Blue Apron's Keto-Friendly Meals: Are They Worth It?

Blue Apron is a meal kit service that offers a variety of recipes to its customers. While the company does not currently offer a keto meal plan, some of its meals can be adapted to fit a keto diet. For example, Blue Apron offers seared steak and chicken dishes that come with keto-friendly sides like green beans or roasted bell peppers, as well as non-keto sides like gnocchi and mashed potatoes that would need to be left out.

Blue Apron's recipes often include sauces that add sugar and many of their best meals are pasta, pizza, or sandwich dishes, which are typically high in carbohydrates. As a result, most recipes would need significant tweaking to be considered keto-friendly.

For those looking for a meal kit service that caters specifically to keto diets, other options may be more suitable.

Blue Apron's keto-friendly meals

Blue Apron does not currently offer specific dietary plans, except for its Signature for 2 Vegetarian Plan. However, some of its meals can be adapted to suit a keto diet.

A keto diet, or ketogenic diet, is a diet that significantly restricts carbohydrates while offering nearly limitless access to fat and protein. When you keep a ketogenic diet, your body will enter a fat-burning state called ketosis. This is a natural metabolic state in which fat is metabolized in the liver.

Blue Apron's creamy pesto chicken is a low-carb, high-fat dinner option. The meal consists of diced chicken thighs and asparagus tossed in alfredo sauce and basil pesto, served with riced broccoli, garlic, and herb butter. It contains 460 calories per serving, 35 grams of fat, 26 grams of protein, 4 grams of dietary fibre, and 10 grams of carbs.

Another keto-friendly option is the Mediterranean-style pork and vegetables. This dish is made up of pulled pork and kale dressed in a vinaigrette and feta cheese, served with a side of zucchini with lemon-caper butter. It contains 480 calories, 36 grams of fat, 11 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fibre, and 27 grams of protein.

The cheesy shredded beef and riced broccoli meal is another keto-friendly option. It includes shredded beef brisket and kale, covered in tomato pesto and an Italian-style cheese blend, served with riced broccoli and lemon-caper butter. This meal contains 550 calories, 41 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbs, 6 grams of dietary fibre, and 33 grams of protein.

Blue Apron also offers a cheesy Mexican-style beef and riced cauliflower meal, which includes shredded beef brisket with guajillo chile pepper sauce, Monterey jack cheese, and pickled jalapeño, served with a side of riced cauliflower with garlic and herb butter. This meal contains 510 calories, 39 grams of fat, 11 grams of carbs, 4 grams of dietary fibre, and 29 grams of protein.

Customising Your Blue Apron Meals

Although Blue Apron does not offer specific keto meal plans, many of its recipes can be adjusted by making simple at-home substitutions. Blue Apron's chefs can check their weekly menus in advance and customise their menus by visiting their Upcoming page. If you can't find a suitable menu, you can make appropriate at-home ingredient substitutions or choose to skip that week's delivery.

Adapting Blue Apron meals for keto

Blue Apron does not currently offer a keto meal plan. However, you can adapt some of their recipes to make them keto-friendly by omitting high-carb ingredients. Here are some tips to help you adapt Blue Apron meals to fit a keto lifestyle:

• Choose recipes that are naturally lower in carbs or can be easily modified. For example, seared steak and chicken dishes are good options as they often come with keto-friendly sides like green beans or roasted bell peppers.
• Avoid recipes with pasta, pizza, sandwiches, or other carb-heavy components. These dishes would require significant tweaking to make them keto-friendly.
• Be mindful of sauces and glazes, as they often contain added sugar. You may need to substitute or omit these ingredients.
• Opt for recipes that feature high-fat ingredients, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, and cheese. These will help you stay within the keto macronutrient ratios.
• When possible, substitute high-carb side dishes with keto-friendly alternatives. For example, instead of mashed potatoes or gnocchi, choose roasted vegetables or cauliflower mash.
• Be cautious with portion sizes, especially when it comes to carbs. Remember that on a keto diet, you aim to keep your carb intake very low, typically below 25 grams of net carbs per day.
• If you're unsure about a particular ingredient, check the nutritional information provided by Blue Apron. This will help you make informed decisions about which recipes to choose and how to modify them.
• Keep in mind that adapting Blue Apron meals for keto may require some creativity and flexibility. You may need to make substitutions or leave out certain ingredients to keep the dish within your keto macros.
• If you're new to keto, it's important to understand the basics of the diet before attempting to adapt recipes. Familiarize yourself with keto-friendly foods and the types of macronutrients you should be aiming for.
• Finally, don't be afraid to experiment and make your own adjustments. You can often find keto-friendly alternatives for higher-carb ingredients with a little creativity.

Other keto meal delivery services

Blue Apron does not currently offer a keto meal plan. However, you may be able to modify some of their recipes to make them keto-friendly by omitting high-carb ingredients.

If you're looking for other keto meal delivery services, here are some options:

• Factor: This service offers flavourful, fully prepared meals that are ready to reheat and eat. Factor has a variety of keto-friendly options, including vegetarian, vegan, and "calorie-smart" meals. The meals are priced between $11.49 and $13.49 per serving, with the cost decreasing if you order more meals.
• Green Chef: Green Chef is a certified organic meal kit delivery service that offers a dedicated keto-friendly menu with 8 to 10 easy-to-prepare entrees to choose from each week. The meals are priced between $11.99 and $13.49 per serving, and the service is ideal for couples and families as it offers kits that feed two, four, or six adults.
• HelloFresh: While HelloFresh doesn't have a dedicated keto menu, it offers low-carb meals as part of its food kits that can be adapted to fit a keto lifestyle. HelloFresh is also relatively affordable compared to other services, making it a good option for families with varying dietary needs.
• Sun Basket: Sun Basket offers a variety of keto-friendly, carb-conscious, and paleo meals. The service focuses on fresh ingredients and unique, easy-to-prepare recipes. The keto-friendly meals contain at least 20g of protein and 15g of net carbs or fewer per serving.
• The Good Kitchen: This service specializes in fully prepared meals made by local chefs. The menu includes a range of keto-friendly options, with meals containing fewer than 15g of net carbs per serving. The Good Kitchen uses some organic ingredients and locally sourced proteins. The meals are priced between $12.99 and $21.99 per serving.
• Trifecta: Trifecta is a prepared foods meal service with a dedicated keto plan. The keto-friendly meals contain no more than 10g of net carbs per meal. Trifecta offers fully prepared meals as well as a la carte options, and the service is ideal for those with fitness and weight loss goals. The meals are priced between $13.79 and $15.85 per serving.
• Provenance Meals: Provenance Meals is a New York-based service offering fresh and ready-to-eat meals with a keto-friendly menu. Most meals contain less than 15g of net carbs, and the service uses organic and sustainably sourced ingredients. You can order individual meals or subscribe for regular deliveries. The meals are priced between $13.95 and $22.99 per serving.
• Pete's Real Food: Pete's Real Food offers fully prepared meals suitable for keto, paleo, vegan, and AIP diets. You can mix and match your favourite keto-friendly meals or subscribe for regular deliveries. The service uses organic and hormone-free ingredients, and the meals are priced between $15 and $20 per serving.

Pros and cons of keto meal delivery services

The keto diet is a high-fat, moderate protein, low-carb diet. It involves cutting back on carbohydrates, which are the body's primary source of energy, and instead burning fat stores. This diet can be challenging to start and stick to, but keto meal delivery services can make it easier.

Pros

• Convenience: Keto meal delivery services save time by providing pre-portioned ingredients and eliminating the need for grocery shopping.
• Variety: These services offer a range of keto-friendly options, so you don't get bored with your meals.
• Health: Keto meal kits help ensure you're getting the proper balance of nutrients and staying within the dietary restrictions.
• Customization: Many services allow you to customize your meals according to your preferences and dietary needs.
• Taste: The meals are designed by chefs and dietitians, so they often taste great and offer creative flavour combinations.

Cons

• Cost: Keto meal delivery services can be expensive, with prices ranging from $9 to $25 per meal, and shipping costs can add up.
• Limited options: While there is variety, some people may find that the available options don't cater to their specific tastes or dietary needs.
• Quality: The quality of ingredients and meals can vary between services, and some may use preservatives or lower-quality ingredients.
• Flexibility: Some services make it difficult to change meals or pause the service.
• Portion size: Portions may be smaller than expected, especially for those who are used to larger meals.

Keto diet explained

Blue Apron offers a Carb Conscious recipe option, which provides a balanced approach to carbohydrate consumption. These recipes replace refined carbohydrates with high-fibre foods like fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.

Now, here's an explanation of the keto diet:

The keto diet, or ketogenic diet, is a low-carb, high-fat diet. It involves drastically reducing your carbohydrate intake and replacing it with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis, where it becomes very efficient at burning fat for energy.

The keto diet typically includes high amounts of fat, low to moderate amounts of protein, and very few carbohydrates. It is rich in foods like butter, cheese, eggs, meat, nuts, oils, seafood, and seeds. Carbohydrate-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and potatoes are limited or avoided.

There are several versions of the keto diet, including:

• Standard ketogenic diet (SKD): This is a very low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat diet, typically containing 70% fat, 20% protein, and only 10% carbs.
• Cyclical ketogenic diet (CKD): This involves periods of higher-carb refeeds, such as 5 ketogenic days followed by 2 high-carb days.
• Targeted ketogenic diet (TKD): This allows you to add carbs around workouts.
• High protein ketogenic diet: Similar to SKD, but with more protein. The ratio is often 60% fat, 35% protein, and 5% carbs.

The keto diet has several potential health benefits, including:

• Weight loss: Keto can be an effective way to lose weight and keep it off in the long term.
• Improved insulin sensitivity: The keto diet can help lower insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity, which is beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
• Reduced risk of certain diseases: The keto diet may lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, and polycystic ovary syndrome.

However, there are also some potential side effects and risks associated with the keto diet, including:

• Keto flu: During the first weeks of the diet, people often experience constipation, fatigue, headaches, lightheadedness, and an upset stomach.
• Bad breath: This is due to the production and exhalation of acetone, a type of ketone.
• Micronutrient deficiencies: The keto diet may not provide all the necessary micronutrients, so supplementation may be needed.
• Kidney problems: A high-fat, low-carb diet can be hard on your kidneys, especially if you are obese or have other health issues.

It is important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting the keto diet, especially if you have any pre-existing health conditions.

Frequently asked questions