As a busy parent trying to feed my family of 4 healthy meals while staying on a tight budget, I‘d grown tired of my dinner rut of buying the same processed foods or resorting to takeout. I needed fresh, affordable ideas to get out of my recipe comfort zone without spending tons of time meal planning and prepping.
Enter Dinnerly meal kits promising convenient home cooking for just a few dollars a plate – I had to give them a try! Here‘s my hands-on review after a month of testing Dinnerly to see if they lived up to their budget-friendly claims.
My Dinnerly Experience: Unboxing Convenient, Affordable Meals for a Month
Here‘s what the entire Dinnerly process and meals were like as I unboxed four straight weeks of their meal kits as a first-time subscriber.
Week 1: Putting Dinnerly‘s ValuePromise to the Test
To start, I chose the two-person plan receiving three meals per week for my husband and I. Delivery is just $9 in my area.
For my first week‘s menu I picked Mexican Chicken Bowl, Sloppy Joes and Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo. I was already impressed seeing fresh dough in the Sloppy Joe kit and large shrimp in my fettuccine meal.
The simple recipes had just 5-7 ingredients I needed to cook up using my own basics like oil, eggs, etc. Meals took about 30 mins start to finish. Highlights were the perfectly tender shrimp and zesty Mexican rice pairing well with the fresh toppings.
At just $4.99 per serving, this blew away the processed stuff for the same cost!
Week 2: Finding Our Dinnerly Routine
By week two, I‘d nailed down a cooking rhythm: I chopped ingredients first while water boiled or oven preheated, then threw everything together for stress-free meals in under 30 minutes.
Fave recipes this week included juicy Sloppy Joes (a hit with my kids!), light Chicken Caeser Salad, and Shrimp & Asparagus Sheet Pan Dinner tasting like restaurant food with crispy oven-roasted veg and shrimp.
I realized not planning dinners in advance freed up so much mental energy – we just opened the fridge and made whatever Dinnerly meal we were feeling that night knowing everything tasted reliably delicious.
Week 3: Getting Creative Supplementing Sides & Desserts
Having tried Classic Dinnerly offerings for two weeks, my third box focused on changing up side dishes and dessert additions to keep things interesting.
I made quick garlic bread and green salads as sides for Tomato Basil Chicken Skillet and Beef Bulgogi Bowls. And we satisfied sugar cravings with chocolate chip cookie dough added to orders for just $3 extra.
While Dinnerly‘s portion sizes are generous, I learned adding fresh vegetable sides balanced out indulgent treats. This kept my family happy, healthy and trying fun new flavors affordably.
Week 4: Discovering New Family Favorites
Even after a month of deliveries, my final Dinnerly box impressed with fun globally-inspired meals outside our comfort zone including Shakshuka, Thai Coconut Chicken Curry and Pesto Gnocchi.
The Shakshuka veggies and runny eggs were a revelation for breakfast-for-dinner. And the fragrant Coconut Chicken Curry over jasmine rice transported me halfway across the world!
After a month enjoying nearly 20 new Dinnerly meals, not a single recipe felt repetitive. This proved how their constantly rotating menu variety meant we never grew bored.
All in all, testing Dinnerly for a month sold me on keeping their budget meal kits stocked regularly in my weekly meal plan routine thanks to interesting flavors and serious cost savings.
Dinnerly Benefits: Why I‘ll Stay a Customer
Here are the key benefits making Dinnerly my new secret weapon for convenient, wallet-friendly family dinners:
Time Savings – 5-7 ingredients you just chop and cook means tearing into dinner boxes equals zero meal planning or grocery effort on my end.
Budget-Friendly – At as low as $4.69 per generous portion, Dinnerly meals cost just slightly more than my cheap processed standbys.
Convenience – With oven and stovetop friendly one-pan recipes taking 30 mins or less, I‘m able to pull tasty dinners together quickly even on hectic nights.
Flavors – Getting 14 new international-inspired meals to pick from weekly means I never tire of reliable flavors perfectly spiced and sauced.
Flexible Plans – I can customize deliveries from 3-6 meals based on changing needs any week. Skip, pause or cancel anytime hassle-free.
Healthy, Fresh Ingredients – Pre-portioned quality ingredients selected at peak freshness means more nutritious dinners full of veggies, lean proteins and whole food carbs over sugary, salty packaged stuff when I need fast family meals.
When it comes to affordable meal convenience, Dinnerly just works – and that hectic household peace of mind makes tasty dinners for $5 totally worth it!
Dinnerly vs Other Meal Kits
Curious how Dinnerly stacks up to popular meal kit competitors? Here‘s a handy comparison chart:
| Company | Avg Price Per Serving | Meals Per Week | Recipes & Menus | Top Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinnerly | $4.69-$5.29 | 3-6 | 14 weekly recipes, mainstream appeal | Most affordable, quick recipes |
| Everyplate | $4.99-$6.99 | 2-6 | 9 weekly recipes, family-friendly | Budget-friendly, good variety |
| Home Chef | $7.99-$9.99 | 4-6 | Changing weekly, thousands of recipes | Meal customization, premium proteins |
| Green Chef | $11.99-$12.99 | 3-4 | Changing weekly, diet specific | Organic ingredients, specialty diets |
Among the most affordable meal kit companies, Dinnerly shines by offering budget rates with no frills while still providing convenience of fresh ingredients and easy recipes – perfect for my needs!
Tips for Making the Most of Dinnerly
After a full month cooking up everything Dinnerly delivered to my door, I gathered helpful tips, tweaks and advice for getting the very best results from their service:
Supplement Side Dishes & Desserts – While Dinnerly portions are generous, adding simple salad sides or Garlic Bread helps round out meals. And who can resist Chocolate Chip Cookie dough ready just to slice and bake when you want something sweet? For dollar or two extra per meal, small add-ons make dinner feel special.
Prep Ingredients During Downtimes – The simple 5-7 ingredient Dinnerly recipes reduce fussy chopping. But using water boiling, pan heating or oven preheating moments to wash and slice veggies means everything comes together lightning fast when it‘s actually cooking time.
Follow Recipe Cards Closely – Dinnerly offers handy recipe tutorials online, but make sure to reference cards with exact measurements and temperatures to nail the right flavors and textures for dishes the first time.
Cook More Delicate Ingredients Separately – Certain fresh components like greens, fish or shrimp cook quickest. For best results either stir them in last just to heat through or cook separately then combine everything at the end.
Ignore Best By Dates – I found Dinnerly ingredients last days longer stored properly in my fridge than "best by" dates listed if ice packs are still partially frozen. Use common sense with what looks and smells fresh. Reach out to their customer service who can offer replacement credits for any issues down the line.
Double Up Leftovers For Lunches – We loved Dinnerly meals so much I‘d often cook up double batches. Having leftovers in the fridge makes packing hearty lunches for work or school effortless all week long!
The Last Word
At the end of the day, Dinnerly simplified meal kits helped this busy mom put homemade dinners within reach for my family that were not just affordable, but flavorful and convenient too.
Their constantly rotating menu had us trying fun globally-inspired comfort foods I‘d never otherwise cook at home. And having prepped ingredients for the week awaiting in the fridge cut major meal planning and grocery shopping time.
While Dinnerly may lack fancy offerings some pricier competitors boast, their fuss-free approach to value, quality and convenience perfectly fits my needs. Their reliable performance week after week solidifies them as my customized toolkit helping overcome the inevitable "what‘s for dinner?" fatigue.
The bottom line? Don‘t knock Dinnerly‘s basics until you‘ve tried them. Having personally unpacked more than a dozen of their meal boxes myself, I stand by their budget home cooking making family dinners easy, approachable and downright delicious.
Visit Dinnerly.com and unlock weeks of affordable meal convenience for you and your household today.
