Editor’s Note: Cooking fresh meals has always been my biggest challenge. I don’t have the time to brainstorm recipes and write long shopping lists, and I can’t stand grocery shopping. But I care about a healthy diet, so I signed up for Dinnerly. Until I had the worst experience… Thankfully, I discovered Home Chef.

I Tried Dinnerly

My job barely leaves me any time to cook. It’s already a real achievement if I get my weekly cleaning and laundry chores done. So, I used to stick to takeout and frozen meals, which are high in calories and aren’t healthy at all. I blame them for my weight gain. Not to mention how expensive it is to order takeout every single night.

So, when I saw a Dinnerly ad, I signed up. It sounded like the perfect solution - pre-measured ingredients sent to my door with quick-to-cook recipes.

I couldn’t wait for my first box to arrive, and when it did, I dove right in. The dish turned out delicious, so I absolutely fell in love with the idea of meal kits. However, after my first order, I hit some major issues.

My second order was missing a meal. And the third week, some of the produce was delivered damaged and spoiled. It also bothered me that they expanded their menu to 100+ dishes per week, which made the ordering process unnecessarily complicated. All I wanted was to pick 5 reasonably balanced, easy to cook, dinners for the week. But their new system made this a nightmare.

So, I scoured the internet to see what else was out there. That's when I came across Home Chef. They have tons of 5-star customer reviews and I was thrilled that their meals are fully customizable, so I immediately made the switch.

Then, I Tried Home Chef

I never imagined that there’d be such a huge difference between Dinnerly and Home Chef, but there is! Home Chef’s fully customizable meals are suited to your preference leaving you with way more options. If you’re a vegetarian or pescetarian (like me), you can switch out the protein, with antibiotic-free boneless skinless chicken breasts, salmon filets, Impossible Burger, and more.

Another significant advantage is that Home Chef offers classic meal kits with easy-to-follow instructions and Oven-Ready meals that require little-to-no preparation. Simply assemble the fresh ingredients inside their oven-safe tray and pop it in the oven – done! You don’t even need to clean up. They’re a true life savior whenever it has to be quick.

So far, my favorite dishes are Almond-Crusted Salmon with Garlic Edamame Riceand Spinach and the Artichoke Baked Gnocchi with Garlic Breadcrumbs. Both taste incredible and are super easy to make. The variety is fantastic – they have 30+ options each week, so I’ll never get bored.

Home Chef meals start at only $9.99 per serving – far cheaper than ordering takeout and buying groceries. And with their offer you get 16 free meals! Plus, they have the highest customer satisfaction rate among leading meal kit companies.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Dinnerly may appear to offer slightly cheaper meals, but Home Chef trumps Dinnerly in all other factors. With Home Chef, convenience cannot be beaten and their recipes are simply delicious.

Thanks to Home Chef, I finally have a balanced dinner routine packed with nutritious, home-cooked meals night after night. My cooking skills have improved, and I’m saving tons of money – and calories – on those my DoorDash orders.

If you’re looking for an affordable, convenient way to start cooking home-cooked dishes, I highly recommend you try Home Chef. You can thank me later!

Our friends at Home Chef are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to get 16 free meals!

• Freshly has shut its doors, so we had to find an alternative
• Luckily, we found Home Chef’s excellent fully-customizable, Oven-Ready meals

Keep reading to see why Home Chef is our new go-to for convenient meals:

Cooking fresh, delicious meals on a daily basis is more challenging than it may sound. First, you need to search for recipes, write grocery lists, shop for ingredients, chop the veggies, measure everything – the list goes on!

It’s no wonder people flocked to Freshly in droves. Freshly was a popular meal delivery service that made dinner routines much easier, but with Freshly shuttering its online business in December, we were forced to find an alternative.

We scoured the internet and checked the various meal delivery services out there and found that Home Chef is the best. With fully-customizable meals to fit your individual needs and Oven-Ready options that require little prep, they’re truly next-level.

Here’s everything we liked about Freshly and how Home Chef does it better:

The Convenience

Freshly meals came fully prepared, pre-portioned, and ready to enjoy in only 3 minutes. We simply popped the meals in the microwave, and done! That said, this convenience was also a major problem with Freshly. Their meals were low grade quality and were just as bland and bad as the frozen burritos buried in our freezers.

With Home Chef, you get fresh and nutritious meals. Simply choose from 30+ new dishes each week and they’ll deliver a box with pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipe cards on your doorstep. Some meals can be ready in only 15 minutes.

Don’t feel like cooking? Home Chef has Oven-Ready meals that barely require any preparation. All you have to do is assemble the ingredients in the oven-safe tray that comes with your order and pop it in the oven. Or choose from their Fast & Fresh meals that can be cooked in the oven or microwave for extra convenience.

The Variety

Freshly’s weekly menu featured a few more selections, but their meals weren’t customizable. If you’re a pescetarian, your options were limited. And their dishes were really simple and boring like their Philly-ish Cheesesteak or Turkey Chili Bowl.

On the other hand, Home Chef’s meals allow you to swap out your favorite protein with options like Impossible Burger, steak strips, shrimp, salmon filets, antibiotic-free, skinless chicken breasts, and much more.

Let’s just say when we saw the mouth-watering dishes Home Chef offers like Panko-Crusted Mahi-Mahi with Creamy Lemon Sauceand Sweet Potatoes and Pork Medallions with Chimichurri Butter and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, there was no going back.

The Taste

Frankly, some Freshly meals were bland and mushy. After trying Home Chef we realized what a difference taste and quality really make, especially when it comes to food.

Home Chef recipes are chef-curated and come with exciting sauces and spices that add zest to your dinners. Minimal prep makes Home Chef absolutely worth it. Home Chef meals start at only $9.99 a serving, and with their new customer offer, you can get 16 free meals!

So, if you’re looking for a convenient way to eat more nutritious, delicious meals, check out Home Chef.

Our friends at Home Chef are extending a special offer to our readers! Follow this link to get 16 free meals!