Annie Southam
My friend Sarah recently turned me on to the meal-kit delivery craze. And I’m a believer! I recently had baby #4 and am definitely juggling kids and home responsibilities these days. Having 3 easy meals packaged and delivered to my doorstep was the highlight of my week! This is a smart solution to keeping your family away from fast food when you’re strapped for time.
Easy Meals Require Planning Ahead
Usually, we order pizza when things are hectic at home. With little kids at home, eating out is a no-go, so our options have been very limited and kind of pricey. We’d like to keep our pizzas as fresh and healthy as possible, but they can get up to $30 a pop! When I had more time, I used to plan a few easy meals a month ahead. I would create a menu that made grocery shopping super effective. That kind of went out the door with the newest addition to our family.
Restaurant Delivery
Restaurant delivery companies have been making mom life easier for awhile now. My sisters and I have tried a few delivery programs here and there, just to have an alternative to pizza. Door Dash is a nationwide company that delivers food from local restaurants for a small fee ($5.99). Uber Eats has a different restaurant selection and a reduced fee ($4), so we recommend giving both a try. We are all about easy meals these days as home life and work life make it harder to plan ahead! 
Cost-Effective Home Cooking
If you’ve got the time to cook, but don’t have the mental energy to plan or time to shop, consider meal-kit delivery. The delivery service I am using is Blue Apron. Their easy meals are packaged according to the pricing plan you choose. You can choose between 2-4 recipes a week for under $10 per serving. Why get a pizza or a hamburger meal when you can have baked cod or tasty Spanish meatballs instead?
Meal Kits
We decided to give Blue Apron a try and used their promo for $30 off first delivery. When the FedEx package arrived on my doorstep, I was filled with curiosity as to what I would find inside. I was filled with delight as I pulled each of the neatly packaged items from the ice-packed box. Recipe cards with pictures were included for easy of my 3 easy meals. This was so much better than anything I would have planned on my own!
Farm to Kitchen
We applaud Blue Apron’s vision, as they are working to create a better distribution system for fresh produce. By partnering with local farms, they cut out the multiple middle men to deliver fresher produce than you would get at the grocery store. Additionally, they use only sustainable seafood, grass-fed beef, and non-GMO ingredients. By providing only necessary ingredients for each of the easy meals, they also reduce food waste. Don’t you hate it when you have buy a whole bag of fresh herbs, only to watch the leftovers die throughout the week? Saddest thing ever.
Wine Delivery
Once you’ve given Blue Apron a try, consider their monthly wine-pairing plan. Each of the 6 wines they deliver are paired with the easy meals for the month. They come complete with flavor profiles and tasting notes, so you can discover something new each time! The wines they deliver also follow their “cut-out-the-middle-man” process, bringing you 6 seasonal bottles (3 white, 3 red) straight from various acclaimed vineyards. Their wine connoisseurs take the guessing game out of your wine-paring and elevate your home-cooked meal with winery-direct pricing.
Make Better Meal Choices
Time to start thinking beyond traditional lazy delivery choices. Now that there are so many affordable solutions to bring easy meals to your table that are healthy, you can rest easy! It’s fun to try new food and expand your family’s horizons a little. Leave us a comment below and let us know what you experience is with any of these delivery programs. We hope you love them all as much as we do!