Food
Mai Tai
Among the most iconic tiki cocktails, the classic mai tai is widely credited to Victor Bergeron of Trader Vic’s, though some cocktail historians trace its roots to the tropical rum drinks pioneered by Donn Beach (a.k.a. Don the Beachcomber) a decade earlier. Whatever its origin, the drink has earned its place in the cocktail canon.
Despite its reputation as a sugary beach-bar drink, a proper mai tai is crisp, citrusy, and unologetically rum-forward—not neon-colored or overloaded with sweetened fruit juice. Fresh lime juice, orange curaçao, and nutty orgeat bring balance and complexity, while a blend of white and aged rum delivers layered tropical-fruit, vanilla, and caramel notes that define the drink.
This classic mai tai recipe keeps the focus where it belongs: on great rum. Ready in just five minutes, it’s equally suited to a solo hpy hour or a backyard gathering.
Tips for making the best mai tai
What rum is best for a mai tai?
A combination of white rum and aged dark rum creates the best balance. White rum is lighter-bodied and fruity, while aged rum brings notes of banana, vanilla, and burnt sugar, along with a richer mouthfeel.
Seek out producers who are transparent about sourcing and production methods, then choose bottles with enough character to stand up to the lime and orgeat. We like Denizen Merchant’s Reserve for the dark rum and Planteray 3-Year for the white. Merchant’s Reserve was developed specifically to cture the flavor profile of a classic mai tai, while Planteray is affordable, easy to find, and packed with tropical fruit flavor.
Orgeat is a sweet almond syrup flavored with orange flower water that gives a classic mai tai (among other tropical drinks) its signature nutty flavor and silky texture.
We like Small Hand Foods for its rich flavor and floral complexity, but L’Orgeat and Liber & Co. are also excellent options. For a sweeter, more traditional tiki-bar profile, BG Reynolds is another favorite. You can also make your own orgeat. Read more →
Can I use Cointreau instead of curaçao?
You can, but orange curaçao (not the blue stuff) delivers a fuller citrus flavor that complements the rum better. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao is exceptional and makes for a balanced, classic mai tai profile. Cointreau will lend brighter citrus flavors, but overall, make the drink taste less complex.
You can also use Grand Marnier, which tends to be sweeter than most curaçaos and brings warm, jammy flavors reminiscent of orange marmalade.
Can I use bottled lime juice?
We don’t recommend it. Lime juice provides bright acidity that balances the sweetness of the rum, orange liqueur, and orgeat. Bottled juice won’t deliver the same vibrant, fresh citrus flavor.
Can I make a big batch of mai tais for a crowd?
To make about 8 servings, sw the recipe’s ounces for cups and stir everything together in a large pitcher. The cocktail will keep well for about 8 hours (keep refrigerated).
Combine 8 spent lime halves, 1 cup fresh lime juice, 1 cup aged rum, 1 cup white rum, ½ cup curaçao or Grand Marnier, ¼ cup orgeat, and ¼ cup simple syrup in a large pitcher without ice. Add 3 Tbsp. water and stir well to combine. Chill until very cold, at least 1 hour.
Divide cold mixture between 8 rocks glasses filled to the brim with crushed ice. Garnish each with a lime wedge and a mint sprig.
Preparation
Head this way for more of our favorite classic cocktail recipes →
Food
RIP to Michelins Green Stars
Welcome to Open Tab, a weekly roundup of news, gossip, and stories that have stayed open in my tabs all week. Last week we covered the World Cups’s tourism bubble
The weather is warm in New York, and I had my first oysters of the season last night at Bar Susanne, the new spot from Jackie Carnesi, who also runs the historic Kellogg’s Diner. The oysters were perfect—briny and sweet—but the real coup was the giant, fish-shed strawberry tart for dessert. This is all to say: Summer is here, folks! Get thee to a raw bar!
Now for the news. (Well, news.) One small item that tickled me this week: Los Angeles mayoral candidate, former reality TV star, and famously bad budgeter Spencer Pratt—you may remember him from The Hills?—has not one but two dishes named after him at Don Antonio’s, a restaurant on the west side of LA. It’s where a few important moments from the show took place, and according to this excellent piece in Vanity Fair, Pratt is still a regular all these years later.
In other Los Angeles news: If you spend $15,000 a year at Erewhon, you can get your smoothie made before anyone else’s, Eater reported. That is just one of the perks of the reserve tier of the chain’s membership program. That’s, what, a single strawberry a month?
Also this week: There’s PFAS drama brewing in the pots and pan-iverse, AI is failing home cooks (and many others), we remember Slow Food pioneer Carlo Petrini, and Michelin quietly institutes some changes to their stars.
In 2020, the Michelin Guide introduced Green Stars as a way to honor chefs’ sustainability efforts. Previous winners include The Inn at Little Washington, Kaya in Orlando, and Dan Barbour’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns. But just six years later, the guide is retiring this designation—you won’t see a green star on any of those restaurant’s listings on the Michelin website. Sustainable chefs the world over are pretty pissed off, but as I reported a couple years ago, Michelin’s main priority these days seems to be expanding into new territories. Instead of a Green Star, Michelin will be introducing Mindful Voices, an editorial platform to share the stories and pioneering practices of chefs, hoteliers and wine producers.
One interesting tidbit: eliminating the Green Star must have been a very recent decision. I received an email from a PR person as recently as ril announcing the awards in one US state which specifically mentions Green Stars. Much to ponder!
Big Pan strikes again. Caraway, a cookware brand, is being sued by two other cookware companies—Groupe SEB USA and Meyer—because it advertises its pans as free from toxic chemicals (PFAS), as Wired reported. PFAS, colloquially known as forever chemicals, break down very slowly and are linked to health issues. The gist of the suit is that if Caraway calls its pans free of toxic chemicals, it’s implying that the chemicals other companies use are toxic—which isn’t strictly proven. Between us girls, I’d skip Caraway and go with GreenPan anyway.
It’s been a banner week for AI haters i.e yours truly. Starbucks has retired its AI inventory system after it screwed up inventory, and Uber burned through its yearly AI budget in a few months—the company is saying AI spending is harder to justify.
Food
Our Opinionated Editors Say These Are the Best Coffee Mugs
I’m currently deep in the honeymoon phase with the espresso machine I got last year, so I’m reaching for mugs that allow me to practice my (not terrible but far from good) latte art skills. The one I use most often is a black-and-white number I made in my weekly pottery class some time ago. It’s large enough to accommodate a double shot of espresso and just the right amount of milk for a cpuccino, is wide enough to fit my milk art attempts, and the glaze on its striped handle dripped in the kiln in such a way that it feels molded to my hand—a hpy accident if there ever was one.
You can’t buy that mug, of course, but I’ve left my second favorite latte art-friendly mug for you below—along with recommendations from a host of other BA staffers.
Below you’ll find picks designed to keep your beverage hot through chaotic mornings filled with kid breakfasts and school drop-offs, as well as large vessels that are perfect for enjoying your coffee or tea while curled up on the couch with a book during lazy afternoons. It’s a sort of choose-your-own-coffee-adventure.
Haand 10-Oz. Short Mug
Haand’s 10-oz. Short Mug is by far the most stylish mug I own, in a sort of timeless way. I love the modern look of its straight sides and the somewhat unexpected proportions. It’s also handmade, so it’s perfectly imperfect and reminds me of something I might be really excited to find at a thrift store or flea market. But unlike my vintage treasures, the matte glaze on this porcelain mug is lead-free and dishwasher-safe (it’s microwave-safe, too, though I’d never microwave my coffee).
Beyond looking good, this is the mug I reach for when I want to feel cozy while I sit and savor my coffee. Because it’s shorter and wider than a classic diner mug, I can comfortably wr both hands around it. —Emily Farris, contributor
Emily Farris
Food
Everything BA Editors Tried, Tasted, and Loved in May
As people who write about food and kitchen gadgets for a living, Bon pétit editors are constantly surrounded by a wide range of products. Between our own purchases and the endless stream of samples sent our way, it means there’s always something new coming across our desks and into our homes. Every month, we’re rounding up the standouts we’ve tested or bought ourselves that changed the way we cook and eat.
This month, a mini salad spinner perfect for small households, a put-it-on-everything spice blend, and a compact espresso machine that does all of the work for you.
Read on for all of the products we’ve been obsessing over this May.
Oxo Small Salad Spinner
A salad spinner would probably make the top 10 most-used pliances in my household when I was growing up. It’s equally great for wringing moisture from greens, prepping shredded potatoes for crispy latkes, and keeping clean berries from going soggy. Strangely enough, it was five years into my relationship with my fiancé when I discovered he had never seen one before. That was because for those five years, I was washing lettuce and letting it dry (mostly unsuccessfully) on a towel in order to save space in my New York City artment. I finally gave in and got the mini Oxo salad and herb spinner. While this size was typically reserved for herbs in my more spacious childhood kitchen, it does the trick for a salad for two. Small enough to tuck into my colanders in the pantry, and if you’re feeding a crowd, just run it twice. —Kate Kassin, editorial operations manager
Rancho Meladuco Dates
I recently treated myself to a two-pound box of Rancho Meladuco Medjool dates and I don’t understand how they’re so good. Squidgy like a caramel-fudge hybrid, with a flavor that’s distinctly vanilla. I bring a couple on longer runs as a treat and a boost of carby energy (so much better than those gross gels). When I’m not mid-run or eating them straight from the box as I wander through the kitchen, I like to stuff them with a slice of cheddar or a swipe of nut butter and a sprinkle of flaky salt. —Rebecca Firkser, Test Kitchen editor
Food
Muhammara
Muhammara combines charred red bell peppers and toasted walnuts into a smoky, tangy dip popular throughout the Levant, particularly in Syria and Lebanon. Restaurateur Kamal Mouzawak’s version incorporates tahini, Aleppo-style pepper, and pomegranate molasses for a deeply savory spread that’s delicious with warm pita, crunchy vegetables, or grilled meats.
Originally associated with the Syrian city of Aleppo, muhammara recipes vary from kitchen to kitchen, yet the balance of roasted peppers, nuts, gentle heat, and bright acidity makes the dish unforgettable. Roasting fresh bell peppers instead of using jarred ones gives this version a sweeter, smokier flavor, whilepomegranate molassesadds the tart finish that defines a great muhammara. Some cooks throughout the region usebiber salcasi, a Turkish red pepper paste that can be hard to find in the United States. We’ve substituted mild chile flakes, though a chopped fresh red chile would also work well.
Tips for making the best muhammara
Can I use jarred roasted peppers? Or grill them instead of broiling?
Jarred roasted peppers will work in a pinch, but freshly roasted peppers give muhammara a smokier, bolder flavor. If you’re already grilling, feel free to char the peppers over the fire.
What does pomegranate molasses do? Are there any substitutes?
Pomegranate molasses adds a sweet-tart flavor that balances the richness of the walnuts and tahini. It’s worth seeking out, though you can substitute saba (gre molasses) or a balsamic reduction.
Levamare Pomegranate Molasses, 12-oz. bottle
What can I serve with muhammara?
Food
The Best Healthy Meal Delivery Services for Easy Feel-Good Food
I love a lavish restaurant meal or a decadent dinner party spread. But when I’m cooking at home for myself, I gravitate toward meals that make me feel good. I guess you could call them healthy—a word that means different things to different people, but to me, it suggests something balanced, packed with vegetables and protein, and that doesn’t leave me bloated or in need of a n.
The problem? Cooking that kind of food is easier said than done—especially on a weeknight. The solution? Meal kits.
The best healthy meal delivery services
- Best healthy meal kit with the most variety: Sunbasket
- Best prepared healthy meal delivery service: Factor
- Best for plant-based eaters: Purple Carrot
- Best prepared meals for wellness-heads: Sakara
- Best for a busy lifestyle: Hungryroot
- Best organic healthy meal kit: Green Chef
Meal delivery services are the ticket to easy, feel-good food because they take the guesswork out of both planning and cooking. But not all of them live up to their healthy promises without sacrificing flavor or variety. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best healthy meal delivery services, both kits and prepared, based on years of hands-on testing.
Scroll down for our top picks, read more about how we tested these kits, and get a registered dietitian’s take on what to look for when shopping for meal kits with healthy eating in mind.
In this article
New in this update: After testing several new services over the past year, we’ve added Hungryroot to our list of best healthy meal kits.
Best healthy meal kit with the most variety: Sunbasket
Tester: Alaina Chou, commerce writer
About Sunbasket: Sunbasket follows the blueprint of most kit-style meal delivery services, but it sets itself art by focusing on high-quality, certified organic produce. The company offers both traditional meal kits as well as ready-made options.
I preciated how easy it was to filter recipes by dietary restriction (e.g., Paleo, Gluten-Free, etc.), nutrition (e.g., High Protein, Low Added Sugar, etc.), excluded ingredients (dairy-free, soy-free, etc.), and cook time—a plus if you have specific goals in mind, be they upping your protein or saving time.
The meals themselves were easy to make, relatively produce-heavy, and quite tasty. Portion sizes were generally plenty big, and I liked that the service got me cooking dishes and using specific ingredients that weren’t previously in my repertoire.
What we’d leave: In testing, I found that recipes tended to take 5–15 minutes longer to make than the stated times. But my main callout with Sunbasket is that it reserves the right to sw ingredients that were intended to be organic for nonorganic subs based on availability, which did hpen to me on multiple occasions. As someone who isn’t married to eating organic produce only, I didn’t really mind this, but it’s something to be aware of—especially given you’re paying the same price regardless.
Sunbasket also offers heat-and-eat meals, but the one I tried—a chicken-and-dumplings riff with gnocchi—was a bit of a miss.
| Type of meal delivery service | Meal kits, prepared meals, and groceries |
| Plan options | 3, 4, or 5 meals per week (2–4 servings per meal) |
| Average meal price | $15 per serving |
| Shipping fee | $11 per order (free for first 4 shipments) |
| Meal types | Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, dessert, extra proteins, juices |
Pros
- Good variety of recipe options
- Meals feel fresh and produce-forward
Cons
- Organic ingredients may be substituted with nonorganic
- Price can add up, depending on your selections
Read our full review of Sunbasket here.
Best prepared healthy meal delivery service: Factor
Testers: Alaina Chou, commerce writer, and Lizzy Briskin, contributor
About Factor: Factor offers entirely premade, heat-and-eat meals that require just a short trip to the microwave. The brand positions its meals as nutritious, dietitian-proved, and designed to support your wellness goals.
What we loved: I tested the service for two weeks and was pleasantly surprised. The dishes were well-seasoned and flavorful for microwave meals, and as someone who is trying to prioritize protein in her diet at the moment, I preciated how easy Factor made it to do just that. Because the meals are completely premade and labeled with nutritional information, they’re a great option for anyone with hyper-specific macro goals or dietary preferences in mind.
Some favorites from my two weeks of testing were the Green Chile Chicken and Homestyle Turkey and Gravy. The meals tend to follow a protein plus vegetable plus starch format, which, while a bit repetitive after weeks of testing, meant they all felt balanced. Vegetable portions in particular felt generous—not always a given in the world of meal delivery services.
Factor recently partnered with the plant-based meal delivery brand, Sakara (one of our other favorite healthy meal delivery services), to develop a line of nutrient-dense, protein-packed salads. The salads, which get their protein either from chicken or plant-based options like chickpeas, tofu, or edamame, are substantial and tasty. Contributor Lizzy Briskin tested the Factor x Sakara salads for a week, reporting that the lettuce, which can often become sad and limp in prepared salads, was crisp and green. I was especially impressed with the tender and flavorful chicken breast, which came well seasoned and cut into satisfying bite-size pieces.
What we’d leave: While Factor meals are well executed for microwave meals, they are still, at the end of the day, microwave meals. After two weeks of eating six meals a week, I was ready for something home-cooked. With that in mind, this would be a great service to mix in with a few nights of actual cooking.
I found that some of the vegetable sides were both repetitive and a bit waterlogged after their trips to the microwave—though not egregiously so.
| Type of meal delivery service | Prepared meals |
| Plan options | 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18 meals per week |
| Average meal price | $12.50–$15, depending on plan size |
| Shipping fee | $11; Free for first order |
| Meal types | Breakfast, lunch, dinner, smoothies, extra proteins, juices |
Pros
- Easy and fast to prepare
- Meals feel balanced
- Generally tasty
Cons
- Sides can feel repetitive
- Some dishes are less successful than others
- Portion sizes might feel small for some
Read our full review of Factor here.
Best for plant-based eaters: Purple Carrot
Tester: Alaina Chou
About Purple Carrot: Purple Carrot is an entirely plant-based meal delivery service that offers both meal kits and ready-to-eat meals. Over the past few years, multiple BA contributors have tested the service for several weeks. Every tester came to the same conclusion: This is an excellent meal delivery service for vegans and non-vegans alike.
What we loved: Most meals are a mix of fresh produce and packaged ingredients—think vegan cheeses, precooked grains, and premade sauces. I loved how neatly each kit was preportioned for its respective recipe, so I could easily grab everything I needed from the fridge when cooking at my boyfriend’s place.
Purple Carrot squashed my outdated perception of what vegan food could be. Around 20 meal kit recipes are available each week, and the variety of dish types and cuisines made it hard to narrow down my choices. The instructions were straightforward, and each meal was balanced, well composed, and packed with flavor. Standouts included the Winter Squash Soup spiced with togarashi and served over quinoa-speckled rice, the light and refreshing Zaru Soba, and the BBQ Burnt Ends made from mushroom-based protein that could’ve fooled me into thinking it was meat. Many recipes introduced me to new ingredients or techniques I’ll continue using, like crumbling extra-firm tofu into stir-fries instead of cubing it.
What we’d leave: When I placed my first order on the delivery cutoff date, over half the meal kit options were sold out—so I’d recommend selecting meals well in advance. Both weeks I tested Purple Carrot, I received emails a few days before delivery saying one of my selected items wasn’t available because the ingredients didn’t meet our quality standards. Those meals were replaced with alternatives I had no say in, and both times I ended up with dishes I never would’ve chosen (a premade meze platter instead of a falafel bowl, and a 60-minute pesto risotto). This hpened consistently enough that I suspect it’s fairly common, and I’m unsure whether replacements would align with specific dietary preferences noted at sign-up.
While none of the recipes were particularly difficult, they could’ve been more streamlined. The Winter Squash Soup, for example, required three cooking vessels instead of two because the bok choy had to be roasted separately. It’s also worth noting that some prep steps (chopping garlic, crumbling tofu) pear in the ingredient list rather than the instructions, so give recipes a thorough read before you start cooking.
| Type of meal delivery service | Meal kits, prepared meals, and groceries |
| Plan options | 2 or 4 servings per meal |
| Average meal price | $11–$13.25 for Meal Kits, $5.99–$15.99 for Ready-to-Eat |
| Shipping fee | $12; Free on orders $100-plus |
| Meal types | Breakfasts, lunches, dinners, grocery |
Pros
- Healthy meals that are quick, easy, and genuinely delicious
- Costs significantly less than regular takeout
- Offers a range of difficulty levels, including fully prepared options
Cons
- Requires you to read the recipe carefully
- Entirely vegan menu may not peal to all eaters
Read our full review of Purple Carrot here.
Best prepared meals for wellness-heads: Sakara
Testers: Emma Lerruque, associate director of cooking; Carina Finn, former commerce editor; and Alaina Chou
About Sakara: Sakara is a wellness-focused meal delivery and supplement brand with two nutrition program offerings: its Signature Nutrition Program and its Level II Detox. Meals are entirely plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free. They’re also an aesthetically-minded wellness head’s dream: Think rainbow-hued salads, veggie-laden soups, and protein-rich breakfast parfaits crowned with granola.
What we loved: We’ve extensively tested both of Sakara’s nutrition programs and think the Signature Program is the way to go if you’re looking for something to subscribe to long-term. Both associate director of cooking Emma Lerruque and contributor Carina Finn praised Sakara’s balanced, thoughtfully designed meals. The salads in particular were a highlight for Lerruque: They’re generously portioned, so you have enough fuel to power you through the afternoon, and they’re thoughtfully designed with a range of textures and colors. Just about every dressing I wished I had a full bottle of to keep in the fridge for future meals.
As someone who puts condiments on my condiments, I expected to feel the need to doctor things up to make them taste better, but everything was already packed with flavor. The dishes ranged from Indian-ish (‘clarity curry’ soup with naan) to Mexican-ish (a lavender ‘cheez’ quesadilla with broccoli pesto), and there was enough range that I didn’t get bored, Finn writes.
What we’d leave: This is not necessarily a negative, but breakfasts tend to be sweet—something to be aware of if you’re a savory breakfast person. But the main downside to Sakara is the price. At $140 to $465 per week (per person!), depending on your plan, it’s the priciest option on this list. But if you’re someone who prioritizes wellness and sees food as a source of nourishment and healing, you’ll like what you get. It’s also a great option for people who are gluten-free or vegan, Lerruque writes.
| Type of meal delivery service | Prepared meals |
| Plan options | Breakfast, lunch, and dinner or lunch and dinner, 3 or 5 days per week |
| Average meal price | $140–$465 per week depending on your plan |
| Shipping fee | None |
| Meal types | Breakfast, lunch, dinner |
Pros
- Healthy, nourishing meals
- pealing to vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free eaters
- Curated menu means all the planning is taken care of for you
Cons
- Premium price point might not fit into a lot of people’s budgets
- Most breakfast options skew sweet, which may not suit savory fans
Read our full review of Sakara here.
Best for a busy lifestyle: Hungryroot
Tester: Olivia Tarantino, senior commerce editor
About Hungryroot: If you hate grocery shopping or meal prepping, Hungryroot is the healthy meal delivery service for you. It’s more of an AI-powered grocery delivery service than a meal kit, but if you choose to add recipes to your weekly order, your box will include a recipe card with suggestions for how to easily combine the grocery items into quick and easy meals.
What we loved: Hungryroot’s flexibility is its biggest strength. Unlike services with limited weekly menus, you can select from recipe kits (like Southwest Chopped Salad with Beyond Patties and Cheddar or Craveable Chorizo Street Corn Grain Bowl), prepared meals (microwave-friendly bowls, soups, sandwiches, and salads), and grocery items à la carte (snacks, yogurt, juices, bread, and more). Your plan determines how many credits you receive each week, and you redeem those credits for whatever you want; meal kits typically cost around 11 credits, while snacks run one to three credits. That means you can load up on as many healthy items as you like.
The flexibility extends to timing, too. If I couldn’t cook one night, I wasn’t frantically worrying about my meal kit expiring before I could get to it, Tarantino notes. Because most of the ‘recipes’ are basically collections of grocery ingredients, you’re free to use them for whatever you want.
What we’d leave: The credit system takes some getting used to. You use credit rather than dollar values, and each item has an assigned credit value—it’s not immediately intuitive, though you can reduce or roll over unused credits to the following week, Tarantino says.
Because Hungryroot functions as a grocery store with endless recipe-building possibilities, scrolling through all the options can be time-consuming. Tarantino found herself spending over 30 minutes selecting meals, even with filtering options. If that doesn’t peal to you, Hungryroot’s AI quiz will learn your preferences and automatically fill your cart with suggestions each week.
| Type of meal delivery service | Meal kits, prepared meals, and groceries |
| Plan options | Although you can order a set number of meals (with a minimum of 2 per order), Hungryroot mostly works by assigning individual grocery items and recipes a credit value, which you can then distribute how you’d like |
| Average meal price | $9–$11, depending on plan size |
| Shipping fee | $7 for orders under $70; Free for orders $70-plus |
| Meal types | Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, dessert, fruit, drinks, supplements |
Pros
- Lots of variety/grocery items
- Kid-friendly snacks
- Super-easy recipes
- You can add items to your never list if you hate them
Cons
- Like all meal kits, there’s a hefty amount of packaging to deal with
- Selecting your groceries is labor-intensive
Read our full review of Hungryroot here.
Best organic healthy meal kit: Green Chef
Testers: Erin Bunch, contributor; Joe Sevier, senior SEO editor
About Green Chef: Green Chef is the first CCOF-certified organic meal kit delivery service, which means it’s committed to sourcing organic fresh produce and eggs, as well as providing organic beef, chicken, and wild-caught seafood as an option. While the company acknowledges that it reserves the right to replace a given ingredient with a high-quality conventional option if the organic option doesn’t meet its quality standards, this is not a common occurrence, according to our testers.
What we loved: Senior SEO editor Joe Sevier praised Green Chef for its generally tasty meals, writing, This was the best packaged kit I’ve ever reviewed. Contributor Erin Bunch preciated the ease of cooking thanks to premade sauces, herb blends, and thoughtfully written recipes that were easy to follow: Even the steak dinner, which had the most plates and pans to juggle, was sequenced so intuitively that every step flowed naturally into the next: I reused the same pan for the steak and the pan sauce, then used another for the carrots and cauliflower, she said in her review.
Green Chef also offers a free one-on-one nutrition coaching session with your first box. While neither of our testers took advantage of this, it’s a great option to have for people with specific health goals.
What we’d leave: The recipe offerings tended to be pretty formulaic, consisting of a protein, a veggie, and a carb or starch. Bunch noted that Green Chef is pretty pricey, which is to be expected for a meal kit that positions itself as premium. She also noted that while the recipes were easy to follow, they still asked me to, you know, cook, so if you want something you can set-and-forget, this isn’t it.
| Type of meal delivery service | Meal kit |
| Plan options | 6, 12, or 18 meals per week |
| Average meal price | $13 |
| Shipping fee | $11 per order |
| Meal types | Lunch, dinner |
Pros
- Simple recipes with tasty results
- Easy-to-follow instructions with step-by-step photos
- High-quality meat, seafood, and produce
- Vegetarian meals are creative and satisfying (lots of beans, nuts, seeds, dairy and higher protein veggies, and offered some (but not a lot) of tofu or tempeh options)
Cons
- Produce options can feel repetitive and out of season
- Would have liked to see more Protein Packed vegetarian or vegan meals, and some more tofu or tempeh options
Read our full review of Green Chef here.
How we tested these meal delivery services
We continually test and retest meal delivery services throughout the year to ensure we’re getting multiple perspectives on each brand, and that we’re always keeping up to date with the latest quality levels and menu offerings. Each time we test, we try to subscribe to multiple weeks of the service to get a true sense for how well it integrates into our lives and how sustainable it is to eat for an extended period of time. We evaluate food delivery services based on the following criteria:
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HealthNews1 week ago
Max Healthcare plans to build 712-bed facility for Rs 1,400 cr in Lucknow. When announcing the company’s fourth-quarter, FY26 results, Max Healthcare said that “the board approved an expenditure of Rs 1,400 crore to construct a 712 bed greenfield hospital in Shaheed Path, Lucknow.” The facility is expected to be completed in FY30, and Max hopes to meet the increasing demand for healthcare in Uttar Pradesh. Max Healthcare, whose market capitalisation surpassed Rs 1 lakh crore last year, is expanding its operations into non-metro areas. As part of its growth strategy, the company will be focusing on both brownfield and greenfield projects to reach its target of 10,000 beds in FY2030.