And so Dinnerly saves on cost not by downgrading its proteins—it's mostly the same stuff that arrives in a Marley Spoon box—but in large part by keeping flavorings simple, just a spice mix or a single main herb and maybe a citrus fruit, with both zest and juice coming into play. This doubles as good cooking. Dinnerly also saves itself some money by relying on you to have your own garlic and butter in stock and not bulking up meals with quite as many carbs.

Last year when I tested Dinnerly, the effect was sometimes a little too simple. The meals I tried felt like they took a few too many shortcuts, leading in some cases to the occasional struggle meal.…