If you were to believe every single YouTuber who advertises HelloFresh in their videos like it's the best thing since sliced bread, there would be no need to ask this question.
But is HelloFresh healthy? We have decided to put this meal delivery service to the test and see exactly what it can provide. We want to know if it's worth your money and your time and if it will be a good fit for your daily lifestyle.
What is HelloFresh?
Simply put, HelloFresh is a meal delivery service that brings kits or shipments consisting of groceries and recipes to your house every week.
This system appeals to people or families who like to cook their own meals but don't have enough time to go shopping at the supermarket or to prepare the ingredients for every cooking session.
According to its users, HelloFresh is also perfect for people who enjoy the taste and quality of restaurant-grade food but don't want to pay the high prices. This is what the service can offer.
But is HelloFresh healthy? Let's take a look at how the process works.
How Does HelloFresh work?
The service is very user-friendly. HelloFresh offers you the opportunity to choose between three and five recipes every week. The portions for every recipe will cater to either two or four people.
One of the best things about HelloFresh is that it has an incredibly varied menu every week. Not only that, but the service allows you to choose every single meal one day before the ingredients are shipped to your door.
However, if you don't know what to choose or you would like to be surprised, HelloFresh can choose different recipes for you automatically. In the same way, if you don't feel happy about any of the recipes HelloFresh has to offer during one particular week, you can simply skip the box.
Still, as most users report, seeing as HelloFresh has more than 2500 yummy recipes to offer, it is very unlikely for you not to find something you would like to eat in one particular week!
HelloFresh Recipes - What Do I Need to Know?
Since this is an objective HelloFresh review, here is the first thing we have discovered and that you need to know.
HelloFresh doesn't send you all the ingredients you need for the recipes you have selected. In reality, it sends you most of them. What does this mean?
You are expected to own extra ingredients such as butter, oil, condiments, and, of course, salt and pepper.
Another very important thing you need to be aware of is that HelloFresh provides you with detailed instructions and step-by-step recipes for every meal you choose. However, you will still need to know how to chop, dice, mince, peel vegetables and fruits, and so on.
As a result, despite the detailed instructions and large boxes of ingredients, HelloFresh may not be considered a service for beginners.
Users have also reported that the preparation time noted on the cards which come along with the recipe instructions is not entirely accurate.
For example, if the prep time for a certain recipe on a HelloFresh card indicates 30 minutes, expect it to actually take you over an hour.
It all depends on how skilled you are in chopping and peeling.
Is HelloFresh Healthy? - Meal Plans
As mentioned before, the service offers meal plans for two and four people. According to them, you can choose the meal plan for two people if you're a couple or a single individual.
If you have a big family, you should opt for a meal plan for four people. According to users, the portions are big enough to feed a family of three to four people and even assure some leftovers for the next day.
Please be aware of the fact that one meal kit or box is enough for one single serving.
HelloFresh allows you to order one box or kit three or four times every week. As a result, you can benefit from three to four HelloFresh meals for two to four people per week.
What Types Of Meal Kits Does HelloFresh Offer?
As expected, HelloFresh is an extremely flexible service and aims to cater to every type of foodie. This includes meat lovers, vegans, and vegetarians alike. Here are their meal kit options:
Veggie - as the name suggests, this plan includes HelloFresh vegetarian recipes based on seasonal produce, grains, and proteins derived from plants.
Meat & Veggies - a very traditional meal kit that can provide you with a wide plethora of seasonal produce, fish, and different cuts of meat.
HelloFresh family plan - the service describes this family-friendly kit as the one which incorporates very easy and quick meals that are extremely delicious for the whole family.
Low Calorie - if you are on a diet or simply watching what you eat, HelloFresh can provide you with a set of meals and recipes which they claim have been devised by a dietitian. According to HelloFresh, each of these meals only has 650 calories.
Quick and Easy - this meal plan consists of recipes that you can finish in under 30 minutes.
Pescatarian - recipes based on seafood, which exclude any other kind of animal proteins.
It's important to mention here that despite HelloFresh's intentions to cater to a wide audience that includes vegans and vegetarians, people who suffer from different types of food allergies should take extra precautions.
Is HelloFresh healthy? The meals and ingredients are packed in large open spaces where cross-contamination of allergens is entirely possible.
At the same time, even though HelloFresh has a low-calorie meal plan aimed at people who are trying to lose weight, it may not be a perfect choice if you are currently on a specialized diet.
For example, if you are following the keto, paleo, or even a very strict vegan diet, you might struggle with the recipes and ingredients offered by HelloFresh. The same goes for people who are gluten-free or allergen-free. In this sense, you might have to cook with what you have.
How Much Does HelloFresh Cost?
Is HelloFresh worth it? Let's talk about money. The price of the service depends on the number of meals you order every week. One serving can cost between $7.49 and $8.99. However, this price will go down the more meals you order.
Please take into account that you will also have to pay $7.99 for shipping, which is the standard rate.
HelloFresh also has a minimum order which they have set at three meals every week with another minimum of two servings for every meal.
A quick calculation including the shipping fee puts us at the fair price of $62 every week for two people.
The prices are significantly lower for the same amount of food than what you would get at a restaurant or if you got takeout the same number of times.
However, when compared to grocery prices at an average supermarket, the prices are roughly the same.
So, what's the conclusion? Is HelloFresh worth it?
When you take a look at the prices, as most users have found out, HelloFresh is less expensive than takeout or going to a restaurant a few times a week, but costs roughly the same as an average supermarket.
As a result, you can save money by not going to a restaurant and save time by not going to a supermarket three times a week.
HelloFresh Packaging and Delivery
All the ingredients you need for the recipes and meals you have selected come in a giant green box.
For sanitary reasons, all the meat cuts are packaged separately from the rest of the ingredients inside the box. You should also have an ice pack to make sure food stays fresh during shipment.
How long are HelloFresh meals good for? That's a very good question! If you are unable to pick up your package straight away, open it and store all the food in the fridge, don't panic. The ice pack inside should take care of most of the ingredients for a few hours or even a whole day.
According to the service delivery, the ingredients are packed in such a way as to prevent spillage or damage. However, if you do notice that one of the ingredients is damaged, you can contact HelloFresh for further instructions.
HelloFresh Is Perfect For You If...
you only have a little free time - to cook, that is. HelloFresh provides you with the luxury to cook a delicious meal but saves you the trouble to shop, plan, and prepare for it. No more hassle when it comes to cooking. You will get a big box of ingredients right at your door.
you want to learn how to cook - is HelloFresh worth it? If you want good food for yourself and your family but don't really know where to start, HelloFresh is a good idea. It provides detailed instructions that will guide you step by step through yummy recipes.
you are on a diet - HelloFresh has hundreds of recipes created by a dietician. According to users, they can open up a whole new world for you as they are not only delicious but also have just 650 calories.
you believe inconvenience - if you want to cut back on wasted time if you hate spending hours in traffic or queuing up at the supermarket, HelloFresh is the perfect solution. All you have to do is choose your favourite recipes of the week and the ingredients, as well as their instructions, will arrive on your doorstep in a matter of days.
HelloFresh Is Less Ideal For You If...
you are a chef - let's face it. If you are already a pro, you probably don't need this kind of meal kit delivery service. You know what to do in the kitchen, you are very creative when it comes to food, and you don't need detailed instructions on how to peel and dice carrots. You also probably don't need someone to send fish right to your door!
if you are living a 100% organic lifestyle - unfortunately, most of the ingredients provided by HelloFresh are not organic. So, is HelloFresh healthy? Yes, it is. However, it won't be able to cater to your organic lifestyle.
if you are dedicated to a zero-waste lifestyle - seeing as most of the ingredients provided by HelloFresh come pre-packaged, the service cannot comply with a zero-waste lifestyle.
you are a vegan - the best part of all recipes provided and suggested by HelloFresh are not vegan. They are vegetarian but not vegan. This means that even though they do not contain any meat, they still have some type of animal-based products such as milk, cream, cheese, butter, or eggs. If you are vegan, you might need a dedicated meal kit delivery service.
if you are looking for very fast meals - even though HelloFresh cuts back a lot of the time you waste on grocery shopping, ingredient prepping, and planning for meals every week, you will still have to cook the food. As a result, especially if you are inexperienced in the kitchen, making every recipe might still take up to two hours.
What's The Bottom Line?
Is HelloFresh healthy? This is the question we set out to answer in this HelloFresh review. On our way, we also took a look at how the service works, what kind of meals it offers, how much it costs, whether or not it's a good fit for you, and which type of home cooks will benefit from it.
But is HelloFresh healthy? Yes, it is. HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that caters to high-quality ingredients and versatile recipes which will change the way you look at cooking. The best thing about it is the fact that it drastically reduces the time you spend shopping, prepping, and planning for every single meal. So, what are you waiting for? Give it a try and tell us if you liked it!
I think this is afair review apart from the time. The most I’ve gone over time is 15min. If you use the app they are great you have timers go off ot tell you when to do which stage.
Thanks Louise for sharing your thoughts. Visit again.