Dinner Delivered: HelloFresh vs. Blue Apron vs. Farm-Haus

You are busy. Your kids are busy. Even your pets are busy. And you are hungry. You are ALL hungry…all the time. Even more than before kids, most of my thoughts revolve around food…what will we have for breakfast, do I have enough healthy snack options, will the kids eat dinner if I make it, do I even have all the ingredients to make dinner, etc… So if someone wants to help ease my thoughts about a meal, I’m listening.

Welcome companies like HelloFresh, Blue Apron and Farm-Haus – all of which I tried recently. I’m not a picky eater, I like to try new things and I like to try to cook, so I was excited to see what each had to offer. Quick disclaimer: all the opinions in this post are my own.

HelloFresh (www.hellofresh.com) –

An International company that sources ingredients from local suppliers. I chose my delivery day and time, and I picked the required 3 meals from the 5 options (including vegetarian). The going rate is $69, but I had a Living Social voucher for $39. Since the upcoming meals are published on their website a couple of weeks early, you can plan ahead and buy a voucher if you see something you might like. All the ingredients for the three meals came in 3 separate boxes – one for each meal – which I liked. And the box included detailed cooking instructions, complete with pictures.

I tried Shrimp & Lemon Risotto with Roasted Zucchini & Parmesan and Peppercorn Steak with Crispy Roasted Potatoes & Creamed Kale, among others. True to the name, the ingredients were fresh and the meals were easy to prepare. However, I found them to be lacking in flavor. They tasted healthy and they were good, but a bit bland. Regardless, they were still a good option for dinner, and the kids were willing try them.

Blue Apron (www.blueapron.com) –

National delivery that allows you to choose your delivery day and time, depending on where you live. I chose 2 meals that were enough for 2 meals each, but there was a family option as well. The meals are also published on their site a couple of weeks in advance. And the going rate is also about $70. Our first meals were a gift, but I then tried them again because I forgot to turn off the subscription.

A couple of the meals I tried were Pork Tsukune Ramen with Baby Bok Choy and Sweet Dumpling Squash, and Crispy Curried Catfish with Chana Masala and Brown Rice. All the Blue Apron meals were so full of flavor. They definitely took more time to prepare, and all the meals used at least one ingredient with which I wasn’t familiar, but they were all worth the time as they were so appetizing.

Farm-Haus (www.farm-haus.com)  –

A local Orlando company, you can order up until 3PM for pick-up or delivery (to certain areas) that night. Pick-up is at the Local Roots bar in the East End Market between 5:30 and 6:30. The cost is $12.50 for an adult portion and $8.50 for a child’s. Optional add-ons (for a price) could be a salad, soup, cheese tray or dessert. The meals for the week are emailed, and posted on their website, on Sunday evenings at which time you can also place your order.

I ordered an adult Chicken Pot Pie, a child’s Chicken Pot Pie and one slice of Coconut Cream Cake from Buttermilk Bakery. It was all such scrumptious comfort food that it was absolutely worth driving out of my way to pick it up. And there didn’t appear to be any difference between the size of the adult portion and the child’s, but maybe that was because they were individual pot pies. Another side note, there is a discount at the Local Roots bar, and on the beer and wine they sell, when you pick up your order. Not only did the kids enjoy running around the Market and the outdoor garden, but they also didn’t mind trying the food, particularly the cake!

So, I would order HelloFresh for an easy, healthy, more kid-friendly weeknight meal. I would order Blue Apron for my husband and I for the weekend or for a special celebration. And a Farm-Haus meal is a reward for a busy week or weekend when there is no time to cook, but I want to sit down, relax over a delicious dinner and enjoy the discounted wine that I grabbed when picking up my order.

Now, who else has tried these and what did you think?!?!