{Review} Hello Fresh!

Most weeks I have a menu plan. But then there are those days (or sometimes weeks) when it seems dinner time comes along and I am at a loss. I stand in the kitchen- staring into the cabinet or fridge wondering, "What's for dinner?" Recently I was given the opportunity to try out HelloFresh, which is a weekly food delivery service. But it's not like any other food delivery service- this is fresh ingredients and full recipes!

How it Works:

HelloFresh is a subscription service where each week you order a box containing ingredients to make 3 meals. You can choose between options feeding 2 people or 4 people. They have a Classic Box option which includes meat and a Veggie Box for those who prefer to eat vegetarian. Once you've placed your order (by Wednesday of each week) your box will be delivered the following Wednesday.

Personally, I am was little concerned about receiving the meat. I don't think UPS has refrigerated trucks! But our box arrived on a day we were out and sat on the deck for quite a few hours. We opened it up as soon as we got home and it was packed very well with insulation and ice packs- which were still almost completely solid. Everything was still very cold, so no worries about spoiled meat! 

Your box will come with each meal grouped together in bags with labels, so you know which ingredients go with which meal. You will also get 3 full-color recipe cards- with pictures! That will tell you step by step how to prepare your meals.

These meals are easy to make, usually taking less than 30 minutes to prepare. HelloFresh  meals are standard so if you have any special diets or restrictions you will have to plan accordingly and make substitutions or pause your delivery for the week. You do have some meal options though- when ordering the Classic box you have 5 meals to choose from. So if you don't eat seafood or don't like the sound of one of the dishes, simply swap it out with one of the other options.

You can easily pause your subscription if you don't like the meals or are going to be away. When you are through using the service you simply send HelloFresh a cancel email to end your subscription. 

Our Meals and Modifications:

We received a box containing 3 meals, serving 2 people each.  Our meal choices were: Shrimp and Chroizo Stew with Kale, Garlic Roasted Pork Chops with Fennel and Carrots, and Chicken Polpetti over Penne.

We started out with the Garlic Roasted Pork Chops with Fennel and Carrots. The recipe was easy to follow and dinner took less than 30 minutes active prep time.  If I were serving 2 people this would have been a nice large serving size, but I was serving 4 meat eater- but coupled with some rice pilaf it was enough to fill our family of 7.

Next up we tried the Shrimp and Chorizo Stew. The kids were the most excited about this one since all but one LOVE shrimp and the one who doesn't like shrimp loves most soups. I modified the recipe a bit so that I could feed all of us. I added 2 extra cups of water and a very large sweet potato.

And with just those 2 modifications I was able to feed all 7 of us, more than one serving each. Every one gobbled this one up!

Our final meal was Chicken Polpetti over Penne, and some how it got eaten without any pictures! It was an easy meal to modify by adding a LOT more pasta and more sauce. I don't eat meat but the kids seemed to enjoy the meatballs, though not as much as some of the other meals. But then again they are not big chicken eaters.

What did we think?

 Overall we really enjoyed the taste we got of HelloFresh. Here's what we liked best:

• The recipes were quick, simple and fresh. They were also meals that weren't the norm in our house. It was nice to try something new and expand our tastes a bit. 
• It was fresh! Fresh kale, fresh basil and rosemary, fresh garlic and onion. The produce was all in great condition.
• It was convenient. I had 3 meals that week were I didn't have to plan, shop or worry about dinner. I just pulled out the labeled bags and got to work.
• The website is informative, customer service is superb and delivery is prompt. 
• The serving sizes were very generous

What could be better:

• The wording in the some of the recipes wasn't very clear. A couple of times I had to read over and over to make sure which pan, pot, bowl I was adding things to. And I did it wrong in one recipe- but it worked out in the end anyway!
• The ordering process was a bit confusing. You are told you can choose your meal options after check out but when I finished the check-out process I got a confirmation and that was it. You have to search out and change your meal options. I think taking you straight to that page after check out would be much simpler. 
• For a large family on a budget the price is high for an every week use. This con is for my family situation in particular. HelloFresh is cheaper than going out to dinner and I can see it being a nice way to spend a "date-night" at home with your spouse. 

How to Get HelloFresh!

You can find HelloFresh online through their website. Their subscription rates are as follows:

3 Classic Meal Box for Two - $69
3 Classic Meal Box for Four - $129
3 Vegetarian Meal Box for Two - $59
3 Vegetarian Meal Box for Four - $109

For more information see their FAQ.

See what others thought about HelloFresh on Mosaic Reviews!