Want to try a meal subscription but have no idea where to start? That’s ok - I’m here to help! Here, I’ll compare three of the leading meal subscription boxes that have been popular choices among our readers for the last several years and have even been featured in our Readers’ Choice Awards. Each meal subscription has its own perks, but the winner of this group comparison has won over readers time and time again and never fails to provide the complete package.
Meet The Competitors: HelloFresh Vs. Blue Apron Vs. Sunbasket
HelloFresh
HelloFresh is a family favorite when it comes to meal kit subscriptions. It offers a ton of weekly options that satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. HelloFresh is a recipe-based meal kit subscription and is great for those who are wanting to expand their cooking skills or even learn how to cook for the first time.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron is often considered the O.G. in the meal kit subscription world. It offers both recipe-based and ready-to-heat meals each week and is best geared towards adults or those who don’t mind spending extra time cooking. Blue Apron also happens to have a market and offers a wine subscription as well, making it a great meal subscription for those who love to wine and dine.
Sunbasket
Sunbasket is a meal delivery service that offers both recipe-based meal kits and ready-to-heat meals that contain organic produce and seasonal ingredients. It’s got practically every type of meal imaginable and has plenty of add-on options in its market for subscribers as well.
Top Factors To Consider When Deciding Which Subscription Is Best
Round 1 - Price
Truth be told, this is generally a deal-breaker for most people when deciding which meal subscription to get - especially for first-timers and larger families. HelloFresh and Blue Apron are quite competitive in this category as HelloFresh’s meals start at $7.99 per serving and Blue Apron starts at $7.49 per serving.
However, something that’s quite special about HelloFresh is that it extends its lowest price per serving beyond 4 meals and offers the same rate for 5 or 6 recipes per week when ordering for 4 people, whereas Blue Apron only offers its $7.49 rate for 4 recipes per week for 4 people. So, if you’re planning on trying out more than 4 recipes per week then HelloFresh has the best deal for you.
While Sunbasket is certainly worth the price if you strive to eat organic and in-season ingredients as much as possible, its prices start at $11.49 per serving which isn’t always favorable among larger households and those on a tight budget.
Thus, if you want to try out the most recipes possible per week then HelloFresh definitely wins this category.
Round 2 - Meal Plan Options
The second most important factor when it comes to choosing a meal subscription is finding a plan that offers the most options for meal types as well as for plan sizes. Once again, HelloFresh wins this category as it offers 6 different meal plan preferences and it allows you to order up to 6 recipes per week for 2 or 4 people.
Blue Apron only offers 3 meal plans based on dietary preferences and limits you to ordering 2-4 recipes per week, whereas Sunbasket stops just shy at allowing you to order 5 recipes per week and doesn’t offer specific meal plans but does allow you to filter through dietary preferences.
Round 3 - Ingredient Sourcing
As mentioned earlier, Sunbasket is committed to providing organic and in-season ingredients with all of its meal kits. Additionally, it’s a certified organic handler and adheres to strict standards when it comes to animal welfare and sourcing, partnering with farms all throughout the US and offering several options for grass-fed meat and wild-caught seafood.
Unfortunately, HelloFresh and Blue Apron are not quite as strict when it comes to ingredient sourcing, but this does allow them to offer lower prices for their meal subscriptions. However, HelloFresh does offer organic ingredients on occasion and its meats are sourced domestically and are free of hormones, while its seafood is a mixture of wild-caught and farm-raised fish.
Similarly, Blue Apron’s ingredients are non-GMO and adhere to the Five Freedoms for animal welfare policy, which is a set of principles adopted by the World Organization for Animal Health that seeks to ensure the physical and mental well-being of animals under human control.
Sunbasket is no doubt the winner for this feature, but I wouldn’t say HelloFresh is sub-par in this category either.
Factor 4 - Kid-Friendly Meals
As most parents know, this can be the final factor to consider when ordering a meal subscription as many families won’t subscribe to a plan unless they know there are at least a few kid-approved options.
HelloFresh offers "family friendly" meals as a part of its meal preferences when signing up, so you never have to worry about not having recipes available for the picky eaters of your household. Some of its most popular Family Friendly options include Nacho Crunch Burgers, Italian Chicken over Lemony Spaghetti, and One-Pan Easy Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas. No matter the week, there’s always a handful of kid-friendly meals that you can add to your box.
While Blue Apron offers a great selection of weekly meals, most of its entrees are designed for those with seasoned palates and greater cooking experience. However, there are options for meals from time to time that do appeal to kids, just not as frequently as compared to HelloFresh.
Finally, the same goes for Sunbasket - it offers incredible weekly options for recipes but most are geared towards older-eaters and especially for those who don’t mind trying out non-traditional recipes.
The Ultimate Winner … HelloFresh
While each of the three meal subscriptions reviewed above has its own distinct features and amazing perks, HelloFresh is the winner due to several aspects. Not only does HelloFresh offer an incredibly affordable plan, but it also appeals to a wide variety of dietary interests including that of kids. If you’re looking for a meal subscription plan to try that offers a little bit of everything for a steal, then HelloFresh is the way to go.
