Blue Apron vs. Weight Watchers 2024: Who Wins?

Blue Apron and Weight Watchers are major players in the food industry. Both take a serious approach to offering premium services, but there are distinct differences in their approaches. I’ve made this Blue Apron vs. Weight Watchers comparison to help determine which company suits your requirements and habits better.

I tried to think about everything a person might want to know when choosing a meal delivery service. These considerations included price, customization options, meal types, and eco-friendliness, among others. Here, I want to emphasize that Weight Watchers is no longer a meal subscription service. 

For this reason, I declare Blue Apron a clear winner in this conquest. Besides being a meal kit and prepared meal delivery service, it has various customization options. Also, it has recipes for people who like to cook and those who are always in a hurry. But I don't say that Weight Watchers has no merits, far from it. To learn more, continue reading my analysis. 

At a Glance: Who Won Each Category

Menu Variety: Blue Apron Provides Meal Kits & Prepared Meals

Blue Apron is the winner of this round simply because it delivers food and presents its meals weeks in advance. Unlike Blue Apron, Weight Watchers focuses on plans that help members to lose weight, while its online store is closed. 

Blue Apron offers meal kits and prepared meals. What I appreciate about this provider is the fact that you can see meals 4 weeks in advance and thus plan your mealtime. This company is suitable for individuals, couples, and families, and its menu is structured accordingly. It is divided into Meal Kits 2 servings, Meal Kits 4 servings, Prepared & Ready 1 serving, and Add-ons servings vary sub-menus.

As for Weight Watchers, the service doesn’t seem to provide prepared meals any longer. But to find out which meals are right for your weight loss goals, you need to take a quiz (more on that shortly), choose a plan, and create an account. 

Of course, there are advantages to this approach. Since Weight Watchers provides you with a personalized plan based on your input, it's understandable that meals may vary from person to person. But some guidance would still be nice. To try its items, like brownies and bars, you may want to check Hy-vee grocery stores across the Midwest.

Blue Apron caters to fans of both renowned and lesser-known cuisines. On its menu, you'll find specialties from American, Asian, and European cuisines, among others. Some of these are Mexican, Mediterranean, Italian, Thai, and Chinese.

Blue Apron also has a variety of add-ons in its assortment. Some of these are pies, biscuits, animal-derived proteins, and salads. Some of the options available at the time of my Blue Apron vs. Weight Watchers comparative analysis are Blueberry & Pear Pie, Smoked Gouda & Egg Biscuits, Skin-On Salmon Filets, and Snap Pea & Feta Salad.

The time it takes to prepare Blue Apron meals depends on the meal type you choose. If you go for Prepared & Ready dishes, you can serve them in up to 5 minutes. But if you prefer meal kits, most of those you can prepare and cook in 25 to 45 minutes. Some recipes take longer, like Soy-Miso Pork Belly & Kimchi Ramen, which will take 55 minutes or so of your time. 

Blue Apron has various kid- and family-friendly meals. You should find them in the Meal Kits 4 servings sub-menu, which caters to families. Some dishes I find especially kid-friendly are Pesto Chicken Pasta, Tomato Achaar Pork Meatloaf, and BBQ Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese.

Weight Watchers isn't suitable for children, as its program's initial age range for participation is 18-24 years old. If you have a minor with weight management needs, I recommend checking out our 10 Best Weight Loss Meal Delivery Services guide for suitable alternatives.

Sample Meals

Browsing the Blue Apron offerings is simple. Select the sub-menu that interests you and scroll. For details, click on the meal. As for Weight Watchers, you'll receive individual recommendations while answering questions and when you complete the quiz. But you won't be able to check details like nutritional values, ingredients, etc.

Blue Apron caters to gourmands, as confirmed by my meal selection below: 

• Best high-protein recipe: Spicy Pork & Sour Cherry Sauce

• Best vegetarian dish: Three Cheese Pizza

• Best low-carb entree: Sheet Pan Pork Roast

• Best low-calorie meal: One-Pot Spicy Beef Udon

• Best heat-and-eat dish: Smoked Pork & Honey BBQ Sauce

As the name suggests, Weight Watchers is for people who want to lose weight. Some suggestions I received while filling out its questionnaire are French Chicken Salad with Tarragon & Grapes, Lemon-Herb Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner, and Quick Cauliflower Fried Rice. 

Meal Customization: Blue Apron Has More Options

Blue Apron also wins this round because you can tailor its selected meals and set up your dietary plan. Still, I find Weight Watchers' meal customization quiz pretty detailed. But unlike Blue Apron, which ships food to your doorstep, you have to visit a grocery store that partners with WW to buy its limited range of items. 

When you land on Blue Apron's menu, you can choose between Meal Kits for 2 or 4 people, Prepared & Ready options for individuals, and add-ons such as cakes, meats, and even ready-made meals. The meal delivery service has 15+ Meal Kits options per week, while the number of Prepared & Ready meals is about 26 every week.

What's not immediately obvious is that you can order a larger number of servings for Prepared & Ready meals. The Prepared & Ready sub-menu offers single-serving options only. But, in the Add-ons sub-menu, you can find ready-made meals that offer up to 2 portions. To find them, look for products with the Prepared & Ready label.

You'll typically find 4 heat-and-eat dishes weekly, among other extras. And when you click on them, you can choose to order 1 or 2 meals per recipe. Click on the blue rectangle below the dish name and price to select the number of servings.

You can switch up proteins in select dishes and even remove the meat to make some meals vegetarian. But, you'll have to peek into each recipe to see where this swap option is available. Take the Chicken & Goat Cheese Sauce dish, for instance. You can opt for chicken breasts or swap in salmon if you're leaning towards pescatarian choices. 

If you'd rather make vegetarian Tomato Basil Fettuccine omnivorous, you can add pancetta or hot Italian pork sausage. Or if you wish to make Spicy Shrimp Lo Mein vegetarian, opt for the shrimp-free option with the addition of eggs and mushrooms.

You've got several choices between Meal Kits and Prepared & Ready plans. If you enjoy cooking, the Meal Kits options are Chef Favorites, Wellness, Family Friendly, Fast & Easy, and Veggies. But, if you're more of an eat-and-run kind of person, the Prepared & Ready lineup has Keto Friendly, 600 Calories or Less, 300g of Protein, and Carb Conscious options.

A great thing about Blue Apron is that you can mix and match plans. You can also order meal kits 1 week and prepared meals another. If you want to have both options on your weekly menu, make.

You can order between 4 (2 meals with 2 servings) and 20 (4 meals with 5 servings) meal kits, or 4, 6, 8, or 10 prepared meals. If you need more meals than the individual plan allows, you can manually add as many meals as you want since there doesn’t seem to be a hard cap. 

Another great thing about Blue Apron is that you don't have to subscribe to buy its dishes. So, if you'd rather try them out before committing, check out its Market section. There, you can buy themed recipes, some of which fall into categories like Fast & Easy, Pescatarian & Vegetarian, and Premium Date Night Meal Kits. You can find Prepared & Ready bundles there, too. 

The Weight Watchers meal personalization quiz is quite detailed. As you progress through the questionnaire, Weight Watchers will introduce you to its approach. For example, I learned about its Points system, how to use its app, and which ingredients are best for weight loss.

You will answer questions related to your knowledge of nutrition, age, reasons for wanting to lose weight, favorite meals (i.e. tacos, burgers, stews…), your current and desired weight, etc. You can also choose from several options if you are intolerant to certain foods. Upon completing the quiz, you’ll get recommendations based on your favorite world cuisines.

Depending on your input, you'll get an assigned number of daily points you can spend toward your weight loss. If you stay within the limit, you're doing great. Each ingredient has assigned points, and fatty meats (bacon, for example), potato chips, and cheese will always have more points than lean meats (chicken breasts), oats, and avocado. 

Weight Watchers has rolled out zero-point meals, meaning you can enjoy as much as you want and still lose weight. We're talking about foods such as fruits like oranges, apples, grapes and bananas, lentils, eggs, popcorn, fish, and non-starchy veggies. For example, I got recommended a Mediterranean chickpea, egg & herb salad that contains only zero-point ingredients. 

Once you complete the test, you can review recommended meals by WW. You can also choose a plan (more on this later). 

Ingredient Quality and Nutrition: Only Blue Apron Provides This Information

Blue Apron is the winner of this round for obvious reasons – it offers meals and lets you check out their ingredients and nutritional values. Again, Weight Watchers recommends meals, but I was unable to check the full list of their ingredients and their nutritional values.

Blue Apron sources ingredients of the highest quality. It procures food from producers who adhere to sustainable farming practices. Meaning, farmers partnered with this meal subscription service don’t use preservatives, antibiotics, or hormones in animal husbandry. Moreover, they treat animals with respect. Also, some of the ingredients that Blue Apron sources are organic.

As for seafood, the provider sources fish and shellfish approved by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. It also joined The Ocean Disclosure Project so you can learn the origin of the seafood the company ships to you. 

Click on the Blue Apron meal to see the ingredients and nutritional values. After that, scroll until you come across the ingredient list and a link that opens a nutritional values window. You will also find a brief description of the dish and a picture of the cooked meal.

Ordering and Delivery: Blue Apron Is Easier & Faster

Although the providers I analyze in my Blue Apron vs. Weight Watchers comparative analysis do not offer the same type of products, Blue Apron takes a convincing win here as well. To order its meal kits or prepared meals, all you need to do is complete several steps. In the case of Weight Watchers, you must first complete the quiz, select a plan, and then proceed with the grocery shopping and meal preparation.

Once you select a Blue Apron plan and the number of meals, you proceed to shipping and billing details. In the process, you pick your first delivery date. After that, you choose meals. You can order no less than 4 meal kits or heat-and-eat recipes from Blue Apron. 

The service ships meals to users throughout the continental US. You can change your order until the Changeable before date in your Plan Settings within the Account Settings. Also, you can skip a delivery from the Upcoming page. You can complete either in a few steps. The process may be slightly different depending on whether you're using a computer or the app, but not by much.

Unboxing: Only Blue Apron Offers Delivery

Blue Apron safely secures the ingredients until you get them. When you open a box, you'll notice the insulation bag keeping the ingredients at the right temperature. Inside, you'll find food mixed with the cooler. Find recipe cards between the cardboard box and the insulation bag for easy reference. 

While some ingredients are securely tucked away in plastic bags, others are simply placed in the box. Either way, you'll have to match ingredients to their respective recipes. At the bottom you should find an ice pack, keeping everything chilly. 

Most of the Blue Apron packaging is recyclable, about 85%. You can recycle most cans, cardboard, jars, plastic containers, and bottles in your curbside recycling. You can also recycle gel packs through your local drop-off after they melt and you release the water-based solution down the drain. 

Blue Apron guarantees the freshness of its ingredients. It stands behind its foods with the 7-day Freshness Guarantee. Still, you should put the contents of your box in the fridge as soon as the box arrives. 

Meal Prep: Blue Apron Provides Fresh Meal Kits & Prepared Options

Blue Apron wins this round because it's the sole contender for this category. You get pre-prepped ingredients for meal kits or meals prepared by in-house chefs. In other words, you don't have to worry about meal planning and prepping. 

All Blue Apron meals arrive fresh, both meal kits and prepared meals. You can serve most meal kits in 25 to 45 minutes. Prepared & Ready offerings only need a quick microwaving. The service doesn’t recommend freezing its recipes. 

Blue Apron offers meals that are easy to prepare and clean up. When choosing meal kits, look for meals labeled Ready to Eat to use fewer utensils and avoid longer cleanup times. Prepared & Ready meals are easy to prepare and clean up after eating.

All Blue Apron meals are fresh since the service advises against freezing its recipes. While meal kits arrive with pre-portioned ingredients, which you have to cook, prepared meals arrive ready to heat and eat. Check the best-by date to see when you should consume delivered food. 

Customer Support: Blue Apron Takes the Edge

Blue Apron wins this category as well although none of the competitors proved to be efficient, in my experience. This is due to its greater flexibility in choosing the channel through which to contact customer support. You can contact BA representatives by email or phone. Weight Watchers has a phone and live chat available. But the latter seems available only for members. 

Also, some of the information on WW's website is out of date. I found an email address to send a message to, only to receive an automated response that the company doesn't monitor the email address anymore. The message also recommended a live chat option. But to use it, you need the company's app, which means you already have an account. So, the only means of getting in touch before subscription is by phone – (800) 651-6000.

I emailed Blue Apron customer service, too. I was wondering if the company would be expanding its menu offerings in the near future. I sent an email after hours, true, but I didn't hear back from customer support the next business day. So, if you need information as soon as possible, I advise calling them at (646) 891-4349 or (888) 278-4349. 

Canceling either service is a piece of cake. You can do so from your account in a couple of clicks. 

Pricing: Blue Apron Provides Better Value

Because Weight Watchers focuses on meal plans and meal recommendations rather than providing meals, it's not Blue Apron's rightful competitor in terms of pricing. 

Blue Apron has a separate price list for meal kits and prepared meals, and Prepared & Ready recipes are generally more expensive than Meal Kits dishes. The lowest price per Meal Kits serving at the time of my Blue Apron vs. Weight Watchers comparison is $7.99 if you buy 20 meals (5 meals with 4 servings). Prepared & Ready options start from $9.99 for 8 or 10 meals. The flat-rate delivery fee is $10.99.

The cost of Weight Watchers services depends on the plan you choose. The most expensive is the 1-month subscription, which includes a $20 membership starter fee and a $23 membership, equalling $43. A 3-month membership costs $15 a month and doesn’t include a starter fee. 

A 9-month membership costs $9 per month with an optional first month free. Upon expiration of the 3- or 9-month membership, it automatically renews for $23 per month.

Again, remember that you'll have to do the shopping, meal prep, and cooking with Weight Watchers. Blue Apron delivers pre-measured ingredients for meal kits and chef-prepared meals. So we're not comparing similar offerings here.

Blue Apron vs. Weight Watchers – Quick Overview

And the Winner Is: Blue Apron

All things considered, Blue Apron is the obvious choice if you are looking for a meal delivery service that saves you from meal planning and shopping. What makes Blue Apron 1 of the best meal delivery services on the market is the fact that it offers both meal kits and prepared meals. So, you can choose recipes depending on your preference for cooking and time availability.

Blue Apron caters to various dieters and gourmands. It introduces meals from various renowned worldwide cuisines and has options for different dietary preferences. Another outstanding feature is the option to choose the delivery date. Finally, the pricing is reasonable considering the quality of the food and eco-friendliness. 

Weight Watchers used to offer meals besides counseling, but that is no longer the case. Therefore, this company is good for people who need advice on weight loss and who have the time and energy for planning, shopping, and preparing meals. People with diabetes may also find Weight Watchers programs useful.

But there are great options for you if you're on a weight-loss journey but still prefer getting both meals and advice along the way. For that, I highly recommend BistroMD. This meal delivery service has various plans for you to choose from. And you can customize your weight loss journey to get results without putting yourself through more than you're comfortable. 

FAQ

Is Blue Apron affiliated with Weight Watchers?

Blue Apron is no longer a Weight Watchers partner. But the company still introduces meals with less than 600 calories and a Wellness plan that helps people lose weight.

Is Blue Apron good for weight loss?

Yes, Blue Apron can help you shed pounds and maintain your weight afterward. It provides low-calorie and high-protein dishes that can help you lose weight through lower-calorie intake and exercise.  

What is the best delivery food for Weight Watchers?

Blue Apron stands out as 1 of the best delivery options for people wanting to shed pounds. It has recipes with 600 calories or less and a nutritionist-approved Wellness plan. Albeit it isn’t partnered with Weight Watchers any longer, you can stay on track with your weight loss goals while enjoying delicious, chef-designed meals with it.