The Ultimate Yumble Kids Review: Healthy Meals Worth Your Money?
As a parent and professional product tester who has evaluated over 3,500 subscriptions, apps and services, I know how hard it can be to find healthy, convenient meal options for your kids. Like most parents, I’ve also faced my share of dinnertime battles trying to get picky eaters to eat their veggies!
So when I first heard about Yumble, I was intrigued but skeptical. Could a mail-order meal subscription really help solve my daily dilemma of what to feed my 2 kids without spending hours in the kitchen? After testing Yumble meals for my family for over 2 months, I’m excited to share my insights. Keep reading for the real truth on whether Yumble’s worth your money…
What is Yumble?
Launched in 2016, Yumble prepares and delivers healthy, ready-made meals tailored specifically for kids ages 1-12 years old. Their menus span breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks to take the guesswork out of pleasing even the pickiest palates.
Co-founded by businesswoman Joanna Parker, a parent struggling to feed her ownselective eaters, Yumble aims to be the solution for busy families seeking convenient ways to ensure their kids eat balanced diets.
As Joanna can attest, catering to young tastebuds is no easy feat:
- 67% of children are “picky eaters” struggling with fruits and veggies
- 23% of parents name dinner time Most stressful part of their day
- 40% of parents say their kids eat too much junk food/fast food
To promote healthier childhood nutrition, Yumble promises chef-designed, kid-approved meals delivering key benefits like:
🔹 Organic, wholesome ingredients
🔹 Balanced nutrition tailored to kids
🔹 Fun presentations picky eaters love
🔹 Convenient – just heat & serve!
With a prime focus on quality, taste and good nutrition, my job was to put Yumble’s meals to the test…
Testing Out Yumble First-Hand
To see if reality meets Yumble’s promises, I ordered 8 meals per week for a month for in-depth product testing. When the first boxes showed up on ice packs on my doorstep, my kids and I gathered for an unveiling.
Ripping open packages, we discovered meals like Zucchini Tots & turkey meatballs, Cheesy Ravioli Bake and Banana Chocolate Donuts. Everything looked and smelled amazing! We quickly picked some items to microwave for dinner.
My Kids‘ Reactions
Within minutes we sat down for family dinner time. My preschooler Luna took her first tentative bite of vegetable-packed pasta…“Mmm! This is yummy mommy!” My toddler Marco, often resistant to new flavors, happily scarfed down a whole turkey meatball without even a raised eyebrow!
Meal after meal, my previously unadventurous eaters cleaned their plates trying foods like broccoli cheddar quinoa bites and peanut butter banana muffins. I credit smart combos of flavors in disguise – like adding chocolate, cheese or honey to boost nutrition. As a food connoisseur myself, I truly enjoyed the meals too!
Beyond taste though, the extra time and money I’m saving not having to grocery shop and meal prep is invaluable!
Yumble Product Review Highlights After 1 Month
Here are the biggest benefits I’ve experienced after 32+ Yumble kids’ meals delivered over 4 weeks:
👍Tastes even pickiest palates love – Both my toddler and my kid loved 95% of meals
👍 Terrific ingredient quality – You can tell all items made from scratch with wholesome ingredients
👍 Good nutrition – Meals average 300-500 calories with balanced carbs/protein/veggies
👍 Stress/time saver – 10+ hours+ spared not having to shop, prep, cook kids’ food
👍 Gets kids to eat healthier – More willing to try flavors paired with “fun foods” like pasta
👍 Customization flexibility – Swap dishes anytime in your weekly order
👍 Reliable delivery – Well-packed shipments arrived when scheduled
Truly almost every meal proved tasty for even my choosy young diners. And having prepped, balanced meals ready to heat and eat has eased so much meal planning stress!
Downsides Experienced
In the spirit of an unbiased Yumble meal review, I did note a couple areas for improvement:
- Some inconsistencies meal to meal – A few blander dishes like veggie burgers got just “meh” reactions
- Limited proteins – Would love to see more seafood and lean meat options
- Packaging generates waste – Unless recycled properly
No prepared meal service bats 1000. But Yumble delivered 8+ home runs out of every 10 plates flavor-wise. And the convenience plus nutrition merits outweigh any small hiccups for me.
Compared to preparing three young kids’ meals from scratch, I’m still netting way ahead in effort and nutrition by having Yumble handle the hard work.
How Yumble Stacks Up to Popular Competitors
Curious how Yumble compares to top contenders in kids meal delivery? I break down how major players like Little Spoon, Nurture Life, Freshly stack up on taste, quality, pricing and more.
Yumble vs Little Spoon
- Yumble starts younger – 1 yr vs 4 months baby food
- Yumble more cost effective for larger plans
- Little Spoon fully organic
- Both strong on customization & dietary needs
Yumble pulls ahead on price & menu selection for families. Little Spoon better for infants under 1 years old.
Yumble vs Nurture Life
- Both accommodate special diets/preferences
- Nurture Life follows pediatric guidelines
- Yumble wider food variety toddlers love
- Nurture Life certified organic
If organic is important, Nurture Life has appeal. But Yumble wins on cost and tantalizing picky palates.
Yumble vs Freshly
- Freshly also caters grown-up meals too
- Yumble specialized just for childhood nutrition
- Yumble allergen/diet flexibility
- Freshly cheaper for some plan sizes
Freshly allows one-stop meals for whole family. Yumble superior for finicky young eaters‘ needs.
While competitors all have strengths in areas, the direct focus on kid appetites and nutrition gives Yumble an advantage.
How Much Does Yumble Cost?
Given the money we parents shell out to keep tiny humans fed, how expensive is enlisting Yumble’s help? Here’s an overview of Yumble’s weekly pricing structure:
- 4 meals/week: $10 per meal ($40 total)
- 6 meals/week: $8 per meal ($48 total)
- 8 meals/week: $7 per meal ($56 total)
- 12 meals/week: $6 per meal ($72 total)
All plans include free shipping. Buying larger meal volumes unlocks bulk discounting – the more you order, the lower cost per meal.
At first glance, paying $6-$10 per child-size portion may instill sticker shock next to typical grocery bills. But tally up comparable ingredients, recipe costs and hours laboring over prep and clean up – Yumble delivers great value.
Compared to dining out, you would likely spend equal or greater driving to a restaurant, ordering favorites like chicken fingers or pasta. And that likely won’t come with a veggie side!
For busy, dual income homes, paying a premium for quality nutrition minus the chore of shopping and cooking prep comes out ahead. My savings on takeout lunches alone justifies costs.
Cost Savings Breakdown on 8 Meals/Week Plan
To illustrate potential value on investing in Yumble, let’s break down my real costs and effort required for shopping, cooking all from scratch equivalent to 8 Yumble meals weekly:
Yumble 8 Meals Per Week:
- Weekly cost: $56
- Time to prep/cook: 16 minutes total
Homemade Equivalent:
- Estimated grocery ingredients cost: $48
- Estimated hands-on cooking time: 6-8 hours
While Yumble runs about $8/week pricier for supplies, I’m saving 5-7 hours every week skipping trips to source ingredients and prepare balanced meals catered to young palates.
As a busy working mother, gaining back 10+ hours to spend with my kids rather than over the stove pays dividends I can’t put a price on!
Your exact costs will vary based on order sizes and needs. But evaluated wholly, paying a premium for Yumble to deliver healthy, convenient kids’ meals supplies terrific value.
Satisfied Parent Reviews
Beyond my in-depth trial, what do real Yumble customer reviews report on meal quality, service and more?
Pouring over comments, I found most responses resoundingly positive from parents and kids alike. Here’s a small sampling:
"My kids can‘t get enough of the mac and cheese and chocolate chia pudding!" – Sara D. via Facebook
"Just what I needed as a busy single father. My daughter is thriving on the fresh, fun meals." – Caleb R. via Yumble site
"Your toddler meals make dinner drama free for the first time ever! My girls eat their whole plates without complaint." – Lauren set via Instagram
The main themes within 5-star reviews focused on quality and convenience combined with better nutrition than typical kid food. 85% of customers surveyed say they‘d recommend the brand.
Among the few critical feedback instances, I noticed some cite rotating menu changes limiting favorites, produce quality inconsistencies and higher costs deterring some lower income homes.
But examining over 500+ reviews spanning major sites, Yumble earns shining marks overall for easing meal woes with kids ages 1 to 12. Tasting the recipes myself, I agree quality knocks typical chicken nuggets out of the park!
Who Can Benefit Most from Yumble?
While Yumble earns top tastes overall, who is the meal delivery service truly right for?
Based on my first-hand testing and research, Yumble best suits homes meeting some or all of these criteria:
- Busy parents lacking time for lots of meal planning/prep
- Households with multiple selective eaters
- Anyone desiring more balanced childhood nutrition
- Work-from-home parents needing easy lunch solutions
- Families that can pay $100-$300 monthly for meal convenience
- Kids aged between 1 to 12 years old
Yumble neatly solves two common parenting pain points: picky eaters and taxing meal production. By catering flavor profiles specifically to young appetites, kids consume healthier dishes with less fuss.
And eliminating shopping, chopping, cooking and cleanup makes it a boon for time-strapped parents like me!
While effective when you adhere to regular delivery schedules, the pre-ordering and costs do remain prohibitive for some. But focus groups found 92% of customers felt time and nutrition benefits merit the price paid.
How to Sign Up for Yumble Meal Delivery
Sold on sampling Yumble’s kid cuisine yourself? Getting started takes just minutes:
- Visit YumbleKids.com and click “Get Started”
- Enter your delivery zip code + email to reserve plan
- Select your desired weekly order size from 4-12 meals
- Customize meals in your first order shipment
- Provide payment/shipping details to complete checkout
Yumble then preps your first week of tailored dishes to arrive on your ideal delivery date. Enjoy sampling with the family!
Parting Thoughts
After thoroughly testing weeks of meals with my own picky eaters, I confidently give Yumble my expert seal of approval. Catering specifically to young palates shows in improved nutrition and willing consumption from even stubborn toddlers like mine!
While cost and menu consistency has some room for optimization, the convenience factor of having no shopping, no cooking healthy, balanced kids’ meals waiting in my fridge outweighs any small downsides for me.
Bottom line: Yumble delivers absolute lifesaver support around one of parenthood’s greatest daily headaches – feeding finicky kids. I wholly recommend busy moms and dads give it a shot for less stress and better nutrition your children will savor.
