In a quest to make my life easier, I decided to give meal delivery a try. This is an awesome concept for a working parents, parents of kids with super busy after school schedules and those that are just learning how to cook. I enjoying cooking for my family and I used to try to meal plan for the week ahead. I ended up at the grocery store several times per week because I was inevitably missing a key ingredient. Enter, meal delivery service. All of the ingredients and recipes show up on my doorstep on Monday (you can select your delivery day). The recipes from the different companies I have used have a verifying degree of difficulty, prep time and cook time. I was managing three meal delivery company subscriptions at the same time and now I go back and forth between Blue Apron and Hello Fresh for variety. Still, my all time fav is Hello Fresh for the organization/packaging, choice of low carb meals and flavor. I will update as I give some of the new ones a go.
Here’s the breakdown….
Pros: love the recipe cards and packaging of ingredients
Pros: Easy to prep and cook
Pros: recipes menu planned far in advance (4 weeks)
Pros: like the website for ordering
Pros: ability to swap recipes; lots of choices
Pros: great for healthy eating, adventurous foodies
Cons: sometimes the produce is meh
Cons: meals for a family of 4 (we need 5 plates)
Cost $9.95/plate (decreased from $12/plate)
6 plates/person to giveaway (3 free meals for 2 people or 2 meals for 4 people to giveaway)
Pros: kids liked these meals better
Pros: recipes menu planned far in advance (5 weeks)
Cons: didn’t love recipe cards and cooking directions
Cons: Not as well labeled ingredients for each recipe
Cons: website isn’t as user friendly as others
Cons: family meal is for 4 people
Cons: Lots of prep work for weeknight meal. Lots of chopping (esp squash, which I buy diced to save time).
Cost $9.98/plate
5 free meals for 2 people to giveaway (comment in post with your name and email and I will send to the first 5 people).
Combine with Ebates for $7.50 cash back
Pictured is a salmon meal for 4 people but I make it stretch for 5 (3 kids ages 7, 7 and 4)
Pros: like the choices of recipes best, love the packaging the best. Most organized and best quality thus far.
Pros: Best referrals rewards program. Give friends $40 off to try and you get $20 off
Periodically drop “Free Gifts” into your account to give friends a free week to try. You do not get $20 credits, when giving a free week to a friend.
Cons: family meal is for 4 people (but there seems to be plenty of food for 5 of us vs other co.)
Cons: Menu is only planned 2 weeks in advance
Cost $10.75/plate. Delivery is free
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
You can now also select our Family Box, which includes family-friendly recipes for four people. Unfortunately, we cannot yet offer choice for our Family and Vegetarian subscription.
Use my referral link to try a subscription and save $35 off your first delivery.
Combine with Ebates for 15% cash back. Sign up for EBATES here.
Download the app for easy modifications to your meal choice.
Packaging inside of Hello Fresh Box for produce on top and meat on bottom
I only photographed half of the meal because I kept half of the shrimp unseasoned for the picky eater in my house.
Referral program
Delivery options- order by Sunday
$12.50/plate for 2
$11.25/plate for 4 people
Shipping is free for subscribers (other than the states listed) AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, KS, ME, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY, will have to pay a shipping charge of $15.00 per box.
Specific focus on vegan, Paleo, Gluten Free as well as Veg, Omnivore and Carnivores
3 recipes for 2 people in each box
$9 shipping/box
Cost: Veg $10.49/plate, Omnivore $11.99/plate, Vegan $11.99/plate, Carnivore $13.49/plate, Gluten Free $13.49/plate, Paleo $14.99/plate
$25 coupons. New Customers get 4 free meals with their first order. You earn $25 towards your next delivery. Periodically drop “Free Gifts” into your account to give friends a free week to try. When they order again, you earn $25 towards a future delivery.
Vegan delivery options
2 meals for 4 people $74 or 3 meals for 2 people $68
Cost $9.25/plate for 4 people
Fresh Box (Ohau, Hawaii only)
3 meals for 2 people
Cost $12/meal. Delivery is free. Memberhsip is $10/month
Gave it a whirl but the recipes cards are very difficult to read compared to the other companies plus they give you all the recipes for the week and it confuses us as to what food we have in the fridge.