As someone with a busy, unpredictable schedule, I know firsthand how difficult (if not impossible) it can be to cook dinner at home every night — let alone a healthy dinner.
I wanted to find a meal-delivery service that was quick, easy, and wouldn't put a dent in my wallet, and Freshly came into my life at just the right time.
It was the company's website that sucked me in: With prices that range from $8.99 to $12.50 per meal, depending on the plan you pick, Freshly fell well within my budget.
And unlike other delivery serves like Blue Apron, you don't have to actually cook your Freshly meals. Just keep them stored in the refrigerator, pop them in the microwave whenever you're hungry, put them on a plate (or on your busiest nights, eat them right out of the tray) and chow down on the chef-prepared meal of your choice.
I decided I needed to give Freshly a try. I ordered the six-meal plan and waited for my dishes to arrive.
When I returned home from work a few days later, a week's worth of Freshly meals were waiting for me.
The packaging was easy to read and the instructions were pretty straight-forward. All I would have to do is heat each dish in the microwave for a few minutes.
I was excited to get started. With its limited counter space, my tiny NYC kitchen (slash laundry room) doesn't get as much action as I'd like. Freshly's concept seemed like a great solution.
But my kitchen is still adorable, amirite?
I loaded the meals into my freezer, feeling pretty pumped about the fact that I wouldn't have to cook for an entire week.
Not to mention, these meals were actually good for me!
But I wanted to start with something safe. I looked through my selections and decided to try the grilled chicken for my first meal. I warmed up the tray in the microwave.
The instructions recommended two minutes. I'm not sure if my microwave is just weak, but when I took the tray out, the chicken still felt a little cold. I heated the tray for another 2-3 minutes, and the chicken came out perfect.
To trick myself into thinking I was eating a homecooked meal instead of a microwaved tray, I asked my ~artsy~ roommate Nate to plate the dish.
I'll admit, I tend to eat with my eyes.
The strategic arrangement made the chicken LOOK good, but how would it taste?
At only 420 calories, I didn't expect much flavor.
I cut into my first Freshly dinner.
(And of course, I let Nate have a taste.)
The mouth-watering grilled herb chicken was juicy, and I could not get enough of the roasted spaghetti squash cakes.
After having this rich and tasty meal, I couldn't wait to try more Freshly meals!
The following evening, I selected the grilled flatiron steak with potato hash and creamed spinach for Round 2.
I was nervous how a microwaved steak would taste, but I was eager to try the savory dish. I heated up my meal, plated the food, and dug in.
The garlic buttered steak was nothing short of delicious. With an extra minute in the microwave, the piece of meat *actually* tasted like something you'd find at a restaurant.
I was very impressed with my second Freshly meal, and the best part was the entire tray clocked in at only 510 calories. Seriously, I could've eaten this on repeat.
The next night, I tried the Chicken Livorno with white beans and kale.
This protein-packed dish was only 450 calories.
After heating up the chicken for a few minutes, I dove right in. Unlike my first two dishes, this meal unfortunately tasted like a frozen dinner instead of a freshly-cooked meal.
The chicken was still yummy, but it definitely tasted like chicken that was warmed up in the microwave.
On night four, I was CRAVING breakfast for dinner. I decided to give the garden omelette a try.
It's important to know I am *not* an egg person. The cheesy omelette certainly looked brunch-worthy, but this meal is definitely not something I would've picked out myself.
Though I'm sure egg-lovers would go crazy over this 350-calorie omelette with melted Swiss cheese that covered the fresh tomatoes, broccoli, mushroom, green onions, and cage-free eggs.
The following night happened to be unseasonably cold and windy. When I peeked into my freezer and saw the three-bean turkey chili tray, I knew that the heavy dish would warm me right up.
The ground turkey was JUST what I needed. The sizzling chili was packed with black, pinto, and kidney beans, along with ancho chili, spices, red peppers, and a little cheddar cheese. YUM.
According to Freshly's website, the turkey chili is one of the company's most popular and highest-reviewed dishes. I can see why — the hearty meal was only 560 calories, but it tasted amazing!
For my last meal, I reached into my freezer and grabbed the Cod Romesco.
After consuming a week's worth of Freshly dinners, I already knew to microwave the dish longer than recommended.
This is what my meal looked like after about five and a half minutes in the microwave.
The Cod Romesco came with a cauliflower puree and some green veggies to round out the meal.
This plate was just 430 calories.
For a microwaved meal, the fish was surprisingly warm and flaky (though the seasoning was a little too spicy for this weak tongue).
Freshly for the win!
Here are my final thoughts:
- The grilled flat iron steak, the grilled herb chicken (and most importantly, the spaghetti squash cakes that came with it), and the three bean ancho turkey chili were by far my favorite trays of the week. I couldn't believe those three dishes came straight from the microwave. If I would've had a dinner party and served up those meals, I could've easily passed them off as homemade.
- All of the meals were natural, gluten free, and didn't contain any refined sugars. Not only did they leave me full and satisfied, but I actually felt good afterward.
- I liked everything I tried, but I'd pass on the cod and my second chicken dish if I were to order again.
- The omelette also looked tasty, but I personally don't like eggs.
- Freshly is perfect for busy millennials who want to eat healthy, affordable meals, but simply don't have the time or budget to cook for themselves every night. Total win.
- Definitely make room in your fridge. I had to keep my trays in the freezer (#roomateproblems) but Freshly recommends refrigerating the meals and consuming them within 7 days.
- I need to buy a better microwave.
Disclaimer: Freshly sent six meals to Revelist's writer free of charge. We chose to review the dinner service because the experience was a good one.
