I’m a huge fan of meal prep delivery services.  I’ve written about them before and rated which ones were the best.

If you have never tried a meal prep service, here are some of the advantages:

• No meal planning!  Sometimes figuring out what you are going to serve for dinner can be a daunting task.  You feel overwhelmed with options and ingredients and don’t know where to start.  Or maybe you are stuck in a rut just rotating the same few meals.  A meal prep service takes the guesswork out of meal planning.
• No grocery shopping.  Hallelujah!  I used to hate grocery shopping because it was so crowded and people were always bumping into me with their carts.  Then I’d have to carry all my groceries home (in NYC), which hurt my everything.  Plus, it is so time consuming!  Now I hate grocery shopping because I have to do with with a three year old who simultaneously wants to help, destroy all the contents of the cart and eat all the food.  And once we’ve finished I get to stand in a check out line for approximately 100 years waiting to get the groceries scanned.  Not having to grocery shop is like a vacation.
• Easy to follow recipes.  Meal prep services always include amazingly simple recipes that make even the most basic cook feel like a sous chef!  The front photo shows the finished recipe beautifully plated, which gives you something to strive for.  The back gives you step-by-step instructions with photos to show you exactly how to do each part of the recipe.  No guesswork!  It includes even the most basic instructions like wash your produce, preheat the oven, line a baking sheet, etc.
• It actually saves you money.  I think the most common complaint I hear about meal prep services is that they are expensive.  This is soooo not true!  It may seem expensive but take this challenge. Do your normal grocery shopping and meal planning for 1 month and save all your receipts.  Then do a meal prep service for 1 month and compare your receipts.  I guarantee you will spend less.  When you grocery shop you often end up overbuying or buying things you don’t need.  Meal prep services help you avoid spending unnecessary money.
• Meal prep services get rid of waste.  Are you one of those people who hates throwing out food?  Then you will love a meal prep service.  There is no need to throw out food because each meal is perfectly portioned based on your individual needs.  You can select how many people are eating and you will receive just enough ingredients for that many people.  No more buying 5 chicken breasts when you only want 2 or a huge bunch of carrots when you only want 1.
• It is healthier.  Having the meals portioned out will help save you calories because you can’t eat more than your fair share (or your dinner companions will be upset) and you have the health information at your fingertips.  
• There is more variety.  It’s almost like eating at a restaurant.  Sometimes the recipes are something you would never have thought up on your own or maybe you wouldn’t have tried it unless it came in your delivery box.  Or maybe your local grocer doesn’t carry the ingredients for some more exotic cuisines.  Meal prep services can help expand your palate horizons!

Sounds good, right?  So, which one to choose.  I’m excited to tell you about Home Chef.  It’s like having a private chef in your own home!

I was introduced to Home Chef when I received a coupon in the mail.  I decided to give it a try thinking I would get a box and then go back to my normal meal planning and shopping.  Once I received my first box, I was blown away.  I have done meal prep services in the past so I knew what to expect and wasn’t completely sure this would be a long-term solution for me.  But after one box, I was hooked.

Now, months later, I’m still receiving my boxes on about a bi-weekly basis.  I usually receive between 3-6 meals per box and there hasn’t been a recipe I didn’t like!

Some of my recent favorites have included:

Blue Cheese and Smoked Almond Pork Chop with Honey-Roasted Carrots and Chives

Chipotle Refried Lentil Flautas with Queso Fresco and Sour Cream

Steak Strip Empanada Bowl with Chimichurri 

Spciy Cajun Shrimp with White Cheddar Grits and Roasted Peppers and Mushrooms

Avocado Detox Farro Bowl

Salmon with Green Goddess Sauce with Potatoes and Spanish Zucchini

Crispy Orange Chicken with Jasmine Rice and Broccoli

Plus so many more.  Seriously, there is never a meal I don’t enjoy and I’ve tried so many meal prep kits.  There are so many options to choose from and I love that every box is customizable so you aren’t stuck with choices you don’t want.  

There are also some fantastic lunch options that can be prepped in just 5 minutes.  I love having an easy salad or grain bowl on hand that can be prepped in no time.

The dinners are also usually pretty quick to prepare and generally don’t require a lot of utensils or pots and pans making the entire process quick and easy.

I’ve used meal prep kits after the birth of both of my kids to have speedy dinners on hand and I have to say that this one is my favorite (I used Plated after my first child but they have since made changes that I didn’t love).  It’s been so nice not to have to worry about meal planning, making grocery lists and heading to the store since I can have everything I need delivered to me. 

I also love that I can change the portion sizes for each individual meal.  I am currently set on 2 servings as a default but if we are having company one night, I can easily change one meal to 4 servings and keep the rest at 2 servings.  How easy is that!?

Home Chef also has fresh fruit and smoothies as an option to add on to your order.  Personally I like to get my fruit from the store so I know what I’m getting.  I also have another service I love for smoothies (review coming soon).  But this is a great add-on if you are interested.

Of course you get to keep all the recipes (I have a huge binder!) so you can make any of these meals again by just shopping for the ingredients yourself.  It is a great way to broaden your horizons and get some new menu ideas.   

Want to check out my reviews of other meal prep services?  Check out this post on Plated, Hello Fresh & Blue Apron.

Want to give Home Chef a try yourself?  Get $30 off your first box when you use my referral code. I promise you will be hooked!

Enjoy!