A couple of weeks ago, my friend had the opportunity to send me a code for a free box from HelloFresh. Ever since I had Andreanne from Fork & Fantasy share her thoughts about HelloFresh, I’ve actually really wanted to try it! So this free box was just calling my name.
HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service. They plan, prep, shop, and deliver fresh ingredients to your door on a weekly basis. You can skip their weekly service, swap recipes from the many offered each week, and can even cancel anytime without any penalties. HelloFresh sources all their ingredients directly from suppliers so you get the freshest and best ingredients. All their kits are pre-portioned for the size of box you order (2 people or 4 people), so there is little to no waste.
There are three different plans to choose from: the Pronto Plan (3 or 4 meals for 2 or 4 people). The recipes in this box are designed to suit a variety of tastes. You’ll find a range of proteins, seafood, and veggies packed in to create delicious recipes. The Family Plan (3 or 4 meals for 4 people) is perfect those who want delicious kid-approved recipes the entire family will love. The last is the Veggie Plan (3 meals for 2 people) which is for the non-meat eaters among us or for those who just like to opt for some veggie meals in their weekly routine. You’ll find a range of recipes featuring plant-based proteins and packed with delicious veggies.
For my first HelloFresh box, I ordered the Pronto Plan for 4 people. There were a ton of recipes to pick, but I narrowed down my choices to Chili Chicken, Mexican Pork Tacos, and Pan-Seared Steak. I chose to have a Sunday delivery because I would be home majority of the day for them to come. The only thing I didn’t love about this whole experience was that it was very vague on timing (8am-8pm), and they just left it on my porch. No one rang the doorbell or knocked to advise that they were dropping it off. Luckily I was keeping an eye out, otherwise it would’ve sat outside for a while (which would’ve been even worse in really cold or hot weather) and could have potentially been taken by someone else.
I really love the packaging, as HelloFresh really put thought into it. The boxes are made from recycled fibers and the liners are made from FSC-certified sustainable cardboard and pulper-safe film, and they are both fully recyclable. They do include ice packs to keep the items fresh as well.
Onto the important piece of this review – the cooking and actual meal! All the different recipes are sent along with recipe cards, which are super easy to follow! I got my boyfriend in on the action since he’s never cooked before, and he agreed that it was easy to follow. All the portions, timing, and steps are listed in order. I did find it took a bit longer to make the meals then it states, but since I don’t cook a lot (& it was my boyfriends first time), I found that we just move at a slower pace. I really enjoyed that all the ingredients were pre-portioned for us, which took a huge chunk of time out of my normal cooking time. Majority of the meals included garlic and/or ginger, which they sent whole. I don’t have a garlic press or have ever peeled/grated fresh ginger, so I just swapped that out for the minced garlic and ginger that I had in my fridge.
All 3 meals that I cooked were new to me, and even had some cooking techniques that I never knew about before. I will definitely be using some of these techniques in other recipes I make. One of the dishes had jalapenos in it, and I was skeptical about using them as I’m not a huge fan of spice, but they had listed the amounts needed for the amount of spice you want. I liked seeing that because even though I don’t enjoy my food to be spicy, the recipe really benefited from using the flavour from it!
The HelloFresh plans range from around $10-12 a serving, which I find a bit high compared to buying the ingredients myself. However, the price includes the whole experience – choosing the meals, having HelloFresh buy and pack all the ingredients and ship it to you, the packaging itself, the cooking experience, and all the work that went behind creating the entire box contents. In the end, the price can be justified, but it can get pricey for every week.. especially when you have to go to the store anyways to buy food for breakfast and lunches.
I WOULD recommend HelloFresh, regardless of the price, because I got to learn new cooking techniques, try new recipes, and even get my boyfriend cooking for the first time (who said it was easy and fun)!
Want to try HelloFresh? Use my referral code below and get $40 OFF your first delivery & PLEASE leave a comment on which meals you picked out! I’m so curious to know what other recipes are good!
HelloFresh
http://www.hellofresh.ca/?c=MADDYSC
