Is HelloFresh for you?

As a 20-something year old college student, cooking is not on my agenda most days. I typically eat out or cook something simple like a quesadilla or frozen pizza. So when I saw some people I knew trying out these meal box-subscriptions I decided it might be time to learn to cook real meals for myself. I did a little research deciding which one I would try out first and landed on Hello Fresh and here’s how I liked it.

(Picture from HelloFresh)

The Rundown

Hello Fresh is a weekly, biweekly or monthly meal subscription that allows you to choose one out of three plans that fits best for you. Their options are the classic plan for two, the veggie plan for two and the family plan for four. I went with the classic plan since I would be cooking by myself or with my boyfriend.

After subscribing, my first box arrived within one week. I was concerned the food would spoil since it was delivered to my door but their packaging anticipates for that. HelloFresh boxes are fully insulated with styrofoam insulation along the inside of entire box and then two large ice packs inside to insure the meats stay chilled.

(Steak and Nectarine salad from week two)

The meals were all packaged in cute color coded brown bags and came with step by step instructions on how to cook each meal. That first week I received Monterey jack burgers with zucchini fries, zucchini and parmesan crusted chicken with mash potatoes and green beans and pork tenderloin a l’orange. The entire process from start to finish takes about 35-45 minutes per meal, even though it may claim a bit less.

Over all my meals turned out delicious and I felt accomplished for cooking a full and healthy meal. It was also exciting teaching my boyfriend how to cook for the first time

Pros and Cons

To start with the pros, the food really was delicious and healthy. If you’re looking for good meals with easy step by step recipes to cook, then HelloFresh would be perfect for you. Also you now have recipes which tell you exactly how much you need of each ingredient, so if you want to make the meal again you can.

(Zucchini and Parmesan crusted chicken)

Another large pro is the portion sizes and individualized packaging. Almost everything comes in the exact amount you need for the meal, which allows for less food waste.

HelloFresh also allows for you to choose whether you’d like the meals every week, every two weeks or once a month.

Now for the cons. HelloFresh can be expensive for a young person, averaging ten dollars per meal. It also means you have to set aside the time for both cooking and cleaning up afterwards. In the first week I only made the first two meals, because my schedule got so busy and for the last meal some of the ingredients went bad before I was able to cook it. However, I was able to use the meat and dry ingredients.

Will I continue with HelloFresh

All together I loved trying out HelloFresh. I decided to go with the once a month student plan to allow optimal time to cook my meals before more arrive.

If you’re interested in trying out HelloFresh use this link here to sign up and comment and subscribe for a chance to win your first week free from HelloFresh. I’d also love to hear what you guys think about other meal subscription plans in the comments below!

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14 Comments

Una Dabiero

September 16, 2017 at 11:24 pm Reply

Will definitely be looking into HelloFresh!

Megan

September 18, 2017 at 4:02 am Reply

Since my siblings and I moved out, my parents use HelloFresh and love it! I don’t know if I would have been able to afford it in college, but I absolutely love the idea for post-grad living!

Gabrielle Smith

September 18, 2017 at 4:12 am Reply

This is such a good idea! Do you think the cooking is doable for someone who literally can cook nothing (ahem, me)?

mikaylae

September 18, 2017 at 4:27 am Reply

I really do! I’m not a perfect cook but the instructions are so clear and easy to follow!

Miss Monèt

September 18, 2017 at 4:15 am Reply

I’ve never heard of HelloFresh until now. I like the idea of packaged meals because it can be hard to set aside time to plan a meal. I also think it’s good for people who have the excuse of not knowing how to cook. Now they have step by step instructions. Great post.

Xoxo
Miss Monèt
http://missmonet.net

Jasmin

September 18, 2017 at 4:24 am Reply

I’m definitely interested in hellofresh. The food does look amazing and my friend tried it out and she loves it. But like you said it can be an expensive bill to have every month. I might have to try the free trial and see if it works for me. Thanks!!