Meal kits have become the love child of “I want to eat something that didn’t come from a drive-through” and “I wouldn’t know a good recipe if it kissed me on the mouth.” Meal kits are perfect for health-conscious folks who’ve realized that ordering Thai food five nights a week isn’t a nutrition plan and for culinary beginners who think “sautéing” is a French dance move.
Here’s the plot twist: Meal kits actually cost about the same as regular groceries these days. Yes, you read that right. Thanks to grocery price inflation, your weekly meal kit subscription might actually be cheaper — and it certainly poses less hassle — than wandering the aisles of your local supermarket.
But here’s where things get interesting (and where most people mess up): Signing up for a meal kit is like buying a gym membership — the real magic happens when you actually know how to use it. At CNET, we’ve taste-tested, chopped, diced and occasionally burned our way through every major meal kit service known to humanity over the years, and we’ve cracked the code on getting maximum deliciousness for your dollar.
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Whether you’re already Team Blue Apron, riding the HelloFresh train, keeping it simple with Factor or getting fancy with Marley Spoon, chances are you’re leaving money (and flavor) on the table. The good news? A few insider tricks can transform you from meal kit amateur to a subscription pro, squeezing every last drop of value from your weekly deliveries.
Ready to become the meal kit master your kitchen deserves? Let’s dive in to the top seven mistakes to avoid.
1. Missing out on a meal kit deal or offer
First and foremost, you’ll want to take advantage of new customer sign-up offers. Most meal kit services allow you to try their goods for deep discounts, up to 70% off and often for several weeks’ worth of meals. I’ve rounded up the best meal delivery deals right now to help you pick.
If you’re already a meal kit subscriber, there’s no rule against pausing it or canceling so you can try another service at one of those dirt-cheap new customer rates.
Read more: Blue Apron vs. HelloFresh: Which Meal Kit Is Right for You?
2. Choosing the wrong size plan
Meal kit costs vary greatly depending on the number of meals and servings you order per week and the delta between them can be enormous. Marley Spoon, for instance, breaks down to just $9 a serving if you order the most amount of meals — six recipes with four servings each — but it jumps to $13 per serving if you only get the least — two recipes with two servings per week.
My suggestion is to order a bigger meal plan than you think you’ll need and choose recipes that keep in the fridge or freeze well. Do this and you’ll have lunch and dinner figured out for the next day or two. You’re already going through the effort to cook, you might as well get more miles out of it and save some money, too.
“Meal kit meal planning,” you heard it here first. What recipes are good for cooking in large batches and eating later on? Pretty much anything other than seafood and salad recipes, both of which aren’t great to freeze after preparing.
Speaking of which…
3. Forgetting to cook seafood first
Seafood recipes are always best to cook first because they’ll also spoil first. The same goes for other recipes with ingredients that may turn when left uneaten or uncooked, including vegetables, leafy greens, cheese and fresh dairy.
Potatoes and other dense vegetables are typically good between four or five days to a full week. Steak is also pretty hearty and can last several days in the fridge without having its quality compromised.
4. Passing over steak and fish
These days, when you peruse a weekly meal kit menu, you’ll typically find dozens of recipes to choose from, sometimes as many as 100 or more. While you should certainly choose recipes that sound good to you and fit your nutrition goals, some recipes will give you more for your money. Steak and seafood recipes are at the top of that list, but anything with a protein (chicken, pork, fish) is typically a better deal.
I previously took a deep dive into meal kit pricing to see how much they cost versus buying all the ingredients yourself. Unsurprisingly, the most expensive recipes to make from scratch (i.e., the best deals for a meal kit subscriber) were those featuring steak and seafood. Some meal kit services charge a premium for certain recipes, but many include steak, shrimp, salmon and other seafood as part of the standard plan, which makes them a great investment.
On the flip side, avoid recipes with ingredients that are cheap and easy to find at the store, such as simple pasta dishes with no protein or basic soups. If you eat mostly vegetarian, I recommend Purple Carrot, as this 100% plant-based meal kit service has the most interesting meat-free recipes made with high-quality ingredients.
5. Not trusting your instincts while cooking
Recipes are not one size fits all, so trust your instincts. If it seems the recipe calls for what seems like too much salt going into the sauce, it probably is. You can always add more but you can’t take any out, so err on the side of caution. The same goes for heat and spice: If you can’t handle big hits of habanero or spicy curries, pull back on those elements until you’ve tasted the finished dish.
6. Ignoring favorite tags
Most meal kit companies will label certain recipes as a “fan favorite” option. More often than not, I’ve enjoyed those dishes and appreciate the recommendation. Services such as HelloFresh and Home Chef use loads of aggregated user reviews and subscriber feedback, so you can trust there is some validity to those markers. After all, they want you to enjoy the meals just as much as you do.
7. Taking it too seriously
It’s true: Meal kits are a good way to get you and the family fed for a fair price but they can also be a lot of fun and a good way to sharpen your cooking skills. Never made risotto before? Pounce on those recipes when it comes along on the menu. You might be surprised at how easy it is.
When you open a meal kit, crack open a bottle of wine too, or pour yourself a beer, cocktail or mocktail and put on music or a favorite podcast. Cooking can be fun and even settle your nerves if you’re in the right headspace.
If you’re not in the right headspace, well, you can always make the kids cook instead.
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