I’m a Busy Mom Who Hates Grocery Shopping — Here’s What I Like and Dislike About Marley Spoon

Now that I work full-time and have three school-age children in sports, I find myself struggling to muster up the time and energy to make dinner. Meal delivery services claim to make it easier than ever to enjoy delicious, home-cooked meals without the hassle of grocery shopping and meal planning — which is exactly what I need during this chaotic stage of life. They come with preportioned ingredients and (usually) easy-to-follow recipes, so you can expand your culinary skills and try new dishes without spending hours shopping and planning what to make for dinner.

Marley Spoon, a Martha Stewart–backed meal delivery service since 2016, offers a rotating menu with more than 100 weekly chef-designed recipe options that cater to a diverse palate. Each week there are a few Martha Stewart recipes available on the menu, too, like Martha’s Best Burrata Ravioli and Prosciutto and Martha’s Best Chorizo Chili Beef Enchiladas. I loathe grocery shopping and usually end up buying more than I need, leading to food waste and a higher grocery bill. I jumped at the chance to try Marley Spoon, hoping it would cater to my family’s busy schedule, save me time and money, and maybe even teach us a new recipe or two (we’re getting bored with the same rotation of meals). Here’s my experience after trying the service for one week.

After selecting one or more meal preferences, the number of people (two or four), and the number of meals per week (two to six), I could see the price per serving and per box, including shipping. I entered my zip code and email address, then I added my delivery details and chose from the available delivery days for my area.

Deliveries are available in my area Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. I could not customize my preferred delivery time, but there’s an area to specify where the box should be left if you’re unavailable. Next I entered my payment information to reserve the delivery day. My card wasn’t charged immediately, but it was authorized and then charged once I selected meals.

Selecting My Meals

Once I was signed up, I could scroll through and choose any available meal from the more than 100 options for the week. Each meal had a photo to help me choose. Some dishes looked like they could be found at a fancy restaurant, while others are classic comfort foods. I was honestly surprised by the variety — including Korean, Thai, and Middle Eastern cuisines — and several dishes also had new-to-me ingredients, like lamb and Castelvetrano olives.

To be honest, I struggled to narrow my selections because there were many great-looking meals and protein options. But one thing that helped is that each meal had dietary tags, such as Low Carb, Meat, Everyday Variety, Gluten-Free Friendly, Low Calorie, Picky Eater Approved, Quick and Easy, Under 30 Minutes, Kid-Friendly, and Vegetarian. I appreciated this because the tags helped me quickly spot 30-minute and kid-friendly dishes.

However, unlike some other meal delivery services, Marley Spoon doesn’t offer specific meal plans that fall under categories like “weight loss” or “vegan.”

Before selecting my meal, I clicked on the recipe to look over the nutrition information and instructions — I wanted to keep my prep and cook time under one hour. Other details listed were the total calorie count per serving, a brief description of the dish, and the ingredients included. I could also see the ingredients I would need on hand, such as cooking oil or salt and pepper. Unfortunately, you can’t swap proteins or make ingredient changes.

This might be a big drawback if you have food allergies or strong dietary dislikes because it means you have to carefully read the ingredient lists. However, several menu items are available in multiple protein options, such as chicken or beef, which is helpful.

In the end I selected four meals for four people (hoping it would be enough for my family of five), which cost $172 with shipping and without promotions (the company sometimes offers discounts for new customers). These were the meals I ordered:

• Southwestern Superfood Salad With Charred Jalapeno Vinaigrette
• Carne Asada and Fresh Salsa With Grilled Onions and Peppers
• Tortelloni Florentine With Marinated Tomatoes and Crispy Croutons
• Sheet Pan Mediterranean Meatball Bake With Marinated Tomatoes, Feta, and Couscous

The delivery arrived as promised, but the driver didn’t knock or ring the doorbell. Fortunately, my security camera notified me it had arrived, so I was able to quickly unpack my box.

The cardboard box was insulated with a thick liner, so everything stayed cool. Inside, individual ingredients were separated into one of two sections: cold items packed in the bottom on ice and everything else on top. A cardboard insert between the two sections kept everything from shifting. The 8.5 x 11-inch recipe cards were on top, away from any potentially wet areas. The cards were thick, glossy card stock with a color photo of the dish on one side and step-by-step instructions on the other.

The box and inserts were recyclable, and I could reuse the ice packs. Some ingredients were packaged in PET plastic bags that my area recently began accepting for recycling. You can check with your local recycling facility to make sure it accepts these items; otherwise, they’re bound for the landfill.

Everything in my box was an appropriate temperature and fresh. None of the produce was damaged or bruised. I separated the ingredients by recipe and put away the items that needed refrigeration.

All the ingredients I received were fresh and ready to prep. Some were premeasured (like seasoning blends, panko, and honey), but others had to be chopped or mixed (like vegetables and dressing ingredients).

The recipe cards provided me with step-by-step instructions with full-color photos. I appreciated the inclusion of almost all the needed ingredients: I only needed to grab salt, pepper, oil, eggs, and sugar from my cabinet. However, not all the recipes I looked at (but ultimately didn’t choose) were like this: Some recipes call for other staples like balsamic vinegar, flour, and butter. Still, none of these pantry items are all that difficult to pick up.

Some of the equipment I used for the four meals included small and large mixing bowls, a baking sheet, a large skillet, a chef’s knife, a blender, a can opener, and a grater. None of these are overly complicated or hard to find, but it’s worth considering if you don’t have many cooking tools.

All in all, the meals I tried were an upgrade from my typical weeknight dinners and relatively easy to make. However, most took about 15 minutes longer than the recipe card suggested. That said, I’m not the fastest at chopping and often read instructions multiple times to make sure I don’t miss a step. A person with more experience in the kitchen might be able to make these meals a bit faster than I did.

Of my chosen dishes, the Southwestern Superfood Salad surprised me the most in terms of difficulty. I prep and eat salads almost daily, but this was the first time I spent 45 minutes on one. That’s not a bad thing, but it caught me off guard. There was just a lot of ingredient prepping, grilling, and mixing (for the dressing), and it took much longer than I was used to.

All the recipes will be easy to recreate in the future, which I’m excited about.

Tasting the Meals

Once I plated each of the meals I made, I was impressed with how colorful and satisfying the meals looked. I also enjoyed tasting every dish, though the sheet pan meatball bake was my least favorite because, in my opinion, the meatballs needed more seasoning (the recipe only called for salt and pepper). However, I would still make the dish again in the future with a few adjustments.

The other meals had an excellent balance of flavors. The Tortelloni Florentine was my favorite because I love pasta; the flavors all worked well together, though I should note that I opted to add chicken (not included in my box) for additional protein. My husband loved the Carne Asada and Fresh Salsa dish.

We ordered a meal box for four, and after feeding myself, my husband, and our oldest child, we had enough left for my husband to take to work for lunch the next day. Unfortunately, my 8-year-old and 6-year-old were not excited about the meals, so I had to make something else for them.

We were satisfied with the portions, but it is possible that some families might want to supplement or add sides to make the portions stretch.

Christina Badaracco, MPH, RDN, LDN, a culinary medicine expert and author, reviewed the nutritional value of the Southwestern Superfood Salad to ensure it provided adequate nutrients. She loved the summer produce and healthy fats; however, she cautioned against relying on the tags when choosing your meals.

“The [Southwestern Superfood Salad] recipe shouldn’t be labeled as low-calorie since it contains nearly 500 calories per serving,” she said. And, she continued, it shouldn’t be labeled as “low-carb since the corn and peaches contribute some carbohydrates (in addition to the minor amounts from the greens and tomatoes).”

She also noted the salad’s lack of protein — just 8 grams — and potential risks for people following a low-fiber diet or those with gastrointestinal issues like diverticulitis or bowel obstruction.

I also asked Laura M. Ali, MS, RDN, LDN, a culinary nutritionist and author of the cookbook MIND Diet for Two, to review the nutritional value of the Tortelloni Florentine dish. She said that the meal offered a good balance of essential nutrients, but she recommended pairing it with a protein source like chicken (just as I did).

After looking over the meal service as a whole, Badaracco said she would recommend the service as a temporary option for those interested in trying new foods and cooking techniques. “These services can fill a short-term need during periods of stress or help build a repertoire of recipes, but they aren’t economically feasible for permanent use,” she says.

Unlike HelloFresh and EveryPlate, Marley Spoon’s recipes feature many cultural influences and seasonal produce — which is a real plus. However, I found some dishes require more time to make than advertised.

EveryPlate’s website offers more comprehensive nutritional and allergen information for each meal than Marley Spoon, however, which makes it easier to know what to expect before ordering. Marley Spoon’s website only provides basic information, such as calorie count, fat, proteins, and carbs — which may not make it a great choice if you have to be really careful about what you eat due to a health concern.

HelloFresh offers an entire six weeks’ worth of dinner recipes in advance and a recipe archive with more than 2,500 dinners compared to Marley Spoon’s four-week menu. That said, it’s more challenging to find HelloFresh’s nutritional information without logging in or searching the archive for each individual recipe.

Sunbasket has eight meal plans versus Marley Spoon’s seven. Sunbasket also puts a higher emphasis on using clean ingredients and fresh organic produce. However, Sunbasket is more expensive.

Both Blue Apron and Marley Spoon offer an impressive number of weekly meals and an extensive recipe archive. While Blue Apron is more affordable, Marley Spoon offers more cultural diversity in its dishes.

I think Marley Spoon may appeal to busy individuals or families who value convenience or who like experimenting with new and diverse cuisines, such as Middle Eastern and Korean, because it offers you a variety of meal options.

However, there may be more cost-effective options for those on a tight budget. It’s also worth noting that if you follow strict dietary restrictions or have picky eaters in your household, you may struggle with the limited customization options. Though many menu items are labeled Picky Eater Friendly, my youngest children didn’t want anything to do with any of the meals I ordered — and chances are your picky eater might react the same way.

The portion sizes may also be an issue for larger families because you can only opt for up to four servings per meal. Personally, I won’t be switching to Marley Spoon full-time because it doesn’t totally meet the needs of my family of five. But I believe it’s worth trying if you are looking for a convenient way to add more variety to your nightly dinners.

In order to help you find the healthiest and highest-quality meal delivery services, we’ve tested more than 50 by using a diverse group of testers with different household sizes, dietary restrictions, and food preferences. For example, I’m a busy mom and product tester who has tried other meal delivery services in the past, and I was excited to see how Marley Spoon compared. I chose meals based on my family’s preferences, prep time, and complexity.

In addition to personally testing each meal delivery service we’re reviewing, we’ve also consulted with dozens of registered dietitians and nutritionists to evaluate the quality and nutritional value of each meal delivery service.