Does anyone subscribe to Hello Fresh?

joannegustyn1971
joannegustyn1971 Posts: 50 Member
in Food and Nutrition
There are a few people at work who subscribe to HelloFresh and I’m very tempted. I’m thinking that it will keep me eating real food rather than take out or processed. Our current meals are a combination of both… Example a Costco rotisserie chicken and vegetables that we prepare.
My colleagues really enjoy the convenience and the food from there.

I’m wondering if anyone does this and how it works into your diet?
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Replies

  • skelterhelter
    skelterhelter Posts: 803 Member
    edited April 2019
    Not a subscriber, but my boss gave me a coupon worth $69.95, which allowed me to pick out a family-sized box with two meals. I'll let you know how I like the meals (I picked apricot chicken with asparagus and potatoes and pineapple chicken quesadillas, but there were about six other choices). From what I understand, the meals change every week.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    I've tried at least 10 boxes. (When they have free promos I jump on it and get a few times) So I have never paid for them, but if I had I would have been disappointed.

    I didn't like it too much because I ended up making my own recipes using whatever they gave me, haha. It was convenient, but I found myself not actually following the recipes or anything. The food was good, but small portions and I am a volume eater.
  • cheriej2042
    cheriej2042 Posts: 241 Member
    I’ve never tried it but a couple who I knew went on that for 7 or 8 months. Yes they lost a ton of weight but they subsequently stopped using it and gained the weight back. When I asked about the food they said it was really bland. So I guess it might be good to use on occasion but also know what you are going to do when you stop.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,938 Member
    No as it's very expensive and I can't justify all the packaging material with a good conscience. I do every now and then nick a recipe from their website and cook it. Though most of the things they offer in the Netherlands is rather poor. Recipes in the UK are more interesting
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    I've tried it, and referred my sister and a male friend. It was highly recommended by someone I met at a running camp and then I got a free offer, so figured why not. I tried another service too (SunBasket) and found the latter recipes a bit more interesting, but in that I am a comfortable cook and find no issues using up ingredients, and can come up with fast cooking ideas, it wasn't that useful for me. I did look at SunBasket for ideas for vegan meals when I was doing that for a while, as it has lots of vegan options. I thought the HelloFresh recipes were boring.

    I decided pretty quickly that for me a meal service wasn't worth the hassle of dealing with the packaging (and slight guilt that it might not be recycled properly). But my sister and the friend still use it off and on.
  • sulwen314
    sulwen314 Posts: 21 Member
    It's too expensive for me to use regularly, but I'll order a box when they offer discounts. I like it a lot! I feel like it helps me get more variety in my diet. Left to my own devices, I tend to make the same things over and over. It's also really nice to have the nutritional info already calculated rather than having to weigh every ingredient. I'd recommend it!

    I also like Sun Basket and Home Chef, but the one time I tried Blue Apron I was not impressed. My least favorite by far.
  • onefortypoint6
    onefortypoint6 Posts: 11 Member
    Some grocery stores sell Hello Fresh meal kits now. One dinner is $17-18. It’s a good way to try it without signing up for a whole box.
  • fuzzylop_
    fuzzylop_ Posts: 100 Member
    I signed up to a similar service (purple carrot -- but I no longer subscribe), but at the end of the day you're still cooking, so if lack of motivation is stopping you from eating healthy (whatever that means to you), it might be problematic and most of these services are somewhat expensive.
  • nocgirl72
    nocgirl72 Posts: 139 Member
    I saw that including Kroger. Good for 2 people Kroger was giving away a free Angel food cake with the purchase of 1. Not on my diet so I passed I think the price is a little steep unless you want just a 1 off to make a nice dinner with little effort or planning.

    onefortypoint6 wrote: »
    Some grocery stores sell Hello Fresh meal kits now. One dinner is $17-18. It’s a good way to try it without signing up for a whole box.
    onefortypoint6 wrote: »
    Some grocery stores sell Hello Fresh meal kits now. One dinner is $17-18. It’s a good way to try it without signing up for a whole box.

  • onepebble
    onepebble Posts: 22 Member
    I used to get a local version (Dinner Twist - for anyone in Western Australia), and loved it. It was definitely more expensive compared to doing my own planning and shopping but the food was mostly locally sourced and great quality. At that point in time I was finding it hard to get motivated to cook for just me as my husband was away, so it suited me to have recipes and lovely produce turn up on my doorstep every fortnight.
    I didn't keep it up, as I really prefer to plan and cook my own recipes, but it was just what I needed at that time.

    My best suggestion is to check reviews from people in your local area to see what they say about the quality of the food and the recipes and give it a try to see if it works for you.
  • joannegustyn1971
    joannegustyn1971 Posts: 50 Member
    cheriej2042 wrote: »
    I’ve never tried it but a couple who I knew went on that for 7 or 8 months. Yes they lost a ton of weight but they subsequently stopped using it and gained the weight back. When I asked about the food they said it was really bland. So I guess it might be good to use on occasion but also know what you are going to do when you stop.

    Thanks everyone I know the Canadian ones are not bland as they come with lots of spices and flavour packets etc. The girl at work who uses it says all the recipes she has tried are really good.
    I have signed up and will get my first box on Monday!
    Tandoori Chicken
    A Harissa lamb dish on naan
    Italian sausage and couscous meal!

    I will let you all know how it goes!
  • Crafty_camper123
    Crafty_camper123 Posts: 1,440 Member
    I tried a free week, and was not very impressed. The time saved not having to go grocery shopping was not worth the extra cost IMO. I did the 4 servings plan. My husband is a volume eater, so that would give us enough for dinner, and maybe a leftover portion for lunch the next day. Everything looked really good, and was nice and fresh. But since I had to still prep everything & mess with all the packaging, I feel like it saved zero time in the kitchen. I suppose the benefit is not having to remember to take out meat the night before, since I just put my hello fresh stuff in the fridge for the week and it's gathered and ready. I just don't feel like the time and energy saved was worth the extra cost. I can buy my groceries online and pick them up at a store if I was really desperate to not grocery shop. Plus I can buy double the amount of fresh meat & produce for the same price as a 4 serving week would give me. The new and different recipies in a step by step layout with pictures for reference is nice though. It would be a nice thing for someone new to cooking, or looking to add more to thier recipie stash. Or for someone where the grocery store isn't conveniently located for them, such as out of the way of thier daily commute, or a small town where the stores are lacking in a variety fresh produce.
  • smoofinator
    smoofinator Posts: 635 Member
    I use Plated.com. I usually do like 4 meals a month. It's too expensive tbh ($13/meal if you include the shipping), but I like that it forces me to cook things I'd probably never try on my own. I get in ruts, just like @sulwen314, so the meals force me to try new things with quality ingredients. I probably won't use it long term, but I kind of like getting home from work and cooking a nice, fancy (to me) meal with all the ingredients already weighed/measured.
  • buckykatt1
    buckykatt1 Posts: 18 Member
    Hello Fresh is my least favorite meal service. Blue Apron and Home Chef have delivered consistently better quality recipes and food for me. Don't get me started on Marley Spoon- yuck.
    HF also likes to use LaserShip so I never even got my last box. Tracking says it's permanently living in New Jersey. Got a refund for that one.
    You do need to watch the calories on the recipes. I have gotten some ideas for recipes that I never would have thought of trying and we make them again and again.
    The Runner's World cookbook has great, low calorie recipes.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,352 Member
    My problem with Hello Fresh and those services is that you still have to cook and clean. I’ve been using Freshly lately and really like it. Meals are cheaper than the takeout I’d most likely order instead and heat up in just a couple of minutes. I get variety, nutrition and convenience all in one!
  • joannegustyn1971
    joannegustyn1971 Posts: 50 Member
    COGypsy wrote: »
    My problem with Hello Fresh and those services is that you still have to cook and clean. I’ve been using Freshly lately and really like it. Meals are cheaper than the takeout I’d most likely order instead and heat up in just a couple of minutes. I get variety, nutrition and convenience all in one!

    I’m excited about the cooking part. I’m not really good at it and my friends that do it say that they’ve learned a lot. I am more of a person who buys things just to heat up but now I’m excited that I’m going to be making it from scratch.
  • HollyPFlax
    HollyPFlax Posts: 79 Member
    I have tried both Blue Apron and Hello Fresh because my family members do them. They get coupons to give out free weeks and give them to me sometimes. Both services are similar in cost and calorie range for the dinners.

    What I dislike the most about them is the prep time and the cleanup caused by way more dishes used than necessary. They can't send pre-chopped or peeled produce because it wouldn't stay fresh. So you have to spend a considerable amount of time preparing everything. The meals totally lie and say things like "10 minute prep time, 20 minute cook time ". One hour and 43 minutes later, I'll finally be done.

    After you're done cooking, you end up with a 600-850 calorie meal. You paid around $10 for it, so you want to eat most of it. Which makes me feel "locked in" to eating more calories than I want or need for dinner. I can plan ahead by eating less earlier in the day, but I'd rather not have to.

    Then comes the cleanup. You had to chop, dice, peel, and separate every ingredient into its own bowl, so you have all of that to wash on top of everything else.

    I don't even take the freebies any more. My dad still subscribes and this is how he invites me to dinner on a Blue Apron night: "Hey, do you want to come over and chop some produce on Tuesday?"

    Try it, you might like it. Just be sure to set aside enough time! And also, that rotisserie chicken with vegetables is a great dinner!
  • Scottgriesser
    Scottgriesser Posts: 172 Member
    Got a coupon, tried it for a week. Decent, but nothing special. Definitely not worth it at full price. However, I am a capable home chef so my experience may be different.
  • gentlygently
    gentlygently Posts: 752 Member
    If you are trying to cook more at home and eat a lot of veg - another option is to stock your pantry with lots of staples (rice, pasta, timned tomotos, good quality pesto/pasta sauces etc) and fill your freezer with fish/meat portions (and veg) Add a veggie box delivery - and then you are all prepared. Always something in the house to cook ... I’ve cooked this way for years.
  • joannegustyn1971
    joannegustyn1971 Posts: 50 Member
    gentlygently wrote: »
    If you are trying to cook more at home and eat a lot of veg - another option is to stock your pantry with lots of staples (rice, pasta, timned tomotos, good quality pesto/pasta sauces etc) and fill your freezer with fish/meat portions (and veg) Add a veggie box delivery - and then you are all prepared. Always something in the house to cook ... I’ve cooked this way for years.

    That sounds great in theory and my pantry is packed to the gills… It’s just the putting stuff together without a recipe and using the stuff that I’m not very good at.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    joannegustyn1971 wrote: »
    COGypsy wrote: »
    My problem with Hello Fresh and those services is that you still have to cook and clean. I’ve been using Freshly lately and really like it. Meals are cheaper than the takeout I’d most likely order instead and heat up in just a couple of minutes. I get variety, nutrition and convenience all in one!

    I’m excited about the cooking part. I’m not really good at it and my friends that do it say that they’ve learned a lot. I am more of a person who buys things just to heat up but now I’m excited that I’m going to be making it from scratch.

    I think this is a really good option for you and am glad your first meal went so well :)
  • joannegustyn1971
    joannegustyn1971 Posts: 50 Member
    Last night I madenw8xj1xm7s83.jpeg
    Last night I made seared Italian sausage with is really couscous and spinach!
    Who knew that I could cook such a thing? We had some cheese in our fridge so I sprinkled a little bit of extra on top. I ate half of mine for dinner and have her for lunch today. So far so good… And I’m very proud of myself.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    Waste of money. Why the heck would I pay so much for a single meal when I can easily make the same thing for SO much less on my own?
  • gentlygently
    gentlygently Posts: 752 Member
    The meals look great - and looks like they will boost your cooking confidence/enjoyment/recipe repertoire - (and then perhaps you can try the cheaper DIY suggestions later!). Good luck
  • joannegustyn1971
    joannegustyn1971 Posts: 50 Member
    Athijade wrote: »
    Waste of money. Why the heck would I pay so much for a single meal when I can easily make the same thing for SO much less on my own?

    I don’t know why YOU would but myself and several coworkers are just loving it. Not a waste of money at all, we are eating delicious restaurant quality meals and all made from fresh ingredients. Nothing being bought and rotting in the fridge. Not eating out as much. It’s a no brainer really… It’s amazing.
  • joannegustyn1971
    joannegustyn1971 Posts: 50 Member
    gentlygently wrote: »
    The meals look great - and looks like they will boost your cooking confidence/enjoyment/recipe repertoire - (and then perhaps you can try the cheaper DIY suggestions later!). Good luck

    Thanks so much! I can’t believe that I am zesting lemons and limes, toasting nuts, reserving my cous cous water to add to my dish etc. Everything has been delicious!
  • joannegustyn1971
    joannegustyn1971 Posts: 50 Member
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  • joannegustyn1971
    joannegustyn1971 Posts: 50 Member
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