When buying fruits and vegetables at the grocery store, have you noticed that all the produce found there is perfect or close to it? They’re shaped nicely and don’t have any lumps and bumps, right? However, not all produce grow perfect, and there will always be those deformed fruits and veggies. And even though they’re perfectly edible and safe to eat, they end up getting tossed because of their imperfections. What a waste!
This is where Imperfect Foods comes into the picture.
What Is Imperfect Foods?
Imperfect Foods is a food delivery service that focuses on fresh, organic produce and other items usually found within a grocery list, such as fruits, bakes goods, fish, meat, beverages, staples, and others. Seeing as it’s a delivery service, you don’t need to leave your home in order to acquire your order. But why is it called Imperfect Foods? Well, you’ll find that most of the products sold by Imperfect Foods won’t meet the aesthetic standards that the usual grocery store has. This means that you’ll find weirdly-shaped produce and other imperfections, such as unusual coloring.
Since grocery stores only want to display perfect-looking fruits and vegetables, Imperfect Foods quickly buys the “imperfect” ones and sells them for a cheaper price. If you’ve been looking to cut back and save money on groceries, Imperfect Foods is definitely worth checking out, as you’ll be able to save as much as 30% on grocery items.
Plus, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the produce, either. Just because they have slight blemishes and have different sizes doesn’t mean they can no longer be used as ingredients for a wonderful meal.
How Does It Work?
To get started, you have to choose between four different subscription options: Regular, Organic, All Fruit, and All Veggie. If you choose the Regular or Organc options, you can choose between small, medium, large, or extra-large size. Meanwhile, the All Fruit and All Veggie options only come in small and medium. As for the frequency, you have two options: weekly or bi-weekly.
Here’s a quick summary of what you can expect depending on each box size:
- A small box can feed around 2 to 4 people only, and contains about 7 to 9 pounds worth of food.
- A medium box can feed around 4 to 6 people only, and contains about 11 to 14 pounds worth of food.
- A large box can feed around 6 to 8 people only, and contains about 17 to 19 pounds worth of food.
- An extra-large box can feed around 8 to 10 people only, and contains about 23 to 25 pounds worth of food.
Customization Options
If you want to save more when grocery shopping through Imperfect Foods, you shouldn’t buy a box that has produce or food items that you either don’t like or you know you won’t eat. Fortunately, the customization options that Imperfect Foods offers extends to more than just the sizing and frequency. You can also control what kind of items you’ll receive in your box.
Imperfect Foods has a typical, fully-prepared box all ready for you, but if you find that there are items in it that you don’t like, you have the option to remove or replace them with something else.
Pricing
Below, you’ll find the breakdown of Imperfect Foods’ pricing. Note that for each shipment made, you have to shoulder a delivery fee of around $4.99 to $5.99.
| Size and Type | Price |
| Small — Conventional | $11 to $13 |
| Small — Organic | $15 to $17 |
| Medium — Conventional | $14 to $16 |
| Medium — Organic | $22 to $24 |
| Large — Conventional | $20 to $22 |
| Large — Organic | $33 to $35 |
| Extra-Large — Conventional | $39 to $43 |
Pros
- You can rest assured that all the produce you receive is fresh.
- They’re not wrapped in plastics.
- You can receive a wide variety of produce, even including seasonal onces.
- Most of the produce have a much lower price range than the ones found in supermarkets and grocery stores.
- You have the option to customize your box.
Cons
- Items can run out of stock some times, and this can cause you to backtrack on your meal planning.
- There’s no guarantee what kind of produce you can get from week to week because suppliers and the products itself keep on changing.
- Depending on the product, some items can end up being more expensive.
Conclusion
There are various benefits to subscribing to services like Imperfect Foods because not only are you helping fight the wasting of food, you can also get these produce for a much cheaper price than if you buy them from the grocery store. The shape of the fruits and veggies you eat doesn’t really matter as long as it’s still not rotten on the inside, and thankfully, all of Imperfect Foods’ produce are still fresh!
