I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my honest opinion on my blog. The opinions posted are my own.
Truth: As I’ve watched them gain popularity over the past several months, I’ve been very skeptical of meal delivery services. I immediately wrote them off as too expensive, not fit for my family’s size, and I just plain wasn’t interested. But when the opportunity to try a box from Green Chef came up, I decided to see if my first impressions were correct. And I discovered there actually are a few good reasons you may want to try one yourself.
1. Learn new kitchen skills. I like to think I know quite a bit about working in the kitchen. I mean, I’m even writing a cookbook all about basic cooking skills! But I still have gaps in my kitchen knowledge, and this was one thing I didn’t expect from this box of food.
I learned how to butterfly a chicken breast (which I’ve heard of many times, but never actually done). I peeled an orange with a knife and made pretty little slices, instead of just tearing the peel off and hoping for the best. I even cooked a steak, a job usually done my my husband. If you’ve been cooking for awhile, you’ll already have these skills, but if you don’t, the pictures and details on the recipe cards will give you the confidence to learn something new.
2. Try new ingredients. I don’t know about you, but when I find an ingredient or a combination that I like, I keep using it over and over and over. Some of those combinations, like peanut butter and chocolate, never get old. But sometimes, I’m ready for something new.
Brussel sprouts and a sriracha aioli? Pretty tasty with just a hint of a kick. And my cauli-rice has been pretty mediocre in the past, but the veggies and spices for the side to my Jamaican BBQ Steak were spot on. I’m saving that recipe.
3. Get a break from kitchen prep (mostly). Most of the ingredients come not only pre-portioned, but also already prepped. With each meal I usually had to do one or two things, but it was mostly dumping, mixing, and cooking.
Less chopping = meal ready faster = more time for family.
That’s a win for me. While I don’t mind spending time in the kitchen, sometimes it’s nice to have a healthy, filling meal without so much work.
photo from Green Chef website
4. Get a break from shopping. I enjoy grocery shopping…by myself. But more often than not, I’ve got a cart with two kids in it, two kids walking alongside, and about 45 minutes to grab everything on my list before we get too close to lunch time and need to be done. It’s doable, but it’s another one of those things that I don’t mind an occasional break from.
Green Chef offers two plans – a box with 3 meals for 2 people each, or a box with 2 meals for 4 people each. And there are options for six different eating styles, including gluten free and paleo. It won’t completely replace your shopping for the week, but it will make it easier.
5. Get high quality ingredients. As I mentioned before, one of my biggest turn offs for meal delivery services is the price. As a frugal mom on a budget, shopping for a large family, I have to stretch my dollars. That means making choices about meat quality, organic vs. not, and just how local of ingredients I can afford. Price is a priority.
Green Chef gives you organic meats and produce and sustainably sourced seafood. To buy all of those ingredients yourself would cost more than you’re paying for your Green Chef box. If those qualities are important to you, your perspective on the price of a box may shift.
So what did I decide?
I would actually purchase a box from a meal delivery service…sometimes.
Green Chef would be great for you if:
- You use it to replace eating out, getting a few healthier meals to cook at home for less than the price of a meal at a restaurant (and a babysitter!).
- You are in a cooking rut and want to try something new, whether that’s a new ingredient or a new flavor combination. If you enjoy the recipes, you can hop onto the Green Chef website and get the full ingredients list to purchase your own so you can make them again.
- You’re going to have a super busy week where you won’t have time to shop or time to be in the kitchen for long, but you don’t want to sacrifice healthy meals.
Green Chef might not be for you if:
- You’re used to buying in bulk, using coupons, and grabbing marked down goods. Getting the lowest price is your highest priority when shopping for food.
- You have a larger family. We tried the 3 meals for 2 people box, which just me and my husband ate, because there are six of us and our children eat like horses. The 4 person meals would not have fed all of us, and while the cost of one set of meals is doable, adding a second box would make the cost too high for us.
- You like leftovers. While each meal made a good plate for two people, the chicken dish that I saved part of for the next day did not hold up well. The crispy breading got mushy, the salad wilted, and it just wasn’t as tasty. The meals were delicious the first day, but aren’t made for reheating.
- You hate packaging. You can recycle the box and the plastic containers, and some of the other packaging is compostable. But mailing 20-30 separate ingredients is going to use a lot of packaging. There’s just no way around it.
Getting a meal delivery service is definitely going to be a decision you make for your family. But if you’d like to try it out, I have good news for you! I get to give away 3 boxes so you can try Green Chef too.
Giveaway disclosure: 3 winners will receive a coupon code good for 1 free box from Green Chef. Winners will receive a box with either 3 meals for 2 people or 2 meals for 4 people (your choice). Winner is responsible for the delivery fee of $9 (but that’s still a steal for a couple of meals!). This giveaway ends at 11:59pm PST Tuesday, February 28. 3 winners will be chosen on or around March 1. Winners have 48 hours from receiving their email to respond and claim their prizes, or new winners will be chosen.
Enter using the form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have you ever tried a meal delivery service?
I have not, but would certainly be willing to try!