Meal Delivery Service: Which One Is Right For You?

There has been an explosion of home meal delivery services entering the consumer market. These services allow you to select the meals you want for the week, order online, and in a few days, you receive a box of fresh, pre-portioned meals with easy to follow recipes. Yet which meal delivery service is right for your lifestyle and fits your food profile?

Below we have listed some pros and cons of so you can decide for yourself.

Blue Apron

Pros:

Overall, the food tasted good and we liked that you have the option to just select a small number of meals.

Cons:

There was a lot of prep time due to items needing to be chopped which then required a lot of clean-up using dishes and utensils. The recipes themselves were a little complicated and many of the meals have cook times from 30 to 45 minutes. Not a great thing if you are really hungry, or in a rush. There also seemed to be some waste as you had left-over ingredients. They also had recipes that called for sauces which just increased the overall meal prep time.

Home Chef

Pros:

Several meals to choose from with lots of delivery dates you could select. Besides dinners, they also offered breakfast meals. The recipes came with a nice binder so you could organize them, and all ingredients were in one neat bag.

Cons:

Their website was very difficult to navigate and not easy to understand how to skip weeks when you did not want meals delivered.

Hello Fresh

Pros:

All ingredients were organized in one box and most of the meals were very tasty. They included options for breakfast, and we liked the simplicity of the recipes. You also had several choices on the meal plans.

Cons:

Their website can be a bit difficult to navigate.

Plated

Pros:

You can select 2 to 7 meals per person/per week. The food was the most flavorful of we tried. You could add dessert and all ingredients were in one bag. No clean up necessary as they sent throw away pans for items that needed to be baked.

Cons:

We thought it was strange that they did not send eggs for some of the recipes that called for that particular ingredient; perhaps they were concerned about the packaging or freshness upon delivery? Of course, if you didn’t already have eggs on hand it required a trip to the store.

Martha & Marley Spoon

Pros:

Recipes are easy as they require only 6 steps. You can choose between 2 and 4 person plans, and ingredients are fresh and seasonal. They have a flexible delivery system and everything is pre-measured so you don’t have any waste.

Cons:

A little more expensive than some of the other meal delivery systems.

Sun Basket

Pros:

Farm fresh, organic and non-GMO ingredients. You can choose 12 weekly recipes from vegetarian, paleo, and gluten-free options. Most of the meals were ready in 30 minutes.

Cons:

This service was one of the more expensive from the options we tried.

Or, create your own menu, with major groceries delivered right to your door

I don’t know about you, but taking my kids to the grocery store a few times a week can often end in what feels like a standoff negotiation/hostage situation. Why do I always feel like I’m negotiating with my kids?! They want what they see, and aren’t afraid to ask for it. Bottom line – spending time at the grocery store not only eats up time, it can also eat at your budget.

​

Some of the major grocery stores offer home delivery services that you can arrange online, and in some cases, even schedule the exact time of delivery. Awesome! Where has this been all my life?

The benefits here are endless: you can maintain and stick to a budget; you can create healthy meal options and ensure only those ingredients are what fills your

pantry; you can save time wondering the aisles wondering, “What’s for dinner tonight?”. Just invest an hour or so each week, and plan things out! That way, you can spend less time in the grocery store – and more time enjoying Your New Normal. ​​ Here is a list of some of the popular home delivery services, brought to you by our friends at the Spruce.

Peapod Peapod is the largest online grocery store. It operates out of 23 urban areas and partners with stores like Stop & Shop and Giant. You go online and choose which products you like and they’re delivered to your house. It can store your past orders to make shopping faster. If you run an office and like to keep the kitchen stocked, you can set up a business account to take care of those needs.

Facts About Peapod:

· 1-800-5-PEAPOD (1-800-573-2763)

· Offers grocery delivery in CT, IL, MA, RI, NY, NJ, DC, MD, VA, WI

· The minimum order is $50.00

· Delivery fees range from $6.95 to $9.95

Safeway Brick and mortar Safeways have been around since 1915 but in 2000 they started their own grocery delivery service. While it’s currently not offered in as many locations as there are Safeways it’s worth it if you have access.

Facts About Safeway

· Offers grocery delivery in AZ, CA, MD, OR, VA, WA, and DC

· The minimum order is $50

· Typical delivery fees range from $4.95-$9.95

WeGoShop.com If you’re truly dedicated to shopping local then this service is perfect for you. This service allows someone else to go to your local grocery store for you. If you’re partial to the taste of your grocery store bakery’s muffins or cookies you can make them come to you! If you’re an avid user of coupons you can even schedule for them to come get your coupons. It will cost a little extra of course but some coupons are just too good to pass up!

Facts About We Go Shop

· Offers grocery delivery in many locations throughout the U.S.

· Each local delivery group is responsible for setting its own fees

· Delivery charges vary, but the average is about $25 for $150 of groceries

Fresh Direct If you live in the New York area you’ve probably seen this companies boxes around. One of the best parts of this service is that not only do they offer regular groceries you can also order ready-made meals. They will allow you to eat healthier home-cooked meals without having to take all the home cooked steps. You can make things even easier on yourself by ordering the companies microwaveable meal kits.

Facts About Fresh Direct

· Offers grocery delivery in the New York Metropolitan area

· The minimum order is $50

· Delivery fees range from $2.99 to $9.99 per order

· Must set a delivery window

Most importantly, one must wash down all this delicious food with something fabulous. Why not a glass of wine delivered directly to your door? Vinebox does exactly that – and allows you to sample what you like and what you don’t like – beforehand, guaranteeing you the tastiest of vinos each month. Vinebox starts at $81 for a three-month subscription and offers varietals of all sorts.

Whatever you choose, there are many options! Whether you’re looking to stick to a budget, eat healthier, or just simplify life, here’s hoping a few of these tips will help you get there.