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There has been a lot of talk lately that I’ve seen on Instagram about Thrive Market. Or maybe there always has been a lot of talk, but I just haven’t paid attention haha. Either way, I was really intrigued one day and decided to look into it a little further. And eventually signed up and placed my first order. I wanted to share my experience with Thrive Market….so far because it has been less than a month!
What is Thrive Market?
They are an online grocery store that has a large selection of organic and healthy foods. It is membership based program and they ship to you. Place an order as often as you like! They also claim to be a lot cheaper than shopping in stores for organic and healthy foods. It is also really convenient how they have their site set up if you are gluten free, paleo, vegan, etc. because you can filter and find foods for your diet really easily.
Why I Joined
Honestly, the main reason is I really wanted to see what they hype was all about. Whole Foods is not really close to us. But we do have a really nice, local market that sells a lot of organic and healthy options. I probably could have started to shop there first and see how I like it. But that market is crazy over priced, so I don’t really trust their prices. We buy random things there, mainly because it is really easy and convenient for us. But to do all of your shopping there would cost a small fortune!
The membership at Thrive Market is around $60 for a year, so $5 a month. I paid for the whole year upfront because you get a better deal. They will bill you monthly too, but it is a little more expensive. When I signed up you had 30 days to cancel the membership and get your money back. So I figured if I really hated it after a month, it was really no problem because I would get my money back. I also thought for $5 a month, I want to see how much I use it this year and go from there. I really wanted to try some new things, find some things I love. And if I decide I use it a lot- great, I will sign up again next year. And if not, I can always cancel.
Another reason I really wanted to try it was because I have really gotten into cooking lately. We eat almost all of our meals at home right now. Mainly because it is cold and gross and we don’t want to go out haha. But it is also just easier with a picky toddler. The other day I fed her some chicken nuggets and gave her ketchup to dip her nuggets in and she went crazy for the ketchup. I mean, who could blame her, I am a huge ketchup fan too! But then it occurred to me- ketchup is basically allll sugar. I’ve never really been one to think about that for myself. But it is a little different when you have this innocent, little child who is looking to you to make good decisions for them.
So I had this experience in the back of mind when I signed up for Thrive Market. I really want to start filling my condiments and pantry with better options for her. Ones that have better ingredients. I am still all for eating fresh foods like meats, veggies and fruits. But our pantry staples and snacks is where I think we could use some improvement on.
My Experience with Thrive Market
So far, I have placed two orders one of which is photographed in my image above. And I have been really impressed with everything. It all came packaged so well. The items in glass containers were wrapped separately, so less of a chance for them to break. And even some of the chips I bought didn’t come broken. It was flawless.
And delivery was really quick. I placed my order on a Thursday and received my box that Saturday. And then my second order, I placed Thursday night and received it on Sunday. So super quick! I’m sure it is different for every area and depends when you place your order, but they say it usually takes 3-5 days.
So far, I really enjoy the membership and have already found some items we love. Every week, I make a homemade pizza. We both love it and so does Sloane. And the pizza sauce I bought is the absolute best! I bought two jars on the second order I placed. And I love the granola I bought. I eat this on yogurt almost every day as a mid-morning snack. Sloane loves her cheddar bunnies and her Cerebelly bars as snacks. I’ve been really happy with everything so far.
They have an app which makes things really easy too. Free shipping is on anything over $49. So I’ve been adding items to my cart that we need and once I hit the free shipping mark, I place an order. Doesn’t take long! Moving forward, my plan is place one order every month.
They also have a lot of deals. There is an entire section of deals. And they will email you deals almost daily it seems. They offer a lot of free items in those emails which is a nice way to try something new. But you have to be quick! They go really fast too.
What I’ve Bought
Here are the items I’ve bought and tried so far. The site is big and has a lot of options, so I think it’s important to share what we like and have tried so far.
- Chomps– I love these! This was actually a free gift I received when I signed up. But I would have bought them anyways. I love to snack on them.
- Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies– Sloane has been obsessed with Goldfish lately, so I thought we would try these as they have better ingredients in them. We ate the whole box in a week, so I also bought a box on our second order.
- Primal Kitchen Pizza Sauce– This is sooooo good! A little more expensive, but I can make 2-3 pizzas from it. We loved it so much that on my second order, I bought two!
- Thrive Market Granola– I thought this was so good and delicious. And is really filling. Bought it to try on my first order and bought two more on my second order it was so good.
- Chopped Garlic– I use this a lot when I cook. It is way easier than using fresh garlic in my opinion. I was out so I decided to try this one.
- Maya Kaimal Sauce– I bought this to keep in my pantry as I use it when I make chicken curry. I’ve used this before and it’s really delicious. Even Sloane loves it!
- Rao’s Marinara Sauce– I’ve heard so many great things about this sauce, but have yet to try it. I’m making spaghetti with it this week so I’m expecting it to knock my socks off! I will note that moving forward, I don’t think I will purchase this from Thrive Market. I found this at Sam’s Club and you can basically get two for the price of one. Gotta know your prices!
- Whisps– I bought these as a snack for myself and they are so good! Highly recommend.
- Veggie Sticks– Another snack Sloane has been loving lately. These are delicious too.
- Cerebelly Bars– Sloane loves these as a snack. We have had these before. I really like that they are an easy and healthy snack for her. I bought a box of the Carrot & Raisin on my first order and then added Blueberry, Banana & Sweet Potato and Strawberry & Beet to my second order.
- Primal Kitchen Ranch Dressing– Kurt and Sloane both love dipping their pizza in ranch. I honestly didn’t think this one was anything special. So the next time we need ranch, I will try a different one.
- Banza Pasta- I bought the spaghetti noodles and penne. We haven’t tried these yet, but I plan on making them this week. I’ve heard really great things about them so I have high expectations.
- Annie’s Crispy Snack Bars– May or may not have bought these for myself haha. And Sloane too.
- Annie’s Bunny Grahams Crackers– Ok these are delicious. I opened them up when I got my order and tried a handful and couldn’t stop eating them. Bought them for Sloane, but I’m sure I will be grabbing a handful every now and then too!
- Sea Salt Crackers– I love to snack on cheese and crackers in the afternoon and I have been wanting something with a little more protein and found these.
- Taco Spice Blend– I bought these to keep on hand for a quick dinner one night. Trader Joe’s has the best taco spices so this one has a lot to live up to!
- Thrive Market Honey– I use honey on my yogurt and granola and was out, so I decided to try this one.
Cons to Thrive Market
I really think you need to know your prices, like a lot of places. Some items are cheaper, but then there are some items that are a lot more expensive. There are also some items that you have to buy a minimum of two like tomato paste, pasta, etc. Not the biggest deal, but just something to note. The site can also be a bit overwhelming as there is a lot to go thru. I find it easier to search what I am looking for and all of the options will pop up. It is really nice that there are tons of reviews to read so you can figure out what item will be best for you.
And lastly, to place an order for the frozen foods, the free shipping minimum is $120 which isn’t too bad. But I have the smallest freezer ever! So I don’t really have the room to stock up and store that much. I think for now, I am going to hold off on this section and stick to snacks and pantry staples which is kind of a bummer because they do have a lot of frozen stuff I want to try.
Overall, I have had a really positive experience with Thrive Market and I plan on continuing to utilize it moving forward. I find myself searching and adding items to my cart all the time now. If you want to sign up, be sure to use this link here for 40% off your first order!
xoxox Amanda
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