Freshly is a gourmet food subscription service that is designed to help people eat healthier without taking the time to prepare the meal themselves. They send out 4, 6, 9, or 12 chef-prepared meals each week. Freshly delivers meals that are all natural and gluten-free. Each meal is made with no refined sugars, high-quality protein, and nutrient-dense veggies.
Check out all of our reviews of Meal Delivery Services to see every meal kit subscription box option!
This review is for the 6-meal plan, which cost $59.99 per week, including free shipping.
Freshly updates their menu weekly with dozens of breakfast, lunch, and dinner options for you to choose from. All meals are fresh, never frozen, and peanut- and gluten-free. Each single-serving meal is fully prepared and ready to eat in around 3 minutes. Meals are delivered to your door in a recyclable refrigerated box with ice packs.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Freshly Meal Subscription Box
The Subscription Box: Freshly
The Cost: Freshly meal plans cost $49.99 (4 meals), $59.99 (6 meals), $89.99 (9 meals) or $107.99 (12 meals) per week and shipping is included.
ACTIVE DEAL: Use code LAUNCH15 to get $60 off your first four meals
CODE: LAUNCH15
The Products: Healthy single-serving meals that are fully prepared and ready to eat in minutes.
Ships To: Freshly ships to most US states. They are opening a new kitchen soon to further expand their delivery area. Click here to see if Freshly delivers to you.
Freshly October 2018 Review
For this week’s Freshly delivery, I choose from a wide selection of breakfast and entrée choices. I’m not a big breakfast eater, so I choose mostly entrees. The menu lists the item number, name, SKU, and quantity of the 6 meals I choose. I noticed that the breakfast items are in blue packaging and the entrée items are in green packaging.
Berry Porridge with Chocolate Coconut Muffin
This berry porridge is a hot cereal mix of hearty grains topped with a sweet compote made with raspberries, blueberries, and vanilla, plus a gluten-free chocolate-coconut muffin on the side. This meal is gluten-free.
Calories: 460 | Fat: 24g | Carbs: 54g | Protein: 14g
Heating instructions for microwaving in the package calls for 1 minute and 45 seconds. Whether microwaving in the package or on a plate, Freshly recommends first heating the porridge then adding the muffin. I microwaved the meal in the package and the heating instructions were accurate.
What exactly is "porridge"?! I choose this meal out of pure curiosity. The name seems both exotic and fairytale fancy. Porridge is a hot cereal made of any grain cooked in liquid like water or milk. This porridge was delicious, hearty, and the berry compote added just the right amount of sweetness. In my quest toward healthier eating, I’d sworn off pastries, but this chocolate coconut pastry was so good, light and tasty. I’m honestly surprised that this meal comes in at less than 500 calories! It felt more like a treat than a boring healthy breakfast.
Some of the meals have information published on the inside sleeve. The good read inside the sleeve for the berry porridge is a short summary of quinoa—what it is, and how to make it a part of your healthy diet. The sleeve also has suggestions to spice up your meal. In this case, Freshly recommends adding a little cinnamon or almond butter to your porridge for an extra kick.
Mexican Omelette with Salsa Roja & Masa Cakes
This fluffy omelette has pepper jack cheese and is topped with a slightly spicy ground turkey salsa. It is paired with masa cakes made with corn kernels, jalapeños, and a touch of honey. This meal contains less than 35 carbs and is gluten-free.
Calories: 560 | Fat: 35g | Carbs: 32g | Protein: 31g
Heating instructions for microwaving in the package and microwaving on the plate were the same and only required 2 minutes. I got called into an impromptu meeting just as I was about to dig in, and unfortunately, my meal was cold when I got back. Another quick minute did the job.
My first Freshly orders where all about selecting meals I knew I would enjoy. This round was about selecting new and interesting dishes. I didn’t have any idea what masa cakes were! I took this meal on-the-go to work and enjoyed a late breakfast at my desk. The Mexican omelette was fantastic, the portion was large and the meal was filling. It also smelled really good! The masa cakes, I didn’t really enjoy. The taste was fine and slightly sweet from the corn, but the texture was one I didn’t agree with. I was still happy I tried this dish and would order it again for the delicious omelette alone.
Homestyle Chicken with Butternut Mac & Cheese
This chicken mac & cheese dish comes with a juicy oven-fried chicken breast, cheesy macaroni and cheese with butternut squash puree, and fresh garlic green beans. This meal contains less than 35 carbs, is gluten-free, high in protein, and soy-free.
Calories: 540 | Fat: 26g | Carbs: 30g | Protein: 46g
Heating instructions for microwaving in the package is an easy 3 minutes. When microwaving on a plate, Freshly suggests heating the chicken first then adding the mac & cheese and green beans. I microwaved the meal in the package, and the heating instructions were spot on.
The mac and cheese was the highlight of this dish! It was a small portion but packed big taste. It’s another dish I’d sworn off on my healthy eating journey, but this one is revamped to be healthier and more delicious. The green beans were fresh and perfect with a little added salt and pepper. I’d hoped the chicken would pack a little more kick, but it was still good. With every chicken meal, I’m impressed at how juicy the chicken breast is, especially considering that they are reheated.
Spaghetti Squash and Meatballs
This spaghetti squash and meatballs dish has garlic and parmesan spaghetti squash and four sizable ground beef meatballs topped with a flavorful marinara sauce. It contains less than 500 calories, less than 35 carbs, is gluten-free, high in protein, and soy-free.
Calories: 460 | Fat: 29g | Carbs: 25g | Protein: 27g
Heating instructions for microwaving in the package calls for 3 minutes and 15 seconds. When microwaving on a plate, Freshly suggests heating the meatballs and sauce first then adding the squash. I microwaved the meal in the package, and the heating instructions were perfect.
Could I be fooled into thinking the spaghetti squash was pasta? No way! But it was delicious in its own right. It was fresh and light and composed a healthy serving of veggies. The meatballs were the best part! They were perfectly cooked and well-seasoned. The marinara sauce was simple but good. I just wished there was more of sauce.
Steak Peppercorn with Sautéed Carrots & French Green Beans
The steak peppercorn dish has tender steak and mash potatoes with a yummy peppercorn cream sauce and a side of garlic carrots and green beans. This meal contains less than 35 carbs, is gluten-free, high in protein, and soy-free.
Calories: 490 | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 32g | Protein: 32g
Heating instructions for microwaving in the package calls for 3 minutes and 30 seconds. When microwaving on a plate, Freshly suggest heating the steak first then adding the potatoes and veggies. I microwaved the meal in the package, and the heating instructions left the steak cold in the center. I microwaved the steak for an extra minute.
I love comfort food! This dish is perfection! How can you have steak, mash potatoes and green beans for under 500 calories? Choosing healthy ingredients and being mindful of portions is key. I really enjoyed this dish. It was hearty, filling and perfect for fall. This is one of my favorites.
Cod Cakes with Spicy Chipotle Sauce & Succotash
The cod cakes meal contains fish cakes topped with a spicy chipotle sauce and a side of roasted herb potatoes and a lima bean, bell peppers, and corn succotash. This meal is gluten-free and soy-free.
Calories: 660 | Fat: 37g | Carbs: 64g | Protein: 22g
Heating instructions for microwaving in the package calls for 2 minutes and 30 seconds. When microwaving on a plate, Freshly suggests heating the succotash and potatoes first, then adding the cod cakes. I microwaved in the package and found that the meal was over-heated, which dried out most of the chipotle sauce on the cod cakes.
The potatoes in this meal were a little dry, which was likely due to the overheating. However, the cod cakes and especially the succotash was really tasty. It was a large and filling portion, but at 660 calories, it was one of the highest calorie Freshly meals I’ve tried thus far. If I were able to change this dish, I would keep the cod cakes as is, remove the potatoes and add more succotash, which was the most enjoyable part of the dish for me.
The read inside the sleeve for the cod cakes is an article on meditation and the positive impact it could have on your life. The sleeve also has suggestions on how to spice up your meal. In this case, Freshly recommends adding a squeeze of lemon or a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to your meal.
The Verdict: I’m impressed! I took a bit of a chance with my choices this week, and I still enjoyed all the Freshly meals. They were consistently fresh, well-portioned, flavorful, and healthy without sacrificing taste. My favorite dishes were the Steak Peppercorn and Mexican Omellete dishes. Also, this time around, I tried the heating instructions for microwaving in the package versus those for microwaving on a plate. I found that I got more consistent heating with my previous meals so I definitely recommend using the microwave on a plate instructions. I can’t wait to try other Freshly meals on the menu. If you want the convenience of having fresh, already prepared meals that are delicious, gluten-free and ready in minutes, you should give Freshly a try!
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? The Freshly menus change weekly, so you’ll have an awesome variety of meals to choose from. However, the breakfast items will be unavailable for a few weeks while they rework the menu.
ACTIVE DEAL: Use code LAUNCH15 to get $60 off your first four meals
CODE: LAUNCH15
Value Breakdown: This box costs $59.99 including shipping, which is $9.99 per meal.
Check out all of my Freshly reviews to learn more about this subscription. Check out all of our Food Subscription Boxes in the Subscription Box List. Rate, review, and follow this subscription on the Freshly profile page.
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