s/o: if you do a meal delivery service (Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, etc...) Why?

[AnnieW625]

Why do you do it? Does it really save you money? Do your kids eat the meals? Do you work full time outside the home? Does it really save time?

I have been looking at this as friends of ours with 3 kids and two parents who work a lot of hours highly recommend Blue Apron, (and I ended up getting $50 off the first two boxes with Hello Fresh in the mail yesterday), but I am not sure I really need this service because I don't mind going to the store and can buy the ingredients for turkey meatballs and spaghetti (even if I splurge on organic turkey, and buy the Barilla Plus protein and fiber enriched pasta) for less than $15 a meal, but I am more drawn to the chicken parmesan like meals which take longer to prepare, but if they come completed breaded and all I have do is slap a slice a cheese on it then that seems easy enough, but I know they won't have those kind of options every week. Also since the meals don't cook themselves (which is my biggest issue) I am not sure this service is for me; if I need to spend 30 minutes cooking still I don't see how this is going to make my life easier. I feel like I could do better by using a subscription for just the recipes (because sometimes I get bored with what I have and make on a regular basis) and then spend a day prepping what I need for the week. I have every other Monday off so I am going to give meal planning a shot
tomorrow. I am also not sure how much my kids will like these meals and maybe they are so unadventurous with food because I have always cooked really simple foods and :duck: veggies usually come in the form of frozen or are served uncooked because it is easier and faster. DD1 is just starting to get a little more adventurous (ate brisket recently and loved it), but DD2 still won't eat much meat unless it is pork loin, hot dogs, bacon, or half a hamburger, and it has to almost all be sauce free.

I get off work at 4 pm and then have a 30-45 minute commute school and then home and on a good night we are home by 5:15 and I can have food on the table by 6, but the stars have to align to get that right on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday (the girls have Kumon from 5:30 to 6 or 6:15 on Tuesday and Thursday; and DD1 has ballet at 6:45 on Wednesdays and Fridays so we are pressed for time on those nights which is why we do need to by home by 5:15).

[anonomom]

I did Hello Fresh because I liked the convenience aspect of it and I was looking for new recipes that my family might eat. I already to cook 5-6 nights a week, so I wasn't looking for time savings, necessarily. Nor are the services cheaper than just grocery shopping. But for a few weeks, not having to think about meal planning was really pleasant. I'd also been in a kind of recipe rut -- DS is insanely picky, and I got tired of spending money and energy on new meals only to find that he refused to try them, but I was also to the point where I was sick of making the same 4 meals over and over. Using Hello Fresh gave me some new ideas and we found a few more things DS would eat. Plus, since I didn't have to pick the recipes or shop for a bunch of new ingredients, I didn't care as much when DS rejected some of the food.

[specialp]

I replied in the other thread, but it isn't cheaper or more convenient [eta: than take out] and not healthier than how I typically cook, but healthier than take out which we never do. I like to do it to give me a break from menu planning and introduce new recipes. I'm a SAHM and sometimes I just need a break where everything is ready to go without me having to put thought into it.

We've tried 3. Two local and Blue Apron. DH liked Blue Apron the best so far and we've recreated all the recipes on our own because they were winners. I liked a local better, but they were calorie based pre-made meals you picked up and way more $$. This week we try hello fresh family plan (arrives tomorrow), but I think the classic plan will be better for us. My kids are good eaters but do not like pasta and potatoes which look to be staples in "family plan" options. Almost all companies have some trial option so we are going to try each of them to figure out which one we like the best and then use once or twice a month.

[eta: Also, it's typical for me to spend 30-45 minutes on dinner so the cooking time doesn't enter into it one way or the other for me.]

[georgiegirl]

. I like to do it to give me a break from menu planning and introduce new recipes. I'm a SAHM and sometimes I just need a break where everything is ready to go without me having to put thought into it.

[eta: Also, it's typical for me to spend 30-45 minutes on dinner so the cooking time doesn't enter into it one way or the other for me.]

Same for me. I was in a cooking rut (I usually cook 5 nights a week), so a box will give me three interesting meals a week. I've tried Blue Apron, Green Chef, and Sun Basket.

[candaceb]

I only do them if I get a deal. I like that I don't have to figure out what's for dinner, and also if I only need a small amount of an obscure ingredient, I'm not stuck with a whole bottle of it.

[khm]

I don't do them either, but I think Ms. Pacman laid out some really compelling reasons at the end of her thread about them. http://windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?499196-Hello-Fresh-or-similar-services/page5

[carolinacool]

I tried them because we are for sure in a dinner rut. But I've found that the dinners take way longer than I can devote on a weeknight, so maybe that's what I'm in a rut. lol

The Blue Apron dinners took easily over an hour from me starting to them hitting the table (chop this, mince that, ugh). I ended up making them on the weekends instead. The two Hello Fresh meals I made definitely were shorter. I managed to make one during the week. The other I did make on a weekend day, but I think I could have done it during the week. I have another free box credit because there was an issue with my first box, so I need to pick a week to get that one. That one will probably give a true idea of how much time it takes.

The cons: For our budget, sub boxes are not sustainable. They are definitely about convenience versus saving money. And I still need to go to the grocery store anyway, so I'm not getting that time back. I also hate all the dishes/cutlery I ended up using. I hand-wash most of my pans, pots, knives, so I hate cleaning all of that up. Blech.

As for the actual food. We didn't love Blue Apron. Hello Fresh has been tastier. Nothing has impressed my 7-year-old, although we did discover that he likes couscous. Ms. Pacman has definitely had better luck there with her kids.

[legaleagle]

Why do you do it? Does it really save you money? Do your kids eat the meals? Do you work full time outside the home? Does it really save time?


1. Just can't deal with more meal planning, shopping & recipe rut.

2. No, my older 2 are ridiculously picky - the very thought of trying new foods basically gives DS2 anxiety attacks. They eat a handful of super simple things over and over again. My DD (almost 5) is a much better eater and the toddler is pretty good so far.

3. Yes.

4. Yes & no - shopping for things outside our regular rotation and getting produce in a timely manner are total time sucks.

Basically, DH & I eat these alone after the kids go to bed when they've had pasta or something for dinner. Since we're doing 2 person meals it's equal to or cheaper than takeout and definitely healthier. My kids are in bed by 8 so it's not crazy late. I am also an experienced cook and very fast with a knife so they're totally doable. Generally DH does the dishes/kid pickup while I'm cooking. DH is also a pretty picky eater and doesn't like many sauces/dressings, so I actually get to eat proper salads for once at home which is nice.

[smilequeen]

I tried them because I'm a very non creative cook and I got to try new things. I liked the food but it was hit or miss with my kids (mostly the youngest). It took up more time than I really had. I have more time to cook during the day than after school so I've moved towards the slow cooker method.

[westwoodmom04]

I have used a meal service twice a week for close to 2 years. I hate meal planning and grocery shopping. The quality of the ingredients is high and the meals not infrequently include hard to find items. I do work full time. I still make an additional one to two basic meals a week and we eat out or get takeout the remainder. Currently rotating between plated and blue apron depending on weekly menu