A review of Blue Apron's Weight Watchers plan

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This article describes what the meal plan is and how it works, including what customers can expect from the service. We also outline some alternative meal plan companies, as well as some alternatives to meal kits.

Blue Apron is a subscription-based meal kit delivery service that has partnered with WW (formerly Weight Watchers) to develop and offer WW-approved meals to its customers. These kits are available as part of Blue Apron’s Signature menu.

Blue Apron prides itself on crafting affordable meal kits with nutritious, premeasured ingredients and easy-to-follow recipe cards.

Blue Apron’s WW meals list the number of WW SmartPoints for each serving. These SmartPoints indicate the nutritional content of foods, so consumers can make more nutritious eating choices to support their weight goals.

Those who subscribe to Blue Apron can select up to three WW-approved meal kits per weekly order. They can then scan the barcode on the meal kits to track the meal’s SmartPoints value on the WW app.

The Blue Apron WW plan offers nutritious, balanced meal kits, delivering fresh ingredients to the recipient’s door.

WW approves up to three recipes on offer each week, which Blue Apron then denotes with the “WW Mark of Wellness.”

Recipes with the WW mark are:

• high in vegetable content
• low in calories
• low in saturated fats
• low in added salt and sugar

Recipes with the WW Mark of Wellness feature a barcode that WW members can scan to track their SmartPoints. This helps members select appropriate portion-controlled recipes so that they can stay on track to meet their weight loss or maintenance goals.

Blue Apron provides other nutritious, balanced meals that are not WW-approved but may be suitable for people who wish to lose weight or eat more nutritious foods. These include:

• Carb conscious: Blue Apron has redesigned these recipes to reduce net carbs by at least 25%. Blue Apron achieves this by replacing refined carbs, such as white flour and rice, with whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
• Vegetarian: These recipes do not include meat, fish, poultry, or seafood, but may contain eggs and dairy products.
• Plant-forward: These recipes emphasize the use of plant-based foods, along with occasional moderate portions of meat, poultry, fish, and seafood.
• Diabetes-friendly: These recipes feature nonstarchy, fiber-rich vegetables with fewer calories and carbohydrates and less fat, sugar, and salt.
• Mediterranean: These recipes incorporate a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and smaller dairy portions.
• 500 calories or less: People who wish to reduce or monitor their daily calorie intake may find these options useful.

Blue Apron subscribers can choose how many recipes and meal kits they want to receive each week. They can opt for as little as two recipes for two people or as many as seven recipes for a family of four.

The menus change every week to provide a variety of balanced, nutritious meals. Subscribers must log into the system to view and select their recipes.

Subscribers receive free shipping when spending $50 or more.

Deliveries come in an insulated box to keep the ingredients fresh, and the company uses thermal liners or refrigerants, as appropriate.

Below are some advantages and disadvantages of Blue Apron WW Meals that people may wish to consider before purchasing this meal plan:

Blue Apron’s WW-approved recipe options change weekly. Below are some recent recipe examples:

• spiced pork and glazed apple, at 6 points per serving
• orange and ponzu-glazed turkey meatballs, at 10 points per serving
• Spanish-spiced beef and kale salad, at 9 points per serving
• togarashi tilapia and marinated cucumber, at 7–8 points per serving

BlueApron meal kits currently cost between $7.99 and $11.99 per serving. Customers can purchase two to four kits each week, each containing either 2 or 4 servings.

Shipping is $9.99 per delivery. However, the company offers free shipping on orders $50 and over.

People living with certain health conditions may benefit from a nutritious meal kit subscription, particularly if they have difficulties finding the time to cook.

Blue Apron offers meal plans that cater to various health conditions. Some examples are below.

Diabetes

Blue Apron has collaborated with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to create a range of recipes for people with diabetes. These recipes meet the ADA’s Nutrition Guidance, as they limit added sugar and emphasize fresh produce and lean protein.

Recipes include spicy salmon and orange relish with salsa verde couscous and quinoa or vegetable fried rice with sunny-side-up eggs and peanuts.

Learn more about diabetes here.

High blood pressure

Calorie-controlled diets may help reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol, both of which are risk factors for stroke and heart disease.

People who wish to control their calorie intake may find it helpful to choose from Blue Apron’s range of 500-calories-or-less recipes.

Learn more about high blood pressure here.

Heart disease

According to a 2015 review, a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit and vegetables and low in fatty meat can also help reduce the risk of various health issues, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

The Blue Apron service features a range of Mediterranean recipes, including Middle Eastern squash and chickpea patties or salmon and shallot-dijon vinaigrette.

Below are some other meal delivery companies that a person may wish to consider:

Sunbasket

Sunbasket provides a range of meal plans geared toward people with dietary restrictions, with options including:

• gluten-free
• pescatarian
• paleo
• diabetes-friendly

As well as meal kits and recipes, subscribers can order a fresh, ready-made meal.

Sunbasket claims that its meat and poultry come from sources that raise them responsibly.

Learn more about Sunbasket here.

Green Chef

Green Chef is a certified organic company that provides a range of menus incorporating sustainably sourced ingredients.

Subscribers can choose from three meal plans, including:

• keto + paleo
• balanced living
• plant-powered

The company state they are the only meal kit company that offset 100% of their carbon emissions and plastic packaging.

Learn more about Green Chef here.

Snap Kitchen

People who want a more flexible approach to their weekly meal plans may like to try Snap Kitchen.

This service allows customers to choose from a range of dietitian-created plans.

People can select a personalized low carb or high protein plan. They can also mix and match plans to suit their nutritional requirements.

The table below compares Blue Apron WW with some of its competitors

Meal kits are not an affordable option for everyone. People who wish to eat nutritious foods but want the convenience of not having to shop frequently can try the following:

• planning weekly meals and writing out a shopping list, which will help save time and money when grocery shopping
• signing up for online grocery deliveries at a convenient time, rather than shopping in-store when busy
• batch cooking nutritious recipes and freezing them in individual portions, labeling each portion with the date, and thawing and eating it within a safe time
• using leftover vegetables for soups, stocks, and lunchbox snacks
• maintaining a well-stocked pantry that includes canned tomatoes, whole grains, canned legumes, baking essentials, and plenty of herbs and spices for flavoring
• planning meals that require similar ingredients to help reduce food waste

Below are answers to frequent questions about WW meals from Blue Apron:

Are WW meals from Blue Apron worth it?

WW-approved meals from Blue Apron are low in calories, saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar, and labels indicate the number of SmartPoints per serving. Choosing meals according to the SmartPoints system can reportedly help people make nutritious eating choices.

WW-approved meals are also relatively simple to prepare. Generally, they cost between $7.99 and $11.99 per serving, and the company frequently offers special deals. At this price, the meals are typically cheaper than takeout food.

What is Blue Apron WW Freestyle?

Blue Apron’s WW Freestyle plan does not exclude any foods from a person’s diet. It simply assigns a number of points to foods according to their calorie, sugar, fat, and protein content.

Blue Apron WW Freestyle meal kits provide meals with points ranging from 0 to 15.

What meals are in Blue Apron WW Freestyle?

Blue Apron’s WW Freestyle plan features various meals that are low in points. Examples include:

Some of the meals low in points that qualify for the WW Freestyle plan include:

• miso mushroom and brown rice bowls
• shawarma turkey and vegetable bowl
• chipotle-roasted tofu lettuce cups
• shrimp lettuce cups
• crispy skin salmon
• yuzu orange-glazed trout
• tahini chicken and warm kale salad
• seared chicken and creamy Italian dressing
• potato hash and eggs
• chimichurri tilapia

Blue Apron is a meal kit delivery service that offers a range of meal plans for different dietary preferences and needs. Their WW-approved meal plan provides meals that feature the number of WW SmartPoints per serving. SmartPoints indicate the nutritional content of foods, so that consumers can make healthier eating choices to support their weight loss goals.

Meal kits can be convenient and quick, and they generally offer a variety of foods, flavors, and textures. They may also benefit people with underlying health conditions who wish to follow a specific diet but have difficulties finding the time to cook.

Meal kits may not be an affordable option for some people. Other methods are available to help a person plan, prepare, and cook food to ensure that they eat nutritious options that are within their budget.