Many of us have evenings where all we want to do is collapse on the couch and relax.

If you work long hours during the day, or you’re a mum finishing a nonstop day with kids, you probably know the feeling.

At the end of the day, you’re exhausted, but you still have to get dinner ready.

You might end up making the same recipes over and over again – because they’re familiar and easier to think about – or maybe you just decide to get takeout.

There’s nothing wrong with doing either one. But when you’re trying to eat healthier in the long term, these habits can become frustrating.

Making the same dinners all the time can get boring, and in my case, I end up eating snacks and chocolate afterwards to make up for it.

Takeouts are great, but they can be calorie-rich and expensive in the long run.

What we really want is a healthy and interesting dinner on the table every evening that’s simple to make. And this is where recipe box subscriptions can help.

They send you pre-portioned ingredients for a few easy-to-make recipes each week. When you want to make dinner, you have everything you need to start, including the recipe cards.

They promise fast food prep too, with all meals ready within 30 minutes or less.

Here, we look at one food subscription box in particular, Mindful Chef. These boxes are rapidly becoming the most popular meal kits in the UK.

As well as offering quality ingredients, they’re loved because of the variety and creativity of their recipes. These meals are health-focussed, full of vegetables and all are free from both gluten and dairy.

Here, I take a closer look at what Mindful Chef has to offer and what their customers say about them. I also tried out three of their meals for myself, so you can see how they panned out below.

The Mindful Chef subscription: what’s included

What it offers	Pre-portioned ingredients. 2-5 recipes a week.
Ingredient quality	100% grass-fed beef. Free-range chicken. Sustainably-sourced fish.
Vegan meal plans	Yes Mindful Chef offer plant-based meal plans
Recipe quality (all meals)	Free from refined-carbohydrates. Free from gluten and dairy. Ready in 30 minutes or less.
Recipe variety	20 recipes offered each week. 6 of these are ever-changing plant-based recipes.
Price	£4.75-£10 per serving per person. Exact pricing depends on the number of people and meals ordered. (See price guide below)
Diets catered for	Pescetarian. Vegan. Low-carb diets.
Allergen-free facilities	No. Meals are individually packaged, but facilities are used to prepare other foods that contain allergens.
Delivery area	UK Nationwide except for Northern Ireland, Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and a select few Scottish postcodes.
Shipping cost	Free shipping nationwide.
Social responsibility	Carbon neutral delivery. Recyclable ice packs.
Reviews	4.4 stars from 19,228 reviews on Trustpilot.
Special offers	25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

Mindful Chef box review: we tried their recipes

One of the Mas & Pas team, a busy mom with two teenage children, was keen to try out the Mindful Chef recipes. Here’s what she had to say.

I was really excited to give Mindful Chef a try. Signing up for my first box took less than two minutes. I chose my meals, delivery date and then checked out.

They also offer much faster delivery times than other services that I’ve tried in the past.

They delivered their first box within a few days of ordering, whereas others needed two weeks’ notice before beginning. So, it was nice to be able to get started straight away.

The recipes I chose were:

1. Crispy cod & sweet potato chips.
2. Vietnamese crispy pork & carrot noodles.
3. Cajun chicken & roasted veggie lettuce tacos.

They all sounded so delicious. They also seemed to be healthier versions of some of my favourite meals.

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

How the box arrived

Mindful Chef arrived on time on a Monday in a cardboard box. The food was kept cold inside it as it was packed with ice blocks and insulation.

The ingredients were portioned into plastic bags to keep them fresh.

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

First impressions

I unpacked the food, and as you can see, the ingredients looked to be noticeably high quality.

The recipes themselves also looked good, so I couldn’t wait to get started.

Mindful Chef recipe number 1

Crispy cod with sweet potato chips

This cod recipe is made with a crunchy ground almond coating.

This is healthier and tastier than the traditional breadcrumbs we use on fish.

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

How easy was this recipe to make?

The recipe itself was easy to make. You chop the sweet potatoes, drizzle them with oil and place them in the oven.

You then combine the almonds with the paprika, toast them for a minute in a pan and then coat the cod with them. The fish then goes into the oven too.

It took the full 30 minutes to make the recipe, but the steps were all easy to do.

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

How did the Crispy Cod recipe taste?

I loved this recipe, and I actually found it tasted better than traditional fish and chips.

The flavours of the almonds and the sweet potatoes were much richer than the usual breadcrumbs and potato chips. And the whole meal was healthier because of them.

The fact that everything was oven-cooked made it nice and light too.

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

Mindful Chef recipe number 2

Vietnamese crispy pork and carrot noodles

This recipe is similar to a crispy beef recipe I used to order from our local Chinese takeout. It was basically beef deep-fried in batter and covered in a sugary sauce.

Although the takeaway dish was tasty, it probably had about 2,000 calories in it, whereas this recipe here is a much healthier version.

They use carrots and courgette instead of noodles, and the pork is lightly sautéed instead of being deep fried.

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

How easy was this recipe to make?

For this dish, you create a ginger, soy and honey sauce that you cook the pork in.

Then, you finely chop or spiralize the courgette and carrot and add that in as well.

The spiralizing is probably the only tricky part, but you can also finely chop the vegetables instead if you prefer.

Otherwise, everything goes into one wok, so it’s a really simple cooking process.

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

How did the crispy pork and carrot noodles taste?

I was surprised by how well the spiralized courgette could replace the noodles in a dish. It makes for a much healthier base.

The crispy pork also worked well. Although it was sugar-free, it still had a little honey on it to give it some sweetness.

All in all, this was another dish that was full of flavour.

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

Mindful Chef recipe number 3

Cajun chicken and roasted veggie lettuce tacos

The third recipe was the Cajun chicken tacos.

I had seen lettuce wraps being used instead of wheat tortillas before, but I had never tasted it myself.

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

How easy was this recipe to make?

The only work was the chopping of the vegetables. These are then grilled in the oven.

The chicken is seasoned and gently cooked in a frying pan. While that’s happening, you chop the avocado.

Once everything’s cooked, the tacos are ready to assemble in the lettuce leaves with the chicken and the vegetables.

You drizzle on some of their light dressing for a finishing touch.

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

How did the cajun chicken and roasted veggie tacos taste?

This recipe was surprisingly flavoursome.

Again, I loved how I could enjoy all the taste of tacos while taking out the refined carbs and heavy cheeses or sauces.

The lettuce wraps meant that the dinner stayed light, so I didn’t end up with that heavy feeling afterwards.

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

Mindful Chef: my final review

I found the quality of the ingredients and recipes to be really excellent and nothing like I’ve tasted before.

Here’s how I would summarise my review of Mindful Chef, having tried these three dishes.

More about Mindful Chef

When did Mindful Chef start?

Mindful Chef was founded in 2015 by Rob Grieg-Gran, Myles Hopper and Giles Humphry. Their priority has always been to make healthy meals easier for everyone to enjoy.

They grew up in Devon, so they source some of their ingredients from ethical suppliers in the Devon area.

They pride themselves on the quality of their ingredients by using 100% grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and sustainably-sourced fish.

They even go and visit their suppliers in person on a regular basis.

What does Mindful Chef offer?

Mindful Chef offers fresh, pre-portioned ingredients for a certain number of meals, which are delivered to your door each week.

They provide these alongside the recipe cards for the meals. Each one takes 30 minutes or less to prepare.

The recipes on offer change every week so that you can choose different meals each time.

Recipe variety

You are offered a choice of 20 recipes each week and six of these are plant-based or vegan meals.

You go ahead and select between two and five recipes, depending on what plan you want.

You then receive the ingredients for these recipes pre-portioned and ready to be cooked, along with a recipe booklet.

Mindful Chef recipe options

Vegan meal boxes 

Mindful Chef are one of the few providers to offer entirely plant-based meal plans.

Mindful Chef vegan meal boxes

Family meal boxes

Mindful Chef also offer family meal boxes for 2 adults and 2-3 children, which can help make deciding what’s for dinner easier and healthier.

Mindful Chef family meal boxes

Are Mindful Chef meals healthy?

Mindful Chef is the UK’s only health-focussed recipe box, and each meal is nutritionist-approved.

They are also all free from refined carbohydrates, gluten and dairy too. It’s clear from their recipes and their ethos that eating well is a priority for them.

Here’s what sets Mindful Chef apart from other food subscription boxes:

Special offer on Mindful Chef

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

25% off first two boxes: Mindful Chef

Is Mindful Chef a subscription?

Yes, Mindful Chef operates on a subscription basis, and they deliver weekly boxes of fresh ingredients to you.

You can pause or cancel the subscription at any time. You can also choose which recipes you want each week from your online account. Or you can let yourself be surprised by what arrives.

They have a separate shop that allows for one-off purchases of smoothie packs, frozen meals and broths and soups.

How much does Mindful Chef cost?

The cost of meals with Mindful Chef varies quite a bit depending on how many people you have and how many meals you order. The recipes you select can also affect the price somewhat.

We’ve broken down the cost of each of the options below to give you an idea.

In the table, there are two prices shown. The first is the guide price that Mindful Chef gives on their website. The second is our quote where we selected specific meals.

We should note that one of the meals that we chose had red meat in it, which would be slightly more expensive than other meals.

Their 1 person boxes work out higher than other packages. This is to be expected, as the cost per person would go down if you had 2 people eating the same recipe.

The family boxes are slightly more economical, but they also have different recipes on offer compared to the 1 and 2 person boxes. 

Depending on the number of people eating, you also have different minimum and maximum recipe selections:

• 1 person: 3-5 recipes
• 2 person: 2-5 recipes
• Family (4 adults or 2 adults and 2-3 children): 2-4 recipes

Mindful Chef reviews from existing customers

Mindful Chef scores very highly in their ratings from thousands of customers. On average, they got 4.4 stars from 19,228 reviews on the independent platform Trustpilot.

Many of their customers say they were ‘blown away’ by the quality of the ingredients and the variety and taste of the recipes that they received.

Customers loved the:

• ease of use of their service
• healthy and delicious recipes
• gluten-free meals, which are great for those with gluten intolerances and coeliac
• recipes from ‘around the world’
• how they helped them lead a healthier lifestyle
• quick delivery of all boxes

Busy mums found that it helped them organise healthy family dinners more quickly.

Others who were on clean-eating food plans were grateful that they found a food delivery service that they could enjoy alongside this.

The only negatives people mentioned were price and having leftover food. The leftover food could be seen as a good thing as you get more value for what you pay.

In terms of price, it is more than standard groceries as it offers more in terms of the quality of ingredients and the recipe selections.

There are also some cases where meal kits can actually save you money as well. For example, you no longer have wasted items in your grocery orders as you only purchase what you need.

You may also find you order takeout less frequently too, as you have interesting meals to enjoy.

Here are a few reviews from customers of Mindful Chef.

One reviewer bought these boxes for her friends when they gave birth, and they all loved them:

This reviewer loved the variety of recipes on offer each week:

Is Mindful Chef worth it?

Mindful Chef is definitely worth it. They have balanced and unique recipes alongside quality ingredients, which are delivered to your door each week.

They make sure you only spend 20-30 minutes preparing dinner. And they prioritise health in their boxes by making all their meals nutritious and free from refined carbohydrates.

As an added bonus, all meals are gluten- and dairy-free too.

Mindful Chef is ideal for busy parents or professionals who come home at the end of the day tired and hungry. If you want to get dinner on the table fast but still want to eat well and take care of your health, it offers a great solution.

It also works for anyone looking to switch to a healthier diet as the meals are all balanced, high in vegetables and refined carb-free.

All in all, I haven’t seen a recipe box quite like Mindful Chef in terms of the quality of the ingredients offered and the quality of the meals themselves.

It’s refreshing to see a company that actually cares about making a healthier product. I will be recommending them to friends and family.

Mindful Chef FAQs

Is Mindful Chef expensive?

Mindful Chef pricing varies between £4.75-£10 per serving per person. Overall it’s not expensive considering what’s offered.

You get quality pre-portioned ingredients along with creative, health-focussed recipes. No time needs to be spent on meal planning, recipe researching or grocery shopping. No money needs to be spent on last-minute dashes to the corner store or take-out meals.

The factors that affect the price are the number of meals ordered, the number of people the meals are for, as well as the ingredients in the meals themselves.

Is Mindful Chef a subscription?

Yes, Mindful Chef is a subscription box that delivers groceries once a week. The foods are pre-portioned ingredients for specific recipes that you’ve chosen for that week. You can pause or cancel the subscription at any time.

They also have a shop that sells smoothie kits, frozen meals and soups and broths. These are one-off purchases rather than subscription-based, but you must be an existing customer to access them.

How do I cancel Mindful Chef?

Mindful Chef subscriptions can be cancelled easily in your online account.

They have made it very easy to find the PAUSE or CANCEL options so that you can make the changes you need to in one click.

Is Mindful Chef organic?

Their foods used to be organic, but recently, they announced that they weren’t able to guarantee the quality of produce if they were tied to organic suppliers.

Customers complained about how the vegetables looked. As a result, they made the decision to move away from being exclusively organic. They continue to focus on sourcing their ingredients from ethically run suppliers.

They visit the sources of their meats and other suppliers themselves on a regular basis. They continue to be proud to be working with quality producers.

Is Mindful Chef gluten-free?

Yes, all Mindful Chef meals are gluten-free. One of their main priorities is to offer healthy meals to their customers.

Is Mindful Chef dairy-free?

Yes, Mindful Chef meals are also all dairy-free, so there is no need to filter for dairy-free options.

Is Mindful Chef halal?

No, they do not provide halal options.

Is Mindful Chef Vegan?

Yes, Mindful Chef also caters to vegan diets and has four ever-changing plant-based recipes that you can choose from each week.

The remaining recipes contain meat and fish, so they cater to vegetarians, vegans, pescetarians and meat and fish eaters.

Does Mindful Chef deliver to me?

Mindful Chef delivers nationwide, excluding certain areas such as Northern Ireland, Isle of Wight, Isle of Man, the Channel Islands and a select few Scottish postcodes.

Can you freeze Mindful Chef?

Yes, all meats can be frozen when you receive them. The remaining ingredients are fruits and vegetables, so these aren’t normally frozen.

If you’re keen on freezing meals on a regular basis, then you may want to look at their frozen meal selection. These are prepared by their chefs and frozen from fresh:

Mindful Chef Frozen Meals

Where is Mindful Chef based?

Mindful Chef sources many of their ingredients from suppliers in Devon which is where the founders grew up.