Hello Fresh & Blue Apron
Taylor and I have been using meal subscription boxes for about a year and a half now and we love it. Hello Fresh and Blue Apron. Both of them have quality recipes and ingredients. We enjoy working together in the kitchen. Taylor is my sous chef while I start cooking everything. We also love that it gets us to try new things that we wouldn’t normally pick to eat. I occasionally get free Hello Fresh boxes to send to people to try out. If you would be interested, feel free to leave me a comment below. Here is how they work:
- You go online and pick out what subscription you want to sign up for. The pricing varies by plan. I would post the prices, but it would be easier for you to just go check them out on your own and decide.
Hello Fresh Plans:
Veggie Plan: for 2 or 4 people with 3 meals
Classic Plan: for 2 or 4 people with 2, 3 or 4 meals
Family Plan for: 4 people with 2 or 3 meals
https://www.hellofresh.com/plans/?c=YWCRSKY478Q9WQCR4VAQJG5P&gclid=CjwKCAjwxILdBRBqEiwAHL2R83fmP5JY5v3nnppEig6k3rjYDqhdJ5tDDPZUwO97cEGoN83_O_NDuBoC_woQAvD_BwE
Blue Apron Plans:
Two Person Plan: for 2 people with 2 or 3 meals
Family Plan for: 4 people with 2, 3 or 4 meals
https://www.blueapron.com/pages/pricing?cvosrc=search-paid.google.60off-PlanLP-brand&gclid=CjwKCAjwxILdBRBqEiwAHL2R8xKOnpb36n1XDqRdoQtzwns99EC01gNNplmZh8xpJf_20zER3Dq8KhoCCu4QAvD_BwE&utm_campaign=60off-PlanLP-brand&utm_medium=search-paid&utm_source=google
- After choosing your plan, you pick out the frequency in which you receive the boxes. You can choose weekly or monthly, etc. You also pick what day of the week they will deliver on. We get ours delivered on Friday, that way we have a dinner Fri-Sun. You also give them the address of where you want them delivered.
- The next step is to choose what meals you want to receive from a menu they provide every week. There are some meals that cost a bit more than just the subscription you are paying, so pay attention when you are picking them out. They usually say the extra cost right on the meal.
- What comes in the box? All the ingredients you need to make the meals that you picked out as well as step by step instruction recipe cards with pictures. It all comes packed up in the box surrounded by ice packs, so if you aren’t home when it delivers, you food will stay good in the box and not spoil. The only thing they don’t send, but you will need to have on hand, is olive oil, salt and pepper. You will use those three ingredients in almost every meal you cook.
- So what happens after you sign up and pick your meals? Wait for your shipping notification in your email and watch for your box to deliver. Once you get your box, empty all your ingredients out and put them where they need to go whether its the fridge or the pantry. Don’t forget your recipe cards. Now you are ready to cook!
We have enjoyed both subscriptions but currently only use Hello Fresh. Let me give you some tips on both companies.
- They both have mobile apps which makes managing your subscription and picking out your meals easy. You can also go through their full lists of recipes even if you haven’t received them in your box and get step by step instructions of how to make those meals. Once you find recipes you like, you can save them in your recipe book on the apps. I love going in and finding a recipe on nights that I don’t already have our meals planned out.
- Hello Fresh meals are a lot more simple and don’t take as long to prepare, while Blue Apron uses fancier ingredients and takes a bit longer to make.
- Both companies will send you free meals that you can send to your friends to try them out.
- The only issues I have had with both companies, but more so with Hello Fresh, is that I have had some of my meats show up with holes in the packaging and they have leaked all over the fridge. Not only does the leaking create a mess, but it also makes me feel like I need to buy new meats as I don’t know if the meat is still good. Every time this has happened I call the company and they give me a credit back for that meal. They claim that the ice packs tend to poke holes in the packaging and after the summer, it shouldn’t happen as frequently.
If you have been wanting to try food subscription boxes out, I say do it! I will post some pictures of past meals we have made below.
