Have you used a recipe delivery box? Customers and support staff ask us about recipe delivery boxes and whether they are a healthier alternative to prepared meals and takeout. That’s why the Specialist Nutrition Rehab team tried boxes from the three most popular companies – Hello Fresh, Gousto and Mindful Chef – so we could share our experiences and professional knowledge with you.
For an overview of the concept of Recipe Delivery Boxes and general things to look out for, check out our previous blog post “Recipe Delivery Boxes…a New Approach to Healthy Eating?
Be aware that most boxes are not suitable for someone with a head injury who can prepare themselves. The print on recipes is extremely small and instructions should be read very carefully for additional items (e.g. oil) that need to be added during the cooking process. To save time, most recipes also require cooking 2-4 different items at the same time (e.g. one item in the oven and then something on the hob), which is quite difficult to manage, even for someone without a brain injury.
Hello fresh
Cost and order
While Hello Fresh has some great introductory deals, there are also plenty of hidden “add-on” costs. For example, there are extra fees for delivery, extra fees for a morning delivery time slot, extra fees for their “premium” recipes (which are usually not included in discount offers) and you are invited at the time of payment. to purchase additional items such as bread and desserts. All these little extras add up, so be careful. Full price for 3 recipes (2 servings per recipe) is around £34.98 including delivery (although promotional prices are often available). Their app/website also makes it a little difficult to skip deliveries.
Nutrition and meal preparation
The ingredients for all Hello Fresh recipes come pre-packaged in a paper bag along with a recipe card, making it much easier to get started cooking (only perishable items are kept separate). While Hello Fresh recipes are flavorful and visually appealing, we have some pretty significant concerns about their overall nutritional value. Some recipes were the nutritional equivalent of a cheeseburger + fries + soft drink from your local fast food joint, so be very, very careful when selecting recipes. A few customers have also informed us that some recipes/ingredients contained unexpected/undocumented food allergens and that they had an allergic reaction to their meals.
You can change your menu preferences to only show specific types of recipes (for example, calorie smart), but that doesn’t make this process any easier. Or you can just look at the main list of recipes and then filter each one based on the qualities you’re looking for (for example, look for ones under 650 calories per serving).
After reviewing five randomly selected recipes, here is the breakdown (and note that this only includes the ingredients in the box and does NOT include the oil and salt you are advised to add during the cooking process ):
- Calories: 610 to 1,189 calories per serving
- Protein: 25 to 58 grams per serving
- Fat: 20 to 45 grams per serving
- Carbohydrates: 75 to 137 grams per serving (*anything over ~60 grams for a single meal is excessive for most people)
- Salt: 2 to 7 grams per serving (*this is excessive)
These recipes are ideal for: People who are trying to GAIN weight; people switching from takeout to home-cooked meals.
These recipes are generally NOT suitable for: People suffering from food allergies; people with diabetes; people with polycystic ovary syndrome; people with reactive hypoglycemia (due to excessive carbohydrates in most meals). Also not suitable for people trying to lose weight (unless they stick to recipes with fewer than 650 calories per serving).
How to edit: Halve the amount of potatoes/rice/pasta/wraps in the recipe, double the amount of vegetables, and keep the sauces to a minimum (as that’s where most of the salt is hidden). If you make the recipe again in the future, buy extra lean meat and low-fat dairy products and replace them with high-fiber ingredients (e.g., brown rice).
Taste
Cost and order
The Gousto platform makes it easy to sort recipes by “calorie control”, “healthy choices”, “quick and easy” and/or stop your subscription and there are no hidden “extra” fees. Full price for a box of 3 recipes (2 servings each) is around £30.99 (although promotional prices are often available). Delivery is included in the price and is available 7 days a week.
Nutrition and meal preparation
Gousto makes it easier to choose healthier options from its range. In addition to sorting recipes by “healthy choices,” some recipes also give you the option to make changes and make them vegetarian and/or swap in lean meat, which is great. Our main disappointment with Gousto was the flavor of the food and the time it took to prepare the recipes. Even though two thirds of the recipes were “good”, they weren’t too tasty and we don’t plan to make them again. Recipes also took at least 15 minutes longer than the listed prep time (even if you’re a relatively competent cook), meaning many recipes took more than an hour to prepare. The ingredients also all come together in one big box, so you have to sort them and link the right ingredients to the right recipe, which was a challenge. We also didn’t like the fact that various ingredients suddenly had to be added halfway through the preparation process. These ingredients were not included and there was no notice that they were necessary (e.g. milk, flour).
After reviewing five randomly selected recipes, here is the breakdown (and note that this only includes the ingredients in the box and does NOT include the oil and salt you are advised to add during the cooking process ):
- Calories: 486 to 971 calories per serving
- Protein: 12 to 43 grams per serving (*a bit low, as most people need at least 20 grams of protein per meal)
- Fat: 12 to 55 grams per serving
- Carbohydrates: 56 to 93 grams per serving (*anything over ~60 grams for a single meal is excessive for most people)
- Salt: 1.5 to 2.9 grams per serving (*this is quite high)
These recipes are ideal for: People who are looking for healthier recipes (but stick to those labeled “healthy choices”).
These recipes are generally NOT suitable for: People who want foods with lots of flavor; people with a loss of taste or smell; people with diet-controlled diabetes.
How to edit: Add additional herbs, spices, and umami-rich ingredients (e.g. mushrooms, tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce) to enhance the flavor.
Attentive boss
Cost and order
The Mindful Chef platform is easy to navigate, but it has a much smaller selection of recipes than the other two companies. Delivery is included in the price and is available 7 days a week (including next day delivery). Full price for a box of 3 recipes (2 servings each) is around £53.00 (depending on which recipes you choose), but promotional prices are often available. The higher cost is due to their use of sustainably sourced meat (e.g. grass-fed beef, free-range chicken) and more expensive (and unusual) ingredients.
Nutrition and meal preparation
All Mindful Chef meals are nutritious and are both gluten- and dairy-free, but you can also sort recipes by vegan or meat-containing options. All recipes can be prepared in less than 45 minutes. The flavor was excellent and the final dishes had great texture and visual appeal. Our only criticism is that the portions were a bit small and we had to supplement the meal with additional vegetables/fruits and low-fat yogurt.
After reviewing five randomly selected recipes, here is the breakdown (and note that this only includes the ingredients in the box and does NOT include the oil and salt you are advised to add during the cooking process ):
- Calories: 501 to 699 calories per serving
- Protein: 19 to 43 grams per serving
- Fat: 12 to 31 grams per serving (mostly healthy fats)
- Carbohydrates: 49 to 78 grams per serving (*anything over ~60 grams for a single meal is excessive for most people)
- Salt: information not available
These recipes are ideal for: People concerned about their health; those who want to lose weight; those who have a small appetite; and/or people concerned about the environment. Perfect for people suffering from loss of taste and smell and anyone who wants to add a little excitement to mealtimes.
These recipes are generally NOT suitable for: People on a tight budget; people who don’t like unusual ingredients.
How to edit: If you find the portions a little small, add some extra vegetables to the meal or have fruit for dessert.
We’d love to hear your feedback on the recipe delivery boxes you’ve tried, so please get in touch!
For more information on using food and nutrition to improve rehabilitation outcomes for clients following brain injury, spinal cord injury or complex orthopedic trauma or to make a referral, please contact us at 0121 384 7087 or [email protected].
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