Folks have repeatedly called millenials lazy, entitled, and stupid, and that's just not true...except when it comes to cooking. If we are honest with ourselves, the majority of us don't cook all our meals. The few who do, do it as a profession, consider it a hobby, or point it out like they deserve a gold star—is it really our fault though?
The majority of our diets growing up included fast food and even more social media. Generally speaking, our parents were more concerned with our GPAs than our skills in the kitchen, but alas, we've solved our domestic incompetence with our heavy tech knowledge. Yup, I'm talking about meal delivery services. There are so many now, that it's actually hard to pick which one to download, so we're trying to solve commitment issues by testing out the new market for you. Here we breakdown and compare two download-ready options:
1. Thistle
How It Works:
Chefs make a new menu each week that promises to be delicious and packed with nutritious ingredients. You can pick how many days worth of food you'd like to order and which meals you'd like covered. Your subscription will automatically renew each week, so you'll never have to think about food. The delivery is free and the delivery's timing is catered to your specific schedule.
What we were sent:
They gave us a lot of food, but some examples include chicken curry with quinoa, egg tofu scramble, chia seed pudding, and green juice.
The highlight:
We got a text message when our food arrived and it all came in beautifully packaged containers with nutrition content and a list of all the ingredients. Definitely, the best tasting part of our order was the juice. They're just as good as leading juice bars, but for a fraction of the cost.
The verdict:
Overall, we must admit that the food wasn't spectacular. It got the job done because it was easy, filling, and healthy. For an entire week, the only reason I stepped food in a kitchen was to grab my pretty container. That being said, this won't satisfy true foodies. Some meals were a bit bland, and others—well, I'll never be okay with microwaving eggs. We imagine this service is best for the type of person that eats to live, as opposed to the ones (like me) who live to eat.
2. Blue Apron
How It Works:
First, we should note that Blue Apron supplies ingredients to cook yourself, while Thistle gives you ready-made meals with packaging ideal for people on-the-go. The delivery model, however, is very similar: Chefs make weekly menus, customers pick from the menu, the service delivers the meals to your door.
WHAT WE WERE SENT:
Deconstructed fresh ingredients with intricate recipe instructions for Seared Chicken & Sage Gravy, Seared Salmon, and Sweet Potato & Kale Hash.
The highlight:
The hash was the standout. Sure, I've made eggs before, but I've never made hash and I would never buy the potatoes or kale to put into it. Even if you don't have the money to get Blue Apron, they let anyone see their recipes.
The Verdict:
The recipes are dummy-proof and damn delicious, but they do take time unlike Thistle's pre-cooked menu. Though, the time that you do spend in the kitchen is fun—we imagine families making this together or someone tricking their significant other into believing they're an amazing cook. Also, Blue Apron promises two servings , but the portions are big enough that you can for sure serve three people.
