Blue Apron vs Daily Harvest – Convenient and Delicious Meals Explained
Creativity in the kitchen comes and goes – some days you’re all hyped up to cook the most complex and delicious meals, and then there are days when you don’t even feel like stepping in the kitchen. Because of a busy work schedule, it becomes so much more chaotic to live a balanced life. This is when you go for the best meal kit delivery service.
The best meal delivery service offers culinary inspiration and promotes healthy eating. Speaking of healthy eating, there are so many ways for cleaning up your daily diet such as preparing homemade meals, replacing processed foods with whole foods, and infusing fresh ingredients into your meals (fruits and vegetables).
Healthy meal delivery services do all of that for you –and more. They ensure that your health and fitness goals are accomplished without brainstorming recipes, grocery shopping, and meal prepping!
Two of the most popular picks are up for comparison today – Blue Apron and Daily Harvest. These belong to the list of the top meal kit delivery services. They have extensive menus, wholesome serving sizes, premeasured ingredients, and cooking instructions that are simple to follow.
Which Meal Kit Delivery Service Is the Best?
You want to select a subscription-based meal delivery service that provides a boxful of fresh, high-quality ingredients that are satisfyingly preportioned so you can cook tasty, homemade-style lunches and dinners. Keep in mind that it’s a billion-dollar industry for a reason.
Blue Apron is also one of the very few best meal delivery services for heat-and-eat meals. Remember, these aren’t meal kits (although there are meal kits as well). Rather, they’re oven-ready meals prepared and assembled in oven-safe trays and containers.
On the other hand, there are companies like Daily Harvest that specialize in not just the most enjoyable meal kits but also in smoothies, soups, forager bowls, scoops, bites, and lattes.
So, if you want a service that’s dedicated to improving your cooking skills, Blue Apron could be that meal kit delivery service for you. As for Daily Harvest, its menu variety is its unique selling point, along with its single-serve recipes perfect for individuals.
How to Choose a Meal Delivery Service
Before anything else, take a look at the weekly rotating menu of the meal kit delivery service, for example, Blue Apron, whichalso features the menus for upcoming weeks. Check out every week’s menu to compare the dishes, and see what suits your dietary needs and preferences the most, much like looking at the restaurant menu and picking what you like.
The menu and even how the food is presented in the pictures – all of this is important because it shows how committed and determined the company is when it comes to creating an appealing brand reputation.
You can compare the quality and quantity of vegetables of one best meal delivery service with another. For instance, Daily Harvest’s forager bowls are brimming with delightful fruits and vegetables.
When choosing the best meal kit delivery service, check if any of these is present:
- The menu options for every week are enough to meet any specific dietary requirements you may have. This includes your allergy concerns.
- There is information about the recipe, nutritional value, and cooking instructions.
Furthermore, does the meal delivery service have add-ons or extras like breakfast and snacks or even standalone grocery items?
There’s also the option of meal customization. Meaning, will you be able to swap ingredients (e.g., plant-based for meat or organic for regular). It’s so much more convenient when the company offers substitutions so you can personalize your meals depending on your dietary preferences and restrictions.
How Many Meals Should You Order from a Meal Delivery Service?
Do you want to make a la carte purchases or prefer a weekly subscription? Most people opt for a meal subscription, which consists of a shipment of weekly meal kits and/or premade meals.
The minimum order, in most cases, contains 3 meals per week with 2 servings per meal, so that’s 6 servings in total. Some companies also allow 2 meals (2 servings each) per week.
Moreover, can you skip a week or a few weeks if you wanted or pause your subscription? The best meal kit delivery services provide you with the option of skipping multiple weeks through your account settings.
Typically, during the sign-up process, the service asks about your meal preferences, dietary restrictions, and how many servings you’ll need. Then, the menu is filtered based on your diet requirements, whereas other companies let you vet their meals on your own.
What Is the Cheapest Meal Kit Delivery Service?
What is the ongoing rate for the best meal delivery service? The typical range is $8.99–$12.99 per serving. Plus, the shipping cost is $10 or below per weekly box.
The pricing strategy, in most cases, revolves around the maxim that the more you purchase, the more you save. So, if you opt for a greater number of meals per week and/or servings per meal, the less the total weekly cost is. For example, 4 meals per week with 4 servings each equals a more affordable per-serving price than 3 meals per week with 2 servings each.
As for the delivery fee, if you choose Blue Apron and place a large order, the shipping charges are waived.
What Is A Healthy Meal Delivery Service?
Apart from convenience, most individuals go for meal kit delivery service because it’s a healthier option than takeout. Companies like Daily Harvest and Blue Apron offer not only healthy but also very appetizing meals. Meal kits are like homemade meals except you don’t have to go shopping for groceries or do any chopping, slicing, or cutting.
Meal delivery services certainly offer an effective way to incorporate more plant-based meals into your weekly diet.
Blue Apron features four different menu options – Signature, Vegetarian, Wellness, and Signature for Four. The Wellness program consists of nutritionist-approved, well-balanced recipes that are low-carb and weight-loss-friendly.
Blue Apron vs Daily Harvest: Side-by-Side Comparison
1. How It Works
Blue Apron
Making an account on Blue Apron is the easiest. The first thing you need to do after adding your email address and zip code is deciding how many meal kits and servings you want per week. Blue Apron asks you about your protein preferences, so if you’re a vegetarian, you can select only veg-based meals.
You can order as little as two 2-serving meal kits and as many as four 4-serving meal kits per recipe. Overall, Blue Apron’s meal ordering process is flexible and convenient. You can always go back and customize your weekly box and change your protein preferences.
The default setting on every meal subscription makes it easier for you as it automatically selects meals on your behalf. Meanwhile, if you want to control each week’s order, you can handpick meal kit recipes yourself.
Blue Apron also features several bundles with larger meal kit servings combined with add-ons like wine, dessert, and appetizers. The more meal kits you order, the less you pay per serving, and you can manually add several add-ons every week.
The delivery window is flexible based on where you live. Plus, you are given the option to edit the delivery depending on your convenience. Blue Apron allows you to skip, edit, change, pause, and cancel your orders easily via their Account Settings.
From start to finish, the meal ordering, meal customization, and order placing processes are quick and efficient. If you need any more help, their handy Help webpage lets you search FAQs by keyword or phrase.
Daily Harvest
One point of difference between Blue Apron and Daily Harvest is that the latter does not automatically pick meals for you. You have to choose the items that you want to receive every week.
Daily Harvest’s menu has several types of meal kits that are also prepared meals as all the ingredients are pre-chopped, preportioned, and pre-prepped. Pick the items that you like and want to receive as Daily Harvest features many types of cuisines such as smoothies, soups, forager bowls, flatbreads, ice creams, bites, and healthy bowls.
There is proper information like the nutrition facts, ingredients, and cooking instructions for each item. You have access to all of this even before signing up.
Daily Harvest’s meal plans are divided into 3 optimal categories or sizes – a delivery of 9, 14, or 24 items per order. You receive a bigger discount on the highest order and an effective but nominal discount on the smallest order of 9 items only.
Making things more convenient and user-friendly, Daily Harvest features a smartphone app for ordering, customizing, and editing orders. You can skip weeks, change your delivery address, reschedule, and modify upcoming orders easily without a fuss.
Preparing the meals is as easy as ordering the meals with Daily Harvest. Most of the prep work is already done. You just need to cook the ingredients as per instructions on a stovetop or microwave oven. This shouldn’t take longer than 25 minutes.
2. Menu
Blue Apron
The Blue Apron menu changes from week to week which, in comparison to Daily Harvest, is of big help and keeps the versatility of their menu interesting. Daily Harvest has a fixed menu that is not as ever-changing as Blue Apron.
Blue Apron’s menu boasts a variety of proteins including plant-based meat alternatives, different flavors, and a mix of different cooking times. The meal kits have different labels like Wellness, Fast & Easy, Craft, Make It Vegetarian, Chef Favorites, Family Friendly, Premium, Ready To Cook, etc. that show their usefulness.
Majority of the meal kit recipes on their menu are easy and fast to prepare. Some are premade meals that require no cooking skills or pots and pans for preparation.
The menu is divided into several categories:
- Signature
- Vegetarian
- Wellness
- Signature for Four
- Add-Ons
Within these categories, you have a blend of recipes to pick from that are balanced, WW-recommended, diabetes-friendly, and weight loss-friendly.
The meals also display the cooking time and protein nutrition, so you know which meal is the fastest to prepare and which is vegetarian.
For each recipe, useful information like nutrition facts, calories, ingredient lists, and cooking instructions are available. You can evaluate all your options quickly and narrow down meal kits that suit your personal preference.
Variety-wise, Blue Apron is a fine choice but not for people with severe food allergies or on a dietary restriction plan.
Some meal kits come with swappable proteins, offering to make a meat-based recipe vegetarian, but the choices are limited. You can switch from beef to vegetarian patty without paying extra. Other plant-based alternatives like tofu are also available depending on the recipe. But again, the choices are limited.
You can alter the recipes yourself by swapping protein or making a dish less spicy. The cooking instructions are displayed for each recipe, making it easier to personalize meals with time and regular practice.
The menu is a balance of home-inspired dishes and restaurant selections. Some of the crafty recipes are faster to make, so you don’t have to put in extra effort to create a flavorful recipe. The weekly changing menu features health-conscious dishes in worldly flavors and cuisines. You will find yourself enjoying cooking more than before.
If you’re a picky eater, modifying meal kits and orders is easy to do. Everything you need to know about all your upcoming orders is on the Upcoming settings tab.
The majority of the meals are served for 2 people, but you can increase the serving size to 4 people by opting for the Signature for Four meal category.
Add-Ons include single servings of breakfast, side dishes, soup, appetizers, premade meals, and proteins. Protein options include a variety of choices depending on what you prefer – shrimp, pork, salmon, chicken breast, patties, sea scallops, etc.
Healthy eaters on an omnivore diet plan will benefit more from Blue Apron’s menu. Their meal kits are centered around more meat-based recipes with some vegetarian options that you can include 2–3 times per week.
Daily Harvest
Daily Harvest, contrary to Blue Apron, is a 100% vegan, plant-based meal delivery company. Their menu features all plant-based options suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
The menu comprises Smoothies, Harvest Bowls, Harvest Bakes, Flatbreads, Soups, Forager Bowls, Scoops, Bites, Lattes, and Mylk. Each category offers a selection of plant-focused and healthy recipes containing no processed foods and only fruits and vegetables.
Though there is never a “one-size-fits-all” approach to eating healthily, every individual’s diet is unique and caters to specific dietary needs. What Daily Harvest does is it makes healthy, plant-based eating more accessible with the help of portioned and delicious foods.
If you’re currently on a restrictive diet, make sure your diet plan aligns with what Daily Harvest has to offer. Some foods may trigger your system if you’re not used to eating all vegan and plant-based foods. It’s wiser to stay informed about what your body needs by consulting with a healthcare professional first.
One special factor about Daily Harvest’s meal recipes is that the ingredients arrive frozen. The ingredients are flash-frozen and packed to preserve freshness, nutrition, and flavor.
Studies suggest that freezing fruits and vegetables is actually healthy as they pack higher levels of antioxidants. Freezing fruits and vegetables lock in their nutrients so nothing goes to waste, even after you prepare and cook the meal.
Freezing food has another benefit – it lasts for a longer time in your freezer. This aligns perfectly with Daily Harvest because you can keep foods fresh for longer – anywhere up to 6–7 months depending on the food item.
At the moment, Daily Harvest’s menu offers almost a hundred different choices, ranging from sweet to savory and breakfast to desserts. All are plant-based and 100% preservative-free with organic ingredients. If healthy eating is on your radar, Daily Harvest should suit you perfectly.
The nutrition profile of Daily Harvest’s meals focuses more on low-carb and low-calorie meals. Some may even find that their meals are smaller, portion-wise, which are tailored to encourage a whole-food diet that is low in sodium, calories, and carbs.
Daily Harvest’s menu also features several filters that allow you to personalize the menu by ingredients and dietary needs. Each recipe features nutrition information, an ingredients list, and cooking instructions. You can check for allergens in each recipe, but Daily Harvest is not the best allergy-friendly choice as all their meals are processed in the same kitchen facility as gluten, nuts, dairy, and soy.
3. Diet-Friendliness
Blue Apron
The macros of any chosen Blue Apron meal are wholesome and health-focused. It’s a mix of lean proteins, lots of vegetables, and healthy carbs. Some meals you’ll find have refined carbs, while other meals contain whole grains. The typical range of calories differs from meal to meal, but the calorie count falls between 450 and 1100 calories per meal.
You don’t have to second guess and compare the nutritional value of the meal kit recipes because it’s published for all the recipes on their menu. Plus, it’s accessible via the website and mobile app.
Meal kit recipes are labeled as Vegetarian, Wellness, WW Approved, Diabetes-Friendly, Low Carb, and Low Calorie so you can check each recipe’s tag to find your ideal choice.
The meals are well-portioned and cater to versatile diets that encourage a balanced and holistic approach to healthy eating.
If you’re on a restrictive diet like keto, paleo, or Mediterranean, you may not find Blue Apron’s meals very accommodating. The same applies to people on a plant-based diet because Blue Apron offers a limited variety of vegetarian meals, not vegan.
A balance of wholesome nutrients and nourishment is what you get with Blue Apron’s meals. It prioritizes healthy and balanced eating before any restrictive diet plan like keto, paleo, or Mediterranean.
Even for allergies, Blue Apron does not have any allergy-friendly options or alternatives. You can swap proteins on select meals like beef to the veggie patty. There are also other alternatives for pescatarians and nonvegetarians.
But overall, for diets like gluten-free, vegan, keto, paleo, and Mediterranean, Blue Apron does not offer meals that cater to strict macros and health conditions.
Here’s the breakdown of Blue Apron’s nutritious meals:
- 600 Calories or Less: Some of the meals have fewer than 600 calories per serving.
- Vegetarian: Meals that do not contain any meat but there is a possibility of dairy, eggs, or honey based on the dish you select.
- Diabetes-Friendly: Some meals are good for the heart and diabetes, according to the optimal diabetes-friendly guidelines of the ADA.
- Carb-Conscious: The meals contain less than 48g of carbs per serving.
- Mediterranean Diet: Similar to the Diabetes-Friendly diet, a Mediterranean diet is good for boosting heart health.
- WW-Approved: The meal is high in lean proteins and veggies. This contains weight loss-friendly recipes that are good for people on weight management diet plans.
- Plant Forward: Similar to the Vegetarian diet, maximum nutrition is derived from whole foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes, etc.
Daily Harvest
Daily Harvest has an elegant menu design that supports weight loss with the help of plant-based meals and smoothies. Their main dishes contain no more than 400 calories per serving. As a result, you may experience some weight loss after eating Daily Harvest’s meals.
Before you subscribe to any meal kit delivery service, it’s important to evaluate your calorie intake. Only then can you effectively replace your current diet with that of Daily Harvest.
Daily Harvest focuses on low-carb and low-calorie meals by default though their meal portion size is considered to be smaller than other meal kit delivery services.
A weight loss-friendly diet plan is synonymous with reduced blood sugar levels, obesity, and other chronic illnesses.
They also increase protein with the help of plant-based ingredients like beans, leafy vegetables, chickpeas, etc. So, you end up feeling full for longer and curb your appetite naturally.
Having said that, some Daily Harvest meals contain fewer than 20g of protein, which may not be sufficient to keep you full for longer. So, make sure you add a blend of protein-rich and low-calorie meals to your weekly plan for a more balanced approach to weight loss.
Nutrition facts, an ingredients list, and helpful tips are available for each recipe on the menu. So, you can track how many calories you consume throughout the day including proteins, carbs, and other essential nutrients.
The menu is designed with the help of nutritionists and chefs to ensure what you’re eating is healthy, clean, and delicious. All the meals are prepared with high-quality ingredients, some organic.
Unlike other meal kit companies, you can store Daily Harvest’s meals for up to 3 whole months in the freezer. So, it’s a much smarter and more convenient way of losing weight.
Daily Harvest also offers a good, healthy hack for clean binging on items like snacks, coffee, and ice cream. The ice creams are made of natural ingredients, and the sweetness comes from whole foods such as coconut, dates, cinnamon, etc.
All their meals and bites are plant based, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. Compared to Blue Apron, Daily Harvest’s meals are more diet- and weight-loss-friendly.
4. Cooking Meals
Blue Apron
Preparing and cooking meals from Blue Apron is a breeze. The recipe cards that are sent along with the meal kits provide incredibly user-friendly and simple instructions with precise cooking times. It takes the guesswork out of the process, especially for beginners.
For additional support, the website and mobile app are also equipped with an abundance of cooking resources, such as how-to videos, a digital cookbook, and cooking tips that guide you.
Since Blue Apron is a meal kit delivery service, the cooking process can be lengthy for some people. The majority of dishes require at least two burners on a stovetop, and some dishes also require a standard microwave oven. The recipes demand basic cooking equipment and basic cooking skills as well. Even if you’re new, following the step-by-step instructions make it manageable.
The ideal time frame to cook a Blue Apron meal is 60 minutes. The recipe cards read an estimated prep time of 35–45 minutes, but an hour is what you need to prep and cook the meal kits. The extra 10–15 minutes includes cleaning up all the pots and pans used while cooking the recipe.
Considering how flavorful and unique each dish turns out to be, the time you put into preparing Blue Apron meals and skipping grocery stores is well worth it.
For individuals who want to minimize cooking and cleaning, Blue Apron does offer “Easy Prep and Cleanup” meals. These are one-pot recipes that take less than 20 minutes to whip up. These recipes are just as delicious and healthy as the more complicated recipes on Blue Apron’s menu.
As a whole, Blue Apron is valuable for people looking to upgrade their cooking skills while also saving time at the supermarket. The recipes are easy to cook and simple to follow with abundant cooking resources.
Daily Harvest
Even for someone with a lack of experience in the kitchen, preparing Daily Harvest meals is effortless, with no chance of burning the food or undercooking it. The recipes are delicious and healthy, and the cooking instructions are concise and straightforward.
Most of the items require only a microwave and a blender to prepare, depending on the recipe you select. For example, you can prepare a Daily Harvest smoothie by adding some water, fruit juice, or milk. The packaged ingredients are preportioned and pre-chopped. Simply blend and drink it.
The Harvest bowls and forager bowls need only be microwaved. The breakfast bowls need to sit in the fridge overnight once you’ve combined all the ingredients. This shouldn’t take you more than 10 minutes to do from scratch.
Since all Daily Harvest items are frozen and packaged, a maximum of 10 minutes is essential for thawing the ingredients before cooking them.
Smaller items like snacks are also user-friendly to make, even for novice cooks who might otherwise find cooking intimidating or confusing. Daily Harvest provides all the cooking instructions you need to make the cooking process a breeze.
The instructions are so simple and easy to follow that even someone who has little to no cooking experience will find that making a tasty and nutritious meal takes so little time, thanks to Daily Harvest.
5. Cost
Blue Apron
Blue Apron organizes its meal kits according to serving size and quantity of meal recipes. They have several meal preferences that you can select from even though the entire menu is accessible to you. These are just to show you your favorite meals first if you select your preference.
They are Chef Favorites, Wellness, Family Friendly, Fast & Easy, and Veggies. Based on what you select, Blue Apron recommends the best meal kit recipes suited to your tastes.
For first-timers, Blue Apron offers $110 off plus free shipping on the first order.
For the rest of the orders, the standard price range of Blue Apron meals is between $7.99 and $11.99 per serving.
| Meals per week | 2-person servings each | 4-person servings each |
| 2 | $11.99 | $9.49 |
| 3 | $9.99 | $8.49 |
| 4 | $9.49 | $7.99 |
The shipping fee is $9.99 on all orders after the first order, which gives you free shipping and $110 off for first customers.
Daily Harvest
Daily Harvest does not charge depending on the number of servings or meals you order per week. Their menu is similar to a restaurant’s menu where each item costs a fixed price. Daily Harvest does, however, offer some discounts based on the number of items you add to the weekly box.
The good news is that the prices include the shipping costs, so no extra price gets added to the final bill amount during checkout.
Here’s the breakdown of their item prices:
- Smoothies: $8.49 per item
- Harvest Bowls: $9.79 per item
- Harvest Bakes: $11.99 per item
- Flatbreads: $9.79 per item
- Soups: $8.49 per item
- Forager Bowls: $6.79 per item
- Scoops: $8.99 per pint
- Bites: $7.99 per 7 bites
- Lattes: $5.99 for 2 coffee pods
- Mylk: $.799 per carton containing 8 cubes
6. Ingredient Quality
Blue Apron
At Blue Apron, animal welfare is the top priority. All animal proteins are sourced from farms and local distributors that meet strict animal welfare policies. This means that the animals are fed whole foods without any by-products, antibiotics, or hormones. The seafood is sustainably sourced according to the strict guidelines of the Seafood Watch, which is a dependable nonprofit organization.
Building up on that, Blue Apron also prioritizes GMO-free and some USDA-certified organic ingredients, depending on ingredient availability and sourcing. You’ll know which ingredient is organic on the recipe page.
As a result, the food tastes great and the meal portion sizes are satisfying. Some of the meals contain natural sweeteners like honey, but if you’re on a strict non-sugar diet, you can easily avoid such recipes. You can also control how much seasoning and salt you want to add to your recipes – the meal kits are highly flexible.
The ingredient quality, on top of being high-quality, is long-lasting and fresh. Blue Apron does not send rotten or aged fruits and vegetables that could negatively impact the quality of the meals. As such, the menu variety is well-balanced and varied.
Daily Harvest
All of Daily Harvest’s meals are high-quality and organic. Designed by in-house nutritionists and chefs, the meals are carefully selected and flash-frozen to preserve the ripeness and flavor of the ingredients. Once the meals are packed, they arrive at your doorstep frozen containing dry ice, and you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To cook one of the meals, take the meal kit out of the freezer, and reheat the meals in the microwave or stovetop. The smoothies are supposed to be blended with some milk, juice, or water. The ice creams need to thaw for 10 minutes and then be eaten straight away!
Daily Harvest’s menu has over 100 different items, so the variety is top-notch, but the only disappointing factor is that their menu doesn’t change from week to week. All the meals are vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, featuring whole foods in place of meat, gluten, and dairy.
Plant-based ingredients like nuts, seeds, whole grains, spices, herbs, matcha, and cacao powder are used in ice creams, bites, and lattes. Natural sweeteners, like fruit or organic maple syrup, are used to make the meals more delicious and nourishing.
On top of all this, Daily Harvest also takes pride in being socially and environmentally conscious, partnering up with local farms that use regenerative agricultural systems to save the planet and avoid the use of harmful chemicals.
The organic plant-based ingredients are preportioned to avoid food wastage. All the ingredients are free of additives, preservatives, and fillers. The majority of the ingredients are certified organic, including seasonal produce.
We would recommend Daily Harvest for people who are strictly on an organic and vegan meal diet. If you want to eat clean foods, there’s nothing better than Daily Harvest for seeking a sustainable and convenient meal kit delivery service.
7. Delivery and Packaging
Blue Apron
Blue Apron is a crafty meal delivery service that offers fresh and preportioned ingredients for simplified home cooking. The meal box arrives weekly, on a scheduled delivery day, containing recipe cards, ingredients packed in plastic bags, and any additional ingredient like animal protein in a vacuum-sealed plastic bag. The wet and dry ingredients are packed separately to avoid spilling.
The vacuum-sealed bags ensure that the meat maintains optimal freshness. Sometimes, Blue Apron will use two layers of plastic instead of one to prevent water from seeping out. Some people think that Blue Apron can make use of paper bags instead of plastic to pack dry ingredients and seasonings, making the packaging eco-friendlier.
The size of a typical Blue Apron box is as tall as a bottle of wine. The box contains all the ingredients double-packed with insulated bubble wrap and linings. Cold packs are used to keep food items cold and fresh. You can drain the cold packs as it contains water-based gel.
Some of the ingredients like whole fruits and vegetables are packed without any paper or plastic wrapping. But don’t worry as all the ingredients are individually packed and organized by recipes into labeled bags. Some of the packaging may be deemed excessive, but overall, it’s very user-friendly and durable.
The recyclability of Blue Apron’s meal boxes is smart and efficient. They have a dedicated Recycle page that lists out all the possibilities for every packaging material.
Even if the weekly box is dropped at your doorstep in the afternoon, the contents inside will remain cold and ripe, thanks to the huge gel ice packs that help seal the box.
Delivery customization is also possible where you can skip a week, change the delivery address, and alter the frequency of delivery easily for up to 5 weeks in advance.
Daily Harvest
For a healthy meal delivery service that’s also environmentally friendly, look no further than Daily Harvest. The food is packed efficiently with frozen food items kept fresh with dry ice. The packaging materials, including the large cardboard box the meals arrive in, are recyclable. The cups and containers that store frozen fruits and vegetables are also recyclable.
When the box arrives, everything is cold to the touch, so you can quickly store it in the freezer. Once you make a recipe, the food container can be recyclable, with some compostable bowls for the Harvest bowls, oat bowls, and forager bowls.
The meals are packed with dry ice, which you have to let completely evaporate before you can take the containers out of the box. This process is a bit time-consuming, but it’s worth the effort because the dry ice keeps the items ripe and fresh during transit.
The main white boxes are recyclable and compostable. The presence of dry ice, instead of ice packs, reduces the usage of plastic, even though it takes a few extra minutes for cleaning. If you want less waste, dry ice is an efficient solution.
The convenience of having all your meals delivered to your doorstep with minimal unpacking and storage makes Daily Harvest an environment-friendly meal service.
8. Recipes
Blue Apron
Blue Apron features 5 different menu categories – Signature, Vegetarian, Wellness, Signature for Four, and Add-Ons.
Here are some high-protein recipes that you’d like from each category:
Signature
- Calories: 750
- Fat: 36g
- Carbohydrate: 61g
- Protein: 45g
Vegetarian
Paneer and Veggie Tacos
- Calories: 650
- Fat: 37g
- Carbohydrate: 58g
- Protein: 27g
Wellness
Seared Chicken & Black Vinegar Pan Sauce
- Calories: 620
- Fat: 26g
- Carbohydrate: 54g
- Protein: 44g
Signature for Four
Oven-Baked Beef & Pinto Bean Chili
- Calories: 640
- Fat: 32g
- Carbohydrate: 46g
- Protein: 46g
Daily Harvest
Compared to Blue Apron, Daily Harvest’s meals are more varied offering smoothies, bowls, baked items, flatbreads, soups, and much more.
Meal-wise, their caloric value is limited, so the meals may not be all that satisfying if you’re looking for homemade recipes. But for clean and weight loss-friendly diets, the macros of Daily Harvest’s meals are worth your investment as they encourage clean and nutrient-dense eating habits.
Here are some of their best recipes in each meal category:
Smoothies
- Calories: 120
- Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrate: 29g
- Protein: 3g
Harvest Bowls
- Calories: 240
- Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrate: 30g
- Protein: 12g
Harvest Bakes
- Calories: 590
- Fat: 33g
- Carbohydrate: 58g
- Protein: 20g
Flatbreads
- Calories: 370
- Fat: 16g
- Carbohydrate: 52g
- Protein: 7g
Soups
- Calories: 180
- Fat: 3.5g
- Carbohydrate: 27g
- Protein: 13g
Forager Bowls
- Calories: 280
- Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrate: 48g
- Protein: 8g
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do Blue Apron and Daily Harvest Offer Add-Ons?
Blue Apron
Aside from the meal kits, Blue Apron also has an entire catalog of appetizers, side dishes, and desserts for you. You can order them one at a time. They are pre-prepped and pre-cooked.
The downside to adding extras to your cart is that Blue Apron lets you add up to two items only per box. If you want to add more extras to your box, you have to order a second box and pick your meals accordingly.
Another impressive add-on item on their menu is wine. You can pair all your weekly orders with different wines that Blue Apron recommends. It costs more than your typical add-on item, but you can opt for a monthly subscription that costs close to $60 monthly.
The wine subscription works similarly to the way you order meal kits with Blue Apron. You can accept wines individually or let Blue Apron pick the best choices. Blue Apron also offers a food-wine pairing guide to make the most of all your purchases.
Blue Apron also features a market where you can buy kitchen tools, pantry items, wine bundles, and wines in bulk at a cheaper cost. It’s a great way to spruce up your kitchen with new kitchen equipment that you can use to prepare meal kits.
You don’t need to have an active subscription with Blue Apron to order from their Market section. It functions as a stand-alone catalog, which is similar to the way you shop for things online. The most favorite and highly reviewed items on Blue Apron’s market are their kitchen tools and equipment. They are handy and durable to use for a long time.
Daily Harvest
Daily Harvest does not offer add-ons the way Blue Apron does. But they have special food and drink categories like ice cream, small bites, coffees, and their plant-based mylk. They cost less than the soups, forager bowls, flatbreads, and soups on their menu.
Plus, you can add as many items as you want; the more you buy, the higher discount you get on your weekly/monthly box.
All the bites, ice cream, and coffees are made up of plant-based ingredients, organic, vegan, and 100% preservative-free.
2. How Easily Can You Change, Edit, Cancel, or Pause Meal Plans?
Blue Apron
Blue Apron has a whole section for Managing Deliveries on their FAQs page. They offer solutions for every customer query about topics like their weekly cutoff date, skipping deliveries, rescheduling active orders, changing delivery day, and updating address or payment details.
Similar to Daily Harvest, Blue Apron prescribes a weekly cutoff date that allows you to modify, pause, or cancel your weekly box without extra charges. The cutoff time for each weekly box will be mentioned through their Account Settings. The cutoff time varies on every order depending on the time and location of delivery.
Once you make changes to a weekly box before the cutoff time, the changes get applied immediately. You can also set up reminders for weekly orders if you’ve ordered a few weeks in advance. Skipping and pausing meal orders are also possible via their website or phone app.
Daily Harvest
You can easily change the number of meals in your weekly box by clicking on the menu and selecting “Manage Plans.” Modifying the number of meals, updating the delivery address, and pausing or canceling the subscription can be easily done.
The deadline to modify placed orders is 6pm ET every Sunday before the delivery week or month. The interesting thing about Daily Harvest’s meal plan is that you can order meals for either a week or a month. There is no limit to the quantities of items you can add to your cart – the more, the merrier.
Daily Harvest also allows you to modify the frequency of your deliveries, update or change payment methods, schedule a delivery after one week, and change the delivery day based on your location.
The best part is that you don’t need to contact their customer support to get all this done. All the features for managing orders and customizing meal plans are accessible to everyone after logging in.
3. Where Do Blue Apron and Daily Harvest Deliver?
Blue Apron
Blue Apron delivers to the continental United States, except for Alaska and Hawaii. To know whether they deliver to your area, you can enter your zip code and find out what delivery options are available to you.
You will be taken to the sign-up page where you have to add your email address to set up an account.
Changing the delivery day varies from location to location. You will be provided with a list of suitable days to pick from. You can later change the delivery day before the cutoff time in your Account Settings.
Daily Harvest
Daily Harvest is more specific about where they deliver, and they also have information about the different courier services they use to deliver your orders. For now, Daily Harvest delivers to 95% of the contiguous United States.
You can find out more by heading over to their Sign Up page and entering your zip code and email address.
For instant delivery access, Daily Harvest delivers to select areas like NYC, LA, Philly, Miami, Austin, DC, Baltimore, and very soon Atlanta through services like DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub, and Seamless. These services provide instant delivery, which is like ordering food from a restaurant. It gets delivered immediately.
Blue Apron Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| The menu has comfort foods and world cuisine. | Meal customization is not allowed. |
| Fresh produce and top-quality ingredients. | The packaging uses a lot of nonrecyclable plastic. |
| Very affordable meals – the price per serving for 4 is budget-friendly. | No allergy accommodations. |
| Can order up to 16 meal kits weekly. | Shipping is not free. |
| Minimal meal prep for meal kits plus oven-ready meals. | |
| Good fit for vegetarians and health-conscious eaters. |
Daily Harvest Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Frozen meal delivery service with nutrient-packed, fresh, organic ingredients. | Portion size doesn’t satiate hunger, and meals are low in protein. |
| Almost all packaging is recyclable. | An expensive meal delivery service. |
| Meal customization is available to suit dietary preferences. | No special menu plans, such as paleo, keto, etc. |
| No shipping charges. | |
| Easiest to prepare meals. | |
| Plant-based lunch/dinner options along with gluten-free meals and vegan choices free of additives, preservatives, and fillers. |
The Bottom Line
Whether or not Blue Apron’s recipes and premeasured ingredients are good for you depends on various factors like budget, dietary restrictions, and personal preferences. The most compelling advantage is this – Blue Apron offers a huge menu variety, from low-calorie to vegetarian meals.
If you care about factors like food variety and cooking convenience, then Blue Apron is an ideal choice for you.
One of the best advantages of Daily Harvest, on the other hand, is that they include organic ingredients. Daily Harvest meals are also gluten-free, vegan, and don’t have any preservatives or the like. As long as you’re okay with spending more, these high-quality, plant-based meals are perfect.
Article written by Mealfan team.