With busy schedules and so many options, meal delivery services are more popular than ever! After all, what could be better than the opportunity to prepare delicious, homemade meals without ever having to write a shopping list or step foot inside of a grocery store?
As a working mom of a nine year old daughter who has homework and various activities throughout the week, I was curious how utilizing meal preparation services would benefit my small family. Would the cost of having recipes and all of the ingredients delivered to my front door be worth the time I would save? How would the food taste compared with when I choose my own recipes and select my own ingredients? Would my husband Mike and my daughter Addie like the meals, and would these meal preparation delivery services give us more quality time together as a family?
After listening to suggestions I had seen on local social media sites, I was starting to feel a bit overwhelmed. I honestly had no idea there were so many meal preparation services that deliver to the Coronado area! While there were many meal delivery services that bring prepared meals to your front door, I wanted to try some of the meal preparation services that allowed my family to cook the meals ourselves. I decided to try Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, and Plated. (See charts in the cost analysis and conclusion sections of the article for comparisons of prices and my family’s ranking of the recipes.)
My cousin Sami lives in Manhattan, and has been using Blue Apron for a long time. After always finding myself “liking” the pictures she posts of her dinners on Instagram, I knew Blue Apron was definitely one of the meal preparation services I wanted to try!
I went to Blue Apron’s website, and easily found a discount for being a first time user. Because there are three people in my family, I had to decide whether to order meal service for two people or meal service for four people. Looking at my choices I decided to go with meal service for four people because the choices looked delicious, and I certainly didn’t want to have to share my meal. Besides, who doesn’t love leftovers?
We decided to make the Thai Green Curry Chicken with Butternut Squash & Jasmine Rice recipe first. *It’s at this point that I need to fully disclose that when I say “we” in reference to cooking, I pretty much mean my husband Mike. I consider myself to be more of his sous chef / designated person to clean up along the way because we don’t have a dishwasher. Besides how can I be expected to do all of the cooking while taking pictures at the same time?
Out of the six meals we prepared, this one definitely required the most chopping. We’re big fans of butternut squash in our house, especially this time of year, but admittedly we’ve never really cooked with it unless we purchased it when it had already been cut up in advance. Mike said the instructions for cutting the butternut squash were easy to follow, and added that now that Blue Apron showed him how to prepare it, he would have no hesitation buying it whole from the grocery store. This was the first time we had also ever cooked with yu choy, a leafy green that we hadn’t even heard of prior to this delivery. Mike appreciated how the directions for preparing the yu choy included to cut both the leaves and the stems as he had no prior experience cooking with it.
I wish I could attach scents to my pictures because posting pictures of our dinner doesn’t do it justice! The house smelled so good, and as we ate it Mike and I both kept saying, “Wow!” We laughed because we noticed that Addie starting humming and bopping her head back in forth as she ate (and, no, we didn’t give her any of the Sauvignon Blanc, which was the suggested wine pairing.) It was just that delicious!
The second Blue Apron recipe we made was the Roasted Pork Sandwiches with Kale Pesto & Caper Mayonnaise. I selected this recipe because pesto is one of Addie’s favorites, and this was the first time that she tried pesto made with kale rather than basil. I’m normally not a fan of mayonnaise, but I soon discovered that caper mayonnaise is one of my new favorite condiments! We regularly eat salads with our dinners, and all three of us commented how much we enjoyed the pear in this salad. Addie frequently has friends over for dinner, and while she is an adventurous eater, some of her friends aren’t. Addie mentioned that her friends would like this meal because if they didn’t want to try the caper mayonnaise, they could just skip that part, and they could remove the pear from the salad as well if they wanted.
This recipe was definitely an explosion of flavors, and they all paired so nicely together. We didn’t have the recommended Cabernet Franc or Merlot on hand, but we paired it with a Syrah, which was delightful. Mike and I both really appreciated the wine pairing suggestions that Blue Apron gave with each recipe.
Mike commented, “The way I look at trying these [meal preparation services] is to try new recipes, but also to try things I wouldn’t normally buy myself. I can certainly go online and look for recipes myself, but trying something like a butternut squash curry with chicken thighs is not something I would just think of doing myself. After trying Blue Apron, now I would! The quality of the ingredients from Blue Apron was impressive! The pork loin for the sliders and the ciabatta rolls were just so fresh, and it was nice working with ingredients like that.”
I decided to try Hello Fresh because I’ve heard good things about it from friends here in Coronado. Like Blue Apron, I was able to find an online coupon to save money as a first time subscriber to Hello Fresh. I chose the Family Plan, which feeds two adults and two children, and was able to select two of the three available options (I already have a killer mac and cheese recipe from my brother-in-law Matt so I chose the other two recipes).
While the food arrived in a similar fashion to the way Blue Apron packages their food, there were a few notable differences with how Hello Fresh delivered their products. Blue Apron’s recipes each had the number of calories per serving, but no other nutritional information was included in their delivery. Hello Fresh’s nutritional information was included, but it was on the side of the delivery box, which I found a bit odd. After all, how many people keep the box in which the food is delivered? I liked that the nutritional information was included, but I would have preferred that the information was right on the recipe cards instead so if I chose to remake any of their recipes, I would still have the information. Even though I didn’t select their Quickest Mac and Cheese recipe, they still sent that recipe along with the other two recipes. I liked that Hello Fresh included fun facts about food on the box as well, and I learned something new about pumpkin seeds, which are popular this time of year.
One aspect of the way that Hello Fresh packaged their food which differed from the way Blue Apron packaged their food was that each recipe’s components came in its own, labeled box. This feature was especially convenient when it was time to start cooking because all we had to do was grab the correct box from the refrigerator. If we wanted to cook at someone else’s house, it would have been easy to bring along all of the ingredients with the recipe.
The first Hello Fresh recipe we made was the Creamy Prosciutto Panini with Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Basil, and Green Salad. Of the six meals we cooked, this was by far the easiest dinner to make, and it required the least amount of chopping. Addie helped Mike prepare dinner, and she was able to follow the directions without much guidance from him.
While the Creamy Prosciutto Panini was tasty, we didn’t feel like Hello Fresh was really thinking “outside the box.” This was a recipe we could have easily thought of on our own, and it essentially tasted like a somewhat fancier version of grilled cheese. The salad ingredients were fresh, but there was nothing original about the flavors as it tasted like salads we make on a regular basis. The dressing consisted of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper, which is a no-brainer. We left the salt out because it seemed unnecessary.
With the coupon, each Hello Fresh meal cost $5.61, but without the coupon each meal would have cost $9.99. If I was actually spending $9.99 per meal in a restaurant, I would have probably ordered something else instead. Our paninis filled our bellies, but none of us were wowed by our dinner. Maybe if Hello Fresh offered wine pairing suggestions like Blue Apron does, I would have enjoyed dinner more.
The second Hello Fresh recipe we made was the Mega Meatball Marinara with Creamy Polenta, Zucchini, and Mozzarella Cheese. As someone who’s Sicilian and makes a mean meatball, I chose this recipe because I was intrigued to try someone else’s recipe, especially if it was healthier.
The mega meatballs had shredded zucchini, grated onion, and panko bread crumbs in them, which is significantly different than my family’s recipe. After Mike grated the onion, he remarked that he should have just used our electric chopper instead because grating onion felt tedious. The meatballs we normally make actually have Italian rolls soaked in water mixed into them, and as Mike mixed the meatball ingredients, he commented that the panko bread crumbs felt a bit abrasive on his hands.
We’ve cooked with polenta before, but we usually buy it already prepared. As we made this dinner, Mike and I both learned just how easy it is to make homemade polenta. Neither Mike nor I are normally huge fans of polenta, but we both acknowledged that homemade polenta, which is creamy, tastes infinitely better than store bought polenta, which usually has a grittier texture. The directions for the marinara sauce called for us to add sugar, but we left the sugar out because we try to avoid it if possible.
The recipe called for making four “mega” meatballs, with each approximately the size of my fist. We noted that the baking time for the meatballs that the recipe called for wasn’t long enough, and had to put the meatballs in for few more minutes to cook all the way through. The meal was very tasty, and all three of us liked the combination of the meatball with the polenta. Mike and I discussed that if we made this recipe again, we would make smaller meatballs instead of four mega meatballs, and that we would follow my family meatball recipe while using Hello Fresh’s idea of adding zucchini and onion to it.
Like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh, Plated also offered a discount for first time subscribers. Plated was the only one of the three meal preparation services that actually allowed me to choose the option of meals for three people. Of Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, and Plated, the most expensive meal preparation service was Plated, which cost $12.00 per meal before the discount, and $8.00 per meal with the discount.
One aspect of Plated that was especially nice was the number of options we had to choose from as we selected two meals. With seven new entree recipes, I decided to let Mike and Addie each make one selection. Mike chose a recipe with parsnips, which reminded him of his Gam, and Addie chose the recipe with mashed potatoes because she takes after her Mom, and is all about the carbs.
Plated was the only one of the three meal preparation services that included a list of where the ingredients originated. A sticker on the outside of the Plated box listed where each of the fresh ingredients were grown. Like Hello Fresh, Plated separated all the ingredients for each recipe, but this time in plastic bags rather than in boxes of their own. When I opened the Plated box, the labels on each recipe’s bag were ripped, making me wonder if someone forgot to add something and threw it in at the last minute. Mike and I laughed, wondering if we were going to see a sticker inside each bag that said “Inspected by Number 54” or something similar to that. The ripped labels made the packaging feel less professional than Blue Apron or Hello Fresh’s packaging of their ingredients. There were lots of little bottles that reminded us of travel size toiletry bottles, but they were filled with apple cider and vinegar rather than shampoo and conditioner.
The first Plated recipe we made was the Apple Cider Roast Chicken with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes. Like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh, the number of calories in each serving was included on the recipe. Plated did not offer wine pairing suggestions like Blue Apron did although there was a picture on the recipe card that included wine glasses.
Usually when we buy chicken, we buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts. This recipe calls for chicken with skin, which was something different for us. Reading the recipe tip on the side of the recipe card, we learned that the chicken’s natural fat would allow us to make the chicken crispy without the need for oil or butter. Mike raved how great it was that the fresh Brussels sprouts were already shredded for us so we didn’t have to do any chopping. Fortunately we have a cast iron skillet because at one point we had to transfer the pan to the oven.
All three of us loved this recipe, especially Addie, who picked up her plate and started licking it. (Apparently the gravy with shallots over her mashed potatoes made her completely lose all sense of decorum!) Mike was excited because he learned how to make a flavorful sauce that tastes good on chicken, vegetables, and potatoes. Even though it was only supposed to feed three people, there were leftover mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts despite our generous plating.
We liked how this meal really felt like the perfect fall dinner complete with apple cider and apple cider vinegar. The mashed potatoes tasted AMAZING, but with heavy cream, butter, and white Cheddar cheese, they weren’t as healthy as the mashed potatoes we would normally cook for ourselves. We definitely felt like we were eating restaurant quality food though, and the extra calories just meant we would have to work out a little harder the next day.
The second Plated recipe we cooked was Beef Bolognese over Roasted Parsnip Steaks. To me parsnips resemble pale carrots, and I don’t cook with them because I don’t really know what to do with them. After tasting this recipe, however, I can now proudly say that I am a huge fan of parsnips! Mike agreed, sharing, “The roasted parsnips were phenomenal, and they were so easy to make. They really complemented the Bolognese, but the Bolognese recipe would taste just as good over pasta.”
Like the first Plated recipe, this recipe also seemed to make more than three servings. Mike and I laughed because Addie asked if she could pack the leftover parsnips and Bolognese sauce for her school lunch the next day. Seriously have you ever heard of a nine year old begging to take parsnips to school?
Cost Analysis:
Conclusion:
After cooking six dinners, which dinners were our favorites? Without letting Mike and Addie see, I gathered all six recipe cards, and put them in order from my personal favorite to my least favorite. Then I shuffled the cards, and gave them to Mike and Addie, separately asking them each to do the same thing.
It’s clear to see that Blue Apron and Plated recipes were definitely our favorites while both Hello Fresh recipes ranked fifth and sixth. Mike and I agreed that our very favorite meal was Blue Apron’s Thai Green Curry Chicken with Butternut Squash & Jasmine Rice while our nine year old proclaimed Plated’s Apple Cider Roast Chicken with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes to be her favorite.
Mike, who did the majority of the chopping and cooking noted that while Blue Apron’s Thai Green Curry Chicken with Butternut Squash & Jasmine Rice was the most challenging meal to make, it was also the most rewarding meal. Even though all of the meal preparation services claim that meals take less than an hour to prepare, Mike said that all said and done, he found that an hour was a truer estimate of his actual time in the kitchen for all of the recipes. (The extra time might be attributed to me getting in the way so I could take pictures or Addie helping.) Addie enjoyed helping us cook, and as a novice chef, she really liked how all of the recipes included photographs along with the written directions. Mike appreciated that the only ingredients that weren’t included in the the kits were salt, pepper, and olive oil, all of which we had on hand anyway.
Now comes the big question: If we had to choose just one of the three meal preparation services to continue to subscribe to in the future, which would we choose? Addie, who doesn’t care about calories or money yet, said she liked Plated best, but Mike and I, who try to watch our waistlines as well as our wallets both feel that Blue Apron would be the best choice for our family. If we ordered Blue Apron again it would cost us $69.92 versus Plated’s $72.00, but Blue Apron gives us four servings rather than Plated’s three servings; with Blue Apron we would be paying $8.74 per meal versus paying $12.00 per meal with Plated, a fairly significant difference.
If you are looking for a meal preparation delivery service that is easy, one in which you want to make a homemade meal for your family without having to do a lot of chopping or having to cook with lesser known ingredients, Hello Fresh might be the right choice for you. Hello Fresh may also be the best choice for you if you’re looking for as much nutritional information as possible concerning each recipe.
If you like to cook, and want to learn new savory recipes that will expand your culinary prowess, give Blue Apron or Plated a try. Blue Apron’s wine pairings and quality of fresh ingredients are great, and it was interesting seeing where all of the fresh produce in our Plated box came from, giving it more of a farm to fork feel.
Whichever meal preparation delivery service you choose, rest assured that there are options for customers with specific dietary concerns and allergies as well as those who are vegetarians. It was easy for me to cancel my subscription to each service after trying them for just a week. Here’s to cooking with a happy heart! Bon Appetit!
Suggestions:
- With the holidays right around the corner, a gift certificate for a meal preparation delivery service might be the perfect gift for the foodie or home chef in your life. If you choose a meal preparation delivery service that offers wine pairing tips, you could also include a bottle or two of wine with your gift.
- If you’re going away to a vacation home where you will cook, a meal preparation delivery service might be an excellent way to bring dinners along without having to find a local grocery store. How much more fun would a get-away in Tahoe be without having to drive through the snow to get everything for dinner? You could even have your chosen meal preparation delivery service deliver your shipment directly to your vacation home!
- Take the time to search for an online coupon before trying any of the meal preparation delivery services yourself.
Just Some of the Additional Meal Preparation Delivery Services that Deliver to Coronado:
*listed in alphabetical order
