Which Meal Delivery Service Is Best For Families?

Providing three meals a day for your family unit is a lot of work. It'south time-consuming, plush, and labor-intensive. That'southward why I was thrilled when I heard about food delivery services that ship fresh ingredients to your doorstep with all the instructions y'all need to brand tasty meals in a brusk amount of time.

As a mom myself, I often make at least iii trips to the grocery store per week. Limited time to schedule forces me to visit the shop for well-nigh every meal my family has to consume. On days when there's no time to store and set nutrient, I just order delivery from restaurants. Having a picky two-yr-old and a foodie husband who hates eating the same matter twice in a row makes things even harder.

To meet if saving time, money, and hassle was possible, I tested various meal delivery services. Here are the elevation delivery service kits I constitute for moms and how they stack up when it comes to toll, meal experience, and suitability for families.

Best Meal Delivery Services for Decorated Moms

1. Blue Apron

Toll Per Serving: $8.74 to $9.99
Shipping Cost: Complimentary
Cooking Fourth dimension: 35 to 45 minutes
Card Plans: Two-Person; Family unit
Special Note: Blue Apron also offers wine commitment services and wine pairings with each repast.

I tried 4 different family unit programme recipes from Blue Apron. It was the first food commitment kit that arrived at my doorstep, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I found the service to be a groovy style to innovate unlike foods to my family. And my kids loved looking at the photos for each recipe as I explained the instructions to them, making the experience an interactive one for the whole family.

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Packaging

Between running errands and taking my son to classes, scheduling time to stay at home to receive packages tin can be tricky. Luckily, all the nutrient delivery services but dropped the boxes off by the front end door and didn't require a signature upon receipt.

The 4 meals sent by Blue Apron arrived in two large boxes, each insulated and packed with water ice to preserve the produce. The water ice packs and meat were strategically placed on the bottom of the box, while the fresh produce and sauces were on elevation. Plastic airbags filled the empty infinite inside the box to forestall the ingredients from moving around in transit. This immune the vegetables and cheese to remain fresh and cool and the meats to remain common cold during aircraft.

Meal Experience

Each meal came with instructions, the necessary ingredients, suggested cooking times, and recommended wine pairings. The instructions were relatively like shooting fish in a barrel to understand and follow, and the meals were delicious, making them a hit with my family.

Ane cumbersome task I disliked was having to grate an entire apple for one recipe and an entire block of cheese for another. Grating is time-consuming, and a grater isn't the safest tool to have around children, so I plant myself wishing these ingredients had come already grated.

Pros

Customer Service Was Impressive. I found that Bluish Apron had by far the best customer service of the services I tested. Due to a massive snowstorm, my delivery was rescheduled then delayed. Client service was communicative the unabridged procedure and adamant almost sending a new box immediately if the ingredients were not yet fresh when they make it.
Meals Had Enough of Diverseness. I received a variety of meals, each unique from the other: Pork Chops & Miso Butter, Vegetable Chili & Baked Sweet Potatoes, Verjus-Braised Chicken, and Salmon Piccata. Recipes incorporated different meats, starches, and distinctive flavors, preventing redundancy.
Ingredients Were High-Quality. Our Blue Apron meals turned out delicious. The family favorite was the Salmon Piccata.

Cons

Some Cooking Tasks Were Difficult. As mentioned earlier, grating was time-consuming and difficult for me to exercise with a toddler around.
There Was Enough of Waste. Every bit with other services on this listing, the boxes, ice packs, insulation, and wrappers accept up a lot of space. It wasn't a large deal, but it was a nuisance since my kitchen area isn't that big. It could also exist a turnoff if you're trying to reduce your carbon footprint.

2. HelloFresh

Price Per Serving: $8.74 to $9.99
Shipping Toll: Free
Cooking Time: 35 to 45 minutes
Menu Plans: Classic; Veggie; Family Programme
Special Note: HelloFresh sends a free apron with your first commitment.

HelloFresh sent me 3 Family Programme recipes. In many ways, I plant HelloFresh comparable to Blue Apron.

Packaging

The repast kits arrived in a large box, packed with ice packs and wrapped with insulation. This was comparable to other services and kept the food fresh and safe.

Meal Experience

Each repast came with a recipe card with photos along with stride-by-step instructions. They even noted the steps where children can assist with the cooking. I institute the meals to be some of the easier dishes to whip upwards from all the food delivery services.

Pros

Meals Provided a Variety of Tastes and Experiences. The meals I received were Hearty Beef Stew Over Barley, Craven Pineapple Tacos, and a One-Pot Sausage and Tortellini Soup. I appreciated that each meal provided a different eating experience: The tacos were eaten by hand, the soup slurped from the basin or with a spoon, and the stew eaten with a fork. Different eating methods stimulate sensors in a child's encephalon and aid develop fine motor skills, and information technology doesn't injure to encourage learning even during mealtime.
Both the Meals and the Training Were Kid-Friendly. HelloFresh'south meals were some of the easier dishes to whip up and the nearly liked past my son. That'due south mainly because the carte du jour consisted of universally simple and dear dishes like stew and tacos. Either way, they were nutritious meals that left my family unit happily fed, which is all a mom tin ask for in a meal.

Cons

There Was Plenty of Waste matter. Similar other food services, HelloFresh's packaging took up a lot of room in my modest kitchen.

3. Dark-green Chef

Toll Per Serving: $10.49 to $12.99
Aircraft Price: $9
Cooking Fourth dimension: 50 minutes
Menu Plans: Omnivore; Carnivore; Gluten-Free; Vegan; Paleo, Vegetarian; Two-Person; Family
Special Annotation: Every ingredient Green Chef provides is organic.

Green Chef doesn't skimp on quality or taste. Knowing that all the ingredients were organic and from local farms alleviated whatever concern I might accept had well-nigh what I was feeding my family unit.

Packaging

Like other services, Green Chef's ingredients arrived in a large box packed with ice and insulation to preserve the fresh ingredients. I had no issues with the well-designed packaging and presentation.

Repast Experience

Instruction cards with photos of each step came with the ingredients. Although Green Chef's meals were steeper in price and required more cooking techniques, the taste was more sophisticated and epicurean. My husband agreed.

The only difficulty I had with Greenish Chef was that it took an hr to prepare each meal, and the palette was a little too sophisticated for my 2-year-former son. He didn't appreciate the different flavors on his plate, merely going forward, I would modify his portion to appease him.

Pros

Ingredients Are All Organic (And Relatively Affordable). Because all of its ingredients are organic, Greenish Chef is at a higher price point than Blue Apron or Hello Fresh. Even so, according to their website, cooking a recipe with Green Chef is over 46% cheaper, on average, than shopping at Whole Foods across several cities. This includes shipping costs. Customers are able to spend less (and reduce food waste) past only receiving exactly the amount of ingredients they need per meal and no more.
Meals Were Interesting and Succulent. Green Chef won our taste exam across the lath. Nosotros tried the Hawaiian Fried Rice and the Craven Garbanzo Bowl, and the flavors were rich and delightful.

Cons

Cost Is Higher Than the Competition. Greenish Chef'due south price is justifiable for its niche. But for those on a tight budget, Blueish Frock or Hello Fresh may be a more than economical choice.
Required Cooking Times Are Longer. Green Chef meals accept an hr to ready and plate. They don't crave you lot to do annihilation more than difficult than the other companies' meals, but even xv extra minutes is a long fourth dimension for a decorated mom. Many ingredients need to be cooked individually or differently, which requires more steps compared to other meal services that mostly require just a pot or pan. That said, the actress time pays off in the form of enhanced flavor.

four. Gobble

Cost Per Serving: $xi.99
Shipping Cost: $6.99
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Carte du jour Plans: Classic; Lean & Make clean
Special Notes: Gobble currently has a special offer for new customers. Gobble does non ship to Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Due north Dakota, or Southward Dakota.

Gobble offers two- and four-person plans, and its carte du jour options are flexible.

Packaging

Like other services, Gobble's ingredients arrived in a large box packed with ice and insulation to preserve the fresh ingredients. I had no bug with the well-designed packaging and presentation.

Meal Experience

Gobble offers quick meals that take simply 15 minutes to cook. Because the items come prepped and portioned, I didn't have to waste time slicing and dicing them. It was piece of cake to ready without sacrificing gourmet flavor.

Pros

Meal Prep Requires No Measuring or Cutting. In that location was no demand to wash actress kitchen utensils like knives and cutting boards. The ingredients came preportioned and sliced for quick meal prep.
Categories Make It Easy to Customize Your Card. Gobble offers menu options like "kid-friendly," "lean and make clean," and "bestseller," which accept out the guesswork when choosing your weekly menu for your family unit.
Packaging Is Recyclable. Every role of the packaging is recyclable, which is a prissy bonus for eco-conscious customers.

Cons

Not Available in All States. As of at present, Gobble doesn't send to 5 states in the U.Southward.
Costs a Bit More Than Some Competitors. Gobble isn't the cheapest choice on this list. Notwithstanding, its carte du jour has more international offerings, which could get in worth the price for some families.

5. Lord's day Basket

Cost Per Serving: $10.99
Shipping Cost: $6.99
Cooking Time: xv to 45 minutes
Card Plans: Paleo; Lean and Clean; Gluten-Free; Pescatarian; Vegetarian; Quick and Like shooting fish in a barrel; Mediterranean; Chef'due south Choice; Diabetes-Friendly; Carb-Witting
Special Notes: Sun Basket is offering costless shipping on the first order for new customers. It does not ship to Alaska or Hawaii.

Dominicus Basket offers extensive meal options similar Hello Fresh and Bluish Apron.

Packaging

The items from Sunday Basket came in a large box with cold packs to ensure freshness.

Meal Experience

Sun Basket'southward menu options comprehend a wide variety of dietary needs. The fish and soup options were my family'south favorites from the menu.

Pros

Offers Lots of Prep and Cook Time Options. You tin choose "archetype" meals, which require prepping and cooking, "speedy" meals that come prepped and sliced, or "oven-ready" meals for decorated days.
Also Offers Groceries. Lord's day Handbasket offers grocery items, including sausage, steak, pork ribs, yogurt, smoothies, snack bars, and pasta. At $6.99 for shipping, ordering from Sun Basket is a bang-up option if you tin't make information technology to the supermarket.
Includes Breakfast Options. Near other meal kits don't accept breakfast options, merely Dominicus Basket does.

Cons

Flavor Isn't Terribly Exciting. Overall, there was nothing bad near any of the carte options. However, we did find ourselves reaching for the sauces and spices we had in the business firm to season our meals. Families seeking more than excitement may not love these recipes.

6. Martha & Marley Spoon

Toll Per Serving: $6.40
Shipping Cost: $8.99
Cooking Fourth dimension: 30 minutes
Menu Plans: Low-Carb; No-Dairy; Family-Friendly; Vegan
Special Note: Martha & Marley Spoon ships worldwide.

Martha Stewart'due south Martha & Marley Spoon offers 22 recipes each calendar week, with menu options available four weeks in accelerate. All options take only six steps to brand.

Packaging

Everything from the guild came in a neatly packed box with proper insulation and cold packs.

Meal Feel

The steps were elementary and like shooting fish in a barrel to follow without sacrificing taste. Menu options similar Crispy Craven Curry Rolls and Black Bean Caramel Chicken seemed intimidating to me at starting time, but leave information technology to Martha Stewart to aid make me look like a domesticated goddess.

Pros

There Are Gourmet Menu Options. More international menu options immune u.s. to take a trip around the globe without leaving the house.
Also Offers Groceries. As with Sun Basket, yous can guild a few groceries from this service, albeit a much more limited selection. Martha & Marley Spoon offers fish, meat, poultry, and dessert options you lot can order on the side of your meals.

Cons

Aircraft Is on the Pricey Side. Like Green Chef, Martha & Marley Spoon meals cost about $ix to ship, more than the others on this list. But considering the elevated flavors of these meals, I institute the actress few dollars to be worth it.

Concluding Give-and-take

The meal kits listed here are all great options to salvage time and money and serve nutritious meals for your family unit. In addition to the ease and convenience they provide, many offer options that are good for you for both you and the earth by establishing long-term relationships with local, ethical farms.

Accept y'all tried whatsoever meal delivery services? Which are your favorites and why?