Green Chef

Retirement Living’s editor used Green Chef, one of the top organic meal delivery services around, for one week to sample its weekly meal options and determine whether it’s a practical choice for seniors in need of mealtime assistance that aligns with their dietary preferences. 

Green Chef prioritizes flavor and sustainability, getting most of its ingredients directly from regional farmers and purveyors. The company sources organic fresh produce, eggs, and proteins whenever possible, and if they can’t find an organic option, they’ll let you know in your box. 

Seniors who want to experience top-quality, adventurous meal kits will appreciate Green Chef’s accommodating delivery business model.

Pros:

• One of the only certified organic meal kit companies
• Caters to a variety of dietary preferences
• Flavorful meals with unique, complex flavors
• Portions are suitable for seniors cooking for one or two

Cons:

• More expensive than other meal kit providers
• Some recipes can be hard to execute
• Portion sizes can be inconsistent

Our Experience Using Green Chef

Green Chef packaging says it’s a “100% plastic neutral product certified organic meal kit company featuring nutritionist approved recipes with organic produce and premium proteins.” After testing Green Chef’s meal delivery service for one week, we can confirm that it offers ample healthy and fresh options for eaters who follow vegan, gluten-free, or keto diets.

We could choose from 40+ recipes on the weekly menu, but our selection narrowed as we searched for meals that followed a specific diet. For example, my options for the week of my test showed 14 keto recipes but only five vegan recipes.

Green Chef is commonly accused of using too much packaging to be “sustainable,” but my delivery included less packaging than other meal delivery services I’ve tried. Also, the ingredients for each recipe are placed in their own paper bags, making for a much more organized fridge!

Cooking with Green Chef was a pleasant experience overall. My weekly meal kit included ingredients for vegan Baja Cauliflower Bowls, Tuscan White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard, and Pesto Panko Chicken with Mozzarella. While the recipe cards weren’t as intuitive as I expected, I found the results super tasty and fresh. 

Based on my experience, I advise reading the recipe card in full before starting to cook. By default, the recipes are for two servings, but the company also includes the instructions for a four-serving meal on the same card, which I found confusing. 

Green Chef doesn’t provide additional context into what constitutes a “serving,” so I selected the “two servings” option for my household, hoping the portions would be enough to satisfy my husband’s appetite as well as my own. 

After cooking the three meals delivered by Green Chef, we found that its “two servings” meals were not enough for two people—I had to supplement our rice bowl with avocado, edamame, and more rice to give the meal a little more heft and satisfy our hunger (pictured above). The portion sizes could be enough for two people with small appetites, but you might consider upsizing your plan if you have a hungrier household.

A few other things to note about my experience with Green Chef:

• Green Chef won’t feed you for an entire week. Organic ingredients have a shorter shelf life, thanks to their lack of preservatives. This means you can only order a maximum of four meals per week. If you are searching for a service that offers more meals each week, opt for Blue Apron or Factor.
• Order more than you think you need. Portion sizes are smaller with Green Chef than other meal delivery services we tried. If you have a larger appetite, two servings may not be enough for two people, and you may consider opting for the four-serving plan, which is the next largest option. 
• Store your ingredients immediately. My box did not contain storage instructions, but the Green Chef website recommends using your meal kits within five days or three days if your meal contains seafood.
• Keep scissors on hand to open all the plastic packaging. Green Chef packages each ingredient separately, and they do not have tear strips for easy opening.

Green Chef for Seniors: Our Verdict

Green Chef is best for food-loving seniors who want to simplify meal time with fresh ingredients and healthy recipes. Green Chef doesn’t hold back on the flavor—its meals are bold and complex. If you enjoy being in the kitchen, the service is a great way to experiment with new flavors.

Signing up for Green Chef means you can skip a trip or two to the grocery store, and its pre-portioned ingredients help cut down on food waste because they’ll send you only what you need for each recipe. Seniors who cook for one can benefit from the two-serving plan; you’ll get dinner and leftovers. 

Meal Options 

Green Chef offers a rotating menu of pre-packaged meal kits that you cook yourself, plus a great range of extras for brunches, snacks, desserts, and salads. As a certified organic company, the company promises organic eggs and fresh produce, but some of its organic proteins are an upcharge. Still, it is a fantastic option for eating well.

Green Chef meals are adventurous and complex. If you are a picky eater, consider choosing Hello Fresh or Factor, which offers more traditional cuisines. 

Green Chef’s Dietary Accommodations

Green Chef caters to many dietary preferences but has the most recipes available for gluten-free and keto eaters.

And while you can search the ingredient list for allergens like tree nuts or dairy, there is no option to filter for this preference when making your selections.

Diet	Meal Options Available
Keto	Yes
Gluten-Free	Yes
Low-Carb	Some
Paleo	Some
Vegetarian	Yes
Vegan	Some
Allergy-Friendly	Some (warning labels included)
Mediterranean	Yes

How Green Chef Works

The Green Chef process works similarly to other meal delivery services: Just create an account and pick your dietary preferences, meal sizes, and delivery guidelines. 

1. Define Preferences

First, you’ll select your dietary choices from a list of eight categories called “lifestyle preferences.” Green Chef caters to a variety of lifestyles—more than similar meal services—and your choices will help the company populate the most relevant recipes for you to choose first.

• Keto: High protein recipes with fewer than 20 grams of net carbs
• Plant-Based: Vegan and vegetarian recipes with plant-based proteins
• Mediterranean: Mediterranean flavors that are heavy on veggies and healthy fats
• Quick & Easy: Recipes ready in 25 minutes or less
• Gluten Free: No gluten, wheat, barley, rye, or triticale
• Protein Packed: Recipes with 40+ grams of protein
• Delicious Discoveries: Dishes with globally-inspired flavors
• Calorie Smart: Recipes with less than 650 calories

For two people, Green Chef’s price per serving is $13.49 for three meals per week or $12.99 per serving for four meals per week.

2. Choose Meals

By default, based on my pre-defined preferences, Green Chef chose three meals for my first week. However, I could substitute and customize using 46 additional recipes available for the week, including several salads, lunches, and breakfast options. 

For example, I could have added wild-caught sockeye salmon to the grain bowl pictured above for $9.99 per serving or substituted chicken cutlets for organic cutlets for an additional $1.99 per serving.

You must select your meals at least five days before your selected delivery day. After that, your order locks, and you will be billed. 

Green Chef stood out to me for its convenient bundling options, pictured below. For an extra fee (between $11.99 and $38.99 per serving) I could add breakfast, brunch, lunch, or brunch combos to round out my meals “for the week.” Think four blueberry oat muffins, four egg bites, a pita pizza, and an Asian chicken salad with sriracha mayo. 

All in all, Green Chef’s add-on options ensure long-term users of the service remain interested and satisfied with a variety of meals.

3. Select Shipping and Delivery Date 

Outside of the introductory promotion, Green Chef shipping is $10.99 per delivery regardless of your location. This fee is on par with competitor services. 

You’ll receive a text with tracking information when your box ships. A personal driver texted me on the day of my delivery and gave me a four-hour window to expect my delivery. The items arrived in good shape, on time, and still cold. You can also track your shipment through the app.

You can change your delivery day from week to week in your account settings (pictured below). You can also skip a week or cancel at any time.

4. Unbox Your Delivery

While many meal delivery providers get flack for being wasteful with their packaging, I thought the delivery was as sustainable as it could be for a meal delivery service that requires considerable packing supplies. Green Chef delivered its ingredients in cardboard that was curbside recyclable, and other than paper ingredient bags, there were no extraneous or unnecessary elements. 

The ingredients for each meal I ordered were in a clearly labeled paper bag (as someone who loves an organized refrigerator, this pleased me). The chicken pack was placed directly on the cold gel packs below the bags to ensure optimum freshness.

5. Cook Meals

For testing purposes, I selected meal kit plans, which include pre-portioned ingredients and cooking instructions. Including prep, most Green Chef meals take 30 to 40 minutes to cook, though Quick & Easy meal kits can be made in 25 minutes or less.

The recipes sound complex, but reading the recipe card from start to finish before cooking helped make my process smoother. For example, while cooking the Panko Pesto Chicken and Mozzarella recipe pictured above, I was able to skip some “recommended” but unnecessary bowls and measuring cups to save on clean-up. 

Green Chef Costs

Green Chef follows a price-per-serving structure of between $11.99 and $13.49, depending on the number of servings and meals you order per week. The more meals you order, the more you save.

Under our subscription plan, our first order totaled $91.93 before discounts and included three meals per week for two servings each. Our price per serving was $13.49. 

Below is a breakdown of how much it will cost to use Green Chef. Note: These are starting prices, as your final total will vary based on the meals you choose, how many meals you order per week, and your desired number of servings.

Price Per Portion	Order Size & Total	Shipping
Starting from $11.99	4 meals per week for 6 people: $287.76	$10.99
Starting from $11.99	3 meals per week for 6 people: $215.82	$10.99
Starting from $11.49	4 meals per week for 4 people: $191.84	$10.99
Starting from $12.49	3 meals per week for 4 people: $149.98	$10.99
Starting from $12.99	2 meals per week for 4 people: $103.92	$10.99
Starting from $12.99	4 meals per week for 2 people: $103.92	$10.99
Starting from $13.49	3 meals per week for 2 people: $80.94	$10.99

Like most meal delivery services that allow customizations, there are additional charges for upgrades and substitutions. You’ll incur additional costs if you select add-ons like:

• A la carte offerings available through the “Green Market”: A rotating menu featuring pork dumplings and Thai basil chicken spring rolls, almond & blueberry oatmeal, egg bites, prosciutto & fresh mozzarella snack boards, and more.
• Green Bundles, a new offering for eating clean every day (13 to 38 servings): functional beverage bundle, clean snacking bundle, wild-caught seafood box, 100% grass-fed beef, organic chicken, and more. Costs range from $59.99 to $99.99.

Applicable sales taxes will be added to each delivery, depending on your location.

Opting for Green Chef won’t save you any money—in fact, you might spend more with the service than you would during your regular grocery store outing. A senior household of two would spend about $105 for four vastly different dinners per week with Green Chef. By comparison, Blue Apron offers a fifth meal for $10 less per week.

But if high-quality, organic meals are a priority for you, I think the prices are justified. Its robust, unique, and complex flavor offerings make Green Chef a great solution for health-conscious seniors with adventurous palates.

Plus, Green Chef’s introductory offer is highly competitive. In addition to deeply discounted meal prices and free shipping, new customers access free 1:1 nutrition coaching with a registered dietitian.  

Green Chef Complaints

The most common complaints about Green Chef are its high costs and excessive packaging that is hard to recycle. 

The most common complaints about Green Chef on its Better Business Bureau page reference automatic billing issues. Given the subscription-based nature of Green Chef, we recommend making note of the date of your recurring charges and its cancellation policy before signing up.

The company has a 3.8 rating on Trustpilot (out of 5), and 78% of its reviews are 4 stars or higher. Those who rate the service negatively mention receiving spoiled or rotten ingredients—the company reserves the right to issue a full or partial refund in this case—and issues contacting customer service for a resolution. 

Our experience with the company supports this claim, as we found its live chat feature unhelpful. The online chat is an AI-generated response system, so it won’t actually answer any specific questions you have. 

FAQs About Green Chef

How does Green Chef compare to Blue Apron?

While Green Chef and Blue Apron both use high-quality ingredients, Green Chef is the only meal delivery service we’ve tried that is a certified organic company. For this reason, Green Chef is also more expensive. Blue Apron also has plans that include up to six meals per week while Green Chef’s top plan only includes four meals per week. Those who follow more strict diets will find more options with Green Chef.

How long does the food from Green Chef stay fresh?

Green Chef recommends storing all food as soon as possible after delivery and using any seafood ingredients within two days. Organic ingredients have a shorter shelf life. During our test, the produce lasted four days in the refrigerator.

Does Green Chef have a guarantee?

If your box is missing an ingredient, you can contact customer support for a resolution. While the company will not send replacement ingredients, they may offer a full or partial refund. 

Is Green Chef already prepared?

Green Chef sends you meal kits with pre-measured, organic ingredients and recipe cards to follow while cooking. It’s more like a meal prep service, as the company does not offer prepared meals or heat-and-eat options that require little to no cooking.

Can you cancel Green Chef?

When you sign up, you’re automatically enrolled in a weekly delivery service, but you can pause or cancel a Green Chef subscription at any time by navigating to the Deactivate Your Plan page in your Account Settings. Any orders in process or already shipped cannot be canceled.

Conclusion

Based on my experience with Green Chef, I think it is a great option for seniors who want to make eating healthy a little easier. This particular meal kit service isn’t the most affordable subscription on the market, but its organic, high-quality ingredients justify higher prices.