Eat at Home More Often with Fresh Meal Delivery: a Blue Apron Review

I found a way to make dinner time easier and wanted to share my experience with you. No, it’s not a chef… it’s Blue Apron! They deliver ready to cook meals to your front door. This Blue Apron review isn’t a sponsored post, it is my personal experience, photos, and opinions about the fresh meal delivery service.

 This post contains affiliate links. They don’t cost you a thing, but help us bring you creative projects. Read more at Policies & Disclosures.

 

Around dinner time I often wish we had a personal chef.  My budget does not have room for that luxury, but it does have room for the next best thing, Blue Apron meal delivery!

Favorite Things

Have you seen the Sound of Music? My mother loves the movie so I’ve spent my entire life humming…  Brown paper packages tied up with strings, these are a few of my favorite things. The chorus pops into my head whenever a Blue Apron box shows up on my front porch…

I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel so bad.

It’s wonderful when you remember that you don’t have to grocery shop or decide what to make for dinner after a busy day of work! Blue Apron allows me to:

• Make a home cooked meal in about 30 minutes.
• Switch up our repetitive dinner menu.
• Save time and money at the grocery store.
• Reduce monthly dining out expenses.

Dinner Delivered

When you sign up for Blue Apron a lovely package comes straight to your front door twice a week and PRESTO the meal planning and shopping is done (this affiliate link will give you $30 off your first Blue Apron purchase).

Check out one of my weekly Blue Apron packages in the image  below. The ingredients for two meals are delivered in a box that contains a silver insulated wrap. Each box comes with recipe cards and an ingredients fact sheet. Refrigerated ingredients are packed in ice at the bottom of the carton.

Blue Apron Review

I wanted to share a Blue Apron review to explains how the service works and inspires you to try meal delivery too!

Why Blue Apron is One of My Favorite Things

There are eight reasons why I love Blue Apron meal delivery service:

1. The meal planning and grocery shopping is done. I first tried Blue Apron because I wanted a break from meal planning without heading to a restaurant. Blue Apron selects and delivers dinner supplies to your front door. Their lovely brown package makes me sigh with relief on busy days!

2. Your meals, your preferences. Are you a vegetarian? Don’t like pork? You can personalize your Blue Apron profile and weekly menu based on your family’s like and dislikes.  Blue Apron delivers two meals twice a week, you pick the days. Our boxes arrive on Wednesday and Friday. The twice a week delivery schedule means I don’t have an overflowing refrigerator.

3. The menus use fresh ingredients from family owned farms and small businesses. Each Blue Apron meal is made from minimally processed ingredients direct from the source. You’ll receive fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh cuts of meat, and a variety of grains. For example: in one 4 meal week the only processed foods in the boxes were hamburger buns, tortillas, hoisen sauce, and pasta. All the other ingredients were fresh, whole foods.

4. The recipes are illustrated and easy to prepare. Blue Apron meals take about 30-40 minutes from fridge to table. Each recipe comes with an illustrated instruction card and step by step photos. The directions are easy enough for my kids (10 and 13) to help me with the cooking.

5. The meal portions are substantial. Each meal has to feed me, two growing kids, and my 6’4” husband with a high metabolism. The Blue Aprons dinner selections satisfy all four family members and usually leave enough leftovers for my husband’s lunch. I am not a fan of leftovers so think the portion sizes are perfect.

6. The inspiring menu livens up routine dinners. I often find myself preparing the same family meals over and over again. Blue Apron gets us out of this boring dinner spiral with interesting entrees we all love sampling.

7. Blue Apron recipes build into a cookbook of easy dinner options. Each Blue Apron recipe has a detailed list of ingredients with full measurements so you can recreate the meal on your own. Some meal delivery services leave out the exact measurement which makes the recipes unusable after the pre-measured ingredients are gone. Blue Apron even sells a custom recipe binder you can use to compile a cookbook.

8. Wine pairings and kitchen essentials are available. Okay, this service option is AWESOME. Enjoy a glass of wine with dinner? Add menu paired wines to your Blue Apron order for just $10 a bottle.  Missing a piece of kitchen equipment? Select it in the Blue Apron store and add it to your next order.  Blue Apron is one stop dinner shopping.

What You Need to Know About Blue Apron…

There is some important information you need to get the most out of Blue Apron meal delivery:

• You set the deliveries to work with your schedule. Log on to Blue Apron to select the number of meals you receive each week. If you’re not interested in a certain menu or are going out of town, you can skip the selections by simply clicking a button. It’s really simple, no technical training needed!

• The meals cost a little more than shopping for yourself, but less than fast food.  Blue Apron costs more than the grocery store because you are paying for convenience. We receive four family meals each week for about $140. (Use my link to receive $30 off your first purchase.) If we ate at Subway those four meals would cost us $160… for fast food!  Blue Apron keeps us from eating out because, honestly, it’s easier to cook when an amazing meal is waiting to be prepared.

• You are the chef. Blue Apron meals are not frozen entrees, they are home cooked meals made from fresh ingredients. You prepare the entire recipe from slicing the produce to seasoning the meat. I first thought the prep should be done for me, but I’m now convinced the prep should be done while cooking. Shipping whole ingredients means the meals are fresh and tasty, not soggy and browning.

How much do I have to order from Blue Apron?

There is no minimum number of meals to order and no contract with Blue Apron, so you can stop your deliveries at any time. Just log into your account to see the meals you are going to receive and the date they arrive. Want to skip or stop? Click a button and you’re done.

If you are interested in trying Blue Apron, please click on my link to receive $30 off Blue Apron. I earn a small commission when you use my link, but it does not cost you anything. This review is 100% my personal experience with Blue Apron, my personal photos, and my unbiased opinion.

Learn more about meal delivery services in my Hello Fresh Review.

Like my reviews? Sign up for my free newsletter below and never miss a thing!