Anyone Cooking Up Mail Order Meals?

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Jul 2, 2007
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Wife and I have been subscribed to Green Chef since a few months now. Not cheap. $84.95/week for one box which contains three meals for two (six servings). We are on the keto menu simply due to it's the lowest cost. It gets us cooking together three nights a week and it's a fun thing to do with your spouse, partner, significant other etc. On avg takes about 30 - 40 minutes to fix up. It's all raw, and all certified organic, so it needs rinsed if veggies, but the meats come vacuum sealed. They Ship it in an insulated box. There is a huge ice pack at bottom, then the meats are on top that and a 2nd huge ice pack on top of the meats, and the recycleable insul blanket around all box walls. Sitting on top that assembly is the bag which contains veggie ingredients each in a sealed individual plastic bag, and various spice/seasoning packets. Those items all get their chill off the huge ice pack they sit on top of. We have been getting a box like this once per week delivered in the summer heat (90+) usually in afternoon (MyUPS app tells when) and have not yet received anything gone bad/spoiled/flaccid. The meats are always still cold, and the vegs are still chilly. The recipes aren't real difficult but some can be slightly involved with several things to have going at once, usually at least two pans on range and something in the oven. The food finishes out pretty remarkably good tasting, we've only tried a few recipes that we we agreed we'd not order again and it wasn't the quality of ingredients it was just we didn't care for that particular dish (seasoning, etc). The keto menu is just right for her and she still spoons a small amount of "I'm full" remnants from her plate to mine, and I at times add a couple slices of bread and butter to fill me in a little better (Dave's Killer Bread- organic). It works out cheaper than a full service restaurant meal by about 1/2 and about $10 more per person than fast food. Yep, you gotta cook it up, but that's half the fun, and the quality of ingredients is pretty good, about same as the organic selection at any grocery.

The way they keep you from just straight up copying their recipe is they ALWAYS have one of the main parts be a Secret Sauce of sorts-- a blend of stuff in a bag that you put in that helps give it that right flavor. The bag might say "Ginger and turmeric apple cider twango-bango drizzle" I made that up but you get the idea.

There are other competing brands, Blue Apron, Hello Fresh, and more. This is the one we're trying. Mainly on account of the keto menu-- we feel it makes for a light supper that doesn't weigh you down. Only three times a week for us though. Other nights we fix our own more conventional recipes or we might go out.
 
Used to do a while back. It's the best way to have some variety in the diet and also learn about various ingredient combinations.
 
We tried Blue Apron or Hello Fresh (can't recall which one) some time back. Honestly, the amount of work to make the meal is still significant. Some dishes tasted OK. Others were were kind a blah. For the price you pay, it wasn't anything outstanding. We cancelled the service after the trial period.

I usually go grocery shopping once a week anyway, so I typically pick up whatever ingredients are needed for dinner then. Getting them from one of these mail order services seems like an overpriced way to do it.
 
Sounds worthwhile if it gets you and your spouse cooking together. I prefer grocery shopping, and selecting each item myself. I resent having to go online to "clip coupons" just for the privilege of getting a decent price. I spend enough time on a computer at work and home. But I have no problem if it works for you.

BTW "so it needs rinsed" Please end the war on the verb "to be".
 
Always preferred to just cook from scratch. Both my wife and I enjoy cooking and making healthy meals is extremely easy, and a whole lot less expensive than getting it shipped.
 
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Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Not cheap. $84.95/week for one box which contains three meals for two (six servings).


OUCH. Going out to a nice restaurant pricing. Stoffers for $2 on sale and a salad. Good enough when I don't feel like making something.
 
Originally Posted by Fawteen
Always preferred to just cook from scratch. Both my wife and I enjoy cooking and making healthy meals is extremely easy, and a whole lot less expensive than getting it shipped.

It sounds like it IS cooking from scratch. It is just shipped to you instead of picked up.

Making healthy meals IS extremely easy. Making tasty healthy meals requires some learning and effort.
 
Yes and love it. We started with Hello Fresh a while ago, wow 2 years actually, but have switched to HomeChef within the past 6 months. I usually pick the meals out about a month in advance, so every week is new when it gets delivered. No planning ahead, and it puts me outside of the box for things to think of to cook. I have a few coupons for $30 off if anyone wants to try, they can PM me with email. I usually go with organic chicken and better beef options, so its about 70-75 per week. Base is 60, and the meat quality is pretty good for the base level stuff. My wife is a total PITA when it comes to that, so we just upgrade it.
 
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Not cheap. $84.95/week for one box which contains three meals for two (six servings).


OUCH. Going out to a nice restaurant pricing.

At a nice restaurant, you'll pay that much for just one dinner for 2.
smile.gif
 
Yep, $107 for two yesterday and that was lunch (we did have appetizers) … no alcohol …
 
We have tried everyone we can find. So many good discounts and then if you stop using them after a short time they send you more discount codes. Food has been excellent especially with the discounts taken into consideration. Fresh, good quality meats and veggies. Sauces and spices we would normally not use make for added enjoyment. Easy recipes but usually takes 30 minutes to fix, yet taste like a 4 star+ restaurant. Wife and I have fun two times a week cooking together. If you don't mind shuffling companies a fun, decent eating/cooking experience at a reasonable price.
 
Originally Posted by Mad_Hatter
Nope too expensive.. besides I like cooking.


With most services you do all the chopping, cutting, blending, mixing, cooking etc. With discount codes they are very affordable
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Not cheap. $84.95/week for one box which contains three meals for two (six servings).


OUCH. Going out to a nice restaurant pricing.

At a nice restaurant, you'll pay that much for just one dinner for 2.
smile.gif




HAHA, just brought home pork chops from a greek restaurant. Two large grilled chops, a pile of roasted potatoes, greek salad, pita bread and tz sauce. $11.61 out the door. Couldn't finish it all and have lunch for another day now. I kringe if I have to pay much more than $8 or $9 for a meal but this is one of the places I don't mind.
 
Originally Posted by Quattro Pete
Originally Posted by atikovi
Originally Posted by LoneRanger
Not cheap. $84.95/week for one box which contains three meals for two (six servings).


OUCH. Going out to a nice restaurant pricing.

At a nice restaurant, you'll pay that much for just one dinner for 2.
smile.gif




And even at not so nice restaurants too once you factor in the taxes and tip.
 
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