for Kroger’s Cincinnati/Dayton division, said in a release.

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The prepped meal kits have become popular mail-order items from upstart companies such as Blue Apron and Green Chef. In May, Sprinly, a Cleveland-based healthy-meal home-delivery service, expanded to the Dayton area.

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