If you‘re looking for a meal delivery service that offers fresh, chef-designed dishes that practically cook themselves, RealEats deserves your consideration. I recently tried this newcomer service that ships creative entrees nationwide and wanted to share an authentic first-hand review.
In short – I found the ingredients noticeably fresh and flavors complex, earning RealEats a top spot among prepared meal delivery options. But it‘s not without occasional hiccups. Read on for the full scoop so you can gauge if it fits your lifestyle.
RealEats Overview: How The Service Works
For those unfamiliar, RealEats is a weekly meal delivery subscription launching in 2021. Co-founded by a dad tired of low-quality frozen foods for his kids, their USDA kitchens prepare made-from-scratch dishes highlighting seasonal, locally-sourced ingredients.
After perusing that week‘s menu of chef-designed entrees, sides and desserts, you select whatever pre-portioned meals suit your tastes and lifestyle needs. Preferences like vegetarian, lower carb, quick prep, family-friendly and more are easily accommodated.
RealEats ships these freshly prepared (not frozen) meals nationwide while keeping them chilled. Thanks to a patented pending process called Sous Vide Method, every dish cooks to perfection in your own kitchen in just 6 minutes. It‘s incredibly convenient while still feeling like "real", better-for-you food.
I first learned of RealEats from a Facebook ad. Their messaging around wholesome, chef-crafted meals that practically made themselves caught my eye. I sometimes order takeout when busy but was spending too much. Meal kits took too much effort for my schedule. So I gave these ready-made dishes a try about 2 months ago and have thoughts to share!
Ordering RealEats: Simple Customization
Ordering from RealEats only takes about 5 minutes weekly. Their website makes choosing meals a breeze. I like that you can read full nutrition and allergen info for transparency.
I opted for the 4 meal/week plan for my small family. Choosing entrees and perfectly paired sides was tough – everything sounded delicious! Barbecue brisket bowls, green curry cod, cauliflower mac n cheese…they offer 24 ever-changing entrees plus more sides and desserts.
Tip: Download their app for easier ordering.
I prefer to order on Sundays when I meal prep and the interface makes swapping, upgrading or pausing weeks easy. Customer service also swiftly has helped the one time an order issue arose.
Side perk: RealEats has an incentive program for referrals, reviews and more if you want to earn account credit. But no subscription required.
Now, onto the good stuff…how does RealEats food actually taste?
Dishing on The Flavors & Quality
I‘ll admit I was skeptical a prepared meal could deliver on the promises of fresh, innovative flavors. But RealEats surprised me on both fronts.
Let‘s break down what exactly makes their food shine:
Noticeably Fresh & Seasonal Produce
I could actually taste bright, crisp veggies and fruit at their peak. Many competitors overcook to extend shelf life. But the sweet corn, tender greens and juicy grape tomatoes were vibrant. This summer menu felt transportative.
Interesting Global Flavor Profiles
From smoky chipotle shrimp tacos to Thai coconut chicken, the blends of herbs, spices and sauces tasted complex. Each bite was an adventure for my palate thanks to the rotating cultures highlighted.
Perfectly Cooked Proteins
The sous vide style process yielded exceptionally moist salmon, fall-off-the-bone short ribs, and shockingly tender brisket. Compared to steamed packages or mushy microwaved meals, proteins cooked gently in proprietary Fresh Packs came out fork-tender.
Responsibly Raised Meats & Seafood
I also appreciated details like grass-fed beef and regeneratively grazed chicken. RealEats avoids hormones and antibiotics when possible. Seafood is sustainable wild caught too. That focus on ethical sourcing impresses me.
Special Diets Thoughtfully Covered
Despite indulgent flavors, nutrition still took priority. Diets like low sodium, kid-friendly and vegan were not an afterthought. The Thai coconut curry, for instance, kept carbs lower for keto/diabetics. And ingredients read clean. Pretty remarkable for grab-and-go convenience foods!
Heating & Plating RealEats Meals
When your order arrives chilled right to your doorstep, preparing these restaurant-worthy dishes is anti-climactic. It feels like cheating! But I‘ll walk through what heating and serving RealEats entrees actually entails:
Step 1: Remove desired meal from your refrigerated delivery box
Step 2: Open outer bag then carefully open the sealed Fresh Pack pouch
Step 3: Place steamer basket in pot; fill with water to just below basket line
Step 4: Bring water to a steady boil then lower Fresh Pack into basket and cover
Step 5: Boil 6 minutes then open packet (carefully – hot steam!)
Step 6: Plate meal as pictured adding any garnishes
And…done. In the time it takes to set the table, a just-made meal emerges ready to impress your palette.
I suggest garnishing with included fresh herbs or dicing choice add-ins like avocado or hot sauce to put your signature touch on the dish. Ta da – you‘re eating better than restaurant quality in under 10 minutes total.
If boiling sounds like a bother, you can microwave instead. I found 3 minutes on high does the trick. Just be sure to poke venting holes first and add 2 tbsp water so it doesn‘t dry out.
However you reheat, the process beats dumping a frozen block on a plate or slaving over a hot stove any day!
But a service promising gourmet meals in minutes does come at a cost. Time to break down RealEats pricing…
RealEats Cost Breakdown: Do Price & Quality Align?
You might assume incredible convenience and Restaurant quality comes cheap. But good ingredients and efficient cooking have expenses.
Here is how RealEats structures their pricing:
| Plan | Price Per Meal |
|---|---|
| 4 meals per week | $15.99 per meal |
| 6 meals per week | $14.49 per meal |
| 8 meals per week | $13.99 per meal |
| 12 meals per week | $13.49 per meal |
So costs range $13-16 per generous portion when you account for subscription savings. While not dirt cheap, that seems fair considering quality surpasses most competitors.
Compared to restaurant delivery apps charging $15+ per meal with hidden service fees, I save money with RealEats while enjoying better flavors. And way better for me than fast food!
You can also save 25% off your first order to try it risk-free. Ongoing they offer referral deals plus surprise offers around the holidays. I once got 6 free side dishes!
For the cost breakdown:
- Average entrée: $9-$14 dollars
- Sides: $5-$9 per generous portion
- Desserts: $4-$6 each
Based on my experience so far, I definitely feel RealEats aligns cost with value given the premium ingredients, chef-caliber cooking, and incredible convenience.
To give you more perspective, next I‘ll compare RealEats to popular alternatives…
How RealEats Compares With Other Meal Delivery Services
RealEats fills a unique niche among the myriad services promising to simplify dinner. Frozen or partial-prep meal kits still require 20-60 minutes working in the kitchen. And many ready-made delivery meal lack complex flavors or diet customization.
Here’s an overview of how RealEats stacks up to key competitors in 2024:
HelloFresh
- America’s most popular meal kit company, delivering prepped ingredients
- Very affordable but more processed components and simpler recipes
- Still requires 35+ minutes of chopping and cooking
Green Chef
- Focuses on organic, clean-eating ingredients
- More customization for special diets like keto & paleo
- Prep still takes 35-45 minutes for their recipe kits
Freshly
- Leading ready-made meal delivery service
- Cheaper prices but smaller menu lacking customization
- Positive reviews but fewer seasonal or gourmet options
Factor_
- Highly rated prepared meals requiring just reheating
- Dishes trend heavier and less healthy/balanced
- Ships frozen so texture is occasionally sacrificed
The key advantages unique to RealEats that my experience revealed:
- Locally-sourced, premium seasonal ingredients
- Adventurous global flavors worthy of fine dining
- Meals conveniently cook start-to-finish in 6 mins
- Fully customizable ordering and menus
- Largely positive customer feedback
For the best value combining quality ingredients, convenience, and chef-designed recipes, RealEats leads the category. But next, where there‘s light there can also be shadows…
Potential Drawbacks to Consider
In the spirit of authenticity, I want to address a couple drawback areas other reviews called out (though my experience remained positive):
Subscription Management Quirks
While easily remedied with a call, some people apparently encountered issues like double charges when skipping weeks or cancelling orders. Seems rare but worth noting.
Occasional Delivery Snafus
Again – not widespread but isolated incidents of incorrect orders or ingredients past peak quality did surface at times. The odds seem below 5% based on large sample sizes but I aim for full transparency here!
The good news is customer service ranks helpful in remedying the above quickly. And the convenience and meal quality still outweighs the odd hiccup in my view. Just something to make you aware of.
Regional Delivery Limitations
The only other caveat is that RealEats only delivers to about 30 states in New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest regions. Their fresh weekly shipping model prevents nationwide reach. So confirm your location is eligible.
While I can acknowledge some areas for improvement, none seemed serious enough flaws to outweigh the provider’s assets. Especially given their responsiveness to feedback and room for growth as a newer startup.
The Final Verdict: A Must-Try for Convenience Seekers
To wrap up this honest RealEats review, I definitely recommend trying the service if you:
- Highly value fresh ingredients and complex global recipes
- Want minimally processed meals for health without fuss
- Lack time for daily meal prep but crave more than frozen food quality
- Appreciate chef-designed dishes catering to special diets
Customers focused purely on affordability or sustainability may find better fits elsewhere. But in my experience,RealEats leads the prepared meal category focused on flavor, nutrition and convenience in equal measure.
The six minute, fuss-free prep seriously made my weeknights easier. And knowing I supported smaller farms and producers felt good too. Unless you live too remotely for shipping, RealEats worthwhile tradeoff of time over money paid dividends for me!
Get Your First RealEats Order For 25% Off Here
I hope this authentic first-hand take helps you gauge if incorporating RealEats prepared meal delivery fits your lifestyle needs and expectations! Let me know if any other questions.
