Introduction
The Blue Apron meal delivery service is the ultimate meal kit service for singles or couples, but don’t feel left out if this doesn’t sound like you! While Blue Apron would be the perfect suggestion for those living solo or with a partner, the entire family can also get the benefit of fresh ingredients with deliciously prepared meals delivered to the front door. The Blue Apron service is different to many other meal kit programs because it is built on the foundation of enjoying beautiful meals, rather than a focus on diet-specific weight loss meals. Blue Apron is your way of removing the stressful and time-heavy grocery shopping and meal planning processes from your daily life. With surprisingly affordable meal plans and easy-to-follow recipes, the Blue Apron meal delivery kits will allow everyone to enjoy delicious healthy meals without the hassle.
Pros
- Excellent customer support and reliable delivery
- Family-friendly meal plan option
- Great recipe cards with easy-to-follow, simple instructions
- Miscellaneous menu items like wine and kitchen utensils
Cons
- Lots of plastic with individually packed ingredients
- Limited meal options for specialty diets
Blue Apron is Perfect For
- Singles or couples that have limited time to prepare meals but are looking to improve their eating habits with fresh, healthy ingredients and easy-to-cook recipes
- Fans of the Weight Watchers meals for general weight loss inspired easy-to-cook recipes for a healthy lifestyle
- Families that struggle with preparing and organizing nutritional meals
Blue Apron is Not For
- People that are on specialty diets or have significant restrictions on the ingredients that they can eat
- Anyone looking for a meal kit delivery service that provides frozen, ready-to-eat meals. Blue Apron meals need to be prepared and cooked
Blue Apron Bonus Offer
- Save $60 over your first 3 boxes from Blue Apron
Blue Apron Meal Plan Menu Examples
Overall, the palate of the Blue Apron meals consists mainly of what most customers would call ‘fancier’ recipes across the menus, while some people may not enjoy these non-typical meals, they do provide great variety and taste at mealtime with quality restaurant-level food. Check out some of our favorite meals from the Blue Apron kitchen.
Signature Menu
Chicken Teriyaki & Aromatic Rice with Bok Choy & Carrots
Blue Apron’s take on the popular Japanese dish which combines a soy glaze with mirin (which is a sweet rice wine) which creates an irresistible savory-sweet dish alongside fluffy jasmine rice and stir-fried vegetables with an added hit of heat through a furikake garnish!
- 40 minutes preparation time
- 2 servings
- Weight Watchers SmartPoints value – 9
Nutritional Information:
- Calories 580
- Total Fats 11g
- Cholesterol 125mg
- Sodium 840mg
- Total Carbohydrates 71g
- Protein 47g
Mushroom Mazemen with Bok Choy & Soft-Boiled Eggs
This is an easy take on the umami-rich dish Mazemen, known as ramen without the broth – which is traded for a light sauce and chewy noodles. This dish is also a vegetarian meal.
- 20 minute preparation time
- 2 servings
Nutritional Information:
- Calories 640
- Total Fats 23g
- Cholesterol 255mg
- Sodium 1480mg
- Total Carbohydrates 85g
- Protein 22g
Weight Watchers Freestyle Menu
Tilapia Veracruz with Yellow Tomatoes, Poblano & Zucchini
Simmered yellow tomatoes with briny capers, oregano, pickled jalapeno and more to bring out the zesty flavors of the Mexican Veracruz sauce to compliment a seared flaky tilapia.
- 30 minute preparation
- 2 servings
- Weight Watchers SmartPoints value – 5
Nutritional Information:
- Calories estimated 340
- Total Fats unknown
- Cholesterol unknown
- Sodium unknown
- Total Carbohydrates unknown
- Protein unknown
Katsu-Style Wild Alaskan Pollock with Roasted Potatoes & Cabbage Slaw
Blue Apron’s take on the Japanese technique Katsu (breading with a very crunchy texture), highlights the airy panko breadcrumbs and togarashi to create a perfect golden brown color to flaky fish fillets.
- 30 minute preparation
- 2 servings
- Weight Watchers SmartPoints value – 13
Nutritional Information:
- Calories estimated 530
- Total Fats unknown
- Cholesterol unknown
- Sodium unknown
- Total Carbohydrates unknown
- Protein unknown
Vegetarian Menu
Romanesco Cauliflower & Orecchiette with Garlic Breadcrumbs
The perfect combination of orecchiette pasta and Romanesco cauliflower (or as my kids call it, ‘snow tree’) tossed with a light and aromatic butter sauce, completed with hints of shallot, capers, red pepper flakes and more.
- 30 minute preparation
- 2 servings
Nutritional Information:
- Calories estimated 660
- Total Fats unknown
- Cholesterol unknown
- Sodium unknown
- Total Carbohydrates unknown
- Protein unknown
Korean-Style Beyond Burger
A veggie burger has never looked so good before! This plant-based patty is complemented by the Korean favorite gochujang and a creamy mayo to add that little kick of heat. Topped with tasty scallion jam, this burger is a hit with many of the Blue Apron customers! Even the non-vegetarians!
- 30 minute preparation
- 2 servings
Nutritional Information:
- Calories estimated 810
- Total Fats unknown
- Cholesterol unknown
- Sodium unknown
- Total Carbohydrates unknown
- Protein unknown
Signature For 4 Menu
Zesty Beef & Gnocchi with Zucchini & Romano Cheese
This speedy and easy dish featured plump gnocchi and sautéed zucchini pulled together with a hearty beef and tomato sauce with a kick of heat from hot Calabrian chili paste! The contrast is complemented with smooth crème Fraiche and mascarpone cheese.
- 25 minute preparation
- 4 servings
Nutritional Information:
- Calories 700
- Total Fats 36g
- Cholesterol 115mg
- Sodium 600mg
- Total Carbohydrates 59g
- Protein 31g
Shishito Pepper & Onion Pizza with Cream
A delicious take on a simple classic, this rich tomato sauce based pizza will get the family loving every bite. Made with classic Italian herbs and spices (the usual suspects like oregano, dried sage, etc.) and a creamy mascarpone cheese creates a tasty base for the green shishito peppers and red onion.
- 40 minute preparation
- 4 servings
Nutritional Information:
- Calories estimated 900
- Total Fats unknown
- Cholesterol unknown
- Sodium unknown
- Total Carbohydrates unknown
- Protein unknown
What’s unique about Blue Apron?
When it comes to standing out from the pack (yes, the overly crowded meal kit delivery pack) Blue Apron does more to being unique, by only doing less. They keep everything simple, from their menus to the costs, even the recipe cards are simple (which I love because I am terrible at following).
Blue Apron offers 4 easy menus, all of which feature similar healthy and high-quality ingredients.
There is no diet fads or any special diet menus tacked on to their primary offering. Blue Apron is all about getting high-quality ingredients out to their customers reliably and matching those with tasty chef-prepared recipes.
The recipes at Blue Apron are also quite unique themselves. Many of the meals are what I would call fancy, but really this is just acknowledging that their meals are exquisite and have a variety of flavor profiles.
One thing you can count on (other than their very reliable delivery, which I am still impressed at) is that you won’t get bored of the same repetitive meals.
The simple nature of the Blue Apron service is really the perfect business model to match their ideal customers too. With the Blue Apron meal delivery service being predominantly focused on the typical singles or couples that just don’t have the time or capability to preparing and planning chef-quality meals. Families are also part of their niche too, which is unique in its own right!
For those who enjoy a glass of wine with their meal or while preparing the said meal – Blue Apron also provides wine and other miscellaneous kitchen utensils for purchase. Each of the meals has a suggested wine bottle that compliments the meal – a classy addon that I am sure is very appreciated by their customers!
Yes, the utensils are not as important-sounding as the wine might be, but they are worth a look at as the items are smartly selected and you might just find something you need.
The insides of the Blue Apron box are very well planned, although it has a downside because there is a lot of packaging and plastic – the benefit is reliable delivery, and always fresh ingredients delivered right to your door. A small price to pay, just remember to recycle or reuse plastic and the gel cooling pack.
How to Get Started with Blue Apron
1. Check out the four menus
Blue Apron has four easy to understand menus and their pricing and information is very transparent. Check the menus out here – Signature, Signature for 4, Freestyle (Weight Watchers inspired), and Vegetarian.
2. Signup and complete payment
Getting started is easy with Blue Apron, once you have decided what menu to go with, the next step is to choose your menu and create your account by filling out your personal information, finishing it off by completing your payment information at the checkout.
3. Choose your meals
The last step is the best part, time to pick your meals! Each week you can choose from about 8 meals to add to your meal plan for delivery.
Meal options & Specialty diets
Blue Apron provides a variety of chef-designed recipes which include a selection of balanced Mediterranean meals, quick one-pan dinners, and top-rated customer favorites. The menus available from Blue Apron include:
- Signature
- Signature for 4
- Freestyle (Weight watchers reimagined)
- Vegetarian
How much does Blue Apron cost?
Blue Apron meal plans are very affordable, with the pricing structure dependent on the number of recipes per week. Check out the breakdown of how the Blue Apron menus are priced in the table below.
| Menu | Cost | ||
| 2 Recipes per week | 3 Recipes per week | 4 Recipes per week | |
| Signature | $47.95 ($9.99 per serving) | $59.94 ($9.99 per serving) | N/A |
| Signature for 4 | $71.92 ($8.99 per serving) | $95.88 ($7.99 per serving) | $119.84 ($7.49 per serving) |
| Freestyle | $47.95 ($9.99 per serving) | $59.94 ($9.99 per serving) | N/A |
| Vegetarian | $47.95 ($9.99 per serving) | $59.94 ($9.99 per serving) | N/A |
Blue Apron delivers to just about everywhere in the United States. If there are any issues, you will know when entering your zip code at the account creation.
When ordering 3 recipes per week there are no shipping costs as these are incorporated into the meal plan costs, however, for meal plans of 2 recipes per week shipping costs just $7.99, which is reasonable considering how much packaging and protection is placed inside each Blue Apron box.
How Long Do Blue Apron Meals Last?
Each of the Blue Apron meals has their own timeframe for cooking. For the most part, meals are to be cooked within 5 days to maintain their freshness but given the smaller meal plans (either 2 or 3 recipes per week, or up to 4 for the signature family menu) that Blue Apron offers you should not have any issues with ingredients hanging around in the fridge or pantry at home.
What Comes in the Blue Apron Box?
When you open your Blue Apron box, the first thing you notice is that they have thought hard about the problems that many meal kit delivery services face – keeping ingredients fresh. Inside the Blue Apron box is a considerable amount of plastic which is a little annoying, but this has obviously been done to keep each ingredient fresh. The meat is also placed inside a bag which means if it spills there is no spoilage of the remainder of the ingredients.
The insulated packaging within the Blue Apron box is very sturdy too, the feel of good quality packaging materials helps support their claims of reliable delivery.
Blue Apron Customer Support
The Blue Apron help center is where you will find answers to just about every question you could possibly think of, they have a ton of content here. If you need to report an issue or need help that can’t be handled by the frequently asked questions articles, you can contact Blue Apron’s customer support team on (646) 891-4349 or via email at [email protected]
Alternatively, they keep their social media updated frequently, and you can reach out to their support team via the support ticket function on their website or message their team directly on social media at:
Blue Apron Conclusion
There is one thing that I can be sure of, and it is that Blue Apron is a breath of fresh air in the increasingly crowded home meal kit delivery service industry. What Blue Apron does so well is that they stick to their vision of building a better food system, by keeping things simple.
The Blue Apron meal delivery service is not ideal for anyone specifically trying to lose weight – there are just too many better diet-focussed services. Now, in saying that, it is hard to find a comparison for Blue Apron because they are nailing the delivery (figuratively speaking and literally!). Blue Apron is perfect for busy singles or couples that want a better quality of food, without having to put the time into sourcing and preparation.
With their extensive menus offering an ever-changing mix of meat, fish, and vegetarian options to go with their highly reliable delivery and packaging – with Blue Apron you get a meal delivery service that you can feel relieved to know that you can rely on them.
What I like the most about Blue Apron is that there is an option for busy families (those words immediately catch my attention always!) which might not be able to consistently put great-quality meals on the table (I am not judging, trust me) every night. The Signature for 4 menu can have a tasty dinner on the table for 4 nights a week at a reasonable cost, while still allowing the cheeky takeaway night or dinner out to celebrate a great week!
