Review of HelloFresh and a Promo Code

Subscription boxes are all the rage right now. From science stuff for kids, to clothes, to food. If you want a specific subscription box, it’s probably out there. Today I’m sharing a review of HelloFresh and for those who would also like to give it a try I have a HelloFresh promo code for you.

I’ve been eyeing the different substitution meal boxes available and wondering what all the hype is. Are they really worth it? Is the food any good? How do they really work?

When a Groupon came up for HelloFresh, I gave in to my curiosity and ordered a 3 meal box for a family of 4. I thought I could choose my recipes but couldn’t figure out how to at the time, so just hoped for the best!

I received an email when the boxed shipped that told me what day it would arrive and recommended that I be home to receive it, especially if the weather was hot. The day my box arrived I received another reminder that it was coming and a final email after it was delivered. A nice way to help ensure the food stayed as cool as possible.

Opening my HelloFresh meal box was fun and exciting. 

On the very top were full color recipe cards with the 3 meals I would be fixing that week. They looked delicious! Only one recipe actually had wheat ingredients and I realized that it would be easy to keep that ingredient out and substitute something else for my boys.

The menu cards are quite large with beautiful photos and illustrated instructions on the back.

The front of each card also shows the ingredients used, and how long the recipe will take to make along with calorie count and any allergens that may be present.

The meat was no longer frozen through when it arrived, although it was still quite cold and frozen in the center. The meat was packed at the bottom of the box and covered in ice packs.

Next a was a layer to keep the direct cold from the rest of the ingredients. Then in clearly labeled meal boxes were the rest of the ingredients.

Each box contained the perfect amount of ingredients for the coordinating recipe. The boxes stacked nicely in my fridge to await their night to be devoured.

The first night I went to make a meal, we had unexpected company pop in to say hi and I was quite distracted from making our dinner. Oddly enough, it still only took me about the suggested time to make it which was 30 minutes.

When I opened the box of ingredients I had to laugh at the packaging and some of the containers. Here are the ingredients for the Thai Spiced Pork and Rice Stir Fry.

*See the Fishies?!!

So yes, fun little containers and packaging for each recipe!

And completed, the meal was absolutely amazing looking. Best of all? It tasted fantastic!

Full Review of HelloFresh

 

Anytime where food is concerned, I’m always a bit torn. Best price, Healthiest food possible, Best taste available.

I love to eat. I really do, but all things must be in moderation.

I try to save as much money as I can, while getting the best ingredients I can. Again, this must be done in moderation and cheap food is basically the opposite of healthy organic/non gmo food.

So here is my review of HelloFresh with the pros and cons.

HelloFresh Pros

• Very convenient. The recipe and everything I needed to make it was right there.
• Fun way to try new recipes without spending hours in the store searching for the right ingredients.
• Delish. Gourmet meals for much less than eating out.
• Fast. 30 minutes for a complete “from scratch meal” is pretty good.
• Fresh. The ingredients were very fresh and even though the last meal was fixed a week after I received my box, the veggies were still good.
• Quality. The chicken was labeled non gmo and no hormones. Several ing. were labeled as organic and some as nongmo.
• You can choose your recipes. I figured out that I have to do it AFTER my subscription is set up.
• Cancel or pause anytime. As long as you hit pause 5 days before you box should ship, the cancelation is instant. Otherwise you receive the last box and then it cancels/pauses.

HelloFresh Cons

• Price. Even with my Groupon, the price per meal was around $5 per person. Since I know our average meal spend per person per day is $7, I don’t find HelloFresh to be super budget friendly if you typically make all your meals from scratch anyway.
• Dishes. Sure we just ate a restaurant style meal, but I still have to do the dishes!
• Not really allergen friendly. You can choose “fit” meals or choose to avoid beef, pork, or seafood, but you cannot choose dairy free, wheat free, nut free etc. You can try to avoid those ing. when you choose your meals, but it’s not a guarantee.
• Not totally natural. While many of the ingredients I was sent were non gmo and organic, they weren’t all that way and there is no option for it when choosing your meal plan.
• Waste. There was a lot of packaging and container waste. While it could all be recycled I felt a bit dismayed at how much trash left my kitchen that week.
• 4 servings per meal is all you can order. Too bad if you have to serve 6-8 people.

Final thoughts. I honestly loved the experience and the meals tasted great. Currently my subscription is paused but I haven’t canceled.

There are times and seasons of life that are busier than others. Times when a freezer pizza or takeout seems to happen more than normal. These times are when I see HelloFresh being my best friend. Wholesome meals already planned for me and I don’t have to grocery shop.

Still want to try HelloFresh? Here is my referral code for you! You get $40 off and I get $20 off 😉 Win-win right!