Meal planning and prep can become a stressful event, especially when you’re the one who’s in charge of getting other people fed every day. Maybe you need something quick to eat, but none of your options are as healthy as you’d like. More than 18 million people in the United States who want convenient and wholesome options rely on meal kit delivery services. Whether you’re looking for a fresh and wholesome meal that doesn’t take a lot of preparation to cook, or you have dietary restrictions you need to plan for, the right meal kit delivery service can put just what you need within reach, right when you need it.
Our Handbook Team personally tested Hungryroot meal kits, so you have more insight when signing up for a subscription, receiving your delivery, and making the meals. Read our review to find out what Hungryroot’s meal kit delivery service offers and whether it’s the right choice for you.
HelpGuide Handbook for Hungryroot meal delivery
If you only learn five things about Hungryroot meal delivery, this is what you need to know.
Meal options for dietary preferences, including pescatarian and vegan.
People with food restrictions can find meal options they’ll enjoy.
Subscribers can pick from a variety of items and change meal routines.
Customer service emails you if they have to make substitutions.
The brand lacks pricing and plan transparency by requiring you to pay before seeing a detailed overview of offerings.
Hungryroot overview
Our expert opinion on Hungryroot
Hungryroot provides fresh, convenient meal kits that can be made at home quickly. You can choose from a wide range of foods that fit an array of palates and diets. The Handbook Team testers find the meals wholesome and nutritious, with plenty of options for all age groups.
We also like the flexibility of the subscription service. If you decide to pause or cancel your meal subscription, it’s easy to start back up or re-subscribe. Similarly, updating your delivery is easy if you change meal options.
This service does have some downfalls. For instance, we don’t like how hard it is to find information about Hungryroot. The website offers little insight into subscription costs and meal plans. These details weren’t available until our testers submitted a payment to Hungryroot, which was a frustrating part of the experience. They also didn’t like that some items had smaller portions, leaving them feeling hungry after eating.
Overall, our testers like their meals and say the preparation was pretty straightforward.
From our tester
“I think it would be great for families with small children since there are so many healthy kid-friendly snacks that I think might make a great addition to any lunchbox.”
Who may like Hungryroot?
Our testers agree that people who want healthy, fast meals will enjoy this meal delivery service. “A person who wants to eat fresh and organic produce, and a mom who is trying to accommodate their child’s dietary needs” may like Hungryroot, says one of our testers.
If you want to add variety to your diet and change the items you get from week to week, you’ll enjoy Hungryroot’s flexibility. The company also offers meal kits that can be made in 20 minutes or less, so busy singles and families may appreciate the option of having a quick meal prep. The service offers enough categories of food items to appeal to most people.
Who may not like Hungryroot
Single people looking for simple, no-frills meals or families who want bigger portions may want to consider another meal kit service. “I feel like the portion sizes were not generous enough compared to the cost. The lamb was in such a small bag,” says one of our testers. However, the tester says they might have received bigger portions if they had selected different meals.
Hungryroot may also be a challenge for people who like to get their information upfront before making a financial commitment. Our testers say they wanted to know more about the available food options and subscription choices before making a payment. Hungryroot’s extensive intake form helps to create a recommended meal plan for you, but it won’t let you see the meal plan or any food details without first passing their paywall.
How does Hungryroot work?
Hungryroot says that its service is “tailored to your tastes and needs.” Your first step is to take the company’s quiz and give information on your dietary and nutritional preferences, the number of people you’re feeding, your goals (for example, spending less on groceries or losing weight), whether you follow a pescatarian, vegetarian, or omnivore diet, and prep-time preferences. You can even note what types of meats and proteins you like to eat (e.g., beef versus tofu), as well as which kitchen appliances you tend to use. We liked the extra level of detail in the questionnaire.
After providing all of this information, you’ll need to sign up for an account. Once you create your account, you’re presented with a plan that tells you how many meals you’ll be receiving, and you’ll see the total amount you’ll be paying for your first weekly plan. But you still don’t get the details of the recipes you’re getting until after you pay for that first week. This process was a bit confusing for our testers, and we don’t like the lack of transparency this creates.
From our tester
“Very comprehensive intake form, but also an annoying paywall.”
Once you decide to proceed and provide payment, the process takes off—you can see Hungryroot’s meals and recipe suggestions. Depending on which weekly meal plan you subscribe to, you’ll receive a set number of points for your meal choices, each with a certain number of points assigned to it. You can order the meals Hungryroot recommends or make different selections.
One of our testers received 51 points to use for purchases on a plan costing $125.29 before any discounts. Points are versatile and can be used for meals, groceries, and even supplements, which are also available to order from Hungryroot.
Scheduling deliveries is not as convenient as we would like it to be. Our testers say they could only have items delivered on Tuesday, Saturday, or Sunday and could not select a specific delivery time.
When the order finally arrived, it was in a heavy but well-protected box.
From our tester
“Some dry goods and produce that do not require refrigeration were on the top, and then below a layer of ice packs and cardboard was the meat.”
One tester was initially concerned about the temperature of the meat, as the lamb they ordered seemed a little warm, but the meat was good, and they were pleasantly surprised by the freshness of the vegetables.
The first delivery includes instructions on how to unpack your order, recycle the delivery box, and offers tips on how to reuse your leftovers. The order also includes helpful recipes. One Hungryroot tester says their food was tasty, but not as filling as they’d hoped.
From our tester
“I did not feel super satisfied with the meals I got in my box. Maybe I chose wrong in my box, but it was hard to get four meals that looked satisfying while also getting some grocery items and not going over my 51 credits.”
The meals are easy to make and don’t require advanced cooking techniques. It’s good to know in advance that you may have to dice some of the vegetables for your meal, but if you prefer not to, you can make that preference known when you fill out your initial questionnaire.
You can also try items, then easily swap out recipes and products each week. If you need to take a break from getting meals, you can pause your subscription and start it again when you’re ready. Hungryroot’s website notes that you can cancel your subscription anytime.
Meal plan options
Hungryroot offers meals that cater to different tastes and diets, including dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, peanut-free, shellfish-free, soy-free, and tree nut-free options for people with dietary restrictions and allergies.
Handbook Team Tip
Allergen-free products do not contain the specified allergen but may be processed in the same facility as the allergen. To check if an allergy-free product is processed in the same facility as the allergen, click on the product’s photo in your Food Profile.
You can also choose pescatarian, vegan, and vegetarian options. If you’re looking for specific grocery items to help create your recipes, you have choices like plant-based protein items for kids, or you can sort through categories, like family meals, pastas, tacos, starters, sandwiches, wraps, and bowls.
How much do Hungryroot plans cost?
Hungryroot’s website (or app) does not provide much upfront information on the costs of its meals. There is also no information on meal prices per serving. According to Hungryroot’s website, “Our smallest plan starts at $70, with free shipping, which consists of three two-serving meals.” That plan costs $12.49 per serving. There are no further details given about plan or meal costs.
The total cost of one tester’s order was $125.29 (a promotional discount they took advantage of brought the cost down to $87.70). The tester received 51 credits, which allowed them to order two lunch recipes and two dinner recipes, with each recipe creating two servings each—or enough for two people. The points also allowed our tester to order two to three servings of breakfast items, two to four servings of snacks, and two to three servings of sweets.
Without the additional items, a two-person, four-meal kit would total $91.12 (before discounts). That amounts to approximately $11.40 per serving. However, the cost per serving can differ depending on the recipes you order.
Hungryroot accepts American Express, Discover, MasterCard, and Visa. You can also use Apple Pay if you order through the Hungryroot app.
Meal plan points
The plans themselves don’t have specific names. Instead, they are based on the number of points you purchase. Those points are used to select the items you want delivered each week.
The smallest plan starts at $70, which amounts to 28 points, or three two-serving meals. Each point equates to roughly $2.50.
If your chosen items exceed the number of points you have, Hungryroot will charge your card on file for the cost of the extra items. If you don’t use up all the points you purchase, the extra points are rolled over into the next month into your Hungryroot “wallet” in the app.
At first, our tester found the points system slightly confusing. But after using the points system in the app to order their first delivery, they found it intuitive. They also appreciated having the freedom to spend the points as they wished—either on grocery items, meals, or other items like supplements and probiotics (although these items cost more points than normal food items).
Our testing experience
Our Handbook Team tests the top meal delivery programs by signing up as mystery shoppers to try the service and meals for one week each. So far, we have tested 26 of the top meal delivery platforms. During that time, we do the following:
Our Meal Delivery Service Testing Process
Sign up for the service as a new member.
Select one week’s worth of meals.
Evaluate the program for dietary and food allergy options.
Place an order for the meals and set a delivery date.
Track and evaluate the delivery.
Unbox package when it arrives and document the condition and quality of all items.
Prepare meals throughout the week following instructions and recipes.
Evaluate each meal for taste, convenience, portion size, and freshness.
Contact customer support with questions.
Cancel subscription.
We become familiar with each meal delivery service to learn how they work, the types of meals they offer, and how much effort it takes to prepare each meal. We specifically ask each tester to evaluate each meal kit for ingredient freshness, convenience, taste, portion sizing, and whether they offer meals with enough food to feed a family of four.
Testers also note the types of meals the brands offer, whether they deliver the ingredients and recipes for you to prepare your own meal, or if they deliver pre-made meals that you heat in the stove or microwave oven. If the platform gives you the ingredients to prepare, we look to see if they offer meals for different cooking skill levels.
We also surveyed 600 meal delivery service users to learn more about their experiences. We use these survey results, our testing data, and insights from nutrition experts to develop a thorough perspective on each meal delivery service we review.
How we test Hungryroot
We looked at the quality of the ingredients, the amount of food you receive, whether the meals are as easy to make as Hungryroot claims they are, and how the food tastes.
Ingredient freshness: 4/5
Hungryroot meal kits pass our freshness test. Our meal tester was happy with the freshness of the vegetables, saying that the ice packs in the delivery box helped to keep the cold items cool. Hungryroot’s meats are also good, aside from one tester’s initial concern about their lamb order being a little warm. All other products included in the meal kits looked appetizing and appealing and tasted good.
Convenience: 4.25/5
The meal kits score well in convenience. Cooking preparation times were on par with what the recipes actually estimated, with prep time taking less than 30 minutes. Most ingredients came appropriately portioned for what the recipe needed, and there was minimal chopping and dicing of vegetables that had to be done. The instructions weren’t sequentially numbered, but they were still easy to follow.
Taste: 3.37/5
While most meals hit the mark and were tasty, our tester says some were a little bland. After making the seared lamb with rice and baby broccoli, one tester says, “This was the best-tasting meal, and the meal that felt the most fulfilling out of all of the meals I tried.” But they note that the Chicken Tikka Naan Toastie was underwhelming.
Accurate portion size: 3.37/5
The portion sizes were technically accurate, but they were not filling in some instances.
From our tester
“My recipes were supposed to be for two people. For all but the pasta [dishes], I feel like the portion sizes were small. The bag of lamb I received was small, and the chicken and tikka masala pockets are not enough food on their own to be considered a filling meal. That being said, I think the portion size varies depending on the meal.”
Family Friendly: 4/5
Hungryroot’s offerings are family-friendly in several ways. First, you can filter for dietary restrictions, like “soy-free” and “tree nut-free” products. This is especially helpful for parents who need to consider their kids’ dietary challenges.
Next, the meals are easy to prepare and don’t consume too much time. Finally, there are a lot of healthy, kid-friendly snacks that can be great for lunchboxes or afterschool.
Other factors we consider
We also looked at delivery times and whether you can customize your order. One tester could receive an order on a Tuesday, Saturday, or Sunday but couldn’t select a specific time slot. However, they were able to easily customize and change the items in their order before the order was shipped.
It also matters how easy it is to find the information you need. In this area, Hungryroot is lacking. The website offers few details if you haven’t yet paid for the order.
Our final thoughts on Hungryroot
Hungryroot is a meal kit delivery option based on variety, convenience, and freshness. During our Hungryroot review process, we found that this service strives to provide something everyone can enjoy. Whether you’re a single person with a more sophisticated palate, a busy parent looking for meals to cook in 30 minutes or less, or you have specific dietary needs, you can choose from meal options you’ll enjoy. Once our testers signed up, they found the service was a good fit for families and those who like healthy, fresh, quick meals.
Is it worth the cost? Our Handbook Team says it depends on what you order. If you prioritize organic, fresh items along with variety, Hungryroot may be worthwhile for you. If larger portions are more important for you, you may not feel like Hungryroot meal kits are a good value.
Frequently asked questions
According to Hungryroot’s website, you can pause your subscription, skip a delivery date, or cancel it at any time.
Hungryroot meal kits are not designed specifically for weight loss. However, experts say meal delivery can benefit a weight loss program when implemented properly.
“Meal delivery kits may be a great resource for those trying to lose weight,” says Paul Jaeckel, a registered dietitian nutritionist in New York. “The meals are preportioned and measured out to provide a great blend of macro percentages.”
Hungryroot delivers to the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C.
- Meal Kit Industry Statistics, Market Share, and Size & Future Outlook. (2024). Meal Prep Mavericks. Link