I wanted to do an honest review of HelloFresh to answer the question, “is HelloFresh worth it?” I received a free box by a friend referral, and I thought there was nothing to lose. My overall experience with HelloFresh is positive, but I want to dig into the details with a blog post.
Price point:
I received three meals of two servings each meal so I could have leftovers. I did get my first week free, but I did pay $61.93 for a second box coming this week. That is $7.99 per serving and a shipping cost of $8.99. For reference, on average, I spend $70 – $90 a week at the grocery store. Even with the box, I would still need to buy essential items from the grocery store. It is possible to stay within my budget and to purchase HelloFresh. This service is a bit pricer, but my meals’ quality took a turn for the better last week. I often get stuck in a food rut out of convenience.
Packaging and delivery:
When placing your order, you can pick what day of the week your package is delivered. The box arrived packaged with ice packs for refrigeration, and the delivery arrived on time and without any problems. Each meal came in individual bags with all ingredients inside. Meal cards with picture and step by step instructions came with each meal.
The HelloFresh Food:
You can pick the meals you want based on your dietary needs with numerous options for meals. Low carb, low calories, or vegetarian? No problem. There are meals for most everyday diets. I wanted to have more plant-based meals because I have difficulty finding the correct balance on my own. My plant-based meals tend to be carb-heavy. Cooking these meals is a great way to develop your meal ideas or learn how to balance your plate.
The three meals I picked during this week were:
- Stuffed delicata squash with creamy lemon couscous
- Raja quesadillas
- Shwarma spiced meatballs
My overall impression:
The food turned out better than I expected. I was MORE than skeptical about everything. The ingredients came in their bags, and everything was fresh. HelloFresh is excellent for not wasting ingredients because you use everything in the bag, reducing food waste. That is always a win!
The food was great, but I had to work for it. HelloFresh was more work than I wanted it to be, which is why I eat the same meals over and over again. There is lots of chopping and mincing, which isn’t my strength. In the end, it doesn’t have to look pretty, but it must taste good. And the food turned out great. Most of the time, I had more than two servings of food left for other meals.
The cook time on the cards took a bit longer because I’m not the best cook. The acorn squash recipe (watch my YouTube video) was the most worried meal from the box. I often shy away from some unfamiliar ingredients in the bag because those things are “too difficult” to cook. In the end, it turned out to be my favorite meal from the box. So look, I gained some cooking confidence by ordering a HelloFresh box.
I had some difficulties with ripped tortillas for my quesadillas, but I made it work. Those are everyday kitchen mishaps. But for the most part, constructing the meals was easy and something I could do while parenting. I took my liberties like cooking my meatballs in the air fryer instead of the oven to save a bit of time and clean up.
Would I order HelloFresh again?
I have already ordered my second box for this week. The food is good, and it was great to have everything I need for my meals. The meals aren’t something I would meal prep ahead of time, so I need to prepare the meals during the week. I did enjoy being in the kitchen with Tiny Tot making dinner. All in all, if you have room in your budget for this service, you will be satisfied with the result.
I encourage all my readers to try HelloFresh by getting $70 off your first box.
Have you tried a meal delivery service like HelloFresh? Do you think it is worth the money?
