Hello Fresh is a weekly meal delivery subscription that sends healthy recipes and the pre-measured ingredients you need to make them at home.
Hello Fresh lets you choose from a Classic Plan (choose from 8 weekly meat and fish recipes), a Veggie Plan (get 3 weekly vegetarian recipes), or a Family Plan (meat, fish, and veggie recipes perfect for two adults and two children). I like to eat a vegetarian diet, so I selected the Veggie Plan. Hello Fresh only offers 3 vegetarian dishes per week—where Classic Plan members can hop into their account and swap the recipes selected for them with other dishes on the menu, I've got to take what I get. I'm not a picky eater, so being subject to the luck of the draw has worked out okay for me so far. But I do wish there was just a little bit of wiggle room in the Veggie menu!
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
This review is of the Hello Fresh Veggie Plan, $9.99 per meal, per box. This box came to a total of $59.94.
About Hello Fresh
The Subscription Box: Hello Fresh
The Cost: The Classic Food Box (for omnivores) starts at $9.99 per person per meal. The Veggie Box (for herbivores) starts at $9.99 per person per meal. The Family Box (for families) costs $8.74 per person per meal. Hello Fresh announced they will soon offer two plans: Unlimited Meal Choice ($11.50 a meal) or Basic Plan ($9.99 per meal). Learn more here!
ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! 10 Free Meals Across 7 Boxes + Free Apps for Life + First Box Ships Free. Applied As Discount Across 7 Boxes, New Subscriptions Only, Varies By Plan. One free appetizer item per box while subscription is active.
CODE: MSA10A
The Products: Healthy recipes and pre-portioned fresh ingredients.
Ships to: The contiguous U.S.
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Hello Fresh Vegetarian December 2017 Review
I've been enjoying a couple meal kit delivery subscription boxes lately to add some ease to my weekly lunch and dinner prep. So far, my experience with Hello Fresh has been pretty great. Their meals are simple to prepare, full of fresh ingredients, and they're each divided into handy paper bags. Most of my vegetarian meals have been both filling and delicious.
I also love that healthy options are the main focus, and you're able to easily access the nutritional information of each meal with an included info card.
Each meal is divided into its own paper bag allowing for ease in ensuring that you have everything you need in one place. I like that many fresh ingredients are loose in each bag, eliminating the need for excess packaging. Less waste, a smaller overall box, and more convenience.
Boxes are insulated and lined with ice packs.
Onto the first recipe!
Spiced Cauliflower Mac 'N' Cheese
Calories per Serving: 750
Total Time, According to Hello Fresh: 40 minutes
Actual Time It Took: 40 minutes
At 750 calories per serving, this is one of the more decadent veggie meals I've received from Hello Fresh. Still, there's no heavy cream in the mac 'n' cheese recipe, only milk. And the addition of cauliflower makes it a bit more health conscious (if you want to call it that).
While the cauliflower went on a sheet in the oven to roast, I chopped my onion and scallion. I like that Hello Fresh notes to separate scallion greens from whites. I've followed recipes from other boxes that don't mention this step in the chopping phase, and then you have to divide them later on. Annoying!
Gemelli is probably my favorite type of pasta. Happy to see it here!
The onions and scallion whites are softened in butter and then Turkish spice and flour were added.
I then added milk, stock concentrate, cheese, and salt and pepper to finish the sauce.
The final result was SO tasty! I just incorporated the roasted cauliflower and threw together the quick mixed green side salad. The cauliflower added a nice heartiness to the dish which I really loved.
Seitan and Black Bean Chili
Calories per Serving: 730
Total Time, According to Hello Fresh: 35 minutes
Actual Time It Took: 35 minutes
These simple rice bowl-style dishes are so nice for cozy up with on cold days.
I always <3 a nice and colorful veggie variety.
This is one of those convenient one-pan recipes (aside from the rice) where everything is gradually added.
I prepped my rice while the peppers, onions, and scallion whites cooked down in olive oil.
Garlic, tomato, and seitan (crumble as you go) were added along with black beans, stock concentrate, water, and seasoning to finish. The resulting mixture isn't exactly what I'd call a chili - it's a bit looser than that, but still super tasty.
The rice adds some bulk to this dish, making it super filling and a bit more cohesive. Plus: cheese. Cheese is always a plus!
Brown Rice Bibimbap
Calories per Serving: 510
Total Time, According to Hello Fresh: 35 minutes
Actual Time It Took: 35 minutes
I saved this dish for last, and my carrot was a bit sad by the time I got to it. My bad. :/
I first chopped all veggies according to directions. Because I don't have a vegetable peeler (really gotta get one of those...), I cut the carrots and zucchini into ribbons as thin as possible.
The scallions are quick-pickled in vinegar and a soy sauce mixture is prepared. Different from the previous meal, you'll dirty a lot of extra bowls in the prep of this dish.
The carrots and zucchini are sort of flash-cooked in a pan with oil (is that the technical term?).
Meanwhile, broccoli is to be steamed in the microwave with a bit of water. This microwave use sort of threw me off, but I didn't feel like getting out my veggie steamer and bowling water resulting in even MORE dirty dishes.
Once all veggies are cooked in the pan, you'll use the same pan to thicken up your soy sauce mixture. I think I let mine go for a little too long because it did start to dissolve a bit.
Once you arrange your bowl with all the separate components, it's so beautiful. And tasty! I only wish that I had more of the soy sauce mixture (so I added extra soy sauce that I had in my fridge on top).
Verdict: I'm continuing to really love my Hello Fresh meals! This menu was a nice mix of Asian-inspired, Mexican-inspired, and good ol' comfort food: a really perfect assortment to explore while temperatures plummet and I refuse to leave the house for restaurant meals.
The meals in Hello Fresh's veggie plan only cost $9.99 per serving. That pricing seems to be on par with other meal subscription boxes (Blue Apron at $9.99 per serving, Home Chef at $9.95 per serving, and Plated at $12 per serving).
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Since Hello Fresh menus change weekly and you must choose them ahead of time, you won’t be able to order these dishes unless they are offered again in the future.
Coupon – Save $30 off your first box - no coupon code necessary, just click this link!
Value Breakdown: At $59.94 for this box, you’re paying $9.99 per meal.
Do you subscribe to Hello Fresh? What's been your favorite meal so far?
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