About a year ago, I wrote a blog post about Hungryroot that has quickly become one of my most popular posts ever. And it goes without saying, it’s for good reason. Food delivery is a super popular option (I’ve tried several myself), and having one that is plant-based and able to take into account various allergies and diet requirements is pretty exciting. I’ll talk about this a bit more in a minute, but Hungryroot has really moved beyond meal delivery. Hungryroot is unique in that they send healthy, clean-ingredient, nutrient-dense foods that can be enjoyed with other Hungryroot products or combined with foods you have in your fridge.
When I first tried Hungryroot, something that something that stuck in my craw was their note that all their meals are under 500 calories; why 500 calories!? Well, the truth is most of these meals are intended to be altered or have additional elements. For example, their Veggie Chili is 200 calories for the entire container—but you should eat it alongside a salad and maybe some crackers. They’re not telling anyone to eat just 500 calories for an entire meal. This isn’t a main point of the Hungryroot brand anymore and I’m loving their encouragement to modify and add to the items they offer. As well, they’ve recently added proteins available—their smoked salmon is so good!
Here’s what Hungryroot has to say about their new rebrand:
“Hungryroot is a brand of nutrient-dense, clean-ingredient grocery staples that make it easy to eat healthy. We send you a variety of foods, from fresh-cut vegetables and versatile sauces to delicious proteins and wholesome desserts all tailored to you. We deliver on auto-pilot to your home, and since everything we send is based on your preferences, Hungryroot gets better as we get to know you. ”
I was excited to revisit Hungryroot and even more excited to find out they have an advocate program. Danny and I have been trying to eat primarily plant-based in 2019; not for any reason other than we know it is better for our bodies in terms of nutrition and we know it is better for the planet. We decided to try Hungryroot again because we were curious about the new items they offered—as well as any new recipes to give us ideas for the future!
Instead of providing just meals, they allow you to choose piecemeal what you want. One week, you might choose some of the suggested meals and a few treats; and the next week, you might choose all pre-cut veggies and a few oatmeal cups! It just depends on what you want to do. I love the idea of this, as grocery delivery isn’t available in my area, and being so busy (working 3 jobs, taking care of a toddler!), it is a huge help to get groceries delivered to my house.
What I Liked
My first box arrived in the middle of January—the perfect time, really, because Danny and I were feeling really tired of everything I usually cook that’s more plant-based and healthy. The first dish I made was the kohlrabi noodles with pesto and salmon. It was so good—even Forrest ate some of it, and getting him to try new things is always a challenge. The salmon in particular was really delicious.
I think that’s one of the most exciting things about Hungryroot now, is the option to add protein sources. They offer salmon and chicken sausage right now. Both are delicious! (I actually went and bought some local chicken sausage after seeing some of the available recipes!) If you struggle with buying proteins, this is a great option. Danny and I don’t like to purchase meat products that come from most stores, instead choosing to buy locally; this can be more expensive for sure. The salmon and chicken sausage, however, are really delicious and perfect for using in tons of dishes.
Other items that we’ve loved have been the veggie chili (Danny in particular loves this) and the Spicy Black Bean Butternut Noodles. I also really love their dessert options too! The Black Bean Brownie Batter remains my absolute favorite thing they offer—it’s the perfect sweet treat. In our most recent box, we got the Vanilla Bean Snickerdoodle dough and, oh my goodness! I decided to bake it into cookie form with Forrest—I let him put some chocolate chips on top—and they are so good. And it’s nice to have a sweet snack that is also giving me some nutrients.
We also really loved their grab-and-go breakfast options—the Maple Raisin Pumpkin Pie oatmeal was so good. Even Forrest liked that one. I ordered two of those in our first box and it was worth it. If I could buy a whole palette of it, I would. They have other oatmeal options as well, alongside a variety of granolas and other meal replacement options. If you’re like me and grabbing breakfast often means hitting up a Starbucks (let’s be real, that Bacon & Gouda sandwich is delicious, but not very good for me!), then these grab-and-go options are really great to have around.
I’m really excited to try some of the other foods—such as their new wraps and flatbread options, because they look really delicious.
So, Is It Worth It?
Originally, in my first blog post, I concluded that Hungryroot wasn’t worth it—because I felt like the recipes weren’t totally worth it.
However, this time, I think my conclusion is different: I think if you’re looking for Hungryroot to send you everything you need to make big meals, that’s just not realistic... because it’s not really what they’re about anymore. Think of Hungryroot as a brand of fresh, healthy food products that can be used to supplement your groceries.
But it is a great way to explore some things you’ve never tried before, try out some side dishes, have groceries available when you’re too busy, and learn how to cook things that are plant-based and delicious. In that sense, it is absolutely worth it.
I think if you’re a really practiced cook, and just need some new ideas, this is also a great way to give you some options. As well, if you’re just learning to cook and aren’t sure how to cook, say, brussel sprouts… this is a great way to learn, see what you like, and gain some experience cooking! And lastly, if you’re super busy and feel like you’re hitting the drive thru more often than you’re turning on your stove, Hungryroot gives you the option to have something healthy waiting for you in the fridge, even if you only have energy to cook some butternut squash noodles and add some jarred marinara sauce. (Honestly, it’s delicious though! Highly recommend.)
The best thing about having Hungryroot really is being able to make something on the fly. As an example, Danny and I both love their salad blend (it has kale, cabbage, and a bunch of other stuff); so I used that to make a Mexican salad with our own dressing. I would never buy all the pieces for that salad to make on my own—with only two of us, it would just be too much waste! But having Hungryroot gave me the option and it was delicious. It is so convenient to have a box of veggies and grab-and-go options dropped on my doorstep when I need it!
I’m really excited to be able to offer my readers a discount for their first two boxes. Use the code PAUSES for 40% off your first order when you sign up at Hungryroot.
*Disclaimer: While this post is not sponsored by Hungryroot, I am a part of the Hungryroot advocate program. That means, I receive a small referral for each person who uses my code. However, all opinions remain my own! Posts like this, and programs like this, help me keep Writing Between Pauses running. To learn more about my disclosure policy, click here.
