This post prepared in partnership with Blue Apron
I believe delegation is the single most effective time-management strategy I’ve discovered. If you want to stay sane—whether you’re a parent or someone juggling many responsibilities—you must concentrate on tasks only you can do, say no to nonessentials, and delegate the rest. Equally important is learning to delegate without guilt.
Meal planning and grocery shopping became harder for me as my business grew. It wasn’t that I thought these tasks were unimportant; I did. The frustration came from knowing they mattered but not having the time to manage them well. That’s often when guilt sets in—when you know something is important but can’t fit it into an already full schedule.
We tried cooking ahead, and we keep a few easy go-to meals and staples on hand. Of course we can order pizza or eat out sometimes. Yet there are weeks when I simply run out of time to plan, shop, or dedicate a day to prepping meals. Rather than feeling guilty each week for dropping the ball, I looked for a practical solution that fit our life.
One of the best solutions I found was Blue Apron, a meal service that delivers fresh ingredients already measured for you so you can cook chef-designed meals at home. It eliminates meal planning and grocery shopping while still letting you prepare a fresh, hot dinner. I appreciate that it lets me delegate an important task without guilt, and the meals are creative and tasty. With a growing teen in the house, we need reliable, easy-to-prepare dinners or we risk a very hungry—and cranky—family.
Recently we had two Blue Apron meals delivered, and the relief of knowing two dinners were ready when we wanted them was priceless. I felt no shame letting a service take care of the planning and shopping, and I still enjoyed preparing a home-cooked meal for my family.
My daughter and I prepared the first meal together: Chicken Paillards & Fresh Linguine. It was incredibly simple. Every ingredient arrived pre-measured, so there were no wasted items and nothing missing. Blue Apron offers different plans to match your needs, and you can skip a week if necessary. They have a two-person plan and a family plan, which works well for four people or households with small children. We served four and still had leftovers for lunch the next day.
The recipe card is clear and user-friendly, with ingredients listed on one side and step-by-step instructions on the back. We did the chopping, boiled the pasta, and cooked the meat, so everything tasted fresh and homemade.
My son’s reaction when we called him to dinner was priceless—he loved the gourmet spread. He always asks, “what’s for dinner tonight?” and while pizza is never rejected, a thoughtfully prepared meal excites him. It felt wonderful to skip the shopping and decision-making and simply enjoy a good meal together. I’m excited to try more dishes like zucchini and yellow squash enchiladas and seared salmon with preserved lemon and red quinoa.
Interested in trying Blue Apron? Here’s a special offer.
The first 50 readers to place an order will receive two free meals on their first Blue Apron delivery.
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Details are available through the Blue Apron sign-up.
Thank you to Blue Apron for providing the meals and partnering on this post. All opinions and experiences are my own.