Yes if you can’t cook, lack inspiration, order too many takeaways or don’t use all products and ingredients mindfully!
Gousto and Hello Fresh, both as meal delivery services, offer varied meals with their own standout dishes; they differ slightly in price, meal variety, packaging, ingredient quality, and customer service. Considering the overall quality, convenience against cost, and potential savings over traditional grocery shopping and meal prep, recipe boxes can indeed be worth the money depending on the individual’s lifestyle.
Struggling to decide whether recipe boxes are worth your hard-earned money?
Let’s analyse it!
Table of Contents
Understanding Gousto Meals
One of the bigger players in the meal delivery service industry in the UK is Gousto. They offer a variety of meal boxes, each containing fresh ingredients and easy-to-follow recipe cards. It’s a one-stop-shop solution for those seeking to add variety and convenience to their meals. It’s super helpful if you can’t cook and need guidance and precise ingredients 🙂
With Gousto, you can select meals from a weekly menu. Their offerings span a variety of cuisines and also cater to dietary restrictions. From delicious curries to delectable stir-fries, the range is constantly expanding..
Some of their popular dishes include ‘Cheesy Smokey Sausage Pasta’ and ‘Moroccan Chicken and Apricot Couscous.’ These meals are loved for their simplicity of preparation and their flavourful taste.
Gousto’s service aims to take the stress out of meal planning and grocery shopping while providing ample opportunities to try new dishes. Their package arrives at your doorstep with exact proportions, cutting down on food waste. I tried Gousto and even though I can cook I learned that some of the British dishes are super easy to replicate at home, so Gousto widened my meal preparation horizons 🙂
Introduction to Hello Fresh
Just like Gousto, Hello Fresh is another excellent meal delivery service company. It aims to simplify your life by presenting healthy homemade meals in a convenient and hassle-free manner. This meal delivery service takes the stress out of meal planning and shopping by delivering step-by-step recipes and fresh ingredients straight to your door.
Whether you are a vegetarian or a meat lover, there’s something for everyone with Hello Fresh. They offer a variety of meal plans that cater to different dietary preferences including meat & veggies, veggie only, family-friendly, and calorie-smart.
Popular Dishes
Some of the popular dishes among Hello Fresh customers include the Halloumi Traybake, noted for its combination of oven-roasted veggies and crispy, salty cheese, and the Beef Ragu Spaghetti, lauded for its rich Bolognese sauce.
Another dish that regularly garners high ratings is the Pork and Apple Burger. This dish is known for its delightful fusion of sweet and savoury flavours. Customers also love how easy-to-follow the recipe is, making it a perfect choice for those who want a quick yet satisfying dinner.
One of the reasons why these meals are loved is the perfect balance between taste and nutrition. The convenient meal delivery service provided by Hello Fresh allows their users to enjoy restaurant-quality meals right in the comfort of their own homes. All of this contributes to its rising popularity in a market that values both convenience and quality.
Comparison Between Gousto and Hello Fresh
Choosing a meal delivery service can be a daunting task with both Gousto and Hello Fresh providing quality services. Each has uniqueness in its own way and below, we compare their price, meal variety, packaging, ingredient quality, and customer service.
Price
Both Gousto and Hello Fresh offer various meal plans that cater to different household needs. Hello Fresh tends to be slightly more expensive than Gousto, but prices largely depend on the size and number of meals ordered. You can play with the order ahead of placing it.
Meal Variety
When it comes to the meal variety, both services attempt to cater to a wide range of dietary preferences. Gousto offers over 50 recipes weekly compared to Hello Fresh which provides around 20. Both platforms ensure there is something for everyone, be it vegetarian, low-calorie, or global cuisine lovers.
Packaging
Gousto’s and Hello Fresh’s packaging are both made to keep the ingredients fresh and safe. They use recyclable materials to lessen environmental impact. However, Hello Fresh packs each recipe’s non-meat ingredients into separate paper bags while Gousto sends most ingredients loose in the box.
Ingredient Quality
The high-quality ingredients are a significant selling point for both Hello Fresh and Gousto. They source ingredients from trusted suppliers and ensure that all meals include fresh produce, lean proteins, and aromatic spices.
Customer Service
Gousto provides award-winning customer service with fast response times while Hello Fresh is renowned for being customer-focused and resolving any issues promptly. Both companies offer communication through email, and phone and have comprehensive FAQ sections on their websites.
In summary, Gousto may edge out slightly above Hello Fresh in terms of meal variety and price, while Hello Fresh impresses with its organisational packaging. Although there are differences, both Gousto and Hello Fresh excel in providing quality ingredients and customer service.
Evaluating the Value for Money
The value of a meal delivery service like Gousto or Hello Fresh extends beyond just the cost of the meal plan. The evaluation should include consideration of the meal quality, convenience, and potential time and money saved compared to traditional grocery shopping and meal preparation.
Overall Cost vs Meal Quality and Convenience
Both Gousto and Hello Fresh offer a range of high-quality, delicious meals at comparatively reasonable prices. The services take meal planning and grocery shopping off your plate, helping you save precious time. You receive perfectly portioned, fresh ingredients right at your doorstep, cutting off the hassle of food wastage and frequent store runs.
Potential Savings
Contrary to popular belief, meal delivery services can actually be financially friendly when compared to traditional grocery shopping and dining out. When you factor in the cost of ingredients, time spent shopping and preparing meals, as well as wastage, the overall cost of meal delivery services like Gousto and Hello Fresh becomes reasonable.
In conclusion, the value for money when using a meal delivery service isn’t only in the cost of the meal itself, but also in the time it saves and the quality and convenience it provides. When all these factors are considered, meal delivery services can offer excellent value for money.
Concluding Thoughts
Having compared Gousto and Hello Fresh. We know that recipe boxes can transform the way we cook and dine. To recap both services are similar :
- Gousto meals, with its diverse menu, offers something to every dietary need and preference.
- Hello Fresh, on the other hand, stands out for its premium quality ingredients and seamless customer experience.
In conclusion, whether recipe boxes are worth the money is largely subjective and depends on an individual’s priorities. If time-saving, convenience and a desire to create restaurant-quality meals at home are your primary considerations, then a meal delivery service like Gousto or Hello Fresh may serve you well. Do not forget to check cashback ahead of any meal box trial.
Gousto and Hello Fresh FAQs
What are Gousto and Hello Fresh?
Both Gousto and Hello Fresh are meal delivery services that offer a variety of recipes and deliver fresh, pre-portioned ingredients to your home. They provide an easy and convenient solution for preparing high-quality meals, reducing the need for grocery shopping and food waste.
How do these meal delivery services work?
The process is quite simple. You subscribe to the service, select your preferred meals from their diverse menu, and get a box delivered to your doorstep at your preferred frequency. The box includes the recipe cards and all the ingredients needed for each meal in exact quantities.
What is the quality of the ingredients provided?
Both Gousto and Hello Fresh take pride in providing high-quality ingredients. They ensure freshness, and in many meals include organic and locally sourced ingredients. The quality of ingredients is often compared to that of premium supermarkets.
Is there variety in meals and do they cater to dietary preferences or needs?
Yes, both Gousto and Hello Fresh provide a wide range of meals catering to various tastes and dietary preferences including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free options. The menus are updated weekly, giving subscribers a chance to try a variety of dishes.
Are these meal delivery services worth the money?
It is largely subjective and depends on what you value most. If convenience, time-saving, minimizing food waste, and cooking restaurant-quality meals at home are important to you, then these services could be worth the investment. They eliminate the need for meal planning and grocery shopping while allowing you to explore a diverse range of recipes.