If you’re looking into purchasing a meal delivery service to provide you with delicious dinners, one option you might have your eyes on is Hello Fresh. Hello Fresh is a service that provides you with new recipes each week, alongside pre-portioned ingredients to help you whip up a tasty dinner in your own kitchen.
However, if you’ve never placed an order with Hello Fresh before, you likely have a few questions about their service. To help you out, we put together a handy Hello Fresh FAQ. We’re answering the most popular questions that are asked about their meal delivery service so you can decide if it’s the right choice for you.
1. Does Hello Fresh have vegan meal options?
Unfortunately, Hello Fresh does not offer a vegan box at this time. They do offer a vegetarian box, where occasionally the meals will also be suitable for those following a vegan diet. This is not a guarantee, however. In some cases, you can adjust the vegetarian recipes and make them vegan by cutting out animal products (like cheese or yogurt) and substituting another ingredient.
2. Does Hello Fresh have vegetarian meal options?
For those who follow a vegetarian diet, Hello Fresh does offer a vegetarian box. This box offers three meals for either two or four people, depending on your preferences. Inside the vegetarian box, you will find fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based sources of protein to provide you with a balanced meal. There will never be any meat or fish in the vegetarian box.
You can expect to find ingredients such as cheese or yogurt in a vegetarian box though. Hello Fresh does not make any personal substitutions for their boxes.
3. Does Hello Fresh have gluten-free meal options?
Hello Fresh does not offer a box that provides customers with gluten-free meals. There will, however, be a variety of meal choices you can select from each week. In some cases, those meals will be gluten-free. If a recipe contains any allergens, Hello Fresh lists that on their website so you can be sure a recipe is safe for consumption based on your needs.
There is no guarantee there will be multiple selections of gluten-free meals though. If you follow a gluten-free diet and wish to try Hello Fresh, you will have to check the recipes each week to see if they fit within your dietary preferences. If not, you can choose to skip the week and check back next time to see available options.
4. How much is Hello Fresh?
The amount you pay for Hello Fresh will depend on a few factors. When placing your order, you will have to choose your meal plan, how many servings you need for each meal, and how many Hello Fresh dinners you would like to have each week. Each of those selections will dictate your weekly price on Hello Fresh.
Your first option is the Classic Plan. The cost for this box comes to $9.99 per serving. You can choose to get three or four recipes per week with enough servings for two people with each meal. If you have a family you’d like to feed, you are only able to get three meals each week with the Classic Plan. To give you an idea of pricing, you would be spending $59.94 to receive three recipes per week with servings for two people.
The Veggie Plan is also $9.99 per serving. You only have the option to receive three recipes per week, but you can choose between two or four servings for each meal. Like the Classic Plan, three recipes per week with two servings for each meal will total $59.94.
And finally, they provide a Family Plan for those with children. This plan automatically gives you four servings for every meal and you can choose between receiving two or three recipes per week. This will come to $8.74 per serving. If you choose to receive two recipes each week with servings for four people, the cost will be $69.92.
An added bonus is that Hello Fresh does not charge for shipping, which helps keep some cash in your pocket. You can always skip a week if you’d prefer to take a break from Hello Fresh or if the recipes aren’t of interest to you and your family.
*These prices are subject to change based on Hello Fresh’s discretion. If they have changed, please let me know in the comments and I will make the necessary adjustments.
5. Where does Hello Fresh deliver?
Hello Fresh delivers to all of the continental United States. At this time, they are unable to deliver to Alaska and Hawaii. If you live in either of these states and are interested in ordering from Hello Fresh, you can check back at a later date to see if they’ve begun allowing shipping to your area.
6. How long does it take for a Hello Fresh box to be delivered?
Your Hello Fresh order will be delivered on the date you selected at checkout, so they’ll ship it out a day ahead of time. You can expect it to be delivered by the parcel carrier anytime between 8 AM and 8 PM on the day of delivery. Hello Fresh will provide you with tracking information, so you’ll be able to keep an eye on your package as it makes its way to your home.
7. Does Hello Fresh offer gift cards?
Yes, Hello Fresh does offer gift cards for purchase. When you purchase a gift card, you’ll be prompted to select which box you’d like to gift to your friend or family member. You’ll have to choose between the Classic Box, the Veggie Box, or the Family Box. Once you’ve made your choice, you will be taken through the checkout process.
Gift cards are easily redeemed on their website and can then be used towards ordering a new box from Hello Fresh.
8. What should I do with the Hello Fresh ice packs?
If you wish, you are able to save the Hello Fresh ice packs and reuse them. They’re perfect for picnics and road trips, so they’re sure to come in handy for keeping your food and drinks warm while away from home. If you’d prefer not to keep them, you can get rid of them, but there’s a proper way to do so.
The ice packs are made of a water soluble gel. This gel will dissolve in water, but it’s not friendly to the pipes in your home. This means you should not pour the gel down your drains. Instead, you can use scissors to cut open the ice packs and drain the gel into the trash can. After that, you’re able to recycle the plastic packaging the ice packs are made out of.
9. Is the Hello Fresh packaging recycling?
Yes, you can recycle the Hello Fresh packaging. The Hello Fresh box is made of a mix of recycled and virgin fibers. This can be sent to your local recycling plant with other household recyclables.
The insulating liners are designed to keep your food at the optimal temperature during transportation. Depending on the time of year, the materials used can change. During the summertime, Hello Fresh will use liners made of recycled cotton, jute, and kraft paper. These can be taken to your local recycling center for disposal. During summer and winter, they will also use honeycomb paperboard with a pulper-safe metallized film. This can be recycled as well and can be left on the curb with any other recyclables for pick-up. During winter, Hello Fresh uses liners that are made of BPA-free plastic and mylar. Unfortunately, this is not recyclable and should be tossed in the trash.
The separator and meal kits used in the Hello Fresh packaging are also 100% curbside-friendly for recycling. These are simply made of low-density chipboard.
10 Does Hello Fresh offer breakfast?
No, at this time Hello Fresh does not offer breakfast options. They do not provide selections for lunch either. Their offerings are strictly focused around dinner choices and they provide a few meal options for customers to select from each week.
11. How long do Hello Fresh meals last?
Hello Fresh provides customers with a selection of pre-portioned ingredients to cook dinners each week. Because you’re receiving fresh ingredients, they are not going to last as long as a frozen, pre-made dinner would. It’s recommended to cook your meals the week you receive all of your ingredients to prevent anything from spoiling before you’re able to use it. Typically, you would want to cook any seafood dishes first, as they often spoil faster than meats.
Make sure you’re also properly storing all of your ingredients upon arrival. Many items will require refrigeration, while others do not. It’s best to open up your box, take stock of what’s inside, and then put everything away as soon as you can after receiving your order.
12. Does Hello Fresh offer meal plans for one person?
Hello Fresh does not offer meal plans that are specifically for one person. However, you can absolutely order the Classic Plan or the Veggie Plan and choose to receive two serving meals. While this will obviously give you more food than you need for one dinner, it should give you the perfect amount of leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. So, Hello Fresh is definitely suitable for one person.
13. Do you need to be home when Hello Fresh delivers?
Fortunately, you do not need to rearrange your schedule just to be home when your Hello Fresh box arrives. You can specify where to leave your box when you’re not home in your delivery instructions. Don’t worry about the food being left out for too long because each box has cold packs to keep everything fresh. Just remember to put everything in the refrigerator as soon as you get home.
14. Who comes up with the Hello Fresh meals that get delivered?
Hello Fresh works with top-level chefs and dietitians to create recipes that aren’t just tasty but also healthy.
Want to learn what we thought of Hello Fresh? Watch our experience below…
Super informative! Thank you for putting this together. Any thoughts on their customer service? Have you had a chance to interact with them? I just don’t want to get “burned” (pun intended) when I try a new meal delivery.
Hello Fresh customer service is top notch, No questions asked if you have an issue with an item. They issue you a credit immediately and you can use it towards future orders. A1++
is hellofresh brace friendly? I will be getting braces soon and I want to make sure the food is something I am able to eat
Yep! I’ve had braces and know how eating can be a pain. My recommendation is to choose meals that are a bit softer and nothing you have to chew too hard on.
do any of HELLOFRESH meals have MSG
if I am not pleased how cancel?
Canceling is pretty simple. Once you’re in your account, click on your name in the upper right-hand corner, then click on ‘Account Settings’. From there, click on plan settings page and click ‘Cancel Plan’.
How long does the box stay cold after hello fresh delivers?
Hello Fresh is now charging for delivery in the Seattle area… I don’t know if that change is nation wide.
Sad that Hello Fresh does not have a return policy on their freeze packs. They are not truly eco friendly and the volume of these, combined from all the companies in this segment present a serious threat to our envrionment due to simple volume. Sodium polyacrylate is the active ingredient. Step up Hello Fresh and take these freeze packs back and reuse them..
Plus 1 for this idea!
I agree. The ice packs should be returned. Once you have enough, put them back in the meal box and return to the company. Its crazy to just throw them away and you only need to keep a couple for reuse.
Id also like to push for this. Other services like Imperfect Foods and I believe Blue Apron allow returns of the ice packs and the Hello fresh packages have the food completely sealed so the ice packs should tend to be clean.
agree – I have saved them in my garage and am waiting to see what to do – I would like to return for reuse also
Unfortunately there is no send back program. Blue Apron used to have a program where you could send back your packaging for them to use/recycle but they discontinued it. I hope more meal delivery services start to incorporate stronger recycle/upcycle practices into their business models soon.
Ok, I didn’t read the package and I did melt two ice packs down the drain. I did use hot water if that would make a difference. Things are ok for now though, no clog.
Is there a method the special summer box liners can be sent back to hello fresh to even reuse? I.e send 4 boxes worth of liners back in a hello fresh box….All the received liners are clean and not contaminated. Our region in southern colorado does not accept material for recycling.,
Do these meals contain MSG?
None of the meals we’ve had from HelloFresh have had MSG.
One of the cold packs ruptured and spewed all over my carpet and mat. How can I clean it?
When I receive my four meals for the week. It is my understanding that I have to cook everything, and then store it in the frig. Is that correct?
Can I freeze my dinners before I cook them?
We always use the fridge to store everything. Not sure how the meals would stay in a freezer for long periods of time.
I’ve had a few meals from HelloFresh and greatly enjoyed the meals. I do wish that their packaging was more recycling/reuse friendly. Is there a place to submit suggestions? I would love to see something like an opt-in option to pay a little extra (for return shipping and sanitization they would need to do) to be able to ship back (in the same box) things like the insulation and ice packs.
Blue Apron used to have that, where you could send back your packaging to be recycled/reused. You may want to reach out to HelloFresh customer service.
If I split time at two different residences, can Hello Fresh be set up to deliver to a different address on certain days of the week?
Unfortunately they cannot do that. What you could do is set-up 2 different accounts and have one account ship to one address and another account ship to the other.
I am curious if I am able to purchase the hello fresh brand of sauces and glazes. I can’t duplicate the recipe with other brands at grocery store. It would surely be nice to make these at home without buying the whole meal. I have bought the orange chicken. It was so good ,but can’t duplicate that wonderful glaze and sweet Thai chili sauce. Please consider selling some glazes and sauce.
Thank you
Tracey cline
Hampton. Va
Hi Tracey! You can view some of the spice blends that HelloFresh has here on our full review. Also, here’s a good recipe for thai chili sauce.
This is a question, rather than a comment. My diet requires no salt added other than what is added in the cooking process. Do you have salt-free meals in Canada?
Thanks.
Where are the directions for my Hello Fresh order? It’s the cream shrimp and bacon spaghetti, but there are no directions with the delivery that i can find.
Hey David,
You should have received a recipe card for that recipe. If not, you can find it on their website here.
Does hello fresh offer low or no salt meals?
HelloFresh does offer some low salt options each week. However, if you’re looking for a low-sodium meal delivery service there are better options out there. Here are our favorites. If you’re looking for a premade option, Fresh n Lean and ModifyHealth are great. If you’re looking for a meal kit option, Sunbasket is one to consider.
Can you reuse the aluminum pans the meals come in
Yes, you can.
Does any ingredients contain MSG?
None that I ever remember trying had MSG.
The freezer packs that I get from Hello Fresh are filled with a liquid. Our county has specifically told people not to put liquids into the trash because it creates a terrible mess for their personnel, for the trucks and on our streets.
IT IS A LIQUID !!!
Do you have any alternative disposal suggestions – down the drain (county system), down a storm drain, on the lawn, on the street (where it will dry).
How about Hello Fresh takes them back?
Hey Joe, technically the ice packs are non-toxic and water soluble. Technically you can cut and pour down drain but I usually don’t recommend for those who want to play it safe with their pipes. Here’s more info on recycling HelloFresh.
Hello! I am having trouble communicating with Hello Fresh. I don’t understand how I change recipes or change veggie to aspargus. I received a menu in my first box for lemon ricotta and never received the ingredients. We signed up, had a good week, the second week we received six meals instead of three so we cancelled. Then we started up again and a coupon came that afternoon so I didn’t get to use it. I wonder if we are on any discounted plan now. And we are supossed to receive a dessert each week. I have tried calling several times with no luck.