Cooking has never been a hobby of mine. In fact, I hated cooking. There was nothing worse I could think of after coming home from a 10+ hour work day, and cooking a real meal for myself. This became an even more fuelled hatred when my fiancé and I moved in together, because neither of us wanted to be on "dinner duty".
After two years, it was official. We were stuck in a dinner crisis. The same few meals we knew how to cook and used to love, day-after-day became more boring & bland with each bite.
Flash back to November last year, a co-worker had left a few "HelloFresh Free Box" cards in the office. I had heard of HelloFresh before, but didn't think it would be suited to our tastes (fiancé is a bit of a picky eater), or even in within our budget.
If you haven't heard of HelloFresh, it is a food delivery subscription box service, with ready to cook fresh ingredients, and easy step-by-step recipes.
With nothing to lose at that point (aka free food) I saw no disadvantages to trying HelloFresh. So I ordered my free box,
Now six months later I am still in love and still subscribed with HelloFresh. Here is why I am obsessed:
1. It's Delivered Right to My Door
Winters in Whistler are very long, very cold, and the resort is very busy. After a stressful day of work, I just want to go home. I don't want to challenge tourists for the last parking spot at the grocery store during peak hours, in a blizzard.
The convince was one of the top selling factors for me. Yes, I'll admit, you could call me lazy, but my free-time is very valuable to me and I would like to spend the majority of it at home with my fiancé and my cat. Not at the grocery store duelling over the last loaf of garlic bread.
Each box has an insulated liner, with an ice block under your meat, so there is no need to worry about food going bad if you're not home for delivery.
2. We Save Money using HelloFresh
I see a lot of food subscription box reviews talk about how pricy they are. We found we actually save money using a food subscription service and here is why:
The majority of food & produce we purchase goes off. A small portion of it is used for a spur of the moment dinner idea, and then sits in fridge until it goes funky, and spices never used again.
We live in a resort town, which means resort prices. The price of groceries in Whistler is insane. It works out we pay less per meal through HelloFresh than purchasing the ingredients for the same 3-meals a week ourselves.
No more spur-of-the-moment purchases when shopping hungry! This is big. I am the uttermost guilty of trolling the chip & candy isle when I just popped in for a few veggies.
3. I am Learning How to Actually Cook
Growing up with my mother, she always used to tell me her "favourite meal is take-out." Unfortunately, I really did not pick-up any cooking skills from her.
The step-by-step flash cards (with photos!) have really improved my cooking technique, and even taught me a few skills I now use for dinner the other nights of the week.
4. Dinners are More Balanced Nutritionally
Before HelloFresh, burger night at our place meant purchasing meat and buns, and making a whole whack of burgers. No sides, and you end up eating 2+ burgers each!
HelloFresh almost always has a side to every meal (pasta so far has been the only meals without). And it is usually some sort of vegetable, which our dinners were severely lacking.
Additionally, because everything is portioned, there is no more over-eating.
I could go on forever about how much I love HelloFresh. There are so many other points I haven't even covered or mention.
If you are still not convinced, feel free to ask me anything. And when you can get your first box for free, why wouldn't you give it a try?
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* I am not affiliated with HelloFresh. All opinions are my own, and purchased on my own