This month, I reviewed boxes from the top four meal subscription companies: Plated, Hello Fresh, and Blue Apron. To get a sense of how the boxes compare, I’ve outlined all of the meals I received below. I’ve assigned each dish a score out of 5, and I’ve averaged the scores from each box together to get a total box score. Read on to see which box came out on top for me this month!
Check out all of our reviews of Meal Delivery Services to see every meal kit subscription box option!
Plated – Recipes begin at $12 per plate. 2 recipes (4 plates)= $48 per week (+ $6 shipping). 3 recipes (6 plates)= $72 per week (with free shipping). 4 recipes (8 total plates)= $96 per week (with free shipping).
COUPON: Free dinner for two with purchase of 3-dinners plan ($24 value), no coupon required, just use this link.
Check out the full Plated review here!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Meal #1- Fresh Spaghetti with Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata
Calories Per Serving: 890
Cook Time: 25-35 minutes
Score: 5/5 This dish was heavenly. The burrata was creamy and fresh, and the basil and fresh pasta really elevated this dish into something special.
Meal #2- Grilled Chicken with Romesco Sauce and Tomato-Green Bean Salad
Calories per Serving: 670
Cook Time: 35-45
Score: 4/5 This meal was fresh and tasty. Grilled chicken can get a little boring, I think, and I like how the romesco sauce helped jazz it up. I plan to make this dish again soon!
Meal #3- Cheesy Eggplant Parmesan Melts
Calories: 720
Cook Time: 25-35
Score:4.5/5 This meal was delicious. (Though, the sandwich was so big I had to eat it with a knife and fork!) I would eat this again any day!
Overall dish score: 4.5/5
Cost per plate: Meals start at $12 per serving. Dessert is $4 per serving.
Number of meals available to choose from each week: 9 meals + 2 desserts (7 standard dishes, plus 2 “Chef’s Table” offerings.)
Hello Fresh – The Classic Food Box (for omnivores) starts at $9.90 per person per meal. The Veggie Box (for herbivores) starts at $9.08 per person per meal. The Family Box (for families) costs $8.75 per person per meal.
COUPON: Save $40 off your first box with code HTCST2!
Check out the full Hello Fresh review here!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Meal #1- Summer Corn and Chicken Pizza with Tomatoes, Scallions, and Adobo Sauce
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Calories per Serving: 886
Score: 4/5 This pizza was pretty tasty. Full disclosure: I prefer traditional mozzarella/tomato sauce pizza, but I still enjoyed this version. It would have been even better, in my opinion, with a little ranch dipping sauce.
Meal #2- Steak Fajitas with Kiwi Salsa and Crispy Beans
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Calories per Serving: 774
Score: 4.5/5 At first, I was seriously uncertain about putting kiwi salsa on these tacos, but it was surprisingly delicious! The tangy lime flavor cut through the beef really well, and the hint of sweetness was a nice addition. I also enjoyed the subtle crunch from the kiwi seeds!
Meal #3- Chicken Gyro Salad with Tzatziki Dressing, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Cucumber
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Calories per Serving: 568
Score: 0/5 When I opened up the ingredients for this dish, I found that the included container of yogurt had burst open (probably while in transit), and the provided ingredients were all a mess. If I’d discovered the problem right after receiving the box, I might have been able to salvage the ingredients, but by day four everything was looking pretty gross. (I reached out to Hello Fresh to let them know about this problem, and I received a $15 credit.) Unfortunately, since I couldn’t make this dish, I think I have to give it a 0/5.
Overall Score: 2.83/5
Cost per Plate: Hello Fresh starts at $9.90 per serving (for The Classic Box).
Number of meals available to choose from each week: 6 meals
Blue Apron – $59.94 for 3 recipes on the 2-Person Plan, $69.92 for 2 recipes on the Family Plan, $139.84 for 4 recipes on the Family Plan.
COUPON: 3 Meals Free on Your First Order, no coupon required, just use this link.
Check out the full Blue Apron review here!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
Meal #1- Chicken & Fresh Basil Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Sauce
Calories: 730 per serving
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Score: 4.5/5 This dish was comforting and delicious. I served the pasta with salad on the side, and it was a wonderfully comforting (and filling!) dinner.
Meal #2- Porchetta-Style Sandwiches with Baby Kale Pesto & Marinated Cucumber Salad
Calories: 740 per serving
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
Score: 3/5 This dish was okay. The pork itself was delicious, but I’m not sure it paired well with the caper, lemon, and kale “pesto.” (Personally, I wouldn’t call it pesto.) Also, the raw garlic flavor in the cucumber salad was a little strong for my liking. I think I would have preferred the salad dressed more simply with something like lemon juice, olive oil, and parsley.
Meal #3- Summer Vegetable & Queso Tostadas with Fairy Tale Eggplants & Spicy Crema
Calories: 795 per serving
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20-30 minutes
Score: 3.67/5 This dish was alright. The flavors were good and I liked the spicy crema, but there was a lot of moisture in the veggies which caused the tortillas to get soggy almost right away.
Overall Score: 3/5
Cost per Plate: Blue Apron costs $9.99 per serving.
Number of meals available to choose from each week: 6 meals (Note: meal choice is limited by the fact that not all combinations of meals are available.)
The Verdict: This month’s hot weather provided a bit of a challenge, unfortunately. Usually, I review Hello Fresh, Plated, Blue Apron, and Home Chef, but I was unable to review Home Chef this month because my box arrived spoiled. (The ice packs used to preserve the food melted while in transit, and several of the ingredients in the box were clearly ruined. I reached out toHome Chef about this problem, and they issued me a credit for the full value of the box.) I also had a problem with Hello Fresh, and I was unable to make one of the Hello Fresh meals I ordered because my box arrived damaged. While I do occasionally receive a damaged ingredient in a box, these problems are far beyond any I’ve had before. While it’s good that these problems are unusual, it’s still disappointing to see so many issues in a single month. Since Home Chef and Hello Fresh are out of the running for best box this month, that means it’s between Plated and Blue Apron. Looking back at the meals I received in each box, I have to say Plated definitely came out on top for me.
Favorite box: Plated
Yummiest dish: Plated’s Fresh Spaghetti with Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata
Most fun dish to make: Hello Fresh Steak Fajitas with Kiwi Salsa and Crispy Beans (I love that this dish incorporated a savory kiwi salsa. It was so unusual and super delicious!)
Do you subscribe to Plated, Home Chef, Hello Fresh, or Blue Apron? What were your favorite August dishes?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.