Homemade, Jarred, Packaged or Frozen? Full Comparison
Between cooking at home, buying tray meals or opting for bienBon.ch jars, it’s not always easy to choose. Here’s a simple comparison based on health, sustainability, taste and convenience to help you decide what’s right for you.
🧾 Comparison Table: 4 types of meals reviewed
| Homemade meal | Jarred meal from bienBon.ch | Tray meal (industrial or artisanal) | Frozen meal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taste | Varies: depends on your cooking skills! | Handcrafted cuisine by our Chef: homemade sauces, slow cooking, strong flavours. | Often bland or uniform: packaging alters taste and texture (soft meat, mushy vegetables). | Inconsistent: freezing affects texture (stiff sauces, soggy veg…) |
| Nutritional value | Depends on recipe and care taken | Balanced, Nutri-Score displayed, nutrients preserved with low-temp cooking | Often unbalanced (too much salt/sugar) + nutritional loss due to high heat | Some nutrient loss during freezing |
| Shelf life | 2–3 days | 3 to 6 months in the fridge | 5–10 days in the fridge | 6–12 months in the freezer |
| Preparation time | 30–90 min | Ready in 5 min | Ready in 5 min | Ready in 10–15 min |
| Energy use | High (household appliances) |
Optimised (pro batch cooking) |
Moderate (long cooking times) |
High (cooking + freezing) |
| Food waste | High if poorly planned | Near zero (long shelf life) |
Moderate (short use-by date) |
Low if well managed |
| Environmental impact | Good if using local/seasonal | Very good (reusable jars, Swiss ingredients) |
Fair to poor | Poor (plastic, energy use) |
| Average price | CHF 6–12 (excluding your time) |
CHF 13–16 | CHF 10–20 | CHF 10–20 |
🚀 Conclusion: which one should you pick?
Homemade meals are great… if you have the time, tools and energy to cook. But if you’re after a healthy, convenient and sustainable alternative, bienBon.ch jarred dishes tick all the boxes: taste, nutrition, ecology, simplicity… and zero surprises at dinner time!
Explore our jarred dishes → bienbon.ch - The Menu
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Which type of meal is the healthiest: homemade, jarred, industrial or frozen?
Homemade and artisanal jarred meals like those from bienBon.ch are usually healthier. They use fresh ingredients, no preservatives. Industrial or frozen meals often contain more additives, salt or hidden fats.
Which type of meal causes the most food waste?
Homemade meals, if poorly planned, can result in more waste. bienBon.ch dishes are pasteurized and last for months – so waste is minimal.
Which type of meal uses the most energy to produce?
Homemade meals often use more energy than those cooked professionally. bienBon.ch uses efficient batch cooking, cutting energy use by up to 40%.
Are jarred meals as good as homemade ones?
That depends on your cooking skills 😉 bienBon.ch meals are slow-cooked by a Chef using seasonal, quality ingredients. You might be surprised by how tasty they are!