Green Chef in a Nutshell

Founded in 2014, Green Chef distinguishes itself by using USDA-certified organic ingredients and catering to specialized Keto, Protein Packs, Vegan, and Gluten-free diets. Green Chef also supports local farms and craft economies and works to ensure sustainable practices and high standards for all their food.

What’s on the Menu?

The weekly menu includes 17 recipes that each take about 30 minutes to cook. Green Chef’s menu plans offer 17 weekly recipes and usually around 10 specifically for each of the three categories: 

• Keto & Protein Packs with gluten & grain free meals offering diversity on a low carb diet
• Balanced Living offers the widest variety of options, including some from the other categories
• Plant-Powered for vegan and vegetarian options 

You can also choose to select meals based labels like Mediterranean, Fast & Fit and Gluten-Free

Sample Recipe 1:

 Chicken & Creamy Zucchini Noodles with roasted red peppers, peas, Parmesan, & Italian herbs 

This recipe covers three categories: Keto, Gluten-free, and Mediterranean. It has a 25 minute cook time and serves 2. Green Chef provides both calorie and carb counts on the recipe card for Keto meals, in this case 710 calories and 10 grams of net carbs. 

Green Chef lists the box ingredients with measurements for a 2 person serving (you will need to double them for 4). They also indicate what you will need from your own kitchen, in this case: butter, oil, salt & pepper, plus an assortment of tools like a peeler and measuring spoons. 

The recipe is broken into 5 simple steps. Download the recipe card to see the images of each step that visually summarize the instructions. 

Each step has clear instructions like: 

• “Trim ends off zucchini; discard. Peel lengthwise, forming long ribbons; discard seedy cores.” 
• “Add creamy mushroom broth and about 1 tablespoon water to hot pan. Simmer 3-4 minutes, or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.”

The recipe even clarifies to the home cook customers that the color of the product might differ from the photo.

Sample Recipe 2:

Thai Veggie Peanut Curry with coconut-lime rice, bell pepper, edamame, kale, snap peas

This recipe falls under the Vegan and Gluten Free categories. It has a 25 minute cook time and serves 2. 

Green Chef provides a list of ingredients in the box with amounts for a 2 person serving (you will need to double them for 4), what you will need to get from your own kitchen, and a list of potential allergens.

The recipe is broken into 6 simple steps with accompanying images, detailed instructions, and helpful notes.

All ingredients are in bold text to see more clearly throughout the recipe.

There are Green Chef tips for faster prep included at strategic places in the recipe. For instance: You remove the fibrous strings from snap peas by firmly pinching one end of the pea and pulling downward.

The recipe is very precise with its language and seems quite easy to follow and complete in the allotted 25 minutes. It also doesn’t require much multi-tasking, which can be challenging for home chefs, but still keeps your time in mind by giving time-saving tips.

Plans, Prices & Delivery

When selecting your plan, you can choose Keto & Protein Packs, Vegetarian, Mediterranean, Fast & Fit, Vegan, or Gluten Free, but costs do not vary between meal types. 

For 4 people you can get 2, 3, or 4 recipes a week. For 2 or 6 people, you can get 3 or 4 recipes a week.

$6.00 is the lowest price per serving. It is available for 6 people ordering 4 meals a week.

The price per serving is lower for more total meals ordered.

New customer offers include $343 off plus free shipping  

No commitment required. You can skip, cancel, or make changes for any reason by 11:59 pm EST 7 days before your delivery 

Delivery Monday through Saturday, 8am to 8pm, almost everywhere in the continental United States, with tracking information provided via email when your box ships. Can also deliver to commercial addresses, with an effort to do so before 5 PM local time. 

Packing is designed to ensure ingredients stay fresh until the end of the day it is delivered. Green Chef’s packaging is also eco-friendly and on their website you can find information on how to responsibly dispose of each component.

Customer Service

Help Center & FAQ page covers topics like Covid-19, About Green Chef, Recipes & Ingredients, Shipping & Delivery, Billing, & Subscription Management. If your question isn’t asked frequently, you can live chat with them Monday – Sunday 9am to 7pm EST using the chat icon in the lower right-hand corner of your screen. You can also call them from Monday through Friday 6am to 11pm EST and Saturday – Sunday 7am – 7pm EST at 1-888-236-7295.

Overall Impression

It is clear from the recipes that Green Chef’s organic produce is highlighted in each meal. When you’re one of the few meal kits to offer USDA organic standards, this is to be expected. There may be slightly fewer weekly options than other meal kits, but it can be assumed they go for quality over quantity and have worked to keep the recipes both very straightforward and crowd-pleasing. Green Chef is geared toward healthy lifestyles and specializes in diets that are not easy to do on your own. If it fits your budget and your lifestyle and you want to support its efforts to provide locally-sourced, organic ingredients, then this is the plan for you. It’s also one of the few meal kits to offer 6 person plans – something to consider for larger groups or families.