HelloFresh and Home Chef are meal kit services designed to help you cook and enjoy more healthy meals at home.
Offering convenient kits with preportioned ingredients and step-by-step recipe cards, both HelloFresh and Home Chef help make meal prep easy and fun.
However, while these kits share many similar features, several key differences set them apart.
This article compares some of the similarities and differences between HelloFresh and Home Chef to help you determine which may be the better option for you.
Home Chef and HelloFresh are two meal kit delivery services that simplify meal prep by delivering preportioned ingredients and detailed recipes to your doorstep each week.
Both services feature a rotating weekly menu with options that suit several dietary preferences.
When signing up, Home Chef allows you to select 2–6 recipes per week that include either 2, 4, or 6 servings each.
Meanwhile, HelloFresh offers 2–5 meals per week, with either 2 or 4 servings per recipe.
Both services allow you to customize your meal plan prior to delivery or skip a delivery week as needed.
Prices vary for both services depending on the specific plan and number of meals you select.
That said, they’re comparable in price, with HelloFresh meals starting at $7.49 per serving and Home Chef meals starting at $6.99 per serving.
Shipping fees for both services are applied at checkout and vary based on your meal plan and location.
HelloFresh is currently available in areas throughout the contiguous United States.
Similarly, Home Chef delivers to 98{c33c21346ff5e26ab8e0ae3d29ae4367143f0d27c235e34c392ea37decdb8bed} of the United States, and availability can be determined during sign-up based on your zip code.
In addition, Home Chef is available at select grocery stores. You can use the store locator on the company website to find a participating location near you.
Home Chef incorporates a variety of unique ingredients into their weekly menus, with meals featuring different proteins, vegetables, starches, and spices.
Although organic ingredients are available for certain meals, Home Chef uses mostly conventional meat and produce in their kits. According to its website, the company works closely with trusted suppliers to ensure quality and adhere to animal welfare standards.
HelloFresh also uses a wide array of seasonal ingredients, making it easy to add some diversity to your diet.
Like Home Chef, HelloFresh uses organic produce in select meal kits but focuses mostly on providing fresh, high quality ingredients. It also prioritizes sustainably sourced seafood and works closely with suppliers to promote food safety and animal welfare.
Both Home Chef and HelloFresh offer an extensive menu with plenty of options to choose from when creating your custom meal plan.
HelloFresh features a rotating weekly menu with 20 recipes, including options that fit many dietary preferences.
In fact, HelloFresh allows you to mix and match recipes on your own or choose from their personalized plans, which include vegetarian, pescatarian, family-friendly, calorie smart, or quick and easy.
Meanwhile, Home Chef offers 19 recipes every week, grouped by how much preparation they require.
You can input your dietary preferences when signing up to receive a list of suggested recipes or pick your own from the full menu. Certain Home Chef recipes can also be customized with your choice of protein.
In addition to regular meal kits, Home Chef offers 15-minute meal kits and dishes that are oven- or grill-ready.
Home Chef provides an array of vegetarian, carb-conscious, and calorie-conscious meals and allows you to select the specific source of protein for certain dishes.
Similarly, HelloFresh offers vegetarian, pescatarian, calorie-smart, and carb-smart selections.
However, options are limited for more restrictive eating patterns with both services, which may be challenging for those following low fat, paleo, ketogenic, or vegan diets.
Furthermore, while both Home Chef and HelloFresh label allergens found in their recipes, it’s important to note that meals are processed in facilities that also handle many possible allergens.
Therefore, if you have a severe food allergy or intolerance, exercise caution if using either meal kit service.
To promote sustainability, both HelloFresh and Home Chef use packaging that’s mostly recyclable or reusable.
Each website also offers detailed instructions on how to recycle or dispose of different components of their packaging.
If you experience any issues or have questions regarding your HelloFresh order, you can reach a customer representative by phone or the live chat feature on the website.
Similarly, Home Chef allows users to submit help requests online or contact a customer service representative by phone.
Both websites also provide an extensive list of frequently asked questions, which contains answers to many common issues.
Home Chef and HelloFresh have many similarities, especially in terms of price, ingredients, and availability. However, there are also notable differences between them.
First, Home Chef lets you customize the protein source in certain meals, which can be ideal if you prefer having a bit more control over your menu.
While HelloFresh includes family-friendly options, Home Chef allows you to select up to six servings per recipe, which may suit larger families and households better.
Additionally, the Home Chef menu includes a variety of meal kits and dishes that require little to no preparation.
Thus, Home Chef may be better for those with limited time, while HelloFresh might be more suitable if you’re hoping to brush up on your cooking skills.
Home Chef and HelloFresh are two meal kit services with several similarities in terms of price, ingredients, and availability.
However, there are also many differences between the two, including the amount of preparation required, customization options, and number of serving sizes available.
Be sure to consider the factors listed above and check out the weekly menu for each to decide which is right for you.
Get started with either service here
