HelloFresh vs EveryPlate: Which Meal Kit Is Better?

Some people really enjoy cooking, but if you’re reading this article, you probably don’t. So, whatever your reason for not cooking your meals from scratch, be it due to the lack of time, energy, interest, etc., meal kit deliveries have made this everyday task so much simpler.

A well-curated menu from which you get to choose some of the most delicious and nutritious recipes – that’s the kind of experience you’re in for! And that begs the question: HelloFresh vs EveryPlate – which one is better?

Just think about it for a minute. Like I said before, well-curated recipes with their pre-portioned ingredients are delivered straight to your doorstep every week. You just have to pick from a menu that features a variety of dishes suitable for your diet plan and/or dietary preferences and restrictions.

On the one side, there’s EveryPlate with its affordability, and then there’s HelloFresh with its super easy-to-cook meals!

Meal Kits Are a Waste of Money – Is That Really True?

The Truth About Meal Kits

Are meal kit delivery services worth it? Take note that the best meal kit delivery service is, in comparison to groceries, more affordable. It’ll cost you less money to opt for weekly subscription-based meal deliveries than shopping for groceries at your local supermarket.

There’s no refuting the fact that grocery items now cost more than they did before. However, this post-modern inflation, fortunately, hasn’t had an impact on the price of meal kits. That’s the reason why convenient subscription-based food delivery services are such an excellent option.

You have every reason to believe that groceries now cost more than meal kits. The price of the former is up by over 20%, while the latter’s cost has only increased by 5-10%. With that in mind, it has been proven that inflation has not left its mark on meal delivery services.

However, at the same time, I won’t deny that meal kits do seem like a luxury to most Americans. But when you factor in the overall cost of weekly meals, meal delivery services can actually save you a few hundred bucks.

On top of that, these guys measure and properly portion out the ingredients, so you avoid overeating as well. The pre-portioned, pre-prepped ingredients are delivered directly to you, which means all you need to do is put them together accordingly (cooking instructions are also provided), and your lunch/dinner will be ready in a matter of just a few minutes. Overall, that’s less time spent in the kitchen!

Whenever you’re meal planning, you have to factor in the overall, well-rounded cost. In that context, you’re spending way less with meal kits and are also eating way healthier food in contrast to takeout, fast food, or junk food that is either one of the following:

• Unhealthy in so many ways
• Too expensive for a single serving
• Not a practical choice as a long-term meal option

There’s honestly no shortage of drawbacks when it comes to takeout food.

However, there’s no denying that some meal kit delivery services are on the expensive side too. But luckily, the two I’m reviewing and comparing in this article today, namely, HelloFresh and EveryPlate, are pretty affordable.

When you compare the dollars spent on groceries (and fuel that goes into your vehicle to go to the grocery store) to ordering meal kits, you’ll see for yourself how much money meal kit deliveries actually save.

So, there’s not a grain of truth in the statement that’s been going around for time immemorial that meal kits are a waste of money – it’s just a very popular myth, that’s all.

How Much Do Meal Kits CostCompared to Buying Groceries?

Let’s say you chose a meal plan with 4 servings per meal for the whole week. In such a scenario, you’re most likely to be paying no more than $1 extra for meal kits than when you’re purchasing all the groceries for the same situation, and that additional $1 is definitely worth the convenience brought about by the entire concept of meal kit deliveries.

However, make sure that you always opt for a budget-friendly meal delivery service, like HelloFresh and EveryPlate.

What About All That Packaging Waste?

Food deliveries automatically lead to more plastic waste, certainly more than when you buy groceries on your own. Not many know that affordable meal delivery services are always looking for effective ways to minimize their costs, and one of these is making use of minimal packaging.

For instance, EveryPlate has only been using eco-friendly packaging. Even minimal packaging is their forte as all of their meal kits’ ingredients are packed in just one cardboard box. This is obviously more eco-friendly than companies that pack each meal kit individually, thus creating more wastage of packaging materials.

Furthermore, and most importantly, most of EveryPlate’s packaging is curbside recyclable (this includes ice packs and cooler boxes).

You need to also understand that meal kit delivery services accurately measure/portion the ingredients. Nothing extra is provided, which means no food goes to waste either. That in itself is such a big contributing factor to environmental friendliness.

HelloFresh vs EveryPlate – Who’s the Winner?

HelloFresh and EveryPlate deliver meal kits that come with pre-portioned ingredients grouped by the recipes you select. The meals are packed individually, which means you can order as many meals as you want, and they will be delivered to you in multiple meal kit packages.

HelloFresh and EveryPlate have more in common than you think. But there are a few noticeable differences that can help you decide between these two very popular competitors.

HelloFresh meals cost anywhere between $7.49 and $11.99 per serving with a flat $10.99 shipping fee on all orders.

EveryPlate meals cost between $4.99 and $5.89 per serving with a $9.99 shipping fee on all orders.

By a significant margin, HelloFresh seems to be more expensive than EveryPlate, making EveryPlate the more affordable choice even when you factor in the shipping fee.

Let’s not underestimate the quality and superiority of HelloFresh meals which contribute to a higher cost per serving than EveryPlate. I will lay down the various ways how HelloFresh is definitely worth the extra per-serving price.

However, if you’re looking to save more money in the long run, EveryPlate is the better budget-friendly choice.

HelloFresh and EveryPlate also vary in menu variety. HelloFresh offers more than 55 recipe meal kits on their week’s menu. Without signing up, HelloFresh also lets you take a peek inside the upcoming menus for the next 5 weeks.

Each week, you have over 55 different meals to pick from, catering to different dietary preferences like low-calorie, carb-conscious, veggie, Mediterranean, and spicy.

On EveryPlate’s menu, you have 21 recipes each week to pick from. This is a lot fewer than HelloFresh (a little over half in quantity). Just like HelloFresh, EveryPlate also lets you see the next 2 weeks’ upcoming menu, so it is a bit restricted but still accessible to first-timers.

EveryPlate also doesn’t offer as many diet categories as HelloFresh. Some of the recipes come with other labels or tags to help you find your ideal pick better, such as Veggie, Easy Clean-Up, 30 Mins or Less, Premium, Diner Favorites, and Customer Fave.

HelloFresh or EveryPlate – Which Is More Affordable?

HelloFresh’s meal plans start from the lowest price, which is $7.99 per serving, and the highest goes up to $11.99 per serving.

Here’s the breakdown based on the different serving sizes and recipes per week:

• For 2 people (2 servings per recipe)

• For 4 people (4 servings per recipe)

After the first order, HelloFresh charges a flat shipping fee of $10.99 on every order. For first-timers, the shipping fee is taken away, so you don’t have to pay the shipping on the first week’s meal kit box.

In comparison to HelloFresh, the meal plans of EveryPlate are more budget-friendly and practical.

EveryPlate’s meal plans are more affordable due to the limited variety and simple ingredients – starting from $4.99 to $6.49 per serving for every week’s box.

Here’s a quick breakdown of their meal pricing depending on the number of servings and meals per week:

• For 2 people (2 servings per recipe)

• For 4 people (4 servings per recipe)

After the first order, EveryPlate charges a shipping fee of $9.99 on every order. The coupon for a discount on your first box total will be automatically added during checkout.

HelloFresh vs EveryPlate – Who Offers More Meals Per Week?

It appears that HelloFresh has more meals to offer weekly to its customers than EveryPlate. The meals are of two kinds: familiar recipes that are popular among most people and meals that are creative and delicious, restaurant-style.

EveryPlate offers meal kits that are just like home-cooked dinners – simple and delicious recipes that are easy to cook and taste and smell just like homemade cooking.

In comparison to HelloFresh, EveryPlate is more of a family-friendly choice since most of the meals are familiar and not too experimental. HelloFresh adds interesting choices of ingredients that are great for single people, couples, and small families.

Delicious cuisines involve minimal prep and meal planning and include a variety of healthy veggies and flavors making HelloFresh the more versatile choice than EveryPlate.

You can also opt for recipes like paninis, tacos, burgers, risotto, fajitas, salad wraps, burritos, and healthy bowls. EveryPlate, on the other hand, features family-friendly meals like pan-seared chicken, meatloaves, skillet recipes, curries, healthy bowls, and salads.

The latter offers fewer meal options every week, which some might find a bit restrictive compared to HelloFresh, and features 50 different meal selections weekly. EveryPlate features only 20 recipes that change every week.

The main goal of EveryPlate is to provide easy-prep and quick meal kits for busy people. Though the meals may not be lifestyle-specific for diets like paleo, keto, low-calorie, and high-protein, it does feature nutritionally balanced meals overall.

HelloFresh vs EveryPlate – Can You Find Out More About the Recipes?

Both HelloFresh and EveryPlate feature an accessible menu where you can read about the recipes before signing up. This includes the total cooking time, prep time, and difficulty of each recipe as well as the ingredients, allergen details, nutrition value, and cooking instructions of each recipe.

On HelloFresh’s recipe page, for example, the White Cheddar Wonderburgers, you can view everything you need to know before adding the meal kit to your cart.

The ingredients are portioned according to the serving amount of the recipe. The cooking difficulty of the recipe is Medium, and that means it’s not very complicated but requires some beginner cooking skills.

It’s a high-protein meal with over 40 grams of protein per serving. Plus, it comes with everything you need, including burger buns to prepare the dish from scratch.

What’s not included in the meal kit is also mentioned. These are basic pantry items like salt, cooking oil, pepper, and sugar. The utensils that you need to have with you to prepare the meal are also mentioned – a baking sheet, medium pan, and small bowl.

Lastly, but most importantly, the instructions for each important step with all the relevant pictures are displayed for your convenience. This takes away the guesswork and hassle of following worded instructions because you can see through pictures how the meal is supposed to turn out during every crucial step.

Other recipes similar to the burger are also displayed as appetizers, main courses, and desserts. HelloFresh recommends a variety of interesting meal kits similar to the flavor profile and ingredients in the burger.

On EveryPlate’s recipe page for the Pork Chili Loaded Sweet Potatoes, the same details are mentioned as HelloFresh. EveryPlate mentions the ingredients list, nutrition profile, and cooking instructions of the recipe.

It’s labeled as a “30 Min Or Less” recipe, which means it’s beginner-friendly. Nutritionally, it has 35g of protein and 760 calories per serving. It swaps the traditional taco wrap with sweet potatoes to make the recipe more delicious and healthy.

EveryPlate also mentions the ingredients they don’t send in the meal kit like butter, cooking oil, salt, and pepper. Common allergen information and the portion size of each ingredient are also mentioned.

The cooking instructions are displayed with pictures to help accelerate the cooking process. At the time of delivery, EveryPlate packs a large recipe card with all the information printed, or you can open the recipe page on your phone and make the recipe from scratch.

HelloFresh vs EveryPlate – How About the Ingredients’ Quality and Freshness?

HelloFresh makes use of superior and GMO-free ingredients. This includes all vegetarian and non-vegetarian ingredients. Most of the recipes have certified organic ingredients, including most fresh produce and antibiotic-free meat.

Speaking of meat, HelloFresh sources all nonvegetarian ingredients from certified organic and sustainable suppliers. All the meats come from USDA-certified and anti-hormone suppliers for both chicken and pork.

Seafood includes both wild-caught and farm-raised fish with specific eco-certified labels such as MSC, BAP, and other additional sustainability certifications.

While some, if not all, ingredients are certified organic, even those that aren’t processed are without any GMOs, additives, preservatives, or colorants (sauces, creams, marinades, and spice blends).

EveryPlate sources its ingredients from different suppliers based on certifications and location. The first and only priority is to include the freshest ingredients. This includes chicken, meat, fish, pork, and turkey as well.

The ingredients in your meal kit are non-GMO, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, and preservative-free. There is no information about the certified organic ingredients, but as far as nutrition goes, all the meal kits are backed by proper nutrition labels on the recipe page.

The meals, however, are not organic due to budget concerns. To keep the per-serving price low, the ingredients are high-quality but not certified organic.

HelloFresh vs EveryPlate – Do They Deliver on Time?

HelloFresh does deliver on time. You can select the day, but the time is not adjustable and depends solely on your location. The typical time frame for delivery is between 8 AM and 8 PM on weekdays. You may be able to select weekends too but only in specific areas.

Enter your zip code, and you’ll receive timely updates regarding your upcoming orders and get notified about the delivery day and time quickly. HelloFresh orders get delivered every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Weekend delivery depends on your delivery location.

What about changing or canceling a HelloFresh order before the scheduled delivery?

HelloFresh lets you edit your order easily by adding, swapping, and canceling meals easily. You can do this through their website or app without contacting customer care. There is a cutoff date for every order, which is usually 5 days before the scheduled delivery.

Every order has its own unique cutoff time which will be displayed right next to the order page on the account dashboard. The cutoff day is 5 days before delivery, and the time is at midnight PT.

EveryPlate has a similar timeframe and day of delivery. It delivers orders between 8 AM and 8 PM. The delivery day depends on your address, but it happens mostly during the weekdays.

EveryPlate has partnered up with local carriers to deliver your order as soon as possible. You can opt for notifications and time updates regarding all your orders.

For any modifications and cancellations, the cutoff time is at least 5 days before the scheduled day of delivery. EveryPlate lets you edit, swap, add, remove, and cancel the order without any extra charges. You can even pause your membership or skip up to 4 weeks without paying more as long as the changes have been made 5 days before delivery.

HelloFresh vs EveryPlate – Pros and Cons

HelloFresh Pros

• A wider variety of meals with unique flavors and new ingredients.
• You can try new recipes every day of the week without paying extra.
• The serving size is well-portioned for 2 or 4 people.
• No grocery shopping required or fancy cooking equipment.
• The recipe cards are informative and handy.
• Offers incredible meal choices for vegetarians and meat lovers.
• Nutritionally balanced meals with low-calorie meal plans.
• Packaging is durable with recyclable materials.
• One of the best organic meal delivery services.
• You can modify the order and it gets delivered on time consistently.

HelloFresh Cons

• It is slightly expensive as most of the ingredients are organic.
• Some basic pantry items like salt, pepper, butter, and oil are not included.
• Not the ideal pick for allergies.
• No strict diet plans for keto, paleo, weight loss, vegan, or protein.

EveryPlate Pros

• Affordable meal kit delivery service with lots of family-friendly meals.
• The starting price per serving is $4.99 only.
• Good for a balanced, home-cooked diet.
• An informative recipe page with nutrition info.
• Convenient meal kits with fresh and GMO-free ingredients.
• Prioritizes minimal prep time during cooking.
• The meals are very easy and beginner-friendly.
• Delivery is fast and consistent every week.

EveryPlate Cons

• None of the ingredients are organic.
• Limited menu with fewer vegetarian meals.
• No vegan or diet-friendly meal plan for keto, weight loss, paleo, etc.
• Some of the meal recipes may be repetitive.

HelloFresh vs EveryPlate – What Kind of Vegetarian/Vegan Meals Do They Have?

It’s a huge relief to know that both HelloFresh and EveryPlate offer the basic Veggie meal plan (there’s Meat & Veggies too). Both meal kit delivery services provide you with the option to choose the standard veggie-based menu, which surely has a variety of nutritious and delicious meals.

The Veggie meal plan of both brands consists of plant-based recipes (but these aren’t necessarily vegan as well). If you pick the Veggie category, you’ll see all the best meals for your lunch and dinner goals.

Agreed that the more you narrow down your search, the fewer meal options you get to choose from, be it veggie, pescatarian, etc. Nevertheless, these limited meals themselves are quite irresistible to turn down since, more often than not, they’re “crowd-pleasers” too.

There may be other meal kit services that wholly focus on vegetarian and plant-based meals, but that doesn’t affect the fact that both HelloFresh and EveryPlate have very interesting and mouthwatering veggie-only dishes you can add to your weekly routine for energy boost, health boost, etc.

A vegetarian or vegan diet is a specialized one, which HelloFresh and EveryPlate cater to in their own unique ways. Enough healthy choices are on these menus where the primary protein source is plant-based. Mostly, it’s veggie protein paired with starches like rice, potatoes, couscous, or pasta.

One last thing, for the sake of comparison, EveryPlate has more vegetarian/vegan meal kits than HelloFresh. Where the former will give you over 10-15 new recipes to select from every week, the latter offers only 5-6 options weekly.

HelloFresh vs EveryPlate – What and How Is the Nutritional Value of the Meals?

The meals are no different than home-cooked, comforting lunches and dinners. HelloFresh and EveryPlate ensure they cater to the most common dietary preferences, such as low-calorie, low-carb, Mediterranean, veggie, and more. No matter your diet plan, the nutritional profile of the meals you find the most suitable is never compromised.

Both are the best meal delivery services precisely because they’re health-focused. The meals are packed with fresh, delightful veggies – lots of greens, roasted potatoes, protein content, and the like.

Competition for attention is also very high in the case of both HelloFresh and EveryPlate when it comes to nutrition. They rank among the most approachable and healthiest meal deliveries. I was thrilled to find out that HelloFresh has a few “gourmet” choices too on its weekly menu. Typically, every recipe is simple and quick to execute in the kitchen.

With HelloFresh, you should be expecting a standard or classic nutritional profile and familiar yet extremely healthy recipes. This applies to plant-based and seafood options as well. Since the meals are mostly family-friendly, the nutritional value of HelloFresh meals is the last thing to worry about.

As for EveryPlate meals, even these can be called comfort foods. Every week, the menu options are laden with chicken, pork, and other meat and non-meat (i.e., plant-based) proteins. These are typically combined with, for example, roasted carrots, mashed potatoes, noodles, rice, etc.

The culinary team at EveryPlate includes seasonal ingredients and superfoods in the meals to always keep things interesting for your mealtime. Moreover, the EveryPlate menu features protein packs to suit meal planning.

Nutritional Breakdown of HelloFresh Recipes

Veggie and from the Hall of Fame – Sweet Corn & Green Pepper Chowder with Philadelphia Cream Cheese & Old Bay Toast:

• Total calories per serving: 800 kcal
• Protein per serving: 18 g
• Carbs per serving: 93 g
• Dietary fiber per serving: 7 g
• Fat per serving: 39 g

Another top favorite – Cheesy Smothered Mushroom Chicken with Mashed Potatoes & Roasted Carrots:

• Total calories per serving: 650 kcal
• Protein per serving: 42 g
• Carbs per serving: 49 g
• Dietary fiber per serving: 7 g
• Fat per serving: 33 g

The Best Recipe of 2022 – Firecracker Meatballs with Roasted Green Beans & Jasmine Rice:

• Total calories per serving: 770 kcal
• Protein per serving: 31 g
• Carbs per serving: 66 g
• Dietary fiber per serving: 3 g
• Fat per serving: 41 g

One of the “Seasonal Faves” – Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Pan Sauce plus Roasted Sweet Potato Couscous:

• Total calories per serving: 720 kcal
• Protein per serving: 35 g
• Carbs per serving: 77 g
• Dietary fiber per serving: 4 g
• Fat per serving: 29 g

A Premium Pick – Bavette Steak & Sherry Shallot Sauce with Garlic Parmesan Potato Clusters & Mixed Greens:

• Total calories per serving: 920 kcal
• Protein per serving: 50 g
• Carbs per serving: 38 g
• Dietary fiber per serving: 3 g
• Fat per serving: 63 g

Another Premium Pick, but this one has seafood in place of steak – Shrimp & Scallop Cioppino with Garlic Toast & Parsley:

• Total calories per serving: 580 kcal
• Protein per serving: 41 g
• Carbs per serving: 50 g
• Dietary fiber per serving: 4 g
• Fat per serving: 21 g

Nutritional Breakdown of EveryPlate Recipes

Are HelloFresh and EveryPlate Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Meal Delivery Services?

Where packaging is concerned, HelloFresh is reliable and convenient. HelloFresh’s packaging is recyclable with limited use of plastic and more use of recyclable paper wherever possible.

Liquid-based ingredients such as creams, marinades, and curry pastes are packed using plastic to avoid spills and leaks. The rest of the ingredients like fresh produce and herbs and spices are stored in small but very durable cardboard containers.

The meals are divided and kept in an organized manner to avoid spills and leaks during transport. Insulation like denim, ice gel packs, and other recyclable materials are used to keep the meal kits cold and fresh during transportation.

There is no excessive waste that comes out of each week’s meal box, regardless of the number of meals you select. They use eco-friendly packaging that you can discard easily for curbside pickup. Single-serve plastics that are used are also recyclable, including ice pack covers, liners, seals, etc.

EveryPlate also packs its meal kits in a recyclable and eco-friendly fashion. The main cardboard box and the smaller container boxes inside the meal kits are 100% recyclable.

To minimize the use of plastic, while at the same time maximizing the space inside every meal kit box, EveryPlate makes use of smaller cardboard liners and insulation and recyclable BPA-free seal bags to keep every ingredient fresh.

The meal boxes are easy to unpack, and you can keep all the packaging inside the fridge without taking any ingredients out. It saves time, saves space inside your fridge, plus you don’t have to worry about buying too many containers for storage.

To keep the ingredients fresh during delivery, gel ice packs and thermal insulation are used to effectively divide and store the ingredients.

While meal kit delivery services get a bad reputation for increasing the use of plastic, services like HelloFresh and EveryPlate minimize unwanted plastic use by switching to paper-based and recyclable materials for safekeeping.

Are HelloFresh and EveryPlate Allergy-Friendly?

If you’re worried about allergies, HelloFresh does mention a few things about that on its FAQ page.

Unfortunately, HelloFresh does not accommodate a specific allergy diet. All the ingredients are stored together in the same facility.

Ingredients like wheat, eggs, tree juts, peanuts, fish, and soy are common allergens. Though you will find many gluten-, egg-, nut-, and soy-free and fish ingredients on HelloFresh’s meal plan, they are not 100% allergy-friendly as the ingredients are still processed and packed in the same kitchen facility.

You can swap or avoid using specific ingredients from your meal kit to avoid a flare-up, but if your allergy is too severe, it’s best to stick to an allergy-friendly meal kit service for your specific dietary needs.

EveryPlate provides allergy details on each recipe page, but their ingredients are processed in the same kitchen facility.

EveryPlate recommends you read the ingredients label and allergy details of each recipe before adding them to the cart. Despite that, there is still a risk of cross-contamination as all the allergy and nonallergy ingredients are packed and handled in one facility.

Where Do HelloFresh and EveryPlate Deliver?

HelloFresh delivers everywhere in the United States except for Alaska and Hawaii, while EveryPlate delivers to the continental United States but not to specific areas. If you’re worried about delivery in your area, you can quickly enter the zip code to find out. You don’t have to sign up to check whether they ship to your location or not.

Both HelloFresh and EveryPlate are doorstep delivery services, which means you don’t have to be present at the time of delivery. The week’s parcel will be left on your doorstep in a single large cardboard box with proper thermal insulation inside. This keeps the meal kits fresh and comfortable for hours even after delivery.

Once you arrive home, immediately take the box inside and store it as per the instructions. Some ingredients can easily be kept in the freezer if you want to prolong their shelf life.

Final Verdict

HelloFresh is a good option for the beginner and intermediate cook at home who prefers variety. EveryPlate, on the other hand, is for someone who isn’t a picky eater and wants straightforward meals to cook at home.

Diet-wise, HelloFresh is more accommodating of high-protein, low-calorie, and carb-conscious diets. Price-wise, EveryPlate is the more tempting choice as its prices start from $4.99 per serving only.

If you prefer a feature like diet-friendliness and variety over price, HelloFresh has more to offer than EveryPlate. However, if you want home-style recipes that aren’t very complicated to make and don’t involve too many steps to cook, EveryPlate is the choice for you.

As with anything, you want to pick a service that suits your personal needs and not just what’s popular. With these meal kit services, you get to experience a bit of everything. Ensure you compare and evaluate the flavor, freshness, quality, and nutrition of the meals before subscribing to the better choice.