Huge thanks to Blue Apron for sponsoring this post. All opinions, as you know, are 110% my own. Thanks for supporting the partnerships that allow me to keep creating the best possible content for you, my readers! 

Friends! If you’ve been following along on my stories, you’ll know I recently signed on for a partnership with Blue Apron, and I could not be more excited, because I can’t think of a more fitting 2020 partnership. (Pretty sure we will all remember this as the year of cooking and grocery shopping fatigue. I mean, among a lot of other things. Obviously. ????) 

Today we’re diving into my big review and I’m answering all your FAQ’s on the OG meal delivery company! So if you’re someone who is wanting to mix things up in the kitchen, this post is for you! 

Blue Apron Review (Plus $100 off!)

I definitely am not what I would envision as the typical “meal delivery” customer. I LOVE cooking. And I would consider myself a very good home cook. I love interesting recipes with a LOT of flavor! Therefore, it really didn’t occur to me that I would like something like Blue Apron. 

So why are you reading this post, you may be wondering?

The back story. (There’s always a back story with me, right?) 

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know that pretty much everything I promote has a back story and a personal connection, and Blue Apron is no exception. 

A couple of years ago, our neighbors went out of town and forgot to cancel their delivery. I got a text from Sue that said, “We forgot to cancel our Blue Apron this week–you guys should use it!” Neal and I figured–hey, free food. Why not give it a try? We didn’t have high expectations, and were shocked when we LOVED it! The meals were so flavorful, yet quick and easy and best of all–didn’t require a trip to the grocery store. 

Fast forward to last month, I received an email from Blue Apron asking if I’d like to partner with them for the holiday season, starting in October. As you know I’m very selective about the partnerships I take on, and I probably wouldn’t have considered this a good fit, had our neighbors not forgotten to cancel their Blue Apron box two years ago! (I told them this story and they were like ????.) 

I asked if they’d be willing to let me test out a few meals (just to make sure they were still as good as the first time we had BA AND that it would be something that would also resonate with you guys) and turns out–they were all absolutely fantastic, AND after talking with many of you about how much you loved Blue Apron–I knew this would make a perfect partnership!

Neal and I have been so happy with our experience, and I couldn’t be happier to be partnering together. 

Thus– here we are! After a few weeks of testing out Blue Apron, I’m sharing my official review, more details about it, answering the FAQ’s you submitted on Instagram Stories, AND even sharing a few of your own testimonials! 

Blue Apron discount link: Also–if you order through my link, you’ll get $100 off across your first five boxes! 

Without further adieu, let’s jump in! 

First thing’s first, what is Blue Apron? 

Blue Apron is basically the OG meal delivery service. (And by that I mean, meal kits–not the fully prepared kind that you just pop into the oven or heat in the microwave!) 

A wide range of recipes: 

They have 10+ recipes to choose from each week–and cater to a variety of needs–from vegetarian (they even have meal options with Beyond Meat!) fish focused, to families, health-conscious options, and more. They also range in prep time, from 25 mins-45 mins.

Whether you are wanting to eat something lighter and health-conscious or go for something indulgent and comforting, they have a really great range. Every recipe I’ve tried has been so good, and they’re things I would never normally cook on my own! 

Responsibly sourced, quality ingredients: 

I like that they focus on seasonal ingredients and source directly from farms, importers and family-run purveyors dedicated to sustainable practices and dedicated to the highest animal welfare standards. 

Preportioned amounts–zero food waste! 

Not only does it make cooking super easy (just open, and go–there’s no measuring. Which is great because I don’t measure anything ????). BA has significantly reduced our food waste. (More on that in the FAQ’s at the bottom!) 

My favorite part about Blue Apron: 

Their meals are just really good, and they make it so easy and stress-free to prepare delicious meals at home, without taking the creativity out of cooking! I get so tired of meal planning and shopping which results in more delivery/takeout than we would like. I love that this removes all of those little annoyances and then all you have to worry about is the fun part–the actual cooking! 

Who is Blue Apron best for? 

Based on my experience, I think you’ll love BA if you fall into any of the following categories: 

Those who love cooking but are too busy or fatigued to meal plan or grocery shop. 

This is definitely the category I fit into. I love the cooking part, but trying to figure out what to make each week and going to the grocery store isn’t my favorite activity. Especially as things are getting colder and we’re all going to be eating out less–the fatigue is real! Those who are stuck in a cooking rut and need to break out of the box. 

Those who are stuck in the “same five recipes a week” meal rut: 

This is also me!! I don’t know about you, but I could use some new inspiration to throw into the rotation. I feel like it’s too easy to fall into a routine and get bored making the same things over and over, but Blue Apron always keeps things interesting!

Those who have an interest in cooking but don’t have a lot of confidence, and want to improve their cooking skills! 

I think Blue Apron is especially great for those who are looking to improve their cooking skills! Learning to cook can be so daunting, but I think BA provides some really nice training wheels and introduces you to new flavor combinations you wouldn’t have thought of normally! 

Anyone who is a little fatigued by being the “cook” in the household and is hoping to share more of that responsibility with their partner 

As we were cooking a Blue Apron stir fry last night, Neal said, “this is so easy, I could even make this for you with no supervision!” and he’s right!

I am typically the one that handles the meal planning, shopping, and cooking because I like to do it, and it’s definitely a strength of mine! Neal always offers to help with more of the cooking but if we’re being honest, sometimes I have a hard time passing the baton so to speak, and not being a kitchen backseat driver. ????

With BA though, it’s a lot easier to share the cooking workload with your partner (especially if your partner isn’t one that cooks a lot). The step by step directions are so easy–they don’t have to go to the grocery store (and inevitably always come back with the wrong things ????) all they basically do is open the package and follow the instructions! 

So, this is my way of saying, if you could use a break–this is a really easy way to get one! 

Anyone who is short on time but doesn’t want to sacrifice good meals 

I had many readers DM me saying they started Blue Apron when they were in med school, grad school, when they had a newborn baby, etc, and that they have been using it ever since! It really does cut down on how much time you spend shopping, prepping, and cooking! (Idea: this would make such a great gift for a friend who has a new baby, or even a way to help someone caring for a sick family member from afar–you can purchase a gift card right here!) 

Those who are single, a couple, or small families 

I received a lot of questions from single gals asking if it would be a good fit for them–YES, absolutely! Each meal makes exactly two servings, so you’ll have enough for dinner, and then lunch later on in the week! 

As a couple, we find it’s the perfect portion size for both of us and we rarely ever have leftovers. They also have a small family of 4 plan as well! I think this would be a really fun way to introduce your kids to new foods! 

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Who is Blue Apron not for? 

Those who hate cooking (no judgment!) and would prefer to do as little of it as possible! 

Although it makes it VERY easy and streamlined, you still do have to prepare food. Chop vegetables, mix a sauce, etc. This isn’t totally hands-off cooking, so if you don’t like cooking at all, I don’t think this would be the best fit for you! 

Those who have sensitive palates and prefer more plain flavors

My favorite part about Blue Apron is that the meals are so flavorful, but I know some people have more sensitive palates, and that’s okay! (There’s nothing wrong with that!) You like what you like! But I do think the people who will get the most out of BA are those who are looking for lots of flavor! 

Large families 

Their largest plan goes up to 4 people, so if you have a large family, I don’t think this is the best fit for you! 

BA’s spicy chicken stir fry 

The most delicious schnitzel with warm potato salad and roasted cauliflower with apples! 

BA’s Korean-inspired burgers with quick-made pickles and slaw. This tasted like an Asian twist on a shake shack burger and was FANTASTIC. Now I’m craving them again. ????

BA’s Spicy peanut udon noodles–just as tasty as takeout, and way healthier! 

More Blue Apron FAQ’s: 

How does Blue Apron work? Can you give me more details? 

First, pick your delivery frequency 

You can choose from 2, 3, or 4 meals per week from their regular plan, vegetarian plan, or family plan! (FYI, orders of 3+ meals per week include free shipping!) 

Then, pick your meals! 

Log on and choose your meals! You can personalize your menu each week based on your preferences, and they deliver 7 days per week. I got a lot of questions about picky husbands, and yes, I do think they have a LOT of great “husband-friendly” options. ???? 

(What’s also really cool is that they post a lot of their recipes on their website, so you can make your favorite Blue Apron recipes again at home!)

Get your box, and start cooking! 

Your box will come packed with ice packs to keep everything cool. Just unload the box, and start cooking! I’ve found that meals last up to a week! Each meal comes with a recipe card that includes step by step instructions, nutritional information, everything you need! 

How to Order Blue Apron (and save $100!) 

Just click on this link to place your order and you’ll automatically be credited $60 on your first three meals with my discount link! After that, most meals are $9.99 per serving. (FYI–Blue Apron services the entire Continental US!) 

Can Blue Apron accommodate dietary restrictions? 

They have a vegetarian plan (including Beyond Meat recipes!) and because you can choose from a lot of meal options, it’s easy if you say, are a pescatarian, or you’d like to avoid red meat. I’m also told that they’ll be launching new more customizable menu options in a few months that will help those with dietary restrictions further tailor their meal options! 

How sustainable is Blue Apron? 

I would say the only complaint I have about using a meal delivery service is that many of the items are packaged in plastic bags. 85% of BA’s packaging is recyclable, which is great–but I would like to see them continue to improve in this area and I’m glad to see they’ve dedicated to doing so on their website. 

I do like that they have partnered with How2Recycle to implement their easy-to-identify recycling label program that helps make it easy to identify what and how to recycle each item. 

Plastics use vs. Food waste: 

Something else to consider on the flip side, though, is how much meal delivery kits reduce food waste. BA has drastically reduced our amount of food waste. (Our little compost bucket used to be overflowing on pickup day, and now it’s virtually empty in comparison!)

I feel like so much of what I buy never gets eaten because we’re only two people, and I’m really happy we’ve been able to reduce food waste with BA!

I also considered that even shopping for items in the grocery store doesn’t totally avoid plastic consumption, even if you bring your own cloth produce bags, there’s no avoiding packaging, etc. This made me feel better about using a meal delivery service. 

I was curious to see how these two factors balanced one another out on a sustainability scale, and a quick google search lead me to this University of Michigan study that found despite the plastic use, meal kits are actually more sustainable than grocery store meals due to this factor! Here’s an excerpt from the findings: 

“Results indicate that, on average, grocery meal greenhouse gas emissions are 33% higher than meal kits (8.1 kg CO2e/meal compared with 6.1 kg CO2e/meal kit)…Results suggest that meal kits’ streamlined and direct-to-consumer supply chains (−1.05 kg CO2e/meal), reduced food waste (−0.86 kg CO2e/meal), and lower last-mile transportation emissions (−0.45 kg CO2e/meal), appear to be sufficient to offset observed increases in packaging (0.17 kg CO2e/meal).”

Can I cancel anytime? 

Yep! You’re not locked into anything, you can pause anytime by logging into your account, or you can cancel with an email to customer service! 

YOUR Blue Apron Reviews: 

Here are a few snapshots of some of the DM’s I got raving about Blue Apron! 

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NEW: Blue Apron Thanksgiving Boxes! 

One last little thing before we go–Blue Apron will be offering Thanksgiving Boxes this year! I know the holidays are going to look different for a lot of us this year, so if you’re planning a much smaller Thanksgiving celebration than usual, definitely look into Blue Apron’s Thanksgiving boxes! 

They’ve teamed up with famed Seattle Chef, Edouardo Jordan (he’s won TWO James Beard Awards!) to craft some Thanksgiving meal options that sound AMAZING–classic, with a modern twist! Perfect for your quarantine pod. 

Traditional Turkey Thanksgiving Meal box:  Includes spiced Rubbed Turkey Breast with Sage Gravy, Cranberry Relish, Pimento Cheese Style Mashed Potatoes, Mushroom Braised Collard Greens, Ginger-Honey Carrots with Pistachios, Cheesy Cornbread, and Apple-Persimmon Crumble with Yogurt Topping (serves 6-8). 

OR you can mix and match with options to help round out your existing menu: 

• Spiced Rubbed Pork with Sage Gravy, Pimento Cheese Style Mashed Potatoes & Cranberry Sauce (serves 6-8)
• Mushroom Braised Collard Greens & Ginger-Honey Carrots with Pistachios  (serves 6-8)
• Peanut Glazed Apple & Persimmon Crumble with Maple Syrup & Quatre Epices (serves 6-8)

Stay tuned for more details on the Thanksgiving menu coming soon! 🙂 

I hope you love Blue Apron as much as I do! If you want to give it a try, you can order through my link and get $100 off across your first 5 boxes! 

Huge thanks to Blue Apron for sponsoring this post. All opinions, as you know, are 110% my own. Thanks for supporting the partnerships that allow me to keep creating the best possible content for you, my readers!