11 Food Delivery Services That Are Not Instacart

It’s no secret that scoring a grocery delivery time slot is practically an olympic sport. While we empathize with the workers at Amazon and Instacart who are striking for better wages and more protection against COVID-19, we also need to feed our families and keep our own health in mind. So where else can you score groceries, and why should you order groceries instead of going out to the store yourself?

Minimizing the risk of illness by getting food delivered

You might think, “Well, the grocery stores are still open. I’ll just go out when I need something.” And that’s a nice idea. But you should avoid that at all costs. Why? For several reasons:

1. Going to the store increases your risk because you will be in a space with people who may be COVID-19 carriers. You may say, “Well, I went to the store and no one looked sick.” That may be true. But they could simply be carrying the virus. Or you could be carrying the virus.
2. It’s really hard not to touch your face. You may think you don’t do this. But once you’re at a store, touching everything, and you brush a hair or an eyelash from your face or itching your nose, you’ll have an “oh fiddlesticks” moment. Just don’t do it.
3. It’s not just COVID-19 you have to worry about – it’s any sickness. Any injury. Any potential for hospitalization. You may think, “I’m healthy, I’m not worried about getting the virus.” And that alone would be idiotic. But it’s not just about your risk of getting the virus. What would happen if someone hit your car or something fell on you at the store? If you need to go to the hospital, your risk of contracting the virus is huge. Not to mention if you are critically injured and there’s no bed for you at the hospital because they’re full you will die.

COVID-19 grocery delivery services

We’re living in unprecedented times. That’s a phase I’m sure we’re all tired of hearing. But it’s true. If you’ve tried to secure a grocery delivering during the COVID-19 crisis, you’ve probably been searching for an alternate to Amazon Prime Now, Amazon Fresh, and Instacart. Times like these call for creative measures.

Here are 11 food delivery services to get what you need with less stress and the least possible exposure to others:

1. Walden Local Meat Co. If you join a meat share like this, you’ll get quality meat, poultry, fish and other goods delivered straight to your home. You can choose how many pounds you want, add special items, and check out some awesome recipes. Use this link and you’ll get free bacon and eggs with your first order (and we’ll just be excited you got some good food).
2. Amazon Pantry. This is a great option for self-stable staples, like Mac and cheese, protein bars, and other easy everyday foods for keeping the natives happy.
3. D’Artagnan. Look, we’re not going to claim this as a budget-friendly option. But if you have a hankering for high quality meats and poultry, this is the place to check out.
4. Suvie. The Protein Box from Suvie delivers vacuum-sealed meats, poultry and fish. You don’t need their fancy sous vide machine, but it’s a pretty cool gadget if you’d like to check it out! At $160 a box, it’s not a bad bargain, either.
5. Crowd Cow. From Texas wagyu to chicken wings, there’s a lot to choose from.
6. Freshly. If you’re flat out sick of cooking (heyyyyy week 6 of quarantine), then Freshly is a good choice. Meals made with quality ingredients are delivered to your door. You just heat and eat.
7. Goldbelly. When you want something special to break up the monotony, Goldbelly is where it’s at. We recently got the Shake Shack burgers delivered. Verdict? Amazing. The only thing that could have made it better would be extra Shack Sauce!
8. Costco. Believe it or not, there are plenty of shelf-stable essentials and luxury items on Costco’s website. Sure, you may not have it in the budget to order a cow’s worth of Wagyu, but it’s there if you need it.
9. Sam’s Club. Just like Costco, an incredible selection of shelf-stable items and essentials online.
10. Williams Sonoma. Did you know about this one? Maybe not! Amazing gourmet prepared foods delivered to your door. But there’s also meat, poultry and cooking and baking kits if you feel like whipping things up yourself.
11. Harry & David. Sensing a theme yet? Avoiding the grocery store doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice flavor and quality. You can have incredible food from home by getting creative with your ordering practices.

Any hidden gems we’ve missed? Share your favorite home delivery service in the comments below. Stay safe!