Mindful Chef, ranked higher than HelloFresh, Gousto, and Green Chef on Trustpilot, delivers healthy, macro-balanced meals in as little as 20 minutes. After a two-week trial, the experience was eye-opening—and three words sum it up: 'worth every penny'.
First Impressions: Packaging and Ingredients
The box arrived on schedule, well-packed with no missing or damaged items. Unlike HelloFresh, Mindful Chef included eggs and honey, with eggs in individual cartons. Recipes came in a magazine format, allowing users to browse all weekly options. However, the ingredient bags were bulky, making fridge storage difficult—a minor inconvenience for the convenience gained.
Meals Tested and Highlights
Over two weeks, the reviewer prepared ten recipes including sticky five-spice beef, basa tikka masala, chicken pasanda, pesto roast salmon, pork nasi goreng, spiced lamb koftas, grilled barramundi, and pesto gnocchi bake. Favorites included the succulent spiced lamb koftas—"a thing I have struggled to make many times"—and the quick pork nasi goreng with egg fried rice, which "tasted as if I'd spent much longer cooking."
Speed and Convenience
Recipes used shortcuts like pre-mixed spices and microwavable rice, speeding up cooking without sacrificing flavor. While microwavable rice isn't the reviewer's first choice, it saved time and pans. The portion sizes were generous, often providing leftovers for the next day.
Value for Money
Some meals felt better value than others. Complex dishes like grilled barramundi with Cajun-spiced bean stew justified the cost, while simpler recipes like pesto gnocchi bake were easy to replicate without a kit. Prices start from £6 per portion for a four-person box.
Overall Verdict
The reviewer would order Mindful Chef again, citing reduced weekly shopping, fast cooking times, and no temptation to order takeout. "At no point during the trial did I feel my mind wandering towards ordering an Uber Eats, which is a feat in itself," they said. The meals were flavorful, filling, and healthy—proving the three-word verdict: 'worth every penny'.
Limited-Time Partnership
Until July 25, Mindful Chef partners with The Hut, a beachfront restaurant on the Isle of Wight, offering eight restaurant-quality dishes like lobster with new potatoes, crab and fennel salad, and chermoula-marinated sea bream with orange-chilli salsa. Boxes are available for one, two, or four people.
