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Meal preppers probably won’t be able to contain themselves over this latest food news. (Though, if containment is your issue, we might suggest some new glass food storage bowls with sturdy lids to ensure maximum freshness.) You’re going to need it.
That’s because Blue Apron, the meal kit delivery subscription service, just served up a new program for customers who want to experiment in the kitchen and eat healthier — without the hassle of cooking every single day.
Meal Prep by Blue Apron is the brand’s answer to the increasingly popular trend of meal prepping. The meal prep meal kit by Blue Apron supplies the recipes and ingredients for four different meals that are designed to be cooked all at once, in a little as 90 minutes, then portioned out into eight servings to enjoy throughout the week.
It ensures you and a partner have healthy dinners ready to enjoy after work, or always have a healthy lunch to bring to the office and tasty dinner that can be reheated in less time than it takes to order takeout.
It’s no surprise that Blue Apron is leaning into the meal prep space. It’s a growing trend among amateur cooks and pros, with a whopping 11 million Instagram posts filed under #mealprep. It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “phone eats first.”
“We pay a lot of attention to trends in food and lifestyle, and saw the high growth rate of meal prepping in cookbooks and blogs,” said Michael Leahy, Blue Apron’s senior director of new product development in a phone interview with HuffPost Finds. “We even heard about customers hacking their Blue Apron meal kits to make them ahead of time and enjoy them later in the week.”
Blue Apron’s new meal prep kits let customers experiment with recipes like “Asian-Style Beef with Zucchini Rice & Spicy Hoisin Sauce” or “BBQ Tilapia & Pepper Mayo with Couscous & Cauliflower” without the commitment of having to break out the pots and pans every night. There’s also no risk of getting bored of eating the same thing multiple nights a week.
Leahy believes having an efficient way to create a wide range of meal options throughout the week is the biggest benefit of Blue Apron’s latest offering.
“Sure, it’s efficient to make a big batch of something on a Sunday, but by Wednesday you’re bored of it,” Leahy told HuffPost. “We’ve designed this with the same taste and discovery of the original plans. So, we’re still delivering on that, just more on your schedule.”
Choose from a variety of menus to suit your dietary needs and health goals like the “Signature” plan that’s inspired by Blue Apron’s most popular recipes; the “Carb Conscious” plan that’s full of fiber-rich meals with under 42-grams of carbs; and the “Pescatarian” option rich in fish, seafood, eggs and tofu recipes. There’s even a “Multi-Cooker” menu for Instant Pot addicts.
How to order a meal prep kit from Blue Apron:
Orders can be placed now for meal prep kits delivery beginning the week of Feb. 24. The meals are $8.99 per serving (or $71.92 per box) with free shipping, the same price for two, four-serving recipes from the Signature four-person plan.
The bad news? Right now Meal Prep by Blue Apron is only available to customers in select states along the East Coast and Mid-Atlantic, but it is expected to expand nationally later this year. Stay tuned!