I Tried HelloFresh for a Month…

I’ve been served sponsored posts pushing meal delivery services (HelloFresh in particular), on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for years – so much so, I thought I completely understood the concept and the hype. Well, I didn’t.

Before the new year, I was trying to get everything in order. Like many people, I had hopes of starting 2020 on the right foot! One thing I often struggle with is meal planning and prepping so I decided to take advantage of a HelloFresh promotion. I set up an account, picked a plan, and committed to ordering 3 meals per week for the entire month of January hoping it would help us get into a groove.

So…did we get into a groove? Was it worth it? Would I recommend the service?

Short answer: YES! I’ve come to love HelloFresh for so many reasons, but here are my TOP 5…

1. NO MEAL PLANNING. This was most important to me! For some reason, meal planning is just not in my DNA. On Sunday, I have no idea what I want to eat on Wednesday. HF pre-selects 3 meals for you each week and you have up until a few days before delivery to change them. I’ve edited my menu a couple of times, but even weeks when I’ve forgotten, their choices have always been on point. PLUS, I’m never not in the mood for what we have for dinner, because I have 3 dinners sitting in my fridge!

2. NO HECTIC GROCERY STORE RUNS. Grocery shopping is a little overwhelming to begin with, but even more so when you find yourself running back and forth across the store because you forgot an ingredient in produce or in the international aisle or the refrigerated section. Now, since most of our weekly dinners are set, grocery runs are so much quicker! We just grab the basics (milk, bread, etc.) along with a few breakfast/lunch/snack staples …and we’re set!

3. LESS WASTE. Have you ever made a recipe for two people and had not only a TON of leftover food, but so many leftover ingredients?! It’s such a pet peeve of mine because when a recipe calls for 1/2 a red pepper or a 2 tbs of ginger, your refrigerator quickly becomes home to all of these misc. leftovers! Someone who is good at meal planning (not I, as stated in point 1) could repurpose these things and incorporate them into future meals. For the rest of us, they usually get lost behind something, quickly go bad, and are eventually tossed. My favorite thing about HF is that each meal comes with exactly what you need…perfectly packaged and portioned. There is literally ZERO waste!

4. I’VE $AVED MONEY! While the plans can seem pricey (about $60/week with the shipping fee), at the end of the day, that averages about $8 per serving. I don’t know about you, but when I go to the grocery store to “grab dinner” I rarely (if ever) leave without spending a MINIMUM of $20 per meal. But again, poor meal planner here -it certainly can be done. However, at this time in life, I’m really enjoying the ease of delivered dinner…plus, it has basically eliminated mid-week take out/dining out which easily runs a $30-$60 tab.

5. THE FOOD IS GOOD….like REALLY GOOD! I assumed the meals would be pretty average – nothing out of this world. But no, no, no. The HF menu is unique, creative, and downright delicious. My palette has been in a state of shock since we’ve been preparing and enjoying these dinners. Most recipes I’ve never A) had, B) heard of or C) can even pronounce (still struggling with “Bibimbap” lol). I would never in a million years attempt the majority of these recipes on my own, but their directions are so easy to follow and each meal is typically prepared in 30 minutes or less (we usually tag team them, so dinner is on the table quick!) Every time we sit down to eat we’re like… “damn. This is one is REALLY good too!” Honestly, every single meal has been a hit, it’s hard to pick a favorite! What we can agree on is that we have yet to prepare one that we do not like.

Have I sold you yet lol?

We’ve been so impressed with HF and how much easier it has made our lives! Everything about the service is impressive. The price is fair, I think the portions are fair (I usually load up my boyfriends plate more than mine… and some dinners we do pack up leftovers), the delivery is consistent, and the food is tasty & fresh. This post was not sponsored in any way shape or form, I just really wanted to see what the hype was all about… and now I get it. And want to share! 🙂

If you’d like to try HelloFresh, I say go for it! It’s worth every penny and they often run promotions, if you click here to sign up you’ll receive $40 OFF your first box (which breaks down to 3 dinners for two at $3.30 per serving. Uhh…yes please).

I hope the New Year is still treating you all well! Now that I’ve gotten the meal planning thing under control, it’s time to tackle some of the other areas of life that feel a little disheveled…ex: my closet. UGH.

Have a great week! XOXO