Blue Apron Review 2024: Cost? Is Blue Apron Worth It?

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Struggling to find the time to give your family healthy meals?

Meal ​kit delivery services can be a fantastic time-saver for busy couples and families who don’t want to compromise on delicious and healthy home-cooked meals just because their lifestyle is hectic.

But all meal delivery services are not equal. Or even structured in the same way.

Enter, Blue Apron.

Blue Apron is a subscription service that sends customers pre-portioned food ingredients and recipes for them to prepare fresh and healthy home-cooked meals.

Essentially, it takes grocery shopping out of the equation and simplifies meal prep.  

Hey, one less chore to do during the week is always a good thing.

Right?

Ok, maybe you enjoy grocery shopping.

Should that be the case… fear not!

Blue Apron offers meals plans ranging from 2 to 4 meals per week. So you’ll still probably have to step into the grocery store at some point for those filler meals, or the basics… like milk, eggs, cheese, bread, etc….

Plus, there’s always lunch and breakfast.

Which brings me to my story. And my detailed Blue Apron review for 2024.

Let's get to it…

(Side note: If you'd like to check out Blue Apron right now, they are offering $60 off your first order of 3 boxes.)

What is Blue Apron?

To get started, you might have a lot of questions about this product like:

What is Blue Apron? How much does Blue Apron cost? ​Is Blue Apron worth it?

No need to worry. It will all be explained in the course of this review. Which chronicles my initial experience test using the Blue Apron meal planning system.

So what is Blue Apron? It's a subscription service that sends customers pre-portioned food ingredients and recipes for them to prepare home-cooked meals. Essentially, it takes grocery shopping out of the equation.  

Hey, one less chore to do during the week is always a good thing.

Right?

Ok, maybe you enjoy grocery shopping.

Should that be the case… fear not!

Blue Apron offers meals plans ranging from 2 to 4 meals per week. So you’ll still probably have to step into the grocery store at some point for those filler meals, or the basics… like milk, eggs, cheese, bread, etc….

Plus, there’s always lunch and breakfast.

Still, Blue Apron prides itself on utilizing the freshest ingredients, claiming “At the grocery store, it can be hard to tell whether food is high quality and sustainably grown.”

That’s why Blue Apron promises:

  • Sustainable seafood recommended by Seafood Watch®
  • Food that is not fed antibiotics or hormones
  • Use of non-GMO ingredients
  • In every box.

​But before we dive into the specifics, let's answer the question that most people ask before using any meal planning service…

How Much Does Blue Apron Cost?

​The pricing of Blue Apron breaks down as follows:

  • The basic plan is $9.99 per meal, per person.
  • The price for four meals is $8.74 per meal per person. 
  • These prices include shipping.

Remember the amount per person is a guideline. I found that 2 little ones eat about 1 adult worth of food perfectly!

To find out more about Blue Apron costs, pricing and details check out this link. Also remember that prices may vary with time. (depending on when you read this blue apron review.)

Now that you know the pricing, let's dive into the specifics of this service…

Blue Apron for Families

I was gifted two family meals from Blue Apron.  A family meal is meant to feed 4 adults.

My husband and I have four small children, ages 3-7. Since each child typically eats about half of what we do… 4 kids = 2 adult meals.

So for us, the family meal seemed perfect.

Once I received the invitation to select my meals, I logged on and was brought to a “dietary selections” page. Here, I was able to eliminate any foods we didn’t want to be included in our box.

I, for example, chose to eliminate shellfish.

What foods can you eat with Blue Apron?
What foods can you eat with Blue Apron?

It’s important to note two things about the “dietary selections”:

  1. Blue Apron says they cannot accommodate any food allergies
  2. The vegetarian option is only available on the 2-person (non-family) plan

So basically, if you or your child has a peanut allergy, for example, Blue Apron is likely not the choice for you.

Instead, you may be better off doing some meal planning on your own, based on recipes catering to your specific needs.

That being said, once I had chosen my “dietary selections”, I was brought to the weekly recipe selection page.

Hooray!

The Blue Apron Recipe Selection Process

So, here you are given a choice of four recipes each week. These are seasonal culinary creations, according to Blue Apron.

As I mentioned earlier, I was able to pick two of the four recipes being offered for that week. But if you are on a four-meal plan for the week, you would just be given all four offerings.

There are four new meals to choose from each week.

Blue Apron Meal plan selection example

You cannot mix and match meals from one week to the next.

I tried.

In fact, I called in to Customer Service… just to see how that was. 

There is an online “chat support” feature, which is typically easiest for me; but, I wanted to call in nonetheless.

Blue Apron Customer Service

Rehanna was my agent and picked up my call within 15 seconds.

You had me at “short wait time”.

She was very bubbly and sweet.

She answered my question regarding swapping out of meals, saying they do not offer that feature at this time… however, I could skip ahead to whatever week’s meals I preferred.

Rehanna did allude, though, that they were working on a swap feature of sorts.

She also kept referring to me as a “chef”, which made me feel warm and fuzzy.

It doesn’t take much.  

So, anywho, once the swapping question was answered… I hung up and needed to make a choice.

Your Meal Choices with Blue Apron

My options for the specific week of April 30th included:

  • Florentine Pork Chops and Salsa Verde
  • Sheet Pan Pesto Salmon
  • Stovetop Chicken Tetrazzini with broccoli
  • MasterChef Junior Seared Steaks and Maple Brussel Sprouts with Creamy Rosemary Polenta

Now, keep in mind that I am in a different boat than some of you.

Actually, probably most of you.

My children are little.

That means they get excited over Gorton’s fish sticks, Tyson chicken nuggets, pasta with butter, pizza and hot dogs for dinner.

And so my attempts to cook fresh, delicious, restaurant-quality meals at home are – more times than not – lost on them. 

It’s just the way it is.

Not to say they don’t try everything… it’s our house rule.

That being said, I’ve been known to “hit one out of the park” on occasion [insert pat on my own back here] with foods like pan-seared pork chops in a dijon mustard reduction… and ribeye steak with mushrooms marinated in a red wine vinaigrette.

Yummo.

Still, Blue Apron’s fancy-looking recipes carried a risk of being spit out.

Picture an entire meal of kids complaining, whining, saying “yuk!”.

Picture me saying, “This is dinner. There is nothing else tonight.”.

It happens.

Not just with Blue Apron, with my own creations.  

Thus, selecting my two recipes for the week was a bit of a chore, as I tried to choose the ones with the most ingredients they’d eat.

As for my husband… he’s much more adventurous when it comes to trying new things. However, there are some “no-no’s” for him as well, such as ricotta cheese and salmon. He’s also not a fan of pork chops or tenderloin.

So I went with the Stovetop Chicken Tetrazzini with broccoli… and MasterChef Junior Seared Steaks and Maple Brussel Sprouts with Creamy Rosemary Polenta.

Blue Apron review - intital order - blue apron pricing
Blue Apron review – initial order example

Steak, check!

  • Brussel sprouts, (believe it or not) check!
  • Chicken, check!
  • Pasta, check!
  • Broccoli, check!

What could possibly go wrong?

After my order was selected, we simply had to wait for the box to arrive.

But before we move on… a few things to note about the “menu selections” page:

  1. Blue Apron allows you to skip weeks This is great if you’re going on vacation, have things planned one week, etc… so you don’t waste your money on meals you won’t cook.
  2. The page offers meal selections for 4 weeks at once

So if you’re just trying the service out for a week or two (like me), there is no clear cut way to cancel if you don’t want to go on auto-ship. I just “skipped” the meals for the following weeks and let my publisher know.

Now let's get back to my Blue Apron story….

Ok, now it’s time to discuss meal delivery day for this blue apron review. 

By 12:30 pm on Monday, April 30th… the big, beautiful Blue Apron box arrived.

And like a gentile on Christmas morning, I couldn’t wait to open it!

But I did.

I waited for my husband to get home from work and we opened it together… because I’m considerate like that… 

And also, I needed to take pictures for this post.

My heart raced as I opened the box…  the kids looking over my shoulder to see what was inside.  It was all very exciting!

No, seriously.

I don’t get out much these days.

And most of the deliveries that come for me are paper towels, toilet paper, books, toys, kiwi krates, kids clothes, etc….

Ok, back to the box.

The Blue Apron box, with its Freshness Guaranteed stamp on it, was rather heavy (likely from the ice packs keeping the food cold).

I mean, it was fine for me, but if you have a bad back… you may want someone else to lift it for you.

Upon opening, I felt immediately inspired!  The words “Let’s Get Cooking!”, printed on a bright navy blue box top, were staring me straight in the face.

Reveal!

Blue Apron unboxing

The second series of flaps contained handling, storage and recycling reminders printed on the box… and the recipes cards were nicely presented front and center.

Next it was time to lift the silver insulation flaps (a very Indiana Jones “Ark of the Covenant” moment for me)… let there be food!

Blue Apron Review - insulation example - food arrived fresh

Presented in clearly labeled, sealed, perfectly portioned packages… were all the ingredients we would need!

Beneath that were large ice packs housing the chicken and beef below it.

I layed each recipe card on the table, alongside the ingredients that went with it. Made sure it was all there.

I particularly liked the little bag labeled, “knick knacks.”

Blue Apron review - Knick Knacks

Color me curious.

There were also handy dandy “nutrition fact” sheets included in the box, making it great for someone following any kind of diet or utilizing a health app (ie., Weight Watchers or My Fitness Pal). An important point for anyone who is trying to diet or control calories.

Once everything was accounted for, I bagged each recipe separately in the fridge for easy access once we were ready to cook it.

Bring on cooking day!

Blue Apron with Small Children

So the next day, my 6-year-old daughter and I decided to take a stab at the Stovetop Chicken Tetrazzini. 

I reviewed the front and back of the recipe card to “get a lay of the land” so to speak. I wanted to see how involved this was.

The Blue Apron cards list the total prep and cooking time on the front, much like any recipe you’d find online or in a cookbook. 

The front of the card also includes pictures of all of the ingredients and the amounts/measurements of each.

Note: Make sure you look at the ingredient list!

Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe Card from Blue Apron
Chicken Tetrazzini Recipe Card from Blue Apron

Blue Apron Review: Stovetop Chicken recipe card front

The stuff in the bags is perfectly portioned (ie., broccoli, steak, chicken, noodles, brussel sprouts); however, things like shallots, garlic, and the liquid reductions or vinaigrettes are not necessarily to be used in their entirety. 

So definitely take a gander at the front of the card before flipping it over to the cooking instructions side.

It’s also important to mention that the Blue Apron ingredient bags do not include salt, pepper and olive oil.

Both of the recipes I had selected called for olive oil… so it was lucky I had it.

Upon flipping the card over, the steps were clearly laid out, starting with the preparation of the ingredients.

Blue Apron review: Stovetop Chicken recipe card back
Blue Apron review: Stovetop Chicken recipe card back

In layman’s terms… this is all of the dicing, chopping, measuring, peeling, etc.

And this, my friends, brings me to share with you a few words of wisdom… based on my experience as a first-time Blue Apron chef. 

With small children.

I do not always have the luxury of peacefully chopping and dicing over a glass of wine… to be followed by a graceful transformation into this dual pan-wielding, sauteing and baking machine.

If a kid needs help in the bathroom,  I need to stop and tend to that.

If they are fighting, I need to stop and tend to that.

If they are having trouble putting a shoe on… say it with me… I need to stop and tend to that.

That being said, I decided it best to separate the entire experience in two parts:

  1. Ingredients prep
  2. Cooking

The prep alone for the Stovetop Chicken Tetrazzini took about 15 minutes with my eldest daughter (again, age 6) in tow.

Luckily, my mother-in-law was here and keeping the 3 and 4-year-olds occupied.

My daughter and I opened the packages and rinsed everything together.

Blue apron reviews - opening broccolli

Then I chopped, as per the directions.

Then she bagged everything into small ziplocks, based on the order they were going into the recipe.  Some things were coupled in one bag, others separated.  

I chose to do this because I knew we weren’t cooking until a few hours later. I just thought it would make my life easier if things got a bit hectic.

It was a personal decision… pre-bagging up ingredients is not a requirement for Blue Apron recipes.

As my brother-in-law, an avid meal delivery service customer (and non-parent), joked, “The recipe cards should read ‘Chop this, pour yourself a glass of wine, take a sip… then chop this, measure this… take another sip’.”

Ah, the joys of kid-free cooking.

Although in all seriousness, the Blue Apron website and recipe cards do suggest wine pairings. You can even order them online with your meal boxes for an added charge.

FYI.

Ok, so moving on to the big moment!

Cooking with Blue Apron

It was time to cook.

The recipe called for starting the veggies first in the oven, roasting the broccoli for 20-22 minutes.

It then called to simultaneously start the chicken, which took significantly less total cooking time (6-8 minutes). I was afraid of it drying out, based on my 20+ years of experience, so made the judgment call to hold off a few minutes on sauteeing the chicken.

It also wanted us to start boiling the pasta water once the veggies were in.

Like the chicken, the pasta would take a fraction of the broccoli’s cooking time (3-4 minutes total because it was pre-cooked).

So, again, I waited a few minutes.

Thought I could time the meal to come out perfectly together.

The best-laid plans….

Here’s how it really went down.

My husband was due home from work around 5:15 or so. My eldest son was at an after school activity until 5:30. I was at home with our 3, 4 and 6-year-olds.

My mission, should I choose to accept it, was to have dinner on the table by 5:45pm… so that the kids could digest and play a bit before bath time at 7pm. 

My husband skipped lunch that day.

This is worth candidly noting.  Trust me.

I decided to start cooking at  5:15pm to be safe.

The younger kids were all set up in the living room doing puzzles, playing legos and barbies.

All was going swimmingly.

Until….

Someone gets hit with a lego.

Someone won’t share their Barbie.

Someone rips a page in someone else’s new book.

I was supposed to be stirring and whisking and sauteing… none of which are really conducive to being left unattended.

Kind of like small children.

It can get sticky.

Literally.

So while I am simultaneously scolding children and trying not to let the chicken stick or garlic burn, my blood pressure and anxiety is running a bit high.

My husband, who knows me all too well, walks in during my finest moment (not!) and offers to help. 

Awwwwe.

But, he is also starving.

Remember when I said he skipped lunch?

So he’s a bit overzealous as well. Frantically asking what I need, what still needs to be done. What is with the pasta in the water?

Ooops.

Why are there three timers? What are they for?

Yes. This was happening.

So he attempts to strain the pasta for me but wasn’t aware of the part in the instructions where he was supposed to keep some of the pasta water for later.

I snapped.

He snapped.

An argument ensued.

He refused to eat the meal.

Listen, I’m not going to sugar coat things. I’d be an awful writer if I did.

Soooo…

Clearly upset by this, I ran out of the kitchen for a minute to speak with him.

I’ll give you two guesses what happened next….

Ok, I’ll just tell you.  You don’t have all day.

The broccoli was ruined.

Well, overcooked.

Slightly.

We definitely got a whiff of burnt parmesan cheese.

And also I never garnished it with the chopped walnuts.

Que sera.  Sera.

Once we composed ourselves, I was able to finish up the main dish.

Plated it for myself and the kids.

Hubby was still part of the resistance movement.

And we sat down to eat.

Well, five of us sat down to eat.

There was definitely a sweet flavor to the dish from the mascarpone and goat cheese… but it was not overwhelming.  

It was a bit bland though, definitely needed salt.

This is no fault of Blue Apron, though. 

My grandmother used to always say, “You can add salt, pepper and spice after the meal is cooked. But you can’t take it out.”

Truth.

So I just added a little salt and pepper, some extra parmesan cheese, and it was fine.

Personally, I prefer the flavor of grilled to sauteed chicken; but, it was cooked the way it should have been. The mushrooms and peppers were tender.

It was time to vote.

Our 7-year-old son liked the noodles, they were cooked well. Did not like the flavor of the chicken.

Our 6-year-old daughter, the one who helped me prep the meal earlier in the day, ate it all. Likely because she was proud… but still.

Our 4-year-old daughter also ate everything but did not ask for seconds. She almost always has seconds. I think she was being polite.

Both girls were.

The youngest, our 3-year-old boy, didn’t eat anything.

I think he was secretly taking my husband's side.

But then, my husband told him he had to finish what was on his plate or he couldn’t leave the table. Too young to argue, the boy started to eat.

Begrudgingly.

He ate all of the noodles (with added parm) and two small pieces of chicken. His oldest sister stole his mushroom and pepper. She likes them. 

Kids like noodles.

Didn’t I say that?

Because my husband didn’t eat his portion, I offered it to our neighbor, who had just gotten off work.

Blue Apron  Stovetop Chicken finished
Blue Apron Stovetop Chicken finished

She and her sister-in-law ate the entire thing. Said it just needed a little salt and extra parmesan… otherwise, it was delicious. 

Are Blue Apron Recipes Filling?

Final Verdict on the Blue Apron Stovetop Chicken Tetrazzini

  1. It’s a “safe” dish for picky eaters (or young children).
  2. It truly fed the equivalent of four adults, portion sizes were substantial enough to satisfy hunger.
  3. The recipe card could have separated the prep and cooking times, to make planning easier for someone with a more hectic or rigid schedule.

So, after the “Chicken Tetrazzini Incident” (yes, that is what my husband and I now call it)… it was time to pick a night to make recipe #2.

Bring on the MasterChef Junior Seared Steaks and Maple Brussel Sprouts with Creamy Rosemary Polenta!

Well…

First off, I’d be fibbing if I said I wasn’t skeptical.

A little skittish, even.

Not of the food, but of the process.

There were certainly bumps in the road my last go-around. And I didn’t want another argument or burnt veggie.

However, the Blue Apron ingredients will only keep their freshness for so long. 

I searched high and low on the packaging, recipe cards, website… but could not easily find out how long each recipe’s ingredients would keep in the refrigerator.

I finally found my answer on social media, after I posed the question to my Facebook friends.

The popular answer was 4-7 days, depending on the ingredients. Obviously, things like herbs will start to wilt after a few days… veggies may brown. Poultry, properly refrigerated, typically keeps its freshness for about 4 days… beef 4-6 days before graying.

One friend also pointed out that the Blue Apron Blog has a link to the USDA page on Food Safety. It also explains how Blue Apron meats are flash frozen, so they can be refrozen if you don’t plan on cooking them within a week or less.

NOTE: The veggies and herbs really won’t take too kindly to freezing… so you’re pretty much tossing those out if you don’t use them.

Blue apron - mushrooms

Now, back to our story.

Do Blue Apron Meals Need to Be Cooked Within a Day or Two?

Assuming you plan on making these meal deliveries a regular thing… if you’re not on the four-meal plan, you only have two (or three) recipes to make within those 7 days before the next box comes.

That being said, if you’re like me and had other meals planned for the week already (it was beautiful grilling weather that week), you need to work Blue Apron in.

I chose to supplement our two meals on the days I either didn’t want to, or couldn’t, cook outside.

With that, we chose to push the freshness guaranteed envelope a bit… and saved the steak recipe for Day 7.

I brought the recipe and ingredients to my in-laws house, where we would be feeding 5 adults and our 4 children.

I never assumed it would be enough food to feed everybody, but enough for everyone to taste. Which is what I wanted.

Again, it turned out to be a beautiful grilling day, so I decided to throw two ¼ lb. burgers and a package of 8 hot dogs on the grill.

Let the games begin!

Captain's Log: Sunday afternoon, May 6th: Seared Steaks and Maple Brussel Sprouts with Creamy Rosemary Polenta

Blue Apron review Seared Steak recipe card front
Blue Apron review Seared Steak recipe card front

The kids are sent outside to play, while the men watch them. My mother-in-law reads over the instructions with me.

Unlike with the chicken recipe, I did no prepping ahead of time with the steak dish ingredients. 

Immediately, mom offers some minor alterations to the Blue Apron recipe card.

I bow to her.

She’s a 60-something Polish woman and a phenomenal cook. She’s been at this “family dinner” thing for a while.

She makes her own pierogies.

She’s got this.

In fact, I’m pretty sure she could cook most things in her sleep.

Her suggestions were as such:

Boil the brussel sprouts instead of roasting them in the oven. This would cut the cooking time in half.

Grill the steaks rather than pan sear them. It was a beautiful day and would give them a nicer flavor.

And so that is what we did.

She took charge of cutting the brussel sprouts in half, rinsing and boiling them.

I put the Blue Apron “spice blend” rub onto the steaks and handed them off to the Grill Master (aka, my husband).

Then I moved on to the polenta… which now would take the longest to cook, since we were grilling the steaks and boiling the brussels.

I heated up some olive oil and threw in the chopped garlic and shallots. Then I added the 4 cups of water into the pot of oil.

Yes, I poured water into a pot of oil.

And, yes, it can splatter.

Big time!

So big careful and keep the kids at bay.

I then added the polenta, milk and chicken broth… checking carefully to make sure I was, in fact, supposed to use the provided milk and broth in its entirety.

I was.

Then the constant… and I mean constant… whisking of the polenta started (along with the prayers that I wouldn’t have to leave the pot to tend to a “kid-mergency”).

It definitely took the 10-12 minutes to thicken, as the recipe cited.

Thanks for the forearm workout, Blue Apron! You saved me an extra 10 minutes in the gym.

It all worked out though, as the steaks were resting for a few minutes as suggested after coming off the grill.

My mother-in-law tossed the brussel sprouts with maple syrup (mmmmm).

All seemed right with the world!

Blue Apron on a Plate

When it came time to sit down, I made the call to put all of the ingredients out separately.

The steak on a platter, the brussel sprouts, and polenta in two separate bowls.

The recipe was, however, designed for the sliced steaks and halved brussel sprouts to be served over the polenta.

The pics looked pretty.

Very Food Network.

Still… today the meal was more about practicality, and my kids, than about beauty.

I wasn’t trying to win a contest in aesthetics, but merely trying to get everybody in my family to taste all of the food… and give me their honest opinion.

If it were date night, I’d have plated it as Blue Apron had intended.

And so we ate.

And ate.

The kids tried everything. Everybody did.

They couldn’t get enough!

The steak was grilled perfectly.

The cuts of meat that Blue Apron provided, premium sirloins, were surprisingly tender and flavorful… given the low-fat content. They actually looked and presented more like filet mignons.

The husband and I typically prefer a fattier cut, like a good ribeye or porterhouse steak… so was pleasantly surprised.

The Blue Apron steak rub was phenomenal. Not overly salty. Just a great blend of what I am guessing was salt, pepper, paprika, sugar, onion powder and basil. 

No steak sauce necessary.

The brussel sprouts and maple syrup were akin to dessert. Just a perfect marriage of bitter and sweet, every one of the kids ate them.

The polenta.

Ah, the polenta.

I haven’t had polenta since I were a child in my grandmother’s kitchen.

Our kids had never had it.

So I was a tad skeptical.

And then it happened.

Every kid ate it. 

Every kid.

Even asked for seconds.

One asked for thirds.

We just added a little salt and pepper to it, one child added parmesan.

Perfection.

You may now kiss the cook.

The entire family (all nine of us) got to enjoy the meal… made a perfect appetizer portion for all to try.

The two burgers were eaten at the end, just because.

There were two hot dogs left.

Steak gone.

Brussels gone.

Polenta gone.

Blue Apron shoots… they score!

Final Verdict on the Blue Apron Seared Steaks and Maple Brussel Sprouts with Creamy Rosemary Polenta

  1. The polenta grows! A little goes a long way and will, without question, feed the 4 adults and then some.
  2. The premium steak cuts were akin to the fresh cuts you’d buy from your local butcher.
  3. Every ingredient held its freshness, even on Day 7. 

​Is Blue Apron Worth It???

As a first-time customer of any kind of meal delivery service, I was impressed.

Here’s why:

The website was easy to navigate.

The list of recipes, known as the Blue Apron “cookbook”, was extensive. 

Both customers and non-customers have access to this link via the site. So you can cook these meals on your own at home, just need to shop for all of the ingredients yourself, as you would with any online recipe you googled.

The box arrived in a timely fashion, and early enough if you are home during the day to get started on the meal prepping ahead of time.

The box presentation was inviting and ingredients properly stored to lock in freshness.

The ingredients were truly fresh (the herbs smelt lovely and were moist). The meat was vacuum sealed.

The recipe cards were detailed and included photos, which always helps.

The recipes tasted good. Really good.

The portions fed my entire family (and then some).

Telephone customer service was top notch!

Like with anything, though, I did find some areas that could use slight improvement… in order to meet my family’s needs a little better. 

Note, these suggestions may not apply to a couple or family with older children.

The website should have a place on the “recipe selections” page where you can check a box, indicating that you have younger children.

Then perhaps adjust the recipes accordingly to include one or two “kid friendly” meals. And by this, I mean recipes that require a little less attention or are more favorable to kids helping. (ie, baking vs. sauteing).

The recipe cards should differentiate between prep time and actual cooking time.

There could be a “shortcut” section on the recipe cards that makes suggestions, as my mother-in-law did, to save you time.

Each pre-packaged bag of ingredients should include a “use by” date on them.

The cost could be a bit less on the family meal plans.

It currently costs just shy of $80 to feed a family of four adults, two times per week (that’s $320 per month). So $40 per meal equates to roughly $10 per person.

My Final Review (and Thoughts) on Blue Apron

It often comes down to that, doesn’t it?

Whether you are deciding on a new car, a vacation spot… dinner.

Bottom line, the cost of Blue Apron (as with most meal delivery services) is a bit more than I can justify spending for my family of 6.

Still, some will argue that it is cheaper than going out.

But in my case, we can typically manage on two adult meals… and the four children sharing 1-2 kids meals or one additional adult meal. Also, we rarely take all of the kids out (especially to dinner) at this age.

Finally, shopping in bulk for things like family packages of chicken or chop meat, rice, pasta, etc. can save families money and keep the cost-per-meal down.

Again, if you’re a family of four with high-school aged children… Blue Apron may be just the thing you’re looking for!

It’s one-stop shopping for delicious and, what appears to be fairly nutritious, meals… delivered right to your front door.

I have no legitimate complaints about the service.

Blue Apron delivered on its promises.

It was a pleasant and new experience for my family… and I was grateful to give it a whirl.

Would I continue it on my own? No.

Should everybody try it once? Absolutely!

It’s fun… even if you get in an argument with your better half over it.

Wink.

And it’s an adventure!

Gets you eating “outside the box”, if you will.

And isn’t that what life is all about?

Taking risks, having fun, learning new things… stumbling upon some pleasant surprises along the way!

Blue Apron was one of those surprises.

If this review has “convinced” you that Blue Apron is worth checking out, then feel free to take advantage of their deal where you can save $60 off your order of your first 3 boxes.

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Nicole Krause has been writing both personally and professionally for over 20 years. She holds a dual B.A. in English and Film Studies. Her work has appeared in some of the country’s top publications, major news outlets, online publications, and blogs. As a happily married (and extremely busy) mother of four… her articles primarily focus on parenting, marriage, family, finance, organization, and product reviews.