Like many college kids, transitioning from eating your parent’s home-cooked meals to figuring out your own dinners in between study sessions can be difficult. When I first started, the only thing I really knew how to cook was ramen and different variations of pasta. I decided to try Hello Fresh, a meal kit delivery service, to expand my palate and cook more at home so I wasn’t eating out all the time. I’ve used Hello Fresh since the beginning of March and love it!
Price
Hello Fresh offers plans ranging from 2-4 servings and 2-6 meals every week. Because I am only cooking for myself, I started out with 2 servings and 4 meals a week. I paid around $80 a week after my discount code expired, and since then I have downgraded to 3 meals so I pay around $62. The price was getting to be a bit much, although I wish I could have kept it at 4 meals. I enjoyed having 4 nights to plan to cook dinner, then having leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. The portions are large so some could spread 2 servings into 3 if they wish to.
Mighty Mushroom Tortilla Melt with Caramelized Onion & an Apple Salad
Meal Selection/Variety
You will select your meals five days before the date you would like them delivered. Hello Fresh has a wide range of meals with different cuisines and dietary restrictions. The app is very easy to navigate to choose meals, or you can do it on a computer. They use symbols to show meal details, such as if the meal is vegetarian or if it is low calorie. You can choose menu preferences that fit with how you eat, like if you are a pescatarian or want only quick and easy meals. There is always a good range of meals to choose from. I usually choose a pasta dish, an Asian dish, and maybe some comfort food depending on how I am feeling that day. You can also choose to upgrade to more fancy dishes with premium ingredients like lobster and steak for an extra fee per serving.
Salmon in a Creamy Dijon Chive Sauce with Roasted Potato Wedges & Lemony Zucchini
Delivery
I have only had two issues with delivery, and each time, Hello Fresh support was there to fix the issue and would likely resolve the problem. I have never had a late delivery and the products have been of good quality after the shipping process.
Quality
As long as you use the food products within a week, the quality is great. I usually freeze my meat until I need to cook it. A good rule of thumb is to use produce like zucchini earlier in the week as it tends to sweat and get mushy. I only have to throw the products out if I don’t cook them in time. If you ever receive a bad ingredient, Hello Fresh is quick to credit you to make up for the mistake, which I greatly appreciate.
Garden Mushroom-Stuffed Ravioli with Zucchini Ribbons, Tomato & Creamy Lemon Sauce
Cooking
You receive a recipe card for each meal and have access to the recipes through your app. The recipes are all straightforward and tell you exactly the kitchen basics and materials you need for the meal. The recipe card has an estimated cooking time, but I usually end up taking longer since I use this time to drink a glass of wine and catch up on a show. I would recommend reading through the recipe before you begin so you don’t mistakenly use all of a spice in one step and don’t have any left for another step.
Chicken Ramen in a Shoyu-Style Broth plus Mushrooms, Chili Garlic Oil & Crispy Onions
Taste
Most of the Hello Fresh meals I’ve made have tasted great! There are some here and there that I don’t like, but it all comes down to preference and I just choose not to include those meals or a certain ingredient in future meals. I’m not a fan of their Chicken Sausage, so I avoid meals that have Chicken Sausage in them, and it is easy to do so!
Some meals have been so good that I will keep the recipe cards and make them again! A few of my favorite meals are the “Chicken Ramen in a Shoyu-Style Broth plus Mushrooms, Chili Garlic Oil & Crispy Onions” and “Garden Mushroom-Stuffed Ravioli with Zucchini Ribbons, Tomato & Creamy Lemon Sauce”.
Summary
I am so glad I signed up for Hello Fresh. I am spending less money in the long run on groceries and eating out, and I am trying new foods that I get to make myself! I feel like a real adult when I cook these meals and I am proud of how much I’ve learned about cooking from it. Hello Fresh always has discounts and offers for new customers, so try it out and see if you like it too!