Freshly vs Blue Apron 2023

Even if a food delivery service has your favorite meal on its menu, you can only eat it so many times before it becomes boring. That’s why an extensive menu is crucial. Freshly offers a collection of 42 meal kits that include various types of fish, meat, and low-carb options. The Freshly menu also lets you get rid of ingredients that you’re allergic to or simply don’t like. That should make vegetarians happy because they have a larger selection of meals to pick from. Blue Apron recipes have a variety of fish, meat, and vegetarian options too. The meals are also diabetes-friendly and WW-approved. The menu contains 12 signature options that change on a weekly basis. Sadly, the menu lacks a large selection of vegetarian choices. So, this makes Freshly our winner in this category.

No one wants to order food that they can’t eat. If you have special dietary needs, you need to look at the ingredient list for all the meals you order. All Freshly recipes are nut- and gluten-free and you can also ask to remove ingredients from the meals. The Blue Apron recipes are more restricted but do offer Beyond Meat options. Both menus account for vegetarians, allergies, and carb-conscious eaters. Although this is a difficult decision, Freshly takes the crown here, as you can view the exact ingredients of each meal. 

When it comes to the cooking time, it’s worth noting that Freshly delivers pre-cooked meals, so there are no cooking requirements. You can heat your food in a microwave and eat it right away. On the other hand, the Blue Apron meals take a lot more time to cook. So, in this case, Freshly is the winner once more, especially for people who don’t have the time to spend in the kitchen.

The downside to ordering home delivery meals is that you’ll end up with a bunch of packaging. Luckily, there are plenty of recyclable alternatives that food delivery services can consider to help lower their carbon footprint. Unfortunately, neither of these services offers to recycle the packaging for you. Although the items are biodegradable, it doesn’t mean that they won’t end up in landfills. Both Freshly and Blue Apron can improve on this front. 

Having your meals delivered to your front door is pretty convenient, but how complicated is the ordering process? Customers are looking for a user-friendly system. When ordering on Freshly, you’ll choose how many meals you want to order per week. Next, you can choose what meals to add to your list. You can also look at the ingredients and pre-set your dietary requirements. Blue Apron allows you to choose how many meals you would like for the week and select your menu options. Once you have completed your order, you’ll pay a standard price instead of a bill per meal. In this case, both companies scored equally.

Nothing beats the convenience of ordering food online, but it doesn’t come risk-free. This is why customer support is crucial. The Freshly customer service is equipped with a call line, email, and a live chat feature. The instant chat is excellent, as it cancels out the need to wait for someone to answer the phone. The company’s website features a FAQ section too. The Blue Apron customer service offers help by phone or email. The website also has a FAQ section. With both services, you can have most of your questions answered by scrolling through their websites. However, Freshly offers instant feedback on questions via its live chat feature, making it the better option in this regard. 

The first thing you want to look at when choosing a meal kit delivery service is availability. In this case, both services make deliveries in the continental States of America. Sadly, it means that Hawaii and Alaska aren’t on the list. Blue Apron has some limitations in terms of its wine section, as it’s only allowed in some states. However, if you’re not from Hawaii or Alaska, both are equally suitable.

Both Freshly and Blue Apron promise a healthier lifestyle with their products. But which one offers the best ingredients? Although the Freshly recipes aren’t GMO-certified, they don’t use artificial ingredients or processed sugars. Freshly makes its food from a Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG)-certified kitchen, making it safe for those with gluten allergies. Blue Apron is Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO)-certified and has a “farm to table” policy. It prides itself on using meat that is hormone-free and fish labeled as sustainable by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. It’s hard to compete with organically farmed produce. Therefore, Blue Apron is the front runner in terms of ingredients.