HelloFresh Review for 2024: Tried and Tested

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This article explores how HelloFresh works and what menu options the service offers. It also discusses who the meals may be suitable for and the potential health benefits of meal delivery kits.

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service. It delivers boxes containing pre-portioned fresh ingredients and step-by-step recipes for a person to cook at home.

The service offers plans for people who:

• eat meat
• follow a vegetarian or pescatarian diet
• those counting calories
• want quick meals
• want meals suitable for families

HelloFresh labels all its meals with nutritional information.

The company also claims its service helps individuals save money and reduce food waste.

“I found choosing my meals and delivery date very easy and flexible. It is easy to cancel or skip a week for meals.”

— Ariana Howard, Healthline editor

“Unlike some meal services, HelloFresh does have a good variety of veggie food. I found that there were several that piqued my interest.”

— Veronica Zambon, Medical News Today editor

HelloFresh has a mixed reputation online. At the time of publishing, there were over 54,392 reviews on Trustpilot with an average customer rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars.

Customers leaving positive comments write that they enjoy learning how to cook new meals and the food is easy to prepare and tastes good. People also mention it helps them reduce food waste and saves them time.

However, negative comments mention lost orders or wrong orders, missing ingredients, and ingredients that were not fresh. Some people found the service too expensive and the portions too small. Many customers had problems with customer service and unexpected charges.

HelloFresh does not have a profile on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website.

People can sign up for HelloFresh online. They must share personal information such as their name, address, and payment details.

Customers then choose a meal plan according to their dietary needs and preferences. They can select two to six meals weekly, serving two or four people.

Individuals can select from a rotating menu of over 20 meal kits weekly and choose the same meal kit multiple times a week.

Deliveries

HelloFresh delivers Wednesday through Friday. Customers in certain locations can get delivery on the weekend and Mondays and Thursdays. People can allocate their desired delivery date or change this before midnight on their chosen delivery day.

Deliveries can arrive between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Customers receive a tracking number for each box.

Healthline and Medical News Today editors Ariana Howard and Veronica Zambon did hands-on reviews. Howard received her box for free, while Zambon purchased hers with her own money, and chose the vegetarian option.

Howard tried the service in the United States, while Zambon tried it in the United Kingdom.

“There were clear instructions for recycling. However, there were a lot of small packages within the meal kit.”

— Ariana Howard, Healthline editor

“The instructions were very simple to follow, often only having up to 6 steps.”

— Veronica Zambon, Medical News Today editor

HelloFresh delivers anywhere in the mainland United States. It does not ship orders to Alaska or Hawaii.

Its delivery packages feature insulated liners and cooling technology to keep the contents fresh and cool for up to 48 hours after delivery.

“Everything arrived in good condition and the ingredients were flavorful (although the amount of fresh produce in my meals was limited). My food was not organic or grass-fed.”

— Ariana Howard, Healthline editor

“I especially liked the add-on options. My favourite was the Beetroot, Walnut, and Feta salad add-on – it was perfect for the late summer weather and I still regularly have it for lunch over a year later!”

— Veronica Zambon, Medical News Today editor

People can personalize their menu plan according to the following preferences:

• Meat and veggies: Includes meals with meat, fish, and vegetables.
• Veggie: Comprises vegetarian-friendly meals.
• Family-friendly: Includes meals suitable for children.
• Calorie smart: Each meal in this plan is around 650 calories.
• Quick and easy: Features meals with minimal preparation and cooking time.
• Pescatarian: Consists of seafood and plant-based meals, but no meat.
• High protein: A selection of protein-packed meals.
• Pork-free: A selection of pork-free dishes.

Each plan offers a choice of over 100 weekly recipes from chefs and nutrition specialists.

Some recipes are also free from gluten, dairy, and nuts. However, HelloFresh does not offer vegan plans. Similarly, there are no paleo or keto plans with this service.

The following is an example of recipes with their preparation and cooking times:

• Chicken in creamy peppercorn sauce: Chicken breasts, carrots, potatoes, creme fraiche, red wine vinegar and garlic. Ready in 40 minutes.
• Warm roasted tomato and lentil salad with eggplant and croutons: Eggplant, ciabatta, lentils, Greek-style salad cheese, baby plum tomatoes, baby leaf mix, Greek-style natural yogurt, and garlic. Ready in 20 minutes.
• Beef mince and potato keema with mango chutney and naan bread: Beef mince, plain naan, curry powder mix, mango chutney, potato, korma curry paste, tomato puree, and baby spinach. Ready in 35 minutes.
• Asian-style sweet chili pork koftas with spiced wedges and smacked cucumber salad: Pork mince, cucumber, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, lime, breadcrumbs, and potatoes. Ready in 35 minutes.
• Sweet chili cauli and chickpea red Thai-style curry with jasmine rice and coriander: Cauliflower florets, lime, jasmine rice, red Thai-style paste, coconut milk, chickpeas, coriander, sweet chili sauce. Ready in 20 minutes.
• Bulgogi king prawn noodles with pak choi and carrot ribbons: Egg noodle nests, garlic, carrot, bulgogi sauce, pak choi, lime, and king prawns. Ready in 20 minutes.
• Thai-style peanut chicken stir-fry with green beans and rice: Jasmine rice, garlic, yellow Thai-style paste, peanut butter, green beans, diced chicken thigh, ketjap manis. Ready in 25 minutes.
• Butter chicken baked naan with rocket salad: Garlic, chicken stock, plain naan, wild rocket, diced chicken breast, tomato puree, creme fraiche, and tomatoes. Ready in 20 minutes.

On average, the meals take 40 minutes to prepare and cook.

“I wish that there had been more variety in terms of meal preparation. Most of the veggie meals require an oven, and I am more of a hob person (gas is cheaper to use in the U.K. than electricity, and I have a gas hob and electric oven).”

— Veronica Zambon, Medical News Today editor

Meal selection and filtering

HelloCustom is a relatively new menu feature allowing people to customize their meal kit by swapping, adding, upgrading, or changing certain ingredients in each recipe. This feature is available with every plan, allowing people to tailor their meals to their specific tastes and dietary needs.

HelloFresh offers various plan preferences that enable customers to tailor their menu experience to their unique tastes. Certain meals have labels that indicate their taste profile and convenience. For example, “Gourmet Plus” to highlight the meal is a premium recipe. Or they may feature an “Easy Prep” label on quick-to-prepare meals.

“I tried the lemony spaghetti with brussels sprouts, zucchini and sun-dried tomato risotto, and hot honey glazed garlic chicken.

“The meals were easy to make. It was not necessary, but sometimes I would add in an extra lemon or additional spices. I also wish I had added in more vegetables to my meals to make them healthier.”

— Ariana Howard, Healthline editor

The price of HelloFresh subscriptions depends on the meal plan and frequency a person chooses.

The table below shows the total cost of a HelloFresh delivery based on multiple recipes and serving combinations.

The total cost for all the above options includes the standard $10 shipping fee.

The price per serving suggestion varies depending on the person’s plan and desired delivery frequency. The lowest cost per serving is $9.99, while the most expensive is $11.49.

The table below shows a breakdown of the cost per serving for each meal plan and delivery frequency option:

HelloFresh also offers weekly special meals at an additional cost, so if a person selects one of the meals from the following list, they may have varying additional charges:

• Gourmet
• Gourmet Plus
• Surf and Turf
• Taste Tours
• Craft Burger

HelloFresh accepts all major credit cards and electronic payments, including VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal.

This information is correct at the time of publication.

Cancellations and refunds

HelloFresh lets people skip a week or cancel at no extra cost at their discretion. Customers can do this on their online accounts.

The company recommends users make any changes to their account or orders, such as updating card details or canceling orders, at least 5 days before the next scheduled delivery. This is because orders will begin processing after this period.

HelloFresh may suit people who wish to cook various meals but have limited time or resources to plan recipes and buy ingredients.

A meal delivery kit provides convenience and variety while allowing individuals to take charge of meal preparation and cooking.

Additionally, individuals with families who wish to involve children or others in cooking may benefit from HelloFresh. It is a good way to learn cooking skills and gain confidence in preparing different meals.

HelloFresh may not suit those on a strict budget, as the cost per serving size is potentially greater than buying ingredients and cooking from scratch.

HelloFresh is also unsuitable for a wide range of dietary specializations. For example, it does not cater to people following a vegan diet or those with very particular tastes or several food allergies or intolerances.

Below, we look at the main advantages and disadvantages of the HelloFresh meal delivery service.

Using HelloFresh means that a person is cooking from scratch using fresh ingredients and no processed foods. Processed foods are often higher in sugar and fat and can lack the nutrients that fresh foods retain. According to 2019 research, unprocessed or minimally processed foods have associations with a lower risk of chronic disease.

Weight loss

People trying to lose weight may benefit from HelloFresh. Its low calorie meal plan has dietitian-approved meals containing about 650 calories. Health experts advise that individuals reduce their calorie and fat intake to lose weight. With this in mind, a person can choose low calorie and low fat meals in their weekly HelloFresh delivery.

Learn about the best ways to lose weight.

Many other meal delivery services offer weight loss menus a person can consider trying.

Considerations for special diets

HelloFresh does not offer specific options for people following vegan or gluten-free diets or those adhering to keto, paleo, or low sugar diets.

A person with diabetes may find the low carbohydrate options helpful in planning their carbohydrate intake. However, HelloFresh does not offer tailored meal plans for those with diabetes.

Learn more about a low carbohydrate diet for diabetes.

While the service provides nutritional information for individuals to choose suitable meals, people cannot swap out ingredients they need to avoid.

Several alternative meal kit delivery services are available online. People may wish to check their menus and plans before committing to any service, as they may find limited options for their dietary needs.

Some similar meal kit delivery services include:

• Home Chef: This brand provides simple-to-follow meal kits. The meals take under 30 minutes to prepare and cook, which is quicker than some HelloFresh meals. Learn more about Home Chef.
• Sunbasket: Sunbasket offers organic meals and meal kits. It may suit people who wish to use organic ingredients, which HelloFresh does not. Learn more about Sunbasket.
• Splendid Spoon: Specializes in plant-based meals suitable for vegans, while HelloFresh does not cater to vegan diets. Learn more about Splendid Spoon.
• Daily Harvest: Similar to Splendid Spoon, this company caters to plant-based diets. It also sells healthy snacks and drinks. Learn about Daily Harvest.
• Blue Apron: This brand provides fewer meal plans than HelloFresh but features diabetes-friendly and carb-conscious options. Learn more about Blue Apron.

Below, we look at how HelloFresh compares with the competitors listed above.

Alternatively, a person can help ensure they follow a nutritious diet while saving time and food waste by:

• planning a weekly menu and shopping for groceries with an online delivery service
• using online resources to find quick and easy recipes and meal ideas
• using leftovers to add to salads, wraps, or bowls for quick lunches
• batch cooking and freezing food in portions
• making one-pot meals such as chilis, soup, and stews
• preparing breakfasts the night before, such as overnight oats
• washing and chopping a variety of raw vegetables and salads to store in the refrigerator
• using frozen vegetables to add to recipes and frozen fruit for smoothies

Learn how to reduce food waste.

Below, we answer some of the top questions about HelloFresh.