Misfits Market vs. Imperfect Foods: Which Sustainable Grocery Service Is Best?

Whether you prefer to schedule deliveries from your local grocery store or you tend to use online retailers like Thrive Market, grocery delivery services make it easier to shop for healthy ingredients and pantry staples. At mindbodygreen, we're all about finding ways to cut back on waste. Needless to say, our interest was piqued by two waste-prohibiting grocery retailers in particular: Imperfect Foods and Misfits Market.

Both companies operate as discount grocery subscription services with the same goals in mind: to make healthy foods more affordable and accessible, and to minimize food waste. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, every year, between 125 and 160 billion pounds of food goes uneaten in the United States alone. Each company saves many products (such as "ugly" or "misfit" produce or items that there's a surplus of) from going into the landfill.

Even though Imperfect Foods recently joined the Misfits Market family, we were still curious to learn more about the differences between the two companies: Do both brands offer the same product assortment? How do prices compare? Is sustainable packaging used?

When signing up for Misfits Market, you'll first enter your email address and create a password. It will then bring you to a page to fill in your full name, shipping address, and phone number. Here, you'll be able to leave any delivery notes such as where you'd like the package left or if your apartment building has a front desk or door attendant.

Information will populate on the side of the screen to tell you which day Misfits Market does deliveries in your area. For my neighborhood, the delivery date is Tuesday. Quick note: Unfortunately, the day of the week you receive your delivery cannot be changed. On the bright side, the brand does this to limit its carbon footprint.

Based on the survey I completed, my plan started at $35 per week plus tax and shipping—but the plan can be customized. All changes, including whether or not I'd like to skip a week or change my delivery details, can be made under Settings.

Misfits Market's website makes it super easy to shop for products. Under the "Shop By Aisle" section, you'll find a list of product categories, such as deli, dairy & eggs, pantry, beverages, and more. I found there to be a good number of products under each category, although some definitely have more than others. For example, the pantry section currently has 263 products, whereas the pet section currently has seven. Each item lists its price and how much you're saving by purchasing it from Misfits Market.

There's also a "Recipe Inspiration" category that lists a slew of recipes, such as berry ricotta scones and skirt steak quesadillas. If you click on a recipe, all the necessary ingredients are automatically added to your cart. This is great if you're stumped on what to shop for.

When signing up for an Imperfect Foods account, you'll first be asked to type in your ZIP code to confirm delivery is available in your area. Just like Misfits Market, the company decides on one delivery date for a neighborhood to help lower its carbon footprint. This date cannot be changed.

Next, you're taken to a screen that asks you how many adults, kids, and pets you're shopping for and when you want your first delivery to arrive. We were given two options: the upcoming Tuesday or the following week. There was no option to select a date beyond those two.

On the following screen, you'll see additional information about your shopping window. Heads up: Like Misfits Market, Imperfect Foods pre-fills your cart a few days before each delivery date with items they think you may be interested in. Be sure to remove any unwanted items from your cart before the order is finalized.

The Imperfect Foods shopping experience was also pretty seamless. The site organizes items under categories like "Meat & Fish'' and "Dairy & Deli." Imperfect Foods doesn't list the number of items next to the category title, so although it seems like the site offers a pretty good selection, it's difficult to know how many products are available. Imperfect Foods doesn't have a recipe inspiration section but does list weekly deals, last-chance items, and those that were recently added, which may be helpful for some shoppers.

Both sites offer affordable products that are considerably less expensive than my (the author) local grocery store in New York City. Of course, this will depend on grocery store prices in your area, as prices vary based on where you're located.

Between the two, the prices are similar, which may have to do with the fact that Imperfect Foods is now part of the Misfits Market family. Below is a snapshot of a typical shopping cart from each.

Misfits Market Shopping Cart:

Lemons, 2 ct. $1.78

Organic Blueberries 6 oz. $5.99

Califia Farms Oat Milk $5.59

Organic Boneless Sirloin Steak $7.19

Imperfect Foods Shopping Cart:

Lemons, 2 ct. $1.78

Organic Blueberries 6 oz. $5.99

Califia Farms Oat Milk $5.59

Misfits Market offers a wide range of products, including organic produce, pantry staples, pet supplies, and more.

Similar to Misfits Market, Imperfect Foods offers a large variety of fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, pantry staples, and much more.

Misfits Market and Imperfect Foods both operate with the mission of sustainability at their core. Each company works to reduce food waste by selling sustainably sourced "imperfect" produce that would otherwise end up in landfills. In the United States alone, it's believed that somewhere between 30 and 40% of the total food supply ends up as waste1—so these services have the right idea.

Each brand also puts effort into making eco-friendly choices regarding shipping, especially regarding packaging. For instance, they pack orders in a 100% recycled fiber box and use packing materials (bubble wrap, insulated liners, etc.) made from other recycled materials.