It’s a common bit on social media: a full-grown adult saying wryly, “No one told me I’d have to plan dinner every single night.” When you’re already working a full-time job, meal planning can feel like a job unto itself. That’s why grocery and meal delivery services have exploded in popularity. These time-saving options help people plan meals and get groceries delivered right to their door.
We tested one such service, Hungryroot, which intrigued us because it seems like the best of both worlds. You can select recipes and have the ingredients automatically added to your cart, plus you can add other groceries you may need. Here’s our experience trying Hungryroot.
Hungry Root
| Fortune score | 4/5 |
at Hungry Root
- Our thoughts: Shoppable recipes with the option to add other groceries
- Who it’s for: People who want the convenience of a meal delivery service with the ability to grocery shop as well
- What makes it different: Hungryroot offers the convenience of meal planning combined with grocery delivery
Pros
- Recyclable packaging
- A lot of organic ingredients
- Excellent freshness
Cons
- Not all gluten-free items are certified as such
- May not offer as much variety as a standard grocery store
- Doesn’t offer the same convenience as a traditional meal kit
Hungryroot Specs
Our Experience with Hungryroot
Hungryroot offers “shoppable recipes,” allowing you to choose recipes and automatically add those ingredients to your cart—along with any other groceries you want, including things like powdered greens supplements or kids’ snacks. The company lets customers select specific dietary needs when they sign up, which ensures Hungryroot only sends groceries that meet those requirements. Customers can update those dietary preferences at any time.
One note for those who prefer a gluten-free diet: Hungryroot’s website says, “We define gluten-free products as not containing any gluten or gluten-based ingredients,” and add that not all the gluten-free products are certified gluten-free and there’s the possibility products “may be processed in the same facility as gluten and other allergens.”
Meredith, our tester, ordered from Hungryroot and loved the ingredient freshness, packaging, and shipping. Here’s more about her experience.
What We Liked
Meredith gave positive feedback about many aspects of her Hungryroot experience.
- Ordering experience (4 out of 5): Meredith said the website was “very easy to navigate,” and explained, “You can simply get started by selecting your plan and giving them any restrictions you may have.” She liked being able to note dietary restrictions and also found it easy to pause her membership if necessary.
- Ingredient freshness (5 out of 5): Meredith said the ingredients she received “appear to be fresh and in good condition” and that nothing looked or tasted bad.
- Packaging and shipping (5 out of 5): Additionally, Meredith noted, “The box was very well packaged and sufficiently cold,” and as a bonus, all the packaging was recyclable.
We also had a second tester, Gwen, try Hungryroot. Gwen is a certified nutritionist and personal trainer, and gave this meal delivery service high marks for convenience and variety.
“I’ve tried Hungryroot several times personally and I love that it has a lot of my grocery staples easily accessible, especially where snacks are concerned,” Gwen said. “Generally, the variety of groceries is much like you would see at the store.”
What We Would Change
While her experience was mostly positive, Meredith had to acknowledge some lower ratings.
- Preparation process and directions (3 out of 5): Meredith said that overall it took her about 15 to 20 minutes to prepare the meal using the Hungryroot recipe. She noted the process wasn’t quite as simple as she’d hoped, though.
Who It’s For & Who It’s Not For
While our testers really enjoyed using Hungryroot, it may not be the best fit for everyone. Here’s who we recommend it for.
Comparing Hungryroot to Other Meal Delivery Services
Frequently asked questions
How much does Hungryroot cost a month?
The cost will vary depending on how much food you add to your cart. Hungryroot’s payment system relies on credits that correspond to a weekly budget. However, you can go over or under your credits and ultimately just pay for what you order. We tried to contact Hungryroot’s customer service for additional clarification, but we couldn’t reach an actual human via text or online chat (and no phone number was listed). You’ll also need to factor in the cost of shipping, which is an additional charge that varies depending on how much you order. If budget is a concern, check out our recommendations for cheapest meal delivery services.
Does Hungryroot still charge you if you skip a week?
Users can pause deliveries if they want to skip a week. Our tester, Meredith, did this and reported it was easy to pause her membership. The company says you can pause your account for up to eight weeks.
Is it hard to cancel Hungryroot?
Similar to the pause process, canceling is pretty straightforward. Hungryroot includes clear step-by-step instructions on its website, and those instructions direct users to go to “account details,” tap “cancel account,” then “continue to cancel” and choose your cancellation reason. Then choose “continue to cancel” again. You’ll be asked for a more specific reason and will need to tap “continue to cancel” again, and then you can leave feedback or just click “continue to cancel” one more time. You should receive an email confirmation of your cancellation.
