Which meal kit service has the most subscribers?
Meal kits can be a real gamechanger when it comes to putting delicious and nutritious meals on the dinner table. They can save time. They can help you stick to a diet. And some of them can be more expensive than groceries -- that's why you deserve a meal delivery service that you can trust.
The best meal kits balance variety with manageable prices. You should be waiting eagerly for that meal kit delivery week after week. If not, it's the wrong meal kit choice. And of course things like per-serving prices and shipping costs matter -- especially when your budget is on the line.
When we think about a meal kit company that prioritizes good food, impressive variety, and prices that won't drive you back to the manic parking lot of our local grocery stores, one nationally recognized brand comes to mind: HelloFresh.
Which meal kit service has the most subscribers?
"America's most popular meal kit."
New subscribers to HelloFresh are greeted by this claim on the meal kit company's home page. Over the last several years, HelloFresh has won several distinctions: it was the most trusted meal kit brand according to Newsweek in 2022 and 2023 in addition to being deemed the No. 1 meal kit service by USA Today in 2019 through 2022. When it comes to U.S. market share, HelloFresh definitely reigns supreme -- at least, for the year 2022, when Bloomberg did its latest data dive on the topic.
But does all that mean that HelloFresh is also the best meal kit service out there? After all, there are plenty of meal delivery services out there to choose from: Blue Apron has chef-curated meals for the skilled home cook, for example, while Purple Carrot has one of the best menus for vegan and vegetarian diets.
After a recent test run, wherein we reviewed HelloFresh based on a week's worth of pre-packaged meals, we can say that HelloFresh does live up to its hype. It's a refreshing and reliable meal kit option that's earned its title, thanks to a balance of affordable prices, customizable meal plans, and an impressive number of weekly recipes to browse.
How to save with HelloFresh's affordable meal plans
With prices as low as $10 per serving, HelloFresh serves as one of the cheaper meal delivery services out there. That base price point is only a few dollars more than other high-profile meal kit competitors like Blue Apron (which we also reviewed) and Home Chef, but HelloFresh's sheer variety of weekly meals sets it comfortably apart from the competition in our book.
If you want to keep your expenses low when signing up for America's No. 1 meal kit, it's important to keep in mind how the meal kit subscription process works. You can choose between two-serving and four-serving meals, depending on how many people you're cooking for, as well as the number of meals you want to receive each week: anywhere from two to six meals per box.
If you looked at an itemized receipt of every ingredient that was boxed up and shipped directly to your door, you'd likely find some savings here and there compared to what you'd pay on your own. With a bit of resourcefulness, meal kits like HelloFresh can be easier on your food budget than a trip to the grocery store.
The winning strategy is to make full use of HelloFresh's eyebrow-raising discounts. First time subscribers typically get extra savings and incentives when committing to a new meal delivery service or meal kit, and HelloFresh is no exception.
Finding healthy and diet-friendly meals with HelloFresh
Think of HelloFresh as a middle-of-the-road kind of meal delivery service. While there are others better suited to specific concepts like plant-based meals or an all-organic menu (Daily Harvest is our personal organic fave), HelloFresh makes up for it by having a bit of everything.
If you're counting calories, you can find low calorie meal kits with ease while browsing the weekly menu. There is also no shortage of vegetable-based dishes to try out: the classic cheese tortellini bowl and other interesting concoctions like truffle mushroom flatbreads are just the tip of the plant-based iceberg.
HelloFresh also sports a "fit and wholesome" category of low-calorie recipes that round out to around 650 calories per serving or less. HelloFresh also consistently offers a handful of recipes each week that cater to specific diet restrictions -- just look for tags such as "gluten free" when building your subscription box. Some recipes allow you to swap out proteins and sides as well, giving you even more meal options.
HelloFresh also claims to source ingredients like meat, poultry, and seafood from federally regulated farmers and suppliers touting "climate-resilient practices that minimize food waste and environmental impact."
Does HelloFresh live up to the hype?
HelloFresh serves up more than 30 different recipes to choose from each week. There are family friendly plans, low calorie meals, and plenty of plant-based dinners to check out depending on your dietary preferences. HelloFresh's affordable prices can be great for big families trying to save some time and money around the dinner table each week -- and interesting add-ons like 15-minute kids' lunches means there's likely something for even the pickiest eaters in your life.
Toss some big first-time savings for new customers and customer service that's fast and friendly into the mix -- HelloFresh has the most 5-star reviews among meal kits according to Trustpilot -- and you have a meal delivery service that has definitely earned its majority of the market share.
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