I tried a couple of these services myself a couple years ago as well. We tried HelloFresh and Gobble. We have a vegetarian in the house, so that guided our choice. I agree with Debbra that the calories with the dinner were high, but we actually found we could most often get double the serving portions they said were included, particularly if I made something like a simple frozen vegetable extra side with it for the family. That made it feel a bit more economical as well. I do not remember for sure if the prep time was included when you order. That likely varies per site. I know we personally switched from one service to the other - I think from HelloFresh to Gobble? - because the veg came diced up in one but not the other. For me, it was all about saving time: I can go to the store and buy a bag of potatoes myself and cut them up, but a service where everything was chopped,measured, and as I call it with my kids, "cooking show ready"? That is what I wanted.