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What Is Blue Apron Meal Kit Delivery Service?

Amber Sayer
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If you weren’t aware of what a meal kit is, it’s a subscription-based service that provides pre-portioned ingredients to you your doorstep. It allows you to create homecooked meals without guesswork or grocery shopping. Most meal kits come with all the ingredients you need as well as an easy-to-follow recipe guide.

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While there is an ever-increasing number of meal kit delivery services, Blue Apron was one of the original companies and is still certainly one of the most trusted and popular meal kit delivery services. Most meal kit delivery services are uncooked, raw, or partially cooked ingredients which is different than a meal delivery service that only provides pre-cooked meals.

Blue Apron box next to food on table.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What Is Blue Apron?

, founded in 2012, is a fresh home meal delivery kit subscription service that delivers pre-portioned ingredients to customers across the United States. Customers can choose to receive ingredients for either two or four servings of chef-created receipts to make at home each week, and each box comes packaged with freezer packs and all the ingredients necessary to make the recipes.

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What Are the Benefits of Blue Apron?

When compared with other meal plan kits (Hello Fresh vs. Blue Apron) we found that Blue Apron had the best recipe variety and ingredient creativity. Blue Apron eliminates the need to research recipes and spend time meal planning. Because the recipes are created by chefs and tested and approved by thousands of customers, Blue Apron meals are also more likely to be something you’re able to cook at home, regardless of your cooking level, and they’ll be tasty to boot.

Blue Apron also cuts out the need to go grocery shopping and reduces food waste by giving customers the amount the recipe calls for without odds and ends left over. For example, if you only need three scallions for a Thai noodle bowl, you won’t have to buy a full bunch at the grocery store, only to have the leftovers spoil before you can use them. The convenience, time-saving, and exposure to new recipes, along with the ability to develop your cooking skills, are the biggest benefits customers appreciate from using meal delivery services like Blue Apron.

What Meal Plans Does Blue Apron Offer?

Blue Apron subscribers can choose to receive the following plans:

  • : Customers get two servings of either 2, 3, or 4 recipes each week and can choose the recipes they want from a list of many possible choices.
  • : This is a similar plan but includes four servings per recipe and a menu of seven possible choices per week.
  • : Two meat-free servings from a choice of three vegetarian recipes each week.
  • : Three different healthier recipes approved by nutritionists, such as low-carb meals.
  • Meal Prep: Comes with enough to prepare eight servings at once, ahead of time, in less than two hours each week.

What Kind of Meals Can I Make With Blue Apron?

When you sign up for Blue Apron, you choose your meal types such as their signature meal program, a well-balanced fitness-focused plan, or a vegetarian option. All of the recipes change each week and are also WW (Weight Watchers) recommended.

Examples include Miso and Maple-Glazed Tilapia, Tofu Banh Mi, Creamy Butternut Squash Bake, and Chicken and Poblano Pepper Enchiladas. Most recipes take under 30 minutes and can be done by home cooks of any level. That said, when selecting your recipes, you can filter by difficulty and total time.

Is Blue Apron Healthy?

Blue Apron offers healthy options, and they post the nutritional information for each recipe to better help you meet your dietary needs. They don’t cater to specific diets aside from the vegetarian option, but the Wellness for 2 plan relies on nutritionist-approved recipes designed for overall health, including low-carb and WW-approved recipes.

What Is Blue Apron’s Wine Program?

Blue Apron also has a unique where subscribers get exclusive access to curated wines crafted by renowned winemakers. You can choose between a rotating selection of reds and whites that are intended to pair nicely with the current week’s recipes. Subscribers get to choose six sharing-sized bottles (about 2/3 the size of a normal bottle) per week, and also receive tasting notes, pairing tips, and the story behind every wine. The cost of each bottle works out to just $10, making it an excellent value and a fun way to sample new and different wines.

How Much Does Blue Apron Cost?

Blue Apron boxes work out to $9 per serving plus a $10 shipping fee. There is no membership fee. New customers can usually get a promotion with free meals.

Can You Change Your Blue Apron Subscription?

Subscribers can change the plan they are on at any time on their customer page; you can also pause or cancel delivery.

Should You Try Blue Apron Meal Delivery Services?

You should definitely give Blue Apron a test drive if you are constantly on the go. It is a cost-effective, time-saving way to cook delicious and nutritious meals in less time than it takes to order delivery.

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Amber Sayer
Amber Sayer
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Amber Sayer is a fitness, nutrition, and wellness writer and editor, and was previously a Fitness Editor at Byrdie. She…
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A review of consumer behaviors found that one in four adults in America purchased meal kits in 2016. The market has continued to grow significantly since then, with now over 100 different meal kit delivery services to choose from. Meal kit delivery services like Blue Apron, HelloFresh, and HomeChef offer convenience, efficiency, and the opportunity to improve cooking skills and expand your palate. They cater to everything from a traditional omnivorous diet to those with specific dietary needs like vegan, paleo, keto, and gluten-free meals. Meal kit delivery boxes eliminate the need to meal plan, shop for groceries, or find ways to use up leftover ingredients, and can be an easy way to stick to your diet and health goals.
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