I’m a Dietitian—What You Need to Know About the Most Popular Meal Delivery Kit

HelloFresh is one of the first meal-kit services that comes to mind—and for good reason. As a pioneer in the category, it helped make cooking dinner at home more approachable. But is HelloFresh still one of the best options today?

The Good Housekeeping Nutrition Lab team put it to the test. After evaluating more than 50 meal kits and gathering feedback from more than 300 home cooks, our food and nutrition experts know what makes a meal delivery service worth it. We considered taste, recipe variety, nutrition, portion sizes, convenience, and overall value to help you decide whether HelloFresh is right for your lifestyle.

I also put the service to the test myself. As a dietitian, I know how challenging it is to find a meal delivery service that balances nutrition, convenience, variety, and value, so I paid close attention to each factor during testing.

What is HelloFresh?

HelloFresh is a meal delivery service that makes cooking at home more convenient by delivering the ingredients and recipes you need directly to your door. Customers choose meals from a rotating weekly menu, and HelloFresh sends a box with the ingredients, usually already measured or portioned, along with step-by-step cooking instructions.

You still prepare and cook the meals yourself, but you don't have to spend as much time deciding what to make, shopping for individual ingredients, or figuring out how much of each ingredient you need. The service is designed for people who want to cook fresh meals at home while making meal planning and grocery shopping easier.

How does HelloFresh work?

When you sign up, you'll choose your meal preferences, how many meals you want each week, and how many people you're cooking for. You can then select the specific meals you want from the weekly menu. Everything arrives preportioned, so you spend less time measuring ingredients and more time cooking.

You're not locked into receiving a box every week. You can change your meals, skip an upcoming delivery, pause your subscription, or cancel it altogether under your account.The main thing to keep in mind is that any changes or cancellations must be made before HelloFresh's weekly cutoff, which is generally five days before your scheduled delivery. If you miss that deadline, you may still be charged for and receive the upcoming box.

How much does HelloFresh cost?

Meals cost between $10.99 and $13.99 per serving, depending on the plan and the number of meals you order. You can choose two to six servings per meal and receive two to six dinners per week, so the total cost depends on your household size and the number of meals. In general, ordering more servings or meals can lower the cost per serving. HelloFresh also charges a flat $12.99 shipping fee for each delivery. Additional items, upgrades, or add-ons are also available.

Our experience testing HelloFresh

Ordering and meal selection

Ordering through HelloFresh was straightforward, and the website was easy to navigate. There was a good variety of meals to choose from, as well as different dietary preferences that you can select. That being said, I found those options a bit limited, so people with more specific dietary needs or allergies may not find HelloFresh to be the best fit.

I chose the Meat & Veggies plan and had plenty of meals to choose from, even with a shellfish allergy. I ultimately selected three dinners for two: vegan pearl pasta and bean soup, pecan-crusted trout with an apple salad and roasted potatoes, and creamy mushroom cavatappi. One tester summed it up: "I liked that it seemed to have a lot of variety of meals to choose from."

Unboxing and condition of food on arrival

My box arrived intact, and most of the ingredients were cold, well-organized, and fresh. Each recipe comes sorted into a labeled paper bag, so everything is nice and tidy. One tester appreciated that the kit included "all the meats, veggies, spices, accompaniments, and condiments" needed to cook the meal, along with detailed instructions. The insulated packaging and ice pack kept the food cold during delivery, too.

I did have some quality issues with the produce, specifically that the mushrooms were slightly browned and the scallions were wilted, although everything else looked fresh. One tester had a similar experience, noting that the "freshness of a few produce items weren't their best." Most ingredients also came individually wrapped in plastic, so while some of the shipping materials are recyclable or compostable, HelloFresh still uses a fair amount of plastic packaging.

Recipes and nutrition

The three recipes I tested were relatively simple to make and offered a good mix of protein, carbs, and vegetables. Here's how each one turned out:

1. Pecan-Crusted Trout:This dish featured tender, buttery fish made complete with a crunchy, nutty topping. It was served with seasoned roasted potato rounds and mixed greens with apple slices, creating the perfect fall-inspired meal. ( Nutrition: 980 kcals, 10 g fiber, 70 g fat, 31 g protein, 350 mg sodium )

2. Mushroom Cavatappi:The creamiest pasta, rich with cheesy flavors to satisfy every savory craving. The dish is perfected with sautéed mushrooms and scallions, providing a delightful and fulfilling experience. ( Nutrition: 750 kcals, 4 g fiber, 40 g fat, 22 g protein, 370 mg sodium )

3. Vegan Pearl Pasta and Bean Soup:This hearty, cozy vegan soup is packed with a variety of beans, including kidney beans and white beans, and enhanced with flavor-boosting ingredients. It's served alongside garlicky bread for a satisfying meal. ( Nutrition: 710 kcals, 14 g fiber, 11 g fat, 21 g protein, 1,540 mg sodium )

The meals were mostly satisfying, but I noticed a few other things from a nutrition perspective. The bean soup was particularly high in sodium at 1,540 milligrams per serving, which isn't too far off from the recommended daily limit, so I used less of the stock concentrate and skipped the additional salt. One tester had a similar complaint about the meals she received: "The only thing that I don't like about it is the salt level."

The mushroom pasta was also higher in calories and fat due to ingredients such as cream cheese, garlic butter, and Parmesan. There are a handful of "Sodium Smart" meals and recipes labeled "Low Added Sugar," but the options are limited. That said, I did see plenty of high-protein dishes on the menu each week.

Prep and cooking

The recipes were easy to follow and didn't require much prep. Most of the chopping was limited to a few vegetables, and the recipe cards included step-by-step instructions and photos, making it easy to stay on track. Good Housekeeping Institute food and nutrition experts also noted that the recipe cards were more detailed and had better instructional photos than those from other services they tested.

Each meal took roughly 30 minutes to prepare and cook, and I just loved that the ingredients were already portioned, the recipe was right in front of me, and there was no need to figure out what to make or whether I had everything on hand. One tester put it well: "This makes it so much easier because it's hard to justify not cooking when I don't have to come up with what to make, go to the store, and then cook for an hour." Cleanup was also relatively quick, although the individual packaging for the ingredients means you'll still have some wrappers and containers to deal with.

Taste

Personally, with roots in Ghana, I've grown up appreciating the importance of flavor, using seasonings, herbs, and spices to elevate each meal. While the dishes didn't quite meet my personal flavor standards, I think they would hit the mark for the average home cook. Our Lab experts and testers both agreed that the meals may not be the most flavor-complex, but they're unique enough to keep mealtime interesting.

As an advocate for encouraging more people to include fish in their diets, I'm also excited to see new techniques for cooking and incorporating fish, so the pecan-crusted trout was a big win for me. But my favorite of the recipes I tested was the mushroom cavatappi. It was creamy and flavorful, and I paired it with a side of greens to round things out. These meals did inspire me in the kitchen, especially by pairing certain ingredients I wouldn't normally.

Is HelloFresh worth it?

After testing HelloFresh, I think it's worth trying if you want to cook at home without having to plan meals or make frequent trips to the grocery store. I liked how easy the process was, from choosing meals to following the recipe, and most of the dinners took about 30 minutes to prepare. The portions were satisfying, and there was a nice assortment of dishes to choose from.

Cost is one of the biggest factors to consider. HelloFresh costs more per serving than buying groceries and planning meals yourself, but you're also paying for ingredient sourcing and portioning, recipe development, packaging, delivery, and the convenience of skipping meal planning and grocery shopping. Compared with takeout, though, it may be more affordable—especially on busy nights when the alternative is a restaurant meal plus delivery fees and a tip. If it helps you cook at home more often, that convenience may be well worth it.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Valerie Agyeman , a women's health dietitian with over 10 years of experience in nutrition and wellness, has reviewed various meal delivery services, including Blue Apron , Gobble , Factor , Thistle, and Sakara Life in the Good Housekeeping Nutrition Lab. This included testing the meals for taste, convenience, and their fit with a healthy lifestyle. She also evaluated ingredient freshness, portion size, ease of preparation, and how these services make healthy eating easier for busy people.

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