Instacart’s meal-planning partnership moves into Baltimore

Instacart’s recent expansion into Baltimore is also bringing a new meal-planning service with it.
The app-based grocery delivery service’s partnership with Silicon Valley-based PlateJoy is officially launching in Baltimore and D.C. this week.
PlateJoy aggregates menus for users based on data points like health, schedule and taste. That data can now be sent to Instacart, where users can finalize their grocery orders, said PlateJoy founder Christina Bognet.
Groceries will be delivered by Instacart’s shoppers, who began appearing in Baltimore-area grocery aisles in the spring. Bognet said PlateJoy won’t be adding employees in the area. PlateJoy has a $59 membership, and customers also pay grocery costs. The startup sees meal-kit companies like Blue Apron and Plated as competitors.
Baltimore-based DinnerTime also makes a meal-planning app, which focuses in on sales at local grocery stores. That startup has been focusing on health-oriented partnerships, most recently signing on with the American Heart Association.