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Blue Apron Vs. Green Chef: The Ultimate Showdown

If you're like us, you've tried a few meal kits over the last year.

And, like us, you also may have been disappointed by some of them: repetitive dishes, missing ingredients each week, or recipes that took 4 hours from prep to plate. We are not exaggerating.

However, we know too many people who absolutely love the convenience and ease of home cooking that meal kits provide, so we wanted to cut through the trial and error process for our readers and test out these kits one-by-one ourselves.

Over the testing period, we found that there's a meal kit out there for every type of household and price point. But understanding that a lot of people are getting ready for summer and revamping their eating habits after a long, difficult COVID winter, we wanted to focus on two specific kits that regularly hype up their wholesome recipes and high-quality ingredients: Green Chef and Blue Apron.

The pressure's on - and so's the oven! Let's get after it and see which plan comes out on top.

Key Similarities

Both deliver pre-portioned fresh ingredients, colorful recipe cards with step-by-step instructions
Both are subscription-based meal kits delivery services: pause, adjust, or opt-out at any time
Both conveniently deliver right to your doorstep

Key Differences

Blue Apron's locally sourced ingredients are non-GMO but not exclusively organic | Green Chef's products are USDA Organic Certified
Blue Apron has 2 meal plans: Vegetarian and Signature | Green Chef has 4: Balanced Living, Keto & Paleo, Plant-Powered, and Gluten-Free
Blue Apron has 7 recipes a week to choose from | Green Chef has 9
Blue Apron's recipes take 30 - 50 minutes to cook | Green Chef's minimal prep takes 30 minutes or less
Blue Apron's packaging is plastic-heavy | Green Chef offsets 100% of carbon emissions and plastic packaging from every box!
Blue Apron starts at $9.99 a serving | Green Chef's meals start at $11.99

Green Chef Overview

We appreciate their chef-curated, international cuisine choices like Steak & Cheddar Melts with kale salad and carrots, dried figs, & white-wine vinaigrette and Japanese Vegetable Fritters with ginger-sriracha aïoli, broccoli & cashews, and rice with edamame. Variety isn't only the spice of life . . . it teases the palate and keeps the menu interesting.

Green Chef provides a really affordable way to consume more local, sustainably sourced produce, and we've all come to realize the importance of that. The cost per serving - especially with a new customer discount - is far less than organic markets, and with their pre-portioned ingredients, there's far less food waste.

Customers love the culinary choices and high-quality produce Green Chef delivers. On a Keto, Paleo, or plant-powered diet? Green Chef's there for you, offering 9 different meals for each plan. Say bye-bye to boredom!

Blue Apron Overview

Blue Apron's boxes arrive and they are simply lovely. All ingredients are laid out practically, but cooking time can take up to twice as long to plate because the recipes are often complex, including two or three separate sauces or dressings. All these extra steps lead to more dishes and pans, which can lead to a messy sink at the end of the night.

In other words, this isn't ideal for novices and busy moms, though it's perfect for someone who has time on their hands and wants to polish their cooking skills.

Despite tasty meals like Garlic-Caper Chicken with Fettuccine and Zucchini and Miso-Butter Steaks and Rice with Carrots and Bok Choy, we burnt out on Blue Apron rather quickly. With only 7 dishes a week to choose from, we found ourselves gravitating to the same types of dishes (pasta) instead of trying new things that we were excited about.

Plus, all too often a bag of limp yellowing kale would arrive. One week, 2 out of 3 meals featured kale. Enough said.

Final Notes

Green Chef's superior organic food and minimal prep put them way ahead of Blue Apron in our books. Add in the pre-measured portions which help you stick to your diet, and the choice is clear.

Green Chef is the clear crowd favorite for convenience, easy instructions, and overall presentation. We appreciated Green Chef's fresh ingredients, amazing customer service, and the variety of their gourmet meals. Plus, there are more plans available tailored to specific diets, which makes Green Chef more inclusive than Blue Apron.

While Blue Apron is definitely a contender in the war of meal kits, Green Chef's got it beat.

So there you are. Get Green Chef and get cooking! Remember, the oven's on.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY SPECIAL: Our friends at Green Chef are extending a limited-time offer to our readers! Follow this link to get $100 off across four boxes, including FREE shipping on the first box!

Try Green Chef Today!

green chef vs blue apron

I'm Finally Sticking To Keto This Year With Green Chef

Prevent the keto flu with their keto-approved meal kit.

I make the same New Year's Resolution every year: eat healthier. And obviously, it keeps failing, or I'd be able to move on to another one.

Surprisingly, I'm okay when it comes to working out. But with an hour long commute to work each day and no time to cook or grocery shop on a regular basis, takeout and rotisserie chickens are my best friends.

When I was at the gym one morning, my occasional treadmill buddy, Jordan, and I were talking about our diets. They told me they had recently gone keto.

I'd tried that twice, but had too many dinners of peanut butter on a spoon for it to be sustainable.

Jordan told me they had failed 3 times before signing up for Green Chef, the first-ever keto meal kit delivery, and it actually ended up being delicious and keto-friendly.

If I could have the ingredients I needed to make home-cooked, keto meals delivered right to my door; the ketogenic diet would be smooth sailing.

Third time's a charm. I went online to look at Green Chef's options; they had plans for all kinds of diets--paleo, plant powered, an omnivore balanced living plan, and keto.

I also found out they have the #1 keto meal kit in the country, so I was pumped.

The meals looked awesome, and I didn't know you got to choose your recipes each week. For my first week, I picked Cajun-spiced shrimp with sauteed collards and cheesy biscuits, Beef and butternut squash chili, and Chicken tinga with cilantro-lime crema and cotija cheese.

Again, when I first tried keto, I was eating a pound of bacon a week. It was nice to see exciting meals that still fit keto.

When my box came, I started with the Chicken Tinga because I love Mexican food. I placed all the ingredients on my counter, and propped up the instructions behind my sink.

There was no confusion - everything was super easy to follow, and before I knew it, I had a meal in front of me that looked just like the picture (except with mismatching silverware).

I dug in, and the food was so good. I literally forgot I was back on the keto diet, I just thought I was eating a delicious meal.

The other 2 meals were also awesome, and having leftovers meant I didn't have to eat out for lunch, either.

I texted Jordan, thanking them for the rec, and they gave me a bunch of other keto tips that helped me realize I could actually do this.

With Green Chef, I started eating not just healthier, but full-on keto. I didn't change my workouts, but I saw more muscle definition more quickly, and had more energy in general, too.

Green Chef has also opened me up to new kinds of food - I'd never even tried Thai before, but I've already got an order ready next time I go out with friends.

I know if I ever fall off the keto wagon, or decide to start eating carbs again, Green Chef's other meal plans will always keep me from falling into the peanut butter for dinner trap.

Seriously, if you're keto, or thinking about it, Green Chef will save you.

Update: Our friends at Green Chef are extending a special New Year's offer to our readers. Follow this link to get $80 off + free shipping!

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HelloFresh Will Spice Up Your Love Life More Than A Valentine’s Night Out Ever Could

Valentine's Day is coming up and with pressure from the greeting card aisle, your Instagram feed, and maybe even your S.O., there's a lot at stake for a perfect romantic dinner. Instead of calling every restaurant in town to squeeze into a table next to the kitchen, why not stay home and make something special for your sweetheart? Too busy, not a chef, or maybe you're not sure where to start? HelloFresh's award-winning delicious meals can save the day with a quick and perfect Valentine's Day dinner. America's most popular meal-kit fits the needs of every home cook or total foodie newbie, including vegetarian options. For those who hate to plan and those who plan down to the minute, HelloFresh has a menu for you.

Here are the four types of couples that should cook a romantic HelloFresh dinner for Valentine's Day.

The Couple Who Goes Out More Than Stays In

For the couple who has a rating on every restaurant in the city, sometimes staying in is the more romantic thing to do! Besides, the wine is always cheaper at home, and trying to get that beef tenderloin medium rare will bring you closer together.

The Couple Who Can't Get a Babysitter

When the babysitter falls through at the last minute, that doesn't mean Valentine's Day has to mean chicken nuggets on the couch. The HelloFresh family plan has options that are kid-friendly, but still gourmet, so dinner for four can be Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with a Truffled Mushroom Risotto. Or better yet, put the kids to bed early and enjoy a nice meal just the two of you.

The "Valentine's Day Is Too Commercial" Couple

If you had a courthouse wedding on a Tuesday because you don't need to spend money to prove you're in love, Valentine's Day may not even be on your radar. In just 20 minutes you can skip the sappy stuff and get down to debating Oscar nominations over Pineapple Poblano Beef Tacos.

The Couple Who Isn't a Couple

Just because you're single, doesn't mean you can't be the love of your own gosh dang life. Do Valentine's Day dinner for one, with some candles and Heirloom Tomato Flatbreads with Pesto, Fresh Mozzarella, and Balsamic Greens. Each plan makes two meals, so it's also perfect if you've just started seeing someone but it's too soon to brave Valentine's restaurant scene. Plan a 90's rom-com marathon that may or may not lead to a movie-worthy kiss of your own.

HelloFresh is the answer to all of your Valentine's Day stress. It's less expensive than take-out and cuts out the shopping, and recipe planning headaches for romantic nights in. Seriously, with pre-measured ingredients and clear instructions that include pictures, it's foolproof, even for the most clueless in the kitchen.

Update: Our friends as HelloFresh are extending a special Valentine's Day offer to our readers: Follow this link to get 6 meals free!

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How HelloFresh Makes Home Cooking Easy and Fun

Recently, I've heard about all these dinner-delivery kits that show up on your doorstep with pre-planned dinners and groceries, neatly organized and ready to cook. I thought maybe they could save me some much needed time and energy to make my life easier. Over the past few years, making dinner has become a chore. I used to like to cook, but recently, I've been too tired to decide what to make for dinner, and my husband and I revert to the same boring meals every day. I tried a few dinner delivery services first, but HelloFresh, which came recommended by a friend (greatly appreciated), totally changed my lifestyle.

HelloFresh recipes take only 30 minutes, and the dinners are fresh and delicious. My husband, is a simple steak-and-potatoes guy, and I like my salmon and veggies, so we needed something simple and versatile. Some of the other meal-kits had me chopping vegetables for 20 minutes and spending more time cooking than I'd planned for. But HelloFresh allowed me to cook my dinner stress-free and with very little setup and cleanup.

Every HelloFresh meal comes in mini boxes perfectly packed with everything I need for each recipe. Each box fits neatly in my fridge, and it's ready to go when I'm ready to cook. It helps me break the cycle of just grabbing a bag of chips and plopping on the couch.

We like the Classic Plan, which provides 3 nights of dinner for two people each week. I am picky when it comes to veggies; I like them colorful and crispy, but off-season grocery store specials can make this challenging. The HelloFresh veggies were just the way I like them—beautiful orange carrots, green broccoli, and red tomatoes.

My favorite recipe was the Shrimp Burgers with Sriracha Mayo and Carrot Fries. I followed the instructions and found the burgers, including the sriracha mayo, to be surprisingly delicious. The recipe called for a brioche bun that we warmed in the oven for 5 minutes before. It was heaven: just like when you get to the bakery first thing in the morning. The carrot fries were something I never would have thought up on my own. We sliced the carrots so they looked like orange french fries, drizzled them with olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper, and baked them for 15 minutes— that was it. Easy peasy. Altogether it was a wonderful meal, and even the cooking part was fun.

I tried HelloFresh with hopes it would save me time, but it's actually helped me get back into cooking. I don't have time to be a gourmet chef or the energy to come up with creative meals, but I want to eat healthy, and live a more balanced lifestyle, something HelloFresh helped me to accomplish with ease. The quality of produce was just as fresh as my farmer's market, and they have really good meats. Plus, their website offers a variety of plans and dietary options, and they allow you to turn on and off delivery each week or pause your account. And you can cancel at anytime.

Update: The folks at HelloFresh are extending a special offer to our readers.Follow this link to get $80 OFF including FREE shipping on the first box!

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How HelloFresh Is Going To Change How You Cook Forever

Whoever you are or wherever you live, I can bet you that you've heard of meal kits. You may not know much about them, but I'm fairly sure you've heard of them. Instagram, Facebook, or even through your mailbox, you've heard of them somewhere.

For those of you living under a rock, meal kit companies like HelloFresh send you recipes and the exact ingredients to make 3 meals for two people (frequency and servings are flexible), in a box right to your door. So instead of measuring out 2.7 tablespoons of curry powder, you bung it all together, and voilà, you have yourself a delicious, home-cooked meal.

While I, like you, have been aware of their existence for quite a while, I had never considered it for myself. I can make six recipes well, and I don't see why I would need a service like this. Then I was over at my mate's place, who is a famously lousy cook, burning both toast and baked beans when we lived together at university, and he presented this divine looking steak with a chimichurri dressing and a potato and spinach salad.

He swore it hadn't just come from the local takeaway, but I wasn't convinced, that was until he showed me the HelloFreshrecipe card. I realized that a meal kit wasn't for the lazy or the privileged bloke, but for anyone who liked food and needed the inspiration to spice up their weekly dinner routine.

I ordered a box on the way home to surprise my girlfriend Olivia, and a week later we gave it a go. It was so straightforward to order, and I even got to choose which meals we were going to have in the box, even though that was quite difficult as they all looked so tasty. It was new, it was fresh, and it was also a bit of a laugh too.

I value convenience very highly because when I get home from work, all Olivia and I want to do is quickly whip up something to eat and argue over what to watch on the telly, not do a shop then spend 2 hours cooking. With HelloFresh, we can not only make these tasty new dinners with just 30 minutes in the kitchen, but we also get to try new flavors and cuisines that we never thought we'd cook up ourselves. We've even started becoming more adventurous with the food we eat.

The first thing Olivia said to me when we sat down to the first meal was, "this is bloody good." I was stoked. I guess we associate convenience with something bad for you, boring or not tasty, but that is certainly not the case with HelloFresh.

It has really re-inspired our dinner time, as we are no longer eating the same thing week in, week out. We've continued it ever since for 3 meals a week, giving us the chance to still eat out when we want to. With the meals starting at $9 each, it's hard to see how we could get better variety in such a convenient way and at such a good price versus the supermarket.

Writing this, I can already tell you're a tad skeptical about the whole thing and fair enough, I was too.

I can honestly say though it's changed our week, coming home knackered and not having to go down the shop or think of what to have, the excitement and simplicity of HelloFresh makes dinner a breeze.

Update: The folks at HelloFresh are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to get $80 off HelloFresh!

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