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…

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Dan Scalco

Over the past 6 years I've unboxed and reviewed hundreds of different meal kits, food delivery services, snack boxes, and more. I created Food Box HQ as a way to share all of my experiences.