The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word TAKEAWAYS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
T
A
K
E
A
W
A
Y
S
More clues leading to the result TAKEAWAYS
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Meals from a method that needs boxes" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case meals from a method that needs boxes = takeaways.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does TAKEAWAYS mean?
TAKEAWAYS noun- A restaurant that sells food to be eaten elsewhere.
- A meal bought to be eaten elsewhere.
- The preliminary part of a golfer′s swing when the club is brought back away from the ball.
- A concession made by a labor union in the course of negotiations.
- (frequently plural) An idea from a talk, presentation, etc., that the listener or reader should remember and consider.