Can you put Hello Fresh meals in the freezer?

Hello Fresh has a name for itself, and it’s one that has been fairly well-established. It’s currently the most popular meal kit on the market thanks to one of the most powerful sales strategies in recent years.

However, we have to be honest. Once in a while, you might decide to get lazy and skip a meal for the week. How long can Hello Fresh ingredients last?

Veggie-based meals should be able to last for 7 days. Meal kits involving meats are best used within five days of receipt. However, if you have seafood, it’s important to prioritize those meals since they can go bad in as little as three days. If you suspect that your ingredients are rotten, contact customer service. 

Though the name may suggest that ingredients are always going to be pristine, it’s important to remember that these are real food items. Food spoils, so let’s talk about it. 

Quick Navigation

  • What’s The Typical Shelf Life of a Hello Fresh Meal kit?
  • Tip
    • How Are you Supposed to Store Hello Fresh Meal Kits?
    • How Long is Prepared Hello Fresh Food Good For?
  • Can You Freeze Hello Fresh kits?
    • Can You Freeze Prepared Foods From Hello Fresh?
  • What Should You Do If You Suspect That Hello Fresh Sent you Spoiled Ingredients?
    • Does Hello Fresh Ship Out Rotten Food Regularly?
    • What Should You Do If Hello Fresh Didn’t Ship Enough Ingredients?
  • Is Hello Fresh Worth it?

What’s The Typical Shelf Life of a Hello Fresh Meal kit?

The company is fairly open about this advice. Hello Fresh meal kits are meant to be eaten within three to five days of delivery.

Certain raw ingredients, such as tomatoes or potatoes, can be stored for longer than the prescribed “prep by” date on the meal kit.

If you have canned goods, they will also have an expiration date on them.

Can you put Hello Fresh meals in the freezer?

How Are you Supposed to Store Hello Fresh Meal Kits?

Hello Fresh advises to place your meal kits in the refrigerator, on the top shelf, as soon as possible.

In terms of delivery, Hello Fresh packs their ingredients in ice and insulation so that you have some time before the meal kits rot on your doorstep. 

If your meal kit involves fresh uncooked vegetables, you can choose to store them along with the rest of the veggies of the same type.

For example, it’s safe to assume that the potatoes you got with your kit can stay out of your fridge and keep their shelf life like an average potato.

How Long is Prepared Hello Fresh Food Good For?

Once you’ve prepped your meal kit, it’s best to keep the prepped meals in the refrigerator.

Most meals can be kept for up to three additional days in the fridge. The only real exceptions are meals that include seafood or pork. Those can only be kept for a maximum of two days.

Can You Freeze Hello Fresh kits?

Hello Fresh kits can be partially frozen depending on the ingredients. Generally speaking, you can freeze the meat, seafood, and certain vegetables with little to no problem.

If the ingredient itself is known as freezer-friendly, it’s generally accepted that you can freeze it if it comes from Hello Fresh.

The only items you shouldn’t try to freeze include milk, creamy sauces like mayonnaise, veggies that are high in water content, and similar ingredients with a reputation for being a bad thing to put in the freezer. 

Can You Freeze Prepared Foods From Hello Fresh?

Generally speaking, it’s a risk. It’s not because the prepared foods will spoil in a freezer, though.

Rather, it deals with the outcome of reheating some of these meals. The texture or flavor may not be what you hope it to be if you freeze it.

You can technically freeze prepared Hello Fresh foods as long as all the ingredients in them are deemed freezer-friendly on their own.

Even then, it can be a bit risky since the flavors and textures may change as a result of freezing and unfreezing the food. 

When in doubt, keep leftovers in the fridge.

What Should You Do If You Suspect That Hello Fresh Sent you Spoiled Ingredients?

Hello Fresh may be a popular company, but they can still make mistakes. Sometimes, packages get sent and are opened.

Other times, it could be a matter of a pack that has missing ingredients or a banana that has mold on it. 

Believe it or not, this is a major complaint that people have been having with Hello Fresh in recent months.

There are tons of posts about people receiving rotten ingredients on Hello Fresh’s Reddit page, so you’re not alone if you had this happen. 

Here’s the best course of action:

  1. Contact Hello Fresh and report the problem. Their customer service team is best reached via online chat on the app. You can also call them on the phone at 1 (646) 846-3663. You have up to five days to file a problem report and get a refund.
  2. Allow Hello Fresh to comp you the meal. Hello Fresh typically compensates people for meals that arrive late or in bad shape. If they don’t, they may offer you a discount for the next time you order. 
  3. Buy whatever you need to complete the meal per the instructions. In some cases, the missing or old ingredients may be too specific to actually go to the store and find them with ease. Even so, if it’s just something as simple as a trip to the store for a slice of chicken, you might still be able to salvage something from your kit. 

Can you put Hello Fresh meals in the freezer?

Does Hello Fresh Ship Out Rotten Food Regularly?

It’s not like Hello Fresh is trying to make a point of sending out low quality foods, but it’s not unheard of.

In fact, anecdotal evidence on Hello Fresh’s own Reddit board suggests that this issue has become more common in recent years. 

With that said, most people who have Hello Fresh rarely ever have a problem and the company is usually pretty good about shipping out fresh ingredients.

To stay on the safe side, it’s best to inspect your ingredients before you start cooking.

What Should You Do If Hello Fresh Didn’t Ship Enough Ingredients?

Anecdotally speaking, this issue seems to be on the rise alongside quality control problems.

The good news is that you can still contact customer service to discuss what you should do with the lack of ingredients. In most cases, you’ll get a credit towards your next box, if not an outright refund.

With that said, both spoiled food shipments and “lowball” ingredients seem to be a widespread regional issue rather than an international issue. Hopefully, this issue will resolve itself sooner rather than later. 

Can you put Hello Fresh meals in the freezer?

SUPER RELATED READ: Hello Fresh Vs. Grocery Shopping – Which is Cheaper?

Is Hello Fresh Worth it?

Potentially. Hello Fresh has a lot of value that it can offer who are in the middle of a time crunch, or who just want to learn how to cook.

However, there are definite kinks in the system that may reduce how convenient this service is for you. 

With that said, if you are looking for a service that just dellivers groceries to your door or are looking for meals on a specific night, this may not be the right service for you.

Even so, this is a popular company because it does offer value to many people. So, if you haven’t already, give a meal kit a shot. It may be right for you.

Can you put Hello Fresh meals in the freezer?

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Should I put Hello Fresh in the freezer?

Do you put HelloFresh ingredients in the fridge or freezer? You can store most ingredients in the fridge except proteins and fruits. The meats should go in the freezer, and the fruits can stay at room temperature.

How long does Hello Fresh last in the freezer?

If the food is cooked, then it's one month in a 3 star freezer. Otherwise it's 3 months ( as long as it's a 3 star freezer.)

How should I store my Hello Fresh meals?

Top Shelves. Ready-to-eat foods such as cooked meats, fresh pasta and chilled sauces live here. These should all be covered or kept in air-tight containers to prevent contamination. Snacks and leftovers can also live up here, away from raw foods so that bacteria doesn't transfer from the raw food to the cooked food.