HelloFresh Canada Review March 2018: Vegetarian Box

My first foray into the world of subscription box food services was with the March 2018 vegetarian box from HelloFresh Canada. If I had to summarize it in a word it would likely be: “speechless” And so, I guess that ends the review….

I kid! But man oh man was I stunned. I am a self-proclaimed “food snob” and to be honest I have always avoided the idea of subscription box services as I had been equating them with junky convenience food and frankly, I don’t like to put stuff in my body that I don’t feel good about!

Crispy Tofu Stir-Fry with Red Bell Pepper and Sugar Snap Peas

When my first HelloFresh Canada box arrived I was impressed from the get-go. The package was huge! A great big craft paper brown box with gorgeous hand lettering and design elements. (Did I mention that in addition to being a food snob I am also a design/style snob? The life of being a food photographer!). Upon opening the box I was again shocked and impressed. The packaging was well thought out, visually appealing and purposeful. The entire box is padded with an insulating layer, and each individual dish comes pre-packed in its own brown paper bag, clearly sealed with a labeled recipe name.

Once you open the large bags, everything is prepared for you. Literally everything. No more chopping onions and running to stand on the porch to let the tears stop falling, no need to wash up any surfaces or gear that usually accumulates in your sink as you prep a meal.

One-Pot Tortilla Soup with Black Beans, Corn and Bell Pepper

The recipe cards are again, gorgeous and functional. One side has a close up image of the final dish as well as guidelines for prep time, total cook time and calories per serving. On the reverse side, we have more detailed information including each ingredient, the weight/portion of it and a visual step by step instruction for how to work through the recipe. And if that wasn’t enough they even give you some tips and tricks for what you can do with any extra ingredients you may have left over.

So, what was in the box? The 3 dishes I was able to prepare and sample were: lentil bolognese, one pot tortilla soup, and a crispy tofu stir fry. All three dishes were quick and easy to prepare. It was literally a process of open packages, dump, cook, plate and eat. A process which was greatly appreciated after the end of a long work day when it becomes increasingly difficult to follow instructions. There is nothing better than being able to easily prepare a great meal that doesn’t involve heating up something frozen in the microwave.

Lentil Bolognese

As for the individual ingredients, I was impressed with the quality of the brands chosen as well as the condition. Everything was ready to use, including the avocado which as we all no can be a minefield to time appropriately. Additionally, everything was perfectly measured and portioned so there was no food waste. Items that are typically sold in large portions, like balsamic vinegar arrived in miniature travel sized versions of themselves.

The dishes in the end were all quite delicious and portions were of a generous size. The box I received was for a 2 person meal but I found that sometimes I could get three days out of it by pairing it with something like a salad for myself. Again, another way this box made my life easier! Not only did I have dinner ready quickly but I also had 1 or 2 lunches ready to go the next day.

HelloFresh Canada Review March 2018 – Final Thoughts

As you can tell, this experience was one I entered into with doubts in terms of how much I would enjoy it and I came away from it completely speechless and surprised with the level of quality I received. I went from being a judgy food snob to that annoying person at work who just can’t shut up about their new favourite thing! I think the unofficial ambassadorship role I took on actually turned a few colleagues into HelloFresh Canada customers after hearing all I had to say, and seeing the lunches I was bringing in!

Jennifer Hulley – http://jenniferhulley.com