Happy new year, happy new you? Yeah, I’m kinda done with that kind of slogans, but to be honest, I do want to do ‘well’. Most of my new year’s resolutions are personal this year, usually I have more business-related goals, but not this year. From taking better care of my skin, to rising early and going to the gym on a regular basis.

Another one? Eating healthier without wasting hours in the kitchen. As a person who loves cooking, I tend to lose myself in the kitchen and get out of it with a delicious dish, hours later.

In 2018, that shouldn’t be, as there are plenty of food box options to explore to eat a great variety of food, while just following easy recipes that you can put on the table in about 30 minutes (or less).

This year, I tried Marley Spoon.

P.S. klik hier om deze post in het Nederlands te lezen

What is Marley Spoon?

First of all, let me start with the fact that Marley Spoon’s branding is so, so pretty. Clean and bright images, colorful and they’ve teamed up with Martha Stewart in the US, that may be enough to understand that I had to try Marley Spoon!

So what it is…. Marley Spoon sends the recipes of your choice and the fresh, pre-portioned ingredients you need to cook them directly to your door, so you can enjoy something new and delicious any night of the week.

Curious? Use code ‘NONIMAY’ to get $25 off your order!

*The chicken noodles don’t look that great on this photo, but they were delicious!

How was the food?

You can pick a box for your household, so I picked the box for two, and had to make sure there were vegetarian options in there. We picked the Chicken Noodles and Mushroom risotto. Unfortunately, something happened with the delivery because the box came open (and it was raining), I wasn’t very happy about that because it’s food, but the delivery guy apologized and I checked to see if the food bags were still sealed, they were. We received the box on Sunday. But due to work and other commitments we couldn’t actually cook our Marley Spoon dinner before Wednesday, so I was happy to see that the food was really fresh and could stay in the fridge for a couple of days.

I know from experience that the recipes from boxes like this can take hours (literally) and are complicated and confusing – not Marley Spoon! They promised a dinner within 30 minutes and delivered, it took me less than 30 minutes and the recipe card with clear visuals (photos) made it very simple to cook the dishes.

The chicken noodles came with an orange, courgette and paprika and the risotto came with cheese and mushroom mix. We made two dishes out of the first one by adding some vegetarian tofu – there was plenty for three.

We were both very happy with the taste of the food and it’s wasn’t too much flavored, it was pretty much how we’d cook it our self. I think that’s something I’m looking for most in a subscription box. Not the fuss of coming up with ideas of what to eat every night but not too complicated to cook – who isn’t busy these days?

How much did it cost?

I admit if you’re on a super strict budget Marley Spoon may not be for you. But that’s probably what you expected right? You need to count every penny so doing groceries yourself would be the best way to go. Marley Spoon meals average from $5 – $8 per plate.

So if you have an average budget to spend on food, I’d recommend you try Marley Spoon. You can sign-up for two different boxes: one of 2 and one for 3-4. Even if you’re alone you can easily order the box for two and have a friend over, or eat the rest for lunch or a second night.

Pick the number of meals you’d like to receive per week, between 2 and 4 meals and you’re looking at  $36 – $75 per week. You can get $25 off your first meal by using this link.

How convenient was it?

Delivery is free and you can schedule at your convenience. If you’ve got a busy week out coming up, you can easily ‘pause’ your subscription and skip a week (or two).

You can pick the meals you’d like to get delivered, something I really like as a super picky person. It’s very convenient not to think about groceries for a couple of days and having them delivered to your door on a night you’re already home, is just the best. It’s that millionaire feeling that doesn’t cost you anything more than usual.

Overall Marley Spoon is a great service and I’ve never heard anyone complain. The food was good, there were enough recipes to pick from and by keeping an eye on the recipes for a couple of weeks I can say they don’t often repeat the same recipe.

If you want to try Marley Spoon for yourself to cook some new meals you can sign up here and cancel at any time. Receive $25 off your first Marley Spoon order with code ‘NONIMAY’.