Blue Apron meal delivery review: A healthy option for individuals, couples and families
Weekly meal kit delivery services are a great option if you have a busy schedule, loathe meal planning and shopping for the ingredients, or just want to spice up your rotation of recipes and learn some new flavor combinations from culinary masters. They also make for a great gift for a new mom or someone who would rather do anything with their time than cook a meal.
I can check off most of those boxes, and because of that, I've been subscribing to a weekly meal delivery service for years. In fact, I like to think of myself as a meal kit connoisseur. I've tried the best meal kit delivery services on the market, from Blue Apron to Hello Fresh to Green Chef and Purple Carrot. One of my all-time favorite weekly meal delivery services — and the one I recommend the most — is Blue Apron. In fact, during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, I paid for a subscription for my mother and mother-in-law so they could have healthy, wholesome meals without stepping foot in the grocery store.
If you've considered a meal delivery service, keep reading to find out why Blue Apron is a great weekly meal delivery option — and one of our top picks for the best meal kit delivery service for seniors, specifically — for just about anyone young or old, single or coupled.
What is Blue Apron meal kit delivery service?
Blue Apron was launched in 2012 in the “tiny” New York City apartment of its founders with one goal in mind: making the experience of cooking with quality produce and specialty ingredients accessible to everyone—no matter where they live or how busy they are. While the initial service was dedicated to fresh meal kit options, Blue Apron now offers a wide array of meal kits, fresh and frozen single-serving heat-and-eat meals, and add-on options for breakfast, lunch and dessert. Blue Apron’s culinary team includes renowned chefs who have worked in top-tier restaurants—such as Blue Hill Stone Barns, Craft and Franny’s, and Gramercy Tavern. Due to its quality control, years of working with trusted partners and care for its employees, Blue Apron has solidified itself as a force in the weekly meal kit delivery industry.
How Blue Apron works
As with most weekly meal kit services, Blue Apron operates on a subscription basis with its customers. When you sign up with the company, you essentially agree to continue using its services on a weekly basis, unless you need to skip a week or two or cancel the service completely. Once you’ve subscribed to the service, you will choose meals to be delivered the following week – you can also order a few weeks in advance so you do not have to remember to pick your desired meals each week. There is also an option that will allow Blue Apron to choose meals for you according to the dietary preferences you choose during the sign-up process. You’ll also have the option to choose the best day of the week to receive the delivery. I like to opt for Saturdays, so I have dinners on hand for the week ahead; no grocery shopping needed! It really is easy and fun to choose your meals each week from the more than 80 meal and add-on options.
Blue Apron plans and pricing
Blue Apron offers eight meal kit plans:
Two meals a week for two people: $12.50 per serving
Two meals a week for four people: $9.99 per serving
Three meals a week for two people: $11.99 per serving
Three meals a week for four people: $9.50 per serving
Four meals a week for two people: $9.99 per serving
Five meals a week for two people: $9.50 per serving
Five meals a week for four people: $8.99 per serving
Blue Apron offers three pricing options for freshly prepared single-serving meals that can be used for lunches or dinners:
Four meals a week: $10.99 per serving
Six meals a week: $10.99 per serving
Eight meals a week: $9.99 per serving
10 meals a week: $9.99 per serving
What can I expect from a Blue Apron Delivery?
Blue Apron meal kits arrive packaged in individual bags with the proteins packaged separately to help prevent cross-contamination between the meats and veggies. When it's time to prepare a meal, you simply grab the bag of ingredients and corresponding protein pairing from the refrigerator, and you'll have everything you need to make a flavorful dinner. The same goes for freshly prepared meals, except you will toss them in the microwave and have a yummy dinner on the table in five minutes or less.
Each meal kit is individually packed with ingredients such as:
Vegetables — fresh and unsliced or diced which I really appreciate compared to other services that cut the vegetables in half or pre-dice.
Seasonings — this is where Blue Apron shines with its proprietary seasoning blends - The 'Week Night Hero' spice blend is a family favorite in my house!
Sauces — From soy glazes to sherry vinegar to Worcestershire to sesame oil — if the recipe calls for it, it’s included right down to butter!
Fresh herbs
A baking dish for one-pan recipes
Colorful recipe card with step-by-step instructions with photos
A few of my favorite Blue Apron meal kits
When it comes to meal kits, I always opt for a meal with red meat, poultry, seafood and a vegetarian selection. My son loves the sheet pan curry salmon, and so do I! The flavors are great and the one-pan recipe means minimal cleanup. My husband favors Asian noodle meals with freshly made Lo Mein noodles or Undon. I’m a fan of the risotto or orzo meals that feature shrimp or scallops. I also love that I sometimes have the option to add protein to a vegetarian dish or swap proteins, depending on what my family is into then.
A few of my favorite Blue Apron freshly prepared meals:
A few of my family's favorites include:
Chicken & Quinoa Grain Bowl with Feta & Vegetables
Shredded Beef & Yakisoba with Green Beans & Carrots
Southwestern-Style Turkey with Brown Rice & Monterey Jack Cheese
Cheesy Truffle Cavatappi with Mushrooms & Kale
Who Blue Apron meal kits are good for?
Blue Apron meal kits are a good option for two or more people living in the same household. It's for those who want to try new meals and flavor combinations, who want to take the guesswork out of planning and shopping for meals each week, or who want quick meals on hand that can be ready in 30 minutes or less. The fresh and frozen single-serving meals are a great option for individuals, couples and families with limited time to prepare meals. Also, with the add-on option for breakfast, lunch and dessert, Blue Apron is great for anyone who wants to avoid shopping in large grocery stores as much as possible. Everything you need for the week outside of dairy—like milk or yogurt—will be delivered to your door.
Who Blue Apron meal kits are not as good for?
Blue Apron is not good for those with multiple food allergies since you cannot specify the allergens you want to avoid. The meal kits do need to be used within the week of delivery, so if you're too busy to cook a minimum of two meals a week at home, this service will not be a good fit. Those on a tight budget may find a less expensive service to be a better fit.
Blue Apron packaging and environmental friendliness
Blue Apron is committed to reducing its carbon footprint in everything it does, from packaging to sourcing vegetables to even its proteins. In 2022, Blue Apron was recognized for its efforts in chicken sourcing and was named a brand “On Track” in the Chicken Track Report by Compassion in World Farming, and as a “Progress Leader” in the Count Your Chickens Report by Mercy for Animals and as “Signatories” to the Better Chicken Commitment.
Frequently asked questions
What if I need to skip a week?
Skipping a week or two is easy with Blue Apron. All you need to do to skip a week is, instead of selecting meals, select the option to skip the week's delivery from either your desktop or the Blue Apron app on your mobile device.
Where can I find Blue Apron's nutritional information?
Nutritional information for each meal can be viewed online prior to ordering and comes on the recipe card or the prepared meal's packaging. To view the nutrition information online, click on the menu selection and then select ”View full nutrition.” You can also see every ingredient in the dish, so you can avoid meals with ingredients you do not want to consume.
How do Blue Apron ingredients stay fresh during shipping?
Each delivery is packaged with environmentally friendly frozen gel packs designed to keep the food cold and fresh until the end of the day it is delivered. The bottom of the box contains the first layer of gel packs, followed by the proteins, which are often the heaviest, followed by a separating cardboard insert with another layer of gel packs, and then the bags of meal kits. After all these years, I have yet to have an issue with Blue Apron’s packaging.
Can I recycle Blue Apron packaging?
Yes! All Blue Apron packaging can be easily recycled, from the cardboard box to the individual bags containing each meal's ingredients to the seasoning packets and sauce bottles needed to prepare the meals. In fact, in 2022, Blue Apron was named a Silver Leader and a Catalyst on PlasticIQ, a tool developed by The Recycling Partnership and SYSTEMIQ with support from Walmart, for their efforts to reduce plastic packaging.
The final verdict on Blue Apron
Blue Apron offers loads of exciting, flavorful dishes that conform to multiple diets and needs. I would absolutely recommend the company to friends and family – I do! The meal prep is nearly foolproof; the meals are never bland or fall short of my expectations and are fun to cook with your partner or kids. Clean-up is a breeze, too. I have yet to be bored with the meals as each week's menu is fully rotated with new meal options. The add-ons for breakfast and lunch make it so I don’t graze throughout the day on junk and the desserts are always crowd-pleasers.
The bottom line is that Blue Apron saves me time from planning meals each week and creating a shopping list, and money from not having to grab a large cart when going to the grocery store and inevitably filling it with junk I don't need, but grab because it’s right in front of me. With regular deep discounts offered for new members and returning members, I highly recommend trying Blue Apron. If for nothing else, take advantage of the introductory offer and save loads of money on a few weeks of meals compared to grocery shopping.