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!

Green Chef is a Sustainable (Eco-friendly) Meal Kit Company

Green Chef is committed to sustainability and paves the way for meal kit companies with their innovative recyclable packaging and eco-friendly practices.

What is Sustainability and Why Does it Matter?

Broadly defined, sustainability means, the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance. With regards to the food industry, sustainability means that food production, distribution and consumption play a critical role in the health of our environment, society and economy.

Did you know that an estimated 40% of food is wasted in the U.S. annually, amounting to $162 billion in food waste? If not wasted, this food could have served over 58 million meals in the U.S. annually, according to CORR Concepts for Sustainable Living. Lessening or eliminating food waste has environmental, social and economic benefits for U.S. families.

Meal Kit Companies Have a Smaller Carbon Footprint

Food production has a huge carbon footprint, and according to CORR Concepts for Sustainable Living, one study estimated it is responsible for 19-29% of annual greenhouse gas emissions. 

But, according to a study conducted in April 2019 by the University of Michigan, it was determined that meal kit companies, such as Green Chef, have a carbon footprint that is 25% lower than meals made from store-bought groceries. This is attainable due to pre-portioned ingredients and a streamlined supply chain process. Typically the pre-portioned ingredients in meal kits lead to less food loss and waste. Green Chef offers consumers a significantly more sustainable approach to eating and meal planning. Throwing away less of what we eat is an impactful way to reduce carbon emissions. 

Shipping meal kits to thousands of homes can cause emissions, however meal kits are often delivered alongside other mail on normal routes and this last stage of distribution accounts for 11% of grocery store meal emissions, but only 4% for meal kits. The University of Michigan Study also says that by skipping brick-and-mortar retailing, the direct-to-consumer meal kit model avoids the food losses that commonly occur in grocery stores, resulting in large emission savings.

Green Chef Uses Recyclable Packaging

The plastic and packing materials required to keep food fresh to ship direct-to-consumers can play into carbon emissions. But, fortunately Green Chef has taken massive steps towards sustainability with all of their packaging, and have practices in place to help offset their direct carbon emissions and plastic packaging in every box. As a family that recycles and tries to do our part to help the environment, I found it very interesting to learn more about the packaging materials that Green Chef uses. 

Green Chef is committed to producing recyclable packaging when possible, the only exceptions come into play when there is a food quality or safety reason. With that said, Green Chef is the first meal kit company to utilize ClimaCell material. ClimaCell is a curbside recyclable insulation that serves a similar function to styrofoam. It is a patented material made from renewable plant-based components and paper. ClimaCell is a great insulator for perishable food products, and the company’s mission is to “protect products with packaging that protects the earth.”

What’s in Green Chef’s Packaging?

Green Chef Boxes

The Green Chef boxes are made of 40-60% recycled cardboard material. You can reuse the box for storage or break it down and recycle it with your curbside pick-up or local recycling facility. 

Plant-based Package Insulation

As mentioned above, Green Chef boxes come insulated with a material called ClimaCell. This is a proprietary plant-based insulator. It contains a thin layer of kraft paper on either side to hold it together. The material is also curbside recyclable.

Reusable Ice Packs

The Green Chef ice packs are filled with a soluble, non-toxic gel. The outer layer of the ice packs are made of #4 plastic film. You can easily reuse the ice packs by saving them in your freezer or store at room temperature for later use. The other option is you can cut a slit and drain the gel, rinse the plastic, and recycle wherever #4 plastic is accepted.

Compostable Meal Kit Bags

The Green Chef meal kit bags that contain all of the ingredients are made with 100% post-consumer recycled paper. You can reuse the bag if it is clean or recycle with your curbside pick-up. The other option is these meal kit bags can actually be composted at home or through your local composting facility. The plastic baggies used for individual ingredients have a number on them that indicates the type of plastic and where it can be recycled, if recyclable. 

Green Chef’s Sustainability Partners

Green Chef has also strengthened its commitment to sustainability by partnering with numerous organizations that hold high standards when it comes to the environment. Some of these organizations include: The Sustainable Packaging Coalition, Spoiler Alert, Plasticbank, Temperpack, and the US EPA Certified company SmartWay.

Additionally, Green Chef is USDA-certified organic company and utilizes organic produce and eggs in their meal kits, and works with local farmers on sourcing products. They keep animal welfare in mind and the proteins contained in the meal kits come from animals that have been raised with high welfare standards.

Healthy Meal Kit Delivery with Green Chef

If you would like to try-out an eco-friendly meal kit, Green Chef is a great option! Green Chef meals are easy, healthy and tasty! Choose the meal plan that best serves your individual or family’s nutritional needs including: Keto + Paleo, Plant-Powered or Balanced Living. Click here to learn more about Green Chef and get a special discount on your first order!

Sources:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921344919301703?via%3Dihub

https://www.corrconcepts.com/sustainability-101/why-sustainability/

Noodles & Company Launches Two New Zoodles Recipes!

I am excited to announce I have teamed-up with Noodles & Company to introduce you to my new favorite alternative pasta dishes!

Noodles & Company recently added not one, but TWO new Zoodles recipes to their menu last week, and I was fortunate to be able to try them out! The new dishes include: Zucchini Truffle Mac and Zucchini Spicy Peanut Sauté w/Grilled Chicken.

The Zucchini Truffle Mac is draped in the famous Noodles & Company cheese sauce, and garnished with black truffle, roasted mushrooms, parmesan cheese, and toasty breadcrumbs. The regular serving contains 540 calories and 31 carbs, and the small dish contains 260 calories and 16 carbs.

The Zucchini Spicy Peanut Sauté w/Grilled Chicken is mixed in a spicy, peanut flavored sauce with grilled chicken breast, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, and cabbage. It is finished with peanuts, black sesame, and fresh cilantro. A regular serving contains 610 calories, and small dish contains 380 calories.

Both dishes are light, bright, fragrant and flavorful! These healthier zoodles recipes are perfect for anyone trying to watch their carbs and calories.

Benefits of zoodles

• Zoodles are low in calories, so you can eat approximately five cups of zoodles for the same number of calories that you’d get from just one cup of regular wheat-based noodles!

• Zoodles are low in carbohydrates. This is important because eating too many carbs – or the wrong type of carbs – can sometimes lead to health problems including blood sugar issues and unwanted bloat and weight gain.

• Zoodles are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin B6, potassium, and other essential nutrients. Two cups worth of zoodles provides about 15 percent of your recommended daily dietary fiber intake. The fiber found in zoodles is good for digestion, heart health and overall gut health. A healthy gut is so important as 70 percent of your immune system resides there.

• Zoodles are a great pasta alternative for anyone following a gluten-free, grain-free, paleo or keto regimen. Because they’re made without any wheat, flour or grains at all, zoodles are also a safe substitute for individuals with celiac disease.

giveaway—Win a Noodles & Company Gift Card!

To celebrate the launch of the new Zoodles, I am hosting a giveaway to offer you a chance to test out the new Noodles & Company recipes for FREE! One Grand Prize Winner will receive a $50 digital gift card for Noodles & Company to be redeemed at a location near you. Giveaway ends 10/31/18, so spread the word! To ENTER: Visit my Instagram profile and click on the photo with me eating Zoodles (below) and follow the instructions.

To Enter the GIVEAWAY: Click on this photo on my Instagram profile and follow the instructions!

order noodles & Company

If you are as excited about the new Zoodles as I am, and want to taste them for yourself you can find them at a Noodles & Company location near you. You can also conveniently order them online for Quick Pickup at http://bit.ly/2OUE7nl.