I tried Hello Fresh for a week and this is what happened...
Hello Fresh Luxembourg
I'll start by saying I love cooking and it's never really been a chore for me so I didn't really see the point of someone sending me my groceries and telling me exactly what to cook with it! But a good friend of mine received a complimentary coupon to let a friend try it for a week. So, naturally not one to turn down a freebie, I decided to give it a go.
The Website
Their website is incredibly easy to navigate, there are plenty of pictures and the online chat support can respond to you in English. The recipe cards they send you are in French but you can find the English (as well as other language) versions on their website so you can cook confidently no matter what your native language is. So you have 12 meal options to choose from each week and at the start of each week you will be given a small list of pantry items which you may need to go and buy or most kitchens will already have them (for example: olive oil, salt & pepper, balsamic vinegar etc.).
How it works
No matter how many people you have to feed, you can select that portions you need and how many dinner meals you will need per week. For us, we're 2 people at home and I like to eat at home on average, 3 times a week. This gives you a bit of freedom in case a dinner meeting comes up or neither of you are home for dinner. I found that a lot of the meals are great as packed lunches too, so I will just cook them ahead of time and take them to work.
It's a very straight forward system, if you aren't a fussy eater, you could just let the weekly meals be a surprise. But if you do have dietary requirements you can specify them on the site or you can check which 3 meals have been chosen and then you can switch them for one of the 12 meal options. It's also worth noting that they have extra speedy meals which can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes, most meals won't take more than 60 minutes anyway though. If you are watching your weight, there is also always the low-carb boxes.
How it tastes
My biggest concern for this system was flavour, would it still have the flavours of a recipe that I would usually make? The answer is yes, absolutely. It's important to pay attention to the recommended quantities in the recipes, you could always add a bit more or less depending on how much flavour you like. As far as quantity goes, it's plenty of food. You definitely won't be hungry if you select the exact number of portions as there are people eating. I'm not sure how it works with kids but perhaps you are able to estimate how much your child can eat in relation to a full adult portion.
How much it costs
For 2 people, 3 meals a week cost €49.95 (including delivery), for me that saves quite a bit of money per week but most importantly there was little to no food wastage. I usually waste a lot of time planning what recipes to cook each week and then get to the supermarket and end up buying extra things that I don't end up using or only using part of. The great benefit about this is that you are given exactly the amount of food that you need to make the meal. For example, you will be given a measured out portion of cumin powder or curry paste so you don't have to buy the whole thing and then let it go to waste in your pantry.
What I'd like to see
- It would be great to be able to receive the recipe cards in English rather than having to look for the online versions
- I would love an organic meat option
- I like the original recipes but would like to be able to substitute lighter alternatives, for example, instead of pasta, a brown rice pasta or quinoa pasta alternative. Or sweet potato instead of potatoes.
Why I like it and will be using it regularly
- It saved me time, money and food waste
- The recipes are very creative
- The recipes are tasty but still so accessible, which also meant that my husband who doesn't cook often was able to just whip up a meal with ease
- It's really simplified my weekly routine, if we don't eat one of the boxes for dinner, then I will simply cook it ahead and use it for my packed lunch
Discount Code: HELLOLUXLIFE
Whilst this content was not sponsored, Hello Fresh have kindly offered a discount code to my readers to support my blog! (Please rest assured that this did not affect my judgement of the service) Simply enter this discount code to receive 25% off your first box!
