Balanced and, above all, new foods without having to buy them – the recipe box provider HelloFresh promises just that. But how does ordering work, how expensive are the foods, what recipes are there and what is the actual sustainability theme? I’m sharing my personal HelloFresh experience with you.
How does HelloFresh work?
First: HelloFresh is the world’s largest provider of meal kits. The principle behind it is very simple. You decide how often, how much and which dishes you want to buy via HelloFresh and order them for a specific delivery day. Each box then contains fresh, pre-portioned ingredients for cooking. You just save a trip to the supermarket and only have to cook yourself (which is super easy thanks to the HelloFresh recipe cards, by the way!).
Here is an overview of the individual steps:
- Create your HelloFresh account.
- Save your culinary preferences for box settings (meat and vegetables, vegetable dishes, balance, save time, family friendly, new discoveries, vegetables and fish)
- Choose the number of people (2 to 4 people possible).
- Decide on the number of dishes (2 to 5 dishes are possible).
- Reserve an available delivery window for your address.
How much do Hello Fresh cooking boxes cost?
HelloFresh portion prices depend on how many dishes you order. If two people pay 7.88 euros per portion for two dishes, it is only 5.45 euros for five dishes. Similar price differences are seen the more people subscribe. A family of five pays only €4.22 per portion for five dishes. Then shipping costs are added, in my case €5.49 per box. Here, in addition to the shipping partner, the desired delivery time is also important, especially for popular time slots sometimes additional charges apply.
Important: If you want to stop your HelloFresh subscription because you have other plans or just want to receive a box every few weeks, you can easily do so until the relevant deadline. Of course, you can also cancel HelloFresh entirely.
HelloFresh meals: a large selection of recipes
I generally eat meat. But thanks to meal prep boxes, I’m increasingly choosing the vegetarian or vegan option. Without the large selection of HelloFresh recipes, I probably would never have come up with these dishes myself. And it is this variety that is one of the big advantages for me. Because to be honest, you usually always prepare the same dishes from your personal repertoire, and that way you lose the desire to cook and eat. Here, however, I am spoiled every week between a total of 25 dishes, which are included in the price plus 6 dishes with an extra charge. There are also add-ons that can be ordered.
But it’s not just the large selection that convinces me. HelloFresh has also helped me eat healthier. This is due, among other things, to the fact that you can filter the dishes according to different criteria. In addition to family-friendly or particularly quick recipes, you can also choose conscious nutrition. In summer, it is now made even more delicious – with a category Fresh Summer . Special attention is paid to the low carb content – just what you need in the summer when the temperature is high. The meals are a maximum of 650 kcal or high in vegetables, so they are nice and light.
This week’s HelloFresh recipes can be found here.
HelloFresh Review: Are Boxes Even Sustainable?
When you open your HelloFresh cooking box for the first time, it’s easy to think: That’s quite a lot of rubbish, isn’t it? Well, HelloFresh also packs some products in plastic or uses other packaging materials such as paper. Due to the small size of the food, there is already a lot for one dish. At the same time, according to HelloFresh, it avoids intermediate storage and thereby avoids part of the packaging waste that is otherwise generated by deliveries to supermarkets. “We consider recyclable packaging very important and are constantly working to make our packaging even more sustainable” says the company’s website.
Conclusion: Is HelloFresh worth it?
If you ask me: yes. I have thoroughly tested HelloFresh myself, I have now made over 60 cooking boxes and over 300 dishes, and there was only one dish that I really didn’t like. The biggest daily stress for me was always thinking about what I would like to eat during the week and shopping accordingly. It wasn’t uncommon for me to throw away sprouted potatoes or rotten onions because I just didn’t use up the amount. I really don’t waste food anymore. I have also been able to send some free boxes to friends and family who have also been impressed. Here’s how you can really save as a new customer. Speaking of money: Crockpots in general are often criticized for being too expensive. Of course, buying in bulk from a supermarket can be cheaper. But not if you end up throwing away a lot. So if you don’t have a knack for using up leftovers, HelloFresh is a great alternative. Also: Especially in times of high inflation, HelloFresh costs are likely to approach supermarket prices.
But of course there are also small mistakes or mistakes here and there that can be made. For example, it has happened that an ingredient was missing or was no longer fresh. This is of course annoying if you just want to start cooking. So I always recommend checking the box delivery to make sure everything is there and fresh. If this is not the case, you should contact customer service directly (preferably via the app) and you will be charged the appropriate amount. In my experience, it is easy and also the amount is more than what you have to spend to buy the product after in the supermarket.
All advantages and disadvantages in a nutshell:
- short supply chains = more environmentally friendly
- Focus on sustainability
- Inspiration for a balanced diet
- Diversity on a plate
- no shopping stress
- there is no food waste because the portions are precisely adjusted
- sometimes missing ingredients
- few vegan options
How do other consumers see HelloFresh?
I am not alone in my opinion. If you look around Trustpilot’s rating platform, HelloFresh is rated GOOD (3.9) – with over 25,000 votes cast. 71 percent of people who rated it gave four or five stars. The proportion of customers who rated HelloFresh as INADEQUATE is twelve percent. So these experiences with HelloFresh are also largely positive.
Are you living healthy? This self-test shows it!
Image source: HelloFresh