AARP Hearing Center
Green Chef Review: What to Know About This Organic Meal Kit Service
Testers said this company offers tasty, high-quality food — but it’s expensive and some testers experienced delivery delays
The products and services discussed on this page have been independently tested and researched. AARP may earn a commission through affiliate links, but this does not influence our objective reviews. Proceeds earned go toward supporting our mission.
AARP Smart Picks
Eating organic may sound simple — until you’re standing in the produce aisle trying to figure out what to buy. Green Chef is a meal delivery service that can help make it easier to eat organic. Its meal kits — which are boxes filled with the necessary ingredients to make a given meal — include organic produce and proteins, per Green Chef’s website. And the company can ship these kits to your door each week if you subscribe to the meal delivery service. This service, like most others, includes a menu that rotates weekly, allowing you to select the dishes you’re most interested in. For older adults who want to eat cleaner, this service can save time, reduce food waste and make it simpler to enjoy at-home meals that include organic ingredients.
But this convenience comes at a cost. Although we recommend Green Chef as one of the best vegetarian meal delivery services due to its performance in our testing, it has some of the highest prices per dinner serving of any service we’ve evaluated — with these prices starting at around $12.99 before any modifications or add-ons. And as grocery prices rise, Green Chef’s cost could be a dealbreaker for some older adults. For instance, when we conducted an April 2026 survey of 300 adults ages 50 and older who then used or had used a meal delivery service in the last 12 months, 28 percent said finding a service that fit their budget was the hardest part of choosing one.
More Ways to Benefit
- Related Benefit 1
- Related Benefit 2
- Related Benefit 3
- Related Benefit 4
- Related Benefit 5
To help you decide whether Green Chef may be worth a try, our AARP Smart Picks team worked with a group of testers ages 50 and older, including older adults who are part of AARP’s The Ethel community. The Ethel is a free weekly newsletter, website and online community that’s named in honor of AARP founder Ethel Percy Andrus. Our April 2026 survey also helped us to gather more insight on the subject.
So how did Green Chef perform on our assessments? Testers gave this offering high marks for flavor and ingredient quality, but they noted a couple of cons related to delivery and price. Keep reading for our in-depth review to find out what this service does well — and whether it may be worth the price.
What to know about Green Chef
This meal delivery service is the only certified clean meal kit in partnership with the Clean Label Project, according to Green Chef’s website. This nonprofit organization tests food and other consumer products for harmful contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides. During our evaluation, this service earned standout marks for ingredient quality and flavor, with testers giving their meals perfect scores for taste.
For example, Will, a 65-year-old tester, said his pork chops with truffle sauce were “seasoned perfectly” and that the sauce complemented the pork and vegetables well. Donna, a 60-year-old tester, said her chana masala — a chickpea curry dish — with basmati rice and naan was “extremely yummy,” and she called the naan “delicious.” Both testers also praised the portion sizes, saying the meals provided enough protein and vegetables to keep them full.
Green Chef states it’s the first meal kit to earn the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) distinction, which means its produce meets strict quality standards. We like that its produce and eggs are certified organic by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and that its protein is sourced from organic or sustainable methods when possible. This information is notable because organic food may be healthier than conventional food on some measures, as it contains less pesticide residue, according to Mayo Clinic.
Another strength of this service? Its variety of dietary options for meal kits. Green Chef offers plans for keto, Mediterranean, plant-based, gluten-free, paleo and calorie-smart diets, and it also allows subscribers to swap or add extra protein on select meals.
But there is a notable con. As we’ve mentioned, Green Chef’s cost per serving is higher than that of other meal kit services. Remember, the price per serving starts at around $12.99. Meanwhile, we’ve seen some meal delivery companies such as Home Chef offer almost half that price per serving. A flat $10.99 shipping fee also applies to each Green Chef box, which is fairly standard among meal delivery services. That said, we appreciate that this company — like others — offers discounts to first-time customers. During our evaluation, it offered up to 50 percent off the first box, plus 20 percent off on eight future boxes, which lowered the initial cost.
To see how this meal delivery service stacks up against other services we’ve tested, read our best meal delivery services roundup.
- Pros
- Cons
- Features
Outstanding taste
Strong dietary variety
Customizable proteins and vegetables
Pricey per serving
May experience shipping delays
Type: Meal kit
Plan options: Two to four recipes per week for two, four or six people
Vegetarian friendly: Yes
Vegan friendly: Yes
Sample of other diets available: Mediterranean, keto, plant-based
Key takeaways from our testing
We evaluated two Green Chef recipes — one with meat and one vegetarian — and testers gave each meal perfect scores for taste. Tester Will, who prepared pork chops with mushroom truffle sauce, described the sauce as balanced rather than overpowering and said the seasoning was “perfect.” Meanwhile, Donna prepared chana masala over basmati rice and said it was “extremely yummy.” She also liked the umami flavor, noting that the naan made this one of the best offerings that she’s ever tested from a meal kit. To help us understand how important taste is to older adults when trying meal delivery services, respondents of our April 2026 survey ranked taste as the most important factor.
Tester Donna said she wouldn’t change a single thing about her chana masala recipe from Green Chef.
AARP Smart Picks
Tester Donna said she wouldn’t change a single thing about her chana masala recipe from Green Chef.
Testers gave Green Chef outstanding scores for how easy it was to order and customize meals. One lab tester said she was able to choose from six different diets, including keto, Mediterranean and plant-based. For comparison, the most customizable meal delivery service we’ve tested, Hungryroot, has eight different diets to choose from — just two more options than what you can get with this company. That lab tester also noted that she could swap protein types or double the vegetables in her meals to suit her tastes. There may be an additional cost for some of these swaps, depending on the ingredient. The ability to enjoy a rotating menu of different meals and personalize it could make it easier — and more pleasant — to stick with a preferred eating plan.
As noted, this service has one of the highest per-serving costs among the meal delivery services we’ve tested. To demonstrate, while the price per serving with this company starts around $12.99, many others we’ve tested start around $11 or less. That cost may be a barrier for older adults on a strict food budget or fixed income. Another negative: One of our lab testers had a problem with her delivery. After placing her order, she received a confirmation email (without tracking information) stating the order would arrive on Monday. On that Monday, she got a text message saying the box would arrive between 3 and 9 p.m. that day — but it didn’t. The next day, a Tuesday, she received another text message saying her order would arrive that afternoon, and it did. Based on our testing, delays are common in this industry. But some companies, like Blue Apron, provide tracking information after you place an order, which can save you from having to guess. Generally, when using a meal delivery service, keep the potential for delays in mind.
How we tested and reviewed meal delivery services
To identify Green Chef’s strengths and weaknesses, we recruited a group of nine testers ages 50 and older — including members from AARP’s The Ethel community — to test meal delivery services and share their unbiased feedback. Testers then ordered and cooked their meals in their homes or in our AARP Smart Picks test kitchen and shared their thoughts on key factors such as food quality, portion size, taste, customization options and ease of preparation.
Become an AARP member
Interested in joining or renewing your membership? Explore all that AARP membership can offer — join or renew today!
In addition, we paid close attention to the delivery process, including the number of delivery updates the company provided and the quality of the packaging. We also reviewed the cancellation process to determine how long it takes and whether any challenges might arise before your subscription is paused or canceled.
For more details, see our meal delivery service testing methodology page.
How much does Green Chef cost?
As noted, Green Chef’s standard price per serving for dinner usually starts at about $12.99 before any modifications or add-ons. If you decide to order from this company, shipping costs an additional $10.99 per box. Your total cost for a box in a given week would depend on the types of food you choose, the number of meals or any customizations you make. You can see a breakdown of these costs in the chart below.
Is Green Chef right for you?
Consumers have various options when choosing a meal delivery service. Green Chef may be a suitable option for older adults who want to eat more organic foods and subscribe to a meal delivery service that lets them customize meal kits by swapping protein or vegetable options. This service also may be a good fit for those who want to be able to choose from a variety of meal kits — including keto, Mediterranean and plant-based options.
Wondering if this service might be a fit for you? Here are additional factors you may want to consider if you’re interested in subscribing to this service.
Are you focused on eating organic ingredients?
If so, Green Chef may be an option to consider. Its meals include USDA-certified organic produce and eggs. Plus, its meals include protein sourced from organic or sustainable sources when possible. If you value eating organic produce, a service like this, which sources organic ingredients where available for your meals, can save you time at the grocery store.
Do you want to try new recipes?
Green Chef’s varied and rotating menu may offer flavors and ingredient combinations you might not otherwise try. For example, beyond typical menu options you may see among other meal delivery services such as “high-protein” or “carb-smart,” this company also offers meals that fit into a "Mediterranean" diet, often cited as the world’s healthiest diet.
That said, if you just want to add more variety to your meals without overhauling your routine, you can start by checking out AARP’s tips for eating healthier without feeling bored to find easy ways to update your at-home menus.
Is a low price your primary consideration?
If so, Green Chef may not be right for you since it’s one of the more pricier meal kit services on the market, with prices per serving for dinner starting at about $12.99. We have tested other services that start at about $10 or $11 per serving. For older adults who are watching their food spending, the ongoing per-serving cost may be difficult to sustain over time. So, if you’re interested in lowering your food shopping costs, you may want to check out AARP’s guide to eating healthy on a budget, which offers strategies for stretching your food dollars without sacrificing good nutrition.
FAQs
Is Green Chef all organic?
Green Chef is not completely organic. Its produce and eggs are certified organic by the USDA, and the company says that it’s the first meal kit service certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers association. But its offerings do contain some conventional, non-organic foods. In fact, organic certifications do not exist for some ingredients, such as certain proteins and seasonings like salt. Reviewing the ingredient list for the meals you select before ordering is the most reliable way to confirm which offerings meet organic standards in a given week’s menu.
How much are Green Chef meals?
Green Chef’s price per dinner serving usually starts at about $12.99. That’s about $2 to $3 more expensive per serving than most other meal delivery services we’ve tested. A flat $10.99 shipping fee applies per box regardless of order size. First-time customers can receive 50 percent off their first box, with 20 percent off on eight subsequent boxes as part of the introductory promotion.
Can you pause your Green Chef subscription?
Yes, you can pause your Green Chef subscription. To do so, head to the “My Menu” section of the website, choose the date and select “Skip.” You must pause your order at least five days before your scheduled delivery date to avoid being charged.
Questions or feedback? Email us at AARPSmartPicks@aarp.org.
AARP Membership
Join AARP for only $15 per year with automatic renewal. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of benefits, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP The Magazine.
You Might Also Like
Best Keto Meal Delivery Services
We put top options to the test so you don’t have to waste any money. These are the ones that impressed us.
Factor Meals Review: RD Approved
This meal delivery service features prepared meals. See how it performed in our tests.
The Best Meal Delivery Services
See which meal kits stand out for taste, simple prep and easy delivery