My husband has recently decided that he was eager to try the ketogenic (keto) diet and incorporate it into his lifestyle. The keto diet basically involves eating high-fat, and low-carbohydrate foods. When I saw that Green Chef were offering a keto meal kit plan, I was very excited to review their service. So, I completed my first order and received it at my door only a few days later.
The meal kit industry has evolved so much over the last few years which I find wonderful to watch. When the industry first emerged on the US food scene it offered mainly mainstream home cooking solutions. As this industry has evolved, many companies such as Green Chef have started to become more sophisticated, creating menus that can look after a very diverse audience. Their offerings now include dishes that cater for people who have very specific dietary requirements. Within certain companies you can now find delicious menus that provide dishes for a range of lifestyles that include keto, paleo and vegan, to name a few. Naturally there are many more plans included as well.
I would firstly love to share with you some very cool facts about Green Chef, before I start my detailed reviews on the meals themselves. Before we try any new meal kit delivery company we also like to do as much research as we can, so detailed company information is available for you when you start to compare the different meal kit companies. Green Chef is all about delivering organic (their menu is USDA certified), healthy and delicious food to your dinner table.
Green Chef was in fact the first meal kit company to receive a Gluten-Free certification through the Gluten Intolerance Group’s GFFS program and they offer three certified Gluten-Free Menus.
As a company they focus on providing menus that cater for many dietary requirements. As a result, they have a comprehensive menu selection that is offered every week. This selection includes options for paleo, vegan, keto, omnivore, carnivore, vegetarian and gluten-free diets.
I can’t emphasize enough how convenient it is to be able to easily order meal deliveries when you follow a strict diet. It ultimately means less difficulties and so many more options for you when you wish to order a lovely, delicious and nutritious dinner.
Before I review the meal kits that I ordered from Green Chef, I would like to initially share with you some thoughts on my personal experience with the company. After the actual ordering, your first encounter with a meal kit company is when you receive your delivery. When I opened the Green Chef box found all the ingredients neatly packed and labeled. They were also surrounded with a suitable amount of ice to ensure the ingredients were kept at the right temperature.
The ingredients looked very fresh – especially the beautiful, organic kale leaves and the neatly chopped cauliflower. The quality of the shaved sirloin steak looked amazing, and the wild-caught cod was vacuum packed to keep it as fresh as possible. The quality of the ingredients came as no surprise to me, since I know that Green Chef ensures that they choose only organic and sustainably sourced ingredients from a trusted network of ranchers, farmers, fishermen and artisans.
Another very appealing thing about Green Chef is that they also focus on ensuring their meals are easy and quick to prepare. This means that you will have your dinner fully prepared in about 30 minutes or less. Their focus on ease of preparation is why many of the items are already prepared for you and special sauces come pre-mixed. As a great example, with my delivery, the cabbage, cauliflower, pickled peppers and more were already cut and prepared, ready to use.
The last thing I would like to point out about Green Chef is that they have made ‘Green’ part of their whole company philosophy. Therefore, most of their packaging is recyclable, reusable or compostable. They are one of the eco-friendliest companies in the meal kit delivery industry.
The only disadvantage I can see that comes with using Green Chef is that once you have chosen your specific plan, the selection of the dishes is unfortunately quite limited. Saying that though, the three dishes that we received were delicious! Comparatively limited choices aside, it is wonderful to have a meal kit option like Green Chef when you follow a strict diet or even if you are just wanting to maintain a healthier way of eating.
In my keto box for two people I received the following dishes:
- Paprika-cumin cod with roasted zucchini and a kale-avocado salad
- Thai steak salad with kale, coconut flakes and sesame seeds
- Greek chicken with cauliflower tabbouleh
I cooked each dish , guided by the detailed and easy to follow recipe pages, and following are my reviews on each dish:
Paprika-cumin cod with roasted zucchini and kale-avocado salad
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Taste ranking: 95%
I was initially a little wary of this dish, because, to be honest , I am not a big fan of cod fish, but this meal was a big surprise and tasted delicious! The almond crust with the southwestern seasoning that finished off the cod was beautiful and won me over! The cod was both aromatic and had a lovely and healthy crunchy crust. It was just perfect. What a great way to get some texture, but keep the dish low carb to fit in with the keto diet.
The side dishes to accompany the fish were both very good and a lovely addition to the meal. The kale salad with filled with a generous amount of avocado and the zucchini and red onion dish added some great fresh elements to the meal. This was, for me, a perfect keto dish from the Green Chef team. Hurray!
On a general note I have to say, that every time I get to review Green Chef, I am deeply impressed by the quality of products they use. All the ingredients were super fresh and of the best quality. The kale leaves were huge and crunchy – just amazing. The fish was incredibly fresh as well and was vacuum packed to ensure that it stayed fresh until we used it.
Thai steak salad with kale, coconut flakes and sesame seeds
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Taste ranking: 100%
This dish was another keto diet winner from Green Chef. We gave it a perfect score in this review!
The salad had an amazing combination of fresh ingredients, and a great blend of flavors. There was some spiciness and heat from the southwestern steak seasoning and the jalapenos that combined perfectly with some sweet flavors from the toasted coconut flakes. To finish it off brilliantly there were also some delicious fresh flavors from the kale, cilantro (of which I am a big fan), fresh peppers, radishes and scallions. Again, all the ingredients were super fresh and very good. What a treat!
Another reason why I think this dish was a winner is that it was very quick and easy to make. Basically, it just involved cutting all the fresh ingredients, cooking the steak and then combining it together with the already prepared sesame ginger vinaigrette. So easy and so delicious.
Greek chicken with cauliflower tabbouleh
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Taste ranking: 85%
This was a nice dish from Green Chef. Both my husband and I loved the cauliflower tabbouleh. Generally, I love the new trend of adding cauliflower to dishes as a replacement to the carbohydrate rich alternatives. The cauliflower is a much lighter option and has so many less carbs and calories. The garlic and herb tahini gave the dish a nice Mediterranean touch along with the kalamata olives. The raw cucumber was also a great addition to the tabbouleh, that added a fresh and crunchy element. Regarding the chicken, and I do know that it is a matter of preference, but I found it a little dry. I tend to like my food more on the moist side. Therefore, I would have preferred the chicken to be swimming in sauce. My hubby, on the other hand, loved it. Overall it was a satisfying meal that is another great option for followers of the keto diet.
