We are all busy. We are all stressed. Sometimes we don’t have time to meal plan and grocery shop – yet we still want the comfort of cooking in our kitchens, preparing food for our families and feeling good about our choices.

Because of this void that exists between our hectic lives and our kitchens, a new industry has arrived. Meal Delivery services seem to be popping up all over the place, and most offer free trials to try them out and see what you think. Earlier this year, I did a trial offer with Blue Apron…I was extremely disappointed with the quality of the ingredients and the recipes themselves.

For the longest time, I swore off the idea of having ingredients delivered and someone telling me what to cook. But then I found Green Chef…

Green Chef is an online supplier that sends you fresh, organic ingredients and easy recipes to prepare homemade meals, without the stress of planning and shopping. The trait that seperates Green Chef from the rest of those other guys is the ability to customize your planned meals to your diet profile. Paleo? Gluten Free? Carnivore? Omnivore? Vegetarian? No problem. Green Chef has you covered!

I decided to give it a try – why not, right? Here we go…

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Day 1: Today I received my first order from green chef. The box was delivered to my apartment door step around 11am this morning (separate from the mail – the mail comes much later).

I always love unboxing something – and this was especially exciting! 

I was happy to see the box was neat, organized and most importantly: cold. The ice packages inside were still fully intact and frozen. All ingredients were fresh, organic and ready to use.

Lots of packaging though…doesn’t seem very “green”….

It’s suggested to use the seafood first,  so I was off to prepare the first meal: 

Meal #1 – – – Potato Crusted Cod and Coleslaw

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I have an egg allergy, so I decided to avoid the use of egg in the breading process. Instead, I used almond milk. (Chia seeds would work as an egg replacer here.)

Step 1 – preheat the oven and prepare the battering station: cornstarch, almond milk, potato flakes.

Step 2- rinse and pat dry cod, salt & pepper both sides before dipping in cornstarch. Next, dip the fish in almond milk, allowing it to run off. Finally coat with potato flakes and place in a medium high heated pan. Two minutes on each side.

Step 3 – transfer fish to baking pan to be placed in preheated 325* oven. Cook 10-11 minutes.

Step 4 – prepare the slaw & lemon wedges. Plate and serve!

Looks good and tasted delicious!

Pros: super easy to do. Tasty and fun.

Cons: not sure if I would pay $11.49/meal for this.

We’ll see what tomorrow brings!

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Day 2: 

Meal #2 – – – Chopped Greek Salad with Orzo

Going into this dish, I wasn’t too excited. To be honest, Greek salads have always turned me off a little bit. In the past when I’ve had them, the flavors have been too pungent, and not really my favorite. 

I have never used orzo pasta before, but I enjoyed that it was more like rice than an actual noodle. This salad was very filling (I only ate half). The orzo helps to spread out the flavors of this salad, and thanks to the instructions from Green Chef, I was actually able to cut the lettuce nicely…It’s the little things, I guess. 

I only used about 70% of the dressing provided and I’m glad that I did, because nothing is worse than when your lettuce is swimming… It’s better to use a little and add more as you go along.

This dish was a success – it made me make something I would NEVER make on my own.

The flavors were very balanced – I was concerned the red onion would power through and contaminate the whole salad…but it was very subtle and contained.

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Day 3: 

Meal #3 – – – Peruvian Turkey Burgers, Kale Salad and Plantain Chips 

This was the most time consuming dish. First, you start by roasting the Anaheim Peppers in the oven. In the past, I’ve only done this on a gas stove, but the oven works too!

This was also the first time I made a kale salad. I learned a pinch of sea salt mixed Into the kale immediately softens it up.

The burgers were fantastic!

I ate mine without the bun and without the avocado ají spread. (Allergic to avocado, too!) The flavor was very balanced and I didn’t have to add any additional seasoning. This was a great meal!

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Final Thoughts:  

Overall, my husband and I enjoyed all three recipes – they were super simple, easy to follow and a bit more “gourmet” than I am used to cooking.

HOWEVER – there is one major factor here… Is it worth $80.94 per shipment?

Yes and no.

Yes because of the convenience.

• You have 3 excellent dinners for two people already planned out for the week, which do not require any planning or shopping. 
• It costs about the same as take out, but keep in mind – you have control over what goes into the dish and you know each of it’s parts.  
• I am allergic to eggs- so eating out is difficult for me. With Green Chef I’m able to at least know if I’m adding egg to the recipes.

No because that’s so expensive!

• I can’t imagine purchasing this once a week! I typically go to Costco and stock up on meat.
• I purchase produce from discount suppliers (Super King, Costco and Smart & Final).  
• For odds & ends I go to Trader Joes or other chain grocery stores.

For me, meal planning is a chore, and I often get mental blocks on what I should cook. My trial with Green Chef evoked a sense of creativity within me – it made me want to try new recipes even if there are parts of them I don’t think I will like. I was also amazed at the quality of the ingredients!

I will probably order Green Chef again.  Since the autumn season tends to be a very busy time for me, I could see ordering this once a month. If anything, it gives you hands on experience and a trial run at new recipes.  

Green Chef is not yet available in all areas, but you can check it out here.  

• Eat Well, Live Well