Estimated reading time: 15 minutes
Find out if meal kits are worth it with our HelloFresh and GoodFood reviews.
We compare costs and share our experience. Perfect for busy individuals and those wanting variety in the kitchen!
Convenience Cooking At Your Doorstep- Are Meal Kit Programs Worth it?
I’ve seen advertising for home-delivery meal kits for a while now, and I’m sure you have.
Being a frugal family is why we always passed by the meal kit option.
We went for it since we wanted to review these two meal kit companies and know the rage.
Be prepared for pictures of all the meal kit recipes we made, and I broke down the cost of one recipe.
The reason was to see what it would cost us to buy the ingredients at the grocery store.
HelloFresh Meal Kit Review
However, HelloFresh or GoodFood are great options for those who want convenience or try new meals.
Getting a meal kit for singles or even students might help with cooking in the kitchen and convenience.
In our area, HelloFresh Canada is run in Toronto, Ontario, at 110 Spadina Avenue, Unit 201.
I don’t know if it’s just a call centre or a place where meal kit packaging happens, but that’s where it’s located.
As you’ll learn below, the home delivery of meal kits such as HelloFresh and GoodFood may or may not be suitable for you.
Pros and Cons Of HelloFresh Meal Kit
Pros:
- You get seasonal Ingredients
- Convenience
- Less Food Waste
- Beautiful Recipe Cards
- Reusable Insulated Food Box with Ice packs
In every sense of the words above, HelloFresh is correct.
Who would love the HelloFresh Meal kit home delivery service?
- You don’t like to cook.
- You’re not that great at cooking.
- You don’t want to think about meal planning.
- Cost is not an issue.
- The convenience of how easy it is to create delicious meals with a recipe card.
- There is enough space to store the food kits in the refrigerator.
- Customize your meal plan.
From our experience, the cons of the HelloFresh Meal Kits were fairly evident.
- The cost is over our budget
- For the meal for 2, one of us could polish it off.
- We need lots of refrigerator space for the food bags.
- Include full Keto Meals in meal kit plans.
- No nutritional labels unless I’ve missed them
Step By Step: How To Order HelloFresh
Once you have the app on your phone or you’ve signed up online, you’re ready to get started with your meal kit.
Since Mrs. CBB eats a Keto diet and I don’t, we had to find something to eat.
You can customize your plan and pick from the meals they currently have on the menu.
The meal kits will arrive weekly; however, you can choose when they get delivered, which I liked.
Giving customers control over the meal kit plan is vital since people aren’t always home to eat.
You sign up online or download the app from your phone at the Google Play Store or the Apple Store
HelloFresh Meal Kit Cost
The deal for HelloFresh right now for new subscribers is $80 off PLUS if you use Rakuten Canada, you get a further $15 back in cash.
To be fair, you don’t get the full $80 off on your first box, which caught me off guard.
Remember always to read the fine print on anything you plan to purchase.
Here’s the rundown, but for those who end up loving the meal kit service, any savings is better than nothing.
Get $80 Off
I would have liked to have the full $80 off right away instead of the tiered commitment to the company.
Get $50 off your first box, $20 off your second box, and $10 off your third box to save $80!
Flexible, no commitments – pause or skip when you need.
- $50 Off 1st Box
- $20 Off 2nd Box
- $10 Off 3rd Box
HelloFresh commits to offsetting 100% of direct carbon emissions, making it your eco-friendly meal kit of choice.*
– HelloFresh
This was our first receipt from HelloFresh below, minus the $40 welcome coupon.
HelloFresh commits to offsetting 100% of direct carbon emissions, making it your eco-friendly meal kit of choice.*
– HelloFresh
This was our first receipt from HelloFresh below, minus the $40 welcome coupon.
We spent $28.93 out-of-pocket to test this meal kit, even with the $40.00 coupon.
After that, if we continued to order 3 meals per week for each, that would cost us around the $70 mark or more.
Plus, you still need to eat 4 other days of the week, so either order more meal kits or go grocery shopping.
HelloFresh Meal Kit Recipes
We ordered three HelloFresh meal kit recipes for two that would last us for 3 days.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have the room in our refrigerator, but as it’s cold in Ontario, we left the insulated box in the garage.
Many readers will ask whether the food will stay fresh.
I will say yes, it was perfectly fine for us, and we even skipped a day between cooking a meal.
Our HelloFresh Meal Kit Selection
The three meals for 2 people that we chose were;
- Italian Beef Meatballs and Chickpeas – I ate all of this myself. 30 minutes, Carb Smart
- Lamb Meatball Burgers – I ate all of this myself. 35 minutes to prepare
- Sesame Roasted Chicken Salad – Mrs. CBB and I shared this. 30 minutes, Carb Smart
One thing we noticed about both the services was that they asked us to use our oil to fry the food.
Surely, when you buy a meal kit, every item should be included, even the cooking oil.
However, with HelloFresh, we got a small bottle of sesame oil for the sesame-roasted chicken salad.
Overall, we were happy with the HelloFresh meal kit but felt there wasn’t enough food for two people.
They also included a $90 Off Including a free shipping card for our next box.
- $45 off the second box
- $25 off the third box
- $10 off the fourth box
The HelloFresh Recipes
Below I will share photos of our finished meals which happen quick to make and flavourful.
Sesame Roasted Chicken Salad
The sesame-roasted chicken salad was a delicious meal, and we’d make it again.
The pear was added to the kale slaw, wasabi paste, and mayo, and it was super flavourful.
Mrs. CBB opened the wasabi with her teeth, haha. She’ll never do that again.
Italian Beef Meatballs and Chickpeas – HelloFresh
Although the recipe card says this recipe is ‘carb smart’ Mrs. CBB did not taste it because it’s not keto.
I didn’t see any recipe nutritional information that would have been convenient for anyone following a specific diet.
Overall, I liked the dish as it was quick to prepare and had lots of flavour.
The chickpeas were a great addition to this meal, especially roasted in the oven, and the balsamic glaze over the meatballs.
A fairly simple meal with flavour.
Lamb Meatball Burgers – HelloFresh
I ate lots of lamb in the UK, but when I saw the price of it in Canada, I’d only eat it when I found it on sale.
These Lamb meatball burgers were a nice treat for me; however, I found the burgers to be a bit dry.
The salad with the meal was a tomato spring salad with greens and tomatoes.
I ate the entire meal for two by myself as Mrs. CBB does not like lamb, and honestly, I found it a 1 person meal.
Maybe you think I eat lots, but I also work out daily and am hungry.
I also wasn’t too keen on the marinara sauce and mozzarella on top; however, it did help with the dry lamb burger.
The marinara had no flavour, and having a homemade Italian sauce would have been nice.
Ok, so that’s HelloFresh. Let’s get into the GoodFood meal kits.
My favourite dishes were Italian beef meatballs and chickpeas.
Mrs. CBB enjoyed the sesame-roasted chicken salad and probably could have eaten more if it had been available.
HelloFresh Referral Program
Once you are signed up, you can start referring friends and family to HelloFresh using your HelloShare code.
Your friends will receive a $40 discount, and HelloFresh will credit your account with $25.
You can manage your plan weekly or skip weeks if you are on holiday or don’t want an order.
GoodFood Meal Kit Selection
It felt like we were ordering food from a restaurant and having it delivered, but in a way, that’s really what meal kits are.
The only catch is that you must follow a recipe card and cook the meal independently.
Honestly, it’s no big deal, and these companies make preparing the meals so darn easy you can’t possibly mess it up.
From GoodFood we ordered the following three meals:
- Seared Halloumi Fall Cobb Salad with smoky coconut bacon & cider vinaigrette. – 15 minutes, 710 calories per serving
- Beef Kofta and Roasted Sweet Potatoes with creamy lemon chopped salad – 25 minutes, 640 calories per serving
- Spiced Seared Trout with dill, walnut, and champagne vinegar pesto -15 minutes, 680 calories per serving
The Seared Halloumi Fall Cobb Salad was our favourite of the three meals from GoodFood.
This was one of my least favourite meals as I felt the beef Kofta lacked flavour and was a bit too dry.
The sweet potato was perfect for this recipe and roasted beautifully in the oven.
We both enjoyed the seared trout; however, we would have the second piece of trout if it were available.
The addition of the walnuts added the perfect texture to the soft trout.
This dish has many good flavors, such as dill, garlic, and champagne vinegar.
Pros and Cons Of GoodFood Meal Kit
Remember, these are our opinions; however, you might have different ones, so if you are interested in trying a meal kit, go for it.
Pros
- Local Sourcing of products for their customers.
- 100% Recyclable Packaging and refrigerated boxes.
- Delicious recipes that are quick to make.
- Food Waste Reduction.
- Fuelling Learning is a program that donates a nutritious meal to a child in need at school.
- Great for people who live in rural areas or seniors who can’t get out without assistance.
- Easy-to-follow recipe cards with a nutrition label.
- Pick and choose when you want the boxes to arrive, especially if you go on vacation.
Cons
- We didn’t find anything to complain about GoodFood apart from the pricing.
- Also, we found the portion sizes to be a bit small.
- Are they cutting out the middleman who is getting the savings? Is it us or the company?
Step By Step: How To Order A GoodFood Meal Kit
Like HelloFresh, you can pause or cancel your weekly meal kit order if unsatisfied.
They have three plans available;
- The Classic Plan with 2 or 4 servings
- Easy Prep Plan 2 or 4 servings
- Family Plan 4 servings
You pick a plan that works with your diet or lifestyle, and then you get to look through the available recipes.
Pick the recipes you like and then pay for them.
A box will be shipped to your house by the stated delivery date.
You get to choose the dates you want your box deliveries and can cancel any time or stop the box on certain weeks.
It’s a relatively simple process to go through.
GoodFood Meal Kit Cost
Below is a screenshot of how much our first GoodFood meal kit for two people cost us.
Are Meal Kits Worth The Money?
Below I will break down the cost to make one of the meals we ate.
I’ll be comparing organic products from the grocery store to see how much the convenience of these companies costs Canadians.
I will only count what you would be paying for, not the stuff you need, such as salt and pepper.
Seared Halloumi Fall Cobb Salad Ingredients
- 225g Brussel sprouts $1.98 at Zehrs for 225g $0.44 for 50g
- 60g sliced radishes $0.57 a bag is $3.99 for 1lb at Zehrs
- 50g sliced red onions $0.25
- 1 head romaine lettuce $3.99 at Zehrs
- 100g julienned beets $0.75 for one at Zehrs
- 15ml red wine vinegar $1.89 at Zehrs for 500ml $0.10
- 75ml sweet cider vinaigrette I went with apple cider vinegar and a tbsp sugar or honey $0.50
- 25g toasted coconut chips $1.00, a bag of 70g at Zehrs is $2.99
- 125g halloumi cheese at Zehrs 250g is $8.99 reg price so half of that would be $4.50
- 2 hard-boiled eggs Dozen 2.49/12 = $0.20 each egg so $0.40
- 9g craving cobb spice blend (salt, garlic, sugar, red bell pepper, vinegar powder, green bell pepper, paprika, turmeric, cayenne pepper,
- smoked paprika.) You probably already have these spices at home; if not, go to the bulk barn and pick them up. I’d say no more than $1.50 for 1 tsp of each.
Total Cost to buy groceries and make this meal: $15.54 for 2/4 people
What did we pay for this meal on GoodFood? Approximately $29.68.
We had an $83 coupon that we used on a total of $89.04 for three meals, each serving two $6.04 out of pocket.
So even if we took that total of $89.04/3 = $29.68 for each meal plus potential shipping costs of $9.99 as ours were waived.
Remember I used one of the more expensive Canadian grocery stores to pull the prices from.
We could easily drop the price of shopping for food at the lower-priced grocery stores in Canada, such as Food Basics or No Frills.
You’ll Need:
- Medium pan
- Strainer
- Sheet pan
- OIl
- Salt and pepper
- Parchment Paper
The recipe states it can feed two to four people; however, it better be an appetizer salad if you plan to feed four.
GoodFood Referral Program
Give $40, Get $25
Similar to HelloFresh, the GoodFood meal kit has a referral program.
With GoodFood, you can send your friends a $40 credit, and you get a $25 credit, but only if they sign up through your referral link.
- Visit makegoodfriends.ca/friends
- Sign in to your GoodFood account if prompted.
- Enter your friend’s email address or share our personal referral link with them.
It’s easy to earn money for future meal kit boxes.
We also received 6 free box coupons to give to our friends or family, which is awesome.
That’s a great way to get the word out about this company for those who would benefit from it.
Feedback On The Top 2 Canadian Meal Kit Companies
Both companies offer what they say and you get what you order.
We listed a few ideas above that we think would add bonus points for each meal kit.
Our biggest con was the price since we have a food budget and love cooking.
One of the reasons I wanted to try both these meal kit companies was to try and understand the craze around them.
You either like to cook or you don’t but would follow recipe cards and the prep work completed.
Ask yourself if this meal kit company fits into your budget.
How much will it cost me to eat when I don’t have the meal kit?
Discussion: What are your thoughts on meal kit programs like the two I reviewed today?
Let me know in the comments if you order, what your feedback is, and if you might or might not order.
Mr.CBB
I have looked long and hard at the ads for these kits. We have a family of three adults, each of us massive eaters. That would mean I would have to buy to meals for three for a single meal. Probably not economical but we order take out about once every 10 days or so. We spend between 60-80 on the food depending on what we buy.. given that,, meal kits would be a good alternate as long as I could get the serving sizes to what we would eat. We have no dietary restrictions, I just prefer we eat healthy.
I meant to say, I would have to buy two separate meals for three for one meal for us.. so six servings for one meal.
Hi Donna,
I’m pretty sure you can increase the food servings for the meals. It certainly would be great to have the meals rather than spending $80 eating out.
Mrs. CBB and I both felt like we were eating out a restaurant preparing the meals as they were different from anything we’ve ever made.
I have comments along several threads.
First, we live in Alberta, and prefer to purchase our meat and produce locally to support local farmers. These food kit businesses, I am sure, buy their goods locally (for them), which means, I believe, Ontario.
Second, and you alluded to it when you mentioned the cooking oil, is the fact that you are providing some of the costs borne by a restaurant to prepare the food, including heating/cooking the meals (gas or electricity), and adding omitted flavourings and spices.
Here in Calgary, we have purchased meals from a service called Chef to Table. The service sends out menus by email weekly, and delivers orders on Mondays and Thursdays. The menus change regularly, although popular dishes rotate with varying frequency, and include some Keto and vegetarian/vegan dishes. The meals are prepared in a commercial kitchen in Calgary and packaged in single and double serving packages, mostly foil pans with removable lids. The deliveries are made by a team of drivers, with the goal of arrival by dinnertime. The insulated bag with the food and coldpacks (frozen) are placed in cardboard boxes. Reheating instructions are included (in case the boxes must sit outside on the front step!).
This service is not an exact analog to the two you reviewed, but do serve the same demographic.
It seems to me that I can do this a lot cheaper. Having said that, it is probably cheaper than eating out, would be good for singles or seniors or those that don’t like to or are not great cooks – none of which applies to me. Also, my husband is no an adventurous eater, and most of the recipes you he would be unlikely to eat. I have loads of cookbooks and since the pandemic and losing my job, have expanded my repertoire, which my husband likes.
Thanks for reviewing these and I was curious about them. I had heard previously that the portion sizes were pretty small, and certainly the costs you quoted are way over my food budget.
Hey Ruth,
If you go out for dinner once a week and your bill is between 80=100 and it fits your budget then sure this is worth it. You can place an order for 3 meals which will cost you the same as going out for 1 meal. Thanks for stopping by and chatting. Mr.CBB
My Daughter and her boyfriend order from Chef’s Plate. They like it because it gives them an opportunity to try new recipes that they can add to their collection. They are university students and are new to cooking and this is a great way to learn. It is much cheaper than eating out or take out so they will cook a dinner or two from themselves when they have a date night. They have increased the servings when they shop for the ingedients themselves and cook the occasional dinner for the 4 of us. It is not a weekly order but you can order from them once in a while. Her boyfriend is very adept at finding promotion codes on line.
Thank you for this comparison! You did all the work I was wondering about. Cost, freshness, recipes etc.
Hi Stewart,
Thanks, it was certainly a fun experiment. I’m glad it helped you. Mr. CBB
I have tried all 3 in Ontario. Hello-fresh, chefs plate and good food. The best quality ingredients is good food but the cost is too expensive. You get 3 meals with good food for same price as 5 from chefs plate. Hello fresh was second best and second expensive. Chefs plate is the cheapest with what appears to be the cheapest ingredients (although owned by same company as Hello-fresh). Produce was flimsy and bokchoy was bad (yellow with brown spots and wilty). Don’t know why it was just thrown in the bag although the green onions were nicely wrapped (better than any I’ve seen at store)?? They are definitely worth a try with promos plus it helps to create your own meals once you get used to spice combinations.
Hi Lou,
Thanks for sharing your feedback about using the different meal kits. It’s always nice to hear about other’s experiences as they can fluctuate from person to person.
Mr. CBB