Green Chef just became the first meal kit company to be Certified Clean on select recipes from the Clean Label Project. But what does this certification mean, and are the recipes as good as they are green?
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Back in 2019, I cut meat out of my diet for environmental reasons. As a longtime fan of charcuterie, burgers and steaks, it was a big shift, but I believed that prioritizing plant-based foods (and reusable kitchen products) was worth it for the planet.
Since then, I’ve reintroduced sustainably sourced meat into my meal rotation, but the desire to eat green stuck with me. After reading Green Chef reviews, I realized the meal kit service shared that same mission, which led to my first official round of testing in 2022.
In 2026, Green Chef became the first meal kit company to be certified clean on select recipes from the Clean Label Project. With the new certification in mind, we decided it was time to retest the popular brand. Here’s what you need to know about Green Chef and its commitment to sustainability and clean eating.
As if Green Chef meals weren't good enough, the brand's eco-friendliness and usage of organic ingredients seal the delicious deal.
With so many meal kit services on the market, from Gobble to Marley Spoon, it’s difficult to differentiate them all. Green Chef stands out among the rest as a company that focuses on clean, organic ingredients and sustainable practices, such as offsetting delivery emissions.
Like its meal delivery competitors, Green Chef has customers pick a meal plan that dictates the number of recipes and servings they’ll receive each week. From there, users select meals from a menu with nearly 50 options. These tasty, unassembled breakfasts, lunches and/or dinners then arrive on their doorsteps on the chosen delivery date.
We tested Green Chef once in 2022, again in 2024 and now in 2026 to see how the service has evolved in that time. We also fact-checked all information in this review to keep it updated as of spring 2026.
I received my shipment of Green Chef meals on a Tuesday morning and prepared them on a Thursday. As I was unpacking the box, I instantly noticed the use of plastic—and lots of it. Albeit, the material seems to be a necessary evil in order to ultimately reduce food waste. For example, I received half a green bell pepper and a few romaine leaves, neither of which could be sent loose. According to the website, the plastic bags that hold the items are made from “Number 4 plastic film – low-density polyethylene (LDPE). We chose this plastic because it’s recyclable!”
As mentioned, we’ve tested this service over the course of four years now. Sheri Kaz, who tested Green Chef in 2024, notes that everything was packed nicely, surrounded by an insulated layer. She didn’t see a recycle emblem on the inserts, but searching the FAQ, she found this: “ClimaCell is made of a proprietary plant-based insulator that is certified curbside recyclable, with a thin sheet of kraft paper on either side to hold it together.”
There was still plenty of hard ice in the packs, and the food was very cold, even though it was in a UPS truck all day in 80-degree weather. Green Chef packages each meal in its own paper bag. They separate the meat items, which are packed on the very bottom next to the ice packs. On to cooking!
First up were the Birria-Style Black Bean Tacos. Green Chef is known for its healthy options, so I had to try one of the vegetarian selections. The ingredients were of high quality. Except for a small brown spot on one of the green onions, the produce was ripe, the cheese seemed freshly shaved and free from the common anti-caking agents, and the tortillas were restaurant-level good.
That being said, there were some drawbacks. For instance, I received two tomatoes instead of one, the second of which ended up being tossed. The recipe called for some tools, such as a microplane and a meat thermometer, that I don’t feel are necessarily household staples. And the tacos took me nearly 45 minutes to prepare, rather than the quoted 30.
The end result of this easy-to-make stovetop meal was tasty, tender tacos coated in a slew of sauces and dressings, including fresh pico de gallo, scallion crema and birria broth. The snafus certainly weren’t considerable enough to detract from the delicious finished product. I shared them with my vegetarian friend for lunch, and she was totally smitten.
Next, I made the Blackened Chicken Salad with Dijonaise. This winner took me close to the specified total prep time of 15 minutes, but the quoted cook times weren’t as accurate. The chicken “tenders” included in the box were actually finely chopped pieces of white meat (this threw me for a loop!), so they took less time to cook than estimated.
Aside from that, the preparation process went super smoothly. This salad was chock-full of mix-ins, yet there was hardly any chopping to be done. I was tasked with cutting up the tomato, celery and romaine—that’s it! (Plus, I learned a faster way to cut romaine from the instructions on the recipe card.) All that was left to be done after that was cooking the chicken and tossing the fixings.
The condiments for this dish came pre-made, and there was no shortage of them—just how I like it! The chicken was doused in a Creole-inspired mixture of Dijon and mayo, and the salad, as a whole, received a tangy ranch. This meal was so fresh, texturally interesting and flavorful. I was obsessed! Every bite was like a surprise inside. This was, without a doubt, my favorite meal.
I’m not a huge fan of chicken breast. I’d never even heard of pistou (a French sauce similar to pesto), and the stir-ins seemed interesting, to say the least. The Chicken with Basil Pistou was a risk for sure, but it paid off! As with the other Green Chef reviews and recipes, the instructions were easy to follow, and the dish was ready within 30 minutes, as was stated on the recipe card.
Those whom I shared it with were skeptical of the ingredients as well. We would’ve never thought to pair artichokes, fennel, chard, red peppers and dates, but alas, it worked. That’s the beauty of these meal kits: getting you and your family outside of your comfort zone without much creativity on your part.
Shopping Editor Mary Henn retested Green Chef in 2026 to confirm that the meal delivery service is just as good as when we last tried it in 2024. Mary has tested countless meal kit delivery services, including the best prepared meal delivery services and the best meal delivery services for families.
Mary sampled three meal kits from the brand: Garlic Basil Shrimp with Sauteed Kale, Lemon Teriyaki Glazed Salmon, and Street Cart-Style Turkey Bulgur Bowls.
“I appreciate how Green Chef meal kits sort ingredients into individual brown bags by meal,” she says. “All the meats stay at the bottom of the box near the ice, so they aren’t at risk of contaminating the produce. I also like that they notify you when an organic ingredient has been swapped due to availability.”
“Green Chef meals are a bit more involved than some other meal kit delivery services I’ve tried,” Mary notes. “I’d say they’re on par, in terms of prep time and difficulty, with Blue Apron and HelloFresh. I didn’t try any of the quick meals, so I can’t speak to those.”
Cook times for each meal were around 30 minutes, but with prep included, it took closer to an hour from start to finish to get dinner on the table. Each meal contained between 600 and 800 calories per serving.
While prep times were slightly longer, Mary enjoyed the overall taste and depth of flavor each recipe offered. “The ingredients felt healthier than some other meal kit brands that rely heavily on pasta and dairy as fillers,” she says.
“The recipe cards were easy to follow, with detailed instructions that used bullet points, numbers and bold text for clarity,” Mary adds. “Each step (not just a few) included a corresponding photo, so you can make sure you’re on track the entire time.”
“The recipes weren’t basic or bland. Each one offered flavor variety, something new, or a surprising ingredient,” she says. “My family especially loved the Street Cart-Style Turkey Bulgur Bowls. Even my toddler, who’s a notoriously picky eater, enjoyed the bulgur and turkey with cardamom-spiced Greek yogurt drizzled on top.”
Mary says she would gladly make the dish again for her family, though she notes that some ingredients may be difficult to find depending on your location and the grocery stores available to you.
Of the three meals Mary tested, two contained seafood, so they needed to be used within one to two days of delivery for optimal freshness. It’s also worth noting that most Green Chef proteins—like the fresh salmon and shrimp sent to our tester—shouldn’t be frozen, so planning ahead and selecting recipes that fit your schedule is important.
Overall, Green Chef delivers flavorful, health-conscious meals that appeal to the whole family. If speed isn’t your top priority, the service performs well across the board. Our testers were especially impressed by the bold flavor combinations and satisfying recipes.
In 2026, Green Chef became the first meal kit company to be certified clean on select recipes from the Clean Label Project. But what does the certification actually mean? We asked our resident registered dietitian Nancy Snyder to weigh in.
“While ‘clean’ isn’t a regulated term under the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), the Clean Label Project is a third-party organization that tests products for environmental contaminants like heavy metals and pesticide residues,” Nancy says. “This certification suggests that Green Chef is undergoing additional voluntary testing beyond standard regulatory requirements.”
Nancy explains that consumers should understand that ‘clean’ does not necessarily mean healthier or more nutritious. It specifically refers to contaminant screening, not overall diet quality.
This certification means Green Chef’s ingredients are tested for toxins and contaminants beyond standard government regulations. The additional testing is intended to boost consumer confidence that Green Chef’s ingredients meet the high standards set by the Clean Label Project.
When you read Green Chef reviews, you see that thousands of home chefs are going gaga over Green Chef—and for all different reasons.
One customer, Penelope Jane, loves having her decision fatigue surrounding meal planning relieved. “I really appreciate not having to think about what to eat for every meal, what groceries I need, etc.,” she says. “This service saves me a lot of time and mental energy.”
Five-star reviewer Ginny, on the other hand, is hooked on the quality of the recipes. “They are easy, well-balanced and absolutely delicious,” she says. “I love that they have keto meals and so many other options. My husband thinks I’m a gourmet chef.”
And Cat, a faithful fan of Green Chef, has tried out her fair share of meal kit services. This one comes out on top: “The food is excellent and healthy, and the quality control on proper packing is really good. Other meal services, we constantly had to call for missing items, rotten food or incorrect meals.”
What distinguishes Green Chef from many competitors—even some of its counterparts in the HelloFresh Group—is its emphasis on organic ingredients and accommodations for varying lifestyles and diets. After all, Green Chef is a certified organic company.
But because of this, Green Chef comes at a higher price. For comparison, the cheapest meals from HelloFresh cost $9. Those from Rachael Ray’s Home Chef meal service cost $10. And those from Dinnerly cost $5. All of which are cheaper than Green Chef’s $12 meals.
However, again, you’re paying for quality and even ingenuity. Green Chef reviews don’t lie. The meals are full of fresh, clean produce, as well as novel flavors. They readily stack up to and, in some cases, beat out the other meal kits on the market.
After my Green Chef reviews and recipes, I can honestly say that cooking the meals was such a treat. The salad was better than many I’ve had from restaurants, the birria tacos were a healthier take on a dish I know and love, and the chicken was a deliciously different underdog. Sadly, Green Chef will have to stay a treat for me, as the higher price point doesn’t fit into my budget. Although its business practices are sustainable (which I love!), for me, the cost is not.
If this isn’t a concern for you, I’d certainly recommend this meal kit service for your family, especially if you have dietary restrictions and a little extra time to spend in the kitchen. The finished meals are delicious and nutritious, not to mention easy to make and filling to boot. Also, the website was simple to navigate and use. Plus, the ingenious add-ons allow for a more well-rounded meal kit experience if that’s what you’re after.
As if Green Chef meals weren't good enough, the brand's eco-friendliness and usage of organic ingredients seal the delicious deal.
Snag your first Green Chef box directly from the company’s website, with meals starting at $12 per serving. You’ll be a clean, green cooking machine in no time!
Green Chef is not the same as HelloFresh, though they are both owned by the HelloFresh Group. Green Chef has an added emphasis on organic ingredients and special diets, such as keto and plant-based, whereas HelloFresh is more general use. Because they’re owned by the same company, though, the websites are formatted very similarly, and there is some crossover in offerings.
The cost of Green Chef per week depends on the number of meals and servings you purchase. For instance, six servings (i.e., three meals for two people) cost around $80, plus shipping, per week. And 24 servings (i.e., four meals for six people), which is the maximum, would cost around $288, plus shipping, per week.
No, Green Chef is not only vegan. Although it can cater to those following a vegan diet, many of the recipes include meat, dairy and/or eggs. Helpful tags, such as “veggie,” “vegan” and “protein-packed,” signify which recipes are friendly for which consumers. If you need exclusively keto, gluten-free or diabetic-friendly meal kits, you might want to consider ordering from elsewhere.
The weekly cost of Green Chef will depend on the membership you sign up for, but if you live a busy lifestyle and struggle to come up with meals (or go food shopping), it can definitely be worth the money.
Green Chef allows you to pause your subscription 5 days before your delivery is scheduled. You can skip up to 4 weeks (note that you have to manually go online and skip each one) before canceling your membership completely.
We back all meal delivery service reviews, including this Green Chef review, by testing from different Taste of Home team members with varying degrees of cooking expertise. Our testers’ needs, wants and budgets reflect those of the average shopper. We aren’t new to testing this product category, either. In addition to over a dozen meal kits, our team has reviewed meat and chicken delivery services like ButcherBox, Snake River Farms and Good Chop. Our testing extends to grocery services, like Misfits Market and Thrive Market, as well.
Product Tester and former editor Annamarie Higley oversees Taste of Home’s product testing team and daily operations in our testing lab. She and her team assess online trends, search traffic and audience engagement to determine which items warrant testing firsthand in our dedicated office space or our homes. This includes everything from kitchen appliances to beauty products to power tools. Knowing we sourced, saw and tested these products ourselves, readers can feel confident in our recommendations and, ultimately, secure in their purchases.
Mary Henn is a shopping editor for Taste of Home, Family Handyman and Reader’s Digest. She has tested virtually every major meal kit delivery service on the market. As a mom, she regularly evaluates products designed for kids and families, bringing real-life insight to every review. When testing meal kit delivery services, she assesses overall time commitment, recipe simplicity, ingredient quality and family appeal. Mary retested Green Chef in 2026 to ensure the meal kit delivery service continues to deliver on its promises of organic, healthy, tasty and satisfying meals.
Nancy Snyder is a registered dietitian and seasoned professional in nutrition and culinary expertise. She reviewed and fact-checked this piece. With nearly a decade of experience collaborating with restaurant chefs and food manufacturers, Nancy has forged a path at the intersection of nutrition consulting and culinary innovation.
Additional reporting was contributed by Melissa Lee, Content Updates Editor.
