Every Plate & Hello Fresh

I won't lie I hate grocery shopping. Hate it.

I don't mind meal planning and figuring out what I want us to eat. Although we both have some demanding jobs that does make that more complicated (and since we don't have kids it makes it a little easier to not have to worry about having complete structure).

Plus, I enjoy exploring new things and I've always wanted to try meal kits, but not spend too much money. That's why I was initially attracted to Every Plate which is incredibly inexpensive. Not counting their promotional prices especially for new customers the price per serving is $4.99 with $8.99 shipping. They have options for 2 person or 4 person plans and you can get meals from 3-5 days a week depending on what plan you select.

While they preselect meals, you can choose what you would like. Usually they have a bit of variety with the classic protein and two vegetable meals, bowl meals, taco/quesadilla in various flavors, and burgers. They also usually offer two specialty meals a week that you can choose for an extra amount per serving (usually 2.99) that includes more specialty seafood/fish or steak. Think like date night meals.

So what do you get? Honestly, a lot of potatoes and carrots. So many of them. They don't have as much variety in terms of sides (which helps keep the cost down) and they don't have everything separated by meal (except, obviously the proteins). The other downside is the amount of calories/fat content per serving is pretty high so if you are looking for something healthier I would avoid this subscription box.

I did love the variety of tacos though, one of my favorite being a Thai pork with a cabbage slaw. Their burgers are pretty good as well.

However, I wanted to try a different one and I got a coupon for Hello Fresh. (Note Every Plate is owned by Hello Fresh) Hello Fresh is different. It is more expensive but gives a little more variety in the meal. There is almost always a sauce to go with their meals. The ingredients have a little more variety. The meals (expect for the protein) are separated into bags to keep the meal separate. It makes less guess work. Pull out a bag, pull out a protein and you have everything. It was a little more complicated to make and I didn't always like the meals as much as Every Plate. The one exception was the fish with a homemade tarter sauce and risotto. It was delicious but it took almost an hour to make.

Another thing to think about is how much a serving size will work for you. Let's be honest, most people over eat and over serve themselves so this is nice to keep that under control. However if you have someone who has an insane metabolism that requires them to eat a ton (not even kidding, it's ridiculous how much this skinny guy eats), you will need to add stuff to the side. For example I would do a side of rice, or add extra veggies of what we were already getting or new ones. Which somewhat defeats the purpose of me not having to shop.

So, there it is, the good, the bad, and the random facts. Honestly, I am glad I tried them, I am glad that I learned some new techniques, recipes, and flavor profiles. There are some meals (cherry glazed meatballs) that I learned the recipe and just adapted it so I can make it with items I bought myself (ok, ok, what I sent my partner to buy). Would I do it again? Maybe on occasion during busy times (like when I was in finals week) or if they shot me a coupon to renew at a promo price.