9 Grocery Delivery Services to Bring Fresh Food to Your Door

As we stay home, #FlattenTheCurve, and wait out this global crisis, grocery shopping is one stress point for many of us. And for many immunocompromised people, visiting the grocery store is not a viable option at all. Grocery delivery is the obvious answer and one that has been on the rise already of course. But have you branched out beyond Instacart, Shipt, and Amazon? There are other services out there too, some of them with unique features and benefits. Here are some favorites we encourage you to look into during these uncertain times and beyond.

As its name suggests, this company sources “misfit”produce (wonky-shaped fruits and vegetables) from certified organic farms and ships them in boxes to zip codes in around two dozen states. The produce subscription boxes come in two different sizes — Mischief and Madness — which contain a mix of 12 to 14 different types of fruits and veggies, respectively. You can also shop for marketplace add-ons including dry goods like oats, legumes, pantry staples, and even chocolate. The company has vowed to maintain stock prices for customers as a response to the COVID-19 crisis and does not anticipate any supply chain or delivery disruptions at this time.

For more information: Misfits Market

Hungryroot is a weekly subscription service that sends groceries to your door (all across the continental U.S.) based on pre-set personal preferences (gluten-free, nut-free, dairy-free, vegan, etc!). Examples of ingredients include fresh veggies, grains and pastas, proteins, sauces and dressings, pantry staples, snacks, and more. It’s kind of like a meal kit (in that you’re supposed to use the included ingredients to make a meal) only you’re encouraged to mix and match the ingredients as you see fit. Kit pricing plans average from $60 to $100 per week and orders over $70 receive free shipping; you can even pick your own ingredients if you don’t want the company to do that for you. The company recently announced heightened food safety standards and increased sanitation measures.

For more information: Hungryroot

Serving the entire continental US, Farmbox Direct is a produce delivery service whose offerings change weekly, depending on what is “fresh, local, and in-season.” Customers appreciate the control that comes with this service, as you can choose five fruit and veggie substitutions per delivery. You can also opt in or out of the service at any time, customizing your schedule. It’s akin to a nationwide CSA. At the time of publication, the company had not issued a COVID-19 customer update.

For more information: Farmbox Direct

Similar to Misfits Market, Imperfect Foods has made it its goal to provide less-than-perfect produce to consumers at a discounted price to reduce food waste and change customer perceptions. They also offer pantry items, dairy, meat, and more for 30 percent less than grocery store prices. Imperfect Foods currently delivers to most of the West South Central region, Midwest, Northeast and all along the West Coast. Check here for to see if they serve your area. The company also has a tab for COVID-19 updates, outlining precautions as they pertain to Imperfect Foods customers. Disclaimer: They admit they are experiencing an unexpected surge and report shortages of some items.

For more information: Imperfect Foods

Hungry Harvest is a food-rescue minded company that ships affordable produce and elected add-ons to MD, Washington, D.C, VA, and parts of PA, NJ, DE, FL, NC, and Detroit. Based on where you live, how often you cook, your produce preferences, and how many people you’re feeding, you can choose a Harvest Box that works for you. The company is currently still serving its listed areas and encourages customers to check back for more information as the situation develops.

For more information: Hungry Harvest

While the lines at Costco might be absolutely bonkers, there’s Boxed, which is an online bulk delivery service that ships everywhere in the continental U.S. We love the service for its cleaning products, but they also sell snacks, drinks, canned goods, spices, cereals, and much more. Note: Due to increased demand, Boxed is reporting shipment delays up to 4 days or more.

For more information: Boxed

There’s a delivery alternative to those barren meat shelves in grocery stores, if you’re willing to pay a $159 price tag (which we understand is a lot). Moink Box provides customizable meat subscription boxes, filled with beef, lamb, pork, chicken, and wild-caught salmon. You can elect for your box to be sent in 3, 4, 6, or 8 week intervals (which could be good, depending on how long this all lasts). The ethical meat is sourced from family farms, which are committed to the opposite of “sketchy growing practices.” Moink ships to the continental US. At this time, they have not made a company-wide announcement about COVID-19.

For more information: Moink Box

In other meat-delivery news, we also love Butcher Box, which allows you to order  curated mixes of high-quality beef, chicken, or pork — or you can customize your own box. Just know that, due to higher-than-usual demand, orders placed now won’t ship until the week of March 23.

For more information: Butcher Box

Thrive Market is committed to offering real ingredients that are safe for the environment, fairly priced, and accessible to everyone. You have to be a member, but once you are, you can take advantage of discounted prices (the company says they save customers an average of $30 on every order) and you can shop for pantry staples, wine, meat and seafood, beauty products, and much more. Please note that Thrive reports shipment delays from 1-2 weeks due to accelerated order volume and encourages customers to check their website for further updates.  

For more information: Thrive Market

This post originally appeared on Kitchn. See it here: Beyond Instacart & Amazon: 9 Grocery Delivery Services to Bring Fresh Food to Your Door