Have you ever used a meal subscription service, such as Hello Fresh? Experiences?

[aggiedog]

I have been doing Hello Fresh on and off over the last year. I started initially because there was a good deal and lockdown had just started and I wanted to avoid the grocery stores as much as possible. I have had average to very good experiences. Never bad. I'm vegetarian, so I do find the recipes each week very repetitive. But it's easy to skip a week or more if the recipes aren't to your liking.
It is more expensive than sourcing the ingredients on your own, but the convenience and portioning is what makes it worth it especially if you have a busy family.

Check out Purple Carrot. I've really liked it. There are fewer choices than the others but there's still almost always something I like. And some things sound weird but are super good, so I've learned to be pretty open minded about their recipes.

 

[backformore]

we've been getting Hello Fresh meals for a while. For the most part, they are very good. Yes, it is a bit more expensive than just buying the groceries, but for us it is convenient. Because of work schedules, we only eat together 4 nights week. three of those nights are Hello Fresh nights. Before the pandemic, we would go to a restaurant or get takeout once a week. So HF is actually a bargain for us.

The advantage is that the ingredients, in the right amounts, are provided. If a recipe calls for a tablespoon of something, that's what you get. You don't have to shop for an ingredient, then find some way to use what's left. (even teeny-tiny bottle of some sauce ingredients) You get exactly the amount of veggies, meat, grains, that is appropriate for two servings. we have found that the portions are exactly enough for the two of us - usually dh eats two-thirds of the meal, and I eat a third. some of the meals are really good. There are a lot of options for people who like to experiment with flavors - Indian, Mexican, Thai meals are options. I've learned some techniques through the recipe cards. Also - when you're preparing three different elements of a meal, and each is cooked separately, the recipes tell you exactly what order to do everything in. That's a big help to me.

any "special" meals, we avoid - they're often a $20 ADDITIONAL fee for two people.
If there is an issue with any meal - like the produce isn't fresh, or something was damaged in transit, if you let them know, they give you a credit.

The one thing I don't like - I get constant emails saying I "earned" the reward of sending FREE boxes to friends and family. that's not a bonus - there are offers all over the internet to try Hello Fresh and get free boxes. I wish they would let you "earn" free meals for yourself, not other people. Like if you order 6 weeks in a row, you get week 7 free.