Back in 2018, I ordered Hungryroot for the first time after seeing it everywhere online (and on my favorite podcasts). At the time, it was a much smaller company with a very different focus—and honestly, I wasn't sure it would stick around.
Fast forward to today, and I've continued coming back to Hungryroot over the years as my life has changed. I've used it as a new mom, as a working mom, during especially busy seasons, for meal prep, and even to stock up on kid-friendly snacks. I've kept this review updated because Hungryroot today is a completely different service than the one I first reviewed in 2018. Rather than deleting my original experience, I've continued updating this article as the company has evolved so readers can make an informed decision.
A lot has changed since my original review. Hungryroot has expanded far beyond simple meal kits into a personalized grocery delivery service, and the ordering experience looks completely different than it did in 2018.
If you're wondering whether Hungryroot is worth the money today, here's my honest experience after years of ordering.
And if you’d like to get money off your first box, use my code PAUSES here!
Short on time? Here's my verdict:
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Short on time? Here's my verdict: 〰️
My Rating: 4.7/5
Best for:
Busy families
Working parents
People who hate grocery shopping
Beginner cooks
Not ideal for:
Very tight grocery budgets
Extremely picky eaters
People wanting gourmet cooking
What is Hungryroot?
Hungryroot is a meal delivery service that has three unique ways to use it: you can either shop for groceries; you can select meals; or you can do a combination of both. (Spoiler: I like to do a combination of both.) It’s a great option for people who want to try a meal service like Blue Apron and/or who want the brands offered by Thrive, but want a little more flexibility.
When you sign up, you'll answer a short quiz about your eating habits, food preferences, allergies, and goals. Hungryroot then builds a weekly grocery cart with recipe suggestions that use the items you've selected. You can keep the recommendations, swap products, remove items, or build your box completely from scratch before each delivery.
One of my favorite things about Hungryroot is that it doesn't lock you into cooking elaborate meals every night. Some weeks I use it primarily for quick dinners, while other weeks I fill my order with breakfast foods, snacks, lunch ingredients, and groceries that make busy weekdays a little easier. That flexibility is a big part of why I've continued ordering over the years.
If you're looking for a service that helps simplify grocery shopping without giving up the freedom to choose your own meals, Hungryroot offers a nice balance between a meal kit and a full grocery delivery service.
My Experience Over the Years
One reason I still feel comfortable recommending Hungryroot is that I haven't just tried one box. I've continued ordering over the years as the service has evolved. Some weeks I use it for nearly all of our dinners. Other weeks I mostly order snacks, breakfast foods, and ingredients that save me time during busy work weeks.
My initial review (waaay back in 2018) was not entirely positive — but after I posted it, Hungryroot contacted me because my blog post was driving significant traffic their way. I couldn’t believe it! I became an affiliate and advocate right then: they were willing to worth with me, I gave their service a second chance, and I really feel like I grew with them in a way.
Hungryroot has traveled with me through some of my highest highs and my lowest lows: roadtrips to Idaho and Disneyland, meal prepped lunches for my husband, lunchbox snacks for my son throughout his entire school life, quick meals when I’m exhausted and don’t feel like cooking. The flexibility and the quality matter to me deeply. Even better, Hungryroot’s customer service has always been top notch.
What I Love About Hungryroot
Hungryroot carries brands that I vibe with, like Nancy’s Yogurt, Nature Nate’s, Oatly, Purely Elizabeth, and so much more. When I was pregnant in 2022, I ate probably 70 boxes of Purely Elizabeth’s Vanilla Almond Blueberry cereal — the only place I could get it was through Hungryroot. And baby, I was smashing through those boxes. These are brands that do excellent work in the food space and I prioritize them over more conventional brands.
Grocery shopping becomes simplified. I haven’t been inside a grocery store since 2020 aside from vacations and emergencies. I do all my grocery shopping on my phone, but sometimes building my cart in the Walmart app becomes a practice in patience. And then I usually forget something. On busy weeks when I let Hungryroot pick our meals and groceries, it takes about 15 minutes.
The kids snacks are so, so good. I have also used Thrive Market and while I like it and they carry some of the same brands as Hungryroot, they charge a really high fee for cold or frozen items. My son loves the Abe’s Muffins, but because they’re frozen, they become super expensive on Thrive Market. My son gets his Abe’s Muffins fix and I don’t pay an additional $20 fee. That’s a win-win. Plus, like I said, I prioritize healthier options over conventional or traditional brand; I’ll always pick Annie’s or Goodles, for example. Getting our favorite snacks delivered weekly without having to think about it is just such a huge help when I’m balancing a million other things.
I love the produce options. Hungryroot prioritizes seasonal produce and what is available is often determined by your location. That’s better for us and our planet. Being able to get some of the best, more fresh produce delivered to our door is such a blessing.
The meals are easy enough for anyone — including my husband and son. My son is now almost 11 years old (cue my shocked face) and he’s been seeing Hungryroot boxes in our house since he was 2 1/2 years old. Some of the simpler recipes are things he and my husband can work on together while I finish up my workday; it helps him get comfortable in the ktichen.
What I Don’t Love
Since my original review in 2018, Hungryroot has changed so much — so much so that many of my original pain points aren’t really valid. You can customize your meals and recipes, groceries, and so much more. You can prioritize more labor intensive recipes or pick super simple ones.
I know there are a few things that frequently come up in the Hungryroot Facebook group (shout out!).
Sometimes substitutions happen. And that can feel like a bummer! However, when you’re dealing with a company that prioritizes efficient deliveries, that’s just the way it is sometimes. Sometimes substitutions also happen because of recalls or concerns over food safety; this is something I have always appreciated from Hungryroot. I’d rather pivot on a recipe than risk it.
It isn’t more cost effective than shopping sales. If you really need to pinch pennies, this isn’t the service for you; however, if you have flexibility in your food budget, it’s a great option. I do think one of the benefits of it as a service is that it can teach you how to make simple, effective meals. Sometimes the barrier to healthy eating is people simply don’t know how to put things together. Developing the ability to have a few tried-and-true healthy recipes is so valuable.
Is it Worth It?
Worth it if...
You’re a working parent who needs simple meals that you can get on the table fast.
You have a new baby.
You’re a busy professional who still wants to prioritize healthy options.
You have ADHD and find meal planning and grocery shopping challenging.
You want to start meal prepping.
You are new to healthy eating and want to develop healthier habits.
Probably not worth it if...
You love coupon shopping or have a very restrictive food budget.
You love to cook elaborate meals frequently.
My Final Thoughts
Eight years later, I still order Hungryroot—and I think that says more than any sponsored review ever could. While it isn't perfect, it's one of the few subscription services I've continued paying for because it genuinely makes our lives easier.
If I can be really vulnerable for a moment, my partnership with Hungryroot got me through some of the toughest years of my life — 2022, 2023, and 2024. I will be eternally grateful for the Hungryroot boxes showing up on my doorstep and the affiliate income; sometimes, that Hungryroot box was the difference between having to choose between being late on a bill or groceries. They’ve always had my back and I genuinely love the service — as well as the company. It’s hard to say that with a lot of things now!
If you’d like to give Hungryroot a try, you can use my code PAUSES here.
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Hungryroot is best described as a personalized grocery delivery service rather than a traditional meal kit. While it does recommend recipes based on the groceries in your cart, you're free to shop from thousands of products including fresh produce, proteins, pantry staples, snacks, frozen foods, and desserts. You can follow Hungryroot's recipes or use the ingredients however you'd like, making it much more flexible than services like HelloFresh or Home Chef.
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Hungryroot's pricing varies depending on the size of your order and how many people you're feeding. Instead of paying for a set number of meals each week, you'll choose a grocery budget that fits your household. In my experience, it's not always the cheapest way to buy groceries, but the convenience, time savings, and reduced food waste often make the extra cost worth it for our family.
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Yes! One of my favorite things about Hungryroot is how flexible it is. You can skip deliveries, pause your subscription, or cancel altogether through your account. If I know we'll be traveling or simply have too much food on hand, I can easily skip a week without any hassle.
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I think Hungryroot works especially well for families. We use it for much more than dinner—our weekly boxes often include breakfast foods, lunch ingredients, snacks, and easy weeknight meals. I've also found several products my kids genuinely enjoy, which makes busy weekdays a little less stressful.
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For my family, yes. I've continued ordering Hungryroot on and off since 2018 because it saves me time, helps reduce decision fatigue, and encourages us to eat more balanced meals during busy weeks. If you enjoy grocery shopping or are focused on spending as little as possible, it may not be the best fit. But if convenience is important to you, I think Hungryroot offers excellent value.
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Absolutely! Both my kids are really picky in different ways and we still have lots of favorites. While every child is different, Hungryroot carries a wide variety of kid-friendly snacks, tortillas, pasta, breakfast foods, and simple proteins that have become staples in our house. One of the things I appreciate most is that I'm not locked into specific recipes—I can order ingredients I know my kids will enjoy and mix them with new foods over time.
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Yes! Hungryroot will automatically build a cart based on your preferences, but you're never required to keep those recommendations. I almost always edit my cart before it ships by adding favorite products, removing items I don't need, and trying something new every now and then.
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For our family, absolutely. While Hungryroot isn't always less expensive than buying groceries on sale, it's almost always cheaper than ordering takeout several nights a week. We still get quick, satisfying meals, but without the delivery fees, tips, or restaurant markup.
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Definitely. I often use Hungryroot to simplify meal prep by ordering pre-cooked proteins, ready-to-use vegetables, grains, and easy lunch ingredients. It cuts down on prep time while still giving me the flexibility to mix and match meals throughout the week.
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Yes and it is so easy to use!
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Yes, you can. When you build your weekly box, you can choose between meals and grocery items (including a combination of both). You can also just let Hungryroot build your box for you — which is a great way to try new things!
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Totally — you can use my code PAUSES for money off your first order!
Last updated: July 2026
