Healthy Chef Creations
Healthy Chef Creations Reviews - Prepared Meal Delivery Reviews
Prepared meal delivery services have a difficult enough time creating tasty menus that fit into consumer budgets. Healthy Chef Creations takes the concept one step further by using organic products and shipping fresh.
National shipping rates can be high outside of their Florida region, because all the meals go overnight, but this company hit the mark for value and quality. Try to order a filet mignon (which doesn't appear on a lot of menus) cooked the way you want it. We ordered ours medium, and it came just under to allow for some extra cooking time in the microwave. That is quite impressive.
We enjoyed all the meals we had, although we thought some of the side dishes had very small portions. These might be the best breakfast meals you can get from a meal delivery service, too.
Overall, we thought the food quality was above average, as were the shipping changes.
Healthy Chef Creations creates dishes suited for those interested in organic food, empathizing wholesome cuisine, grown naturally. The benefits of a prepared meal are combined with a structured, healthy menu of balanced food groups. Menus cover a gamut of meal times and allow customers to customize options to include gluten-free preparations and low calorie meals. There's the option for an A La Carte selection, or meal programs targeted at dietary needs, pregnancy, seniors and more.
- Guaranteed to arrive fresh
- Nationwide delivery - The gourmet, organic food is delivered to addresses in every state. Additional delivery charges may be incurred for shipping to Alaska, Puerto Rico and Hawaii
- Shipping Fees - For meal programs, shipping is included in the final price. A La Carte orders have a sliding scale depending on the amount of food ordered. The shipping cost will vary between $19.95 and $59.95
- Fresh or Frozen - Meals are made fresh each week and then delivered overnight in specially sealed containers.
- Gift Certificates - Available and redeemable online.
Our Healthy Chef Creations Review of their Prepared Meal Delivery Service
Healthy Chef Creation Meals We Would Reorder
- Steak and Eggs
- Spanish Omelet
- Chicken Parmesan
- Filet Mignon - Cooked to Order
Filet Mignon Cooked to Order - $18
Organic Filet Mignon, cooked to order, and for just $18? Wow, where do I sign up for more? I ordered my Filet medium-rare, and guess what I received after I reheated my meal in the microwave? A perfect medium-rare steak. That is quite a feat for any meal delivery service.
The corn was pretty standard fare, but the sauteed cabbage was a nice compliment. Mashed potatoes were not available as a selection of sides. I thought the au jus was good too, but I don't usually add a sauce or gravy to my Filet Mignon. For $18, I thought this meal was a good value.
-Morris Pelphner
Chicken Parmesan - $16
For me to sign off on a $16 Picken Parmesan meal it better be perfect, and this one just passed. The chicken cutlet was huge, in the tradition of old-style Italian restaurants. The breading wasn't mushy and it tasted like it was made ten minutes ago. The peas did add or take anything away from the meal.
The pasta suffered from the same issue the Chicken Parmesan suffered from: The sauce was very pedestrian., and I am being polite. I can't imagine a chef making this sauce and allowing it to leave the kitchen. I would have preferred more cheese too, but I would order this meal ar $16 again.
-Chef Aldo Piquanti
Spanish Omelet - $13
Can't make it to your neighborhood diner where you can get a homemade breakfast? Now, you just have to go to your refrigerator. The picture tells the story.
Here is a homemade breakfast with generous portions for about the same price it would cost you to go out. Just add your own orange juice and toast, and you're celebrating the classic American Sunday breakfast. I would happily order this meal again.
-Nicole DiLayne
Steak and Eggs - $16
Believe it or not, this is the first time I have ever had steak and eggs for breakfast. The skirt steak is obviously the star of this show, and I thought the portion size was generous, and the steak was perfectly under-cooked. Under-cooked you ask? Yes, it would have to be so that when it gets reheated in the microwave, it doesn't get ruined. When steak goes to hell, it goes in a microwave.
The chefs did a masterful job in making sure this meal tasted like it was served from a short order cook. I thought the poached eggs received the same attention. I would have preferred a better effort with the bread, but I could say without a doubt that I would reorder this meal for $16.
-Morris Pelphner
Stuffed Pepper - $15
My tour of American comfort food continues with a trip to Stuffed Pepperland. Sadly though, this one fails to live up to the quality and attention to detail we experienced with our Healthy Chef meals.
Let's start with that tiny green spot on the plate. No, we did use a clean plate for photography, that is the serving of spinach that came with the order., and we spaced it out on the plate so you can see it. It is one spoonful. The mashed potatoes also fit on a spoon, just a larger one. The quality of the half stuffed pepper didn't make up for the shortcomings of this meal. In fact, it wasn't that good. I would not reorder this meal for $6 much less $15. Sorry.
-Nicole DiLayne
Chef Piquanti Review of Healthy Chef Creations
I found every one of the prepared meals from HCC to be above average in food quality and preparation. This is, of course, what defines a gourmet meal. However, I did find the portion sizes to be small, and the one thumbs-down I gave for the Greek Stuffed Pepper with Garlic Spinach and Celery Root was for that reason alone. No doubt, buying organic products comes with a higher cost.
My a la carte order came with the option of a larger portion size for 50% more. What a wonderful feature to offer your customers. Next time I would choose that option more often and without hesitation. I was surprised to see you can order your filet mignon medium or well done, and even more surprised my medium steak arrived as ordered, even after reheating. This is the kind of personal attention Chef Procacci gives his customers, that perhaps only another chef might appreciate. I hope you do, too!
-Chef Piquanti
Healthy Chef Creations Reviews from Consumers
They Make The Effort to Meet My Requests and Restrictions
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Good
- Reheating:
Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
I have been ordering 3 dinners a week for 3 months and am a bit bewildered by some of the negative comments I have seen on other reviews. I have extremely limiting food restrictions so maybe my expectations are different than most. And I did have to get used to the idea of my expensive, organic dinner arriving in a plastic container and not belittle it to a frozen meal.
The food is fresh, varied enough, simple, & the veggies are not overcooked which is a sure sign someone's doing something right in the kitchen. I have reduced my portion choice from regular to small and still I don't eat it all. I am a small woman, but my husband has not complained about portion size either.
And regarding the price--lets just say that with tax, tip and drinks, no question I'd spend more money eating at a normal restaurant, not get organic food and not get it delivered to my door. The small size at 3 dinners/week for 4 weeks breaks down to about $22.90 each. Now come on! How reasonable is that? Most people spend that on 4 visits to Starbucks. It's the convenience of having a break from the kitchen and still getting the quality-sourced food I would buy for myself.
There were early mistakes with my allergens and preferences. But my "issues" are complicated, and I chose to give the company a fair chance. Every time I called or emailed I got an efficient and friendly response, an answer or explanation, and almost always a full credit. They seem willing to make any effort to meet my requests and restrictions and keep me happy. What else can I say? Worth the cost? Absolutely. I wish the delivery included full ingredient lists.
-Marianne, Eagle, CO
A Real Treat
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Good
- Reheating:
Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
I had bought a week's worth of lunches and dinners for the week following surgery. I'm so glad I did, partly because the surgery took even more out of me than I thought it would, but mostly because the food was delicious, healthy, and varied. Much better than I would come up with in my best weeks. It was a real treat.
-Sara P., Gaithersburg, MD
Well Worth The Price
Overall: Silver Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Good
- Reheating:
Excellent
- Customer Service: Good
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Good
After ordering the last few weeks from the a la carte menu, I have been really happy with the taste and portion size. For me, I really enjoy the quality of the food and do think it is worth the cost!
The only drawback for me is that the ingredients are not listed, and that the food is only labeled as to what it is, not what it is it. You have to trust that it is organic and wholesome , as there is no place to find what the ingredients actually are. Aside from that, I am really happy with their food and have signed up for the meal program which is more cost effective. It's not cheap, but to me, it's well worth the price.
-Terri, Casselberry, College Point, NY
The Quality of the Food is Excellent
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Fair
- Reheating:
Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
I live close by so I pick up my order on Friday at their location in Maitland. While the food is expensive, it's all organic and I don't have to prepare it. The quality of the food is excellent. I love their filet mignon.
I was already buying minimally processed and/or organic food, so I was already spending more for my food than most people. I have numerous allergies, so organic was the next thing for me. Even with organic food I still have to be very picky. So I order A la Carte.
The web site ordering is the only thing that actually bothers me. If I've started an order and I need to change something on one of the items I have to delete that item and reorder. Otherwise, the food is excellent and so far I have had no other problems.
-Name Withheld,
Casselberry, FL
A Day of Meals
Overall: Silver Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Fair
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Good
- Value: Good
My sample day of meals from Healthy Chef Creations got better as the day went on. These meals definitely tasted like they were fresh made and cooked to perfection. Organic products do cost more, but I paid $27 per meal with shipping. While they were good, if not better than most, the price is a little too high for me.
Breakfast
For breakfast I had "The Works" omelet with breakfast potatoes and free-range turkey bacon. I was impressed to find a real egg without the yolk. Not one of those powered egg omelets. The omelet had fresh diced ham, the turkey bacon was a little chewy, and the potatoes had some crunch. It was okay.
Lunch
For lunch I had a grilled turkey breast with au jus, fennel and green beans, and carrots. I didn't get any au jus. The turkey was very good and moist inside, but I missed the gravy. The carrots and green beans tasted like they came from a farm stand. The portion size could have been a little bigger, which was my only disappointment.
Dinner
For dinner I had the Filet Mignon with Mexican Fried Rice and Pasta with Sauce. The steak was cooked perfect, even after reheating it in a microwave. This might be the first time I had an organic steak, and it was delicious. The rice and pasta were equally as good. I thought this was an especially good value for $16.95.
-Name Withheld
My Complements to the Chef
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Good
- Reheating: Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
I think this is one of the best meal delivery services I have ever tried. If you were to have a private chef cook meals and put them in a microwave tray for later, you would come very close to the quality I experienced with this company. I hope the pictures do these meals justice. My complements to the Chef!
Symphony of Seafood Pasta
I am only sending a few of the meals I ordered. This one was exceptional. Fresh seafood, shrimps, scallops, and fish in a creamy sauce, and put over pasta. The butternut squash risotto was outstanding, so was the side pasta. I would have preferred the tails on the shrimps removed, and a little larger portion size, but this was a great meal.
Beef and Shrimp Kabobs
Imagine you are grilling kabobs in your backyard. Again, that is what this meal tasted like. It wasn't frozen and reheated. It was fresh cooked to order, as they say they do. The broccoli with garlic was wonderful with noticeable pieces of baked garlic with a buttery texture.
-Ronald F., NY
Both My Husband and I Enjoyed the Meals
Overall: Silver Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Good
- Reheating:
Excellent
- Customer Service: Good
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
The meals were honestly quite tasty, flavorful, and filling. The first shipment came and it did raise some anxiety on my part due to my lack of knowledge on heating preparation. I was a bit nervous about how long I should cook the meals, fearful I would overcook them. I figured it out and the meals were delicious.
The meats were tender and tasted great. The second shipment I received were larger portion sizes and were difficult to finish. I am guessing they may perhaps be geared more towards larger individuals. Both my husband and I have enjoyed the meals.
The quality of the food is great. Everything came fresh without defect or blemish. The shipments arrived in tact and nothing had spilled out. I thought the day stickers were a nice touch, it just makes the selection process that much easier.
-Nakia, Great Lakes IL
Ordered a Month of the Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Plan
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Good
- Reheating:
Excellent
- Customer Service: Good
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Excellent
I just tried this website based on a friend's recommendation, only ordering 5 meals of dinner and dessert. I could not believe how delicious the food was, especially since it was Fed Ex'd from the East Coast all the way to CA! I head filet mignon on day 1 and it was perfectly cooked. Then I had 2 fish entrees and today was chicken. The foods are low carb and high protein, which is what I need to lose weight.
Each meal seems to have a bit more calories than I am used to (I think they say 450 per meal) BUT I am not hungry afterward, which is key since snacking is what derails me. The sides are creative and delicious. It sure beats the microwave Lean Cuisines and other quick prep foods I am used to eating. I just went back and decided to order 1 month of the breakfast, lunch and dinner plan ($1000, week) so that I can really try to start to lose these pesky last 15-20 lb finally. One note: the desserts are TINY, come in a little cup about the size of a salad dressing to go container. But they pack a big punch of taste and sweetness.
-Kate, San Diego, CA
The Quality is Worth the Cost
Overall: Gold Medal
- Website Ease of Ordering: Good
- Reheating:
Excellent
- Customer Service: Excellent
- Shipping: Excellent
- Taste and Food Quality: Excellent
- Value: Good
I travel a lot and have had the meals shipped to hotels all across the country. The food and service are amazing! My only issue is the cost is a bit high, however the quality is worth the cost!
-Name Withheld
Share Your Meal Delivery Experiences
Morris Pelphner
Founder and Director
Prepared Meal Delivery Reviews
Chef Aldo Piquanti,
Video Food Blogger
Formerly of Gourmet-Reviews.com
Nicole DiLayne
Food Blogger
Formerly of Prepared-Meals.com
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