Green Chef Meal Kit Review: Organic, Healthy, Delivered

Green Chef at a Glance

Since their founding in 2014, Green Chef has quickly positioned themselves as a pioneer in the organic meal kit delivery market. The company, acquired by HelloFresh in 2018, has grown significantly, serving thousands of customers across the United States. Green Chef’s mission is to provide time-saving solutions for nutritious meals while promoting sustainable eating habits.

Their commitment to organic, non-GMO, and sustainably sourced ingredients aligns with the growing consumer demand for environmentally responsible and health-conscious options.
The standout features of Green Chef include a focus on dietary diversity, offering meal plans tailored to keto, paleo, vegan, and vegetarian diets. This adaptability makes Green Chef a versatile choice for households with specific dietary needs or preferences. The service simplifies meal preparation by delivering pre-measured, high-quality ingredients with chef-crafted recipes, which is ideal for busy individuals and families who still want to enjoy home-cooked meals.

Green Chef holds USDA-certified organic status, underscoring their commitment to quality and sustainability. In addition to this, U.S. News & World Report named Green Chef the "Best Overall" meal kit delivery service for 2023/2024. Their reputation is bolstered by accreditation from the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Green Chef Features & Services

Green Chef simplifies meal kits by offering a variety of menu options to suit different dietary needs with bold flavors. They use environmentally friendly packaging and high-quality ingredients delivered right to your door. Their intention is that, with easy-to-follow recipes, cooking becomes less of a chore. Green Chef also provides extras like breakfast foods and sweet treats, allowing you to customize your meals to your liking.

Green Chef menu options

• Certified organic meal kits: Green Chef uses a wholly certified organic, non-GMO, pesticide, and antibiotic-free sourced menu, reflecting their commitment to clean, whole, healthy meals for their customers. In the cases where they are unable to source these, they say so clearly in the nutritional information, giving you the choice of what to order
• Wide range of meal options: They offer a rotating weekly menu of 47 options, giving their customers choices but also not overwhelming them with too many options
• Diet-specific meals: Green Chef offers a variety of meal plans tailored to specific dietary needs, including keto, paleo, calorie-conscious, gluten-free, protein-packed, vegan, and vegetarian options. Each meal card is tagged with dietary labels for easy identification, and users can set preferences in their Taste Profile to automatically receive meals that fit their dietary needs
• Locally sourced and seasonally rotated menus: To ensure freshness and variety, Green Chef updates their menu options frequently, incorporating seasonal, local ingredients that are at their peak. This practice not only enhances flavor but also aligns with the company’s commitment to sustainability
• Globally inspired cuisine: Reflecting diverse culinary influences, Green Chef’s menu includes globally inspired recipes, allowing customers to explore new flavors and cooking techniques from the comfort of their homes
• Customization: Customers can often choose which meals they receive each week, and customize their meals based on allergies or dietary restrictions
• Easy-to-follow recipes: They provide their customers with straightforward recipe cards, with pictures, and have meals that can be made in under 30 minutes, streamlining the cooking process. They also offer things like 10-minute lunches and pre-made meals for days when time is of the essence
• Market options: Once you become a customer, you can access their Green Market, which includes things like ready-to-cook meals, sides, salads, appetizers, healthy snacks and desserts, supplements, and nutritious drinks
• Pre-measured ingredients: Their meal ingredients come pre-measured and prepped with pre-made sauces, marinades and spice blends

Delivery features

• Flexible delivery schedules: Green Chef offers customizable delivery dates, allowing customers to choose when they receive their meals based on their schedule
• Eco-friendly: All ingredients are carefully packaged to stay fresh during transport, using environmentally friendly, recyclable materials
• Nationwide delivery: Green Chef services all contiguous states, ensuring that no matter where you live, you can enjoy their meal kits

Other features

• Subscription flexibility: Customers have the option to skip, cancel, and change deliveries as needed without penalty, provided they do this five days before their next scheduled delivery
• Mobile app integration: Green Chef’s mobile app for IOS and Android makes managing your meal plan, scheduling deliveries, and accessing recipes convenient and user-friendly
• Gift cards: Green Chef offers gift cards, making it easy to share the gift of healthy, delicious meals with friends and family
• Discounts: This company offers a generous discount to first-time customers, in addition to medical and military professionals

Green Chef Pricing & Plans

They offer a versatile range of dietician-approved recipes. Each plan can be customized by the number of meals per week, from three to four. When you sign up for a plan on their platform, you can choose from the following eight options: Mediterranean, Gut & Brain Health, Calorie Smart, Quick & Easy, Plant-Based, Protein Packed, Keto, and Gluten Free. Your plan options include the following:

• 2-person plan: This is a great option for individuals and couples looking to streamline their daily meal planning and prep
• 4-person plan: Great for small families and households who want simple and healthy meals at their convenience
• 6-person plan: This is an excellent choice for larger families who need a few days a week of easy prep and cooking

Their pricing starts at $11.99 per serving, and their shipping fee is $9.99 per delivery. They also offer promotional discounts for new customers and hero discounts for military and medical professionals.

Advantages

Green Chef stands out for a few good reasons, especially if you're trying to eat well but find it hard to fit meal prep into your busy schedule. Here's what makes Green Chef a great option:

• Supports a variety of dietary needs: This company stands out through their offerings to people with different diet plans, including options for Mediterranean, Keto, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Gut & Brain Health, Calorie Smart, Low Added Sugar, and Protein Packed, ensuring there is something for everyone
• Certified organic ingredients: As a certified organic company, Green Chef has an edge over some of their competitors when it comes to making quality meals that are good for both your health and the environment
• Variety of flavors and large weekly menu: What's nice about this company is that they offer over 47 meal options per week that vary in flavors, dietary preferences, and needs
• Dietician-certified meals and nutritional coaching: All of their meals are nutritionally approved by a registered dietitian, further emphasizing their commitment to healthy lifestyles. In addition to this, they have an in-house nutritionist who offers coaching sessions and offers a 20-minute free consultation for their customers
• Eco-friendly packaging: All of their packaging is fully recyclable
• Discounts: They offer a generous discount for new customers, including 50% plus 20% for two months. They also offer discounts to medical professionals and military personnel

Disadvantages

Green Chef has its upsides, but it's good to look at the downsides, too.

• Pricier than other options: Green Chef might not be the most wallet-friendly choice for those with big families. The price per meal tends to go up, which could end up being more expensive than other organic meal kit options
• May not be kid-friendly: While Green Chef focuses their offerings on various dietary needs, they might not always be so kid-friendly

When deciding whether this company is the best meal kit service for your needs, it is crucial to weigh the cons against the pros.

User Reviews

Green Chef has garnered varied ratings across several customer review platforms, indicating a generally favorable but mixed response. On Trustpilot, the service gets a decent rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars, while Google Reviews rates it at 3.4 out of 5 stars. Sitejabber gives them a 1.6 out of 5-star rating, and Yelp gives 2.3 out of 5 stars. Meanwhile, the BBB gives them a 1.07 out of 5 stars, although with an A+ rating. These scores reflect a broad range of customer experiences, but also indicate that the company may have more work to do to improve their services.

Ease of preparation and taste

In terms of ease of preparation and taste, many customers appreciate Green Chef for their clear and easy-to-follow recipes, which facilitate straightforward meal preparation, suitable even for novice cooks. The variety and flavor of the meals are often likened to restaurant quality, offering a delightful culinary experience at home. However, some feedback indicates that the preparation times can sometimes exceed what is advertised, especially for more elaborate recipes. Additionally, while many find the flavors appealing, others have noted that certain dishes may not always hit the mark, suggesting a variability in taste satisfaction.

Packaging and environmental friendliness

Packaging and environmental friendliness are other areas in which Green Chef has made notable efforts. The company is praised for their commitment to sustainability, using recyclable materials, and striving to minimize plastic packaging. Detailed instructions for properly disposing of packaging materials also contribute to their green credentials. Nonetheless, some customers feel that the amount of packaging could still be reduced, and there are occasional inconsistencies in the sustainability of all packaging components.

Delivery services

When it comes to delivery services, Green Chef typically scores well with reliable and timely deliveries that ensure ingredients arrive fresh and ready to use. The flexibility in scheduling deliveries is a significant advantage for customers needing to align meal kit arrivals with their personal schedules. However, the service is not without its flaws, as there have been instances of delivery delays and missing ingredients, which can disrupt the overall meal-planning process for the week.

Customer service and overall satisfaction

Customer service and overall satisfaction levels are predominantly high, with many users finding the support staff responsive and eager to resolve any issues that arise. This responsiveness enhances overall satisfaction with the service, with many users citing the convenience and quality of meals as primary reasons for their continued patronage. Despite this, some customers have encountered challenges in reaching customer service during busy periods, and issues related to subscription management or refunds have been noted as areas needing improvement.

Customer Support

For immediate queries, customers can reach out via phone support, available Monday through Friday from 6 AM to 11 PM and Saturday to Sunday from 7 AM to 7 PM EST, at (888) 236-7295. They also provide a chat option on their website that is available Monday through Sunday from 9 AM to 7 PM EST. Additionally, customers can access a comprehensive FAQ and Help Center on Green Chef’s website for answers to common questions and further support.

Is Green Chef Worth It?

Green Chef stands out in the meal delivery service market by offering a variety of unique features that cater to health-conscious consumers and environmental advocates alike. The service’s dedication to providing certified organic and sustainably sourced ingredients underscores their commitment to quality and environmental responsibility. This appeals to a broad range of customers, from those with specific dietary preferences such as keto, paleo, vegan, and vegetarian to families seeking healthier, easy-to-prepare meals.

One of their key advantages is their array of diet-specific meal plans that are not only diverse but also tailored to support various health goals and lifestyle preferences. However, despite their many benefits, Green Chef is not without drawbacks. Some customers have expressed concerns over the cost, noting that the premium for organic ingredients translates to a higher price point compared to other meal kit services. Others have pointed out the excessive packaging, which, while often recyclable, can be seen as contrary to the company’s environmental claims.

The suitability of Green Chef largely depends on individual preferences and goals. For those prioritizing organic produce, dietary specificity, and convenience, Green Chef is an excellent choice. However, for budget-conscious consumers or those who prefer minimal packaging, other services might be more appropriate.

Visit our reviews page of the best meal delivery services to explore all the options available and find one that best meets your specific needs. You can use our comparison tool to evaluate different companies to help you make an informed decision. Our blog page also offers many helpful articles for additional information about these services.