“While the best meal delivery services can certainly be game-changing tools for those limited on time or in need of a refreshed weekly menu, I always stress the importance of selecting a meal subscription made with minimally-processed ingredients to maximize your cuisine’s health impact,” states Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, MS, RDN, LD. For athletes who value locally-sourced, organic ingredients and prefer to prepare their meals over microwave-ready dishes, Green Chef can be a worthwhile service. This meal kit subscription emphasizes high-quality goods that may be less available through traditional grocery shopping, and each recipe card is loaded with nutritional information to ensure your dish of choice is aligned to your dietary needs.
In our opinion, Green Chef meals can be excellent for athletes that value quality over quantity. Each dish is flavorful and nutrient-dense, but the maximum weekly order is 24 servings, which may be too few for those with large appetites or multi-person households. In this Green Chef review, our team of experts examined the full range of this popular meal subscription, using our supplement testing methodology to explore and rate Green Chef’s meal variety, portion sizes, taste, required prep, and more — similar to our trials with over 45 other meal delivery services. Ready to put a refreshing spin on your weekly meals? Let’s get into our findings.
Green Chef offers over 80 meal and market items weekly, with most recipes featuring locally-sourced, certified organic ingredients. Plus, the easy-to-follow recipe cards can help you fine-tune your skill set in the kitchen without much challenge or stress.
Medical disclaimer: The content on BarBend is meant to be informative in nature, but it should not be taken as medical advice. The opinions and articles on this site are not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, and/or treatment of health problems. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before beginning a new fitness, nutritional, and/or supplement routine. Individual needs for vitamins and minerals will vary.
Main Takeaways
- Your Green Chef subscription gives you access to a high-quality mix of pre-portioned meal kits, heat-and-eat dishes, and à la carte extras like side dishes and snacks with costs listed at $11.99 per serving.
- While Green Chef’s menu is filled with over 80 à la carte and meal options each week, you’re limited to just four recipes per order across a maximum 24 servings.
- Most Green Chef meal kits utilize locally-sourced, organic ingredients, but some may contain non-organic goods as a result of inventory issues (Green Chef is upfront when this occurs, though).
Green Chef Specs
| Price Per Serving | $11.99 |
| Meal Service Type | Meal kit, Prepared meals |
| Menu Options Per Week | Rotating menu of over 80 entrées and market items |
| Servings Per Week | Up to 24 |
| Available Meal Preferences | Mediterranean, Keto, Protein Packed, Calorie Smart, Plant-Based, Quick & Easy, Gluten-Free, Gut & Brain Health |
| Delivery Range | Contiguous United States |
| Some Meals We’ve Tried | Monterey Jack Cheese-smothered Chicken with Mushrooms & Squash, Chicken Burrito Bowl, Egg White Bites, Breakfast Sandwiches |
Green Chef’s focus is to provide athletes with healthy meals consisting of some of the most nutrient-dense foods out there. The service’s menu features an array of pre-portioned meal kits, heat-and-serve dishes, and à la carte items that can be perfect for midday snacking or extra sides come dinnertime. In our experience, though, the assortment of Green Chef meal kits is larger than the prepared variety.
Each weekly order can contain up to 24 servings, or up to six servings of four different meal selections. This can be a worthwhile number for a number of household sizes, but may be too limited in terms of variety when it comes to eating the same cuisine multiple times per week. “If you’re following a specific diet, such as plant-based or gluten-free, you may also be more limited in your available options,” notes our tester. However, all the nutritional information for each Green Chef meal is well-detailed online as well as the included physical recipe card — a must-have if you need to be on the lookout for known allergens like nuts, soy, and dairy.
Ingredient-wise, Green Chef goods are (mostly) USDA-certified organic and sourced from local U.S. farmers. Given fluctuations in inventory, though, your weekly menu may include non-organic produce or meats. In our experience, though, Green Chef is quick to alert you of such situations, just as a convenient head’s up before it comes time to slice and dice into a nightly serving.
You also have the option to customize your pre-portioned meal kits with substitute ingredients, which can be beneficial in making the most nutritious profile for your health needs and preferences. Studies report that meal delivery services can be a positive resource for improved health and nutrient consumption, so having some flexibility in the ingredient department can be excellent for maintaining a high level of performance. (1) Be mindful, though, that these alterations only apply to Green Chef meal kits — you cannot swap ingredients across the brand’s pre-made meal options.
Packaging-wise, our tester states that all delivered goods are securely shipped with ample ice packs to retain crispiness and freshness. “I even missed my delivery window slightly, and while some of the ice packs had begun to thaw, all of my produce and meats were well kept and free of any spoilage,” our tester adds. We’ll also note that Green Chef offers a comprehensive guide to recycling the packaging materials online — a testament to the brand’s commitment to sustainability.
Finally, Green Chef entrées can be ordered for $11.99 per serving regardless of your order quantity. While this price point is somewhat high in comparison to some of the other best healthy meal delivery services, you do need to realize that organic produce and meats do not come cheap. In our opinion, the reassurance of fresh, locally-sourced goods is worth the extra pennies at the end of the week.
Who Should Use / Who Shouldn’t Use Green Chef
“Not all meal delivery services are cut from the same cloth,” states Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, MS, RDN, LD. Accordingly, while Green Chef may be a worthwhile pick for your personal needs and wants, others may find solace in a different subscription. Below, we’ve outlined a handful of camps that may fare well with Green Chef’s offerings along with some groups that could prefer a different subscription model to support their dietary preferences.
Recommended for:
- Athletes wanting a meal kit delivery service that prioritizes certified organic ingredients
- Meal kit enthusiasts that prefer to prepare their meals rather than reheat pre-made dishes in an oven or microwave
- Households that can be satiated by a maximum 24 number of servings each week
Not Recommended for:
- Busy individuals that cannot sacrifice up to an hour each night to prepare a home-cooked meal
- Those wanting an efficient menu ordering process that caters to specific dietary needs
- Budget-minded athletes looking for a meal delivery service under $11.99 per serving
Our Experience Using Green Chef
The BarBend team is made up of competitive athletes, certified personal trainers, nutrition coaches, and lifelong fitness enthusiasts. Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of testing and trialing some of the best vegan meal delivery services, budget-friendly meal delivery services, meal subscriptions for weight loss, and other specialized bundles. As was the case with over 45 of these subscriptions, our tester examined Green Chef in accordance with our supplement testing methodology, scoring the meal kits and prepared dishes on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest) in key categories including, ease of prep, meal variety, ingredient quality, and taste, among others. Below are some of our key findings that came forth in our honest review.
Meal Variety
According to our tester, Green Chef’s recipes offer a good mix of different tastes and cuisines, and we appreciate the fact that the menu rotates weekly for an extra sense of variety. “I rate the variety at 4 out of 5, though, since some categories were a little sparser than others,” they note. “For example, athletes following a vegan diet may feel limited in terms of their menu options. However, there is plenty of room to customize recipes to your liking.”
When you select a Green Chef meal kit, you do have the option to substitute ingredients as you please. You can select a meat-based dish, for instance, and alter the protein source to one of the top plant sources of protein without much challenge. “This is where I view Green Chef’s value lies,” notes our tester. “The amount of customizations essentially gives you open range across the assortment of cuisines.” That said, though, we note that Green Chef doesn’t cater to specific diet types, so it’s still a good idea to read through all available nutritional information prior to adding a meal to your cart.
Taste
Taste is a major factor in any consumable nutrition product — there’s a reason we have an entire round-up dedicated to the best-tasting protein powders. Thankfully, Green Chef delivers in this department with a variety of meals filled to the brim with flavors and freshness. “Admittedly, the meal kits are more flavorful given the freshness at-hand across the fruits and veggies,” says our tester, who rates the taste at 4 out of 5. “My only complaint is that some ingredients were less than proportionate to what the recipe called for. This did limit certain flavors and overall portions, but I’m more than happy to save the recipe cards and give each dish another go the next time I hit my local grocery store.”
Prep Time
Studies report that more time spent in food preparation can lend itself to higher diet quality and improved intake of vegetables, lean proteins, and other wholesome ingredients. (2) However, while we’d all love to spend hours crafting the perfect meal each night, that simply cannot be the case with certain schedules. While Green Chef certainly adds some convenience to the traditional grocery shopping experience, we do admit that the prep can be seen as strenuous on occasion.
Our tester scores the ease of preparation at a modest 3 out of 5 given the intricacies at play with certain dishes. “While I appreciate the easy instructions featured in each recipe card, you will need to post up for some extended period in the kitchen, typically managing a handful of pots and pans at once,” they note. “Cook times are typically under an hour and clean-up is manageable, but this may be too much of an undertaking for some, especially those with less experience cooking home-cooked cuisines.”
Thankfully, though, the recipe cards do give you all the information needed for a proper meal, even listing the required cookware. Of course, too, there are pre-made options available that can be a worthwhile substitute for your Green Chef box, but again, our tester notes that flavors can be sometimes lacking with the microwave-ready dishes.
Portion Sizes
While our tester states that portions were generally filling enough to support their wellness goals, there were some instances with smaller ingredients that led to less-than-satiating dishes. “On these occasions, I felt peckish soon after my meal,” they note in reference to their 4-out-of-5 portion rating. “I attribute this more so to the ingredient sizing rather than the meal itself, though, so it’s not a major callout of mine.”
Value
Eating healthy on a budget is possible with a meal delivery service, but unfortunately, that perk can begin to dwindle when it comes to specialized subscriptions like Green Chef. Given the focus on locally-sourced, certified organic ingredients, you do need to pay a little more for this meal kit company — $11.99 per serving, to be exact. As such, we rate the value at a modest 3 out of 5.
This isn’t to say, though, that savings aren’t available across the Green Chef website. “My first box was discounted to a lower total, which I felt was a great benefit as I grew accustomed to the certified organic meal kits,” adds our tester. “I urge anyone interested in Green Chef to take advantage of such deals — think of it as a trial period similar to what you’d experience with some of the best workout apps.”
What to Consider Before Subscribing to Green Chef
Whether you’re considering Green Chef as a convenient method to support a new type of diet or just want to spice up your regular nutrition regimen with organic, fresh ingredients, there are some factors worth pondering over before finalizing your subscription. Read below to get a glimpse into which areas of concern should be present when seeking out a new meal delivery service.
- Menu Options: Naturally, you’ll want to select a meal subscription with an array of available dishes and tastes, but Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, MS, RDN, LD adds, “Meal delivery subscriptions can be beneficial for those with strict dietary needs, as well.” For example, if you prefer to dine on vegetarian meals or need certified gluten-free cuisines to align with any allergies or sensitivities, do your best to browse through the available menu and ensure you’ll have some options to whip up each night without much overlap.
- Ingredient Quality: “As a dietitian, I’m always a fan of meal services that are transparent with their offerings,” notes Bourgeois. “Look for meal kits that prioritize high-quality ingredients such as minimally-processed fruits and veggies, lean proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. When considering a prepared meal service, be on the lookout for added sugars and sodium levels, as many brands may overload cuisines to improve their taste and shelf life.”
- Preparation Needs: Every schedule is different, and while the taste and quality of pre-portioned meal kits are commonly elevated over prepared heat-and-serve varieties, they may not be feasible under certain time constraints. Think about how much time you can comfortably afford in the kitchen and look for a meal delivery service that accommodates such schedules. We also recommend taking your in-kitchen skill set into consideration — if your cooking skills are limited to your best shaker bottle, it may not be wise to subscribe to a service calling for intermediate stovetop knowledge or cutlery experience.
- Price Per Serving: Studies report that the average home-cooked meal can cost roughly $4.23 per serving. (3) While most meal delivery services will be above this metric in terms of price, you do need to factor in the convenience and outside savings that arise from fewer trips to the grocery store and less time spent rearranging orders given a lack of access to key ingredients. Take a look at your personal finances, set a budget, and try to find a meal kit service that aligns with these numbers.
Green Chef Vs. Competitors
Variety is the spice of life, and there’s no shortage of options when it comes to meal delivery services in today’s day and age. As such, it can be difficult to truly know if a service is the perfect fit for your personal needs and wants. Below, we’ve compiled key specs for two popular meal delivery services we feel stack up well in comparison to Green Chef — Home Chef and Dinnerly.
| Green Chef | Home Chef | Dinnerly | |
| Price Per Serving | $11.99 | Starting at $9.99 | Starting at $5.99 |
| Meal Service Type | Meal kit, Prepared meals | Meal kit, Prepared meals | Meal kit, Prepared meals |
| Menu Options Per Week | Rotating menu of over 80 entrées and market items | Rotating menu of over 100 entrées and add-ons | Rotating menu of over 100 entrées |
| Servings Per Week | Up to 24 | Up to 36 | Up to 24 |
| Available Meal Preferences | Mediterranean, Keto, Protein Packed, Calorie Smart, Plant-Based, Quick & Easy, Gluten-Free, Gut & Brain Health | Protein-Packed, Calorie-Conscious, Carb-Conscious, Mediterranean, Keto-Friendly, Gluten-Smart, Pescatarian, Vegetarian | Gluten-Free, Low-Calorie, Low-Carb, Picky Eater Approved, Quick & Easy, Vegetarian |
| Delivery Range | Contiguous United States | Contiguous United States | Contiguous United States |
| Some Meals We’ve Tried | Monterey Jack Cheese-smothered Chicken with Mushrooms & Squash, Chicken Burrito Bowl, Egg White Bites, Breakfast Sandwiches | Acapulco-style Steak Quesadillas with Cheddar-Jack Cheese, Lemon & Herb Chicken with Pesto Butter & Ratatouille, Korean-style Fried Chicken with Cheesy Corn | Beef Stir-Fry in Garlic Sauce, Turkey Taquitos, Pastrami-Crusted Steak with Everything Bagel Potato |
As one of our favorite meal kit companies, Home Chef offers a robust menu each week with order quantities capable of feeding a family of six. We also enjoy the ample portion sizes that, according to our tester, provide excellent satiety while still supporting a range of dietary needs. Green Chef may be a better option for those wanting ultra-fresh ingredients, though, as we’ve had multiple instances where Home Chef orders arrived with wilted or bruised goods.
Dinnerly can be an ideal option for budget-minded athletes with costs per serving starting at roughly $5.99. Like Green Chef, the weekly rotating menu features both meal kits and prepared dishes that can cater to different schedule constraints. We prefer the eco-friendly packaging of Green Chef, though, that has each ordered recipe separated by paper bags. With Dinnerly, our tester states that every ingredient is tossed into a single cardboard box, which requires some reorganization once you open up your parcel at the beginning of the week.
Places to Buy Green Chef
You can purchase and manage your Green Chef account directly on the brand’s retail site. Here, you can select your weekly meals, manage your preferred delivery day, and make any substitutions for plant-powered dishes or different meat-based proteins. Be mindful, though, that Green Chef’s delivery range is limited to the contiguous United States, meaning athletes in Alaska or Hawaii may be out of luck.
Customer Experience and Brand Reputation
According to our tester, ordering and managing your Green Chef account is simple and straightforward thanks to the simplified user interface online. “You can easily skip meals from week to week, and I had no trouble navigating the menus for meal selections,” they add. However, we score the account management at 3 out of 5 since cancelling the certified organic meal kit called for multiple prompts and urges to keep with the subscription. “Green Chef works if the customers are loyal, so I can see why the process is long-winded,” notes our tester. “It would be nice, though, if the protocols weren’t as challenging.”
In terms of customer responses online, Green Chef holds pretty positive marks with a 4.1-out-of-5 rating based on over 1,800 online responses. “Meals came on time for my delivery date and everything was fresh,” states one positive customer review. “Delicious and healthy meal kits that are easy to make.”
Our Final Verdict on Green Chef
Green Chef can be an excellent meal delivery service for athletes seeking high-quality, certified organic ingredients across a well-rounded assortment of meal kits and prepared dishes. While the price point may be too rich for some budgets, we do feel the locally-sourced goods and well-detailed recipe cards make up for the extra expenses. Just be sure to think through your schedule each week prior to confirming your order, as some recipes can call for some extra attention in the kitchen.
When considering a meal delivery subscription for your wellness routine, it can be wise to think about your food preferences and whether the available menu is capable of pleasing your palate each night. Some services also focus on prepared meals that can be conveniently reheated in an instant, whereas others call for some kitchen experience to craft mouth-watering, nutritious cuisines. Be sure to look at price points, too, and ensure that your newfound subscription is within your financial comfort zone. Follow these tips and your next plate could very well be loaded with convenience and flavor.
Green Chef Review FAQs
Is Green Chef a good meal plan?
Classifying Green Chef as a “good” meal plan can be subjective from one athlete to the next. In our opinion, this meal subscription service can be excellent for those wanting locally-sourced, organic ingredients as well as athletes that prefer the taste and freshness of pre-portioned meal kits over prepared offerings.
How much does Green Chef cost?
Green Chef costs can vary depending on your order quantity, but each serving is listed at $11.99. The brand does offer select discounts, though, for new subscribers, so you may be able to snag a deal on your first box.
Is it hard to cancel Green Chef?
According to our tester, cancelling a Green Chef subscription is a multi-layered process that will call for you to answer different prompts prior to cancellation.
References
- Dobiecka, D. P., Markiewicz-Żukowska, R., Socha, K., & Naliwajko, S. K. (2025). New dietary trends—meal kit delivery services as a source of nutrients: A scoping review. Nutrients, 17(7), 1154. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11990246/
- Monsivais, P., Aggarwal, A., & Drewnowski, A. (2014). Time spent on home food preparation and indicators of healthy eating. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 47(6), 796–802. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4254327/
- Maggiolo, N. S. (2024, October 31). The cost of eating out vs eating in by State. The Cost of Eating Out vs Eating In by State. https://www.topnutritioncoaching.com/blog/cost-of-eating-out-vs-eating-in
