Meal kits have increased in popularity and number over the last decade as they provide fresh meals without the hassle of meal planning, food shopping, and food waste. HelloFresh is one of the biggest in the industry.
There have been two types of meal delivery services that have come to market.
The first is a meal kit service that sends pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards so you can make delicious recipes at home. The other type of meal delivery service sends the entire meal pre-cooked and only requires reheating.
Both have their benefits and disadvantages; however, meal kits that send the ingredients and are not pre-cooked tend to be customer favorites.
HelloFresh is one of the largest and is a meal subscription that sends the pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes you need to put dinner on the table.
However, there is always one big question when talking about any meal kit delivery service, and that is “how much does HelloFresh cost?” Well, we are here to answer the infamous question. Let’s dive in.
Cost Per Serving
MEALS PER WEEK | PRICE PER SERVING | PRICE PER SERVING | PRICE PER SERVING |
2 | $11.49 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
3 | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
4 | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
5 | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
6 | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
The cost per serving changes a bit depending on the option you choose, so let’s take a look at the several selections you have with Hello Fresh.
Number of Meals per Week
The most significant change in cost per serving comes from the number of meals per week that you select. The more meals you choose to have, the less expensive your cost per serving is.
For instance, the lowest number of recipes per week you can choose is two, while the highest is six.
The cost difference per serving between the two is around $3, so you can save quite a bit of money just by adding more recipes each week.
Two People vs. Four People
The other option that changes the price is the number of servings, which comes in choices of two people and four people.
Similar to the number of meals, with the number of servings, the four-person selection has a lower cost per serving than the two-person plan. The four-person plan is $1-$2 less per serving than the two-person plan for each number of recipes per week, whether that be two or six.
As you can see, there is a pattern -the more servings and recipes in your order, the lower the cost per serving. The two-person meal subscription with two to four recipes per week tends to be the average that people order, with three recipes per week coming in as the most popular. Three recipes per week for two people cost $9.99 per serving, just to give you an idea.
Dietary Preferences
Dietary preference is the final choice you have to make when picking a Hello Fresh plan, and there is quite a bit of option, such as Vegetarian, Family Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, which offers low-calorie options, Pescatarian, and Quick & Easy.
These selections simply narrow down which recipes HelloFresh will show you at the top of your screen without you having to dig through every single one. Unlike many meal kit services that charge extra for specific dietary requirements, no matter which preference plan you select, it does not affect the price.
Shipping
Shipping is an additional cost that is not included in the cost per serving. It is typically a flat rate, which is nice. Shipping is around $9.99, but depending on your area, it could be more or less.
Luckily, the Hello Fresh system will tell you what shipping is based on your zip code. One important note regarding the shipping is that they only ship to the continental United States.
There are a few other things to go over when it comes to the Hello Fresh meal kit delivery. For one, you can choose your delivery schedule and skip weeks if you need to adjust your schedule. Of course, you can also cancel anytime or add extra meals at any time.
To ensure that your ingredients stay fresh, the ingredients are shipped in an eco-friendly insulated box with ice packs.
Hello Fresh Discounts
Hello Fresh often offers discounts, especially for new subscribers. These promotions usually include free meals and free shipping, which allows you to try a HelloFresh meal kit at a reduced cost. HelloFresh also offers discounts for healthcare heroes.
Compared to Competitors and Grocery Shopping
Two of the biggest competitors to HelloFresh are Blue Apron and Home Chef, so how does HelloFresh compare? Well, first, HelloFresh has a lower cost per serving than Blue Apron and is similar in cost to Home Chef – though HelloFresh still beats Home Chef in cost per serving prices depending on the number of meals and servings.
When compared to grocery shopping, HelloFresh does tend to be cheaper because you do not have to buy extra ingredients needed for your recipes.
For instance, if you are making a recipe that requires a tablespoon of soy sauce, you don’t have to buy the whole bottle of soy sauce since Hello Fresh would send you just the tablespoon that you need, whereas if you were to make that same recipe while going to the grocery store yourself, you would have to buy the entire bottle just to use the one tablespoon.
FAQs
How much does HelloFresh really cost?
Currently, HelloFresh meal kit service ranges in price from $7.99 to $11.99 per portion, depending on how many servings and the number of meal kits you choose. They also sometimes offer discount incentives for new customers.
Is HelloFresh really worth it?
For busy people who don’t have a lot of time to spend on food shopping, coming up with recipes, and spending hours cooking, HelloFresh is a nice option for home-cooked, nutritious meals. On average, you are going to pay more for HelloFresh per meal than you would by purchasing and preparing all of the ingredients from scratch, but there’s a convenience factor here that many find to be worth the extra costs.
Save with HelloFresh
Skip the store-bought groceries and get right to the cooking with family-friendly recipes and ingredients delivered right to your door using Hello Fresh.
Since there is no food waste or grabbing extra things you don’t need while at the grocery store, with the cost of HelloFresh, you can actually save!
Try putting HelloFresh into your meal plan today, but don’t worry, you can cancel anytime if it doesn’t work out for you.
I just quit my last food delivery because the vegetables were soft, slimy or fit for the trash. I would then have to go to the supermarket and purchase what I needed. How often do you get complaints of, not all ingredients in the bag or lousy vegetables? I’m not certain, but I think I had encountered not all the ingredients when I had Home Chef. Has this changed?
Apparently families only come in even numbers.
Ha! Great point 🙂
I was totally by HelloFresh. Their meals were “okay” but two of the fresh ingredients were nearly spoiled. My box should have been ZERO cost, because I applied a $100 gift cert. They say it was because I had “premium” upgrades. The charge is STILL way over-priced!! 4 of the 6 meal servings (3 recipes for 2 servings each) were premium. So, if I understand correctly, I should be charged right at $10 upcharge for those meals ($60 total upcharge) THAT WOULD SEEMINGLY BE ON TOP OF A ZERO BALANCE, because shipping is ALWAYS supposed to be free for the first box, which this most certainly was. Instead, I was charged $77.44 !!! When I called, the customer service person was extremely rude. I have NEVER experienced that before.. I worked in Customer Service (telephone) for years, so I am always aware of the challenges of that particular occupation. I couldn’t believe the rudeness. She asked me if “I knew how to do math?” in a most sarcastic tone of voice. All I wanted was an explanation, and for my credit card charge from HelloFresh to be cancelled. I know it’s always easy to make a mistake, and I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. However, they kept on changing their stance, first saying “you have a $30 credit!” and then just being rude, with that “math” question. I had all intentions to probably use them again, but not now. Every friend I know has been told this story, so they won’t be ordering either. Bad move, HelloFresh…
How much is the shipping for 2 meals for 2 people?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hello Fresh hipping is a flat rate between $8.99 and $9.99 based on your zipcode.
Do you have dietary needs meals? I have Celiac!
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi Debra,
HelloFresh does not offer plans for people with specific dietary needs. Even if you find recipes that would be safe for Celiac, the risk of cross contamination within the facility would be significant. Check out these meal delivery options that cater to those with Celiac!
My question if do you have to order every week can you skip a week?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
You can skip up to 4 weeks at a time in your online account or through the HelloFresh app.
Does this cost estimate (from your text above) include shipping? “Three recipes per week for two people cost $9.99 per serving.”
No shipping is not included in the prices
That costs alot more than buying fresh at the store each day. And how about meals for 1 person?
The Real Person!
The Real Person!
Hi Adrian,
Meals for 2 are the smallest size available from Hello Fresh. You can always prepare the dish and save a serving for lunch the next day!
You should also check out some prepared meal delivery services. They tend to be more tailored to one person and can provide better variety.