Fad diets seem to be all over the internet these days, and frankly, I'm over it. A girl's got to eat, and that girl is me.

Anything that's super restrictive--low carb, no sugar, zero fat--I stay away from. Eating healthy whole foods (AKA no chemistry experiment-looking ingredients on the back label) with a little sweet treat every now and again is and will always be my only "diet."

For the last few months though, convenience and safety was the only thing I was factoring into my diet, which led to a lot of take out. Seeing my trash full of take out boxes and being unable to remember the last time I cooked myself a healthy meal was the wake-up call I needed.

My solution to this was meal prepping. For a while it was great, but I started running out of recipes soon. I'm a decent cook with a few go-to meals, but once I exhausted those, I found myself spending too much time recipe hunting.

Searching the grocery store aisles for new ingredients and spices I typically never buy was also a pain. And for a lot of these recipes, I would have to buy a large amount of an ingredient when I really only needed a tablespoon...a food waste nightmare.

I did a little search online to see if I could get any tips or tricks to eat smarter in a convenient way without giving up my weekend to research, shop, and prep meals.

That's when I came across HelloFresh, the meal kit delivery service. I had seen their green box on my neighbor's doorstep on and off over the past couple months, and I'd heard of them before from other friends, but I assumed their meals would be small and not particularly healthy. I also wondered how they kept the food fresh and where it was coming from.

I thought maybe I should at least give Hellofresh a look. I went to their website and checked their menu for that week, realizing I could still have my usual Chinese food on a Friday night! I didn't realize that they offered so many different meals each week, from all different cuisines. I counted around 20 recipe options for that week, and the next week's menu was completely different with new meal choices.

The meals actually looked super balanced with whole foods--colorful vegetables, meats, grains, fish. They even had some vegetarian options if I wanted to sprinkle in a meatless Monday into my week. Then I saw their quick recipe meals--cook in 15-20 mins. That sounded like exactly what I needed, if it was really that fast.

Pretty convinced, I first chose which plan I wanted, me opting for the meat and veg box. Then I chose how many meals per week I wanted, along with how many servings per meal. And after checkout, all I had to do was choose my meals from their weekly menu. This was the hardest part cause they all looked mouth-watering! I chose Saucy Steak Burrito Bowls, Spicy Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry, and Creamy Lemon Butter Chicken with Cheesy Zucchini Rounds and Scallion Couscous.

Looking into my account, I could even choose a specific day for my delivery to come. And even if I wasn't home at that exact time they delivered, it'd be okay because all the food is boxed up with cooler packs inside to keep it fresh. I went through with my order, still doubtful of how fresh the ingredients would be and how good the food would really taste, but I could pause or cancel any time, so I thought I may as well try it out a week.

When I got to the payment page I was pleasantly surprised. Takeout with delivery fee was averaging around $15 for me, but HelloFresh was about half that per serving.

My HelloFresh box arrived on my selected day and I was so excited. Each meal was packed into its own paper bag with all the ingredients inside, with the meat between ice packs at the bottom. I opened all three bags to inspect the ingredients before putting them in my fridge. Surprisingly to me, the produce was fresh and firm and the meat looked high-quality.

Double checking, I read online that HelloFresh sources all their ingredients directly from farmers, so by cutting out the wholesalers and grocery stores, the food is fresher and comes from the farm to cutting board quicker in a more environmentally friendly way.

That evening, I laid out my first choice recipe's ingredients, which were all prepped and weighed out in the exact amounts I needed. Saucy Steak Burrito Bowls with Charred Poblano, Smoky Crema, and Salsa Fresca was my pick. In 25 mins I was sitting down enjoying one of, if not the best meals that has ever come out of my kitchen.

The step-by-step recipe cards are genius and fool-proof. They make cooking super quick and easy.

A couple weeks in, I can say that every HelloFresh meal I've made so far has been delicious! I'm so happy that I am eating healthier meals full of whole foods and amazing ingredients. Now, when I'm choosing my meals for the week, I can view the nutritional value of each recipe, which allows me to make healthy decisions every week.

No fad trendy diets for me--just tasty healthy ingredients with HelloFresh

Update: The folks at HelloFresh are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to get $80 off including free shipping on the first box!