Fast, But At What Cost? The Lifestyle Crisis of 10-Minute Deliveries

Editor Desk : India has always been a country of rhythms. Morning walks to the sabziwala, weekly visits to the fish market, the Sunday ritual of buying fresh chicken—all of these were woven into the everyday lifestyle of millions. These weren’t just errands, they were moments of connection: with food, with neighbors, with culture.

But today, those rhythms are under threat. 10-minute delivery apps promise to bring vegetables, fish, and chicken faster than it takes to boil rice. While convenient, this obsession with speed is slowly eroding our lifestyle in ways we rarely notice.

The Vanishing Joy of Fresh Vegetables : Vegetables are not just food, they are sensory memories—smelling coriander, checking for crisp okra, choosing the ripest tomatoes. With instant delivery, this ritual disappears. Pre-packed vegetables arrive at the doorstep, often lacking the freshness of a morning bazaar. Slowly, we lose the habit of connecting with what we eat.

Fish and Chicken - From Family Rituals to Packaged Products : In cities like Kolkata, the maachh bazaar is almost sacred, a place where families bond over choosing the best catch. The butcher’s shop too was once part of weekly tradition. Now, apps push frozen fillets and pre-processed chicken cuts in the name of speed. They are convenient, but they strip away taste, nutrition, and most importantly, ritual. Food becomes a mere product, not an experience.

The Lifestyle Toll of Instant Gratification

Loss of Movement : Walking to the market was exercise. Now, even that daily step count is gone.

Impulse Eating : Quick access to frozen snacks, chicken wings, and ready-to-cook fish encourages unhealthy diets.

Waste Culture : “It’s just 10 minutes away” leads to over-ordering vegetables and meats, much of which ends up in the bin.

Mental Restlessness : Our brains get wired for instant gratification, losing patience and the ability to plan.

The Human Cost of Our Hurry : Behind every quick bag of spinach or frozen chicken packet is a delivery rider under immense pressure. To meet deadlines, they often risk accidents, stress, and exhaustion. Our lifestyle convenience is built on someone else’s lifestyle strain.

Erosion of Community and Culture: The vegetable vendor who knew your family, the fishmonger who taught you how to spot freshness, the butcher who gave extra bones for curry—these community ties are fading. With them, India’s food culture and social connections weaken too.

Do We Really Need It So Fast? Vegetables, fish, and chicken are not emergencies. They can be planned and purchased thoughtfully. What 10-minute delivery really sells us is not convenience, but a culture of impatience and shortcuts.

The Real Luxury - Slow Living : Perhaps the solution isn’t to celebrate how fast food reaches us, but to rediscover the beauty of slowing down 

1. Savor a morning market visit.

2. Choose fresh, not frozen, whenever possible.

3. Cook patiently, treating it as an act of care, not a rushed chore.

Because true health—and true happiness—comes not from living in 10-minute fragments, but from living with rhythm, connection, and time.