Hungry Harvest Review: Reducing Food Waste One Box at a Time

Hungry Harvest‘s Origin Story and Rapid Growth

Back in 2014, founder Evan Lutz learned an alarming fact – over 6 billion pounds of fresh produce gets discarded yearly in the U.S. due to aesthetic imperfections and oversupply issues. Motivated to take action, Evan launched Hungry Harvest on a mission to "rescue" this surplus produce before becoming waste.

The early days were humble, with Evan picking up unwanted produce in his Toyota Camry and delivering to a few Baltimore locals. Word spread quickly though about the discounted, but still fresh and tasty fruits and vegetables. Hungry Harvest was soon inundated with new subscribers and needing more supply relationships with farms and wholesalers.

Fast forward to today and Hungry Harvest has grown over 1000% annually for several years straight. They now serve thousands of households across Maryland, Virginia, Washington DC and beyond. An appearance on ABC‘s Shark Tank accelerated expansion plans with an investment from Robert Herjavec in 2018.

While still a small family business at heart, Hungry Harvest seems poised to become a major national brand and force for good – rescuing many millions more pounds from the dumpster.

How the Hungry Harvest Subscription Works

The basic premise is simple – you sign up for regular produce deliveries priced well below typical supermarket rates. Box contents change based on seasonality and oversupply in your region. While you don‘t choose exact items, their platform lets you customize by:

Pricing Tier & Frequency: Options range from $18/week for smaller boxes up to $42/week for extras large harvests. Choose weekly or bi-weekly delivery. Sale promotions can deduct additional dollars per box.

Excluded Items: Pick 1-3 fruits & veggies to permanently opt out from your subscription. If you despise beets for instance, ban them for good!

Added Grocery Items: Hungry Harvest now sells pantry staples and specialty goods for one stop shopping. Load up on pasta, sauces, snacks and more each delivery.

Compared to other popular produce box services, Hungry Harvest lands in the middle on pricing, allowable customization and supplemental grocery options:

Service	Weekly Price Range	Customization Options	Added Grocery Items
Hungry Harvest	$18 – $42	Choose box size Pick 1-3 opt outs	Moderate with frequent sales
Imperfect Foods	$16 – $36	Fully customizable	Extensive selection including meat/dairy/pantry
Misfits Market	$19 – $35	Choose box size Pick exact items	Limited to mostly produce

With Hungry Harvest, you get some welcome personalization without too much decision fatigue. Let those vegetables surprises keep life exciting!

Unboxing the Harvest Experience Through Real Reviews

Jessica M., Philadelphia Subscriber:

"Being a teacher and mom of three kids, I barely have energy left to grocery shop and cook elaborate meals. Getting a box of high quality fruits and veggies delivered for less than $30 a week helps our family eat so much healthier without the effort and meal planning."

Mark D., Washington DC Subscriber:

"At first, I‘ll admit some items like the rainbow carrots seemed a bit strange looking. But I quickly realized taste and freshness exceeded anything from my supermarket. Keeping so much produce out of landfills is an awesome bonus too. No complaints after dozens of boxes over past 2 years."

Lauren G., Baltimore Subscriber:

"As a vegetarian, I‘m always looking for ways to get more affordable organic produce into my diet. Hungry Harvest checks that box while minimizing my trips to crowded stores. Sure, occasionally you get a dubiously shaped beet or zucchini but rather that than see it trashed!"

Digging through reviews shows most customers rave about convenience, competitive pricing, and mission impact. The most common complaints touch on inconsistent produce quality and limited delivery range. Critics argue you must value reducing food waste over getting perfect looking fruits/veggies.

Should You Subscribe? Ask Yourself These Questions

Do you want to reduce food waste? Rescuing imperfect yet still tasty produce aligns with your values. You believe in Hungry Harvest‘s mission.

Are you open-minded on ingredients? The recurring surprise factor excites rather than stresses you out. Trying new fruits and veggies seems fun.

Do you cook most meals at home? More so than dining out, you‘ll have a need for fresh ingredients and a place to experiment with recipe ideas.

Do you struggle finding affordable, healthy options? The budget-friendly organic produce suits both your wallet and wellness goals.

Could a grocery delivery help your lifestyle? Convenience appeals to your busy schedule. Door drop offs mean regaining time.

If you answered yes to some or all the above, a Hungry Harvest subscription will likely suit your needs and align with your concerns. Keep reading for making the most of the experience!

Those demanding perfection, wanting ultra specific items, or lacking kitchen skills may be better off with a traditional grocery store. As they say – to each their own fruits and veggies!

Tips and Tricks for New Hungry Harvesters

I‘ve compiled wisdom from seasoned subscribers on starting off strong with Hungry Harvest:

Take Inventory Immediately
Give boxes a quick once over for any items needing urgent tlc and proper storage. Soft fruits especially benefit getting prepped or frozen soon. You want everything lasting until eaten.

Wash Produce Extra Well
While HH pledges stringent food safety standards, give everything a vigorous extra rinse or scrub given imperfections. Remove any lingering dirt hiding in crevices.

Use Opt-Outs Judiciously
If surprises initially overwhelm, don‘t hesitate removing items you truly don‘t enjoy. But try less familiar veggies twice before banning in case first attempt was poorly prepared.

Explore Recipes Regularly
Let inspiration strike by browsing Hungry Harvest‘s database anytime you get an ingredient stumping you. Categorized by item, they highlight creative preparation ideas from various food sites and bloggers.

Supplement Deliveries Strategically
Fill dietary gaps by adding appropriate grocery items to orders. Load up on whole grains, plant-based protein, healthy fats, and additional produce if desiring more volume or variety over relying solely on surprise contents.

Inquire About Refunds When Warranted
If quality proves subpar on any items, contact their customer service team right away with photo documentation. Most reviewers say requests get handled promptly and reasonably when expectations go unmet.

My Hungry Harvest Subscription Experiment: A Week in the Life

To provide first-hand insight into the Hungry Harvest experience, I chronicled my first month as a subscriber from unboxing to cleanup:

Monday – Order Arrives
I raced home from work knowing my inaugural box awaited. I discovered:

• 3 pounds of organic red leaf lettuce (minor tip burn)
• 4 avocados (tiny & misshapen)
• 1 bundle rainbow carrots (some forked and fatter tops)
• 2 pounds brussels sprouts (small)
• 1 eggplant (medium, curved shape)
• 1 butternut squash (nicked skin)

Storing the leafy greens and ethylene sensitive brassicas took top priority before admiring other items. Cramming my fridge posed an initial test but I quickly right-sized things into crisper bins. Already eyeing salad and veggie sides for upcoming meals!

Wednesday – Enjoyed First Items
Having overstuffed my fridge initially, I turned baby brussels sprouts and quirky rainbow carrots into a quick roasted sheet pan dinner. Couldn‘t tell those veggies differed whatsoever from their prettier grocery store equivalents once charred and tossed in lemon tahini sauce. A promising start!

Friday – Recipe Experimentation
In desperate need of comfort food by the weekend, I took to Hungry Harvest‘s recipe archives seeking butternut squash ideas. I settled on attempting their suggestion for harvest chickpea Buddha bowls. Cubing up the lumpy squash took patience but all felt rewarding when mixed together with chickpeas, kale, and nutty maple dressing in my vibrant finished meal.

Sunday – Getting Creative
My bounty of weird looking avocados inspired homemade chocolate pudding for Sunday dessert. I couldn‘t bear letting their dense, smooth flesh go to waste. Blending up the avocados, cocoa powder, condensed milk, and vanilla bean made for a decadent end to my cooking adventures for the week!

While not every item suited my tastes or got used in time, the experience left me wasting far less and excited to see what awaited next delivery. For less than $30 investment including extras like whole grain bread and coffee, the value felt undeniable.

The Final Verdict on Hungry Harvest

Based on depth research and first-hand testing, I confidently recommend Hungry Harvest produce subscriptions IF you meet certain criteria:

You want affordable organic produce – Dollar for dollar, you‘ll access far cheaper versus other organic offerings in stores with HH boxes. Go organic on the cheap.

You cook often and enjoy adventures – To happily adapt recipes and handle surprises week to week requires culinary fearlessness. Welcome unpredictability.

You care about food waste reduction – Ugliness means nothing if you help redirect millions of edible pounds into mouths instead of landfills. Focus on flavor not looks.

You accept periodic misses to support a mission – Perfection doesn‘t exist with surplus items. But subpar things get replaced or refunded without fuss. Forgive and move forward!

For foodie families on tight budgets or singles wanting to skip store treks, HH brings convenience, quality, and affordability together. Join the movement ending food waste today! Use code NEWHARVEST15 to save $15 off first order.