Hungryroot Review 2024: More Than Groceries?

Overview

Hungryroot’s model is a hybrid of a meal delivery service and a grocery store. First, you choose from an enormous list of recipes. When you’ve selected your meals for the week, Hungryroot puts together the ingredients you need and sends them to your doorstep.

Unlike most meal delivery services, Hungryroot gives you groceries for a full week. You’ll pull ingredients from your shipment throughout the week to make Hungryroot’s recipes. This method helps you reduce your food waste.

I conducted a deep dive on this service to see how it stacks up. I’ve explored Hungryroot’s menu, examined its recipes, scanned its ingredient lists, and consulted with my colleagues to provide you with an unbiased review and some exclusive Hungryroot discounts.

Overall, I think Hungryroot has a lot of unique advantages. If you’re interested in its hybrid grocery delivery model, there’s plenty here to love. For a more detailed look at the ins and outs of this service, read on and see my honest thoughts.

Hungryroot’s Menu: A Wide Selection of Easy to Prepare Meals

If you want to eat better but don’t have a lot of time, Hungryroot may be just what you’re looking for. All Hungryroot ingredients are free of partially hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives.

Hungryroot eliminates the hassle of chopping, dicing, and mixing with pre-packaged ingredients. Meals are ready in as little as 10 minutes thanks to a simple formula: cook the protein, roast the pre-chopped vegetables, stir in the premade sauce, and serve! It’s a great way to speed up the cooking process and enjoy flavorful meals without all the prep work.

Menu Options: You Choose the Recipes, Hungryroot Does the Rest 

Every week, choose from a selection of Hungryroot recipes. When you select a recipe, Hungryroot adds all the required ingredients to your cart. You never again need to worry about starting supper, then realizing you forgot to buy something.

Hungryroot also offers extra protein, vegetables, sauces, and snacks. These cost extra but make it possible to enjoy Hungryroot meals 3 times a day with desserts thrown in.

Customization: Decent Selection of Recipes for Special Diets

Hungryroot’s filters let you sort for vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian ingredients. You can also search for items free of dairy, gluten, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, eggs, or shellfish. You can even dial in your preferred spice levels.

Hungryroot has an especially strong selection of vegan and vegetarian ingredients. Precut vegetables make plant-based eating a lot easier, as do cashew-based prepared sauces and pasta made with healthier ingredients like chickpea flour. Precooked proteins and grains make things even simpler.

There are some organic offerings at Hungryroot, but not all items are certified organic. If eating organic is important to you, I recommend you take a look at our list of the best organic meal delivery services.

You can find many gluten-free ingredients and recipes at Hungryroot. But many are stored in spaces with gluten, so they may not be suitable for celiacs or those with serious gluten sensitivities. Check out our list of the best gluten-free meal delivery services for other options.

Hungryroot’s Menu at a Glance

Unboxing: Hungryroot’s Packaging Is Easy to Store + Fully Recyclable

Hungryroot ingredients arrive in a sturdy cardboard box, with biodegradable cooling gel packs. While the insulation is thick enough to keep everything cool, it’s also biodegradable. The box is recyclable, as are the plastic tubs and bins containing prepared sauces.

Hungryroot’s packaging makes it easy to store ingredients in your refrigerator until needed. Ingredients are clearly labeled. Each item has a “Use By” or “Enjoy within” range printed on the packaging.

It doesn’t use artificial preservatives, so it recommends enjoying your order within 3 to 5 days after delivery. While Hungryroot doesn’t consider freezing to be the best storage option, many Hungryroot meals can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Cooking With Hungryroot: Meal Prep Made Super Easy

Hungryroot ingredients arrive with vegetables chopped and sauces prepared. Each ingredient can be used in multiple Hungryroot recipes or as a starting point for your own kitchen improvisations. Hungryroot’s recipes are simple, straightforward, and easy to follow, with only a handful of ingredients and a few very clear steps.

Like a grocery store, Hungryroot typically stocks the same items from week to week. It’s up to you to put these ingredients together in different ways. This approach makes cooking and cleanup easy, but it also means the meals may at times be a bit basic in flavor.

Shortlist of My Favorite Meals

Because of the way Hungryroot works, I decided to focus on ingredients rather than specific recipes. Each of these ingredients is used in multiple recipes and can be a great starting point for your own cooking experiments.

Best Meat-Based Protein: Thai-Style Coconut Chicken

These paleo-friendly chicken breast pieces are cooked sous vide for melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. Heat them in a skillet, mix in the prepared creamy coconut curry sauce, and you’ve got a lemongrass, ginger, and basil blast of Thai-inspired goodness.

Hungryroot offers 19 different recipes using Thai-Style Coconut Chicken, including Thai Coconut Chicken and Veggie Bowl, Faster Than Takeout Coconut Chicken Noodles, and Thai Curry Chicken Rice Bowl.

Best Protein (Veggie): Cuban Spiced Black Beans

Beans are an excellent source of protein, and these Cuban Spiced Black Beans taste like they’ve been simmering all day in your abuela’s kitchen. But you don’t need to slave over a hot stove, because these beans are ready to eat hot or cold.

There are 53 Hungryroot recipes that use Cuban Spiced Black Beans, including Plant-Based Black Bean and Cheddar Tostada, Black Bean Broccoli and Cheddar Flatbread, and Baby Broccoli Black Bean Burrito Bowl.

Best Grains: Seven Grain Blend

What’s more convenient than ready-to-eat grains? Hungryroot’s Seven Grain Blend combines nutty wild rice, protein-packed red quinoa, and vitamin-rich flaxseed with fiber-filled brown rice, wheat, barley, and millet. 

88 Hungryroot recipes use Seven Grain Blend, including Korean BBQ Chicken and Grains, Classic Italian Meatball 7-Grain Bowl, and Gingery Lemongrass Tofu Supergrains.

Best Sauce: Spinach Artichoke Nut-Based Sauce

Hungryroot’s Spinach Artichoke Sauce is suitable for vegans, but has all the silky texture of dairy. Cashews and almonds provide the creaminess, while fire-roasted artichokes and spinach make this sauce a tasty treat that works as a sauce or a dip.

There are 102 different Hungryroot recipes that use Spinach Artichoke Sauce, including Green Goddess Cobb Salad Wrap, Spinach Artichoke and Sweet Sausage Pizza, and Roasted Salmon and Quinoa Skillet.

Prices: Hungryroot Is Pretty Budget-Friendly

Your Hungryroot subscription starts with between 6 and 16 servings per week. Each plan comes with a set number of “credits.” A few items (particularly meats) use more credits than others, so you may find yourself paying more if you choose a lot of meat-based recipes.

Almost all orders will qualify for free shipping save the smallest $65 plan, which adds $6.99 for shipping. You also have the option to add breakfast items, sweets, and healthy snacks. Your suggested plan may include some, but you can always add more to your box. 

If you’re on that 6-serving plan, consider adding an extra snack or dessert to unlock free shipping. And for added savings, check out our special Hungryroot coupons.

Hungryroot keeps its prices quite reasonable despite the innovative concept and top-notch customer service. This is a nice change from the norm, as healthy meal delivery options usually come with a premium.

Shipping & Delivery: Streamlined & Flexible

Hungryroot ships groceries to the 48 contiguous states and Washington D.C. You can select from up to 6 delivery days, depending on your zip code. While Hungryroot offers Saturday and Sunday deliveries, there’s no Thursday delivery.

Rescheduling or editing a shipment is easy, but you must make any changes before 7 pm EST (4 pm PST) on Monday or Thursday before your upcoming delivery. Check My Hungryroot to determine the day when your next delivery will be finalized.

You can track your delivery through the On My Way tab on the website or the Eat tab on your iPhone/iPad app. You can also report any damaged or missing items in your delivery through the browser or app.

How Hungryroot Works (Step by Step Guide)

Hungryroot is a subscription service that sends you weekly deliveries. While subscriptions may trigger your commitment issues, Hungryroot makes it easy to manage or cancel your subscription if you decide to do so.

How to Sign Up (7 Simple Steps)

1. Choose a free gift. Hungryroot starts the signup process off the right way – with a free gift! In fact, you can expect to receive a little something extra in every meal delivery box you receive going forward. It’s not a huge thing, but it’s a nice touch.

2. Select any allergies or dietary choices. Like many meal delivery services, Hungryroot begins your subscription with a quiz to determine your food preferences, allergies, and the number of people you’re feeding. It also asks about your goals and current eating habits.

3. Pick your favorite items. I won’t lie to you, Hungryroot asks an awful lot of questions. But the whole quiz only takes a few minutes, and you can change your selections at any time. It asks about your current tastes and preferences, so you get the feeling that its offerings will be tailored to your exact requirements.

4. Check out your first grocery list. Hungryroot spends some time compiling your data to give you a custom order. Most meal delivery services don’t make you wait for your meals to load, but Hungryroot’s model is much more personalized.

5. Create an account to see your plan. It’s a little annoying that Hungryroot asks so many questions upfront, then makes you sign in to see the results. However, it’s quite standard for meal delivery services to ask you to sign in before being able to choose or amend meal selections.

6. Hungryroot will give you a suggested order, which you can accept or change. If you want to play around with the menu, it’s easy to make changes and add any items that catch your fancy. Once you’re satisfied with your order, click through to add payment details and check out.

7. You’ll need to have a card saved to your account to complete your order. Hungryroot accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and AmericanExpress. It also accepts Apple Pay if you’re using the app. 

Managing Your Subscription

Hungryroot lets you manage your subscription through your browser, and it offers an app for iOS phones and tablets. Android users can still rely on Hungryroot’s well-designed mobile site to manage orders on their smartphones.

Hungryroot’s app and website also make it easy to edit orders or change delivery dates. Check your My Hungryroot page to determine the day your next delivery will be finalized. Depending on your delivery day, it will either be the preceding Monday or Thursday.

Customer Service: Hungryroot’s Support Is Excellent

Hungryroot’s Help Center is brilliantly organized, with answers to just about any question you may have. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can contact Hungryroot customer support by chat, help ticket, or text message at (855) 222-5704. Hungryroot customer service is available 10 am to 6 pm EST 7 days a week.

The customer service team is also helpful if you have trouble with your order. For example, if an item arrives damaged or spoiled in your shipment, you can receive credit for the item. Credits can then be applied to future orders as normal.

Hungryroot also makes pausing or canceling your subscription easy. Some meal delivery services make cancelations more complicated than they should be, so this is nice to see. Simply go to settings, click Cancel my Account, and answer a few questions. You can also check out my detailed guide on pausing or canceling your Hungryroot subscription.

How Hungryroot Compares to Other Meal Delivery Services

• Hungryroot vs. Green Chef: While Hungryroot has a larger selection of groceries, Green Chef offers certified organic meal kits and a broad selection of certified gluten-free recipes in addition to the items in its Green Market. For more information, check out our detailed comparison of Hyngryroot and Green Chef.

• Hungryroot vs. HelloFresh: While Hungryroot offers many light and healthy recipes, HelloFresh offers a family-friendly menu with filling comfort foods your kids will love as well as protein bundles and desserts. 

• Hungryroot vs. Marley Spoon: While Hungryroot provides you with simple recipes for fast nutritious meals, Marley Spoon offers sophisticated recipes with clear instructions that will help you master new cooking techniques and introduce you to new ingredients.

• Hungryroot vs. Purple Carrot: If you're still not sure what option is best for you, you can also compare Hungryroot with Purple Carrot before making your final decision.

The Bottom Line: Is Hungryroot Worth It?

Hungryroot can help you eat better and reduce food waste in the kitchen if you’re looking for simple, healthy, easily-prepared meals. If you can’t find high-quality produce and ingredients in your local grocery stores, Hungryroot delivers healthy food to your doorstep.

Hungryroot’s emphasis on prepared sauces and precooked ingredients saves time, but you may prefer a different service if you like cooking from scratch. Its health-conscious menu might not satisfy those who want filling comfort foods. Overall, if you want to eat better and faster, Hungryroot is definitely worth it.

FAQ

Does Hungryroot have meat? 

Hungryroot has a number of excellent meat and seafood offerings on its protein menu. Many of its Meat+Seafood proteins are fully prepared with sauce included, while others are pre-chopped and thinly sliced, so you can cook them in minutes.

Is Hungryroot expensive?

Hungryroot’s grocery prices are comparable to what you would pay in a specialty grocery store, and all orders over $70 come with free shipping. Also, Hungryroot’s prices per serving are lower than most other meal delivery services offering health-conscious recipes.

Is Hungryroot vegan?

With Hungryroot’s filters, it is easy to sort for 100% vegan recipes and ingredients. Hungryroot offers a large selection of plant-based proteins, and many of its superb prepared sauces are made with vegan substitutes like cashews and almonds in place of dairy.