3-Steps to Healthy Meals at Home with Green Chef

Green Chef Healthy and Eco-Friendly Meal Kit Delivery

Green Chef is a leader in home meal kit delivery, and is designated by the USDA as the first certified organic meal kit company. If you’re not familiar, Green Chef caters to different dietary needs, and allows you to more easily cook fresh, healthy meals at home without the inconvenience of going to the grocery store. All the ingredients and recipes are sent straight to your door and there is no obligation, as you can cancel at any time! 

Green Chef lives up to its name as they are one of the most “green” or sustainable meal kit companies around. All of the Green Chef packaging is made from recycled, reusable and/or compostable materials, and they offset 100% of their direct carbon emissions and plastic packaging. This is not an easy feat, I applaud them for taking these important actions towards helping save our environment. Green Chef also understands and believes that organic food is better for our health and ecosystem. They are proponents of rebuilding soil, avoiding synthetic chemicals and protecting animal welfare. 

As a certified integrative nutrition coach, I am interested about where my food comes from, so I appreciate the transparency and advocacy that Green Chef offers in that area. It’s also good knowing that purchasing a Green Chef box can indirectly help to support dozens of small artisanal suppliers and family farmers that they work with locally. 

Step One: Choose Your Healthy Meal Plan with Green Chef

When you set-up your account you get to choose your dietary and delivery preferences. Green Chef’s plans can accommodate both individuals and families as you can choose the number of portions you want to come in your box. The price varies based on the meal plan, and is broken down per serving. More details on pricing can be found on their website. 

Green Chef’s meal plans accommodate people with varying nutritional requirements including keto and paleo, balanced living and plant-powered. They also have designated gluten-free recipes available. Each plan offers over seven recipes a week to choose from. I love this business model because due to bio-individuality and personal health histories, we all thrive on different lifestyles and dietary regimens! 

Additionally, you can even customize your protein selections. For the Balanced Living and Keto + Paleo plans, you can opt-out of receiving specific proteins (ie: beef, poultry, lamb, shellfish, fish etc.). 

If you are on the fence about meal kits, one of the best parts is that Green Chef offers flexible memberships! You are free to change your preferences, skip weeks, or cancel at any time (up to seven days before your next scheduled delivery). This allows you to make the healthy meal plans work for you and your family! This also allows you to try-out Green Chef with no long-term obligation! 

Green Chef Meal Plan Choices

As mentioned above, Green Chef offers three meal plan options:

Keto + Paleo: The Green Chef Keto recipes contain no grains, excess sugar, fruit, gluten, peanuts or soy. The Keto plan is great for those who want to watch their carbs without sacrificing flavor in meals. The recipes range from 600-800 calories and contain less than 20 net carbohydrates. A favorite in my house is the bacon-roasted green beans! 

Balanced Living: The Balanced Living plan is considered omnivore and contains a diverse menu of meat, seafood and vegetarian dinners. This includes options such as pastas and shrimp! The meals come with fresh, organic produce and high-quality protein. 

Plant-Powered: The Plant-Powered meal plan offers vibrant plant-based meals that are perfect for those who eat vegetarian or vegan. Even though they are plant-based, the meals are filling and nourishing. 

Step Two: Cook Your Green Chef Meal in 30 Minutes

Green Chef meals are ready in around just 30 minutes. Yes, there is some light prep work involved with Green Chef recipes, but that is the best part, in my opinion! I love to cook, so I personally take delight in any chopping, peeling, and sautéing. But, if you’re new to cooking, that’s okay too, because the Green Chef recipes have been tested by a wide-range of cooks from new to seasoned chefs, and they cater to all levels of cooking from newbies to foodies.

The recipe cards are well-designed visually with easy-to-follow tips and instructions. Many of the ingredients come pre-measured and prepared to make cooking simpler and more efficient. This includes pre-made chef-crafted marinades, sauces, and dressings. The recipe cards list the kitchen tools you need for each recipe such as pans, baking foil, or utensils. 

I have picked-up some great cooking techniques from Green Chef, that I have since been able to apply to my own cooking and recipes. I have learned how to better utilize the oven to cook various proteins, which saves me time and effort, and allows me to multitask while making dinner on busy days. 

Step Three: Enjoy the Green Chef Recipes

With Green Chef, you get to eat restaurant-quality meals at home! I can honestly attest that the food is delicious, fragrant and satisfying! My husband could smell our Green Chef meal cooking all the way from the garage when he got home from work the other day, and said it smelled amazing (it was the Southwest Chicken Pasta). 

We are able to enjoy and savor the Green Chef meals knowing that we are eating cleaner, healthier ingredients as well! The recipes all include premium ingredients. As previously mentioned, Green Chef often works with local family farms to source the freshest and most flavorful ingredients, while also practicing sustainability. All of the Green Chef produce and eggs are certified organic, and when that certification is not possible they source the highest-quality options available, such as wild salmon. 

Green Chef offers new recipes weekly, so you won’t get bored of eating the same meals over and over again, if you are a repeat customer. Additionally, the portion sizes are generous in my opinion, and we sometimes have leftovers that we can re-heat and enjoy the next day for a quick lunch or dinner. Most of the meals taste just as good the next day! 

Order Healthy Meal Kit Delivery with Green Chef

If you are considering trying a meal kit, be sure to take advantage of the current discount! Click here to learn more about Green Chef or place your meal kit order today!

Skillet Sweet Potatoes

Get all the nutrients and fuel you need from this super easy recipe!!

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes (cut into cubes)

• 1 cup chopped spinach

• 1 bell pepper

• 1/4 cup of diced onion

• Handful of fresh cilantro

• Pink salt + pepper

• Red Pepper Flakes

• EVOO or coconut oil

Directions:

1. Cube sweet potatoes, dice up the onion, cut-up bell pepper into small pieces, and chop the spinach.

2. Cook all veggies over EVOO or coconut oil on stovetop with a sprinkle of pink salt and pepper, frequently stirring. Cook until potatoes start to soften and brown. Can cover with lid for a few minutes to speed up the process, but do not leave on for the entire time.

3. Remove from heat and top with crushed red pepper and fresh cilantro.

Avocado Nests

Start your day off right with this filling and nutritious breakfast! This recipe is dairy and gluten free!

Ingredients:

• 2 large avocados

• 2 cage-free eggs

• 1 cup chopped spinach

• 1 cup diced red onion

• 2-3 pieces of turkey breast (deli style)

• 1 TBSP almond mozzarella

• 1 TBSP plant-based butter

• Pink Himalayan Salt

• Pepper or red pepper flakes

• EVOO or coconut oil

• Hot sauce or chili powder (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut (or rip) turkey breast into small pieces and add to stove top pan with a drizzle of coconut or EVOO and sprinkle of pink salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of chopped spinach and diced onions to the pan after about 3 minutes and continue to cook and stir until turkey starts to brown and then remove from heat. At the same time you can scramble the eggs in a separate pan over 1 TBSP of melted plant-based butter and pink salt/pepper.

2. Cut avocados in half (long ways) and scoop out the pit and the center filling (save for another meal or recipe!)

3. Combine the turkey mixture with the scrambled eggs and fill-up the avocado bowls. Weave in some shredded almond mozzarella while still hot so it melts and can top with additional pink salt and red pepper flakes, chili powder or hot sauce to taste!

Orange-Cranberry Salad

I love adding fruit to my salads, especially during the late-summer and fall! This salad is both sweet and savory, enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of romaine

• 2 cup of fresh spinach

• 1/4 cup Mandarin oranges

• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

• 1 handful of slivered almonds

• 1 handful of pecans

• 1 TBSP goat cheese

• 1 TSP uncured bacon crumbles

• Poppyseed dressing OR Balsamic Vinegar + lemon juice

Directions:

Mix the chopped romaine and spinach leaves in a large bowl, add the mandarin oranges, cranberries, almonds and pecans and toss well. Top with crumbled goat cheese and uncured bacon bits. Dress with an organic poppyseed dressing OR make your own dressing using balsamic vinegar and a splash of lemon juice. This recipe will make 2 servings.

Strawberry-Poppyseed Salad

Whoever said fruit + veggies don't go together certainly hasn't tried my Strawberry-Poppyseed Salad! This salad is one of my favorites to make in the springtime and summer, as its unique combo is so refreshing on a warmer day! As always, I used all organic and fresh ingredients. 

Ingredients:

• 1 bag or box of Spinach
• 1 head or bag of Romaine lettuce
• 1 container of fresh strawberries
• 1 container of blueberries
• 1 cup of pecans
• 1 can of mandarin oranges
• 1 1/2 cups of feta cheese

• Poppyseed Dressing (I use Annie's)

Directions:

1. Wash and toss the romaine and spinach together in a large bowl or container.
2. Mix in the cut-up strawberries, blueberries, and drain mandarin oranges.
3. Add pecans and sprinkle the feta cheese on top.
4. Drizzle on Poppyseed dressing and mix all ingredients together well. Store in refrigerator or wait to add dressing until right before eating and it may get a little soggy when sitting out. 

Smoked Mozzarella Pasta

I am not taking credit for this recipe as I got the idea from Whole Foods. I used to love getting some of their Smoked Mozzarella Pasta from the salad bar, but since changing my diet and lifestyle for lyme disease a lot of the ingredients don't mesh with me anymore. I wanted to come up with a healthier version of this pasta, so I got creative in the kitchen, because seriously that's what I do for fun!  

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 box of organic penne (I used the 365 brand)
• 2-3 thick slices of mozzarella or 1/3 of a block of smoked mozzarella 
• 1 red pepper
• 1 cup of chopped spinach
• 3/4 cup of plan-based mayo (I used Earth's Balance)
• 1/4 cup of organic white wine vinegar
• Handful of fresh parsley
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 garlic clove
• Olive oil
• Pink salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil water and cook the penne pasta based on the box instructions. When pasta is done rinse noodles with cool water so they don't stick when refrigerated. 
2. Cut-up red bell pepper into small pieces or strips, chop up spinach. Cut mozzarella into small square pieces and set aside.
3. Add a drizzle of olive oil to pan on medium heat and add the red pepper and spinach, cover with lid. Let cook until tender, can remove the lid for 3-4 minutes and let finish cooking.
4. To make the sauce: in a bowl combine the 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 3/4 cup plant-based mayo, 1 tsp chili powder, fresh parsley, 1 pressed garlic clove, and 1 tsp red pepper flakes, stir well. Taste and if vinegar is too potent can add a little more of the plant-based mayo or some water to help lower the acidity. Add pink salt and pepper to taste.
5. Combine the sauce, cooked vegetables and the noodles and stir in the mozzarella chunks. Can add additional red pepper flakes for more spice. 
6. Let the pasta salad cool and set in the refrigerator, preferably overnight, but a few hours will do the trick. 

Taco Lasagna

Taco Lasagna: A mexican twist on the traditional comfort food! And it will fill-up the family for more than one dinner! I used all organic ingredients. If you are vegetarian, leave out the meat and add extra beans. For vegan or dairy-free use all beans and a plant or nut based cheese instead. 

Ingredients:

-Small corn shells
-1lb grass fed ground beef
-1/2 package of mild shredded cheddar (I like the thicker 365 brand bc melts like mozzarella)
-1 can garbanzo beans
-1 can black beans
-2 bell peppers (color of your choice)
-1 handful of romaine lettuce
-1 handful of fresh parsley
-Organic taco seasoning packet
-1 Tsp cumin
-1/2 an avocado
-1 container of salsa (I prefer the 365 black bean corn salsa)

RECIPE:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Brown the ground beef on stove top, mix with taco seasoning. At the same time add a drizzle of olive oil and heat can of garbanzo beans, black beans and diced bell peppers with cumin in a pan on low to medium heat. 

2. Once meat is done add the bell pepper/bean mixture to the the meat pan and stir. Add jar of salsa and mix well. 

3. Spray the bottom of Pyrex dish or wipe with olive oil. Add 6 corn tortilla shells for the bottom layer. Then top with the meat mixture, then cover with shredded cheese. After that, repeat the next layer by adding another 6 shells, then meat mixture, then cheese. 

4. Cook in oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until shells are crispy. Let cool and top with chopped romaine lettuce, cilantro and diced Avocado--can also drizzle on some fresh lyme juice. Cut with a knife and serve with spatula like lasagna.