HelloFresh has become a flagship player in the rapidly growing meal kit industry, redefining how busy professionals approach at-home dining. For executives balancing packed calendars, HelloFresh eliminates meal planning and grocery runs without sacrificing quality or taste.
Our hands‑on HelloFresh meal review looks at how it fits into a demanding schedule: from flavor and freshness to portion sizes, prep time, and overall value for busy professionals who need dinner to be fast, reliable, and taste delicious. We think HelloFresh is one of the best meal delivery services out there. Read on for what we loved, what we’d like to be different, and why it can be a helpful tool in keeping you healthy while you navigate a full agenda.
Hello Fresh
| Fortune score | 4.5/5 |
at Hello Fresh
- Our thoughts: Our tester loved the flavor of the HelloFresh meals she cooked
- Who it’s for: Busy folks who don’t have the time to meal plan or grocery shop
- What makes it different: Offers a rotating menu that changes often for plenty of variety
Pros
- Instructions are easy to follow
- Meals are customizable for different dietary restrictions
- Delicious flavor
Cons
- Some recipes require many dishes
- Not as fast as a prepared meal
- Portions may be too small for some
What is HelloFresh?
HelloFresh is a subscription meal kit delivery service that ships pre-portioned ingredients and step‑by‑step recipes to your door so you can cook dinners at home with less planning and shopping. It sits between traditional home cooking and takeout: you still cook the meal, but the service handles menu planning, grocery selection, and portioning.
HelloFresh customers choose a weekly plan (based on the number of servings and recipes) and then pick meals from a rotating menu featuring options like meat & veggies, veggie, family‑friendly, fit & wholesome, quick & easy, and pescatarian. Each delivery typically includes insulated packaging, individually bagged ingredients for each recipe, chilled proteins, and printed recipe cards with time estimates and clear instructions. Many boxes also offer optional add‑ons like breakfasts, lunches, snacks, or extra proteins.
You sign up online, select your preferences (such as focusing on quicker recipes or more wholesome options), and then either manually choose meals each week or let the service auto‑select based on those preferences. Recipes are usually designed to take roughly 20–45 minutes, using common kitchen tools and techniques so average home cooks can follow along without special skills. The subscription is flexible: you can change your plan size, skip weeks, pause, or cancel through your account settings before the weekly cutoff.
HelloFresh Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | Typically about $9.99 to $12.49 per serving depending on plan size, plus around $10.99 shipping per box, with lower per‑serving cost on larger weekly plans. |
| Intro offers | New customers get introductory discounts spread over the first several boxes (such as percentage‑off or dollar‑off promotions). |
| Key features | Pre‑portioned meal kits with step‑by‑step recipe cards, rotating weekly menu with dozens of options, add‑on marketplace for breakfasts, snacks, and extras, and an app/website for easy selection and schedule changes. |
| Supported diets | Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family‑friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick & Easy, and Pescatarian, with calorie‑smart and carb‑smart options; not designed as a strict solution for medical diets like celiac or severe food allergies. |
| Preparation style | Meal kits that require cooking, often 20–45 minutes, with some quicker 20-minute or one‑pan style recipes. |
| Subscription options | Choose the number of people (2 or 4) and 2–6 recipes per week, with the ability to skip weeks, pause, or cancel via your online account. |
| Box contents | Individually bagged ingredients per recipe, chilled proteins, and printed recipe cards; optional add‑on groceries like breakfasts, sides, and snacks. |
| Geographic availability | Operates widely across the U.S. and in multiple other countries, though specific menus and pricing vary by region. |
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Details | Typically about $9.99 to $12.49 per serving depending on plan size, plus around $10.99 shipping per box, with lower per‑serving cost on larger weekly plans. |
| Intro offers | |
| Details | New customers get introductory discounts spread over the first several boxes (such as percentage‑off or dollar‑off promotions). |
| Key features | |
| Details | Pre‑portioned meal kits with step‑by‑step recipe cards, rotating weekly menu with dozens of options, add‑on marketplace for breakfasts, snacks, and extras, and an app/website for easy selection and schedule changes. |
| Supported diets | |
| Details | Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family‑friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick & Easy, and Pescatarian, with calorie‑smart and carb‑smart options; not designed as a strict solution for medical diets like celiac or severe food allergies. |
| Preparation style | |
| Details | Meal kits that require cooking, often 20–45 minutes, with some quicker 20-minute or one‑pan style recipes. |
| Subscription options | |
| Details | Choose the number of people (2 or 4) and 2–6 recipes per week, with the ability to skip weeks, pause, or cancel via your online account. |
| Box contents | |
| Details | Individually bagged ingredients per recipe, chilled proteins, and printed recipe cards; optional add‑on groceries like breakfasts, sides, and snacks. |
| Geographic availability | |
| Details | Operates widely across the U.S. and in multiple other countries, though specific menus and pricing vary by region. |
Our Experience with HelloFresh
Gwen tested HelloFresh and shared feedback on her experience with the service. She rated the general ordering experience as a 5 out of 5. “The HelloFresh website is incredibly easy to use and navigate. All of the pages are clean and well-designed; I really like the UX on HelloFresh! I also love that you can edit your box until a certain date/time, which the website shows you,” she said. This is useful for busy professionals, helping you stay on top of your orders and being able to skip weeks as needed.
When it came time for delivery, Gwen had an excellent experience. “You can choose the day that your HelloFresh box will be delivered, which is great if your schedule itself is ever changing. The box comes with huge ice packs to keep the fresh ingredients cold. My HelloFresh was delivered in the morning, and I wasn’t able to get it into my fridge until the evening–even by then, the ice had barely melted,” she said. Gwen also noticed that most of the packaging was paper and very easily recycled. There were minimal plastic components.
She loved the taste of the meals she made, rating them a 4.5 out of 5. “The flavor was really impressive. I made honey soy chicken with rice and a chicken buffalo wrap. Both tasted like something I would order at a takeout spot. It also tasted pretty fresh, which makes sense, considering all of the ingredients are fresh!”
What We Liked
Ingredient quality
Gwen was impressed by the freshness and quality of the ingredients in her HelloFresh kits. “All of the ingredients, including the meat, were fresh and not frozen. I really enjoyed this aspect because I can physically see the quality of all the ingredients and they were top-notch,” she said.
Variety
There were plenty of meal options available to Gwen. “HelloFresh has you pick new meals week to week, which is great–they have a huge variety. I was especially impressed by the various types of proteins they offered. I would never be bored if I ordered HelloFresh each week!”
Customization
HelloFresh offers a lot of customization options for different allergies, dietary restrictions, and health/fitness goals. You can choose from plans like Fit & Wholesome, Quick & Easy, Veggie,
and Family‑Friendly, then further filter meals by tags such as high‑protein, calorie‑smart, or carb‑conscious. Within each week’s menu, you can swap recipes, adjust servings, and skip weeks as needed, giving you flexibility with your schedule and preferences.
What We Would Change
Cook times can be longer than advertised
“There was a good amount of prep involved with the meals I chose. I had to bread chicken for one of the meals and do both baking and frying elements at the same time,” Gwen said. She went through a good amount of dishes, so she wouldn’t recommend this for folks who don’t have a dishwasher. “That being said, the steps weren’t too complicated. The instructions are very easy to follow, but it did take more than 20 minutes to prepare the meals.” If you’re on a time crunch, Gwen recommends that you go with a prepared meal instead.
Portions may be too small for some folks
Gwen and her partner are both athletes, so HelloFresh’s portions were a little small for them. “I made two, two-serving meals and we finished both of them. We were pretty full, but if we had split a two-serving meal, we would still have been hungry,” she said.
Who It’s For & Who It’s Not For
| HelloFresh is great for… | HelloFresh may not be ideal for… |
|---|---|
| -Busy professionals or parents wanting to save time on meal planning and grocery shopping. | -People who want truly ready-to-eat meals with no cooking or cleanup beyond reheating. |
| -Beginners or casual home cooks who like clear, step-by-step recipes and pre-portioned ingredients. | -Folks with food allergies or celiac disease who need guaranteed no cross-contamination. |
| -Folks looking for variety and generally balanced whole food meals without strict rules. | -People following very strict or niche diets (e.g., medically prescribed, strict keto, low-FODMAP). |
| -Couples, roommates, and families who want to cook together and reduce food waste. | -Very budget-conscious shoppers who prefer optimizing costs with bulk ingredients and sale-hunting at the grocery store. |
| -Folks who like trying new flavors and cuisines but want guidance rather than designing recipes themselves. | -People who frequently travel or have highly unpredictable schedules and may forget to skip weeks in time. |
| -Busy professionals or parents wanting to save time on meal planning and grocery shopping. | |
|---|---|
| HelloFresh may not be ideal for… | -People who want truly ready-to-eat meals with no cooking or cleanup beyond reheating. |
| -Beginners or casual home cooks who like clear, step-by-step recipes and pre-portioned ingredients. | |
| HelloFresh may not be ideal for… | -Folks with food allergies or celiac disease who need guaranteed no cross-contamination. |
| -Folks looking for variety and generally balanced whole food meals without strict rules. | |
| HelloFresh may not be ideal for… | -People following very strict or niche diets (e.g., medically prescribed, strict keto, low-FODMAP). |
| -Couples, roommates, and families who want to cook together and reduce food waste. | |
| HelloFresh may not be ideal for… | -Very budget-conscious shoppers who prefer optimizing costs with bulk ingredients and sale-hunting at the grocery store. |
| -Folks who like trying new flavors and cuisines but want guidance rather than designing recipes themselves. | |
| HelloFresh may not be ideal for… | -People who frequently travel or have highly unpredictable schedules and may forget to skip weeks in time. |
Comparing to Other Meal Delivery Services
| HelloFresh | Factor | Home Chef | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price per serving | Around $9.99 to $12.49 per serving for standard meal kits, with costs falling as you order more servings per week. | Roughly $10.99 to $13.99 per meal depending on the number of weekly meals, with better value at higher meal counts. | Standard meals cost about $9.99 per serving, with some options starting around $4.99 and premium dishes higher. |
| Shipping | Flat weekly shipping fee around $10.99 | Weekly shipping fee added; total varies by box size and location | Shipping costs $10.99 per order |
| Intro offers | Frequently runs intro deals such as large percentage discounts or money off over several boxes. | Often offers intro promotions like money off the first boxes or free meals. | Regularly promotes sign-up discounts or free meals over the first few boxes. |
| Meal type | Meal kits where you cook using pre-portioned ingredients and recipes. | Fully prepared, ready-to-heat meals focused on convenience and nutrition. | Primarily meal kits, with some oven-ready and fast-prep options. |
| Dietary focus | Mix of classic, family-friendly, vegetarian, and higher-protein options. | Strong emphasis on high-protein, keto, calorie-smart, and other health-oriented plans. | Broad comfort food and family-friendly menu, with some carb-conscious and calorie-conscious options. |
| Subscription flexibility | Allows you to choose the number of people and 2–6 meals per week; you can skip weeks, pause, or cancel via your account. | Plans typically range from about 6–20+ meals per week; you can adjust quantity, skip weeks, or cancel online before cutoff dates. | Allows 2–6 meals for 2, 4, or 6 people per week, with options to skip, pause, and cancel your account. |
| Key features | Large rotating menu, step‑by‑step recipes, relatively broad cuisine variety, and options for larger households. | No cooking required, macro-friendly menus, dietitian-support add-ons in some plans, and focus on fitness/health goals. | Customizable proteins (“Customize It”), comfort-forward recipes, and both meal kits and quick-prep items. |
| Typical price per serving | Standard meals cost about $9.99 per serving, with some options starting around $4.99 and premium dishes higher. |
|---|---|
| HelloFresh | Around $9.99 to $12.49 per serving for standard meal kits, with costs falling as you order more servings per week. |
| Factor | Roughly $10.99 to $13.99 per meal depending on the number of weekly meals, with better value at higher meal counts. |
| Shipping | Shipping costs $10.99 per order |
| HelloFresh | Flat weekly shipping fee around $10.99 |
| Factor | Weekly shipping fee added; total varies by box size and location |
| Intro offers | Regularly promotes sign-up discounts or free meals over the first few boxes. |
| HelloFresh | Frequently runs intro deals such as large percentage discounts or money off over several boxes. |
| Factor | Often offers intro promotions like money off the first boxes or free meals. |
| Meal type | Primarily meal kits, with some oven-ready and fast-prep options. |
| HelloFresh | Meal kits where you cook using pre-portioned ingredients and recipes. |
| Factor | Fully prepared, ready-to-heat meals focused on convenience and nutrition. |
| Dietary focus | Broad comfort food and family-friendly menu, with some carb-conscious and calorie-conscious options. |
| HelloFresh | Mix of classic, family-friendly, vegetarian, and higher-protein options. |
| Factor | Strong emphasis on high-protein, keto, calorie-smart, and other health-oriented plans. |
| Subscription flexibility | Allows 2–6 meals for 2, 4, or 6 people per week, with options to skip, pause, and cancel your account. |
| HelloFresh | Allows you to choose the number of people and 2–6 meals per week; you can skip weeks, pause, or cancel via your account. |
| Factor | Plans typically range from about 6–20+ meals per week; you can adjust quantity, skip weeks, or cancel online before cutoff dates. |
| Key features | Customizable proteins (“Customize It”), comfort-forward recipes, and both meal kits and quick-prep items. |
| HelloFresh | Large rotating menu, step‑by‑step recipes, relatively broad cuisine variety, and options for larger households. |
| Factor | No cooking required, macro-friendly menus, dietitian-support add-ons in some plans, and focus on fitness/health goals. |
Frequently asked questions
What are the negatives to HelloFresh?
For some folks, the portion sizes of HelloFresh meals may be too small or not filling enough. Our tester also noticed that the meal kits sometimes took longer than the advertised cook time to make, which was less convenient.
Is HelloFresh really worth it?
Yes, we think HelloFresh is valuable, especially for busy professionals who would like to skip grocery shopping but still cook their meals with fresh ingredients.
Is HelloFresh difficult to cancel?
No, in fact we’d say HelloFresh is easy to cancel, based on our tester’s experience. You can skip weeks of deliveries at a time, or cancel your subscription easily in the app or on their website.