Stay Healthy with Marley Spoon and Dinnerly

For many of us, it’s felt harder than ever to stay healthy and happy. COVID, the flu, and increasing supply chain disruptions have impacted many of us. Combine that with the winter blues, and it’s a recipe for disaster.

As life gets busier, it can feel harder to think about cooking and health. That’s where grocery delivery services can step in – an avenue for potential healthier eating, and one less thing to worry about. We had the opportunity to try Marley Spoon and Dinnerly, and here are our honest thoughts.

We tried Marley Spoon first. It was my first time trying a grocery delivery service, and I was impressed. There were plenty of recipes to choose from – some I’d never heard of before! There was plenty of variety,  from gluten-free to vegetarian to vegan. There was something for everyone, with different complexity levels. These fish tacos, for example, were delicious and incredibly easy to prepare. I’d never marinated a fish before, yet didn’t struggle one bit, thanks to the incredibly clear instructions. Not only was the dish delicious, but I also learnt a new cooking skill!

The produce was incredibly fresh – the capsicums smelt amazing, the greens were lush, and the cheese was top-quality. It was like I’d gone to the veggie grocers in the morning, when all the veg are freshly put out.

Everything was well-organised. I appreciated how meal had it’s own bag. It made it very easy to pull out a bag and get cooking. The meal box came with recipe cards too, which elevated the experience. There was nothing to dread or worry about – it was all laid out in an easy and accessible fashion.

Marley Spoon did a great job handling the ingredient shortages too – they made thoughtful substitutes, and let us know in advance with an email.

Take the Singaporean barramundi dish, for example. Supply chain shortages meant that the zucchini was substituted for capsicum, and the pak choy was replaced with green cabbage. The cooking instructions explained how to prepare the dish with both substitutes, and that allowed us to prepare the meal without any issues.

We tried Dinnerly second. It was similar to Marley Spoon in many ways: the produce was fresh and juicy, the ingredients were high quality, and it was very well-organised. What stood out to me about Dinnerly was how family-friendly and generous it was. There were plenty of family-appropriate dishes, and there were recipes you could select if you wanted a bigger portion, free of charge. They were delicious too, with everything from falafel and chips, to stir fries, to burgers.

Speaking of burgers, we loved their halloumi burger recipe. It was crispy, healthy and fresh. I loved the addition of sweet potato fries, and I appreciated that I didn’t finish the burger feeling bloated. All the ingredients worked in unison and I would definitely try this dish again.

With Dinnerly, I especially appreciated the healthy recipes they provided, and the thought they’d placed into them. The vegetarian ones were especially creative, and I saved the recipes to use for later.

For both services, the ordering process was straight-forward. We chose our plan, our recipes and when we wanted them to be delivered. We waited eagerly, and tried every recipe provided. My partner’s favourite was the Korean beef tacos. He noted that they were straight forward to prepare, without compromising on taste. Korean tacos wasn’t something he’d heard of before, and he appreciated the opportunity to try a new recipe, without having to source the ingredients himself.

The stand-out for me was the red pesto broccolini pasta. It was a dish I’d tried many a time, but with a unique twist. I never would’ve thought to add almonds and broccolini to a pesto-pasta dish, but they paired perfectly. Plus, it was great to come home after work, put a few things in a pan, and sit down to eat in ten minutes. It took the hassle out of deciding what to eat.

It was an easy service to use, and made it simple to eat and cook healthy. It’s given us plenty of recipe ideas moving forward, and it is definitely a service we would use again. I appreciated getting to try a variety of dishes without having to seek them out myself, and the instructions made it very straightforward, for even learner cooks such as myself.

I also appreciated the flexibility of the plans. If I was going away for a week, I had the option to skip a week. I could also choose the date and time that the kit would be delivered, making it incredibly easy for the kits to fit in with my schedule.

MarleySpoon and Dinnerly have plenty of dishes and plans available, and some great discounts. 

– The Plus Ones Team

Disclosure: The Plus Ones were invited guests of MarleySpoon and Dinnerly.