Let’s talk about home cooking, shall we? I hate to admit it, but I don’t do it nearly enough as I should! I am a big fan of trying new restaurants and ever since I moved to Charleston, I feel that my list grows by the week.

One thing I am aware of, as a dietitian, is that eating out in excess, isn’t so great for our health or waistlines. Research shows that daily calories from food purchased or eaten away from home has increased from 18% in the late 1970s to about 50% in 2004 (USDA). Additionally, these meals tend to be higher in fat, cholesterol and sodium on average than meals cooked at home.

So this fall I’ve opted to cook more at home and eat out less which shouldn’t be as hard as the weather gets cooler. Fall makes it more desirable to stay indoors and make cozy meals at home. This past week I had the opportunity to try Hello Fresh which is a meal delivery service that sends seasonal chef curated recipes and ingredients directly to your doorstep. To say that I appreciated this convenience after a busy week would be an understatement!

How it works:

Their service is very simple to use. You first select a meal plan on their website. The classic plan is what I opted for which you can select for 2 or 4 adults and includes a variety of seasonal produce, handpicked fish, meats and grains. You can also opt for the vegetarian plan, which is meatless, or the family plan, which feeds 2 adults and 2 kids. You then choose to receive 3, 4 or 5 meals per week. The meals range from $8.75 to $9.90 per meal.

Every week they send you step-by-step recipes along with ingredients in just the right quantities, packed in an insulated box. The subscriptions are flexible so you can opt in or out depending on your plans for the week.

They delivered each recipe in it’s own personal box with all ingredients conveniently pre-portioned and packaged.

My experience:

I cooked three meals this week for me and my boyfriend: the Dukkah-Crusted Pork Chops, Rockfish Piccata and Honey-and-Ginger Glazed Chicken. Unanimously we decided that the latter was our favorite.

Each meal took about 15-20 minutes to make from start to finish. The recipes were outlined clearly on a recipe card, which included color photos and cooking instructions. I loved having the ingredients pre-portioned and ready (minus salt, pepper and oil), which made the cooking experience seamless.

From a nutrition standpoint, I believe each meal was balanced and satiating. The portion sizes were good enough to comfortably feed two adults. The ingredients were fresh and there was enough variety to keep meals interesting throughout the week. If you are cooking for one, you can easily save the second portion for lunch the next day.

The meals are a bit pricier than I would spend on groceries each week but that doesn’t account for the convenience and time it takes to grocery shop and prep. That alone makes it worth it, in my opinion. I recommend this service to people who find themselves eating out more than they like and could benefit from some healthy convenience.

Overall, I have to say I really enjoyed this service which arrived during a busy week where I could really benefit from it! All three meals were delicious and I loved the variety of ingredients. If you are interested in using Hello Fresh, you can use code FreshFans to receive a discount off your first box.