Blue Apron and Sunbasket are renowned for their fresh and flavorful meal kits.
However, while both services can help you make more healthy meals at home, several important differences set them apart.
This article takes an in-depth look at Blue Apron and Sunbasket to help you decide which is right for you.
Blue Apron | Sunbasket | |
Basics | • meal delivery service that provides ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes • plans available include Signature, Signature for 4, Vegetarian for 2, and Wellness for 2 • meal plans provide 2–4 recipes per week | • organic meal delivery service with meal kits and oven-ready entrées • plans available for a variety of dietary patterns • breakfast, lunch, and snack add-ons available • meal plans provide 2–4 recipes per week, with 2 or 4 servings each |
Menu options | • rotating weekly menu with 10–12 options • vegetarian, low calorie, carb-conscious, and WW-approved meals available | • rotating menu with 17 meal kits and 9 oven-ready dishes per week, plus optional add-ons • low calorie, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, and diabetes-friendly options available |
Cost | • Signature: $9.99 per serving • Signature for 4: $7.49–$8.99 per serving • Vegetarian for 2: $9.99 per serving • Wellness for 2: $9.99 per serving • shipping is free or $7.99 for certain plans | • Fresh & Ready meals: $8.99–$11.99 per serving • Meal kits: $10.99–$13.99 per serving • shipping fees based on location |
Effectiveness | • low calorie and WW-approved options may support weight loss • encourages home-cooked meals, which may be linked to improved body composition | • offers many meals low in calories and high in protein and fiber to promote weight loss • caters to dietary patterns that may be tied to weight loss • makes it easy to prepare more meals at home to improve diet quality |
Benefits | • partners with local suppliers • uses high quality, non-GMO ingredients • packaging is mostly recyclable • affordable | • all meals are high in fiber and protein, plus low in sodium • uses organic and sustainably sourced ingredients • uses recyclable packaging • offers breakfast, lunch, and snack add-ons • meals require varying levels of preparation |
Downsides | • not organic • limited options for certain dietary restrictions • may not be suitable for severe food allergies | • expensive • limited options for restrictive diets • not ideal for severe food allergies |
Get started with either service here
Here’s a general overview of each service.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron is designed to simplify meal prep by providing kits with preportioned ingredients and simple, step-by-step recipes. The company’s meal plans are:
- Signature: provides a mix of balanced, chef-approved meals with 2 servings each
- Signature for 4: provides a mix of balanced, chef-approved meals with 4 servings each
- Vegetarian for 2: provides a variety of meatless meals with 2 servings each.
- Wellness for 2: provides a variety of healthy, nutritionist-approved meals with 2 servings each
Each week, you choose two to four recipes from the menu of whichever plan you select.
Sunbasket
Sunbasket is an organic meal delivery service that provides meal kits and oven-ready entrées. The company offers the following plans:
- Chef’s Choice: includes a selection of seasonal recipes
- Paleo: high protein meals without dairy, grains, corn, or soy
- Carb-Conscious: meals contain 25–35 grams of net carbs per serving
- Gluten-Free: includes meals with wheat alternatives
- Vegetarian: meals are free of meat, fish, and poultry
- Pescatarian: includes vegetarian meals and dishes with wild-caught seafood
- Lean & Clean: all meals include nutrient-dense whole foods and contain under 600 calories
- Mediterranean: prioritizes whole grains, healthy fats, and sustainably sourced animal proteins
- Diabetes-Friendly: includes recipes approved by the American Diabetes Association
- Fresh & Ready: meals are ready in under 20 minutes
In addition to dinner meal kits, Sunbasket provides a selection of breakfast, lunch, and snack options. You can order two to four recipes per week, which contain either two or four servings each.
Here’s a closer look at the menu for each service.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron offers a large rotating menu with 10–12 weekly options. You view items on their Signature, Signature for 4, and Vegetarian for 2 menus, then choose which recipes to add to your plan.
Here are some examples of Blue Apron meals:
- Roasted Sweet Potato Quesadillas with Creamy Guacamole
- Seared Steaks & Thyme Butter with Oven Fries & Lemon Aioli
- Peanut Lentil Curry with Fried Eggs & Garlic Naan
- Southern-Spiced Chicken with Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans
Entrées that are approved by WW (formerly Weight Watchers), vegetarian, low calorie, or carb-conscious are labeled on each menu. You can also view the ingredient list, nutritional information, and step-by-step recipe for each dish online.
Sunbasket
Sunbasket boasts an extensive rotating menu, with around 17 dinner meal kits and 9 oven-ready options per week.
You can filter items that contain gluten, soy, or dairy, as well as view meals that are vegan, paleo, diabetes-friendly, or low in calories.
A few dinner examples include:
- Malaysian Stir-Fried Hawker Noodles with Shrimp
- Burmese Chickpea-Tomato Soup with Lemongrass
- Mojo Pork Tacos with Pickled Onions and Salsa Verde
- Mini Rosemary-Potato Pizzas with Fresh Mozzarella and Mushrooms
Sunbasket also offers an assortment of breakfast, lunch, and snack options, which you can add to your order for an additional fee. Unlike the meal kits, these are typically premade and include choices like egg bites, ramen bowls, empanadas, and overnight oats.
Here’s how much you can expect to pay for each service.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron’s cost depends on the plan you choose and how many servings you order.
Most menus cost $9.99 per serving, including the Signature, Vegetarian for 2, and Wellness for 2 plans. The Signature for 4 plan is slightly cheaper, ranging from $7.49–$8.99 per serving depending on the number of recipes you select each week.
Most plans include free shipping within the contiguous United States. However, if you only order 2 recipes per week on the Signature, Vegetarian for 2, or Wellness for 2 plans, there’s a $7.99 delivery fee.
Sunbasket
Like Blue Apron, the price of Sunbasket depends on how many servings you choose and which type of meals you select.
Fresh & Ready meals, which require minimal preparation, range from $8.99–$11.99 per serving. Meanwhile, Sunbasket meal kits cost $10.99–$13.99 per serving.
Optional add-ons vary in price depending on the specific items you select.
Sunbasket is available throughout most of the contiguous United States, excluding Montana, North Dakota, and parts of New Mexico. The shipping fee is calculated based on your location.
Both Blue Apron and Sunbasket provide meals that may benefit weight loss.
Blue Apron
Although none of Blue Apron’s plans specifically target weight loss, many of its options may help you lose weight.
For example, Blue Apron has numerous WW-approved meals that are rich in nutrient-dense veggies and low in calories, saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium.
The company also labels all meals that contain fewer than 600 calories, which may help you curb your calorie intake (
Furthermore, Blue Apron encourages members to prepare more meals at home. Research indicates that people who eat home-cooked meals frequently tend to have less body fat and better diet quality than those who rarely cook at home (
Sunbasket
Sunbasket provides a wide selection of meals that are low in calories to help you decrease your calorie intake, thereby promoting weight loss (
All meals are also high in protein, which has been shown to support appetite control and reduce food intake. Plus, all meals contain at least 5 grams of fiber, which moves slowly through your body to help keep you feeling full (
What’s more, Sunbasket tailors to several eating patterns associated with weight loss, including low carb, paleo, vegetarian, and Mediterranean diets (
Both services offer several other benefits beyond weight loss.
Blue Apron
All Blue Apron meals feature fresh, high quality ingredients and are free of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Blue Apron also partners with family-run suppliers to support sustainability and provides detailed information on ingredient sourcing on its website. Additionally, the company uses mostly recyclable packaging and provides detailed recycling directions online.
Plus, Blue Apron is cheaper than many similar services and may be a good option for those on a budget.
Sunbasket
Sunbasket uses high quality ingredients in all of its entrées, including organic produce, responsibly raised meat that’s free of hormones and antibiotics, and sustainably sourced seafood.
All entrées are also dietitian-approved, low in sodium, and rich in fiber and protein.
Unlike other similar services, Sunbasket provides breakfast and lunch options, as well as an assortment of snacks. The company also offers meals that require varying levels of preparation, which may benefit those who don’t have time to cook during the week.
Additionally, all packaging is reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and most of it is made from recyclable materials.
There are also a few drawbacks to consider when selecting which service is right for you.
Blue Apron
While Blue Apron provides options for several dietary restrictions, there are limited choices for those following other diets. In particular, it may not be suitable for those following vegan, gluten-free, keto, or paleo diets.
Because all meal kits are manufactured in a facility that also processes many common food allergens, it’s also not recommended for those with severe food allergies.
Additionally, it isn’t a good choice for people who prefer to eat organic.
Sunbasket
Sunbasket costs more than many other meal services and is somewhat pricey, depending on the specific plan and meals you select.
It’s also unsuitable for people with serious food allergies, as meals are packaged in a facility that handles many major allergens. In fact, even Sunbasket’s gluten-free plan shouldn’t be used by those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity due to the risk of cross contamination.
Furthermore, options for more restrictive eating patterns, such as vegan or keto diets, are limited compared with other services.
Blue Apron and Sunbasket are two meal delivery services that aim to help ease meal prep, regardless of your culinary skills.
Although Blue Apron is one of the most affordable options, it offers fewer choices and may not be a good fit for everyone.
On the other hand, Sunbasket is slightly more expensive but caters to a wider range of diets and provides both meal kits and oven-ready dishes.