Meal delivery services are all the rage today. There are a lot of different ones out there, so it may be tough to figure out which one is best for you and your family. Each one has its own features and benefits.
Today, we’re going to compare Home Chef and Green Chef. They’re similar in many ways in that they both offer delicious meals, plans for different diets, and pre-portioned, fresh ingredients that you’ll require to make the meals.
Sure, their names sound very similar, but there’s more to them to consider. We’re going to take a look at what really sets these two apart and which one we think is better.
Even those Home Chef is the more affordable option, we ultimately chose Green Chef as the best because their meals are certified organic and simple to make. All recipes have decent nutritional values and they’re all completed in 30 minutes or less.
Home Chef vs Green Chef
It can be tough to choose the right home meal service for you. There are so many features to take into consideration.
You have to think about what you value the most when it comes to planning and selecting your meals whether it’s flavor, options, cost, etc. This is why we’re going to take an in-depth look at the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
| Service | Serving Sizes | Price | Recipes per week |
| Home Chef | 2, 4, 6 | Starts at $7.99 | 2-6 |
| Green Chef | 2, 4, 6 | Starts at $10.49 | 3-4 |
Meal delivery services are all the rage today. There are a lot of different ones out there, so it may be tough to figure out which one is best for you and your family. Each one has its own features and benefits.
Today, we’re going to compare Home Chef and Green Chef. They’re similar in many ways in that they both offer delicious meals, plans for different diets, and pre-portioned, fresh ingredients that you’ll require to make the meals.
Sure, their names sound very similar, but there’s more to them to consider. We’re going to take a look at what really sets these two apart and which one we think is better.
Home Chef vs Green Chef
It can be tough to choose the right home meal service for you. There are so many features to take into consideration.
You have to think about what you value the most when it comes to planning and selecting your meals whether it’s flavor, options, cost, etc. This is why we’re going to take an in-depth look at the advantages and disadvantages of each one.
Home Chef was founded in 2013 and was one of the very first subscription meal kits in the United States. This is a weekly subscription that includes pre-portioned fresh ingredients, premade sauce, and seasonings.
About Home Chef
It’s simple to assemble and cook the meal. Let’s take a closer look at everything Home Chef has to offer.
Their lowest price per serving is $7.99 and they deliver to 48 states. The two states excluded are Alaska and Hawaii.
Ease of Ordering
You can choose between two basic plans and then sign up for a specific number of meal kits to be delivered each week.
Right now, they are offering a promotion for 16 free meal kits. This is pretty deceiving. They break it down over a couple of weeks, so you don’t get them all at once.
Both plans are customizable for different dietary preferences including calorie-conscious and carb-conscious meals. Additionally, you can select ingredients and allergens that customers may want to avoid.
Once you choose those, you are then prompted to enter an email address to begin the signup option. You cannot choose your meals before you pay for your subscription.
You will have to choose how many servings you want per meal (2, 4, or 6), the number of recipes per week, and delivery preferences. You then choose your delivery day and input payment information. All meals are delivered in insulated boxes.
All materials are packaged in recyclable plastic bags and labeled for each corresponding recipe. Any perishable proteins are packed in a vacuum-sealed bag and put at the bottom of the box.
Meal Options
There are 20 different meal options and each one is tagged for a style including 15-minute kits, grill-ready, oven-ready, fast & fresh, 4-serving meals, culinary collections, and primary meal kit dishes.
You can also choose from a la carte items that include one breakfast, bread, and dessert, as well as a variety of add-on proteins. You can easily modify or swap meals before each delivery.
We loved most of them, but the goat cheeseburger was a little funky-tasting in our opinion.
Recipe Cards
Each box you get will have double-sided recipe cards that correspond with the kits inside of the box.
These are hole punched and can be saved in a binder for multiple uses. The cards have a colorful picture of the finished dish, additional ingredients and equipment you may need, and a list of the main ingredients included.
On the front of the card is highlighted information including nutritional info, prep and cook time, shelf life, spice level, and difficulty level. You will also find detailed preparation instructions on the back of the card.
Packaging
All items are delivered in an insulated cardboard box made mostly from recycled cardboard. Even the insulated liner is made from recycled cotton and denim. To recycle all of it, you may need to separate the film and liner filling. There will also be ice packs inside of the box that can be reused or recycled with other plastic.
All premade ingredients are individually wrapped in resealable plastic bags and grouped together by meal. It’s easy to see what’s inside the plastic bags. Each bag also has the recipe name on it so you don’t get confused.
Recipe Difficulty
The cards were easy to follow for us and have clear instructions along with additional preparations that are needed before cooking.
You will also find step-by-step cooking instructions with visuals for each step. There are also instructions on how to alter cooking time for any substitute proteins you use. Each card is labeled from easy to expert.
Most of the recipes require minimal skill. There are some knife skills and knowledge that you may need to learn such as mince, dice, sift, etc, but it’s not too terrible. The only challenge we could see a beginner home cook having is how to adjust the time for different proteins that may be of different sizes.
Nutrition
The basic menu has a lot of dishes that are high in calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and contain almost no fiber. These are not typical components of a balanced and nutritious diet.
They are high in protein too, which some individuals may appreciate. If you prefer something more nutritious, you should choose the lower-calorie and lower-carb recipes, but it’s not a good indication that they’re balanced dishes.
Additionally, all of the meals were high in sodium with the lowest being 1,435mg per serving and the highest at 1,816mg per serving. The lowest calorie meal on the regular menu was 595 calories and the highest was over 1,000 per serving.
Carbs varied considerably depending on the meal, but fiber was pretty consistent. Protein content ranged from 40g-50g per serving for all meals and the fat content ranged from 36g-54g per serving. Additionally, all meals had higher percentages of saturated fat from dairy.
Advantages
We liked that Home Chef has semi-homemade meals that are built around a side, sauce, and protein. It’s great for all-sized families with serving sizes up to eight per meal.
It has the potential to leave leftovers for singles or couples who ordered meals for two to four as well for a family of four to five who ordered for eight. It’s best suited for those who are looking for high-protein meals.
Disadvantages
Home Chef is not suited for individuals who are looking for organic or sustainable ingredient sourcing or for those who are focused on their health and wellness.
These meals may be decently calorie-conscious, but the sodium and saturated fat content are higher than we like. We didn’t find it to be any more nutritious than meals we would buy from the grocery store.
About Green Chef
Green Chef was founded in 2014 and it’s a certified organic meal service that’s specifically for those looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat well. All of their ingredients are free of GMOs, pesticides, and antibiotics.
All meal kits contain pre-measured ingredients that require minimal prep along with pre-made sauces, marinades, and spice blends. There are also step-by-step instructions, photos, and tips.
Since their foods are certified organic, they’re more expensive with the lowest price per serving being $10.49. The delivery area is 48 states excluding Alaska and Hawaii.
Ease of Ordering
Like Home Chef, you have to choose the meal plan that’s right for you. The meal plans include Balanced Living, Keto + Paleo, and Plant-Powered.
Once you select which meal type you want, you will have to choose the number of meals you want per week (3-4) and either 2, 4, or 6 servings per meal.
You will then see the pricing per meal. You choose a delivery day and then you will be opted to enter your email and a password on the next page.
On the next page, you have to enter your delivery address and any discount code you may have.
As with Home Chef, you can’t choose your meals before you subscribe to the meal plan.
Meal Options
Choosing meal options is pretty straightforward. There are 9-12 choices per week and the meals can be prepared as lunch or dinner, but it’s targeted more towards dinner.
You’re limited to 3-4 recipes per week, which is less than what you would get with Home Chef.
Even though this was more for the Keto + Paleo diet, it was still delicious. We loved the Boom Boom shrimp bowls.
Recipe Cards & Coupons
With each box you receive, you will get printed recipe cards with instructions and pictures.
These cards will indicate what the dish is, the time it takes to cook, calories, allergens, ingredients in the kit, any additional ingredients or equipment you would need for the recipe, step-by-step cooking, and assembly instructions with photos.
You will also receive a packet of coupons and ads from other brands. They come with every meal kit, so they become kind of repetitive.
We ended up throwing most of them away. Sometimes you may get promotional items such as plant-based pea milk from a new brand.
Packaging
As with Home Chef, the ingredients will come in an insulated cardboard box with recyclable ice packs on top of the proteins.
Each meal is in its own bag and they’re either in plastic bags or hard plastic. You will find detailed information and the website about each type of packaging that’s in your box.
Recipe Difficulty
Most of our meals were plant-based, but we also had some with red meat, poultry, and seafood, and all of the recipes were easy to follow. The recipe cards were straightforward and there were visuals and cooking tips.
All of the meals were cooked in the expected timeframe, which was around 30 minutes for each one.
You will need basic kitchen equipment such as pots, pans, mixing bowls, a cutting board, a chef’s knife, and a grater. If you don’t have one of those tools, Green Chef has suggestions for alternate items. We thought that these recipes were easier to follow than Home Chef’s recipes.
Nutrition
All of the ingredients Green Chef uses are sustainably sourced and certified organic unless otherwise indicated. All of the proteins are sustainably sourced and of high quality.
The shelf life of the ingredients is around 5 days, but we noticed some of the veggies beginning to get soggy after 3.
A lot of the recipes include spices, but none were loaded with sodium like Home Chef’s is. Even the pre-made sauces tasted fresh and didn’t have preservatives. Of the meals we had, the calories ranged from 500 to 900 with most being near 700 or 800.
The total amount of fat for most meals was over 50g per serving, with most being unsaturated. The sodium varies between meals, some containing over 1,000mg per serving while others being closer to 700mg.
Overall, the serving sizes were generous and we ended up getting 3 servings out of a meal designed for two.
Advantages
Green Chef is best for those who want to eat healthier and eat only foods that are organic. It’s ideal for those on a keto, paleo, or gluten-free diet. You can choose from vegetarian meals, which are perfect for those who are vegan.
Additionally, Green Chef outlines potential allergens in their food on their recipe cards, whereas Home Chef does not.
Disadvantages
It’s no secret that Green Chef is more expensive than Home Chef, but their ingredients are much better. The other issue we found with Green Chef is that they don’t have as much of a selection or as many options as Home Chef.
Final Verdict
We chose Green Chef over Home Chef primarily because their meals are healthier and fit for those who are looking for gluten-free options. Home Chef wasn’t far behind. Yes, they’re cheaper, but the nutritional value of their meals was all over the place.
Not only that, but the Home Chef’s customization made it difficult to include allergy information on the recipe cards.
Green Ched has allergy information and there’s a phone number on the bottom of their recipe cards in case you need live help while cooking. Overall, we think that they’re better than Home Chef, but not by much.
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My name is Keren Tayler. I am a stay-at-home mama to three lovely girls, Sarah + Rachel + Hannah. Prior to becoming a mom, I had a successful career in the accounting field, steps away from becoming a CPA. I decided to give up on my career in order to raise my own kids (as opposed to letting a nanny do it, no judgment here :)) I learned a lot and I love sharing it with other moms. Along the way, I also became a Certified Food Handler.