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In this organic meal kit delivery showdown, it’s Sun Basket vs Green Chef!
The two companies have a lot in common — but also a few key differences. We’ll point them out in this article, but here are some of the biggest differences:
Sun Basket allows you to mix and match meals from their various menus. Green Chef will let you change menus week to week, but you can’t mix individual orders. Sun Basket was also the first meal kit with 100% recyclable packaging. And they stand behind each box they ship with a 100% Money Back Guarantee.
Green Chef ships many of its ingredients pre-prepped, which can save you time slicing and dicing. It also balances 100% of its carbon emissions.
We’ve tried both services and they both definitely have unique strengths, so if you want more information, keep reading!
In this post, you’ll find:
- Pros and cons for Green Chef vs Sun Basket (health info, delivery areas, etc.)
- Which menus each company offers
- How Sun Basket and Green Chef set their prices
- What past customers have to say
- Which meal-kit delivery subscription could be right for you and your family
- Our choice between the two services
Let’s start with the big picture…
We all know meal delivery services are convenient. They can save you a trip to the grocery store and significant prep time in the kitchen with their pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes. But for discerning eaters looking for organic ingredients, or for people wanting to stick with a specific diet like Mediterranean, Paleo, Keto, or gluten-free, these time-saving services used to be somewhat off limits.
That changed in 2014 with the arrival of two new meal prep delivery services: Sun Basket and Green Chef. These two companies have both made it their mission to combine the convenience of the meal delivery model with the structure of popular diets and eating plans.
Sun Basket vs Green Chef (+ Promo Codes)
| Sun Basket | Green Chef | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Pricing | $10.99 — $11.99 per serving | $10.99 — $12.99 per serving |
| Eating Plans | Carb-Conscious Paleo Mediterranean Lean & Clean Gluten-Free Quick & Easy Vegetarian Diabetes-Friendly Pescatarean Chef’s Choice | Keto Paleo Balanced Living Plant-Powered Omnivore Carnivore |
| Meal prep time | Usually 30 minutes | 30 – 45 minutes |
| Delivery areas | “Most zip codes in the U.S., excluding AK, HI, MT, and parts of ND and NM.” | Almost everywhere in the continental U.S. excluding AK, HI, and parts of LA. |
| Skip deliveries or cancel anytime? | Yes, before weekly cutoff when new shipments are processed. | Yes, before weekly cutoff when new shipments are processed. |
| Quality Guarantee? | “100% money back guarantee on all food, contact us within 7 days of delivery.” | Customers may be eligible for store credit or refunds on a case-by-case basis. |
| Promo Codes | Save $35 on Sun Basket. | Save $80 on Green Chef. |
Sun Basket Overview
SunBasket.com
Sun Basket is a San Francisco-based meal delivery service that holds itself to high standards of excellence.
They make healthy eating easier with dietitian-approved meal plans for popular eating approaches such as:
- Carb-Conscious
- Paleo
- Mediterranean
- Lean & Clean
- Gluten-Free
- Quick & Easy
- Vegetarian
- Diabetes-Friendly
- Pescatarean
- Chef’s Choice
The Mediterranean, Pescaterean, and Diabetes-Friendly menus are a key difference between Sun Basket vs Green Chef, who does not have these options.
* Even though the Gluten-Free meal plan follows a gluten-free diet, meals are prepared in a facility that handles wheat. So because of the risk of cross-contamination, Sun Basket says these meals are not suitable for people with severe gluten intolerance.
Sun Basket Pricing
SunBasket.com
A great thing about Sun Basket is the pricing is the same no matter what eating approach you choose.
Here’s a pricing breakdown for the different plans and menus.
Shipping is $6.99 per order. We’ve factored it into our “Total cost per week” columns. But remember, you can get free shipping on your first order as a reader of Food Delivery Guru.
(NOTE: We did our own math for this section, and math is hard. 🙂 We’re confident in these numbers, but we wanted to give you a heads up.)
Classic Menu — $11.99/serving
Feeds two people and can be used with ALL meal plans (Paleo, vegan, pescaterean etc.).
| # People | Recipes per week | Total cost per week |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3 | $78.93 |
| 4 | 3 | $143.88 |
Family Menu — $10.99/serving
Sun Basket’s Family Menu feeds four people with kid-friendly recipes. You can choose from the Chef’s Choice or Vegetarian eating plans.
| # People | Recipes per week | Total cost per week |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | $94.91 |
| 4 | 3 | $138.87 |
| 4 | 4 | $182.83 |
Sun Basket Health and Quality Info
- USDA-certified organic handler. Currently, over 99% of Sun Basket’s produce is organic.
- All tofu is made from organic, non-GMO soybeans.
- Meats and poultry are always antibiotic and hormone-free.
- Lamb and turkey are pasture-raised.
- Uses organic milk, yogurt, and eggs.
- All Sun Basket seafood is wild-caught, never farmed and recommended as Best Choice or Good Alternative by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® program.
- On select recipes, Sun Basket offers the option to order organic meat and poultry, including grass-fed, grass-finished beef.
Sun Basket Sustainability Initiatives
- Works exclusively with ranchers and farmers who raise their animals responsibly and sustainably
- Fishermen use low-impact fishing methods such as line fishing
- Fisheries are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a leading authority in sustainable seafood.
- The first meal kit to develop packaging that is 100% recyclable and compostable
- Gives back to the community through Feeding America, local food banks, and employee programs
Sun Basket Reviews
According to the popular review site Trustpilot, Sun Basket has a rating of 7.7/10 with 2,735 reviews.
Sun Basket Pros
- Four more eating plans to choose from vs Green Chef (including Mediterranean, Pescaterean, and Diabetes-Friendly).
- Cheaper Paleo plan than Green Chef ($11.99 vs $12.99 per serving)
Green Chef Overview
GreenChef.com
Green Chef is another well-respected meal-kit delivery service that makes healthy eating easier to stick with. Founded in 2014, Green Chef was “the U.S.’s first certified organic and gluten-free meal kit company.”
Green Chef offers tasty recipes and pre-measured ingredients for popular eating plans such as:
- Vegetarian
- Omnivore
- Vegan
- Carnivore
- Gluten-Free
- Paleo
- Keto
Notice the Keto option — a key difference between Green Chef vs Sun Basket, who currently does not offer a Keto plan.
Another interesting fact about Green Chef is it was recently acquired by Hello Fresh, to help the German-based meal delivery giant better compete with U.S. rivals such as Blue Apron, Plated, and Home Chef.
Green Chef Pricing
GreenChef.com
Here’s a pricing breakdown for the various plans and menus.
Note: Green Chef charges $5.99 per box for shipping and handling (vs $6.99 for Sun Basket). Shipping is always included in our “price per week” columns.
2-Person Plan (Three dinners/week).
| Price per serving | Price per week | |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetarian | $11.99 | $77.93 |
| Omnivore | $11.99 | $77.93 |
| Vegan | $11.99 | $77.93 |
| Carnivore | $11.99 | $77.93 |
| Gluten-free | $11.99 | $77.93 |
| Paleo | $12.99 | $83.93 |
| Keto | $12.99 | $83.93 |
Family Plan (Serves four. Two dinners/week.)
| Plan | ||
|---|---|---|
| Family Omnivore | $10.99 per meal/serving | $93.91 |
| Family Carnivore | $10.99 per meal/serving | $93.91 |
You’ll notice that only the omnivore and carnivore menus are available on the Family Plan. If you’d like to try one of the other eating approaches, the vegan subscription for instance, you can order multiple boxes of the 2-Person Plan. Visit the “Your Plan” tab inside your account and click on “Edit Plan.” You can then select 1, 2, or 3 boxes per week (additional shipping fees may apply).
Green Chef Health Info
- USDA certified organic company.
- Gluten-Free Certification through the Gluten Intolerance Group’s Gluten-Free Food Service program (applies to the Gluten-Free, Keto (GF), and Paleo (GF) meal plans).
- All ingredients go through extensive screening to ensure high standards are met.
Green Chef Sustainability
- Balances 100% of their carbon emissions with sustainable offset programs.
- Worked with TerraPass to save trees in the City of Arcata Community Forest.
- Invested in construction of the Big Smile Wind Farm at Dempsey Ridge.
- Provides detailed instructions for how to recycle Green Chef packaging materials.
- Partners with regional purveyors of high-integrity foods.
Green Chef Reviews
According to Trustpilot, Green Chef has a rating of 9.3/10 with 296 reviews.
Green Chef Pros
- Better customer reviews on Trustpilot
- Bigger delivery area
- Offers Keto
- Lower shipping costs ($5.99 vs $6.99 for Sun Basket)
Green Chef vs Sun Basket: Which is right for you?
Chances are, the best company for you will depend on your situation.
Both companies make eating delicious, healthier foods more convenient and hold themselves to high standards.
Green Chef delivers to a bigger area, they offer a Keto menu, and their shipping costs are lower. Green Chef also has a Gluten-Free Certification through the Gluten Intolerance Group’s Gluten-Free Food Service program.
Sun Basket offers Mediterranean, Pescatarean, and Diabetes-Friendly menus. Their Paleo menu is a bit cheaper than Green Chef’s ($11.99 vs $12.99 per serving). Sun Basket also only uses wild-caught seafood that is recommended as Best Choice or Good Alternative by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch® program.
To see these two meal kit services in action, check out our comparison video below!
Our Choice? Green Chef.
Although both services are great, we lean towards a Green Chef meal kit. Here’s a few reasons why:
1. Higher customer satisfaction reviews
On the popular customer review site Trustpilot, Green Chef has an average review score of 9.3 out of 10 (with 296 votes). Sun Basket has a review of 7.5 out of 10 (with 2,749 votes).
2. Commitment to health and sustainability
Green Chef was the United States’ first certified organic and gluten-free meal kit company. The company balances 100% of their carbon emissions with sustainable offset programs.
3. A $80 discount for new customers
Right now, Green Chef is allowing us to offer new customers a $40 discount off their first order.
Simply click the green button below to head over to Green Chef and start receiving delicious, time-saving meals.
How to Cancel Your Subscription
For whatever reason, you may decide to cancel your subscription to either meal delivery service. Thankfully, each makes it super simple to do so.
Previously with Sun Basket, you would have had to actually call a toll-free number to cancel your subscription. And while that option is still available, you can now cancel online. Simply login to your account and navigate through your settings to Manage My Subscription. From there, you can select to Cancel Your Subscription. If you do wish to call Sun Basket, here’s their toll-free number:866-SUN-BSKT (866-786-2758). Just be sure to call during their business hours between 8AM-5PM Pacific Time Monday-Friday. Mind you, they will offer other options prior to actual cancellations. And you might just find one of these would work out better, giving you no need to cancel. But if your heart is set on leaving, you’re free to do so. You’ll receive a confirmation email once your cancellation request has been processed.
Similar to Sun Basket, Green Chef makes cancellation easy through your online account. You first need to login to your account. In the upper right hand corner of the screen, you’ll see your name. Clicking on your name reveals a drop down menu where you can select account info. Scroll down to find the Cancel Subscription button. Press that and work your way through the prompts. They’ll ask for some feedback on why you’re leaving and if you were satisfied with the service.
Which Organic Ingredients Meal Kit is Right for You?
As you decide between Sun Basket vs Green Chef, we hope this review will help you make the right decision on what meal kit is best for your family!