Am I the only one who hates these food delivery services?

fastfoodietofitcutie
fastfoodietofitcutie Posts: 523 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I get so many coupons for Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, Home Chef, etc.. I decided to try it. I'm not a cook. I decided to order Hello Fresh for the week. I found the portion sizes to be a bit on the small side (3oz of green beans, I need more) and they were very time consuming to make. I was under the impression everything was "prepped" and you just had to throw it together but it's the complete opposite. You have to peel, chop, dice, etc.. I spent a good amount of time de-stemming parsley for one recipe. Too complicated for me but at least now I know what all the fuss is about...
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Replies

  • AmandaDanceMore
    AmandaDanceMore Posts: 298 Member
    I tried one for a few weeks, and while I liked the recipes (I do enjoy cooking) I found them to be VERY expensive for one person. And, yes, time consuming. And trash making. So much packaging! I prefer to just cook and experiment or use recipes I find. I’m not wild about grocery shopping but I’m perfectly happy to do it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Besides, with some planning bulk cooking makes many meals. Not scratch cooking every night! Chilli and stew is even better the second night and nobody can beat the price of leftovers.

    I pick a menu based on what is ready in my fridge and freezer, typically based on my chosen protein source and the veggie begging to be used up.

    That’s why I made coleslaw this week.
  • trimsplace5
    trimsplace5 Posts: 1 Member
    I do Dream Dinners once a month and I really enjoy them. You assemble the meals at their store or you can have them assemble them for you.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
    I don't like them because I don't like to cook. But, I don't buy any of those ingredients at the store either. I buy things that are already made. Or I eat out.

    My friend likes them because they take care of the decision making and planning. He doesn't have to decide what to make, what to buy or how to prepare it. He has the time and skill to cook well, but doesn't like the planning and shopping. He orders a couple meals a week so there is something in the house to eat on the nights he doesn't order pizza.
  • ccruz985
    ccruz985 Posts: 646 Member
    I got a free Blue Apron box from one of my friends and absolutely loved it. The food was delicious, came with everything required. I also love to cook so it worked out well.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    I have a friend who uses one of the services. It's useful for them and their husband because a. neither of them have a whole lot of time to go grocery shopping b. neither of them are terribly adventurous in terms of cooking (eating yes, cooking no). They get 1 meal's worth of ingredients delivered once a week, maybe once every other week.

    I don't think it would be terribly useful for me for a number of reasons. I only cook for one, I'm very confident in my cooking ability, and it's easy for me to get quite a number of different types of ingredients from various parts of the world.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
    AmandaDanceMore wrote: »
    I tried one for a few weeks, and while I liked the recipes (I do enjoy cooking) I found them to be VERY expensive for one person. And, yes, time consuming. And trash making. So much packaging! I prefer to just cook and experiment or use recipes I find. I’m not wild about grocery shopping but I’m perfectly happy to do it.

    They compare it to buying everything from scratch, because evidently, you are going to buy a bunch of rosemary and throw out what you don't use for this recipe. Which isn't much different than all the packaging they use.
  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
    I like them. I've use blue apron and sunbasket. I tried home chef but I didn't like it. If I had more money I'd do it every week. It's much easier for me and cheaper than takeout. I like to cook (used to love it) but I don't have time to go grocery shopping which is also expensive since I live in a city. I don't have a car so it is at least a 4 hour event to get a week's worth of groceries and a nightmare in the winter. I use delivery for groceries sometimes, but uin that case it's not much different from meal delivery in terms of price but also wastes more since I have to purchase a whole thing just for one. If you have a car in a suburb then it is not going to be cost effective or a time saver.
  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
    fastfoodietofitcutie wrote: »
    AmandaDanceMore wrote: »
    I tried one for a few weeks, and while I liked the recipes (I do enjoy cooking) I found them to be VERY expensive for one person. And, yes, time consuming. And trash making. So much packaging! I prefer to just cook and experiment or use recipes I find. I’m not wild about grocery shopping but I’m perfectly happy to do it.

    Yes, I forgot to mention all the packaging and garbage. I just made another dinner tonight and it was okay. The cook time was way off and I had a lot of clean up. I'm searching for the middle ground between fast food/processed food and 100% from scratch whole food.

    Sunbasket has very minimal prep. I found most of their recipes really easy and done in 30 minutes. Much easier than Blue Apron, which has some complicated preparations. BA is more gourmet/ restaurant level meals. Sunbasket is good though. Not like a gourmet restaurant but tasty and quite healthy.
  • fuzzylop72
    fuzzylop72 Posts: 651 Member
    if there was one out there with decent protein and was vegan (or had vegan options) i'd probably be interested. As it is, though, it's not worth it to me.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    I have better things to do with my money
    Peersonally don't believe the lower cost, less time thing.
  • saragd012
    saragd012 Posts: 693 Member
    I personally really enjoy planning out our meals for the week, and grocery shopping, so these services have never appealed to me. If you plan your week to have overlapping ingredients you can make equally delicious meals without all the waste for a heck of a lot cheaper. I could see how it could be convenient if you're strapped for time, or aren't feeling creative, but even then I have found those free/cheap online meal plans to be plenty sufficient at helping map out a quick shopping list when I'm overbooked on the weekend.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I like grocery shopping, but I've tried them and see the benefits, although it's not for me. I gave free meals to my sister and a friend who is just getting into cooking and they liked it and still use it from time to time. I was sold on trying it from a couple I met during a running trip who loved them.

    I can see how it would be useful if you are in a cooking rut and just want some easy ideas that don't take any effort, and I thought it did cut down on work and was pretty much exactly the time advertised (and I doubled the vegetable element by adding in my own). What prevents me from wanting to use it more (and why I cancelled after trying it) is the garbage issue, and the cost, and that I like to make up my own meals and shop. It did get me a few ideas I have incorporated into my own cooking, though -- although I can't now remember what they were, heh, because they have been incorporated.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    I haven't tried them myself but based on my observations (friends' experiences) it's a mega joke & very overpriced! I'm always wondering who uses and loves the kits because most people I know either already cook pretty adventurously, or they are like my stepsister and are just grossed out by the "exotic" ingredients (she thinks anything outside of steak, chicken, corn, is exotic)

    Something I did try (not meal kits) were the graze snack boxes that were big 4-5 years ago and those were hilariously small portions IMHO! My husband and I split the box in one night and it was just laughable.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    I don't know, i moved to a country where i have to make absolutely everything from scratch breakfast, lunch, dinner along with all the dishes/food waste that goes along with that.

    Sounds convenient as hell to me...
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    I don't know, i moved to a country where i have to make absolutely everything from scratch breakfast, lunch, dinner along with all the dishes/food waste that goes along with that.

    Sounds convenient as hell to me...

    Where is this country with internet access but no prepared foods at all? Tundra or wilderness somewhere?
  • kimd2090
    kimd2090 Posts: 28 Member
    Try E-Meals! It is a recipe service where they send you the recipes for the week based on which grocery store you use. So, you won't buy a whole bunch of parsley for 2T, lol. I hate wasting food! You can also choose between different meal plans - low cal, low carb, keto, paleo, classics (think: meat and potatoes). I have found it to be a super time saver and the nutrition is calculated for you, so just enter in MFP! You can usually find a discount code on Groupon.
  • bpetrosky
    bpetrosky Posts: 3,911 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    I like grocery shopping, but I've tried them and see the benefits, although it's not for me. I gave free meals to my sister and a friend who is just getting into cooking and they liked it and still use it from time to time. I was sold on trying it from a couple I met during a running trip who loved them.

    I can see how it would be useful if you are in a cooking rut and just want some easy ideas that don't take any effort, and I thought it did cut down on work and was pretty much exactly the time advertised (and I doubled the vegetable element by adding in my own). What prevents me from wanting to use it more (and why I cancelled after trying it) is the garbage issue, and the cost, and that I like to make up my own meals and shop. It did get me a few ideas I have incorporated into my own cooking, though -- although I can't now remember what they were, heh, because they have been incorporated.

    I haven't tried them, but I think your take on them is spot on. They're good for people who want to have some new variety, try some new ingredients they are unfamiliar with, or are just getting started on cooking for themselves, but too much cost and packaging for day-to-day meals. I think you get the recipes along with the meals, so you can make the meal later without getting the ingredients from the kit.

    FWIW, I think the biggest companies are trying to make all of their packaging recyclable, so if your local community has a good recycling program it doesn't have to end up in the landfill.

    Either way, it's not for me personally, but if it gets more people trying new foods, cooking for themselves, and generally eating better, I'm all for it.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Never tried one, so I don't know if I would hate it or not.

    I do like to cook (including prep) and don't mind grocery shopping.

    I have a friend who uses one of these services regularly and she likes it and hasn't ever complained about a bunch of prep. She's a busy professional who typically works 70-80 hours per week and prefers fresh food to take out and whatnot on a regular basis...she doesn't want to spend her time grocery shopping and deciding on recipes, etc...just picks what she wants and they ship it to her.

    It seems expensive, but for her it's a drop in the bucket considering the money she makes.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    I personally can't grasp the concept - I like to decide for myself what to eat, I prefer simple meals, but I like so many different things, I love the planning puzzle to save money, avoid waste and maximize taste, my grocery trips are a bit like safaris. I have a decent grip on both calorie density and cooking; I use recipes only as inspiration and general instructional guidelines - I don't think I have ever followed a recipe to the letter (I figured out why this is - I need to understand the reason behind each step, and then I simplify and adjust to fit my motor skills and available space and equipment);
  • lmsaa
    lmsaa Posts: 51 Member
    If you are looking for new ideas, you can find their recipes online and buy your own ingredients and modify as you choose:
    https://www.blueapron.com/cookbook
    My sister likes Blue Apron, but she works long hours. The portion size would never be enough for my husband.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I personally can't grasp the concept - I like to decide for myself what to eat, I prefer simple meals, but I like so many different things, I love the planning puzzle to save money, avoid waste and maximize taste, my grocery trips are a bit like safaris. I have a decent grip on both calorie density and cooking; I use recipes only as inspiration and general instructional guidelines - I don't think I have ever followed a recipe to the letter (I figured out why this is - I need to understand the reason behind each step, and then I simplify and adjust to fit my motor skills and available space and equipment);

    People are so different in how they approach cooking. Like you I don't really enjoy following recipes, never use them, sometimes browse cookbooks long in advance of a meal to get inspiration or in an effort to learn some new ideas (Indian or Ethiopian approaches to spice or whatever). However, planning out in advance for the week is also something I would never do, and I admit I make no particular effort to save money. One of my favorite things, and one I find educational, is getting a produce box during the season (late spring to around Thanksgiving) and trying to use it all up -- which can get difficult due to limited variety early in the season and due to the immense amount of food in the heart of the season (corn becomes my nemesis, although I love it, but then I'm in Illinois).

    Winging it based on what's in my refrigerator is my favorite thing, and usually when I shop I go to the produce aisle and the frozen fruit and veg aisles and the grain and beans aisles and get inspired (and usually pick up some tofu or the like too, and dairy if I'm eating it, and maybe nuts or seeds). I rarely have a plan or list.

    Not sure why the box seems more appealing to me than a recipe -- I guess because I know it will be fast and I get to try something new in kind of a mindless way (and when I used it I changed it up some, to add more veg and save some calories). Also, because the recipe usually kind of follows from the stuff in the box. Like I said, it seemed more designed for someone who doesn't yet really enjoy cooking (which I do, I find it relaxing and creative and I like grocery shopping too), and perhaps also someone for whom the grocery store is a bit less convenient than it is for me, but I do completely see the appeal. (You get to pick out the meals you want or skip it if you don't want any.)

    What I don't see the appeal of -- but I understand others find useful -- is a meal plan or set of recipes, since I don't like cooking from recipes even when I KNOW I like the foods, and for me recipes are fun to peruse in a book, being sent ones designed to be broadly appealing would take that away and leave only the "I'm suppose to follow directions" thing.
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    My husband and I have been using Blue Apron and Hello Fresh since January of last year. He enjoys cooking but dislikes meal planning and doesn't have a good head for things like portions and overlapping ingredients and all that (he has ADHD, which doesn't help). I just don't like cooking. We have the money to eat out and get delivery, so that's what we did for much of five years, along with wasting a lot of food that we'd buy and plan on cooking but not get around to. For some reason, we also both put on a lot of weight during that time (hmmmmmm). I wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but it works for us.

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