Meal delivery services cater to time-strapped consumers

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- After a long stretch at the office and on the road, the last place you want to go is the market, but you've got to get dinner on the table.

Some are only going as far as their front door to pick up the groceries thanks to meal delivery companies like Blue Apron.

The concept is simple: Pick from a menu of meals and the ingredients come in a refrigerated box ready to prepare, recipes in tow.

Beef chili, Buffalo drumsticks, and shrimp and pineapple fried rice are only a few of their offerings.

Blue Apron serves over a million meals a month nationwide, averaging $8 to $9 per person depending on how you order.

Another similar company called Plated has offerings for the gluten-free and dairy-free.

Their meals average $12 a person but their selling point is using seasonal produce, sustainable seafood, and antibiotic and hormone-free proteins.

"The Fresh 20 is a meal planning service that uses 20 fresh ingredients a week to make five weeknight family dinners," said founder Melissa Lanz.

Lanz's idea is rather than deliver the food to you, she gives you the grocery list and recipes that incorporate 20 foods that you can put in five evening meals. Her basic program costs $65 a year.

Meal delivery companies may also help give your nutrition a boost. You'll most likely be eating new foods, new produce, and not those same five meals that Americans make. And because you're not going to the grocery store, you might be spending less because there is no impulse buys.

"It eliminates waste and it really gets people thinking about like what they can do with fresh food in their kitchen," said Lanz.

Tasty but not complicated, most meals average about 30 minutes prep time.