This year has been crazy. Even though I’ve been at home more, I’ve been busier than ever. Maintaining productivity while working from home creates a whole new variety of stress, and while I’ve finally got the hang of it, I feel like other aspects of my life have been lacking lately.
For instance, my diet has been sooo bad. I’ve been relying too much on frozen meals and takeout. At first, it was a temporary thing because I wanted to avoid going to the grocery store as much as I could, and now it’s become my bad habit that I can’t continue long term.
I was ranting to a friend about my issues when she suggested I try HelloFresh, a meal kit service that lets you choose recipes, delivering cooking instructions and pre-portioned ingredients to make the meals to your doorstep every week. I had heard about it before but never bothered looking into it, as I assumed it would be too much effort and wouldn’t be suitable for a single person like me. Most services like that only cater to families, and I didn’t want to waste anything.
But my friend informed me that she uses HelloFresh’s 2 person plan and keeps leftovers for lunch. Plus it’s super flexible and you can pause the subscription, skip weeks, or cancel at any time. So I decided to try it out.
Here’s how HelloFresh fits into my busy week:
Monday
My HelloFresh order arrived right on time. I went with the Meat & Veggie 2 person plan, with 4 evenings a week. I would have my dinner and lunch sorted 4 days a week, and treat myself to take out on Fridays.
I opened up the box and most everything was neatly packaged in recyclable packaging. All the ingredients were pre-portioned (giving me just the right amount I needed) and separated into individual kit bags. The meat for the dishes I chose was packed separately, kept cool underneath ice packs at the bottom of the box. I put the ingredients away, feeling super excited to cook later that evening.
I finished up work and went for a walk. I got back at 6:30, starving, and ready to make some food. First up was Bulgogi Pork Tenderloin. The recipe card said it would take 30 minutes, but I doubted it would be that quick so I timed it.
30 minutes later, it was on the plate ready to eat, and it was delicious. I’d never think to try a Korean twist on a pork tenderloin.
Tuesday
This is my busiest day of the week at work. I literally have meetings back to back all day except for my lunch break. I was so relieved to have a full meal ready to heat up in my fridge. The Bulgogi Pork Tenderloin went down a treat and I felt energized for the rest of the day.
That evening for dinner, I made Turkey Flautas Supreme. I’d never made anything like that before (outside of something like a frozen taquito–nothing like this), and again, it took only 30 minutes and was delicious. I couldn’t believe how tasty the HelloFresh meals are, and it cost me less than $9 a serving. I was saving so much money that I’d usually spend on takeout.
Wednesday
Wednesday had a slow start, but my afternoon got so busy at work that I ended up working late. Luckily I had eaten my leftovers for lunch, so that kept me going till I finished my work.
For dinner, I made the Black Bean & Poblano Quesadillas, which thankfully only took 25 minutes. I was exhausted but HelloFreshes recipe cards take all the stress out of cooking. I was starving by the time I sat down, and it was so tasty.
Thursday
Almost the weekend, but another busy day of back to back meetings at work. All morning I looked forward to my Quesadillas for lunch. After I finished work I hoovered and mopped the whole apartment. Then I got ready to cook dinner. This time it was Middle Eastern Chickpea Bowls, which took 40 minutes to make and was probably my favorite of the week so far.
I felt a sense of achievement at the end of the day that I managed to still make a home-cooked dinner, despite how busy I was. I showered and got into bed feeling like I’d had a productive day with the help of HelloFresh.
Friday
TGIF. Just a few hours till the weekend, and as I finished up my Middle Eastern Chickpea Bowl for lunch, I realized I had finished every single one of my HelloFresh meals, without any food waste. The pre-portioned ingredients meant that you have the exact amount that you need. Not even one carrot went to waste.
That night, I sat with my glass of wine and ordered Thai food and thought about how well my week went, and it was all down to HelloFresh. Getting delivered all my ingredients for the week delivered meant I only had to make one small trip to the grocery store. HelloFresh meant I had dinner and lunch sorted all week, so I saved a lot of money and I ate more wholesome meals, and I felt even more productive at work.
After this week I knew I would be sticking with HelloFresh. They have so many cuisines from all over the world and 22 recipes to choose from each week. I couldn’t wait to give them all a try. I felt even more confident in my cooking skills after just one week.
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