Home Chef vs Nutrisystem (+3 Plans of each)
The current blogpost will compare the features and characteristics of Home Chef and Nutrisystem. Home Chef is one of the most popular meal kit delivery services in the United States as of today. Nutrisystem is not a meal kit delivery service, but delivers fully-prepared meals completely directed at healthy weight loss.
In the end, we will give you our opinions on which of these two may be the better choice based on first-hand experiences.
Home Chef vs Nutrisystem
The following table will depict the best functioning features of Home Chef and Nutrisystem. Through this table, you will be able to decide which meal delivery service is the right one for you and your family.
| Feature | Home Chef | Nutrisystem |
| Delivery areas | 98% of the United States aside from Alaska & Hawaii | 98% of the United States aside from Alaska & HawaiiCanada |
| Price range | $30 to $120 per week for two | $250 to $350 per month |
| Price per plate | $8.99 per plate | $9.99 per plate minimum |
| Difficulty levels | EasyIntermediateExpert | Easy |
| Avg. cooking time | 30 minutes per meal | Only heating required |
| Avg. calorie count | 400-600 calories per serving | 200 calories per serving |
| Supporting material | Meal descriptionNutritional factRecipe cardsMobile app | None |
| Recipes supported | VegetarianPoultryWithout nutsWithout soySeafoodWithout wheatPorkCarb-consciousCalorie conscious | Weight-loss |
| No. of choices | 13 per week | >100 |
| Introductory deal | $20 off in first box with free shipping | 50% off on first order |
| Avg. shelf life | 3-5 days for meat1-2 days for seafood | 6-18 months |
Types of Plans: Home Chef vs Nutrisystem
| Home Chef | Nutrisystem |
| Oven Ready meals $13 per meal serves two Only needs to be heated in the oven | Basic $9.99 per day + free shippingBreakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks |
| 15-minute meal kits $9.95 per servingRequires very little cooking time | Uniquely Yours $13.57 per day + free shipping150+ choicesBreakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks |
| Entrée salads $9.95 per servingNo cooking required | Partner Plan $9.99 per day + free shippingBreakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks |
Home Chef allows its customers to choose among various-sized meal boxes depending on the needs of their family. The meal boxes not only differ in sizes but also the types of meals. The recipes in Home Chef cover various cuisines and even dietary requirements. There are also very easy-to-cook recipes in Home Chef from the Fresh and Easy collection.
Nutrisystem is completely tailored for weight-loss. And therefore, the recipes here are low in carbs and low in calories. The customer can choose from various plans based on what kind of diet they want to follow and how much commitment they can give for the Nutrisystem diet. The plans not only cover the customer, but also their partners through the Partner Plan.
Winner: Home Chef wins the Types of Plans segment.
Types of Ingredients: Home Chef vs Nutrisystem
| Ingredient type | Home Chef | Nutrisystem |
| Produce | Not always organic produceMore of seasonal produce | Organic produce |
| Meat, eggs, fish | USDA FSIS approved | Sustainably sourced poultry, meat and seafood |
| Other ingredients | SeasoningsSpicesSauces | SeasoningsSaucesCondiments |
Home Chef takes extra care to bring only the best products and ingredients for its customers. The meal kits in Home Chef contain mostly seasonal products from local vendors. The meat in the meal kits and the prepared meals are USDA FSIS inspected and approved. However, not all the ingredients are organic in the meal kits.
On the other hand, Nutrisystem is completely for clean and healthy eating. And therefore, the ingredients here are completely organic, while the meat is fully sustainably sourced. Nutrisystem also has a whole range of healthy and refined sugar-free condiments, sauces and spices which can be used to bring more flavors to the meals.
Winner: Nutrisystem wins the Types of Ingredients segment.
Add-Ons: Home Chef vs Nutrisystem
| Home Chef | Nutrisystem |
| DessertSaladBreadFruitSmoothie | Grocery itemsLow-fat dairyLean protein |
In Home Chef, the customer can add more items to their meal kits to make their meals even more wholesome. These add-ons include healthy sides and delicious desserts as well. In addition to these, the customer can also add bread and fruit plates for daily consumption. Finally, breakfast smoothies are also available in Home Chef.
Nutrisystem is a pre planned diet which needs to be followed for a certain period of time. The snacks which the customer might crave on a daily basis will also be provided in the meal box. As for add-ons, the customer can add various grocery items to their meal box for everyday use. These include low-fat dairy and lean protein to aid in weight loss.
Winner: Home Chef wins in the Add-ons segment.
Packaging of Meal kit: Home Chef vs Nutrisystem
| Home Chef | Nutrisystem |
| Meal boxDividerProduce bagsInsulated linersIce packsPlastic containersRecipe cards | Eco-friendly boxes |
| Fully recyclable | Mostly recyclable |
When it comes to packaging, Home Chef uses very eco-friendly packaging. This includes the meal box, the dividers and even the insulated liners. Even the produce bags in Home Chef can be recycled as they are made of BPA-free plastic. Home Chef encourages the customers to store the recipe cards and use them in the future.
Nutrisystem also takes its packaging very seriously. The cooler boxes which Nutrisystem uses in order to deliver the meals can be just thrown with regular trash as they are mostly biodegradable. At the same time, they are pretty robust and come with genuine functionality. The individual containers and separators can be dropped off in certain locations for recycling.
Winner: Both Home Chef and Nutrisystem win the Packaging of Meal kit segment.
Customer Support: Home Chef vs Nutrisystem
| Feature | Home Chef | Nutrisystem |
| Chat support | – | + |
| Email support | + | + |
| Phone support | + | + |
| Availability | Monday-Saturday | All days of the week |
Home Chef allows its customers to contact support executives in case of anything through several ways. The customer can choose to leave an email on the email id given in the website. As an alternative, they can also contact the phone support through one of the few numbers given in Home Chef.
Nutrisystem has several avenues for customer support. The customer can contact the support team at Nutrisystem through the live chat on the website for real-time responses and updates. Furthermore, they can also leave an email through the email id given in the website. The customer support of Nutrisystem works on all days of the week.
Winner: Nutrisystem wins the Customer Support segment.
Sample Meals: Home Chef vs Nutrisystem
| Sample | Home Chef | Nutrisystem |
| Sample 1 | Name: Japanese BBQ BurgerPreparation time: 35-45 minsSpice level: MildDifficulty: Easy | Name: Dark Chocolaty Sea Salt Nut SquareNo. of calories: 190 calories |
| Sample 2 | Name: Korean Fried ChickenPreparation time: 30-40 minsSpice level: MediumDifficulty: Intermediate | Name: Santa Fe Style ChickenNo. of calories: 240 caloriesAmt. of protein: 17g |
| Sample 3 | Name: Garlic-Parmesan Crusted Filet MignonPreparation time: 35-45 minsSpice level: Not spicyDifficulty: Expert | Name: White Cheddar Macaroni and CheeseNo. of calories: 220 caloriesAmt. of protein: 10g |
The recipes in Home Chef cover many cuisine types and also many dietary requirements. While the meals in Home Chef are certainly not intended for weight loss in specific, there are low-carb and low-calorie meals in this meal-kit delivery service which can be great options for those who are trying to lose weight.
Nutrisystem is completely intended for weight loss and thus, the recipes are low in calories and also are aimed at providing the right amount of protein for the customer, to not only lose weight but also gain nutrition at the same time. This aim not only includes the meals, but even the snacks which are healthy and delicious at the same time.
Winner: Home Chef wins the Sample Meals segment.
App rating: Home Chef vs Nutrisystem
| Platform | Home Chef | Nutrisystem |
| Google Play Store | 2.1 | 3.5 |
| Apple App Store | 3.2 | 4.6 |
| TWP Rating | 3.5/5 | 3/5 |
Final Verdict: The winner of this showdown is Home Chef with its wholesome and delicious ingredients
Home Chef meal kits are intended for day to day eating. These meal kits come with the aim of helping busy families save time in the kitchen and spend more time at the kitchen table. The meal kits in Home Chef use healthy ingredients and come with the right seasonings and spices to make the cooking easier for the customer.
While there are standard meal kits in Home Chef which require cooking from scratch for those who can afford to spend time in the kitchen, there are also many other recipes which are completely meant for easy cooking. These recipes come under the Fresh and Easy menu of Home Chef which can be prepared within 15 minutes or even less.
Nutrisystem is a prepared meal delivery service which aims to help subscribers lose weight. The recipes are low in calories and also high in protein to help users stay full for longer periods of time. The meal plans in Nutrisystem are prepared with organic ingredients which are grown using sustainable practices.
While Nutrisystem is definitely an advantageous delivery service, it can be too pricey for anyone. The results of weight loss are also not guaranteed in this meal delivery service since weight loss actually depends on numerous factors like exercise and genetics, rather than diet alone.
Comparing the two, Home Chef turns out to be the much better product since the meals here are more complete and are also priced affordably. In case the customer requires prepared meals, Home Chef also has numerous Fast and Fresh meals which can serve this purpose. There are also low-carb and low-calorie meals which can be superb for a healthier life.
Methodology
To bring you the best reviews of each and every meal delivery service, we spoke to testers and real life users, reviewed the information provided by each service on their respective websites, carried out primary research on social media platforms and checked out the user reviews of these platforms on various social media sites. We have also used the reviews presented by current users of these services on their respective Google and Apple apps.
We are currently conducting our own internal review and we will update this page with videos and pictures of our experiences. If they differ extensively from what our external reviewers said then we will update this post so you get both points of views and can decide which service provider is more suited to your needs based on the information above.
The main types of criteria which we have used in order to assess and evaluate these meal delivery services is the simplicity of the recipes, the variety of meals in the service, the inclusiveness of diets and cuisines and even the supporting material.
In addition to these, we have also highly taken into regard the sustainability and recyclability of the packaging of these services. Lastly, we have also considered the delivery services and customer services of these platforms.
Frequently asked questions: “Home Chef vs Nutrisystem”
Is the Home Chef already prepared meals?
No, Home Chef is not already prepared meals and is more of meal kits which need to be cooked from scratch. At the same time, Home Chef also has a range of Fast and Fresh meals which only need to be heated in the microwave for a few minutes, as they come fully prepared to the customer’s address.
What is the cost of one month of Nutrisystem?
One month of Nutrisystem costs $250 to $350 per month. Since this cost can be pretty high, many customers might be discouraged by this and may look for cheaper options on the side.
How many times a day do you eat on Nutrisystem?
On Nutrisystem, you will eat six times in one day. This not only includes meals, but even snacks and other add-ons. Nutrisystem allows the user to eat healthy and lose weight while not depriving them at the same time. This is one of the pluses of using Nutrisystem meals to lose weight.
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Other FAQs about Home Chef that you may be interested in.
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