Terri Marucci and her daughters prepare a HelloFresh recipe on a busy weeknight. Marucci loves that there is less wasted food and more money saved.Jennifer Roberts
Unpredictable grocery prices can make sticking to a budget more difficult, but these two families found a solution that saves them time and money
At the start of a new year, many families are looking at their budgets and tightening up their spending habits, especially at the grocery store. Food prices can be unreliable, making it more difficult to stick to a set food budget, but Terri Marucci, a mother of three in Ajax, Ont. has found that HelloFresh’s price predictability each week helps her stay consistent.
When the Marucci family were stuck in lockdown in 2020, they missed their go-to restaurants and needed tasty meals that would appeal to everyone. “We couldn’t go out to eat, but we needed something that was easy,” Terri says. She turned to HelloFresh to help make dinnertime less chaotic. Three years later, their family is still ordering meals.
Terri and her husband, Mike, both own their own businesses and have three kids ages 13, 9 and 2 – so their lives are predictably hectic, with work obligations, dual rep hockey practices, multiple school functions and five hungry mouths to feed. “We’re such a busy family, so it’s amazing how quick the recipes are,” she says. Plus, the Marucci kids love getting involved in dinner prep – the older kids pick out the recipes every week and their teen sometimes prepares the meals, since the easy-to-follow recipes give her confidence in the kitchen.
Mike Marucci and his daughter enjoy cooking together; the kids often pick what's for dinner from their meal plan.Jennifer Roberts
Ordering HelloFresh has meant less wasting food and less worrying about overspending at the grocery store because the meal plans are priced consistently week to week – two things Marucci appreciates. “When we used to go to the grocery store, we were spending more and wasting more,” she says. “Now, everything gets eaten and we stay on budget.”
The Maruccis aren’t alone: Canadians are grappling with the high cost of living and skyrocketing price of groceries. According to a survey conducted by 72Point and HelloFresh, the average Canadian has experienced “sticker shock,” where they were surprised by the price of an item, six times within the past month. Eighty-eight per cent of respondents said that they were interested in food options that were consistently priced.
“A trip to the grocery store now feels like a game of poker where you don’t know where the cards are going to land,” says Corby-Sue Neumann, director of culinary for HelloFresh. “Even personally, being a bit of a type-A personality and a single mom with two wonderful kids, just having that peace of mind for my weekly budget is really helpful.”
New mom Tila Datta and her husband Jake McKeown agree. The Calgary couple ordered HelloFresh after their son was born last March. Knowing how much their food will cost helps them stick to a budget, especially with the increasing cost of baby formula. Eliminating the element of surprise at their food bill has been a welcome benefit. “You know it’s the same every week – before using HelloFresh, our grocery bills were all over the place,” says Datta.
Tila Datta and her husband Jake McKeown turned to HelloFresh after becoming parents. The consistent cost helps them stick to a food budget.Supplied
Meal plans also made the dinner decision much easier. “Before, we would spend a lot of time talking about what to have for dinner, and then we’d have to shop, cook and then rinse and repeat,” Datta recalls. “It was helpful to have a meal plan to remove all that stress.”
The cost of groceries isn’t the only thing on our minds when it comes to food – Canadians want to be able to eat new and exciting things, too. The survey found that the average Canadian experiences “food fatigue,” where they’re disinterested in the food they’re consuming, about four times a month and two-thirds expressed interest in food or meal options that are different from what they usually eat.
Datta can attest to this: while she and McKeown tend to pick a pasta dish every week, they’re happy that HelloFresh has multiple types of pasta dishes, plus a wide range of recipes including Mexican-inspired bowls, vegetarian dishes and hearty salads to choose from.
HelloFresh recipes are easy to follow with clear directions, so their teen can cook on her own.Jennifer Roberts
Portion sizes and pre-measured ingredients are perks for both families because they help limit household food waste. “By giving customers the exact right amount of each ingredient, you’re reducing your food waste by a third,” Neumann says. And if leftovers are something your family is looking for, you can easily add more portions or proteins to your order.
Cutting down on excess food and being able to stick to a food budget makes Marucci happy. “I used to buy spices and all kinds of things that just sat there forever, which would bug me,” she says. “Now, we don’t waste any ingredients – or money.”
Visit hellofresh.ca to learn more about meal plans, pricing and recipes.
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with HelloFresh. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.