Meal kit and grocery delivery services have exploded in popularity in recent years. With everyone’s busy schedules, having healthy ingredients and recipes conveniently shipped to your door is certainly appealing!
Two popular options in this market are Imperfect Foods and Hungryroot. Let’s take an in-depth look at what each service offers to see how they stack up.
A Brief Comparison Table
| Category | Imperfect Foods | Hungryroot |
| Product Focus | Produce, pantry items, dairy, meat | Produce, proteins, grains, sauces |
| Customization | User customizes box each week | Algorithm provides pre-set boxes based on preferences |
| Recipes | No recipes included | Provides recipes for meals using box ingredients |
| Commitment | Requires membership fee and cancellation process | No commitment required, skip or cancel anytime |
| Pricing | Starts at $4.99 per delivery | Starts at $59 per week for 4 servings |
| Protein Options | Wide selection of meat and dairy | Limited proteins tailored to recipes |
| Food Waste Focus | “Ugly” surplus produce | Pre-portioned ingredients to reduce waste |
| Convenience | User assembles own meals | Provides recipes and meal guidance |
| Grocery Brand | Carries Imperfect Foods brand | Retail Hungryroot sauces and butters |
Overview Of Imperfect Foods
Founded in 2015, Imperfect Foods aims to reduce food waste by delivering “ugly” or surplus produce, pantry items, and meat that would otherwise go to waste. Their mission is admirable, but how does the service actually work out for customers?
Imperfect Foods offers customizable boxes with organic produce, shelf-stable goods, dairy, meat, and fish options. You select what you want, and boxes are delivered weekly or biweekly depending on your preference.
The produce selection focuses on organic seasonal fruits and veggies that are cosmetically imperfect. For pantry staples, Imperfect Foods carries organic, non-GMO, and responsibly sourced shelf-stable items.
Delivery is available in most major metropolitan areas across the United States. Imperfect Foods requires a membership fee that starts at $4.99 per delivery up to $14.99 depending on box size and frequency. Members receive perks like discounts and free gifts.
Imperfect Foods Pros
- Helps reduce food waste from cosmetic rejects and oversupply
- Wide selection of organic produce, pantry items, dairy, and proteins
- Lower cost than traditional grocery for organic and responsibly sourced items
- Customizable delivery options from weekly to biweekly
- Nationwide delivery available in most metro areas
- Perks and discounts for members
Imperfect Foods Cons
- Inconsistent vegetable quality compared to grocery store
- Limited selection and often sold-out items compared to full-service grocery
- Requires membership fee on top of cost per box
- Difficult to pause or cancel orders
- Produce goes bad quickly due to shipping and handling
Also Read: Comparison Between ezCater And ZeroCater.
Overview Of Hungryroot
Hungryroot started in 2015 as well and specializes in sending quick and healthy grocery items paired with recipes. Their product selection and mission aims to help customers eat balanced, nutritious meals.
Hungryroot offerings include groceries like produce, proteins, grains, and sauces along with recipes for home-cooked meals. Boxes ship weekly and contents are personalized using an online quiz. Hungryroot is not a traditional meal kit but rather grocery items pre-selected to work together in recipes.
Delivery is available nationwide. Box pricing starts at $59 per week for 4 servings. You can add servings or extras for additional cost. Hungryroot also has a retail line of sauces and butters at select grocery stores.
Hungryroot Pros
- Pre-portioned ingredients reduce food waste
- Recipes included for easy cooking
- Dietitian-approved meals customized to your preferences
- Nationwide delivery with easy online account management
- Retail line offers convenience of grocery store purchase
- Skip weeks or cancel anytime with no required commitment
Hungryroot Cons
- More expensive than regular grocery shopping and meal planning
- Limited protein options compared to Imperfect Foods
- Produce goes bad quickly after delivery
- Pre-set recipe ingredients lack flexibility of regular grocery shopping
- Smaller scale company compared to larger competitors
Also Read: Comparison Between DoorDash And Favor.
Key Difference And Similarities Between Imperfect Foods And Hungryroot
While both companies aim to reduce food waste and improve nutrition, there are some key differences in their offerings:
- Product selection: Imperfect Foods has a wider range of proteins, pantry items, and shelf-stable goods. Hungryroot focuses specifically on produce, grains, proteins and sauces for recipes.
- Customization: Imperfect Foods boxes are customized by the user each week. Hungryroot pre-selects box contents based on a preference quiz but adaptations can’t be made week-to-week.
- Meal support: Hungryroot provides specific recipes to create meals with each box. Imperfect Foods does not include recipes or meal guidance.
- Commitment: Hungryroot does not require a membership or subscription while Imperfect Foods has membership fees and a cancellation process.
Both services offer organic produce and responsibly sourced groceries delivered nationwide. However, Imperfect Foods offers greater flexibility for users to customize while Hungryroot provides more meal guidance and convenience.
Also Read: Comparison Between Roadie And Doordash.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Imperfect Foods appears to still be growing steadily. While growth has slowed compared to initial years, the company expanded into Canada in 2021. They’ve raised over $160 million in funding since 2015 which indicates continued investor confidence. However, increasing competition in the grocery delivery space does present challenges.
It can be, especially for organic and specialty items. Imperfect Foods eliminates grocery store markups, so pricing is often lower than other organic delivery services. Keep in mind you’ll get less choice than a full grocery store and quality can be inconsistent week-to-week. For flexible grocery delivery focused on reducing waste, it offers a good value.
Both companies have the same mission of reducing food waste, but Misfits Market carries more conventional produce versus the organic focus of Imperfect. Misfits also requires a monthly or annual membership with higher fees while Imperfect charges per order. The product selection differs somewhat, but they occupy a very similar niche in the grocery delivery space.
It depends on order size and membership selected. Misfits Market annual memberships start at $30 per month for 3-5 items ($72 for 10-14 items). Imperfect Foods starts at $4.99 per delivery for a small box up to $14.99 for a large box. For smaller orders, Imperfect Foods has lower minimum costs but Misfits can be cheaper at higher quantities with an annual plan.
Watch this review video of Hungryroot!
The Bottom Line
Hungryroot and Imperfect Foods both aim to reduce food waste through grocery delivery. Key differences come down to Hungryroot including recipes and meal guidance while Imperfect Foods offers greater flexibility and customization.For organic produce and pantry items, Imperfect Foods usually offers lower costs. Hungryroot provides more meal convenience yet requires a higher weekly spend.
Evaluate your preferences for grocery selection, conveneience, and budget to choose the best option between these two services. Both companies offer progress toward more sustainable grocery options with the convenience of delivery.
