Imperfect Produce: The Go-To For Cheap Produce Delivery?

As a college student, I have experienced just about every struggle from dealing with crazy roommates to paying insane amounts of money for parking -or parking tickets. But the worst thing about dorm living, would have to be food.  Surviving without kitchens, forced to eat mediocre cafeteria food can really take a toll on your diet, and your bank account. At least, it did mine.

With fresh produce being one of the most expensive items on my grocery list, I was eating a lot less fruit and vegetables than the doctor recommended. So, when I was scrolling through Instagram and saw an ad for Imperfect Produce, I thought I’d give it a taste.

Before I started, I wanted to see if there was anything else like this available in my area. When I Googled grocery stores in my area to see where I could get my fresh produce delivered from, Walmart was the first suggestion. Unfortunately, when I tried to compare the prices in the the ‘fresh food’ category, I was very disappointed. Walmart doesn’t deliver fresh produce! I couldn’t find anywhere else college students would go to find cheap fruits and veggies delivered, so Imperfect Produce was the best pick from the vine.

Imperfect Produce just sprouted in Milwaukee on June 25^th. The company collects fruits and veggies from distributors that judge the apple by the skin. By saving the foodstuffs that grocery stores would normally throw away, they can chop up the price and prevent waste a ton, or tons for that matter.

The first step in my process was of course visiting their garden- I mean website. This in itself is a great convenience. I didn’t have to leave my apartment to see their product! Their website is not only super cute- but very straightforward. My mom couldn’t even screw it up. I signed up in 5 minutes- and didn’t have to try twice to create a password! That’s a win from me.

After I was finished planting my account, I could browse and pick out my produce products (say that five times fast). They have four box types to choose from: Organic, All Veggies, Fruit & Veggies, and All Fruit. And, wait for it, they come in three sizes! Okay like how could this get any better, you ask? YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE YOUR OWN BOX TOO! No spinach or mushrooms for me! Winning.

I picked (haha) the small box of mixed fruit and veggies for my first taste test. This includes eight pounds of neglected nummies that came to $12.62. That’s pretty cheap for eight pounds. With delivery, the whole bushel came to $17.61. The delivery charge seemed a little steep to me at first but considering how most Chinese restaurants charge around $3 to deliver one meal, it seems a lot less sour.

After I chose my box, Imperfect Produce asked for my zip code to determine my delivery date, which turned out to be every Monday. I was a little confused with the single day delivery, but after a little digging on their website, I saw they buried a seed of explanation. They deliver by neighborhood to reduce their carbon footprint! That’s sweet. Also tasty was the option to choose my delivery time! I had three ranges: 10am- 3pm, 3pm- 8pm, and 10am- 8pm.

On the day of delivery, I knew my box was on its way when I received a text alert that it would arrive within three minutes. Sure enough, I got another text letting me know that the box was delivered. The box itself was so cute I was immediately ripe with excitement. I opened it and was apple-eyed at its contents!

In my small Fruit & Veggie box I received:

• 1 huge yam
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 3 apples
• 4 plums
• 2 nectarines
• 2 avocados
• 1 grapefruit
• 1 head romaine lettuce

 

All this fresh produce made my mouth water! And, as far as I could tell they were all grocery-store quality. Included as well was a detailed diagram showing where and how to store the produce they just shipped me. Even better, also inside the box was a thank you card with an invitation to post a pic with their hashtag #imperfectproduce, and they’ll donate five pounds of food to a local food bank. Those are some generous portions.

Of course, the final test was the taste, and boy was it delicious. I had enough avocados for my toast all week, all the makings for a great salad and enough fruit for me to snack on for days! I would definitely reorder for next week, but it’s already done! Imperfect Produce will automatically deliver and charge your card every week without having you revisit the website, unless you choose to skip next weeks delivery.

It seems like Imperfect Produce has plucked every thorn from the vine. With a great product, convenient delivery and at an affordable price, this seems like the perfect way for not only college students but anyone to get healthy. With quick and easy enrollment, you’ll be cooking in no time!