Folks, it’s confession time. Sure, I’ve got my strengths–but my wife and kids will be the first to tell you that culinary greatness isn’t one of them. But about six months ago, I discovered Green Chef, a meal delivery service that’s helped me totally transform my dinner-making game. 

Now, I know some of you are thinking, “I’ve tried meal deliveries before and they just weren’t great.” Trust me, I get it. I’ve had the same experience with other meal services in the past. That’s part of why I decided to create my own Green Chef review. 

I’ll walk you through what Green Chef is, how it’s different from other meal delivery services, and everything else you need to know to decide if it’s right for your family. I’ll even help you try it out for yourself at a major discount. Just sign up through my partner link to score up to $180 worth of Green Chef discounts.

What Is Green Chef?

Green Chef is a meal delivery service that’s designed to take the hassle out of eating healthy, organic meals. Each week, you can choose from a menu of over 80 different meals that cater to a wide range of diets and tastes. 

Once your order is in, Green Chef will deliver all the ingredients and recipes you need right to your door. Short on time? No problem. Green Chef also offers a selection of “Quick & Easy” meals on each menu. They’re great for nights when you need something you can heat up in under five minutes. 

Green Chef’s Best Features 

Now for the real question. What makes Green Chef different from the countless other meal services out there? Glad you asked! I’ll do my best to answer here in the “pros” section of my Green Chef review. 

Commitment to Quality Ingredients

We’ve all had those weeks. Between work, school, and family activities (any other parents doing travel soccer?), sometimes juggling everything starts to feel like a losing battle. Those are the moments when drive-thru windows start to look a lot easier than heading to the grocery store for high-quality ingredients. 

That’s where Green Chef comes in. Their meal delivery service is designed to make sure the healthy option is also the least time-consuming. Each meal kit you receive comes fully stocked with everything you need to make a healthy meal. 

You’ll always get fresh, organic eggs and produce, as well as protein that was raised using high animal welfare standards. You can even choose to stick exclusively to organic protein or wild-caught seafood, usually for a small upcharge or around $2-$3 per meal.

Quick and Fool-Proof Recipes

Personally, my favorite thing about Green Chef is how much it’s helped me step up as a spouse and father. In the past, there wasn’t much my wife wouldn’t do to avoid the risk of me “helping” in the kitchen. 

But I’m grateful to report that Green Chef has helped me retire my old noodle surprise recipe once and for all. Not only do Green Chef’s meals come with easy-to-follow directions, but they also only take about 30 minutes to complete. Trust me, if they’re fool-proof enough to turn me into a culinary rockstar, there’s hope for anyone!

Pause or Cancel Any Time

Don’t let fear of commitment stop you from taking Green Chef for a test drive–you can sign up with no long-term commitments. You can cancel your subscription or modify your number of servings any time, as long as you do it at least five days before your next box is set to arrive.    

Going on a dream vacation or business trip? No problem, just skip a week and pick right back up when you return. 

User-Friendly Design

While Green Chef offers over 80 meal options per week, they’ve also found ways to keep the menus from feeling overwhelming. Each week, your menu will auto-select meals based on your preferences. But you can always swap them out for other options anytime before your box ships. 

Just press the “Edit Meals” button to see the full list of menu choices for a week. Then, narrow them down by selecting categories like “keto, protein-plus, vegan, calorie-smart, etc.” There’s also a “sort and filter” option you can use to rule out meals with ingredients like wheat, nuts, or milk.

Overall Transparency 

Last but not least, I love how Green Chef takes the guesswork out of grocery shopping. The weekly menus show a picture card of each completed meal, along with its calorie content and how long it takes to make. 

You can also click on any card to see more nutritional information and a full list of the ingredients that will come with your shipment. It’ll even give you a look at the cooking directions, so you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into.

Things to Consider

As you may have guessed by now, I’m super into Green Chef. But I also realize it may not be for everyone! That’s why no true Green Chef review would be without a list of potential drawbacks worth considering.

May or May Not Be Budget Friendly

Whether or not Green Chef will end up saving you money really depends on your family’s eating habits. While it will almost always be less expensive than eating at restaurants, it may be more expensive than shopping at the grocery store. 

The reason I say “may be” is because Green Chef only includes the exact amount of each ingredient you’ll need for each meal. The good news is that you won’t have to buy a full bottle of a certain seasoning when you only need a tablespoon. 

The downside is that you won’t have any leftover ingredients that you can use for future meals. That said, if you’re looking to try new recipes without unnecessary waste, Green Chef can be a cost-effective way to go about it. 

Don’t have a budget? Check out our best budget apps for families list!

Stay Upcharge-Aware

When you’re browsing the menus, stay on the lookout for add-ons and upcharge opportunities. Some of them even come in the form of certain “chef select” meal options, which can cost up to $10 more. 

Others are optional add-ons like protein shakes or breakfast items. Don’t get me wrong, if you’re planning a staycation or just don’t want to worry about breakfast for a week, they may be worth it once in a while. Just don’t get add-on happy and accidentally end up going over budget.  As we all know, online shopping and purchases can play tricks on our heads if we’re not prepared.

The Waste Factor

I’ll start by saying that Green Chef does an amazing job of staying as eco-friendly as possible. Almost all their packaging is recyclable– from the cardboard boxes they use for shipping to the insulation inside. Even the ice packs they use are filled with soluble, non-toxic gel. 

Unfortunately, there’s no way around the fact that meal delivery services result in a lot of trash. This may not be a huge deal if your city offers curbside recycling. Otherwise, just be aware that it may take a little extra work to curb your carbon footprint. 

Final Thoughts on Green Chef Review

★★★★★

Overall, I don’t hesitate to give Green Chef an enthusiastic 5/5 star review. Over the past six months, it’s helped us cut the confusion out of dinner time, all while treating our family to delicious, healthy recipes. 

While not all meal delivery services are worth their price tag, Green Chef is one of the few I believe are well worth the money. Want to try it out for yourself? Sign up through my partner link and get up to $180 worth of discounts! 

You’ll be able to try several boxes at a deep discount, so you can decide if it’s the right choice for your family.

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