With its growing popularity, the meal-kit delivery service industry is rapidly expanding, with new companies always joining the arena. Choosing which service best meets your needs can be quite a difficult task. And that is precisely what we, the Meal Kit Review, are here for.
Meal kits can offer a convenient and straightforward way to enjoy home-cooked meals without the hassle of meal planning and grocery shopping. They can save you time and expand your culinary options with delicious recipes delivered straight to your door each week.
This article will focus on two leaders in the meal kit industry – Home Chef and Green Chef.
Our tasting team thoroughly reviewed both Green Chef and Home Chef this year for two weeks each to bring you our updated and revised review for 2024, reflecting the latest offerings.
We will share our experiences with both companies, including the types of foods they offer, their plans, the pros and cons of both companies and pictures of the meals we tasted.
Let’s examine what sets these two meal kit delivery services apart and decide which one will be our winner for 2024.
Short on Time? The Main Differences and Why We Think Green Chef is Better
- Organic Ingredients – Green Chef offers sustainable and 100% USDA-certified organic ingredients.
- Supports Dietary Preferences – Green Chef offers meal plans for keto, low-carb, balanced living, vegetarian, and plant-based diets.
- High Quality – Consistent chef-designed high-quality meals with healthy and seasonal ingredients.
- Delicious Meals – Meals are always delicious, well-balanced, and satisfying.
- Better Variety of Add-ons – Green Chef offers a broader variety of add-ons like breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and desserts.
What is Green Chef?
Green Chef is a USDA-certified organic meal kit delivery service specializing in recipes made with high-quality ingredients for a healthy lifestyle. The meals are easy to cook in less than 30 minutes and offer a large rotating selection of over 80 recipes.
The meals are chef-designed and made with sustainably sourced ingredients. Green Chef supports a wide variety of dietary preferences, such as keto, high-protein, calorie-smart, plant-based, and paleo. The large add-on selection offers quick breakfasts, snacks, and fast lunches to fit busier schedules.
What is Home Chef?
Home Chef is a meal kit delivery service offering flexibility and a wide range of simple and classic meals. They emphasize convenience with quick-to-prepare recipes and oven-ready and microwave-ready options. Their rotating menu of over 35 chef-designed recipes offers many customization options to support different dietary needs.
Their family plan menu is perfect for picky eaters, and Home Chef’s recipes take less than 30 minutes to prepare. The diet plans offered cater to vegetarian, low-calorie, low-carb, keto, and paleo-friendly needs. The add-on menu has some great options for lunches, breakfasts, smoothies, and snacks.
Pros and Cons
Green Chef Pros & Cons
Pros:
- 100% USDA-certified organic ingredients
- Supports a large variety of dietary preferences like keto, plant-based, and gluten-free
- Sustainably sourced products
- Convenient meal preparation with pre-peeled and pre-cut ingredients
Cons:
- Slightly higher cost
- Limited delivery in some areas
Home Chef Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Great customization and add-on options
- Simple and affordable meals with microwaveable and oven-ready options
- Offers a family meal plan menu with larger portions
- Supports dietary needs like keto, vegetarian, low-carb, and low-calorie
Cons:
- Ingredients are not organic
- Fewer options of recipes to choose from each week
The Meal Plans & Diet Support
Green Chef Meal Plans
Green Chef supports various dietary preferences, including gut and brain health, quick and easy, plant-based, high-protein, calorie-smart, gluten-free, keto, and Mediterranean.
Choose from three or four weekly meals for two, four, or six people. The large add-on menu includes snacks, protein packs, breakfasts, lunches, beverages, and more. All the recipes come with pre-measured ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions and take less than 30 minutes to prepare.
Home Chef Meal Plans
Home Chef also offers meal preferences for different dietary needs like keto, vegetarian, paleo, low-carb, and low-calorie. The Fresh and Easy Plan is great for fast meal kits and fully prepared meals for those who still want a home-cooked meal but are short on time. They are also one of the only meal kits offering a family plan for larger portions.
Pick between the standard or family menu and two to six weekly recipes for two, four, or six people. There is a minimum order of two dishes per week, but there are no maximum order limits, so you can order as many meals as you need! You can also choose from the add-on menu, which offers lunch, breakfast, snacks, and desserts.
The Meals Style and Variety
We were very impressed with the dishes we cooked and tasted from both Green Chef and Home Chef.
Home Chef
With Home Chef, you can select from over 35 weekly portion-size dishes. There is incredible diversity among those dishes, including meat, poultry, pork, fish, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. The recipes are effortless to cook, with many options ready in less than 15 minutes, and great for lunch.
The Home Chef meals are categorized very clearly on the online menu, with express meal kits, oven-ready options, and fast and fresh microwaveable meals. The dietary preferences are labeled to make it easy to select recipes to fit lifestyle preferences like pescetarian, high protein, or carb-conscious, with the option to customize proteins and portions.
Green Chef
In comparison, Green Chef offers a rotating menu of over 80 recipes and market items that feature fresh organic ingredients. When you subscribe, you can filter recipes based on eight different dietary preferences, such as low-calorie, Mediterranean, vegetarian, and vegan.
Green Chef allows subscribers to customize proteins, add extra meals, or double portion sizes, giving them a lot of flexibility. The ingredients come pre-peeled and pre-cut, making it even easier and quicker to get a healthy meal on the table. Plus, their Green Market is a one-stop shop for adding prepared breakfasts, lunches, extra sides, and more.
Is It Tasty? Our Customer Experience
Over the past six years, we have gained extensive experience with both Home Chef and Green Chef. That’s why our team re-tested them for two weeks in 2024 to update and verify our review.
We thoroughly enjoyed both services, each providing satisfying and delicious recipes. The delivery boxes were well-insulated, easy to sort, and filled with fresh, high-quality produce. The included recipe cards were easy to follow with simple steps, making the cooking process straightforward.
Both Green Chef and Home Chef have proven to be excellent choices, each with unique strengths. Green Chef stands out for its organic, diet-specific options, while Home Chef excels in flexibility and variety. Choose the one that best suits your needs and enjoy the convenience of home-cooked meals without the hassle!
We Tried Green Chef’s Salmon with Creamy Chimichurri with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Bell Pepper & Chickpeas
The salmon fillets were fresh and well-packaged. They were perfectly seasoned and pan-seared before finishing in the oven alongside the tender roasted sweet potatoes and peppers.
The chimichurri sauce on top added a delicious creamy texture, and the chickpeas offered a welcomed added protein. The rest of the ingredients worked great. This is a delicious and super healthy meal!
We Tried Green Chef’s Cheesy Pesto Chicken Bowls with Sauteed Summer Squash Noodles and Balsamic Tomato Topping
This Italian-inspired dish came together in less than 30 minutes and was a delicious, low-calorie but filling meal. The chicken breast was roasted in the oven with a wonderful pesto sauce and melty mozzarella cheese and served over a bowl of sauteed squash noodles. The tangy balsamic tomato topping was a great touch!
We Tried Home Chef’s Japanese Teriyaki Shrimp Bowl and Edamame
This dish was packed with flavor! The teriyaki’s sweetness balanced the slaw’s acidity and the sesame seeds’ earthiness. The shrimp was succulent and high-quality and served over a bed of rice with an authentically flavored slaw. The addition of edamame made it a wholesome and well-rounded meal.
We Tried Home Chef’s Teriyaki Turkey Rice Bowl with Snow Peas and Roasted Peanuts
We loved how easy this dish was to prepare. The included convenient oven tray made everything a breeze to put together. Once assembled, everything was popped in the oven and topped with a savory teriyaki glaze and sweet chili sauce. It offered a delightful mix of textures and flavors with crisp snow peas and roasted peanuts.
Other Popular Meals to Try
To explore even more of what these meal kit services offer, here are some more popular favorites from Green Chef and Home Chef:
Green Chef Meals
- Spicy Coconut Curry Shrimp Soup with Jasmine Rice, Scallions, Ginger, and Black Sesame Seeds
- Baja Pork Salad Bowls with Romaine, Beans, Corn, Mangos, and Creamy Cilantro Vinaigrette
- Ancho Chicken Soup with Cabbage, Roasted Red Peppers, Cotija, and Toasted Pepitas
- Parmesan Linguine with Shrimp and Bacon, Broccoli, Creamy Mushroom Sauce, and Parsley.
- Beef and Broccoli Squash-Noodle Bowls with Onions, Ginger, Cabbage, and Sesame Seeds
- Prosciutto, Mozz, and Pepper Jam Melts with Balsamic Kale
Home Chef Meals
- Chimichurri Chicken Cutlet Rice Bowl with Tomato Feta Vegetables
- Southwest Style Chicken Enchilada Rice Bol with Black Beans
- Honey Mustard Pork Chop with Loaded Mashed Potatoes
- Chipotle Pesto Beef Meatballs with Chile Cumin Carrots and Zucchini
- One-Pan Sweet and Sour Pork Stir-Fry with Sesame Rice
- One-Pan Kefta-Style Beef Meatballs with Vegetable Couscous and Crema
The Ingredients Quality
Green Chef Quality of Ingredients
Green Chef is committed to using only high-quality ingredients in all its recipes. As a USDA-certified organic company, it uses only organic and sustainably sourced ingredients from a trusted network of ranchers, farmers, fishermen, and artisans.
Green Chef prides itself on being the first fully organic and most sustainable meal kit service – and the quality is notable with every box you get!
Home Chef Quality of Ingredients
Home Chef uses farm-fresh seasonal products, which can occasionally include organic options. They have partnered with a network of top local producers to ensure a consistent supply of high-quality ingredients.
Home Chef is committed to ensuring that its meat is sourced from humane suppliers and its seafood is sustainably sourced.
Diet and Lifestyle Support
A team of professional chefs designs the menus for both services. The meals are well-balanced and cater to many different dietary preferences. Both services allow proteins to be swapped out or portion sizes modified to help customers achieve lifestyle goals.
Green Chef offers meal plans to support gut and brain health, quick and easy meals, plant-based, high-protein, calorie-smart, gluten-free, keto, and Mediterranean diets.
Home Chef has meal plans for low-calorie, low-carb, keto, paleo, and vegetarian diets.
For both services, allergen, and nutritional information are on the recipe cards and the website. You can always view this information before ordering.
Optional Add-Ons
Green Chef has an extensive add-on menu called Green Market. You can choose from premade breakfasts, lunches, snacks, desserts, and beverages. They also offer extra protein and veggie packs, side dishes, appetizers, and vitamins.
Green Chef takes the guesswork out of any extra grocery shopping, so everything you need for the week is included in one convenient delivery straight to your door.
Green Chef Market:
In comparison, Home Chef also has an add-on menu, but it is less extensive. You can add prepared breakfast foods, salads, soups, snacks, desserts, and more. The convenient protein packs and veggie sides make your week even easier to plan.
Home Chef add-ons:
Pricing
As of June 2024, Green Chef meals start at $11.99 per serving. This can vary depending on upgrades or options you choose, such as premium proteins. Shipping is $9.99-$10.99 per box.
Home Chef ranges from $9.99 per serving with options to upgrade proteins or choose more premium meals that are more costly. Shipping costs are between $10.99-$13.99 per box.
The Delivery Box
Both companies’ delivery boxes are specially designed, individually labeled, and always arrive safely, with the integrity of the ingredients intact. They feature recyclable and eco-friendly components to help reduce your carbon footprint.
The contents of the delivery boxes are well organized. The ingredients of each meal kit are wrapped in individually labeled bags. There is no need to sort and match each dish’s ingredients by yourself, as this has already been done for you.
Both companies ensure that the proteins are packed with enough ice at the bottom of the box to keep everything cool. You can leave the box outside the refrigerator several hours after delivery.
Subscribing & Managing Your Online Account
To use either company’s services, you will need to subscribe. There is no option for a one-off service.
To subscribe to Green Chef, you will pick your dietary preferences, number of meals, and serving sizes before selecting your delivery preferences and checking out:
To subscribe to Home Chef, you will select your likes and dislikes before selecting portion sizes and servings:
Both companies offer great flexibility in managing your account. You can pause your subscription or skip weeks if necessary. For added convenience, you can swap out plans, preferences, meals, or add-ons up to the week before delivery.
Both services can be easily managed on their mobile app or website. You can easily cancel your account via Green Chef’s website. You can also cancel your account with Home Chef online, though you need to do this via the ‘My Account’ table, which is only available via their website.
What Do Customers Think of It?
Green Chef Reviews:
Customers appreciate Green Chef’s premium ingredients and great flavors and think it is a great alternative to HelloFresh. The variety of meal plans and dietary support make it a favorite option for quality meals.
One user shared on Reddit, “We have really enjoyed Green Chef. Most of HF can be duplicated. But it is difficult to do on Green Chef as their sauces are already mixed and the seasonings are more complex flavor wise. We set our menu on Keto so we get more nutritional lower carb veggies. We can add rice, pasta, bread and potatoes if we want to bulk up a GC meal that way. We use GC about twice a month and spread them out between our times eating out. Very tasty meals. I think they are a bit easier to prepare. Some veggies come prepped already.”
Another customer stated, “If you can afford it I’d say that GreenChef offers a much better experience than HelloFresh. Recipes are fancier and come with more premium ingredients.”
Subscribers rank the Green Chef app 4.7 out of 5 stars with over 4.2k ratings.
Home Chef Reviews:
Home Chef subscribers love the ease of prepping and cooking their recipes. The fast and simple preparation makes them convenient and affordable.
One subscriber shared on Reddit, “We love homeChef. Better than going out to dinner in my opinion because it tastes delicious and gives you a fun activity if you prepare it with someone or if you like to cook. My husband and I usually make all three of our meals in one night then portion them out for leftovers to eat all week.”
Another Home Chef customer shared, “The “Oven Ready” meals are probably the easiest; veggies usually come pre-sliced, and you just have to form the meat if it’s ground meat, combine the ingredients and toss in the oven. Down side is there’s less than 5 choices per week of this meal type, so don’t go expecting a lot of variety.”
The easy-to-use Home Chef app ranks an impressive 4.8 out of 5 stars with over 20k ratings.
Customer Support
If you need assistance with your subscription, you can quickly contact the Green Chef and Home Chef customer service via chat, email, or phone. Their support team, from our experience, is very responsive and will get back to you promptly.
Green Chef Customer Support
- Help section on the website: https://www.greenchef.com/faq
- Online Chat: https://www.greenchef.com/contact
- Phone number: 888-236-7295 Monday to Friday between 6 am-11 pm EST and Saturday-Sunday between 7 am-7 pm EST
Home Chef Customer Support
- FAQ area on the Home Chef website: https://support.homechef.com/hc/en-us
- Contact form: https://support.homechef.com/hc/en-us/requests/new
- Phone number: 872-225-2433, Monday to Friday between 9 am-6 pm CST and Saturday between 10 am-2 pm CST
Delivery Area
Both companies offer their service to the vast majority of the continental USA. The delivery dates could change based on your location. To check if the service is available at your address, you must enter your zip code during registration. Both services deliver to 98% of the United States.
Bottom Line- Our Winner is Green Chef!
While we enjoyed both services, we chose Green Chef as our winner for 2024!
Although the subscription is a little more costly, Green Chef offers more value with its quality ingredients, sustainable practices, and delicious chef-designed recipes.
The organic ingredients are more health-centric, and the large variety of dietary plans make Green Chef a great choice for health-conscious consumers looking for convenient, great-tasting meal kits.
Our Methodology-Why Trust Us?
With so many meal delivery services, it can be hard to know where to start. We created The Meal Kit Review to provide a place where people could find all the information they need about the meal kit industry and individual companies.
Our team is passionate about meal kits and has many years of hands-on experience. We know all the pros and cons of meal kit companies and can help you decide which is right for you.
We are proud of our extensive hands-on review processes, attention to detail, and experience, which allow us to present relevant and timely information on the pros and cons of different meal kit services.
We make sure that each company reviewed by The Meal Kit Review is tested. This includes everything from subscribing to speaking to customer support, ordering meals, receiving deliveries, and, most importantly, cooking and tasting the meal kits.
