This past year has been a mental health rollercoaster, so I’ve been meal prepping with Blue Apron to take one more thing off my plate (haha!) and make dinnertime stress-free. This post is sponsored by Blue Apron.
There’s a flash sale happening today for $100 off across your first five boxes. Get it here!
I used to have all the time in the world to meal plan and grocery shop. Now, just getting to the store stresses me out, especially when I’m trying to minimize indoor air exposure time.
Needless to say, meal planning with Blue Apron has been a lifesaver during a pandemic with kids. It takes the guesswork out of weekly meals and saves us so much time.
We only need to pick up weekly staples from the store or have them delivered to our porch, which is much easier if you have 10 things on the grocery list (coffee, eggs, milk, fruit) instead of 100.
Whether you’re single, home with kids, or sharing your space with roommates, stress can get to you in many ways. I get it – we have a lot on our plates right now, which isn’t conducive to mental health. I recently shared about my increased anxious feelings during the past year. Trust me, I’m feeling it too!
Meal Prep with Blue Apron
Blue Apron recipes used to take me longer when I first started using the service 6 years ago. But these days, I divide into two chunks: prep and cook. I spend 20 minutes during the day to prep the vegetables and sauces and study the recipe, and the other 10-20 minutes at dinnertime to execute the dish. It’s hard to find a couple hours to grocery shop and cook, but 20 minutes here and there – totally doable!
Cook Once, Eat Twice
Another way we maximize Blue Apron is to order the four-serving option and have it two nights in a row.
We stretch one cooking session into two night’s worth of dinners. It’s the ultimate time-saver because not only do we save on cooking time, but there are fewer dishes to clean on those nights, too. (Especially with a broken dishwasher this month!!)
I strategically plan our schedule around the longer “cook days” versus the days we know we’ll be having the leftovers. On a leftovers night we might spend 20 extra minutes at the park!
Cook Less, Relax More
If and when you’re not working from home, usually the last thing you want to do is spend time on your feet cooking dinner after a long day. The best part about Blue Apron is that many of the ingredients are measured out and ready to go, so you can pour a glass of wine and get a healthy meal on the table in minimal time.
Cooking becomes a bit of calm on days that seem all over the place. When I know someone else has done the measuring for me – I don’t have to think!
You can even select recipes based on the method – sheet pan, skillet, or oven-baked – to make the cleanup ultra-easy.
You’ll see these labeled as “Easy Prep and Clean Up” on the menu. Most of them take 25 minutes or less start to finish!
And if you’re not a seasoned cook, don’t worry. I find the recipe instructions with step-by-step photos to be very easy to follow. We honestly haven’t had a bad recipe or something not turn out. And I’m a better chef than I was last year for sure.
But seriously – how delicious does this chicken and veggies dish look?
Calabrian-Fig Chicken with Mashed Potatoes, Peppers, and Carrots
Meal Prep with Blue Apron For Busy Days
When life gets stressful, Blue Apron has your back with low-maintenance, delicious meals designed for less time in the kitchen and more time for you.
There’s a flash sale happening TODAY to get you $100 OFF across your first five boxes of convenient and customizable recipes.
Click here for the promo link!
You may also enjoy:
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog says
Your meals look so good! 🙂
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
K~ says
Hi Kath, We are thinking of doing this and was reading up on all the different companies over the weekend
Problem was, reviews were from 2016
Such a great idea :
Another way we maximize Blue Apron is to order the four-serving option and have it two nights in a row.
Just found this https://sweetphi.com/tried-6-home-meal-delivery-services-comparison/
Thanks for this post, could not be more timely
K~
Kath Younger says
The best way to know for sure is to use a promo code and give it a try. I hope you do : ) Feel free to email me your thoughts after – I am genuinely curious!
Jessie says
I love the idea of doing the 4 pp plan and having the leftovers the next night too! I never thought of doing that since there are just two of us.
Erin says
We had this meal too – it was delicious! I am all about mashed potatoes…
Emily says
That is a great promo. Do they ever go higher than $100?
Kath Younger says
This is the highest I’ve ever seen it, but never say never : ) I’d jump on it now if you’re interested. It goes through the weekend.
Eliza says
The meals look delicious! I’m curious how you get the four serving meal to last two nights if you’re a family of four. Do you serve a different meal to your children? I’m also going to be nosy and ask about Plenty! Are you still ordering from that service, or are you mostly using Blue Apron now?
Kath Younger says
It depends on what we’re having and what the meal is! Birch doesn’t eat much so we share portions with him of some things, but most often he gets his own toddler meal. Mazen is hit or miss. He loves steak and chicken and gets one serving of those meals, but other times not as much. He’s at his dad’s some of the time, and we usually do BA more when he’s there and plan more kid favorite meals for the nights he’s here.
And still love Plenty! I’ve been ordering salads/lunches and fewer dinner entrees since partnering with BA maybe once or twice a month.