Have you ever wished you had ready-made meals or a personal chef to keep your house running? Since I can’t afford a chef, I decided to try a meal delivery service to help with the weekly meals. Keep reading for my full Blue Apron review below.
There are several home meal kit services out there. They offer the convenience of a home cooked meal without having to go to the market to buy your ingredients. They also eliminate decision fatigue because you choose the menu in advance.
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Blue Apron provided me 4 meals to try from their Family Meal Plan. These meals were complimentary for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.
What is Blue Apron Meal Service?
Blue Apron is a meal delivery service. They source the best seasonal ingredients directly from family-run farms, importers and producers. Each week, customers choose from different meal options on their individual and family menus.
The individual menu offers shoppers a choice of 6 different meals for 2 people and the family menu for 4 meals per week with 4 servings each. Both plans offer a good variety of meal option.
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How Blue Apron Works: Delivery Day
On your selected delivery day, the Blue Apron order arrives in a sturdy cardboard box with freezer ice packs keeping everything cold. Main meal ingredients are packaged individually and smaller condiments are stored in a paper sack with a label. No grocery shopping – yay!
Any additional special items for the Blue Apron recipes, like wooden skewers for the Chicken Rollatini, are included to help create your meal. You do not need superior cooking skills. Just follow the directions included.
A catalog and roasting guide are also provided. These were nice to have if you are new to cooking or looking to expand your skills.
Variety of Blue Apron Meals
I tried four family meals for this Blue Apron review. I loved that we got to choose the meals we wanted.
- Stir Fried Beef and Broccoli with Garlic Rice & Pickled Delicata Squash
- Chicken Rollatini with Spinach and Cheesy Elicoidali Pasta
- Seared Chicken Thighs with Cipollini Onions and Kumquats
- Shrimp & Squid Ink Pasta with Green Cabbage and Furikake
All my meals were easy to create in less than 45 minutes with the provided recipe cards. The recipe cards are yours to keep and can be used again and again. The nutritional facts for each recipe are also provided on a separate piece of paper. If you are interested in the analysis, you have that information.
What I Loved About Blue Apron
I really liked the Stir Fried Beef and Broccoli with Pickled Squash. I wasn’t sure about the squash, but found I really liked it. The kids weren’t as sure, but did like it after they tried it. The meal was just as good as anything we order when we do take out and took a short time to prepare.
The second meal I liked best was the Shrimp and Squid Ink Pasta. I have never tried squid ink pasta and this box gave me an easy way to try it. I liked that the weekly menus offer something unique like this that I may not normally make at home. It allowed us to be adventurous but still have a safety net by having step by step instructions on how to create a tasty meal.
The recipes I tried were very good and made me rethink my cooking. I liked that the recipe showed measurements in teaspoons, tablespoons, and cups instead of ounces.
Room for Improvement
Although I loved the Blue Apron experience overall, there were a few things that I would have preferred, like more vegetables in the meals. I like a larger percentage of vegetables to protein and carbs.
I also found meals needed more seasoning. I ended up adding more seasonings like herbs, salt, and pepper to the recipes to suit my taste. I did have one small issue with the squash I received for the stir fry. It had gone bad before I could make the dish and I had to buy another one.
Services and Pricing from Blue Apron
Once you sign up for Blue Apron, you can choose from a diverse menu that features a mix of classic and creative recipes. The recipes have easy-to-follow instructions and pre-portioned ingredients.
For each plan, choose if you want 2 or 4 servings per meal. Then choose how many meals you’d like delivered to your door per week. You can have meals delivered up to 5 times per week.
Currently there are 4 meal menus to choose from:
Signature Plan: The standard plan includes a variety of meat, fish, and vegetarian options.
Vegetarian Plan: Catering to those who preferred plant-based meals, the Vegetarian Plan offers vegetarian meals inspired by a variety of ethnic cuisines and utilizes the best seasonal produce.
Wellness Plan: This plan focuses on providing balanced and nutritious meals. There is a focus on lean proteins, whole grains, and plenty of vegetables.
Signature for Four: This is essentially the Signature Plan, but has 4 servings instead of 2.
Add Ons: To really make meal preparation easy, add salads, side dishes, or even dessert to your Blue Apron delivery box. I didn’t try any of these, but they look delicious on the website.
Personalize Your Blue Apron Meals
In addition to choosing the menu category, Blue Apron offers the chance to customize your meal kit even further. When you place the order, choose the types of meals you’d like more of such as the “Chef’s Favorites” or “Fast and Easy”.
Blue Apron Meal Kit Pricing
It’s difficult to say exactly how much Blue Apron meals cost as it varies depending on the types and number of meals you order. Per serving, most meals range from $8-15. The more meals you order, the less expensive it is per serving.
Save $30 Off Your First Blue Apron Order!
Overall, I liked the family Blue Apron meals. They provide excellent customer service and offer a ton of variety in their foods. Meal portions are adequate and my family (including the kids) liked trying new foods. If you’re considering a meal kit company, definitely give Blue Apron a try.
What do you like best about meal delivery services? Have you tried Blue Apron?
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