Hungryroot is a meal delivery service that tailors its offerings to your personal life goals and dietary preferences. Upon signing up, you'll be asked various questions related to your nutritional objectives, such as saving time or money, weight loss, or specific ingredient dislikes. The process may feel like “speed dating” with an AI, but it results in a personalized meal plan. While Hungryroot operates similarly to other meal kits by delivering a box of food and recipes each week, it employs advanced AI technology to create a highly customized menu based on individual dietary restrictions and preferences. For example, after expressing a desire for time-saving meals and a preference for spicy food, my selection included various chicken dishes. Pricing is flexible, with dinners costing approximately $13 per serving, lunches at $12, and breakfasts around $4. 50. Instead of fixed prices, meals are assigned a point system based on complexity and preparation time, allowing for an adaptable weekly menu. Cooking with Hungryroot often felt more like assembling ready-made items than traditional cooking.

Most recipes can be prepared in 15 minutes or less, primarily involving simple tasks like heating pre-cooked ingredients. However, my experience highlighted a lack of fresh produce, while my vegan colleague received a variety of vegetable-rich meals tailored to her dietary choices. Despite the customization, there are some downsides to Hungryroot, such as a somewhat opaque sign-up process that requires commitment before viewing the meal options. Once you've locked in your plan, however, managing the subscription becomes straightforward, with easy cancellations and changes available after the first week. Overall, while the meals were enjoyable, both reviewers felt that they could benefit from enhanced flavors and textures. Nevertheless, Hungryroot represents a potential future for meal delivery, combining vast recipe options with AI-driven personalization to better cater to individual preferences.