Hello Fresh might be the world’s most popular meal kit, but sadly, even in 2021, the company doesn’t cater for vegans at all! Whilst Hello Fresh does have a selection of what they call ‘plant-based meals’, these are vegetarian, not vegan.
Luckily, there are some great alternatives to Hello Fresh which have fantastic vegan recipe boxes that can be delivered to your door. These are just like Hello Fresh, but suitable for vegans.
Does HelloFresh have vegan options?
Hello Fresh is NOT suitable for vegans. The Hello Fresh Classic Box offers a choice of five vegetarian meals each week, but many of these are not suitable for vegans. However, there are some good vegan alternatives to Hello Fresh.
The only way Hello Fresh could work for a vegan diet is if you live with a vegetarian. You could, in theory, take out any non-vegan ingredients and put extra in their meal. But really, that’s not the best idea.
Plus, Hello Fresh uses non-recyclable plastic wrap, ice packs, sachets, punnets and pots. If you’re concerned about the environment, there are some more eco-friendly recipe kits to choose from.
These are the best vegan Hello Fresh alternatives…
Is there a vegan version of Hello Fresh?
Whilst Hello Fresh does not currently offer a vegan meal delivery plan, there are other companies in the UK that offer a very similar service to Hello Fresh. These offer vegan recipe box options in addition to their vegetarian boxes and boxes that contain meat.
Vegan recipe box comparison
The table below compares the four best vegan recipe box delivery services which you should consider as alternatives to Hello Fresh…
| Mindful Chef | Gousto | Feast Box | Riverford | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recipes to choose from | 15 | 9 | 4 | 3 |
| Cooking time | 10 to 45 mins | 10 to 50 mins | 35 to 90 mins | 30 to 60 mins |
| Minimum order | 2 per week | 2 per week | 2 per week | £15 |
| Servings per meal | 1, 2 or 4 | 2 or 4 | 2 or 4 | 2 |
| Delivery area | UK nationwide | Most of mainland UK | UK mainland | England |
| Packaging | Recycled denim | Recycled paper | Recycled cotton | Includes wool |
| Price per serving | £4 to £10 | £2.98 to £6.25 | £5 to £9 | £6.25 |
| See menu | See menu | See menu | See menu |
Vegans should note that the Riverford recipe box comes packaged with re-usable wool insulation. Whilst people looking for a plant-based Hello Fresh alternative may find this acceptable, most vegans will wish to avoid wool.
The only 100% vegan Hello Fresh alternatives are Mindful Chef, Gousto and Feastbox.
The best vegan alternatives to Hello Fresh
If you’re disappointed by the lack of a Hello Fresh vegan menu and wish to try some vegan recipes which are similar to Hello Fresh, here are your best options…
- Best overall: Mindful Chef
- Best budget option: Gousto
- Best for fancy dishes: Feast Box
Here are my full and detailed reviews of each of the vegan alternatives to Hello Fresh recipe boxes…
1. Mindful Chef
The best vegan alternative to Hello Fresh is Mindful Chef. This recipe box company has outstanding reviews and is the UK’s number one rated recipe box company on TrustPilot.
Mindful Chef’s recipes are healthy and nutritious, with high-quality ingredients that are sourced from award-winning British farms. All recipes are gluten-free, approved by nutritionists and contain no stodgy fillers.
Plus, for every meal you buy from Mindful Chef, they will donate a school meal to a child living in poverty.
Example vegan menu:
- Mexican tofu, avocado and rice bowl
- Sesame maple tempeh with fresh mint and noodles
- Harissa cauliflower steak and lentils
- Spicy peanut and chickpea curry with black rice
- Hasselback squash and mushroom stroganoff
- Red pesto beans, artichokes and rocket
Pros
- Healthy, gluten-free recipes
- Caters for singles, couples or families
- No contracts or commitments
- Helps kids in poverty
- Climate-neutral
Cons
- The company also sells boxes for omnivores
- Pricing can be confusing
Price
The price of Mindful Chef recipe boxes varies depending on the meals that you choose and the portion size – for one, two or four people. The vegan recipes are generally cheaper than those that contain meat. The recipe box for four people is the cheapest option.
Mindful Chef offers the best vegan recipe boxes according to customer reviews. Prices start at £4 per portion, based on a vegan recipe for four people.
2. Gousto
A good vegan alternative to Hello Fresh is Gousto. This company has over 10,000 positive reviews on Trustpilot and offers a decent weekly-changing choice of plant-based meal kits that can be cooked in as little as ten minutes.
Gousto offers a combination of healthy vegan meals that have the backing of Body Coach Joe Wicks, as well as some indulgent meals like vegan cheeseburger nachos. So there’s no need to eat healthily every day with Gousto, you can mix it up.
Example vegan menu:
- Tangy vegetable Pad Thai
- Spicy rainbow veg and kidney bean curry
- Tomato and olive spaghetti with caper crumb
- Carrot and coriander soup with chutney twists
- Smoky aubergine, avo, lettuce and tomato sarnie
- Curried cauliflower, cashew and potato tray bake
Pros
- The cheapest vegan recipe box
- Caters for couples or families
- No contracts or commitments
Cons
- The company also sells boxes for omnivores
Price
Gousto is the best plant-based recipe box kit for vegans on a budget, with meals costing as little as £3 per serving when you order a family box.
The price is the same no matter which meal you pick. However, this doesn’t mean that you’ll pay the same for vegan dishes based on cheap ingredients like vegetables, lentils and potatoes as people are paying for meat-based dishes – there is a £2 supplement for meals that contain expensive ingredients like steak and prawns.
3. Feast Box
Another good Hello Fresh alternative for vegans to try is Feast Box. This option is best for people who like to try exotic dishes from around the world. If you’re adventurous in the kitchen and want to try ingredients that you can’t pick up in the supermarket, then Feast Box is for you.
Feast Box likes to show off the versatility of ingredients like tofu, lentils and jackfruit. They see these vegan staples as ingredients which deserve to be enjoyed in their own right and not treated as ‘meat substitutes’.
Example vegan menu:
- Moroccan pastilla
- Tofu pad thai
- Roast cauliflower with tahini
- Persian roast aubergine
Pros
- Authentic recipes from around the world
- No contracts or commitments
- Helps malnourished children
Cons
- No boxes for one person
- Meals take at least 30 minutes to prepare
- The company also sells boxes for omnivores
Price
The price of Feast Box recipe boxes varies depending on the recipes that you order. However, the price per person is the same whether you order a recipe for two people or a family recipe for four people.
Feast Box vegan recipes start at £5 per serving.
4. Riverford
Riverford is one of the best plant-based alternatives to Hello Fresh, but vegans must be aware that their chilled food bags contain wool liners. These should be returned to Riverford as the company re-uses them. Whilst this will be acceptable to people following a plant-based diet, the use of wool in packaging will be a deal-breaker to many vegans.
If you’re willing to tolerate the use of re-usable wool packaging, Riverford is an option to consider. The company partners with several charities and the meals are 100% organic and selected according to the season.
Example vegan menu:
- Aubergine, black garlic and carlin pea curry
- Cauliflower taco bowls
- Brocolli, almond and macaroni bake
Pros
- 100% organic ingredients
- No contracts or commitments
- Supports several charities
Cons
- Use of wool as packaging
- No boxes for singles or families
- Meals take at least 30 minutes to prepare
- The company also sells boxes for omnivores
Price
The pricing of Riverford’s plant-based recipe boxes is simple – each recipe box for two people is priced at £12.45.
The best vegan versions of Hello Fresh
If you’re vegan, then Hello Fresh isn’t really an option for you. Luckily, there are several other recipe kit delivery companies in the UK that are more than happy to cater to your needs.
My top pick for vegan recipe boxes in the UK is Mindful Chef.
- Best choice of vegan recipes
- Quick to cook
- Caters for singles, couples and families
If you’re on a budget, you can save £1 to £4 per serving by choosing Gousto.
- Cheapest vegan recipe box
- Quick to cook
- Caters for couples and families
For special recipes you’ve never tried before, choose Feast Box.
- Exotic recipes from around the world
- 100% organic ingredients
- Supports several charities
Prefer not to cook?
If you love the idea of having meals delivered but aren’t that keen on cooking, then pre-prepared meals could be a good option to consider.
Balance Meals offer healthy vegan meals that you can keep in your fridge and simply heat in the oven or on the hob for minimal mess and fuss.
Another option to look into is AllPlants. This 100% vegan company will deliver frozen vegan meals to your door. Use discount code CHOOSE15 to get 15% OFF your order.
You can read more about the various meal delivery options in addition to recipe kits here: The 7 best vegan meal delivery services in the UK
