I love feeling organised at the start of the week, with a fridge full of healthy ingredients and a well-thought-out meal plan.
But unfortunately, I hate the process of achieving this: braving the shops on a Sunday afternoon and using my tired (and possibly hungover) brain to try and come up with a new meal idea, before giving up and opting for one of the four meals I have on constant rotation.
Get 60% off your first Hello Fresh box, 20% off for 2 months plus free dessert for life
I had seen advertised before but assumed the meal kits would be way out of my price range. I was also under the impression that because I'm child-free, subscribing to a meal delivery service was a little lazy.
After some reconsideration, however, I concluded that I'm an adult, and if there’s a way I can free up a bit more time there’s nothing wrong with making things a little easier for myself.
It's also a great way of getting back into your daily routine after a holiday when you've got no food in. And if you're looking to whip up something fancy for a date night or celebration, there's a great selection of impressive meals.
The first step in receiving a is selecting your plan. You can choose a meal plan for two, three, or four people, with three, four, or five recipes per week.
I opted for the five meals a week for two people option, which I liked the idea of because I'm usually cooking for one which meant I'd have leftovers for lunch every day.
The meal-kit options are mostly meat, pescatarian, veggie, family, quick cook, and calorie smart. I opted for pescatarian because I love fish and veggies, and selected the five meals that looked the tastiest.
Your box can be delivered seven days a week, and I chose Monday so I could start off the week with our meals in the fridge ready to go. I really liked how you could get it delivered on the day that best suits your schedule; flexibility is key.
Oncearrived, my immediate reaction was to be impressed with how organised the whole thing was. All of the food was separated into different bags for each meal, with one bag that housed all the food that needed to be kept cool together.
Now, it was time to start cooking. Inside the box was a small stack of recipe cards that gave me a number that corresponded to a number on one of the bags in the fridge. The card also has nutritional information and roughly how long the recipe will take to cook.
I adore cooking, so I liked how with I got to do the parts I enjoy (cooking and eating) and scrap the parts I don’t (shopping and thinking about what to cook).
The instructions on the recipe card are simply laid out in layman's terms, so even the most inept home chefs would struggle to get it wrong. Over the course of the week, all of my meals turned out perfectly, even on the days I was tired and lacking focus.
Overall, I was very impressed with my Hello Fresh experience.
I'm far from fussy, but dinner is without a doubt the highlight of my day so I have fairly high expectations. Each of the meals from the kit was delicious and unique, so I was always excited to try something new.
I also liked how you get to keep the recipe cards, so if there was a meal I particularly enjoyed I can always refer back and make it again.
Is Hello Fresh good?
In my experience, absolutely yes.
My encounter with was a wholly positive one, and I will definitely be going back for more.
While it’s probably not something I would do on a rolling basis, especially in summer when my social schedule gets a bit unpredictable, it is definitely something I can see myself doing as and when I need to.
How much is Hello Fresh in the UK?
If you're living in the UK, offers some big discounts on your first box.
Currently, you can get 60% off your first box, and Hello Fresh has thrown in something to sweeten the deal: readers can add a free dessert to their weekly order for life.
Get 60% off your first Hello Fresh box, 20% off for 2 months plus free dessert for life
How much is Hello Fresh in the US?
While Hello Fresh in the US doesn't currently offer a discount for first time shoppers, the prices are still very reasonable and start from $57.95.
Is Hello Fresh healthy?
‘Healthy’ has a different meaning for different people, and for me it's eating lots of fresh vegetables and protein as part of a balanced diet, without compromising on taste. I found Hello Fresh offered deliciously healthy options with a variation that kept things interesting.
As I mentioned above, I tend to stick to a rather small rotation of meals which although they are healthy, tend to get a little boring, making Deliveroo all too appealing.
Some of the meals I made with Hello Fresh tasted a little richer than what I’m used to but when I compared the calories they were fairly similar; the Hello Fresh options were just a whole lot tastier.
Is Hello Fresh good for weight loss?
If you’re aiming to lose weight, offers a calorie-smart option that is full of lean protein and wholesome ingredients that come under 650 calories a pop.
Far from the chicken, broccoli and brown rice blandness bonanza usually associated with diets, these calorie-smart meals include Tandoori chicken, butter bean and mushroom stew, and miso aubergine and sesame mayo, depending on the week's recipes.
In my experience, one of the trickiest parts of losing weight is watching my calorie intake without getting bored or even obsessive. Hello Fresh takes the guesswork and stress out of it for you and gives you the ingredients to make balanced, delicious meals that aren’t calorie-dense.
While I didn’t get a calorie smart box, some of the meals in the box happened to be from the same range, so I did try a couple of them out; I can confirm they are super tasty.
Get 60% off your first Hello Fresh box, 20% off for 2 months plus free dessert for life
How to cancel Hello Fresh
Hello Fresh isn’t a service that locks you in for months at a time. It know circumstances can change so it makes it super easy to cancel your subscription.
All you need to do is log in to your Hello Fresh account, click on your name and then head to settings. Select the subscription you’re looking to cancel and click ‘cancel my subscription’ in the bottom right-hand corner.
A new screen will pop up that says "Your subscription is now deactivated"; then you click please close to confirm.
You’ll then be sent an email confirming you’ve cancelled your subscription, and you’re all done.
Is Hello Fresh Halal?
Currently, Hello Fresh does not offer Halal meat.
This means that those who only eat Halal will not be able to opt for a meal box containing meat, but could still go for one of the vegetables or pescatarian boxes on offer if they’re still keen to try.
Can you freeze Hello Fresh meals?
There’s nothing worse than throwing out the ingredients of what would have been a delicious meal just because you ran out of time to eat it. While makes cooking super simple, sometimes time just gets away from you and you’re left with a bunch of ingredients and no time to eat them.
In this situation, as long as the meal you’re making is freezer friendly, it should be fine to cook them and put them in the freezer for later.
If you’re wondering what kinds of meals turn into a sloppy mess when freezing and reheating; salads, pasta, eggs, and herbs don’t tend to fare well. On the other hand, curries, soups, stews, and a great deal more dishes are perfect for sticking in the freezer and having a tasty dinner to look forward to.
Get 60% off your first Hello Fresh box, 20% off for 2 months plus free dessert for life
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