You’ve probably come across the ads on Facebook or Pinterest, and thought, “Who needs to have meals prepped and sent to them?” The answer is: anyone who is sick of deciding what to make for dinner, despises the post-work trip to the grocery store, or has a habit of making way too much food for the number of people dining. I happen to fall into all of these categories. And when a friend asked if anyone wanted a free week trial of Blue Apron, I jumped on it. I mean, who doesn’t want free meals delivered to their front door?
When redeeming my free week, I created a profile. You can choose from omnivorous or vegetarian boxes. You can also select your delivery date. I chose Saturdays because there is the best chance of someone being home.
The package arrived in an insulated box with gel ice packs (that seem like they’ll be great to keep around for headaches and/or injuries). The proteins are vacuum-sealed, the vegetables portioned, and any additional items you will need for the recipes, coined “knickknacks,” are separated and individually labeled.
Included with the ingredients are recipe cards to assist you. The front side has pretty pictures of perfectly plated meals and the back has the recipe broken down into easy instructions that even someone with limited kitchen experience could follow.
When I was unpacking the ingredients, I did have reservations about whether there would be enough food for two diners, but they all were well-portioned. I always overestimate how much food to make, so my idea of what makes a good portion is very skewed. It was just enough for the two of us for dinner, and there was usually a little of the side dish left over to supplement lunch for one of us.
The meals were delicious, and fairly easy to adapt to dietary restrictions. There was one meal out of the group that I didn’t eat, but because I knew what meals were coming, I saved that for an evening when I intended to have cereal for dinner. I like that the website lets you know what they have planned for the whole month and you can opt out of weeks with recipes that don’t tickle your fancy.
The verdict:
After my freebie week was over, I decided to keep the subscription, which is about $55 USD per week. At first I balked at the price, but when I looked at my food spending, it was less than I would have spent for three meals if I stopped at the store each day on my way home — I always spend more that way, but I don’t always have time to get a big order of groceries.
Another aspect I liked is not having to decide what to make for dinner. I love to cook, but I have become bored. Mr. qSS likes just about all food (except for asparagus), so when I ask for suggestions, I get a lot of, “whatever you make is fine with me.”
Overall, I have been really happy with my experience and will continue the service as long as the recipes stay delicious.
Have any of you done a meal service? Let us know how it worked out for you in the comments!
