Blue Apron vs. Nutrisystem

Let’s talk about those two companies and their offers. First of all the main thing – one of them is a diet, another is meal kits, so while they both are food-related, they are as different as night and day.

I tried both of them and would like to offer you some tips and descriptions in case you, like I recently did, are looking for new ways to eat healthier and take care of your body better. Before the craze of winter holidays I was on a mission to find not necessarily a diet, but a way to manage my weight and choose healthier options. I looked at various home diets, but decided that it would take too much time and dedication. I also read a lot about meal substitute diets and ready-to-eat meal delivery services. I tried Nutrisystem, Medifast, and South Beach Diet. Finally, I went for Hello Fresh and Blue Apron meal kit deliveries. The last thing I tried is Splendid Spoon. All this testing didn’t make me an expert, but I understand more now and can decide what would work for me and what wouldn’t.

Today I would like to compare Blue Apron and Nutrisystem, even if those two are very difficult to compare, simply because they are created for totally different purposes. Bet let’s start from the beginning.

I wanted to save time and have food that is healthy, help me manage my weight, and is fast to prepare. So I went with Nutrisystem. It was the first such diet I tried, so I went all out and bought the entire month worth of meals. I got a good deal, used a coupon, and came out with great savings. However, I did not realize that staying on ready-to-eat and microwavable meals will not last more than two days for me. To give you some background, I always made home-cooked meals for me and my family, so being on frozen food that tasted bland, too salty, or too sweet simply wasn’t for me.

I can understand how people lose weight with Nutrisystem, I just don’t understand how they manage to survive the food. It is designed to give you only about 1,200 calories per day, it also limits fat and carb intake, and expects you to stay on it very strictly.

I did not need more than 10 pound weight loss to be my perfect self, so going on such strict diet didn’t make sense for me. In addition to that, I work out every morning, so this amount of calories wouldn’t be enough for me.

And finally, I have a family, so eating something separately form everybody else wouldn’t save me money or time because I would still have to shop and cook something for my husband and two kids.

All in all, while I understand the reasons behind the diet and the success factors, it is not for me. I would love to lose weight while not thinking about counting calories or cooking, but the food is simply too unnatural and not tasty for my linking. So I gave up before even using the entire box of meals, but they have a very long shelf-life, so I might get back to them if I ever want to not cook for two days and slow down on eating.

Blue Apron is a whole different story, first of all because it’s not a diet. They don’t advertise as a diet and they don’t promise to help you lose weight. I liked this model simply because of convenience. I could pick a meal, get all the ingredients delivered together with an easy recipe, and cook a killer meal in as little as 30 minutes. I also saved some money by using $90 off coupon that I got with my FabFitFun subscription box.

I love that Blue Apron makes my cooking easier with a ready recipe and delivered ingredients, but since I still have to cook it, I get a fresh home-made meal my entire family can enjoy with me. I don’t like to experiment in the kitchen, but I will try new things if delivered like this to me.

I ordered two meals for 4 people each and had plenty of choices to pick from. Everything came in a couple of days, packed in a box with ice packs, and fresh.

I waited for three weeks before I cooked everything and the ingredients stayed fresh in the refrigerator.

While Blue Apron is not a diet, you can still lose weight if you cook fresh meals like that versus a quick meal at fast food restaurant or a pizza delivery. Granted, getting Blue Apron meals all the time for the entire family might run a bit expensive, but anybody can do that at least once in a while.

If you want to lose weight, you can pick recipes that include more salad and veggies. You can see calorie and nutritional information while picking meals online. With Blue Apron you don’t have to sign up for a period of time and commit to any number of orders. You can stop at any time and pick it up again when needed.

While breakfasts and lunches will still be on you, dinners will be taken care of with Blue Apron meals, which means fewer trips to grocery store, because who likes them anyway?

As I think is pretty clear, my heart is with Blue Apron, but I would always support those who would get on Nutrisystem, stay strong, and lose weight. Whatever works for some, might not for others, so while Nutrisystem is definitely not for me, I will always cheer on those people who take the plunge and get healthier no matter what.