There is 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 spending a long time in the kitchen – That is where using a meal kit delivery service can come in handy!
Today we will be looking at two very different companies – Sun Basket Vs. Hello Fresh!
The first is an organic California based company that is all about healthy and delicious 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? Let’s take a detailed look at both companies and find out.
Sun Basket Vs. Hello Fresh – Who will win this meal kit battle?
Available Meal Plans:
Sun Basket is available as a subscription service with options for both 2 and 4 people. Once you have selected the subscription you prefer, you have an extensive menu that includes 25 fresh meals to choose from, plus many add-ons like snacks, breakfasts, and fast lunches.
Sun Basket is well known for its support of many diets; hence its menu features 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.
It is important to note that the total amount of Sun Basket meals is 25 different meals per week. You are not required to stick to one particular diet plan and can mix and match meals from different plans if you wish. With Sun Basket, you also can make a one-time order at a bit higher price per meal.
In comparison, Hello Fresh has a choice of four different plans:
- Classic plan with meat and veggies – providing 2-4 dishes per week for 2 or 4 people.
- Veggie plan – Providing 2-3 dishes per week for 2 or 4 people.
- Family plan – Offering recipes suitable for adults and picky young eaters. This plan offers 2-3 dishes per week for 2 or 4 people.
- Calorie-Smart plan – low-calorie recipes suitable for people who wish to lose weight.
Hello Fresh Vs. Sun Basket Menu Variety:
Sun Basket offers an impressive selection of 25+ dishes per week, all designed for healthy eating and a fun, easy cooking experience.
All of their meals are very much focused on using the best quality organic ingredients. They use lots of organic meats and seafood, whole grains, gluten-free pasta, cauliflower rice, and more.
Sun Basket also offers the option of selecting a menu that caters to your dietary requirements, such as paleo, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and more. This extra variety for people with nutritional needs adds a unique diversity to the services provided by Sun Basket.
HelloFresh offers a total of 20 exciting recipes per week. The meals tend to be classic and not overly complicated, but always include a lovely combination of flavors. The company’s service is very flexible, and you have the option to mix and match classic meals, low-calorie meals, and veggie meals.
Both Sun Basket and Hello Fresh have very diverse menus, including Mexican-style dishes, Asian, Italian, American, Mediterranean, and more. There is something to please everybody in their menus.
Hello Fresh Vs. Sun Basket Popular Meals:
Both meal delivery services offer so many great dishes – it is tough to choose! Here are some examples:
Sun Basket:
- Pakora pita pockets with spicy chile-mango sauce
- Steaks with chimichurri and harissa-roasted sweet potatoes
- Braised cod with tomatoes, chard, and artichokes
Hello Fresh:
- Pork Carnitas tacos with pickled onion and Monterey Jack cheese
- Parmesan Chicken Spaghetti with Roasted Tomato & Basil
- Creamy Lemon Spinach Ricotta Ravioli with Roasted Pepper & Parmesan
We have had the pleasure of having a long experience with both Sun Basket and Hello Fresh, and we can safely say that every dish we have tasted has been delicious!
We would say that Sun Basket is more focused on healthy and innovative new-age cooking. They provide lots of greens, organic ingredients, and healthy alternatives such as whole rice, Gluten-free pasta, etc. Hello Fresh tries to focus on more traditional and well-known cooking. The recipes tend to be classic.
Quality of Ingredients:
Both Sun Basket and Hello Fresh provide very high-quality ingredients!
Sun Basket makes a one-of-a-kind promise that all the ingredients they send are organic and sustainably sourced. This is a unique promise to the industry and differentiates them from all other meal kit companies in the market.
Hello Fresh uses meats that are primarily sourced domestically, But it is not always organic. They make a promise that all poultry is both antibiotic and hormone-free. Their pork is certified to be hormone-free, and all seafood is sustainably sourced.
The Delivery Box – Is It Well Organized and Eco-Friendly?
The meal boxes used by both companies are practical and labeled with the company logo.
When it comes to delivery, both companies provide separate bags for each recipe, plus 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, it seems that Sun Basket is more focused on using recyclable materials. The company delivers its weekly boxes using 100% recyclable and compostable packaging. That includes the box itself, 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.
Hello Fresh 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.
Hello Fresh vs. Sun Basket App and Website:
Both companies have well-organized and easy to use websites and apps. You can register, specify your eating preferences, select and change your plan and desired dishes, change your payment method, etc. – all online effortlessly and straightforwardly. You can also see past and future menus, including the recipe and additional information on the dish.
Flexibility Of Service of Sunbasket and Hellofresh
To use the services of both Sun Basket and Hello Fresh, a subscription is required. However, this subscription is very flexible. 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.
The companies also offer some flexibility in selecting your preferred delivery date, depending on your residential address.
Both companies offer 100% satisfaction. That means that if you are not satisfied with a meal or receive some low-quality ingredients, the company urges you to contact their customer service via email or chat within a few days, and they will adequately handle your issue.
Sun Basket and Hello Fresh also go the extra mile in terms of flexibility on your menu selection. 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 give you many culinary options! Sun Basket also offers fantastic flexibility in selecting the specific protein you wish to have in most selected meals.
Delivery Areas
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. Their deliveries can be scheduled Monday through Thursday between 8 am and 9 pm, depending on your address.
HelloFresh delivers to all states across the continental US, But no deliveries to Hawaii and Alaska. Their delivery typically arrives between 8 am and 8 pm on most weekdays.
Benefits of Using Sun Basket and Hello Fresh:
There are countless benefits when you use meal kit companies such as Sun Basket and Hello Fresh. They offer an extraordinary amount of variety, so you will never be bored with your weekly menu.
You will also find yourself broadening your culinary horizons with dishes that are influenced by countries from all over the world.
If you have a special dietary or lifestyle requirement, both Sun Basket and Hello Fresh offer tempting choices. It makes maintaining your diet as easy.
Convenience is also a massive benefit of using a meal kit service – no more searching for recipes, meal planning, grocery shopping, or worrying about portions.
Why Use Our Comparisons?
Our team at the Meal Kit Review has done all the hard work for you. When we review a company, we make sure to trial everything from the subscription process to tasting a broad selection of meals.
Our mission at the Meal Kit Review is to give our readers detailed information about all the meal delivery services out there. This means that you will have all the information at hand that you need to select the best company for you.
Bottom Line – Between Hello Fresh And Sun Basket – Which Is Our Winner?
Both companies have great meal options available, but they do appeal to different types of 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, Meditteranean, or low-carb – Sun Basket is your choice!
If you are looking for good quality classic meals that are easy to cook and always taste amazing – HelloFresh is the right choice for you!
Our winner is HelloFresh – We love the variety and diversity of weekly recipes. Most importantly -Every meal we have tried tasted AMAZING!
