How to Get Fresh Seasonal Produce in Your Kitchen (Without Lifting a Finger)

But that's not reality for most—myself included. After starting a brand new job here at Well+Good, the majority of my energy has been focused on crushing my new gig and keeping up on my workouts. And as experienced home cooks know, most meals require scanning the internet for cool new recipes and prep work that can take hours (or 2.5 episodes of GLOW, to be exact). In other words, ain't nobody got time for that.

So when I got the chance to try HelloFresh, the meal kit service that delivers ready-to-cook ingredients right to your doorstep, it couldn't have come at a better time.

HelloFresh serves up farm-to-table ingredients in pre-measured portions, easy-to-follow recipes cards, and crystal-clear nutritional facts (super convenient when you're counting macros). Plus, the recipes are super detailed, so there's no second guessing the oven-rack positioning or how much of the broccoli stem to chop and toss (answer: the bottom inch).

When the HelloFresh box (with three tasty meals) was delivered to my apartment, I was thrilled I didn't have to find a recipe to make that night (and didn't have to wait in a crazy-long grocery store line). Here's how it all went down.

Scroll down to see how my week with HelloFresh meals went.

The seasonal produce is shockingly fresh

Since I cook mostly vegetarian meals at home, I find that the quality of greens can make or break a meal. Opening the Pesto Flatbread (AKA Posh Pizza) meal kit, I was pleasantly surprised by the freshness of the zucchini and baby broccoli. Whenever I pick up zucchini on my own, I always find it's lifeless in the refrigerator when I go to make zoodles a day later—and that definitely wasn't the case here.

Not only were the veggies packed on ice to preserve their condition (no bruising, yay!), they were also totally ripe, which is no easy feat. Plus, even though the insulated box spent several hours in transit, the ingredients were still in tip-top shape by the time they made it to my kitchen counter.

The step-by-step instructions made prep seriously easy

Too often when making a recipe, it feels like crucial details are missing. But with my HelloFresh haul, I was pleased to find that the step-by-step images left nothing to the imagination.

For example, before preparing the Mediterranean Baked Veggies with Couscous, Almonds, and Feta, I was unfamiliar with Israeli couscous—but the recipe guided me the whole way. I learned exactly how long to toast and simmer the grains, and how to properly fluff the couscous with a fork to finish (not on my radar). I even got deets on how to chop (slim slices of scallions versus chunky pieces of zucchini).

The super flexible meal plans are fit for commitment-phobes

One of the biggest hurdles of joining a meal kit service is the commitment. But the beauty of HelloFresh is that everything is customizable—down to the number of meals you receive to the frequencies of deliveries. At any point, I could easily pause my scheduled delivery (let's say for an upcoming yoga retreat).

Precisely measured portions also meant that I didn't have a week's worth of leftovers to get through (repeat desk lunches are not my jam) and no produce went to waste—so I didn't have to feel guilty about fresh greens going unused and wilting in my fridge.

So what will it be: Another night of takeout burritos, or a veggie-filled, homemade meal hacked to be your easiest (and most fun) cooking experience ever? I've already made my choice.

Want to give HelloFresh a try? Bonus: Get $30 off your first box at hellofresh.com

In partnership with HelloFresh

Photos: HelloFresh