What online Food delivery services do you recommend?

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Scilas wrote: »

I am in Orange County, CA. Thank you for info. I am not vegan and I will check it out. If you order for one and have left overs, won't you use it for the next day/s?

Yes, That's what I did but as I remember it was 3 meals for 2 people so I ended up with 6 meals for the week. For me, it was a little much.

thecharon wrote: »

For those days that you don't want to spend a retirement fund on food, don't forget there is always walmart. Tyson sells frozen chicken pre-cooked breasts. And they have steammable veggies as a side.

I think everyone is familiar with Walmart's grocery section. Not everyone is concerned about the cost of food delivery services. I assume that's not an issue for OP since she asked her question this way.

ladyhusker39 wrote: »

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

There was a thread asking this the other day. I'm always baffled by those who say they don't have time to cook, literally so many home made meals can be ready to eat in 15 or 20 mins - practically the time it takes for any ready made meal to be heated up in a conventional oven.

That's true but if you don't know how to cook very well or aren't very confident in your skills it can take longer than someone who's proficient at it. Also it can be stressful. That's the only thing that makes sense to me when I see the "I don't have time to cook" comment. Clearly if you have time to cook from a kit you have time to cook without one (if you think of yourself as good at cooking).

It's not just the cooking, it's the choosing meals and going to the grocery store. I'm an excellent cook--even interviewed for cooking school but decided against it-- and getting the kits saves time. I live in an urban area, do not have a car (so grocery shopping is walking), grocery stores are expensive in my city and also I work different and long hours. I rarely go grocery shopping, because that's 3-4 hours of my time, usually on the weekend--an hour or two to get there and back and the shopping itself. There are grocery delivery services that I use and it will take me 30 minutes or so to order to the groceries online, but then I have to be here when they deliver them, which is not always convenient. I like to eat a variety of foods and do not eat leftovers after one day--perhaps people would consider me picky. I don't have children, so I don't have to worry about that. Cooking for one can be wasteful when you shop yourself--you have to buy a whole thing of "whatever" and if it is perishable, usually gets thrown out because you can't use it all. I throw out a lot more produce when I shop myself unless I go shopping 3-4 times a week, but that isn't feasible with my schedule. I also don't like freezing food--I will freeze raw meat and fish and desserts (if I decide to make one) but that's it.

The meal kits work for people like me and others who don't want to spend the time choosing what they want to cook, making a list and then shopping for it--cooking it is just part of the time spent.

I was recently researching this very question as we are buying a gift subscription for my BIL for Christmas. There were a ton of articles with differing opinions on the subject, but the one service that was rated consistently among the top on every list was PeachDish. It appears that it leans in favor of Southern/comfort food though, so I guess it would matter if that is your thing or not. It was also stated as being among the priciest, so there's that.

On a side note, do you have a Kroger in your area? I know you said that you don't like going to the grocery store, but our Kroger sells meal kits that are similar to the mail order service for about half the price ($12-$15 for a meal for two). Everything comes in a box with instructions and they are super quick and easy to make. The ones I have tried so far have been surprisingly good. I keep them on my radar for nights when I am short on time. It's just a matter of running into the store and grabbing a box then about 20 minutes to cook the meal.

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

There was a thread asking this the other day. I'm always baffled by those who say they don't have time to cook, literally so many home made meals can be ready to eat in 15 or 20 mins - practically the time it takes for any ready made meal to be heated up in a conventional oven.

Cooking requires more time than the time actually making the food. It's planning what to eat and buy and grocery shopping. Some people don't have the time to prepare and plan

I tried BlueApron for 3-4 months last year. While the end result meal was usually pretty good, I'm looking for simpler recipes that take 15-20 minute meal prep&cook time not 45-70 minutes.

i dont know. i looked at some out of curiosity, but was outside of my price range. for 3 meals a week for myself and my son, for those prices, i can buy groceries for a whole week.

but i also know how to cook.

im gone 12 hours a day. the crock pot and preplanning is my best friend. if im making something in the oven, ill leave it on the oven before i leave, and leave a note for my son telling him what time to turn the oven on, so its ready when i get home.

I've done HelloFresh and Blue Apron. I much prefer Blue Apron. However, my reasons for choosing a meal delivery service had to do more with the planning/meal prep aspect. (built in portion control is an added bonus, but not why I subscribed). I've been very impressed with the quality of some of the dishes. It's also helped break up a bit of a dinner rut that I was in beforehand--I was eating the same things over and over. I also like that the recipes are portioned for two--I was taught how to cook for a table full of field hands, not two adults.