Recently, this whole staying home thing has been really hard. Yeah, I miss meeting up with my friends and going to my favorite restaurants on the weekends. But strangely, what I miss the most is home-cooked meals - it really is the little things in life.

We've been avoiding the supermarket as much as possible, so when we go, we stock up on frozen meals that will last and try not to buy many items that go bad quickly - we hate wasting food. But we were getting so sick of frozen food, and I could definitely feel the effect that not eating fresh foods was having on my body.

I was looking into food delivery services when I came across HelloFresh. I would never have considered a meal kit before, but I missed produce so much, I decided to look into it. HelloFresh sends you a box with step-by-step recipes and pre-portioned ingredients every week so you can make home-cooked meals at home.

I looked at the recipes and saw they have such a wide range of cuisines - like Korean Beef Tacos and Turkish-Spiced Beef. They also have traditional recipes like Pork Schnitzel & Pan-Seared Steak with Warm Potato Salad.

I realized that using a meal kit service would allow us to make our usual home-cooked meals, and it would also allow us to try new things we never would have tried to cook before, which is exactly what we needed right now. So I decided to sign up. I went with the Pronto Plan, and meals worked out to just $10.31 each. This was much more affordable than I expected!

Our first box arrived a few days later, and I was super excited to try out a new recipe. For this week, I chose Korean Beef Bibimbap, Middle Eastern-Spiced Salmon Freekeh Bowl, and Honey Mustard Pork Chops!

I started with the Honey Mustard Pork Chops, and I must say, having all the ingredients pre-portioned was so convenient and saved so much time cooking. The meal came out delicious! We also loved the Middle-Eastern Spiced Salmon - I had never cooked with Freekeh before, but HelloFresh made it simple.

The Korean Beef Bibimbap was something completely different for us, we would never have thought to make it, but we ended up loving it! All the recipes were easy to follow, even if we weren't familiar with some of the ingredients.

Apart from the dinners being so yummy, I have to say, the best thing about HelloFresh is the sheer convenience of it. Getting all our ingredients delivered right to our doorstep along with clear recipe cards, has made dinner much easier and exciting for us. We're back to eating home-cooked meals three times a week, and only have to go grocery shopping once a week. Plus, we're expanding our palettes and culinary skills, which is just an added bonus.

We'll definitely be using Hellofresh for a long time - even after all of this is over.

Update: Our friends at HelloFresh are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to get $80 off including free shipping

Offer Expires In

What's for dinner? The dreaded question we hear every day.

Whether it's your kids asking or you debating with your partner whose turn it is tonight, we've all ran out of interesting meal ideas. The rotation of the usual 5 isn't cutting it anymore with mealtime being the highlight of everyone's day now. We can all agree it sure ain't easy producing delicious dinners every night to please all the picky eaters in our families.

But it could be easier if you use HelloFresh. With everyone staying at home, wanting to avoid the never-ending, day-long lines in the grocery store, meal delivery kits are the best way to go. Even celebrity families like the Beckhams have caught on to the magic of HelloFresh along with Desi Perkins and her family.

If you have never heard of Hellofresh, Canada's Most Recommended Meal Kit, then listen up. HelloFresh is the meal kit leader with easy-to-follow tasty recipes, fresh ingredients delivered right to your door, and flexible plans you can pause at any time. You choose which plan you want; family, veggie, or pronto, along with how many meals you want a week.

Then all you have to do is choose which meals you want from their menu, which offers 25 delicious recipes a week so you get to curate your own personal menu. And then, your HelloFresh box arrives at your door full of high-quality, pre-portioned fresh ingredients with step-by-step recipe cards. With meals starting at $9.69 per person, it's a great value.

And it's not just the celebs that are loving the convenience and deliciousness of HelloFresh, here's what their customers are saying;

"My husband and daughter clean their plates every meal and tell me how delicious it was. And our financial budget has been cut in half. Honestly, I love this company and I am so grateful for you. Thank you so much." - Heather

"HelloFresh has allowed me to enjoy cooking, eat better, and save money! I am not making unnecessary purchases at the grocery store and overspending. Preparation of meals is quick and easy and the food is delicious!!!!" - Lynn

"I love how HelloFresh has very easy to follow recipes with great variety! There's often a bit left over for one of us to have a second small lunch out of our supper the night before. It's wonderful to have variety without me having to go out and get a bunch of ingredients just for one meal! Even more now that we are encouraged to limit our time in grocery stores." - Halleran

"Fresh, high-quality ingredients, great recipes, reliable delivery. Great service, great company!" - Yvonne

"I love that everything is pre-measured, fresh, & the easy to follow instructions. Also, you are not locked into a contract. You can stop, cancel, change anytime you want. It's also keeping me at home during this challenging time & I have something to look forward to doing at the end of the day. A HUGE THANK YOU FOR KEEPING IN KEEPING ON!!!" - Jileva

With so many 5 star reviews, HelloFresh is winning over so many customers. What we really love is that they only send you exactly what you need so there's no food waste and their packaging is recyclable, so it's good for you and the planet! Meal kits are more sustainable and environmentally friendly than shopping at the grocery store, with a lower carbon footprint, thanks to their shorter supply chain.

Learn how to cook with HelloFresh, add variety to your meals, or surprise your family with their plate-licking meals. There are so many benefits to using HelloFresh - what will be your reason?

Let HelloFresh, save you time, money, and stress and add a little bit of excitement to your dinner! Think we all need that right now!

Follow this link to get $80 off including free shipping!

Offer Expires In

A brief history of my kitchen disasters: burning food, forgetting to add the main ingredient, adding the perfect amount of salt 3 times, burning water, and making rice that my mother deemed "the worst rice she'd ever had" (it looked like porridge).

I'm tired of trying new things only to end up with something inedible - with other people in the house, it just can't happen anymore.

I thought we'd be doomed to pasta and takeaways for eternity until someone at work recommended I try Chefs Plate. I'd heard of meal kits before, but I figured they'd be expensive. But she said Chefs Plate starts at $8.99 a serving, which was cheaper than my usual takeout.

I recounted my kitchen disasters to her, and she told me Chefs Plate was so easy, and probably the best way for me to gain confidence in the kitchen. Plus, it wouldn't break the bank, so I had nothing to lose - I decided to finally take the plunge.

Looking at the Chefs Plate website, I got lost in the delicious recipes - every week, there are Classic, Vegetarian, 15 Minute, and Slow Cooker options. This would give me my nights back if it worked out, especially if I could dump food in the Slow Cooker and come home to a meal! You can choose between 2-4 recipes a week, and their plans are super flexible. All of the pre-portioned ingredients are delivered to your door, and the boxes arrive with ice packs, so the food stays fresh.

It was so perfect! For the first meal, I chose a 15 Minute Garlic Pork Lo Mein with stir-fried zucchini and bok choy. They have plenty of classic cuisines, plus more exotic fare, too. The ingredients arrived perfectly portioned and labeled, and I mostly just had to chop up a few things.

In about 15 minutes, I had dinner for three ready. We dug in, and it was delicious! Better than the Lo Mein at our regular takeout place.

Before I started cooking with Chefs Plate, microwaving a potato was about the extent of my culinary skills. Now, cooking is so fun! It's hard to go wrong with the simple-to-follow instructions and encouragement that are included in the box.

With Slow Cooker recipes, it's almost unfair how easy and delicious it is, and with so many 15-minute options every week, I have so much more time in my week now. No stress about what to cook, what to do if my recipe goes awry, and no stress while I'm cooking. Plus, no spending unnecessary money on takeout.

Chefs Plate is the best thing to happen to dinner. No more struggling to pull a meal together – everything needed is sent in the box. It's my dinner life-saver!

Update: Our friends at Chefs Plate are extending a limited time offer to our readers. Follow this link to get 50% off your first Chefs Plate box!

When autumn rolls around, I just wanna buy school supplies. Even though I graduated five years ago, my inner clock still tells me I should be going back to school. Although I've joined the working world, September inspires me to reconsider my dreams and ambitions, and take on fresh projects. I cleared out the closets, ordered flannel sheets, and went crazy shopping for kitchen essentials. This year, I'm gonna learn to cook.

But when I researched local culinary classes, they were way too expensive and happened on, like, Saturday mornings. Uhm? I'll be sleeping! I complained to my neighbor about it, and she suggested I try a meal kit delivery service. Whaaaaat? I'd kinda heard of meal kits, but never thought they could teach me to cook. Turns out, she's been getting HelloFreshfor a year and a half and her family thinks it's fantastic.

Warning: Do not traffic HelloFresh's site when hungry! So hard to chose- I want to try everything!

I clicked through 20 mouthwatering recipes included on that week's menu. They looked so delectable I wanted to eat them all. The kits are pre-measured and ready-to-cook - practically every task completed for me. Plus, the meals are portion-controlled so I won't waste food and I can monitor my caloric intake. I immediately signed up for a 2 person plan - so twice a week I'll make dinner for two. So what if I'm-single? I'll eat leftovers for lunch - yummy!

The HelloFresh box arrived on my doorstep promptly, as promised. My meal kit contained a recipe card and pre-portioned, high-quality, locally sourced ingredients. I asked my Amazon Alexa to play Lizzo's Truth Hurts and got to cookin' my Carne Asada Steak Bowl - only 710 Calories a serving. Bling-bling, solved.

I must admit I was nervous about the actual cooking part, but the instructions on the recipe card were so clear. I sliced-n-diced the tomato, scallions, jalapeño - singing along with Lizzo.

When HelloFresh claims I'll have a hassle-free, chef-designed, ready-to-eat meal in 30 minutes, they mean it. After a mere half-hour, I bit into my carne. Did I cook this?? The steak was so tender. And so dee-lish.

Skipping weeks, or canceling, is no trouble. For example, after my first month, I changed my plan from 2 to 3 meals per week. There's such a wide variety of cuisines I wanna sample: Korean, Mexican, Cuban, Thai . . .

With meals starting at $7.49 per serving, what a bargain. I used to spend close to $200 a week eating in restaurants almost every night. These days, I stay home and save money while honing my newfound cooking skills.

Now that I've got the basics down, I'm mastering HelloFresh'smore advanced recipes - mixing it up with interesting ingredients and techniques. With HelloFresh's vast array of options, I'm invincible in the kitchen - much more excited to cook at home than to dine in a fine restaurant.

Update: Follow this link to get $30 off including FREE shipping on the first box!

Valentine's Day is coming up and with pressure from the greeting card aisle, your Instagram feed, and maybe even your S.O., there's a lot at stake for a perfect romantic dinner. Instead of calling every restaurant in town to squeeze into a table next to the kitchen, why not stay home and make something special for your sweetheart? Too busy, not a chef, or maybe you're not sure where to start? HelloFresh's award-winning delicious meals can save the day with a quick and perfect Valentine's Day dinner. America's most popular meal-kit fits the needs of every home cook or total foodie newbie, including vegetarian options. For those who hate to plan and those who plan down to the minute, HelloFresh has a menu for you.

Here are the four types of couples that should cook a romantic HelloFresh dinner for Valentine's Day.

The Couple Who Goes Out More Than Stays In

For the couple who has a rating on every restaurant in the city, sometimes staying in is the more romantic thing to do! Besides, the wine is always cheaper at home, and trying to get that beef tenderloin medium rare will bring you closer together.

The Couple Who Can't Get a Babysitter

When the babysitter falls through at the last minute, that doesn't mean Valentine's Day has to mean chicken nuggets on the couch. The HelloFresh family plan has options that are kid-friendly, but still gourmet, so dinner for four can be Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken with a Truffled Mushroom Risotto. Or better yet, put the kids to bed early and enjoy a nice meal just the two of you.

The "Valentine's Day Is Too Commercial" Couple

If you had a courthouse wedding on a Tuesday because you don't need to spend money to prove you're in love, Valentine's Day may not even be on your radar. In just 20 minutes you can skip the sappy stuff and get down to debating Oscar nominations over Pineapple Poblano Beef Tacos.

The Couple Who Isn't a Couple

Just because you're single, doesn't mean you can't be the love of your own gosh dang life. Do Valentine's Day dinner for one, with some candles and Heirloom Tomato Flatbreads with Pesto, Fresh Mozzarella, and Balsamic Greens. Each plan makes two meals, so it's also perfect if you've just started seeing someone but it's too soon to brave Valentine's restaurant scene. Plan a 90's rom-com marathon that may or may not lead to a movie-worthy kiss of your own.

HelloFresh is the answer to all of your Valentine's Day stress. It's less expensive than take-out and cuts out the shopping, and recipe planning headaches for romantic nights in. Seriously, with pre-measured ingredients and clear instructions that include pictures, it's foolproof, even for the most clueless in the kitchen.

Sign up today to get HelloFresh right to your door and make date nights even better.

Update: Our friends as HelloFresh are extending a special Valentine's Day offer to our readers: Follow this link to get 6 meals free!

Don't judge me, but I might be the most poorly organized person on the planet. I know everyone is busy, but the last thing I want to do during the workweek is to try and plan what I'm going to eat for dinner. I'm guilty of ordering take out most nights or eating a sad frozen pizza - anything that requires little effort or time.

My sister has been telling me for years that I need to eat more like a grown-up and cook meals at home, but I wouldn't know where to start. She said she and her boyfriend swear by HelloFresh for helping them make home-cooked meals during the week by sending them pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards. I've obviously heard of meal kits, but I always thought they were kind of silly and overpriced.

Determined to show her how unnecessary meal kits are, I checked out HelloFresh's site. I was surprised by how good all of the meals looked. After a little more digging, I was surprised to learn a few more things about HelloFresh.

Over 22 recipes to choose from a week from cuisines like Asian, Italian, Mexican & American Style Gourmet Burgers

By sending you the exact amount of every ingredient you need, there's no food waste

Recipes take 30 minutes or less, and there are options for vegetarians, lower calorie meals, and every week has a gourmet recipe selected by one of their chefs

You can choose, 2, 3, or 4 recipes a week and tweak or pause your plan at any time. They also have delicious add-ons like Garlic bread and cookies

HelloFreshis cheaper than the grocery store - meals start from just $7.49

As much as I hate to admit this, my sister was right. I ordered HelloFresh's classic plan, and it's been a game changer. Not having to worry about grocery shopping and planning recipes during the week is such a relief, and HelloFresh has even helped me improve my cooking skills!

Update: Our friends at HelloFresh are extending a special New Year's offer to our readers. Follow this link to get 10 meals free including free shipping!