Subscription services have become quite popular nowadays because of the added level of convenience it provides to customers. It’s no wonder that the food industry is also taking advantage of this innovation. Food deliveries started with businesses sending prepared food right at your doorstep and have evolved to sending you fresh ingredients, which allow you to create delicious home-cooked meals.
Meal delivery services supply you with pre-portioned ingredients which can be used for specific recipes that they also provide. Sometimes, they partially prepare the components to save cooking time or to lengthen the shelf life. Three major businesses offer this service: Home Chef, Hello Fresh, and Sun Basket.
Here’s an in-depth look and comparison at each service provider so that you can find what setup works best for you:
Home Chef
Home Chef promises to make home cooking simple for their customers. You just need to sign up with them and then they’ll give you control over your delivery dates. You’ll also get to choose your meal preferences of up to 8 per week which can be good for two, four, or six people.
They will provide you with straightforward recipe cards and guarantees to deliver fresh pre-portioned ingredients. An average meal would cost you 9.95 USD per serving, while premium meals are priced from 14.95 USD to 19.95 USD per serving. Home Chef also have fruit baskets and smoothies which cost 4.95 USD per serving.
Some things you should know about Home Chef:
- Their meals have between 500 and 800 calories per serving but also offer low-cal and low-carb choices.
- According to Home Chef reviews, preparing the meals can range within 25 to 50 minutes, so you should check the estimated cooking time before placing your order on their app or website.
- They send out the ingredients on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays every week. Plus, they deliver to most of the US.
- Free shipping is available for orders above 45 USD while you can add 10 USD if you don’t reach the amount.
- They also have no-cook options such as a steak salad with pre-cooked meat.
HelloFresh
Aside from high-quality ingredients, HelloFresh includes recipes with detailed nutritional information inside each meal kit. They guarantee a wide variety of sumptuous food each week, which you can prepare in advance to save you time during the hectic days. The service provider has 20-minute meals, global eats, one-pot wonders, and veggie.
They offer three box choices: Classic Box, Veggie Box, and Family Box, which caters to four people. These are the differences for each option:
- Classic Box
With the classic box, you can choose from nine recipes including dishes for meat and fish, as well as one vegetarian meal. You can order two, three, or four meals at 9.99 USD per serving. - Veggie Box
The company curates the recipes for you which you can’t swap for other options. It costs 8.99 USD per serving. - Family Box
This plan allows you to choose from five recipes per week at 7.87 USD per serving.
HelloFresh is ideal for couples who can find the time to cook at home occasionally. The provider also has excellent customer support, especially when you encounter issues with the delivery and the state of the ingredients when they arrived. Their recipes are not as detailed, though, which can be a challenge for those who are just learning how to cook.
Sun Basket
Sun Basket ensures that you’ll receive organic pre-measured produce and ingredients every week. They cater to customers who are on various diets such as Paleo, gluten-free, or vegan. You can order three recipes per week which, depending on your household, can be good for two or four people at 11.99 USD per serving.
The following are their menus and the corresponding prices:
- Classic
The classic menu allows you to choose three out of 18 recipes per week. Ordering for two in this plan will cost you a total of 71.94 USD while ordering for four is priced at 143.88 USD. - Family
The family menu, on the other hand, has the option of getting two, three, or four recipes per week out of six choices. The plan is good for four people only with a 10.99 USD price per serving.
Sun Basket has been praised for its recyclable packaging and tasty meals. However, newbie chefs may not be able to replicate the food based on the instructions alone easily. It is ideal for foodies who are always in a rush, especially during weekdays when there’s little time to prepare hearty meals and clean up after.
Home Chef, HelloFresh, and Sun Basket are reliable meal delivery service providers. Try each one for two weeks to assess which setup works for you. You can freeze your subscription with them easily, and reactivating poses no challenge as well. It’s always better to prepare food at home rather than ordering take-out or eating at a restaurant. This way, you know what goes into your food without compromising on your taste preferences.
