It is that time of year and school is back in full swing for all of us. Dinnertime is one of my least favorite things at the start of a new school year because every day is hectic and trying to get back into the swing of schedules is difficult. As I was thinking ahead to this conundrum I contacted HelloFresh to chat about reviewing their meal delivery service to see if it is a perfect fit for back to school.
I loved getting our HelloFresh box delivered straight to the door — 3 meals in a box with very little planning. That is definitely a bonus. The disadvantage is that I have breakfast, lunch, and 4 more dinners to shop for still. The advantage is that it buys me time to get other meals sorted, supplement an easy meal with no fast food guilt, or use the slow cooker and freezer meals for the rest of the week.
I love that we received meal packages that we aren’t use to eating already, and while they are tasty and outside the box, they are all still quick and easy meals. It helped us find new foods we enjoy and each meal comes with a handy recipe card. You can make them again yourself as long as you figure out some of the spice combinations.
One of the learning curves for me was reading all of the directions before starting. I tend to be a step-by-step person and I found that it was really important to read the whole recipe before starting. That way I didn’t throw away something I would need later, like lemon rind for zesting. Reading the directions ahead of time also helped multitask steps wherever I could and save time by chopping all veggies and herbs at one time.
Will this help alleviate the back to school rush? It definitely can. If you want to prioritize fresh healthy meals but don’t have the time to ‘do it all’ then this is a great solution. If you want dinner on the table with nothing from you then this isn’t the solution for back to school stress. Each meal took me under 60 minutes, with most being around 30 minutes. This is good news in my opinion when you don’t want to compromise fresh healthy meals from scratch.
Check out Some of the Meals
Cherry-Lime Rickey Chicken
This was my favorite dish. My mouth waters just thinking about it – sweet, zesty, and a hint of smoky caramelization from the chicken.
I love that the steps to making each meal are laid out simply and clearly.
Reuben Steak with Tangy Braised Cabbage and Russian Dressing Pan Sauce
Oh wait! Perhaps this was my favorite dish. Everyone I talked to about our HelloFresh meals was most intrigued by this recipe. This will definitely be going on our menu again. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
HelloFresh uses fresh quality ingredients that are sourced as locally as possible. WIN!
Layered Enchiladas
Layered Enchiladas made me think even more outside the box than I usually do. I love the concept of roasting fresh vegetables to go in whatever dish I am making. It adds another layer of flavor. I was all in on the spice in this dish and it was super spicy. We used leftovers for a delicious vegetarian chili over rice. Yum!
HelloFresh also offers the Veggie Box for my vegetarian friends.
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I give HelloFresh 4 stars because it does have a learning curve. Not in terms of being able to successfully use it, but in terms of making meals efficiently with the system. Some have also pointed out that it isn’t as cheap as buying groceries and prepping meals yourself. Well, no, it isn’t, but you are paying for service and it’s a good service at that.
