Yours is a pretty common complaint though some of the services seem to focus more on reducing prep time than others. I imagine there's some tradeoff between freshness and the amount of pre-processing.
The cynic in me also wonders if the nature of the product doesn't create incentives for fussy recipes with a lot of ingredients, including uncommon ones. If your recipe is just a filet of trout sauteed in butter with some sliced almonds and a simple vegetable side, your customers may start wondering what they're paying you for exactly.
I wonder if the nature of the product creates incentives for fussy recipes with a lot of ingredients
You make a good point, and I wonder whether this could be mitigated by balancing some simple recipes (which lets the cook deliver with minimum effort - including the work of shopping/planning) with some deliberately complex recipes (pushing the cook to learn, experiment with new techniques, and push their comfort-zone).
Personally, that approach would resound well for me, but I'm conscious that I might not be the ideal viable demographic.
The cynic in me also wonders if the nature of the product doesn't create incentives for fussy recipes with a lot of ingredients, including uncommon ones. If your recipe is just a filet of trout sauteed in butter with some sliced almonds and a simple vegetable side, your customers may start wondering what they're paying you for exactly.