Subscription Food Boxes: What’s the Hype all About?

The subscription box really kicked off in 2010 with the launch of Birchbox, a $10 per month beauty box of samples. Since then everyone has gotten in on the game to include; beauty and grooming, pets, clothing and accessories, entertainment and food. There are actually thousands of subscription boxes in the marketplace now. There is something for everyone!

People love subscription boxes for either the convenience or the surprises they find inside.

Food Subscription Boxes

Food subscription boxes started taking off in 2011 with Hello Fresh in Germany which was quickly followed by Blue Apron and Plated in the United States. They have all perfected their shipping and packaging and evolved to give people what they want. Plated was even featured on Shark Tank and received funding from many different sources. In 2017, Albertson’s acquired them for $200 million!

Food subscription boxes are real businesses and are here to stay! There are hundreds of them to choose from if you consider all of the snack boxes out there.

There are many things to consider when deciding to try out a food subscription.

1. Do the meals they provide fit my lifestyle? If you have a family to cook for, you might look at Marley Spoon. If you hate to cook but want fresh meals that you can just heat up, have a look at Freshly. If you like to cook, want good fresh produce with a variety of meal choices, Plated is a good option.
2. Do they have meals for your food sensitivities? Several offer vegetarian, gluten free, and Paleo options. Many use organic produce and grass fed, wild caught meats and fish. Make sure the one you pick has enough options to keep you interested.
3. Do they have flexible change/cancellation policies? Some are much easier to cancel than others. You should be able to easily make your changes and cancel online vs. having to send an email or make a phone call.
4. Do they fit my budget? If you are eating Ramen every night, they probably won’t work for you. Some are much more reasonable than others. Most range between $9 – $12 per serving. You can often find substantial discounts for your first week, so look for those. If your friend gets one of the services, there is a good chance they can send you a free week to try it out.
5. Do they service my area? Many of the specialized boxes still haven’t reached every town. Even if you see advertising for them or receive information in your Facebook feed, doesn’t mean they actually service your area. This can be frustrating, so check that before you get too attached to a particular service.

You can easily research many subscription food boxes at http://www.Cratejoy.com and www.mysubscriptionaddiction.com. They don’t have all of them listed though, so if you are looking for something specific, you may need to dig a little deeper.

Why We Like Them

We appreciate them, because there are better things to do than going to the grocery store. The better-quality boxes ensure we receive high quality meats and produce. We get tired of eating the same thing all of the time, and the recipes challenge our cooking abilities. We think it is fun to hang out in the kitchen together and turn the ingredients into something highly eatable. We get to try things that we aren’t familiar with. Who knew what Sambal Oelek Chili paste was? We sure didn’t until it showed up in one of our Plated recipes. The goal: to make the dish look like the picture provided and taste delicious.

Snack Boxes

Snack Boxes are also fun and make great gifts. If you know someone that loves jerky there is a box for that. A gluten free snacker? There is a box for that. How about someone with a crazy sweet tooth? Of course, there are many boxes for that. A friend or family member that is homesick? Look for a box filled with local items. For example, Nuevo Food Box offers all things New Mexico and even offers some of our Heart of the Desert products from time to time, like our Green Chili Pistachio Brittle.

If you are looking for a food adventure, food subscription services are a great way to go. Experiment with the various offerings to figure out which one works best for you. Or, if you need a gift for someone that has everything, food subscriptions are a fantastic option.

Happy eating!!

Heart of the Desert is a working pistachio ranch and vineyard with four retail establishments in New Mexico. They are best known for their farm fresh pistachios and Award-Winning New Mexico wines. Each store offers wine and pistachio tastings. They offer worldwide shipping and produce attractive gourmet baskets that make great corporate and family gifts. The main store, on the ranch in Alamogordo, offers farm tours that showcases how pistachios are grown and processed as well as a stunning Tuscany themed patio that overlooks the groves and is available for weddings, private parties or enjoying a relaxing glass of wine.