Wondering if anyone’s college students do any of those Hello Fresh/Blue Apron etc type meals. If so, do they like it? Is a meal enough food?
Looking for options for kids. They will have a full kitchen.
Which one do they use? Average cost per meal including shipping? I can’t look online at any of those things without committing a whole bunch of information
Mine has been doing Hello Fresh for 5-6 years. They found it very helpful in healthy eating. They found the portions just about right. I think the cost is around $12/meal, but it depends on how many meals per week and whether you buy 1, 2 or 4 portions for each meal. They’re also in Canada, so pricing is probably different.
When my D was in college, she just did all of her eating at the on campus cafeteria and restaurants. When she moved off campus (well her apartment was literally right across the street from campus), she still kept a partial meal plan for times when she was on campus all day. Otherwise she bought groceries from the nearby grocery store.
For S, who is currently in college, he has a meal plan. He doesn’t like to cook and I think a meal delivery service would be something he wouldn’t care about.
The people I know who do them are out of college. I don’t know anyone in college who does them…
After college my D has done Blue Apron and also one that was done with Martha Stewart and enjoyed both. Didn’t do any while in college.
Is this for adult males, small females? My husband eats much more than me and my 22 yo son eats about twice as much at a normal meal and he’s thin. I’m not sure what just right means. We haven’t done anything like this because we assumed that the portions would be good for me but both of them wouldn’t have nearly enough.
I sent subscriptions to my oldest as a treat, the trick was to cancel and then renew with a new offer. My kids had no meal plans when they moved off campus, they shopped and cooked (like me). My 20 year old is off campus without a car and tell me she has found numerous ways to get food from the dining halls (she enjoys them). Her apartment next year is super close to campus and downtown so she will be able to get a job and eat better.
My kids were great cooks by graduation.
Medium sized adult female who dances a few hours a week. Her freshman dorm placement had a full kitchen, but no cafeteria.
When I looked into my own subscription and looked at their menus, many of the meals are pasta (which I don’t eat) or fish or chicken with veggies. If you’re looking for calorie dense meals or large portions, it’s probably not for you.
Very true!
My nephew got a subscription as a gift and while he liked the food, he didn’t like that he still had to do some prep work and stuff…so that’s something to keep in mind.
Is there a cafeteria on campus? Most colleges have a student union or similar that is open to all students living on campus. If money is a big consideration, grocery shopping is usually cheaper…
I’m not sure that this was directed to me, but dd graduated 2 years ago and Hello Fresh helped her get through her very intense program. Her freshman dorm (with no cafeteria) was a mile from campus and the closest grocery store was about a mile in the other direction. She just didn’t have the time or bandwith to grocery shop. She moved into an apartment for the last 3 years, right on campus, but no grocery stores nearby and still used it. She now lives in an urban area with an organic grocery store on the ground floor of her building, but still uses Hello Fresh and finds it useful for portion control. Even though she’s lived in urban areas since starting college, there’s never been, and still isn’t, a regular grocery store within walking distance.
Yes some of the introductory prices look great. Did you find them easy to cancel?
Yeah, I was replying to your comment above. Ah I see. Yeah I think it depends on your kid and their situation.
Most kids I know just took advantage of the on-campus dining options…
It was several years ago but I think it was easy, for some reason I have memories of signing up and canceling from the soccer bleachers on my phone.
One of my kids used Dinnerly and Hello Fresh last year, not in college but while working full time and studying for a licensure exam. They liked Dinnerly best, because it was less expensive, simple to prepare, easy to repeat recipes with ingredients from the grocery store, and easier to customize boxes for a single person.
Other kid and spouse, both in grad school, use Hello Fresh. They definitely cancel and then wait for a great offer to resubscribe.
How much time does it take to prepare the meals?
My D is starting grad school this year. One program she is looking at is known for being pretty intense and time consuming. She likes to cook a lot, and cooked for herself all last summer when living on her own for an internships, but I would love for her to have the option of keeping it quick and easy a few times a week without having to put a lot of thought and effort into it.
OK…I found a current menu online and see the prep times are included. So I answered my own question.
This seems like a good option. Looks like you need to get servings for 2 but she is fine with leftovers and then this would give her lunch the next day.
They do have some meal prep services that provide meals where you microwave them or just pop the thing in the oven…
My D did one for a while (she got a giftcard), not while she was in college, but later on. She liked it, but got tired of the meals. She cooks for herself and its never elaborate. She felt like some of the meal services actually took more time…