Home Chef Review (and Referral Code!)
/In recent weeks, I have found myself less than inspired in the kitchen. Meatloaf, Baked Chicken, Chicken Bratwursts and Burgers have made waaay too many rotations in the meal plan. I often advise my Madden Wellness clients that a thriving meal plan also includes experimentation and trying new foods as a means to keep from becoming bored. Boredom with foods and meals often leads to take-out and fast-food when you feel like there's nothing to look forward to at home!
A couple of years ago when Blue Apron was the newest service on the market, I gave it a try. I remember really enjoying the meals and the ease of having meals already somewhat pre-chosen for me each week. I decided I wanted to give the meal delivery service another try. A quick Google search revealed there are many other options for meal delivery service rather than just Blue Apron.
Home Chef seemed to offer a great selection for the week I first reviewed. From their website:
We’re here to help busy people like you to skip the grocery store and whip up delicious meals in 30 minutes. Every week you get knockout new recipes and all the fresh, pre-portioned ingredients delivered straight to your door. Say goodbye to long grocery lines, parking lot power-struggles, and Pinterest-induced food fails that leave you ordering takeout at 11 PM.
Plus, it didn't hurt that I received a referral code from a friend for a discount! ;)
On the site, you are able to choose from 2, 4, or 6 serving options with meals costing approximately $9.95 per serving. Every week offers 10 dinner options, new breakfasts, a fruit basket and a fresh smoothie option. Customers are able to filter meal selections to fit low carb, vegetarian, gluten-free, meat and seafood, as well as low-calorie.
My first selection of meals included:
- Flat Iron Steak and Bleu Cheese Salad
- Chicken Quesadillas
- Coconut Curry Lentils with Wild Rice
- P.S. - (YUM!)
First Impression:
My box arrived on time and I even received an email the morning of reminding me my delivery would be arriving later in the day. Very handy for busy individuals that may forget and risk having their box sit for too long.
When I opened the box, I discovered all the recipes for the week were printed on full-color, cardstock pages already prepared to place in a binder. I also received a binder to keep the recipe cards in (nice!).
Ingredients for each meal were separated in plastic wrapping and labeled appropriately. The meat was separate and stored in between ice packs in the box. This made it super simple to just grab the bag of ingredients when getting ready to prep the meal for dinner each day.
Flat Iron Steak and Blue Cheese Salad
This meal was AMAZING and out of the 3 options in my box, I believe this one stole the show! The flavors were fantastic together and even the husband enjoyed having "just a salad" for dinner. ;)
Chicken Quesadillas
At some point through the week, I received another email from Home Chef advising the spice blend for one of the recipes was an "abnormally spicy blend". They advised to use caution and add according to spice sensitivity. I, unfortunately, got confused when cooking my meal and thought this email was in reference to the steak seasoning for one of the other meals. It was only after I added ALL the Quesadilla spice to the chicken in this meal that I quickly realized it must have been for this one. I couldn't even finish cooking without coughing every time I breathed from the spice!
Note: The broccoli and carrots were my own addition leftover from a previous meal.
Needless to say, I was very concerned the dish was going to be so spicy that I would not even be able to eat or enjoy it. However, I was pleasantly surprised that I was still able to enjoy the meal and it was delicious! I will say, it definitely had a bit more heat than I would've preferred. Nonetheless, I was impressed that Home Chef took the time to give proper warning to customers via email to advise them of the extra heat factor!
Coconut Curry Lentils and Wild Rice
This meal was absolutely delicious! The lentils and wild rice combination was SOOOOOO good! I had never really tried lentils before and I definitely think I'll be incorporating them into my diet more often! This dish felt like a comfort food dish and warmed the soul in all the right ways. The husband was especially approving of this dish which is saying a lot for someone who has never even heard of a lentil!
Note: I added chicken (not included) to this plate because it was the husband's plate and I knew he would want the added protein. Mine was without the chicken.
Overall Conclusions:
Pros:
- Fast Delivery
- Amazing Customer Service and Communication
- Impressed with Ingredient Grouping in the Bags
- All Ingredients Fresh and Amazing
- Impressed with Recipe Cards and Binder (this made for a nice recipe stand while cooking, as well!)
Cons:
- Honey arrived in squeeze packets that were a bit messy to use.
- Chicken needed to be sliced in preparation which took extra time. (Honestly not sure about this complaint. It may be this is the healthiest, freshest and safest way for the chicken to be transported/delivered.)
Would I Order Again?
Absolutely!! And I have for the last 2 weeks!! All the meals I have received since have been equally as delicious as this first one. I think I am totally hooked on this meal delivery thing! I love having my meals somewhat chosen for me each week. This makes for a little less stress each week.
Referral Code
Would you like to try Home Chef for yourself? Use my referral code here and you'll receive your first order at $30 off! That's a total of 6 servings for less than $20 (with the 2 servings/3 meals option). You can cancel anytime you wish and also skip meals in between weeks if you don't see something you like that week or maybe if you're out of town. (With the referral code, I also receive a discount on my own purchase. Thank you!) For your discount, click here!
Amber Madden is a Licensed Counseling Associate specializing in Eating Disorders and Obesity. She is the Clinical Director at Madden Wellness Counseling, PLLC. She utilizes her skills in addiction to assist her clients in with Binge Eating, "food addictive" patterns, and develop a positive approach to overall health and wellness. She has a passion for assisting clients in achieving their health goals and learning to love nutritious foods and exercise. For more information visit www.maddenwellnessky.com .
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