The Odd Bunch: The Subscription Box That’s Saving My Grocery Budget (and Getting Me Back in the Kitchen)

Let me be real with you for a second — grocery prices right now are a lot. If you’ve been standing in the produce aisle lately doing mental math and quietly putting things back on the shelf, you are not alone.

Feeding a family — or even just yourself — while keeping costs down without sacrificing nutrition? That’s something I hear from clients constantly.

So when I came across The Odd Bunch, I had to share it — because it checks a lot of boxes (pun absolutely intended).

What Is The Odd Bunch?

The Odd Bunch is a Canadian subscription produce delivery service built around a simple but brilliant idea: rescue the fruits and vegetables that grocery stores reject because they don’t ‘look’ perfect, and get them into the hands of families at a fraction of the cost.

Too big? Too small? A little lopsided? Totally fine. Grocery stores have strict cosmetic standards, and anything that looks or feels a little different tends to get rejected or dumped — even when it’s completely fresh and nutritious. The Odd Bunch steps in and rescues that produce and delivers it right to your door.

The Savings Are Real — and It’s Not Just About Money

Customers can save up to 30–50% compared to grocery store prices, and I have seen that hold up week after week in my own box. But here’s the part people don’t always think about — the time savings add up too.

Because the produce comes to me, I’m making far fewer trips to the grocery store. Less time in the aisles, less time in the car, and honestly — less gas money spent too. When you factor all of that in alongside the lower produce costs, the value is even better than it looks on paper. And delivery? It’s a very small charge — well worth it for the convenience alone.

What Actually Shows Up in the Box

Here’s what I love most — the variety. Some weeks I’ve gotten avocados. Other weeks, melons. This week I actually needed lemons and there they were. I’ve also gotten an array of colours and flavours I wouldn’t have thought to pick myself, including unique finds like different varieties of tall mushrooms. And you can almost always count on the staples — potatoes and onions — showing up reliably too.

As a household of one, I find the box is more than enough for the amount I cook. And when I want more, the options are genuinely impressive.

Build Your Box Your Way

This is where it gets fun. The Odd Bunch isn’t one-size-fits-all. You can choose from:

• Different box sizes — small, medium, and larger options depending on your household

• Specialty boxes — organic, veggie only, or fruit only if that’s more your style

• Add-on boxes — mix and match to build exactly what you need. Have a small mixed box as your base and love fruit? Add a fruit box alongside it

• Reclaimed juices — made from rescued fruits and vegetables, a brilliant extension of the whole concept

The flexibility means it works whether you’re cooking for one, feeding a family, or somewhere in between.

Perks That Keep on Giving

They’ve also built in some genuinely fun incentives. Keep your deliveries going for five weeks without skipping and you hit a streak milestone with rewards. You also earn points over time that can be redeemed for discounts and other benefits. It’s a nice little bonus for something you’d be doing anyway.

How It Works (Including Allergies and Food Preferences)

It’s wonderfully flexible week to week too. Each week, you can make one free substitution through their Substitutions page — and they specifically acknowledge that allergies and food dislikes are real. They don’t want you wasting produce either, so swapping something out is easy and built right into the system.

They’ve also thought of everything when it comes to delivery. You’ll get a text notification with a one-to-two hour arrival window on Fridays, so you’re never left wondering when to expect it.

Every Monday at approximately 2:00 pm local time, the Weekly Harvest is posted on their website and social media — showing exactly what’s coming for orders shipping that week Wednesday through Saturday.

This makes meal planning so much easier. And if something in your box isn’t right, their customer service team will make it right.

It Gets You Back in the Kitchen

Each week brings a rotating mix of seasonal produce, and that element of surprise is genuinely energizing. You open the box, see what’s there, and suddenly a meal idea starts to take shape that you never would have planned on your own.

From a nutrition standpoint, this matters more than people realize. When we rotate through the same few foods week after week, we limit the range of fibres and plant compounds we’re getting. A box like this naturally nudges you toward more variety — without any extra effort on your part.

The Bonus: You’re Reducing Food Waste Too

Choosing a service like this is one small, practical way to push back on the enormous amount of food that gets wasted in Canada every year. You’re feeding your family well and doing something good. That’s a win on every level.

Ready to Give It a Try?

Use my referral link below to get $10 off your first box — and check out all the options at oddbunch.ca.

👉 $10 off your first box — click here

Sandra Venneri, RD, PHEc is a Registered Dietitian and Professional Home Economist at Nutrition Bites in St. Catharines, Ontario. She helps individuals and families build a healthier relationship with food — without the rules, guilt, or diet culture.

Disclosure: This post contains a referral link. If you use it, you’ll receive $10 off your first box — and I’ll receive a discount on mine. I only share things I genuinely use and believe in.