If you ever watch tv, listen to podcasts, or basically don't live under a rock, then you know what a meal prep kit is. Such a genius idea and a mega-market, but finding the best fit for you can be a struggle. There are so many out there that it can be hard to find out what really is right for you, so that's what I'm here for. Over the next couple of months, I will be trying out each meal prep kit I can get my hands on and giving you the review: college edition.

There are a million reviews out there that swing this way or that, but the majority of them apply to busy, hardworking adults who don't have time to go grocery shopping. What about the struggling college student trying to maintain a decent diet and not spend a fortune? I will be solving that question for you and every other hungry college student dying for a home cooked meal.

I've heard about meal prep kits for about a year now, and after debating on it for months, I decided to cave in and finally try one out. The problem was, which one should I try first? What would best work for me? What isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg? Will the food actually taste good? Will I be able to cook it?

All these questions and so many more started popping in my head, so I knew the only way to solve them was to try them for myself. I decided to test out HelloFresh first just because I remembered a podcast had mentioned it before. After about 30 minutes of searching, I finally found the podcast and got a great discount.

When the package was delivered to me, I couldn't wait to open it! I had picked out my three meals of the week and couldn't wait to get a taste. The three meals were grouped together, so I wasn't straggling to figure out what went with what. The only things that were not bagged together were any types of meats. I ordered two normal meals and one veggie.

The first meal I cooked was steak strips with roasted sweet potatoes and green beans. The process of cooking it wasn't difficult, but it was a little time-consuming. I had to manually pluck all the thyme leaves off of its branches, and that was quite the process. However, other than that, cooking it was not a hassle at all. The order included a recipe with easy to follow, step-by-step instructions along with pictures. After tasting it, I was in awe. I had created this beautiful, delicious dish, and it didn't cost a fortune. I was impressed.

The following two meals, an alfredo pasta and beef bibimbap, were as easy to make as the first. The instructions are clear and the pictures provide a good idea of what things are supposed to look like. Those two meals weren't quite as delectable as the first, but still very appetizing and refreshing. Just after one order, I was hooked.

I got all of the above meals for $17.95, so I knew that it was a deal. The food was delicious, it wasn't that expensive, and I thoroughly enjoyed cooking them. The real question was, how much was this going to cost me normally?

Since I had already received my first box with a coupon, I then received it at the normal price. I switched down to two meals for the next week since I knew I wouldn't have as much time to cook. Going back to the original price, the cost for those was about $40+. The meals were pretty good: a salmon with green beans and an Italian sausage spaghetti, but not as mouth dropping as I expected. My third box, which is coming in this week, cost about $50+ for three meals, and I let the company choose what meals to deliver to me.

You can choose how every many meals you subscribe to off of their menu of about 16 meals. However, if you forget to choose before Friday at noon, you get whatever they had defaulted as your choices. You choose the date of arrival, between Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday, and your package ships the day or two beforehand. Everything is sealed and cooler packs are placed in the box to keep your food fresh upon its arrival.

Overall, the process is easy and very convenient. They also offer a special deal just for college students, 15% off ALL boxes.

So, the final verdict? If you enjoy cooking but don't have the time or resources to constantly go grocery shopping, I highly suggest this box. It was a little pricey, but it was cheaper than buying everything individually and the food was very good. The service was great, it was super easy to order, skip a week, or even cancel your plan. The meals on the menu looked so good that I had to vote between meals to narrow it down.

The downside? Sometimes there would be an excess of some ingredients, some meal portions look to be small while others do not, and some of the work can be time-consuming.

Overall, though, I loved everything about my HelloFresh meals. Do I recommend trying the college plan? Absolutely. Will there be any better kits? We will see. I have several more kits to try, but they've already got stiff competition.