Green Chef Review

Wednesday, June 18th

2025 Mediterranean Meal Delivery Reviews

Green Chef

• Price per serving: Starts at $11.99
• Shipment frequency: Weekly
• Daily meals: Dinner and add-ons
• Calories per meal: Not specified
• Number of recipes: Not specified
• Prep time: Up to 30 minutes

Have you ever wondered if Green Chef, with its organic and gluten-free credentials, lives up to the hype? Founded in Boulder, Colorado in 2014, Green Chef prides itself on being the first meal kit company to achieve such notable certifications. They have plans for a variety of diets, including Mediterranean, but does this variety translate into overall satisfaction? Let's get into the specifics to find out.

Discounts and maybe a rewards program

Discounts of $50 or more are common with meal delivery services, and Green Chef entices new customers with an eye-catching offer of 60% off the first box plus a 20% discount for the initial two months. While they are one of few services with a rewards program, it's hard to find information about it, and customer experience with it is mixed. It seems the perks include upgrading to premium meals, which could mean enjoying a fancy breakfast at the cost of a regular meal, but the execution isn't always seamless. We've heard from some users that there can be issues cashing in their points.

Mediterranean-specific plan available

Choosing a plan with Green Chef is nothing out of the ordinary: pick a plan (like the Mediterranean), provide your address and billing details, and then select your meals. The customization is commendable, with options for families, couples, and even solo diners. The delivery frequency and serving sizes can be adjusted to fit your lifestyle, whether it's a meal plan for two or a larger group.

Ordering in bulk doesn't take the sting out of the price

But let's talk about the price. Green Chef isn't the most wallet-friendly option out there. At $11.99 per serving even for the maximum order size of 6 people eating 4 meals a week, the costs can add up. Even for a more typical scenario of 2 people having 4 meals a week, the price tag reads $12.99 per serving, putting Green Chef in the same league as other premium meal delivery services. The discounts for newcomers do help take the edge off the initial cost, but those won't last very long.

No recipes marked "Mediterranean” in the menu preview

On paper, Green Chef has a large selection of more than 80 menu items every week. However, the reality, as we found out, can be a bit different. When you visit their Weekly Menu page, the selection seems to shrink to around 50 recipes. And here's a hitch - if you're specifically looking for Mediterranean dishes, prepare for a lot of clicking around. The absence of straightforward filters means you have to manually sift through each item in the recipe carousel to find what you're looking for. And in our quest for Mediterranean flavors, we hit a dead end - not a single dish labeled as such was found. It seems that you might need to create an account and enter billing information to fully access their menu. We can't help but feel this is a bit of a misstep in customer experience. Why hide your full culinary hand, Green Chef? On a brighter note, we appreciate how Green Chef clearly marks allergens on their recipe pages. It's a small but significant touch that makes meal planning easier and safer.

Mediterranean meals are tasty, if a bit mysterious

Despite the difficulty in finding Mediterranean meals without committing to a plan, they do exist - as evidenced by customer reviews. It appears that people who have bit the bullet and signed up for Green Chef have found Mediterranean options, and the reactions are quite positive. Comments like "LOVE THE MEDITERRANEAN MEALS!" and praises for easy recipes and delicious outcomes paint a picture of satisfied taste buds.

Produce sometimes arrives spoiled

However, it's not all sunshine and olives. There are mentions of issues with produce quality - a common problem with these meal kits. Receiving spoiled items like artichokes and garlic can be a real downer, especially when you're excited to cook. The lack of expiration dates on some ingredients adds a layer of uncertainty, leaving customers to rely on their senses to gauge freshness. We hope you have a good sense of smell!

You'll need some ingredients and tools on hand

Green Chef's meal preparation process works for both novice and experienced cooks. The meal kits include pre-prepped ingredients like sauces and spice blends to make the cooking process quicker and more convenient. Detailed recipe cards with step-by-step instructions, complete with timing and visual cues, also help to make the task less daunting. Most recipes are supposedly ready in about 30 minutes, but it's always a good idea to add another 10 or 20 minutes to that estimate, especially if you're not used to the recipe. Although the prep is pretty straightforward, it's dependent on having a well-equipped kitchen, including basic pantry items and various cooking tools, detailed on their website.

What's really in the box?

Green Chef promises high-quality, organic ingredients in their meal kits. They talk a lot about using organic veggies, good quality meats, and working with local farmers. However, some customers have said that what they got in their box didn't always match up with these promises. There have been complaints about finding ingredients that aren't really organic ("natural flavors”), are store-brand, or are just average in quality. This means that while Green Chef says they offer top-notch, organic stuff, what you get might not always fit that description.

Keeps fresh for 5 days

Green Chef is good for the environment, claiming to be better than regular grocery shopping when it comes to carbon footprint by 31%. They also promise that their packaging doesn't harm the planet. Their boxes keep food fresh for about five days (with the exclusion of seafood, which should be eaten sooner). You get your box delivered to your door between 8 am and 8 pm, and you don't need to be there to sign for it, which is convenient.

Each box carries a shipping charge

When budgeting, make sure you take into account the cost of delivery. Green Chef charges $9.99 per box, not per delivery. If you're ordering in bulk or more frequently than once a week, these costs can add up fast. While ordering more meals can reduce the per-serving cost, it might raise the total delivery expenses.

Cancellation is too difficult

When it comes to stopping your orders, Green Chef could make things easier. Right now, you have to call them to cancel your subscription, which we think disrespects customer autonomy - it's pretty often used to keep you on the hook longer than you want to be. Also, some customers have been getting unexpected deliveries and charges, with Green Chef too often refusing to take accountability.

Try one of our higher-rated services

Green Chef's overall reputation looks good. On Trustpilot, they have a decent 3.8 rating based on 3,000 reviews, indicating a generally positive customer experience. What's more, they have an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, which means they're at least following up with customer complaints more often than not. But we think it's too hard to find Mediterranean meals - you won't really know what you're getting into. This is not good if you're picky, and it means we can't speak to variety; we don't like it when services use the same cheaper kind of protein over and over again (always chicken instead of ever using fish) but we can't check for that here. On top of that, cancellation is too hard, and shipping can be expensive. To sum up, there's nothing glaringly wrong with Green Chef that isn't also wrong with most other meal delivery services, but they just don't impress when it comes to Mediterranean offerings.