Brands I REFUSE to work with 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[@mallshoggoth]

Having worked on the production floor of a meal kit company before, I would strongly encourage you not to work with any businesses of that kind, even ones that may offer more vegetarian or vegan options, because these companies are simply massively wasteful, in terms of packaging but also in terms of food (it's just hidden from the customer), not to even mention the transportation of these very small amounts of food to every customer. Also if my experience is anything to go by, the work conditions are simply horrible, but I suspect that may be true for the entire food industry.

[@mimi_user]

i mean, hellofresh loves shutting down unions, so that would be another hard no as if all the others weren't enough. they also really, really didn't care about their workers during covid. reference: fab socialism's video on them

[@WellWithHels]

Thank you for sharing this, I didn't even think about this 🤦🏻‍♀

[@lolsous]

Just wanted to say thanks! I use Hello fresh and got it because for me(us) it was better than any other alternative at the time. But your comment has made me realise that I need to re-evaluate if this is still the best option for us. I think it is time for a meal kit phase out.

[@slena]

yeah fab socialism on youtube has a video about the meal kit delivery companies it was super enlightening to me

[@mallshoggoth]

@@lolsous Honestly I can absolutely understand people using meal kits in certain situations (like lacking energy to plan meals, grocery stores being inaccessible, etc). What I would recommend if you're looking for alternatives is a) looking into local grocery delivery services and b) there are websites that will help you plan menus and calculate exactly how much of each ingredient you need to cook everything. None of the names are coming to mind right now but you should be able to find them if you look up meal planning websites. Anyway good luck!

[@zenbrandon]

I tried Hello, Fresh for the first time not too long ago and was impressed by the taste of the meals themselves. What I was not impressed with was the fact that the company had paid for anti-union propaganda when their workers were trying to unionize for better conditions. That, combined with the outrageous price compared to shopping for groceries myself left a sour taste in my mouth when it came to HF. It saddens me to see KZbinrs I enjoy shilling their products, but I'm glad there are creators like you who are keeping the integrity of their channels alive (as much as it is possible!)

[@sonipitts]

The best thing, tho, is that you can still access all the recipes online for most of the meal kit brands. So if you liked the food but aren't chuffed about the company, or just need some help with meal planning, you can just buy your own groceries and use their recipes.

[@pierreh1178]

I'm so fucking happy that there's people out there like you, Leena, who take their responsibility as an online creator seriously. thank you. I really appreciate all the hard work going into researching brands and climate science stuff because I could never.

[@glrreid96]

As a Scottish person I do love your response to Established Titles and fully agree with it being a problem!

[@martineolsenlysvand7400]

This was great! Ever since I read in The Guardian that the term “carbon footprint” was basically coined by oil companies, I just cannot deal with it. The term truly is a distraction and was designed to be one.

[@healingtiger557]

absolutely is!! We've got some examples here in France in the Pyrénéen mountains where companies have just bought like an acre of random land and put a fence around for their 'carbon footprint balance' just so that they can e.g keep flying those ghost flights (airplane company) and not give a sh*t about sustainability. It's a ridiculous distraction with the goal to push consumption by pretending it's sustainable..

[@sophiem2412]

Hey Leena! Skin & Me isn't a 'skincare company' it's an online dermatology service. I think it's worth mentioning because in this instance semantics matter. It can be very difficult to get GPs to understand the impact of skin problems on your life/mental health, and we have a shortage of NHS dermatologists, which adds to the difficulty/expense seeing one. Whilst I agree that you are right not to promote skincare if you don't use it/aren't interested, I think this type of company prevents people with problems like acne from buying copious amounts of products in search of a solution that they're unlikely to find. Instead you are prescribed one tube of personalised 'lotion' per month and advised to reduce other product use to the basics (cleanser, moisturiser and SPF - which as you said can be purchased in large bottles to reduce waste). Not for the skincare junkie, but very useful for some

[@marianneshepherd6286]

I agree. I used Skin+Me after there was a promo from Hannah Witton. I loved how through the consultation was (the language used was also skin positive, i.e. no anti ageing stuff). It's really helped minimise/streamline my skincar, and only spending £30 pm instead of over £50pm is great. ❤

[@LydiaMorsman]

Yes. I’ve used Dermatica (the same sort of prescription service as S&M) for the same reason. Suffered from horrid cystic acne for years. My GP wouldn’t refer to Dermatology as it wasn’t considered severe enough. I was buying tretinoin over the counter in bulk on holiday abroad because you need a prescription in the uk. When Dermatica started I jumped on it. Being disabled and on a low income I couldn’t go private. Hence at first buying in Greece. Online dermatology has really saved my skin, and helped my self-esteem/mental health too. It works out less than a tenner a month as I can make a tube last two months. I’d highly recommend to anyone with acne. I generally don’t but any skincare pushed buy online influencers. I use very simple hydrating cleansers, moisturisers and nightly tret.

[@lucieirl]

Yes my sister has been using them for about a year and her acne has improved immensely and she is so much happier with her skin. It definitely works and much cheaper than going to a private dermatologist

[@Courtneyburns90]

Hmm I don’t know how good their chemists are though. I have very sensitive, dehydrated skin and they prescribed me tretinoin when I absolutely did not need it. Next time I tried it they prescribed me antibiotic cream for rosacea when I don’t have rosacea!

[@LydiaMorsman]

@@pk5082 yes, I meant to say about the promotional aspect. I can’t stand KZbinrs promoting products they don’t need or use themselves. Absolutely no point in her taking on Skin & Me.

[@person2225]

About Hello Fresh: I also don’t really believe their claim of reducing food waste. I recently ate quite a bit of perfectly fine food that had been discarded by HF. (I got hold of it through ‘foodsharing’, a German ngo that collects and distributes food that would otherwise be discarded, usually from supermarkets or bakeries.) The food included potatoes in perfect condition, little bags of vegan sauce, herbs and other things. They may reduce food waste on the consumer end but it does not seem like they do so throughout their supply chain.

[@thecourtlyalchemist]

Most American grocery chains prefer to throw away literally tons of food rather than donate it to food banks, schools, shelters, etc.

[@meikeeee2134]

the same is true for Germany, some ngos are trying hard to fight that, but there are laws in place that would get the grocery store in trouble if they were to give away their food for free, so... Yeah. Not an American problem. Probably a problem in many countries

[@cathfelton1955]

The only plus I'd give hello fresh is that it literally saved my life when i was really depressed and literally couldn't get myself to a supermarket. Ive since switched to Grubby, a vegan meal kit box which I use when have limited capacity.

[@redlady935]

That's helpful to know. I have health issues so is handy to fall back on stuff like this occasionally when really bad

[@lisapis_]

This is such a good point, I share your experience. I recently started hello fresh because I barely ever cooked for months properly. I was too overhelmed by „just“ planning meals and going to the supermarket. So a meal box kit is helping me by providing a more accessible way to care for myself, i. e. making a meal in my case.

[@Ceilidhish]

Yes they're also very helpful for people with disabilities.

[@rochelle2758]

@@Ceilidhish Absolutely, but supermarkets and grocers have been delivering food to people's homes literally for decades. There was no need to reinvent that particular wheel.

[@amykatrina7542]

I hadn't heard of Grubby - we've been using Green Chef for a little while (I'm a mum and full time carer, my husband works long hours driving lorries, so it was a plan to help us not order desperation takeaways multiple times a week), but I think I might switch as I'm really impressed that they're locally grown and using minimal plastic as well as being plant based. So thanks! :)

[@annaw9687]

I have so much respect for this. As a viewer it’s easy to criticise influencers working with dodgy brands but I can imagine how much harder it is to turn down big money.

[@tiffanymoton704]

they say how hard it is to be ethical under capitalism but you truly are one of the most ethical people ive ever seen on the internet. you just put so much thought and effort into being a kind and ethical person and its so god damn inspiring

[@judegrindvoll8467]

It’s worth mentioning that Skin+me is not traditional ‘skincare’ in the sense that it is prescribed by doctors and is designed for people with actual skin problems that our cash-strapped NHS drs are unlikely to take seriously. You do need to get a consultation with a dr to get the product, and while I personally use it for cosmetic reasons I know tretinion has helped countless people with acne, melasma, etc. I totally get why you don’t use as you have gorgeous skin. But for anyone suffering out there, this really can make a huge difference.

[@las86]

Glad Hello Fresh made this list. I signed up to them after getting cornered at a festival. When I went to pick the meals I found that there were zero vegan options and why would I order the over-priced devoid-of-protein veggie ones and then have to find a friend to donate the dairy to? So I cancelled it... or so I thought... Fast forward a few weeks and my bank account is suddenly debited and a box of meat based meals is dumped on my doorstep in the sun! No one even rang the bell. Ridiculous amount of packaging. Apparently I was supposed to CALL them to cancel it rather than cancel it via their website (to which I received a notification to say it was cancelled so just assumed it was cancelled). In the end they refunded me part of the amount but only part, I still basically overpaid for a bunch of vegetables and the worst service ever 🤣!

[@addictedtoyoutube1902]

I’ve used Hello Fresh and Green Chef before. There are some benefits, but as someone who is pretty experienced in cooking and who has cupboards with ingredients, I got annoyed at having lots of little packets of things I’ve already bought. Also, the lack of plant based meals was irksome AND the fact that they were still the same price as meat meals when it was pasta and peppers, which costs much less in the Lidl I lived next door to. (Green chef has more veggie options but it is more expensive than HF)

[@IoanaEnea]

No a veggie (yet), but I am also experienced with cooking and found Hello Fresh frustrating, limiting and the ingredients felt like they weren’t the freshest. I think a meal kit might be worthwhile for someone with 0 cooking experience, but once you have a few meals under your belt it is easier and more convenient to cook from scratch. Plus I remember seeing a video from another KZbinr about how allegedly their warehouse workers are treated poorly and not paid a living wage in the US. Wouldn’t surprise me if that were the case here too.

[@hanghuhn]

I used hello fresh one time only just to try it. I bought the vegan option and it was good. But the small packages were annoying as well as the big package the order came in with all the paper in it. I didn’t know where to put all this waste. I like hello fresh for ideas on what to cook if I want to try a new recipe. But there are other more useful sites with recipes.

[@helenapflaum6800]

I think you mean vegetarian option since last time I checked there was no vegan option for hf

[@WellWithHels]

I'm currently using Grubby Box which is all plant based, but you're right, when you actually think about it, it's SO expensive, when the ingredients must cost about a £1 all together 🤦🏻‍♀ Rethinking my ways now! I've been keeping the recipe cards to still use though! x

[@melaniefrenchiereader3846]

I'm using Drop Chef, it's based in Ireland. Most of there meals are veggie (at least 6 or 7 veggie options per week and 4 or 5 meat options) and there meat and fish is source in Ireland. I definitely recommend trying them if you live in Ireland.

[@BethologyScience]

Hey Leena, I think this video is great and it’s so refreshing to see examples of politely declining and influencers having integrity! I do just want to add couple of things about your comment about Fair Trade Certification, for coffee it’s really tricky and oftentimes worse for farmers to be part of this certification programme. It’s not really known unless you work within the industry. The fair trade certification has a lot of up front costs and ongoing fees which isn’t necessarily sustainable for small producers. Sadly this means that a lot of small coffee farmers that actually meet all the requirements of fair trade can’t actually get this certification or if they do, the fluctuating C markets can mean that smaller producers and poorer producers can actually lose money. Unfortunately with this in mind, it only becomes reserved for those that can afford it which isn’t exactly “fair”. It’s a huge debate within the coffee industry, so to counter some of these problems a lot of independent coffee roasters work directly with producers to build long term relationships and reduce the chain so that everyone gets paid fairly and transparently. This is known as direct trade, I think that’s the main thing to look out for really. Direct trade is more beneficial for smaller producers in some of the more poor coffee growing regions. Just remember that Fair Trade doesn’t always mean it’s actually fair, it can fall under the same bracket as greenwashing. Many consumers are misled to believe that buying Fair Trade hugely helps the farmers and those in living in poverty when actually there are other programmes and cooperatives doing just that. No shade, and I completely agree with your point of no sustainability without social justice, I just see a lot of misconceptions about Fair Trade. Happy to discuss further ☺️

[@sophiegeek1]

Thanks for sharing this really helpful info! Do you know much about Rainforest Alliance certification, and can you recommended any coffee/tea brands that are more social-justice inclined?

[@fiveminutefridays]

@@sophiegeek1 I'm not a coffee/tea drinker so I don't deep ive into these topics but I can't help but try to plug Awesome Coffee Club - started by the Green Brothers, they put a lot of effort into treating their suppliers/roasters fairly, and all profits go towards reducing maternal and infant mortality in Sierra Leone, which is a huge community effort they've been fundraising for for a while and have a lot of videos about re: progress etc

[@PumpkinMozie]

I really appreciate your integrity. I wish more influencers could be like this.

[@user-es7ui5mc1m]

Hello Fresh is also horrible when it comes to workers rights, unions, and so on. I know in Germany (where I'm from, and they're a German company) they're currently (?) being sued by the union for discouraging workers from forming a "Betriebsrat" (often translated as "works council"? kind of like a union for a specific company, in addition to the industry wide union) by spreading false information and using intimidation tactics. I know they're known to have caused issues with unions in the US too, not sure about other countries...

[@oohlookatthatdoggo]

Gut zu wissen! ✊

[@jrossi3526]

Some more tea on Hello Fresh…. A friend of a friend works as driver for a Hello Fresh distribution center and the word from him is that they throw out tons of expired food from there that never has a chance to make it to the consumer. Would be so curious to see this investigated more.

[@ChristopherDraws]

I really appreciate that you consider whether or not you are the correct person to endorse products/services based on your own needs or interests. That shouldn't be a surprising thing to hear somebody say who gets offered these things, but it made me realise how many people I've seen promoting stuff that they have little or no relevant experience with. PS I was playing June's Journey the entire time I was listening to the video 😁. I'd recommend it, if people like fairly gentle games to pass the time (sometimes they make mistakes in English, though, because I believe the developers are German: an image of an emu was labelled as an ostrich, for example).

[@misslupin88]

As a rail employee on the other side of the world, love the solidarity ❤

[@Chareads]

We got Gousto for a few months when we were trying to cut meat out of our diets at home but needed more inspiration for veggie meals! It was great, they had a tonne of veg variety, we saved a lot of recipes and still use them now. Definitely a long-term environmental win, despite all the tiny packages.

[@MargaretPinard]

"No sustainability without social justice" YEAH! That's totally Matthew Desmond's message in POVERTY, BY AMERICA, which I just read and discussed with a fellow Booktuber--he gives great examples and policy options and motivational heft, too.

[@betha196]

I've used Grubby before which is a fully plant based meal subscription service - it's also mostly cardboard packaging which is good also and they have been quite generous e.g giving you a whole bulb of garlic. We ended up cancelling just because it is fairly expensive once you run out of all the initial deals (50% off your first box etc) but I would still definitely recommend it. We've also still got all the recipes in a big pile so was great for ideas on what to cook. I do miss it at times as we would get 4 meals a week and really helped with the executive functioning of having to plan a shop and think of what to cook!

[@WellWithHels]

I use Grubby too.... but only when I have a good discount code! I've kept the recipe cards, so going to try and make my own meal kits at the start of each week 😅It also helps my brain too - Thinking, cooking, deciding exhausts me! x

[@Superhan01]

food for thought when it comes to buying coffee in 2023 - fairtrade isn't the gold standard - it can be not all that great a deal for coffee farmers (and the rest of the chain) as there are fees to maintain the certification and eligibility criteria that excludes farms that might be operating in a "fair" way. I believe well-sourced speciality coffee bought through building relationships with farmers can often be the fairest trade - speciality coffee typically pays farmers many $/£s more per pound (lb) than fair trade which is currently only 20 cents more than the commodity market pays per pound. That said the speciality market is trickier to gauge how sustainability-minded a company is and many are now B-corp certified including Nespresso... I've spent a good chunk of my working life in coffee and it's been eye-opening as to how much certifications can cost for farmers for often very little premiums. That said when it comes to coffee that isn't speciality this is a good way to ensure farmers are paid better than commodity rates which is a good thing for sure

[@whatruthreads]

Thanks for talking about Skin+me… I was so worried they were going to be hugely problematic but I use them with terrible PCOS skin and they really work for me! Plus it cuts down my skincare routine too yay!

[@leenanorms]

Haha then they sound perfect for you, woo! :)

[@814912]

As a Scottish person myself, I absolutely adore your response to Established Titles!

[@MollyFrancesNurse]

My wife and I are both disabled and during times when we struggle to shop/ cook even the most basic of meals we have used Allplants. Different from Hello Fresh as this is a meal delivery service rather than a recipe/ ingredients one so I'd like to hope there's less waste? Ultimately though we use it because we have to (and luckily can afford to) as it's the only way to get balanced meals when otherwise we'd be living off of toast. Thanks so much for sharing the knowledge and the goss!

[@shivandragon2106]

I love how you stand by your principles and make them known to others in a very nonjudgemental way. Your videos inspire me greatly

[@charoraimondogarcia]

Hello Fresh also explotes their workers, sooo... they are paid poorly and have bad working conditions

[@thejasminelee]

Yes!! I’m surprised she hasn’t mentioned their union busting

[@naomieggl]

Thanks for taking the time to explain your thinking process behind all of these - it helps encourage others to do the same with daily decisions too!

[@emmafoley8987]

For a brand that Leena did work with: I love my loop earplugs! The XXXS tips are small enough for my tiny ears! I got multiple types so I can choice the level of noise blocking based on my activity.

[@rollo.q]

Hello fresh also claim to accommodate multiple dietary requirements but cannot actually provide meals for coeliacs or any allergies because if you check the small print they say everything is cross contaminated.Bummer bc meal kits would be really helpful for dietary and disability reasons.

[@muireannmc1056]

Hello Fresh has been vital for me as a disabled person. Grocery shopping and meal planning is a nightmare. Ive had to weigh up accessibility against the other factors

[@esther5636]

I hope you don’t take any feelings of guilt away from this video/comment section. This type of ‘help’ (as in the service) is necessary ♥️ I hope you stay well fed! Lots of love

[@sonipitts]

Medical need (including mental health) gets a full pass on stuff like this. Same thing with one-time plastic use - if your medical supplies/needs come with a bunch of plastic waste or you need meal kits and individually-wrapped items and the like to survive in a healthy and sustainable manner, f***ing do it and don't feel bad about it. The rest of us have the choice - you don't (not sustainably, anyway). We do NOT punch down.

[@Courtneyburns90]

@@paigedurmis8026we don’t tip grocery store delivery drivers in the UK (it’s actually a sackable offence for a driver to take a tip) it’s useful but I know myself even meal planning can be really hard at times, with hello fresh they plan the meal for you x

[@Dancinglemon]

@@paigedurmis8026We use supermarket delivery and it’s great for a lot of people but the problem with that is that if you have mobility problems or trouble lifting things, it’s unlikely you’d be able to unpack everything safely. Things like hello fresh are perfect for people who can’t move much or have executive dysfunction.

[@catsandstrawberries]

@@helenm1085This is a thing in the UK too! Can be hard to access though.

[@Jadesmorot]

Thank you for always being so transparent

[@annared07]

Another massively promoted brand is Freddie's Flowers. No idea about sustainability but they make it unnecessarily difficult to cancel subscriptions - no online option and the person I had to speak to on the phone tried to guilt trip me by suggesting I'd got a really good deal and was mean for stopping my payments, it was really bizarre and they come up so regularly on channels. Also flowers were ok but nothing special.

[@JustAnotherFriedEgg]

Very much enjoyed this video. Carbon offsetting is a hot topic in the sector I work in as both a product but also greenwashing aware. Policy is hard but UK have some regulations… Hello fresh is always a hard no for me. So many people I know have gotten food poisoning from using it I wouldn’t go near it!

[@MGthief26]

My two cents about hello fresh - I get the negative points about these services but i rely on those boxes quite a lot as someone who is very timepoor and would otherwise just order loads of takeaways which is not good for my health or my bank account, especially back when i was doing my masters... i do look forward to the days when i can plan my meals and spend more time making what i want because i love cooking and i live to eat

[@anawsomehuman3064]

I love this video! I often see influencers who talk about sustainable fashion but are incredibly unsustainable in other aspects of their lives (particularly constant travel and consuming loads of meat!!!) so I really appreciate you making sustainabilty content that promotes an environmentally friendly life as a whole, not just isolated aspects of it.

[@stellarsteph7]

I love you being transparent about who you won't work with and why (and how you can make these choices). For alternatives to food delivery services, I would highly suggest people research if there are any local farms that do CSA boxes (Community Supported Agriculture). I'm really lucky to live in a city with multiple options including ones that deliver, so I know it's not available to everyone. But if you can find one, it's fresh local veggies, which is great for vegan options and supports local farmers directly!

[@obnitor]

Great video! I loved the previous one you did, and this is just as good. I’m very into you adding your actual responses, both for transparency and a little bit of fun for some of them. I’m currently using wren, so i appreciate your suggestions for what to do with that money instead. And i just started on skin&me , but as you mentioned, I’m big on skincare and I have problem skin, so I believe this will actually reduce the amount of waste for me as well as take off some mental energy.

[@rebeccaw9656]

Just here to say, as a sewist, I was distracted by your puff sleeved top and wondering if it was self-made or thrifted, because I love it! Also, enjoying your education to brands (and viewers), look forward to more😊

[@iSharShar]

13:05 I feel like the "meat isn't sustainable" stance comes from a place of privilege in the Global North. The overconsumpution of meat that is contributing to climate issues is a very Western thing (from my Asian American POV). There are plenty of cultures where meat/poultry/seafood consumption is done sustainably and ethically, and a vegan diet is not financially possible everywhere. I totally agree the recipe options are shite from HelloFresh, but the packaging is a bigger issue than the sourcing of ingredients. They do try to source locally, and I've definitely had times where they sent me replacement ingredients or refunded me for a meal that wasn't sent with all the exact components listed on their site. I kinda wish they would take the reusable container route that Sunbasket does instead of sending me plastic packets of spices and condiments.

[@fuzzycatbutts]

You cannot ethically kill animals.

[@silliepixie]

I appreciate how thoughtful you are about brand sponsorships. Thank you!

[@becca2525]

These videos are so interesting! Grubby is a vegan recipe box service I used for a while - they were delivered by bike courier (at least where I live in London) and did seem to be trying to use minimal packaging, but did still have e.g. 1 tablespoon of soy sauce in an individual plastic pot, because that's all you needed for the recipe. Nice recipes, though, and I kept the recipe cards so am still making some of them but buying the ingredients myself.

[@AmyNorthLight]

You are an inspiration. Thanks!

[@leenanorms]

Aw thank you Amy!

[@OBecs]

Skin+Me changed my life. Waiting for an NHS appointment for a derm, getting the appt cancelled, and then putting back on the list all whilst being in PAIN with acne was my very real nightmare. This is affordable. I got to have a remote appointment with a derm. I actually work in refillables, and it's really not that simple for certain items, especially something like this, which can involve antibiotics and strong acids that can hurt your eyes. This feels very...one note? As a critique? Sorry! Just my opinion as someone who has spent 10 years in the sustainable industry.

[@corinneflorentino9874]

Leena - the last one got me thinking. I would LOVE a video on what charities you’d recommend to donate to for climate action. This is an area where I want to get more involved financially but I don’t know where to start!

[@eternalenigma1628]

Last year my ex got some Hello Fresh meals from her mom and we took them home. They were honestly delicious- taste wise, would do again, since I can’t cook to save my life. But I was disgusted by the amount of waste in every meal from the food being individually packaged (even things like a few herbs being packed in plastic). They also promote that they’re saving food waste, but I literally work in food waste and I have seen how having a fridge full of prepped meals doesn’t stop people from leaving them there until they rot while they get takeout instead. Anyway I would love to hear Lena’s thoughts on Imperfect Foods/Misfits Market- are they actually saving food that would otherwise be thrown out?

[@nathaliesluijs765]

Applause for Leena! I am so glad you do your due diligence with sponsors ❤ so many influencers don't and it makes me sad. I've heard horrible stories about better help and so many ppl promote it, cuz it's big bucks for them. Or recently Temu -.- I mean come on. Glad you protect your integrity and thoroughly research sponsors. Thank you so much

[@anticapitalisthomedesign]

thank you for this! i’m at the beginning of my content creator journey and i love seeing other creators who intentionally and ethically choose who they work with.

[@GhostsOfThings]

Oh boy - I got 3 weeks of hello fresh during the pandemic as kind of a pick-me-up treat. Every single week there was either product missing or product that had expired 💀

[@zoeziebee]

I love that I can know if you promote something, you actually mean what you’re saying about them. I trust barely any influencer ads and it kinda makes me feel icky often

[@yael9455]

The whole concept of this video is spicy 🌶️ and I enjoyed it immensely

[@zuai]

It's not a meal kit service but I defo recommend it as an online ready meal thing - I use Planty which is a vegan frozen ready meal service that put a fair amount of effort into sustainability. I view it as a "good not perfect / lower impact than a takeaway / better than forgetting to eat" type deal ❤

[@Julia-lk8jn]

This was such fun to watch, and it really speaks for you that you're thinking about whom you are, and aren't, promoting. That ''become a Scottish Laird or Lady'' one is a scary good example; it's amazing how Outlander and other tv-shows have romanticized the whole clan / Laird / Lady think in our heads; so many influencers which I consider intelligent, educated, thoughtful people not only promoted it but got fully into that ''yay, I'm a Laird now'' spiel. Shout-out to Ryan George, btw, for not jumping on that band wagon.

[@ebsnotebook]

Recycling normalizes capitalism. I saw this recently and it got me thinking a lot... If we make recycling something to swear by and an end-all, be-all solution to consumption, then we stop thinking about the problems with consumption as we know it today. Maybe that's an extra argument to send to a brand that promotes itself as "sustainable" because they recycle :) P.s. Loved this video format with visual thingies on the screen like brand names and emails and a cute presentation design!

[@perfchan]

this is so so so refreshing. thank you for making this kind of content. There's been quite a few influencers who I used to watch when I was younger that I've since unsubbed from - it becomes increasingly clear how values just don't align. I appreciate you

[@locallygrownalien9194]

love the power point format leena!

[@fleurdalizee6]

I'm really happy you give us some insight into your decision process. It's nice to know how consistent you are but I also think we - the not influencers - do benefit from this to maybe become more aware of the consumption decisions we make on a daily basis and how they don't always reflect our values. Of course, consuming ethically is very hard if you're not rich and have a life.. but still!

[@annah7648]

I have never tried allplants (not a meal kit box, but ready-meals) as they’re only available in the UK, but I believe they’re totally vegan and have a huge variety of options, most of which look honestly quite nice. They regularly have discount codes, so if you’re going to try them I would wait until you can use one. The issue of shipping and packaging very much still stands, so I suppose this is just in case people are looking for options because supermarkets and cooking is difficult for them.

[@LL-pp5uo]

The way you respond to these companies is brilliant 😁 also love the style of this video. Very proud to be a friend of the channel ☀️

[@jannekebrouwers6342]

My food comes from my own garden or a groceries box from a local and biological farmers association. The box can be picked up from a local pick-up point. I would advise anyone to look into local options first. I understand the transport issue of boxes, but supporting big supermarket chains is not much better really compared to companies as Hello Fresh.

[@mydoggotshavedtoday]

CSA or going to a local farm and buying meat is more sustainable than buying a bunch of processed vegan food from a large grocery chain

[@helenapflaum6800]

@@mydoggotshavedtoday Nope, go read Our World in Data's visualization report on meat substitutes and meat's impact. Eating plant based regardless of where those plants are coming from has been proven (Poore and Newman's study on 38,000 farms) is one of the most, if not the most sustainable thing an individual can do. Please educate yourself on meat's impact on animals, indigenous people, and zoonotic diseases, it hurts us all.

[@dottiewi661]

Vegan food doesn’t have to be processed… protein can come from lentils, beans etc. Also local meat, doesn’t necessarily mean, that the animals are treated any better or that the food they get fed doesn’t include soy grown in Brazil etc.

[@JellyStones42]

So interesting! I’ve used hello fresh before (as a vegetarian (and vegan less than half the time)) and their veggie options were delicious, I tried some vegan meals which were really good too (they have about 40-50 decent looking options when i’ve looked) however the boxes are actually really expensive and i’ve found it cheaper to just go back to normal food shopping in the shop & cooking… Also felt bad for the added guilt and carbon usage of transport involved in shipping each ingredient around to get to my door in a box every single week 🤔

[@matildadevere785]

The reply to the land buying company was my absolute favourite! 😂 I didn’t even know that was a business and am horrified to think such a thing exists!

[@kathyh8047]

yeah as some other people have said I really liked HelloFresh for the choosing of meals but got annoyed by the tiny packages and the price. And some time after I cancelled I actually got some gut problems that would have meant that none of the meals would have been safe to eat for my newly sensitive system. ..on some level I'd actually love a service that would give me meal options based on my restrictions, and I just choose however many I'll actually be able to make that week. Maybe even choose which ingredients I'll still need, but for the most part I am able to do grocery shopping. Could also be good if there's synergies between the meals, i.e. buying a sack of potatoes that week and not having them sit around for ages because you're using them for two or three meals!

[@graceleathers5970]

I respect your integrity Leena, so many folks just take the money (and I’m not bashing them, the cost of living is crazy) but I appreciate that you’re in a position where you can say no and that’s awesome

[@emmajoseph2603]

Really interesting video. Wish more channels were this transparent. The only one of these I do use and rate is Skin and Me. My skin has really bad flare ups due to PCOS and using this has made me feel comfortable going makeup free. I now don’t spend stupid money every month trying new products which is also less wasteful in terms of product and packaging, I also use way less makeup so on an individual basis I’d say this has really benefitted me.

[@GrungeGalactica]

I’m so envious of your ability to write slick af emails. Love it 😂 turning something/someone down and communicating it effectively is so hard. I’m learning that saying “No.” and sticking to/stating personal boundaries clearly boundaries, is so empowering. Also I’m SO sick of hf attacking my retinas with their constant presence in ads & creator sponsorships 🙈 tried them using a creator’s discount, with the hope of there being tasty vegan options for January. They make you pay first before you can even browse their full menu!? Even in veganuary their vegan/vegetarian selection was poor plus I kept trying to cancel and they sent me two more boxes. Ended up having to cancel through direct debit 🙈

[@rachelalicee]

This was enough to get me to subscribe to you. LOVE how ethical and open you are, it's refreshing! ❤

[@amyisbored27]

We used Hello Fresh twice when my mum had some free meal vouchers, I paid £5 for postage and got a weeks meals for free. The food was fine and fairly easy, definitely wouldn’t pay normal prices for it but if you can get free food off of them go for it lol

[@scottrobinson4611]

I respect and appreciate your honesty and ethical approach to brand deals. I tried Hello Fresh on the 50% off promo offer, which made it slightly cheaper than buying my own groceries - Otherwise it was nearly 2x what I'd pay for the same ingredients in Tesco. The food was good and the recipes were interesting enough, but there was obviously a lot of packaging for a relatively small quantity of food. My main issue was that cancelling the subscription wasn't straightforward. For like 2 weeks I wasn't able to cancel the next month's box, the button was greyed out. I could only delay it for a number of months, until eventually the option to cancel became clickable.

[@billyb7852]

I use Riverford Organics Veg boxes, though I do live in Devon. I haven’t thought much about the delivery because I figure it’s better than buying from supermarkets and the ingredients are seasonal and fresher. I would recommend it, though I think they only serve the Southwest UK and some Southern parts of Wales. But there are similar services from local farming co-ops across the UK. Riverford boxes are reusable so you can leave your packaging out for them to collect when they drop off your next box. You do have to plan your own recipes, but I honestly prefer that. I’ve got ADHD so I do all my cooking on Sundays (with my laundry) and that’s my only task for the day. Then I batch cook for the week ahead. It just makes my adulting function more simply, it makes day-to-day less stressful. I think farm-to-customer businesses are better than farm-to-supermarket.

[@UVEyal]

literally just watched your video from last year about this topic - exited to watch this one now!

[@abridgedtoofar]

Seconding calls for that podcast link about Scottish land ownership plsssss! I really do appreciate the work you put into vetting sponsors and being so careful about which ones you accept - just the brand recognition it gives some of the big names really can't be underestimated. I like to think I'm fairly resistant to being 'influenced', but repetition lends credibility and when branching into buying things you wouldn't usually (we've just moved house and are buying furniture etc), it's the things that you've heard people promoting, even without any active interest, that might spring to mind first.

[@leenanorms]

pca.st/episode/6e8c2323-1c2f-4739-96a2-8e59546abe25 xxx

[@redlady935]

Like your graphics ❤

[@maleahlock]

Every youtuber should watch this video!! I have turned down so many brand deals and it's nice to hear about another persons experience and how they respond. Excellent advice. Thank you for sharing Leena!

[@isabelnecessary5915]

Link to that podcast you mentioned about Scottish land ownership? 🙏🙏🙏

[@leenanorms]

It’s just about land ownership I think but it’s here: pca.st/episode/6e8c2323-1c2f-4739-96a2-8e59546abe25

[@amyjohnston2069]

I love you’re use of actionable suggestions in the rejection emails, what a subtle boss move. Related to sustainability - did you make your top? It’s super cute and the cut is so nice!

[@yselklahosking9084]

I have beef with Cross Country. They're really expensive, and run the only line that goes from Cornwall to Scotland, trains are old and uncomfortable too.

[@magalisart]

Hi Leena! Thank you so much for this video. I recently was approached by Trova Trip to host a Drawing Trip - I knew deep down that it would not feel right for me to do so, as their company promotes air travel and it just does not align with my personal values. Still, I had not found the courage to turn down such an opportunity. After watching this video, I sat down and just sent the email, explaining my reasons to say no to the sponsorship. It felt good!

[@mouse72x]

Weirdly Hello Fresh probably helped my vegetarian diet a lot, I'm a very picky eater and was eating a lot of quorn/linda mccartney stuff, but have since discovered how to cook with beans/lentils thanks to them. They were mostly using the referral deals so I gave them very little money if that helps 😂 agree the vegan options are terrible though. Gousto do lots of veggie meals, and a decent amount of vegan ones, plus their packaging has less plastic than HF. They are also a B Corp if that even means anything

[@CreatrixTiara]

Hello Fresh harassed me as a customer too! I did their free trial but stopped because i couldn't afford it. For YEARS afterwards they would hassle me by post and email to rejoin. Then they had the gall to CALL ME - and i cried over the phone asking them to leave me alone. It took me complaining over social media for them to buzz off.

[@KillingBiting]

What’s cool about this video is it shows you what Leena’s priorities are so clearly. Other KZbinrs I watch will talk a lot about their goals and priorities, but materially their content doesn’t look very different from everyone else’s, as far as advertising and participation in unsustainable/capitalist practices. But Leena, seemingly without trying very hard to brand herself this way, is doing the work. We can just tell she cares, tell her priorities are genuine. It’s refreshing.

[@MoominAlanna]

For the ones that keep sending requests just keep smiling see attached and attach the last email

[@justanotherpiccplayer3511]

Lol saw "scam" and "crosscountry" and was like yes when it is cheaper to fly to Manchester from the south of England than to buy a train ticket, yes _and that was 6 years ago_

[@marthapriddle5473]

The thing about hello fresh for me is that it does save me money. Even though YES, the box is more expensive then a thing of groceries, when I buy groceries, half of them go bad because I just dont have the energy to prep and portion AND cookm hello fresh cuts out two of those steps so I actually use everything in the box. And it gets me to eat an actual meal when i likely wouldnt otherwise.

[@MsRainingDays]

Lina saying she wears no foundation killed me dead. Gorgeous, are you kidding? I was eyeing your bronze look thinking Lina upped her make up game. I'm gonna go put another pimple patch on. Happy for you and your skin

[@Rumade]

Foundation is what gives you bad skin half of the time. Hands, sponges, and brushes used to paint it on harbour bacteria and spread it; and skin can be inflamed by the ingredients in it. I don't wear foundation and my skin is blemish free most of the time (dairy makes me break out though!)

[@MsRainingDays]

@@Rumade well I don't wear foundation and I'm in my thirties and my skin is constantly breaking out. Things are never that simple ;)

[@Rumade]

@MsRainingDays apologies, I didn't intend to imply that it was the main cause of it for everyone. With me my main causes are dairy and hormones, but foundation definitely breaks me out too!

[@vegangal1098]

Grubby food boxes got me through my last few months of my degree where I had no space in my brain to meal plan shop and actually cook as before I would stand in the kitchen eating a plain slice of bread. They are 100% vegan and seems to use less packaging.

[@lizlaz350]

So glad you say this! I fell for the Hello Fresh thing for a bit but as a vegetarian, the options were so limited. If you didn't like the options they gave you that week, you could swap them out but there were rarely enough veggie options to do this properly, and the same options came up week after week. So disappointing. I cancelled it because I was so bored of their vegetarian options.

[@carolineappleton3177]

I recently used All Plants, a vegan ready meal box, and was really impressed. They're still expensive and definitely still more wasteful than just cooking, but during a time of crisis they absolutely saved us in having healthy meals to eat.

[@WellWithHels]

I used to love AllPlants too! But only when I found a decent discount code 😅 I've started to make my own.... Every time I cook, bolognese or curry, I make loads and freeze portions - Life savers!! x

[@Katherout]

speaking truth to power… we love to see it

[@gardeningtheearth]

I appreciate everything that you just said especially the message about saving the planet not just for yourself but for everybody and everything else. Also, carbon offsetting shouldn’t be the first thing that people think to do to save the planet. There is quite a bit written and said about how carbon offsetting tree plantings are not actually an effective way to help the environment. Most if not all of these carbon offsetting tree plantings don’t address ecological restoration, they’re only planting monocultures of trees which is not a habitat for birds and other life forms to thrive in. Like you wouldn’t look at a field of wheat or corn and say that that’s a habitat, so why would a potential carbon offsetting customer look at rows and rows of the same tree and say that that’s a habitat, it’s not. Thank you so much for making it clear to your audience that systemic change is far more important than individual change. Getting corporations, the ultra wealthy, and governments in line is so important. From a USA, Texas fan 🌹🚲 🌎

[@jeromemckenna7102]

In the US most of the people who talk about Hello Fresh, talk up it's convenience. So, I hadn't thought of the other issues. Very good video.

[@champagnemommy]

Honesty and influencer rarely go hand in hand. Therefore based on this video I RAN 🏃‍♂️ to subscribe to your channel. Good for you! Keep up the great attitude and good things will keep coming.

[@Nico5890]

I have so much respect for you, truly. 💘

[@peggy4846]

I super appreciate the integrity and I'm honestly impressed by the number of factors you consider. The hello fresh one makes me sad, I truly wish a sustainable company that reduces food waste and meal planning was a real thing that existed.

[@naomigittus]

Have you tried OddBox? It’s a fruit and veggies box which sends out fresh produce that is in season that was excess or wonky. It says where each item is from- the farms and also suggests recipes you could try to use the produce.

[@lorieburtt592]

This was very good. I will admit that I was a bit hesitant to watch it, because I was afraid that it would be sort of complaining and trashing companies, but it wasn’t that at all. It was all honestly reasoned out, and it helps that I agree with every single one of your reasons. Although I’m a subscriber, I guess I just didn’t know you well enough yet, and now I know you a bit better, and I like you better and better, the more I learn about you. ❤

[@davidturner895]

As an alternative to hello fresh for good vegan veggie options has to be Gousto they have a pretty decent 12 or so plant based options every week with even more veggie options but I fully agree with the concerns about recycling and packaging waste with these food boxes

[@danielcrafter9349]

Second week of being with Hello Fresh my mother opened the delivery box to find the water packets used to keep the food cool had been emptied and refilled... with urine. When she complained, they explained that the driver didn't have the time to stop, so....

[@JankoWalski-hz3lu]

Omg, are you serious?

[@zuglymonster]

I want to try meal kits so badly, but the price has always stopped me. They always look so good and easy and even factor the premade meals look good. But every time I've heard advertising it's like "$75 off your first order" which tells me they're at minimum $125 per box. They're not giving you 75% off. And how much is in a box? I never bothered trying to figure it out because of bad things I've heard about them, but the ads are very tempting