My Super Honest Hello Fresh Review
Most people in my life know that I am an EPIC meal prepper. I have to know what I'm going to eat for the next five days, and I prefer to make it myself. Of course I like nice surprises by way of a last minute dinner date with friends, but I like to have my core meals covered because 1) I'm a planner by nature, and 2) meal prepping forces me to make healthier choices and takes away the impulse to Postmates a meal that will cost me $15 for delivery and 1500 extra calories.
Enter Hello Fresh! Yes, there are a bazillion million meal box subscription services out there and you're probably reading this for my review as to why Hello Fresh is different from Blue Apron, or Home Chef...and the truth is I haven't tried any other service besides Hello Fresh, so I can't give a comparative review BUT I can give you my very, very honest opinion on Hello Fresh. Unsponsored, because I'm writing this because I want to. Hello Fresh doesn't even know that I exist, but if someone working there happens to read this then HEY GIRL 👋🏾
For the unaware, Hello Fresh is a meal kit delivery company that sends all of the ingredients that you need to create a 2-4 person meal right to your door. Each kit includes a recipe card so you can make the meal yourself in about 30 minutes or less. The meals are so easy a caveman could do it, and all of the meals I've made from Hello Fresh have been absolutely delicious. Hello Fresh is currently the largest meal kit delivery company in the U.S.
I tried Hello Fresh for the first time about a year in a half ago when I managed to get my hands on a 'free week' code that was being shared on a Facebook Group that I am a part of. I was a meat-eater back then, and the only meal I distinctly remember from that week is their Korean Bibimbap Rice Bowl, which is SO GOOD that I make it all the time now, sans meat. You can find the recipe online if you'd like to try it, here's a link to it.
After that free week trial ended, I remember being super impressed with the meals I made that week (the bibimbap was certainly the star) and seriously considered buying a weekly subscription. But, money was tight back then (isn't it always, tho?) and the cost of Hello Fresh is about $70 per week. As someone who lives alone and cooks only for myself, I'm able to spend about that same amount for a week's worth of food for lunch AND dinner, as well as dessert. I also like to be creative in the kitchen and don't necessarily follow recipes to a tee, so the rigidity of the Hello Fresh recipes didn't really appeal to me at the time.
So, what do I think now?
Well...
My opinion hasn't really changed. Hello Fresh isn't something that will work for ME personally because I'm not someone who is looking for convenience in cooking. I love being super involved in the process from going to the grocery store, to measuring and weighing my own ingredients, to eyeballing the amount of garlic that needs to be added. I like to be the master of my meals.
Now, Hello Fresh is PERFECT for someone who is not like me. If you are looking for really easy meals that you can make at home if less than 30 minutes that are ~ relatively ~ healthy, then you should definitely try Hello Fresh! I can totally see why it appeals to a lot of people like my sister, who goes to school full time and does NOT want to spend two hours fooling around in the kitchen at 8 PM after class. Now, I am the person who gets a thrill from fooling around in the kitchen at midnight, but not everyone is, which is why I would totally still recommend Hello Fresh if it's for you!
I gave Hello Fresh another go this fall because I was offered a pretty steep discount code for a week of meals, so I went for it. I picked out their Garlic Herb Tortellini, Southwest Stuffed Poblanos, and Roasted Veggie Caprese Bowl. I. Loved. Them.
The garlic tortellini was indulgent and delicious, the poblano peppers were light, cheesy, and looked fancy AF, and the caprese bowls were filling and tasty. I would eat any of them again tomorrow if it teleported in front of me. So much yum!
My main gripe with Hello Fresh, though, is that they are NOT vegan friendly. When I put in my food preferences and removed both meat and dairy, I was greeted with a screen that said there were not enough meals available for me to choose from. Given how veganism is becoming more and more mainstream, it seems silly that such a large meal service would not have vegan options.
So, if you're strictly vegan, Hello Fresh would not be for you either.
Those are my honest thoughts on Hello Fresh. I won't be ordering from them again unless I'm given a really good discount code, but if you're someone short on time and with few food restrictions, I 100% suggest you at least try it out for a week. I know you'll love the meals as much as I do.
