Meal Prep Kits- Why? When? Never?

Seeing the last post I made was over a year ago...shows you I probably hadn't been cooking from "scratch" much at home!

Since my job as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist has always, in one way or another, involved menu planning- I do not always enjoy it "after hours."  Yet, a shock to most of my friends (and my husband), I actually DO like to cook!  There are numerous meal kits on the market, and my food geek and science brain has done (maybe a bit too much) research trying to figure out which one to try...

I settled on Blue Apron.  

What I like:

• delivered to my door
• you can "skip" deliveries
• you can have a meal for 2 or 4
• you have 4 recipes to choose from EVERY time
• you can pick one or two meals/recipes on the weeks you accept delivery
• food quality is great
• sauces and such are in tiny, very easy to handle and use "bottles"
• the app is SLICK
• the presentation in the box is fun and awesome
• you can try it for FREE!
• instructions are great with photos
• my family has been much more adventurous with food
• they send you EVERYTHING except salt, pepper & olive oil



they will even send you a SINGLE egg - in this adorable carton

What I don't LOVE about Blue Apron:

• not cheap - but I think the shopping, delivery, food quality and THINKING they do for me makes it worth it for 1-2 x per week
• time consuming- recipes take a decent amount of prep and chopping (& sometimes pan washing!), it is good to have a sous chef (my husband) on hand
• not enough special diet possibilities- especially with gluten free - it would be easy for them to have that as a preference and then they could swap out pasta for rice, cauli-rice for some things...and so on...

I also tried HEB Meal Simple - Simply Prep

What I like:

• a little less per serving in cost compared to blue apron (the one I compared was $1 less per serving)
• FASTER to make....vegetables were already chopped - so ALOT less prep time
• good recipe & easy to follow
• good food quality
• several to choose from at store, probably at least 6 varieties
• *calories were easy to find when comparing which recipe to buy/cook

What I didn't love:

• sauces/marinades/spices came in packets and pouches that were MESSY
• vegetables weren't cut in a uniform manner to cook at the same rate
• you have to park, walk in and BUY it in the grocery store
• well, unless you use their awesome CURBSIDE delivery!

HEB                                                 Blue Apron

So, my conclusion?  I will probably keep using Blue Apron as I plan ahead better for the WHOLE week when I  know it is coming.  I will also try a few others from HEB, as I will be using their curbside and shopping inside ANYways....

The best part, my little family of 3 eats together more often...and if this is what it takes during this "season" of our lives...I'm all for it.

*I received a free try for Blue Apron from a fellow RDN food geek Ms. Shelly #laaserdinnertonight but you can too...just ask a friend who uses their service!  This entry's intention is to inform my curious friends, not influence.