"American households waste, on average, almost a third of the food they acquire, economists report. This food waste has an estimated aggregate value of $240 billion annually."
This statistic means that the average household wastes around $2000 in food annually. Those grapes you bought but never got around to washing and eating, the frozen fish that's been sitting in the back of your freezer for as long as you can remember, and that dusty banana resting on your kitchen country all contribute to that dollar amount. As a country we waste 160 billion pounds of food; about 35% of the global food supply. After learning these facts I wanted to find ways to help my household reduce our waste and lower our grocery bill. My research lead me to Imperfect Foods. A service that delivers groceries that would have been wasted, straight to your door. Imperfect Foods sources ugly produce from smaller farms that grocery stores wouldn't accept. These fruits and veggies will have small blemishes, they are misshaped, and are either too big or too small. They also sell packaged products like meats. These meats are either weighted wrong, cut awkwardly, or there is an overstock. They also carry snacks that have outdated packaging, or nuts that are the ends and bits. In other words, perfectly edible food.
The Ordering Process
After hearing about this service I decided, what the hell. I signed up for my first box and waited to be able to order. Yes, I had to wait. The way Imperfect Foods works in my area is that ordering opens up Thursday through Saturday. The boxes are then delivered on Mondays. I signed up on a Tuesday so, I had a bit to wait.
Once ordering opened up I was able to see what was available for that week. When you first open the app during shopping there will be a prefilled "box" for you. You can go with the presets or you can empty your box and pick exactly what you want. I'm here to reduce my waste so, I cleared out that box quick. Below is the list that I got on my first box.
Blueberries (1 half pt) $3.99
Mandarins (1 lb) $2.69
Imperfect Foods String Cheese $3.99
Sweet Potatoes (1 lb) $1.69
Imperfect Foods SPF 15 Face Lotion $3.99
Imperfect Foods Norwegian Atlantic Salmon (1 lb) $10.99
Odyssey Crumbled Feta Cheese $3.89
Imperfect Foods Finocchiona Salami (2 oz) $3.99
JUST Egg Plant-Based Liquid Eggs $3.99
Minor Figures Organic Oat Milk $2.99
Spudsy Vegan Sea Salt Sweet Potato Fries $3.49
Spudsy Cinnamon Churro Sweet Potato Puffs $3.49
King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (2 lb) $2.99
Imperfect Foods Creamy Unsalted Peanut Butter (14 oz) $2.79
Anna Potato Gnocchi $2.69
Frontière Natural Meats Organic Grass-Fed Filet Mignon Steak (2 ct) $15.29
Carrots (1 bag) $1.69
Organic Gala Apples (1 lb) $2.69
bakerly Chocolate Hazelnut Crêpes To-Go! $4.99
Imperfect Foods Movie Theater-Style Popcorn Kernels (32 oz) $1.99
Farmers Hen House Organic Brown Eggs - Medium (12 ct) $3.79
Think Jerky Free-Range Sriracha Honey Turkey Jerky (2.2 oz) $5.99
Imperfect Foods Seasoning for All of the Things $2.79
Four Butchers 100% Grass-Fed Beef Ribeye Steak (16 oz) 1$13.79
Unreal Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups $5.29
Russet Potatoes (1 lb) $1.99
The delivery was fast and I was able to track my driver the whole way; so I knew exactly when my groceries would arrive. We also found out that on future deliveries we're able to return the freezer bags and pouches so that they can be reused. Saving even more waste.
Me and my husband ended up loving everything in our box. It was all delicious, fresh, and perfect. Our first box was $94.87 after our first box discount. So, we are keeping our subscription. We've already gotten our third box and I have absolutely no complaints with this company and it fits perfect with our diets. We purchase our main ingredients from Imperfect and any thing they don't have available that week we pick up at Meijer.
Should you Sign Up?
In my home we don't have a lot of time to roam through the grocery store. With Imperfect foods it takes maybe ten to fifteen minutes to pick out the groceries we need, while if we did that in the store it could easily take an hour or two. Plus we aren't driving to the store and getting stuck in traffic. I can be at work and still get groceries in the same day, without being a tired zombie in the store.
When it comes to saving money, some of the products can absolutely be purchased cheaper elsewhere. But those products will not be identical. If you just want beef for cheap then you should get your beef at the store. If you want organic, grass fed, humanely treated, beef, the cheapest option is Imperfect Foods. I'm one of those people who want the special beef; Not the beef on special. So, if your like I am and you prefer go straight home after work and you prefer more organic products, I highly recommend using Imperfect Foods. In fact if you use any of the links to their site that I've added in this blog you can receive a special 20% off your first order. Do you use Imperfect Foods? Let me know your thoughts below.
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