Meal Kit Monday: A Review Of Green Chef
Meal kit services have been around for years, but there are so many options that it can be overwhelming to figure out which one to choose. To help cut through the noise, I tried nine different meal kits that cater to various types of home chefs so you don't have to. I'll be posting an honest review about my experience with a different meal kit every Monday.
If you're interested in signing up for a meal kit but you're not sure which one is right for you, consider Green Chef. The 100% organic company caters to people with different eating habits, from meat eaters and vegetarians to people on the keto or paleo diets. Green Chef sends ingredients and recipes straight to your door for a weekly cost and you can cancel at any time. I recently tried one week's worth of Green Chef's meals; this is what I thought.
Green Chef Details
Green Chef's meal kit prices vary depending on which of the three plans you choose: Keto + Paleo, Balanced Living or Plant-Powered. No matter what you choose, every kit contains 100% organic ingredients that have no GMOs or pesticides.
Keto + Paleo is the most expensive kit. It's catered to people who are gluten free, watching their carb intake or avoiding grains. For two people receiving three recipes per week, the kit costs $92.93, including shipping.
With meat, seafood and vegetarian options, the Balanced Living kit has the most diverse menu. It's the same price as the Plant-Powered plan, which strictly offers vegetarian and vegan recipes. For two people receiving three recipes per week, these kits cost $86.93 each, including shipping.
Customers choose from a menu of about eight or nine recipes per week, but the number of recipes varies depending on which plan you choose. All of the meal plans offered through Green Chef have a four-serving option.
Green Chef Experience
Customers aren't able to mix and match recipes from different meal plans. I opted for the plant-powered meal plan and was able to choose from a selection of eight recipes. Five of the recipes were vegan and the rest were vegetarian.
I tried the green pea falafel with tahini (vegan), teriyaki portobello rice bowls (vegan) and the butternut squash chili (vegetarian).
The box arrived in good condition and its contents were cold and fresh upon arrival. The ingredients came in their own recyclable paper bags, which kept things organized. Although some of the plastic bags holding the ingredients were recyclable, produce like cucumbers and scallions were wrapped in unnecessary plastic when they could've just been placed in the paper bag as is.
The recipe cards were large, colorful and easy to follow. Each card came with plenty of photos that gave me a clear visual of what every step of the cooking process should look like. Because most of the sauces and dressings come pre-prepared, the bulk of the cooking process is spent slicing veggies. The chopping was tedious, but overall I found that the listed recipe cook times were accurate.
In terms of taste, I found Green Chef's recipes a little underwhelming. Some of the flavor combinations didn't work well together. For example, the sweetness of the butternut squash in the chili didn't work with the Tex-Mex flavors from the roasted corn and adobo-seasoned tomatoes. I ran into a similar problem with the pineapple in the portobello rice bowls — the fruit just felt out of place.
Overall, Green Chef is a great option for people who want 100% non-GMO ingredients, healthy meals and plenty of keto, paleo, vegetarian and vegan options. But if you're more concerned about flavorful and inventive dishes and less interested in eating organic or adhering to a particular diet, Green Chef might not be for you.
For more meal kit inspiration, also see my review of Purple Carrot, Dinnerly and Blue Apron.
Disclosure: The meal kit was provided by the company, but all opinions are honest and belong solely to the reviewer.
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