Imperfect Foods Subcription Box Review & Discount Code!
For a long time I had been hearing about Imperfect Foods, which saves foods that aren’t “perfect” enough for grocery stores, but are perfectly good otherwise. You subscribe and get to customize each weekly box with produce, meats, dairy and snacks. I had seen people post pictures of their boxes online, and I became curious about trying it myself.
Then last November at the Minneapolis Holiday Boutique, there was an Imperfect Foods booth. I learned about the boxes and arranged to try one to review here on my blog. However, this spring due to COVID-19, they were super busy and backed up, so I was on a waiting list for a while. But then I got the email that my delivery was coming the following Monday! Yay!
So here is my review of my experience from ordering to delivery!
Getting started
It’s super easy to get started with an order and customize your first box.
Just click on “Get Started” and then “Let’s Go!” You’ll be asked some questions about your household, like:
- How many eaters in your household? (1-2, 3-4, or 5+)
- Any dietary preferences? (I eat it all, Low carb, Vegetarian, Vegan)
- What type of produce do you typically buy? (Organic, Regular, I buy both)
- What’s your most important meal of the day? (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner – can check all that apply)
Here’s what was customized for my family!
I could have unchecked whatever portions I wanted to uncheck (except produce). I left it as is and clicked “Great, sign me up!”
There was a waiting list when I signed up, but currently there isn’t! So now’s a great time to sign up!
One nice thing is that you aren’t charged until your groceries arrive at your doorstep. But you will see when your first delivery is (currently the following week), and after you place your order, you’ll get an email showing you exactly what you’ll get.
Here’s what my email showed me I was getting, and the price breakdown of the box:
MIXED FRUIT & VEGGIE BOX LARGE
| Product | Quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional Italian Parsley Bunch (1 ct) | 1 | $0.69 |
| Conventional Cilantro Bunch (1 ct) | 1 | $0.69 |
| Conventional Red Cabbage (1 ct) | 1 | $2.99 |
| Conventional Kale Bunch (1 ct) | 1 | $1.39 |
| Conventional Cucumber (2 ct) | 1 | $1.25 |
| Conventional Blueberries (6 oz) | 1 | $2.99 |
| Conventional Grapefruit (1 ct) | 1 | $0.85 |
| Conventional Mango (2 ct) | 1 | $2.65 |
| Conventional Avocados (3 ct) | 1 | $1.49 |
| Conventional Broccoli Crowns (2 ct) | 1 | $2.89 |
| Conventional Carrots (1 lb) | 1 | $0.89 |
| Conventional Shallots (2 ct) | 2 | $2.20 |
| Conventional Apples (4 ct) | 1 | $1.05 |
| Skinny Dipped Almonds – Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter (3.5 oz) | 1 | $3.99 |
| Emmy’s Organics Coconut Cookie Single – Peanut Butter (0.67 oz) | 1 | $0.69 |
| Imperfect Foods – Organic Blue Corn Tortilla Chips (14 oz) | 1 | $2.99 |
| Imperfect Foods – Roasted & Salted Chickpeas (6 oz) | 1 | $2.29 |
| BelGioioso Parmesan Cheese Wedge (5 oz) | 1 | $2.99 |
| CHEVOO Marinated Goat Cheese – Urfa Chili & Lemon (4 oz) | 1 | $4.99 |
| Coleman Natural – No Sugar Applewood Smoked Bacon (12 oz) | 1 | $5.99 |
| Imperfect Foods – Chicken Breast (14 oz) | 1 | $4.49 |
| Jack’s Low Sodium Organic Borlotti Beans (13.4 oz) | 1 | $0.99 |
| Imperfect Foods – Wild Rice (16 oz) | 1 | $4.49 |
| Subtotal | $55.92 | |
It all looked good to me, even though I had never tried marinated goat cheese, and had no idea what borlotti beans were. But my family likes trying new foods, and most looked tasty.
Cost
Imperfect Foods claims that the food costs up to 30% less than at national supermarket chains.
The cost of this box was originally estimated to be $59 plus a $4.99 delivery charge, but it ended up being $55.92 plus a $4.99 delivery charge, totaling $60.91.
There are other box options – some are cheaper, some are more expensive. Plus you can add on items.
On a tight budget?
You can apply for a reduced cost box!
On their website there is an option to apply for a reduced cost box during the ordering process:
Making produce affordable is important to us. Unfortunately, the USDA does not allow online grocery companies like Imperfect to accept SNAP and other benefits. However, we offer a reduced-cost box for anyone that meets the requirement for CalFresh/SNAP/EBT benefits. Check this box and we’ll send you a survey to confirm your qualification for a 33% discount.
Delivery time!
Right on time, on the delivery date within the expected window, a box arrived on my doorstep!
Inside, within a freezer bag, were a ton of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, cheese and other foods.
I spread it all out on my kitchen table.
It all looked amazing!
There was kale, cabbage, little apples and avocados, carrots, broccoli, a grapefruit, onions, parsley, etc. – everything that was on the list.
Honestly, I didn’t see anything that was “imperfect.” Maybe the apples and avocados were little, the mango was a little less than round, and the carrots were ginormous, but I didn’t see anything odd or ugly about anything.
My family enjoyed a lot of the food right away. I had a salad with kale, I tried the dark chocolate peanut butter dipped almonds, I cooked the entire package of bacon, and YUM. Everything was delicious, and was eaten right away.
An assortment of delicious, colorful, fresh food.
If you look closely, you’ll see that some of the foods are the Imperfect Foods brand. The tortilla chips, chickpeas, chicken and wild rice, for example, were specifically distributed by Imperfect Foods and were just as good as any other brand.
Would I order again?
I would like to, but decided to cancel my subscription for now. I just wanted to enjoy the current box and think about it. However, there were many options that I could have chosen instead – I could have skipped my next box, or changed my subscription to something different. That’s one thing I definitely LIKE about Imperfect Foods. You’re not stuck with the same thing over and over. And you can put your orders on hold indefinitely. I cancelled, but I could keep my account open to basically come back whenever I wanted.
Comparing it to other grocery shopping options, I would say the prices are reasonable, and it probably is cheaper than national supermarket chains. But since I typically shop at places like ALDI and Mike’s Discount Foods, where the foods are already pretty cheap, I didn’t think it was really saving me money. But it’s fun to get a box of fresh foods including some I wouldn’t think to buy, but very well may like!
There’s a lot to love about Imperfect Foods. You may really like it. Check out their website to see for yourself!
https://www.imperfectfoods.com/
(Disclosure: I received a discount toward a box to facilitate this review. I ordered it the same way a regular customer does though and all opinions are 100% mine.)
Cool! Thanks for the code!
I tweeted this out because, my rural farm girl heart LOVES the thought behind this campaign! Unfortunately, like most places, they don’t deliver to my neck of the woods yet.