HelloFresh is a convenient, affordable, and popular meal kit delivery service. However, if you glance at the plans, you’ll notice there’s no mention of the keto diet or any keto-friendly recipes.
Does this mean you’ll have to give up your favorite meal kit delivery service if you decide to go on keto? Not necessarily. HelloFresh may not have a dedicated ketogenic plan (yet), but it does offer a dietitian-approved, low-calorie menu, with meals that come in at around 650 calories per serving.
Plus, each recipe has clear and detailed nutritional information which you can use to select keto-friendly meals. All the ingredients are perfectly portioned so you can change up the recipes yourself by adding fats and subtracting carbs, if need be.
With a bit of patience, I think you can find quite a few great keto-friendly recipes on HelloFresh. To give you a head start, I’ve rounded up my top five – make sure to check them out!
Greek Salad With Spiced Pork Patties – Best Low-Carb HelloFresh Recipe
One-Pan Mushroom Cauliflower “Risotto” – Saucy, Cheesy, and Grain-Free
Sesame-Crusted Chicken Salad – Great Texture and Flavors in One Bowl
Steakhouse Mushroom Kale Salad – A Delicious, Veggie-Packed Keto Meal
Creamy Dill Chicken – A Flavorful Dish for the Entire Family
Prep takes 10 minutes
Fresh, nutritious, and tasty
22g carbs per serving
This Greek salad, complete with red-pepper hummus, feta, and a creamy vinaigrette, has lots of colorful ingredients that make it a nutritious and healthy dish. However, it’s important to note that the single unit of tomato and red pepper, and the milk-based ingredients, don’t typically fit into a keto diet.
That said, you can replace them with more leafy greens and dairy alternatives, and you can cook the patties without the feta and pepper. To make the salad even more keto-friendly, why not make the dressing without the sour cream?
However you choose to enjoy it, this is a great, balanced low-carb meal.
Prep takes five minutes
An easy-to-prepare veggie meal
23g carbs per serving
This grain-free dish uses cream cheese, sour cream, and parmesan which – of course – are milk-based products, but shouldn’t throw you out of ketosis. The mushrooms (both whole and concentrated stock) offer fiber and plenty of important minerals and vitamins.
By incorporating cauliflower rice instead of traditional risotto rice, this recipe is great for keto dieters as it’s low in carbs and protein, and has a moderate fat content. It makes a great midweek meal!
Prep takes 10 minutes
Packed with flavor, texture, and color
25g carbs per serving
While it’s not one of the simplest salads to prepare, this HelloFresh recipe – with mandarin orange and peanut dressing – is one of the most popular calorie-smart dishes on the menu. It’s also something the entire family will enjoy, whether they’re on keto or not.
The high protein (39g) and fat (45g) content make it a great candidate for lunch or dinner. Peanut butter – when eaten in moderation – can be keto-friendly, but you can exclude or switch it out if you prefer.
Prep takes 15 minutes
A great meat-free dish
30g carbs per serving
Even though keto-dieters should avoid carb-rich veggies, this salad has plenty of ingredients for someone who wants to maintain ketosis. Mushrooms, kale, yogurt, butter, and mayonnaise are all typically acceptable, and the other ingredients are in small quantities.
Still, you should pay attention to the salt intake since the recipe requires both salt and soy sauce. You could also ditch the sugar and replace the oil with something more keto-friendly. However, if you’re not following a strict meal plan, this healthy salad is a nutritious choice.
Prep takes 10 minutes
A great crowd-pleasing dish
37g carbs per serving
Served with potatoes and broccoli, this recipe is higher in carbs than the others, but it can work if you replace the potatoes with cauliflower or simply increase the quantity of green veggies. Even if you’re a big roast potato fan, the yummy dill and mustard dressing will more than make it up for it!
You’ll also have to keep an eye on your protein intake throughout the day since the chicken in this dish brings in about half of the suggested daily amount for keto.
Prep/Cook Time | Cooking Difficulty | Suitable For | |
10 minutes/30 minutes | Medium | Family Friendly, Calorie Smart, Low Carb | |
5 minutes/30 minutes | Easy | Calorie Smart, Low Carb, Easy Cleanup, Veggie | |
10 minutes/25 minutes | Medium | Family Friendly, Calorie Smart, Low Carb | |
15 minutes/35 minutes | Medium | Family Friendly, Calorie Smart, Low Carb, Veggie | |
10 minutes/30 minutes | Easy | Calorie Smart, Low Carb |
With a bit of research and some ingenuity, most recipes can be made keto-friendly – and not just the ones on HelloFresh’s menu. What makes this company particularly great, however, is that it focuses on healthy, seasonal, farm-fresh ingredients – everything you want when trying to maintain a balanced lifestyle.
You might just need a few tweaks here and there to turn a regular recipe into one that can fit your dietary needs. And to make things easier, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Look for low-carb recipes: HelloFresh has a Fit & Wholesome meal plan where you’ll find carb- and calorie-smart meals.
Find recipes that are easy to edit: Those with fewer ingredients and which have a medium-to-easy difficulty level will allow you to make replacements or add other ingredients easily.
Think outside the box: Get creative when it comes to replacing ingredients and find new ways to make your meals taste good (like switching rice with cauliflower rice or spaghetti with zucchini noodles)
Focus on healthy fats: Keto diet rules allow foods high in saturated fat – but this isn’t good for your heart and overall health. Try to consume more healthy fats instead, such as those present in nuts (walnuts, macadamias, almonds, and Brazil nuts), avocados, and seeds such as flax or pumpkin seeds.
Yes! It may take a bit of extra planning and some shopping of your own, but it can also be fun. You learn about replacing ingredients and how to keep your food nutritious and tasty even when following such a restrictive diet plan.
Plus, if you’re also feeding a family or partner, HelloFresh has a varied enough menu to provide dishes for everyone. And the ingredients you don’t use won’t go to waste!
Right now, HelloFresh doesn’t offer any keto-specific recipes but it does have a good selection of low-carb meals that can easily be made more keto-friendly.
HelloFresh’s Carb Smart recipes are balanced, flavorful, low in carbs and high in protein.
These recipes have been designed by trained chefs to help diners stick to a low-carb diet, with something to suit all taste buds and preferences. Most take less than 30 minutes to make, too.
Yes, HelloFresh can be good for weight loss. The menu includes both Carb Smart and Calorie Smart meals, as well as plenty of Veggie options which tend to be lower in fat.
Plus, everything in your box is perfectly portioned and each meal kit comes with clear nutritional info. If you’re trying to cut calories, you can replace or subtract the carb-rich ingredients easily.