Hungryroot is a hybrid between a grocery delivery service and a meal delivery service. The brand delivers groceries with recipes included, and describes itself as "The easiest way to eat healthy."
But is Hungryroot actually healthy or is this just a marketing claim? What does a Hungryroot meal look like? Why was the company sued in 2023? And how do real users rate and describe the taste of Hungryroot meals?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in randomly-selected Hungryroot meals to give our take on whether or not they're actually healthy.
We'll also explain why the brand was sued in 2023, and feature real customer reviews.
Ingredient Analysis
Turkey + Roast Potatoes
Hungryroot's turkey and roast potatoes meal contains a large serving of broccoli, which is nutritious.
It's made primarily of whole foods which is a good thing, however we have a few complaints about the additive ingredients.
Citric acid, used in the turkey, is a food manufacturing additive shown in a 2018 medical review to cause whole-body inflammation in a some individuals.
Added sugar is included, which seems unnecessary for a savory dish.
We'll also assume the turkey is sourced from conventionally-raised animals (since there is no mention otherwise), which is a less nutritious option than animal products sourced from pastured animals, as we documented in our Freshly reviews article.
Lemongrass Tofu
Hungryroot's lemongrass tofu meal is a vegetarian option.
Kohlrabi, part of the "Superfood Salad Blend," was shown in a 2014 medical review to have anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects.
Kale provides a significant dose of minerals like potassium and calcium per serving according to the USDA.
Our only (minor) complaint is that the coconut curry contains citric acid.
But that is one questionable additive ingredient among 30+ ingredients in this meal.
We consider the tofu meal to be healthier than the turkey meal due to the improved nutrient density, lack of refined sugar, and lack of meat from conventionally-raised animals.
Shrimp Alfredo
Cauliflower pasta is used as the base for Hungryroot's shrimp alfredo, and we consider this to be a much healthier option than wheat-based pasta.
Cauliflower is much higher in fiber than wheat (this meal provides 6 grams of fiber in only 330 calories), and increasing fiber intake can support healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels according to a medical review published in the Nutrition Reviews journal.
However, we have three complaints from a health perspective:
- The cheese appears to be sourced from conventionally-raised animals,
- Citric acid is included
- Natural flavors are included
Natural flavors is a broad categorical term that fails to describe the specific flavoring agents used.
A meta-study on natural flavoring compounds documented toxicity concerns regarding some flavoring agents.
Real People Try Hungryroot
A YouTube creator named Theresa Kettler shared what a week on Hungryroot looks like, and gave her thoughts on the taste and healthiness of the meals:
A TikTok creator named Kesha Ames has a time-lapse video showing her week's worth of meal prep using Hungryroot:
@ready.set.ames Still meal prepping to stay healthy… Recovery @justlalab @mcyk8891 #h#h#hungryrootrecipes #mealservice #plantbasedmeals ♬ I'm So Hungry - Karter Zaher
Why Was Hungryroot Sued?
In January of 2023, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Hungryroot due to their auto-renewal practices, according to ClassAction.org.
The plaintiff alleged that Hungryroot failed to make it clear to consumers that they were signing up for an auto-renewal service as opposed to a one-time purchase, and that it was made intentionally hard to cancel.
This lawsuit appears to be ongoing, but we don't believe there's anything here that should really concern consumers.
It's important that consumers check the terms on their subscription to know what they're signing up for, but at least it's not a product quality lawsuit which would be more concerning.
Are Hungryroot Customers Complaining?
There are a number of complaints on Hungryroot's Better Business Bureau (BBB) page, including customers complaining about food arriving spoiled or not arriving at all.
At the time of updating this article, Hungryroot has a 1.31 out of 5 star rating on the BBB site.
A customer named "Jenny R." complained about a refrigeration issue:
"Terrible. The foods that are supposed to me cold were warm and the food that did not need refrigeration were cold. They sent me the wrong items and when I emailed them about it they said it was my fault."
In Hungryroot's defense, the brand currently responds to the majority of the complaints in an attempt to offer a resolution, which is a sign of brand quality.
A YouTube creator named "Totally Forkable" has a video that explains some frustrations she's had as a Hungryroot customer in regard to meat being shipped (she's vegetarian), substitutions, customer service, payment issues and more:
How Much Does Hungryroot Cost?
Hungryroot has an individualized pricing plan so the cost isn't very clear on their site unless you express interest in signing up.
On the brand's support page, it states that the smallest plan is $70 which consists of three meals of two servings each.
Hungryroot describes most of their meals as having two servings, even though they only contain around 400-600 calories, so we consider this more like one serving for an average adult.
Assuming each meal is actually one serving for most customers, this equates to a per-meal cost of $23.33 which is relatively high, even for luxury meal delivery brands.
The cost should scale down with larger orders, but this is still a high starting point in our opinion, and is comparable to eating at a restaurant.
Our Take: Is Hungryroot Healthy?
Most of the Hungryroot recipes we reviewed while researching this article were relatively nutrient-dense, and we consider them to be healthier than the average American diet.
Hungryroot meals are typically high in protein, relatively high in fiber, and provide moderate calories. This suggests they may be effective for weight loss.
The meals contain much more vegetables than the typical American diet, and the majority of ingredients are whole foods.
We consider Hungryroot to be relatively healthy and to be healthier than the average meal delivery service.
However, due to the inclusion of certain questionable additive ingredients like citric acid and natural flavors, along with the fact that all animal products appear to be sourced from conventionally-raised animals, we do not currently recommend the service.
Our Clean Meal Delivery Pick
Trifecta Nutrition is our top meal delivery service pick because of its nutritious options.
Their meals are created by chefs, and most importantly, the meals are rich in vitamins and minerals because they're primarily made with vegetables and grass-fed meats.
Unlike many commercial meal plans, Trifecta doesn't use filler carbs for most of the calories.
Is Hungryroot Sustainable?
Hungryroot has taken significant steps to ensure that their packaging is fully sustainable, which we commend because this is logistically challenging for a national food delivery company.
Their packaging is made with cardboard and is fully recyclable, and even their ice packs are non-toxic and recyclable.
Hungryroot also donates excess food to food banks so none is wasted.
We don't believe that Hungryroot is "greenwashing." We consider the brand to be a more environmentally-friendly option than most meal delivery companies.
Hungryroot Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of Hungryroot in our opinion:
Pros:
- Meals are rich in veggies
- Healthier than average American diet
- Contains some ingredients most Americans are unlikely to regularly consume
Cons:
- Expensive
- Company sued over alleged auto-renewal scam
- Some meals contain citric acid
- Some meals contain natural flavors
- Some meals contain added, refined sugar
- Negative rating on BBB site
