hellofresh thanksgiving box
Signing up for HelloFresh will give you access to all sorts of meals.
HelloFresh
  • HelloFresh is a subscription delivery service that brings cook-it-yourself meal kits to your door.
  • Every week, you’ll get a chilled box of pre-portioned ingredients and instructions from HelloFresh.
  • HelloFresh plans are flexible and can be changed at any time, and you can even skip specific weeks if you don’t feel like cooking.
  • Visit Business Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

HelloFresh is one of the many meal kit delivery services on the market.

But what is a meal kit? 

Meal kits are cook-it-yourself meals delivered to your door with nearly everything you’ll need to prepare them, including instructions and pre-measured portions of meat, fish, vegetables, spices, and more. Think of it as something between grocery delivery and takeout.

Meal kits are perfect for someone who either enjoys cooking but doesn’t have the time to seek out new recipes or ingredients, or for the inexperienced cook who wants to learn. Meal kit services take away the guesswork of preparing a meal, so you can focus on cooking and eating.

How HelloFresh works

When you sign up for HelloFresh, you’ll select a plan custom-fit to the size of your household and the number of meals you want delivered each week.

The company takes dietary restrictions into account. A full ingredient list is available for every recipe online so you can check before you order. A note for people with food allergies: Every recipe is produced in a facility that handles common allergens like soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and more. If cross-contamination is a serious concern for you, that could be a problem.

hellofresh thanksgiving box cooked
HelloFresh provides the ingredients - it's your job to cook them.
HelloFresh

Once you've picked your plan, HelloFresh will begin sending meals to your home. And this plan is flexible: You can change it, skip a week, or cancel it altogether at any time. 

HelloFresh's no-strings model has it's caveats, however: If you're skipping your weekly delivery, make sure to do it at 11:59 PT five days before it's supposed to arrive. Otherwise, the company will still send the meals and charge you for them.

The company delivers between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., but if you're not home at certain times, you can add a special delivery note onto your account. However, your food won't spoil if you can't grab it immediately, since HelloFresh packs everything with recyclable gel ice packs.

Once you sign up for HelloFresh, you'll be cooking within the week.

How to sign up for HelloFresh

The company is frequently offering sign-up deals that make it cheaper. If you know a friend who has HelloFresh, they may be able to send you a free box to try out.

1. Visit this page to view the premade plans.

2. Select your plan: You can choose between three to five meals per week for either two or four people.

How does HelloFresh work 1
Let HelloFresh know how much food you'll need.
Vivian McCall/Business Insider

3. Sign up with your Facebook account, Apple ID, email, or Google account.

4. Enter your name, shipping address, and phone number.

5. Enter your card number and place your order. 

6. You'll now be able to select meals for an upcoming delivery.

How to order meals on HelloFresh

Now that you've placed an order with HelloFresh, you'll be able to select meals for the upcoming delivery. According to the site, you'll be able to choose from nearly two dozen meals each week.

1. Sign into your account and click the "My menu" tab.

2. Scroll to see what recipes are available. Some recipes have specialty ingredients that will make your order more expensive.

3. When clicking on a recipe, you'll be able to see what HelloFresh will send, as well as the pantry staples like butter or oil that you'll need to complete the recipe.

How does HelloFresh work 2
HelloFresh often won't send what it considers to be household essentials, like butter or salt.
Vivian McCall/Business Insider

4. Click "Add" to add the recipe to your delivery.

5. At the top of the screen, you'll see which recipes will be delivered. Click the plus and minus icons to add an additional meal of the same kind, or remove it from your delivery.

How does HelloFresh work 3
Each meal usually feeds two people.
Vivian McCall/Business Insider

6. When you're done editing your order, click "Save."

You can make additional changes to your order up to five days before it's scheduled for delivery.

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