There’s nothing quite like a healthy home-cooked meal full of fresh ingredients and new flavors. But we don’t always have the spare time to look for new recipes, go to the grocery store, and spend a long time in the kitchen—that is where a meal kit delivery service can come in handy!
Today, we will look at two very different companies – Sun Basket Vs. HelloFresh!
The first is an organic California-based company that claims to be about healthy meals. The second is the number one and most famous meal kit service in the US market for many years.
So, which one is better for your needs? We revisited our reviews with both companies and retested them for two weeks each in 2024. Let’s take a detailed look at both companies and find out who our winner is.
Short on Time? Our Winner is HelloFresh. Here is Why…
HelloFresh takes the cake as our 2024 winner! Both services are great and cater to slightly different groups, but HelloFresh stood out to us for these top reasons:
- A large variety of menu choices with generous portion sizes
- We typically prefer the flavors of HelloFresh dishes
- Crowd-pleasing classic recipes with a chef’s touch
- Quality ingredients at an affordable price point
- Does support some popular diets like vegetarians, pescatarians, low-carb and low-calorie
What is HelloFresh?
HelloFresh is the #1 most popular meal kit service in America. Known for its fresh quality ingredients, delicious simple and classic recipes, and amazing variety, HelloFresh has remained a top competitor in the industry for years.
Their weekly menu has an incredible selection of over 100+ meals plus market pantry options like breakfast egg bites, lean proteins, soups, salads, and desserts. The meals are comforting and familiar and only take 15-40 minutes to cook.
What is SunBasket?
Sunbasket is a well-respected service in the meal kit game that offers fully prepared gourmet meals and meal kits featuring ingredients sourced from organic and sustainable suppliers. Recipes are ready to eat in minutes, and meal kits are meant to fit into busy lives with quick 15-minute prep times.
The company caters to numerous dietary preferences, such as vegan or vegetarian, Mediterranean, gluten-free, Paleo, and more. They offer a diverse weekly menu of 24+ meals plus an extensive add-on list of premade breakfast items, side dishes, prepared lunches, snacks, proteins, and even beverages.
Pros and Cons
HelloFresh Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Wide variety and selection of comforting, delicious recipes
- Meals contain high-quality ingredients and large portion sizes
- Flexible subscription terms with options for customization
- Pre-measured ingredients and fresh seasonal produce
Cons:
- Not as many prepared meal options
- Not as friendly for more restrictive diets like gluten-free or paleo
Sunbasket Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Fresh, organic produce and sustainable proteins
- Healthy meals that are ready in minutes
- Supports a large variety of different dietary preferences
- Offers a selection of meal kits, pantry items, and ready-made meals
Cons:
- Pricier than other meal kit services like HelloFresh
- The menu can be less extensive compared to other services
The Meal Plans
HelloFresh Meal Plans
HelloFresh meal kit plans are built for two or four people and include options for two, three, four, five, or six meals per week. Their extensive market offers add-on options, from quick and easy lunches and breakfasts to desserts, snacks, and protein packs.
The menu has an impressive 100+ recipes to choose from, all of which can be customized to your preferences, such as meat and veggie, vegetarian, family-friendly, low-calorie, ready in under 20 minutes, or pescatarian.
Sunbasket Meal Plans
Sunbasket meal plans offer choices for either meal kits or fully prepared fresh and ready meals, with over 24 recipes to choose from each week. They come in two or four servings and between two to five meals per week. Mix and match any recipe or meal plan to create a customized delivery.
Select preferences for vegetarians and plant-based meals, Paleo and low-carb meals, gluten-free meals, diabetic-friendly meals, soy-free and dairy-free meals, Mediterranean diet meals, and pescatarian diet meals. You can also add market items like breakfasts, snacks, fast and fresh lunches, and specialty meats.
The Meals Style
HelloFresh
With HelloFresh, you will find classic and comforting meals that feel familiar and are never overly complicated to prepare. Each recipe comes with easy-to-follow instruction cards, and all ingredients come pre-portioned and pre-sorted to make your life even easier.
The chef-designed recipes involve a lovely combination of flavors and different global cuisines. Expand your culinary horizons with diverse meals like Mexican-style dishes, Asian, Italian, American, Mediterranean, and more. There is something to please everybody on their menu.
SunBasket
Sun Basket caters to busy people who have little time to cook but still want a healthy gourmet meal. All its recipes are designed to fit various dietary preferences and focus on organic and sustainable ingredients.
The pre-made meals arrive fresh and are reheated in minutes. The meal kits are designed to be ready in 15-30 minutes to fit your schedule and feature fresh, high-quality ingredients and lean proteins.
Is It Tasty? Our Experience
Over the past six years, we have gained extensive experience with HelloFresh and Sunbasket. That’s why our team re-tested these services for two weeks in 2024 to update and verify our review.
We thoroughly enjoyed both services, with each providing satisfying and delicious recipes. The delivery boxes were well-insulated and easy to sort, the produce was fresh and of high quality, and the included recipe cards were easy to follow with simple steps. However, we do feel that the HelloFresh meals are more likely to be crowd-pleasers.
We Tried Sun Basket’s Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos with Cabbage Slaw and Queso Fresco
This recipe was a fun twist on taco night. It only took 20 minutes to make and was a healthy vegetarian and gluten-free dinner. The fluffy quinoa and zesty black beans were filling, and the tangy slaw added a wonderful crunch. The new-age flair of the recipe might not appeal to all tastes, but we appreciated the combination of flavors and textures that were also very visually appealing.
We Tried HelloFresh’s Wasabi Soy Chicken with Ponzu Roasted Broccoli and Ginger Rice
This Asian-inspired dish was a flavorful and novel way to enjoy chicken, and everything came together in less than 30 minutes. The flavors were exceptional, with the sweetness of the soy glaze balancing the acidity and zest of the ginger and lime juice. The chicken was served over buttery rice and a lovely citrusy ponzu-style broccoli.
Other Popular Meals to Try
Both meal delivery services offer many great dishes – it is tough to choose! Here are some examples:
HelloFresh Meals
- Cavatappi Beef Ragu with Parmesan and Parsley
- Crispy Kickin’ Cayenne Chicken Cutlets with Mashed Potatoes, Carrots, and a Honey Drizzle
- Vegan Shawarma-Spiced Chickpeas with Pistachio Rice, Cucumber Salad, and Garlicky White Sauce
- Baja Fish Tacos with Slaw, Chipotle Mayo, and Pickled Veggies
- Gouda-Stuffed Pork Meatloaves with Garlic Herb Potatoes and Carrots
- Cheesy Plant-Based Protein Tostadas
SunBasket Meals
- Lemongrass Salmon Cakes with Apple Slaw and Five-Spice Potatoes
- Mediterranean Lemon Chicken with Baby Broccoli, Artichokes, and Olives
- Brazilian Beef Picadillo with Bell Peppers and Cauliflower Dirty Rice
- Tex-Mex Vegetable Fajitas with Cheesy Refried Beans and Achiote Crema
- Shrimp Diablo Tacos with Bell Peppers, Jalapenos, and Queso Fresco
- BBQ Glazed Ribs with Warm Couscous Salad
The Ingredients Quality
Both Sun Basket and HelloFresh provide very high-quality ingredients.
HelloFresh Quality of Ingredients
HelloFresh uses meats primarily sourced domestically, but they are not always organic. They promise that all poultry is antibiotic—and hormone-free. Their pork is certified to be hormone-free, and all seafood is sustainably sourced.
SunBasket Quality of Ingredients
Sun Basket makes a one-of-a-kind promise that all the ingredients they send are organic and sustainably sourced. This unique promise to the industry differentiates them from all other meal kit companies.
Diet and Lifestyle Support
HelloFresh has a larger menu variety, making it easy to find recipes to fit your dietary lifestyle. They have meal plans catering to vegetarians and meat and veggie eaters, family-friendly recipes, low-calorie meals, a pescatarian diet, and quick and easy meals for fast options.
Sunbasket offers a more limited menu but has extensive dietary support. They support recipes for diabetes-friendly, vegan and vegetarian, keto, paleo, Mediterranean, pescatarian, low-carb, gluten-free, and fully prepared fresh and ready meals.
For both services, allergen, and nutritional information are on the recipe cards and the website. You can always view this information before ordering.
Optional Add-Ons
Both HelloFresh and Sun Basket offer great add-on options each week. HelloFresh has convenient and quick meals, breakfasts, side dishes, fresh produce and proteins, and desserts and snacks. You can view these options up to 6 weeks in advance to help plan your grocery needs and meals.
Sunbasket is similar in its add-on offerings. Its menu includes easy breakfasts, beverages, sides, snacks, lunches, and proteins. You can view these up to four weeks in advance.
Pricing
HelloFresh starts at $9.99 per serving, depending on the number of meals and portions you choose. Shipping costs are $10.99 per box.
Sunbasket meals start at $9.99 per serving, and shipping costs are $9.99 per box.
The Delivery Box
Both companies use practical meal boxes labeled with their logos. When it comes to delivery, both companies provide separate bags for each recipe and recipe cards. The deliveries are a pleasure to receive, and it is fantastic knowing that you don’t have to spend any time sorting your ingredients.
Both companies place the cooled proteins on the bottom of the box with an appropriate amount of ice packs so the box can remain outside the refrigerator for a few hours.
As for being eco-friendly, Sun Basket seems more focused on using recyclable materials. The company delivers its weekly boxes using 100% recyclable and compostable packaging. That includes the box, insulating materials, the plastic and paper used to wrap the ingredients, and the ice packs, which can be recycled after emptying the gel contents into the trash.
HelloFresh is also making efforts to be more eco-friendly in terms of their packaging. This includes their tough-enough-for-transit cardboard, which is a mix of recycled and virgin fibers. The honeycomb paperboard with a pulper-safe metalized film is fully recyclable. The paper bags and the box separator are recyclable and compostable as well.
Subscribing & Managing Your Account
A subscription is required to use the services of both Sun Basket and HelloFresh. However, this subscription is very flexible and can easily be managed on their website or app. You can skip weeks if and when necessary, change plans, and easily cancel your account online through the account manager area a few days before your next delivery date.
Neither company expects any long-term commitments. They also offer flexibility in selecting your preferred delivery date, depending on your residential address.
Sun Basket and HelloFresh also go the extra mile in terms of menu flexibility. Even though they have many different diet and lifestyle plans, their entire menu is available. You can choose meals from all of the various programs, which gives you many culinary options. Sun Basket also offers fantastic flexibility in selecting the specific protein you wish to have in most selected meals.
To subscribe to HelloFresh, you will select your preferences before selecting portion sizes and servings: 
To subscribe to Sunbasket, you will pick your dietary preferences, number of meals, and serving sizes before selecting your delivery preferences and checking out:
What Do Customers Think of It?
HelloFresh Reviews:
HelloFresh subscribers love the convenience of having fresh meal kits delivered without the hassle of meal planning, shopping, and prepping ingredients.
One user shared on Reddit, “I have used HelloFresh in the past because it took decisions off my mental plate and ensured I had a couple of balanced meals every week. It’s not cheaper than straight shopping, but the meals are easy, tasty, and don’t require advanced planning. I learned a few tricks that made my cooking more interesting. After a while, you collect recipes you like and can plan around them.”
Another customer stated, “All I have to do is pick the meals I want and then everything magically shows up on my doorstep. There is way less meal planning, which takes up a ton of time for me.”
Subscribers rank the HelloFresh app 4.7 out of 5 stars with over 194k ratings.
Sun Basket Reviews:
Sun Basket subscribers rave about the large portion sizes, great-tasting recipes that support different diets, and how convenient the prepared meals are for lunches.
One subscriber shared on Reddit, “I really liked their meals. They were always interesting and not something I’d cook on my own. I’m a vegetarian, and they had the best options of any of the kit services.”
Another Home Chef customer shared, “The meal kits last us the whole week for dinners, each meal kit is enough for two people for two meals (so 4 meals total per meal kit!). We use the fresh & ready microwave meals for lunches at work, so easy and good! And several have made two meals out of one container. They also freeze well so I have them kind of stockpiled at this point.”
The easy-to-use Sun Basket app ranks 4.6 out of 5 stars with over 16k ratings.
Customer Support
Both companies have great FAQ sections with answers to the most popular questions. If you have any issues regarding your subscription and need to contact the customer service support team, you can do so as follows:
HelloFresh Customer Support
- Help section on the HelloFresh website: https://www.hellofresh.com/about/faq
- Online Chat: https://www.hellofresh.com/contact-us
- Phone number: (646) 846-3663
Sunbasket Customer Support
- FAQ area on the Sunbasket website: https://sunbasket.com/faq/
- Chat: https://sunbasket.com/help/
- Phone number: (866) 786-2758
- Email them here: https://sunbasket.com/help/
- Text them at: +1 208-960-6505
Delivery Area
Sun Basket currently offers its meal kit service to most zip codes in the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii and parts of ND, MT, and NM. When you enter your zip code, you can choose your delivery options and the day.
HelloFresh delivers to all states across the continental US and some areas of Hawaii and Alaska. Customers can choose which delivery day works best for them based on zip code.
Bottom Line- Our Winner is HelloFresh!
Our winner for 2024 is HelloFresh! The team at The Meal Kit Review thoroughly enjoyed the experiences with both services, which cater to slightly different customers.
If you are all about organic, healthy, new-age food that is delicious and creative yet easy to cook, or if you have specific dietary needs such as vegan, gluten-free, Mediterranean, or low-carb – Sun Basket is your choice.
If you are looking for high-quality classic meals that are easy to cook and always taste amazing, HelloFresh is the right choice for you.
We love the variety and diversity of their weekly recipes. Most importantly, every meal we have tried tastes AMAZING!
Why Trust Us? Our Review Methodology
At The Meal Kit Review, our mission is clear: to provide honest reviews that can help you make informed decisions about purchasing subscriptions to meal kit services.
Our team has done all the hard work for you. When we review a company, we try everything from the subscription process. We rigorously test the meal kits hands-on for two weeks each to evaluate the food quality, flavors, subscription services, pricing, and more!
This makes finding the right fit for you and your lifestyle and needs easier. Read more about our review process here.
