Review of Meal Companies

Over the past few months I have tried a few different meal delivery services. There are so many available so I decided to weigh in on a few for you. One thing I can say it is definitely a great option for time poor people. I trialled Dinnerly, Youfoodz and HelloFresh. I got stuck at HelloFresh as I really enjoyed the meals and price point. I will however endeavor to add to the list Marley Spoon, Lite n’ Easy and Powermeals. I have previously tried Muscle Meals but found the meals were extremely plain, repetitive, restrictive, not balanced and brown.

Dinnerly and HelloFresh are a subscription delivery service where the ingredients are delivered to your door and you prepare the meals with the recipe cards provided. You can cancel them at anytime. The meals usually take about 30 minutes. Youfoodz on the other hand is a ‘cook-fresh’ product, not frozen, meaning the meals are prepared fresh, delivered to your door and you simply reheat.

Dinnerly is Marley Spoons cheaper alternative. I purchased the 4 person box with 3 meals for $77.95AUD. It was great as I could cook one meal and have plenty leftover for lunch. Saving me time and money, whilst enjoying something delicious. Perfect for busy parents looking for meals that would suit the family. What I found however were the meals were very dense with grains and starchy vegetables and variety was limited from week-to-week. As per their website this is how they’ve kept costs down. Also when I received the food, my carrots and sweet potatoes went soft due to being packed with the cold food. Maybe that can’t be prevented? It wasn’t appealing to cook with however the recipe was still delicious. Lastly when purchasing your meals you can’t see what the menu is until you have paid. I didn’t like this as why would you pay for anything until you’ve seen it first. Apart from that Dinnerly was tasty and I give it a 3.5 stars.

HelloFresh on the other hand is slightly more expensive however has more variety and more vegetables in each recipe . When it’s delivered the food is packed based on the recipe, making life easier when preparing dinner and I found it kept the ingredients fresher. The package I opted for was the 2 person, 5 meals $109.95AUD. This may slightly change depending if you choose a gourmet recipe that might be a few extra dollars. The portions weren’t as big as Dinnerly however were sufficient and filling. The taste was amazing and hence I’ve continued my subscription. I give HelloFresh 5 stars.

Lastly YouFoodz. I have used this brand before especially at end of year clinics where I might get home at 8:00pm. It makes life easier by simply reheating. The price per meal is about $9.95. You may find them on special at IGA supermarkets or petrol stations. Also keep an eye out for discount codes. I believe you get 2-FREE meals with your first order. The protein balls and cookies are also delightful but I would still treat them like a ‘treat food’ due to their higher energy content. Don’t be fooled by their size. The standout feature for me apart from flavor was ease of ordering and viewing what the meals contained. You simply hover over each meal on their website and it tells you the protein, carbohydrate, energy and fat content per serve (see image above for the Honey Mustard Chicken as an example). I would definitely recommend this product as an option to take for post-races. Especially if you are one that tends to head for the Drive Thrus. I give Youfoodz 4.5 stars.

Let me know how you go if you do decide to try any of these services.

Meg