The problem with most meal kit delivery services is that you still have to actually cook the food. It isn’t as inconvenient as putting the meal together completely from scratch, but not as easy as getting take out.
Enter Freshly. They are a relatively new meal delivery service that is taking on all the big boys with meals that are ready to eat in under
How Freshly Works
Freshly is another meal kit delivery service that is slowly gaining popularity in certain states in the United States for its breakfasts and entrees. If you are a fan of a high-protein diet, this service is for you.
They update their menu every week and there are literally dozens of breakfast, lunch and dinner options.
Ordering is really simple. You have choices of 4, 6, 9 or 12 meals a week and you get to choose from a seemingly endless choice of meals to pick from. You can customize your own menu by picking the meals that you like the most or the ones that work best for you.
You will never get bored of them because the menu changes weekly and there are always a bunch of choices. Food choices include:
- Seafood
- Chicken
- Beef
- Pork
- Vegetarian
The variety is there because the service is aimed towards people who want a healthier lifestyle.
You are required to select a delivery time that is suitable for you. Freshly delivers from Tuesday to Saturday and says that the delivery days might be limited depending on where you are located, though new locations are being added on a regular basis.
The meals are then delivered to your location (all of them at once, so you better have refrigerator space!). In case you want more than 12 meals a week, you will have to take another subscription; there are no add-ons.
Pricing
After you have subscribed, you have four options.
- Four meals per week – $49.99 (with $12.50 per meal)
- Six meals per week – $59.99
- Nine meals per week – $89.99
- 12 meals per week – $107.99
There is no shipping cost, as one delivery per week is free. Each meal equals one serving. The subscriptions can be easily modified (if need be), by logging into your account, but any order that has been charged cannot be canceled.
Your meals can be planned out up until one week of delivery.
Set up an account with Freshly>>
Types of Meals
Freshly offers a lot of entrees, that can serve as breakfast, lunch or dinner, depending on how hungry you are feeling. The idea is to cater to a large variety of customers who like change and are not afraid to experiment a little. The website’s “On the Menu” section has an astounding 26 dishes on the menu for the week.
Each dish is categorized in such a way that it tells you if it is:
- Gluten-free
- Soy-free
- High protein
- Low in calories
- Low in carbs
- Vegetarian
- Non-vegetarian
- Others
These are excellent choices for those who are calorie and health conscious. The meals are freshly prepared and come packed in a refrigerated box and not frozen.
These are pre-made meals by gourmet chefs, which means the amount of effort involved in preparing a dish only requires you to pop the dish in a microwave for the appropriate time, and voila! Great, delicious food is ready!
This convenience makes it perfect for those people who either don’t know how to cook for families where everyone is working, and no one has the time to cook. Most of these meals are ready to eat in three minutes.
Company History
Formerly called the F3 Foods of Arizona, Freshly rebranded itself in December 2014, and is based in New York. Within one year, they had expanded to 28 states across the United States with further plans for expansion and serving 2,50,000 meals a day.
The company was created by CEO Michael Wystrach with Carter Comstock, with the simple goal to provide better, healthy food even while working late.
He first started preparing meals for himself and a few friends with the help of another friend who happened to be a doctor. The company now targets professionals who are in their late 20s and 30s who cannot or don’t want to cook but want to eat healthier.
Its USP is to serve food quickly, as opposed to others who also stress on educating their customer base. As of now, Freshly employs over 250 people, and has plans to open up more assembly centers. They work with talented chefs and deliver freshly-cooked, delicious food that has all-natural ingredients.
Until last year, Freshly had raised $107 million in funding for expansion and has annual revenue of $4.3 million. Its main competitors are Healthy Chef Creations and MagicKitchen.
Freshly Promotions
Freshly frequently runs promotional pricing for people signing up for the first time. Currently you can get 30% off your first order with Freshly.
Alternatives
There are many meal kit services available online. Some of the most well regarded are:
- Hello Fresh – One of the largest meal delivery services, HelloFresh is a top option with a long history.
- Purple Carrot – Great for vegetarian and vegan meals, Purple Carrot is a leader for meat free options.
- Plate Joy – Good for those who like to do their own shopping, Plate Joy offers meal plans and smart grocery lists.
Pros
- The food is always sustainable and not excessive, meaning that you get exactly what you would eat and quench your hunger. No excessive food will go in the trash and make you feel guilty about it.
- The food is an excellent value for money and sensibly priced. If one compares the prices of food delivered by Freshly with takeout food, the former is a better option.
- The menu is customizable, meaning you only order what you want to eat and avoid the meals that you do not fancy.
- The food is made of all-natural ingredients, ensuring that the clients get the best eating experience – without compromising on quality – leading to a healthier lifestyle.
- The free shipping option works out brilliantly and helps keep the additional fees low.
Cons
- This service has not gone countrywide yet. It is only available in 28 states, which means that the rest of the country is untouched by their presence. So if you are already a subscriber and move to a state not yet covered by Freshly, you are in for a loss.
- There is no option to try and buy. It would be ideal for someone who wants to subscribe but does not initially want to subscribe to the service.
- You cannot cancel the order after a certain time frame has passed. And if that same dish has been shipped, there is no way to call it back and you are stuck with a meal you do not want to have.
- There are not many options for vegetarians or vegans.
Freshly Review Bottom Line
Freshly has become popular new member of the meal delivery service market. While they are not one of the largest services, they do deliver on being the fastest to get your meal ready to eat.
As Freshly goes more and more nationwide they stand a great chance of breaking into being competitive with the big boys like Blue Apron and Plated. I feel very comfortable in ordering from Freshly and have a good experience each time.
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