I Tried Hello Fresh, Is it worth the money?
I hate cooking, its just not my thing. However, i have always wanted to be a good cook. This is where Hello Fresh comes in. I have known about Hello Fresh, and other meal delivery companies for some time. I have always thought it would be great to try, but did not really think it worked with my lifestyle. As a graduate student, money was not necessarily flowing, and i had the time to cook my meals every evening. Fast forward to now, a working professional who would rather starve in the evening that cook dinner...or i should say who would rather have snacks for dinner than cook a meal. It is shameful i know, but i'm just being honest. I am not a bad cook, i just find the entire process stressful. Thinking of meals to cook, and then purchasing the ingredients which are usually in bulk, attempting to cook the meal, and then subsequently never use those ingredients again. It is a waste of money and food. This was when i decided to try something new. Hello Fresh had a discounted deal on the first box, and i jumped at the opportunity to try it.
First Impression. Hello fresh meals are packages in individual boxes with the meal label on it. This takes the hassle out of organizing the ingredients. All you have to do is put the small boxes into your refrigerator and your done. This no hassle process is a major plus in my book . Presentation of ingredients. Every ingredient is packaged and measured based on the amount needed for the meal. Seasoning, vegetable or chicken stock, are packaged in Hello fresh's own branding, while other ingredients like corn, and crushed tomatoes are from organic producers. The packaging is one of the major plus of this food delivery service, there is no need to think about how much is needed because it is all pre-measured. *Bonus : most boxes come with a little extra just incase you want to add more to your meal*
The prep process. Every meal comes with its own meal card that give detail instruction on how to prep the ingredients. So, there is no need to wonder if you need to finely chop or cube an ingredient, its all there in simple easy to read terms.
The steps. The steps are easy to follow and fool proof. Ingredients are bolded, making it impossible to add the wrong ingredient at the wrong time, or wonder how long you have to an ingredient.
Would i recommend this to a friend? Yes, and Yes ! Every meal is delicious and for someone like me that would not initially try to make a risotto for dinner, this is a great opportunity for anyone looking to expand their palette.
Any likes ? The easy steps, pre measured ingredients, and variety of meals is a major plus. Other benefits include the opportunity to pause a week of meals if you are traveling out of town, or if you do not like the meals for the week. Customer service is also a breeze. Having a problem with the distributor, or missing an ingredient? Thankfully the Hello fresh team is easy to contact and can provide a credit for your next box. Or if your box fails to arrive ( happened to me once), you are not charged for your next week box.
Any dislikes? My one complaint is the cost of the meals, three meals a week for $59 can be expensive, especially if you are using this service for an extended time. My advice would be to use only when necessary. For example, if you will have a busy month ahead, and might not have the extra time to go food shopping, this would be a great option. Another dislike is the lack of personal tailored options. Suppose you choose the classic box which is tailored towards meat eaters, but you do not eat pork or shrimp. How can you avoid receiving meals with these meat choices without pausing an entire week? Not having the option to omit an ingredient, or swamp one option for another is a major dislike. For me i chose the vegetarian meals so it was easy for me to not add mushrooms or olives to my meal without compromising the entire meal. However for a meat eater not adding an your source of protein is a waste of food an money.
The take away. Meal delivery service like Hello fresh are a God send . Grocery shopping, food prepping and thinking about what to cook, is no longer on my To-do list. Deciding whether or not you can afford the service, or whether the lack of omitting options, is something to take into consideration when deciding if this is the right service for you.
Overall my experience was a positive one. The service gave me healthy options that i did have to think twice about making. It also gave me a sense of accomplishment when i successfully cooked a meal that i would never think of making for myself (I am now fully in love with risotto). I finally associate cooking with a positive experience and i look forward to using Hello fresh in the future.
*Photo's from Hellofresh.com*
