Good Lifestyle

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If you try to maintain a healthy diet, you have probably heard about this tip many times: you prefer to cook at home. By making your own recipes, you can control the amount of each ingredient in your meals and you will not have unknown charges or preservatives that go to sauces or dressings.

But there are many barriers that can be cooked every day. Maybe live in a food desert, or you work long hours and you do not have time to stop at the grocery store for fresh ingredients, or you are new to cook yourself or your family And might need additional guidance. Enter meal kits, which eliminate many of these problems with their delivery convenience.

Like his competitors,Hellofresh Send boxes directly to your door, with several servings of meals in each box. You can also choose your plan based on the size of the family. There are also boxes with two or four portions per recipe and you can choose between two and four recipes per week.

I tried meal kits in the past, but I wanted to see what the Hellofresh offerings are like now, eight years after the foundation of the company. Here's what I thought of my Hellofresh test box, which the company sent to eatthis.com for revision.

How does the Hellofresh shipping work and how much does it cost?

If you are a Hellofresh client, you'll have a chance to customize your box. The week before each shipment, you can choose from a list of preselected recipes. The ingredients will then be shipped on the ice, directly at your home.

I was worried about my Hellofresh box sitting all day when it was delivered, but the company effectively packs the ingredients. The two meat packages were sandwiched between the ice blocks, while the rest of the ingredients sat in paper bags on the top of the ice packs. Even hours after delivery, the meat was always cold to the touch.

I have also been pleasantly surprised by the package included in the Hellofresh box. There was less plastic than expected, although the individual packets of sour cream, shredded cheese and other ingredients add up.

In terms of price, there are different options based on the number of people you cook and how many meals do you want every week. For two meals for two people, the box is $ 50.95 plus tax. Three meals for two people is $ 60.93 per box and four meals for two people is $ 78.91 per box.

At these prices, Hellofresh meals are cheaper than you've probably spent for a good meal per person (think about what a standard restaurant burger or an Italian pasta meal is usually), so you would save from L 'money cooking at home. instead of eating the dining room.

What recipes does Hellofresh offer?

The company gave me a good list of recipes. There are many options for vegetarians and meat eaters. If you are curious, you can scroll through a list ofRecipes Hellofresh on the company's website too.

I chose two recipes containing chicken chickens in the southwest crisp and frozen onion cheeses, as well as a vegetarian option, tomato and spaghetti of tomato and basil. The three recipes contained dairy, however, so you will have fewer recipe options to choose if you follow a vegan diet.

There is also no easy way to sort Hellofresh recipes by diet. So, if you are wondering, for example, if revenues are approved by Keto or Paleo, you will not find the information on the company's website.

RELATED: The easy way to make comfortable foods healthier.

Are Hellofresh recipes nutritious?

One of the most frustrating things on my Hellofresh test case is that the recipe cards do not include complete nutritional information. There were caloric accounts for each recipe, but nothing about the protein and fat content of each dish.

I am not a specific diet and I was not concerned about the number of calories, although Hellofresh offers a list of "low calorie" recipes. But I wanted to know how much the protein was in each dish, especially the pasta, which did not have tofu or meat included at the meal. (For the record, there were 26 grams of protein in each pasta server, according to theNutritional Facts listed on the Hellofresh website.)

Each of the recipes I selected ended up being more than 700 calories, so it's definitely aware of entering this meal kit. (Still, you make these recipes with only fresh ingredients, so they might always be better for you than similar articles would be in some restaurants.)

How do Hellofresh meals taste?

I enjoyed the three Hellofresh dishes, but for me, they were not special enough to justify the cost of the meal kit. All include pretty basic ingredients and cooking instructions. It's great if you just learn to cook and build your recipe list, but they were not exactly innovative dinner options.

Sundied Tomato & Basil Spaghetti

With tomato and Basil Spaghetti Sundrid, I found the number of overwhelming tomatoes. I was enthusiastic about dried tomatoes, but the addition of another packet of fresh tomatoes was too much to my taste. I also wanted the recipe had incorporated a form of sweet cheese, instead of cream cheese, I think I remembered fromThese blue apron recipes who presentedExpandable Goat Cheese. I did it, however, savor how easy this dish was to do and the grilled almonds added a beautiful crunch.

Southwest Chicken Chickests

TheSouthwest Chicken Chickests Was my favorite meal, thanks to the addition of seasonings and hot sauce to kick the flavor. I do not usually eat onions like a dish of accompaniment, then cook with the slices of Poblano was a great way to pass my normal meal routine. The disadvantage of this meal was the lack of specificity with the seasoning measures. (It's hard to make eyeball how much the half of Chile's powder "is when it is in an opaque packet.) Nevertheless, crisp chicken was fragrant and easy to cook, I use this card again Recipe with ingredients of the grocery store.

Cheeseburgers with grided onion

TheCheeseburgers with grided onion were good, but nothing spectacular, and certainly not as fragrant as a Burger restaurant. It was difficult to top with shredded cheese and found myself to want to put cheese inside the cakes instead. There was also too much onion - a diced onion in everything is a lot to garnish two burgers - and I ended up saving some of it for a future recipe.

The shallot in the "special sauce" also brought me back to my blue apron days, when each recipe seemed to contain a shallot, probably because it was small and therefore easier to use together in a recipe. As for the onion, there were too much sauce to go around and I had leftovers.

Bottom Line: Hellofresh is the best for beginner cooks and those who benefit from the delivery functionality

I have access to several grocery stores and can get these ingredients at a lower price where I live, then Hellofresh is a fun option for me if I want to try new recipes. But for someone who lives in a food desert, does not have the time to go shopping, or not to carry heavy grocery stores at home, delivery kits like Hellofresh can be jumps of life. Meals are filled and customizable, and they would be perfect for people to just cook at home. Recipes are also available online without subscription, if you want to try them yourself without becoming a subscriber. So, if you are looking for simple recipes without the hassle of grocery stores,Hellofresh is a great option and is worth it.