Hi, friends! Happy Friday. This has been a light week on social media for me and it’s been so nice. I’ve been working on a post for Monday about goals versus resolutions that I’m excited to share with you, but today I wanted to pop in with a review of my experience with Hello Fresh!
I met the Hello Fresh dietitian, Rebecca, at FNCE. I love her energy and enthusiasm and she is so knowledgable. The Hello Fresh booth was a ton of fun, too!
In all of the recent literature I’ve read, food delivery companies are still projected to be a major food trend in 2017. I figured it was time I try one out. I’m all about home scratch cooking, but with added responsibilities this year and night clients, it’s just not feasible every night of the week. There are companies out there who work to make this easier so why not let them?
I’ve used The Produce Box and had fresh produce delivered, but I’ve have never really tried a meal delivery system before. Enter Hello Fresh.
I tried three meals: Chicken kebobs and cous cous, a barley salad, and cauliflower tacos. Honestly, they all were delicious.
1. Skewerless Chicken Kebobs over Cous Cous
This meal was ready in 30 minutes as advertised. The only thing that was missing from the cooking directions was that it didn’t mention how much water to boil the cous cous in. Fortunately, I’ve cooked with cous cous before so I had an idea and it turned out great. The seasonings and flavorings were delicious – Ed and I both loved the mediterranean spices and yogurt dressings. Overall, this was a great meal that I would definitely recreate at home!
2. Bountiful Barley Bowl
This was my favorite meal of the three I tried. Probably because it included roasted brussel sprouts (in a way I had never roasted them!) You sauteed them first with the shallots and then put them under the broiler.
Best of all, it was ready in 20 minutes! This was so full of flavor, and offered a great meatless alternative. I loved the roasted veggies, the comfort and flavor of feta cheese, pepitas for crunch and craisins for tartness. I actually had never bought shallots before (I know it’s crazy!) but was so happy to use them in this dish. Seriously, this dish was everything I could dream of and so simple! Totally a BLT recipe.
3. Crispy Cauliflower and Squash Tacos
These were good, but more for a side. We had these along with some grilled chicken for the extra protein. In the future if I made these, I’d probably just add some chickpeas in the tacos. I liked how you could season it to your liking (it came with sides of cumin, red pepper flakes and chili powder). The creamy yogurt dressing was delicious – I’m a sucker for a creamy yogurt/lime combination.
I found way more pros than cons in using these meals.
Pros
Shipping is (always) free!
The meals give you new ideas for recipes (for example, a lemon yogurt dressing)
They have new menus each week and you can pick from that menu
Encourages cooking and family dinners together
Saves time at the grocery store or may decrease your number of visits
Learn new ways to cook foods! (Like the roasted brussel sprouts – yummm)
You don’t have to buy odd ingredients you may rarely use – Hello Fresh sends small amounts of what you need
They offer individual, family, and vegetarian meal plans
Most dinners are made in about 30 minutes
Cons
I honestly don’t see many cons with these services.
Some people may say expensive, and yes, if you break it down, it’s probably more per meal than if you bought your own ingredients and cooked yourself. It averages out to about $10 per meal per person. But, it’s much more cost effective than going out to dinner for three meals a week!
Less flexibility if you change your mind. Maybe you ordered a chicken dish and a barley salad one week, but you’re just not feeling it.
You may not want something from that week’s menu
Not as environmentally friendly since everything comes individually wrapped and in boxes
Overall, I was very impressed with the ease, flavor and quality of these meals. It’s clear that these recipes have been well tested! I would definitely order Hello Fresh again – I was drooling looking at some of their other recipes and meals on their website. I also love how they change weekly, keepin’ it nice and FRESH! Plus, they send out great emails and newsletters if you haven’t signed up yet.
Disclaimer: I was sent Hello Fresh products to try and review. I was not compensated for my time.
Have you tried using a meal delivery system? What did you like/dislike?
Ive never tried a meal delivery service but Ive definitely thought about it. My sister in law was just asking about Hello Fresh this week so I’ll need to send her this post!
I’ve definitely considered it a few times and I’m sure it will come in handy during busy weeks!
The fact that it is cheaper than going out would be a good incentive especially for really busy people, and the food looks like they definitely don’t skimp on any flavor or taste.
It’s definitely a great way to get a healthy, tasty meal in 30 minutes!
I honestly don’t think this will be a trend among us regular people. It will be popular among the upper middle class who can actually afford this. Really, people like myself actually do cook for ourselves each night. We don’t eat out all the time, we eat cheaper foods (like rice, not packeged stuff) because it’s what we can afford. I think this trend is another one of those things where what you see on Instagram is taken as the norm. Things like this are not practical for people like myself and many families I know.
The meals look delicious, but TBH, I would never use this service,
I can see how it doesn’t appeal to everyone, but I think it can be great for people/families who don’t have time to go to the grocery store or want to try new foods.
I haven’t tried Hello Fresh or Blue Apron before but I’d love to. They don’t have many gluten free/dairy free option meals though. I’ve heard there’s another one that’s all GF meals but I cant remember the name of it! Thanks for sharing your experience…I think it’s perfect for busy work weeks!
It’s great that they have companies that provide all gluten free options, as that is very important! Definitely helps make a busy work week easier.
Green Chef says they offer gluten free. I’m trying them out this week since I got a good deal. Can’t speak to how gluten free all the ingredients are, since some are more sensitive than others, but might be worth a look if you are interested in trying a meal service like this.
Yum! This all looks so good!
We tried Hello Fresh when it first came out in Australia and my family really enjoyed it! I couldn’t have it as it wasn’t gluten free or coeliac safe but I feel like it’s such a great idea for people wanting to get their cooking mojo back (or started!)
Yes, it’s great for inspiring new recipe ideas or just wanting to try new foods!
Great review, Sarah! My grandpa just sent me a free Blue Apron delivery and I just need to decide when to order it. I’m excited to try out the meal delivery concept just for something new. I think I’d agree with your pros & cons!
It’s a fun way to switch things up! I like that it takes alot of the planning and decision making out of the equation.
My husband and I have been debating trying HTF. I think you’ve convinced me.
Wishing you a happy and healthy new year!
I hope you like it! Definitely makes cooking a little bit easier 🙂
Great review Sarah! I’ve been really interested in trying them out after meeting Rebecca at FNCE too! Life has been so crazy lately finishing up school and I’ve had so little time to cook, so this would be a great option to try!
Thanks so much! I definitely recommend them, especially during those busy times!