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About RealEats
On a mission to feed his sons something better than frozen pizza and microwave meals, single dad Dan Wise founded RealEats in 2021.
Unlike competitors that ship frozen prepared meals or kits that require 30-40 minutes to cook, his company delivers delicious, prepared meals to be heated using a similar technique to the culinary dream that is sous vide. And get this—they’re ready in just 6 minutes.
Located near the Finger Lakes in New York, RealEats uses fresh, local ingredients and boasts a menu created by Michelin star chef Erik Battes. His recipes are simple yet full of surprising flavor, featured in outlets like Forbes, Rolling Stone, and Business Insider.
Dreaming of a better, easier meal? RealEats might be your perfect match. To learn more about the brand, check out this RealEats review. I’ve packed it with juicy tidbits about the brand and its service, along with recipes, feedback, and more.
Let’s get started with the highlights:
Highlights
- Farm-fresh, local ingredients
- Michelin star chef-designed menu
- 24 recipes each week
- Accommodates special diets
- Allows for customization
- Arrives fresh, never frozen
- Vacuum sealed for freshness
- Ships to 30 states & Washington DC
Why You Should Trust Us
Our mission is to help you make better, more informed purchase decisions.
Our team spends hours researching, consulting with medical experts, gathering insight from expert professionals, reviewing customer feedback, and analyzing products to provide you with the information you need.
How Does RealEats Work?
RealEats is a weekly meal subscription service delivering ready-to-heat-and-eat meals with farm-fresh ingredients.
Sourcing their ingredients from local farmers and preparing them in their kitchen in New York, their meals are clean and simple—like the ones you might make, just with restaurant-worthy flavors.
I loved the ability to see all of the ingredients in every dish, along with their nutritional content.
RealEats offers meals for just about every kind of diet, including keto, plant-based, low sodium, and Mediterranean.
So how does it work? Each week, you’ll browse through available recipes and pick your favorites. They’ll be shipped to your door on your preferred schedule where you’ll unpack, heat, and eat. RealEats’ recommended heating method is different than other prepared meal delivery kits, inspired by the sous vide method.
Though you can microwave their meals, they are vacuum sealed in Fresh Packs™ ready to be boiled. Boiling your meals instead of microwaving allows for more even heating. These Fresh Packs™ also mean your food will stay fresher for longer—up to 7 days in the fridge. You can also freeze them, though it’s not recommended.
All dishes take just 6 minutes to heat, all you need are a need a pair of scissors and tongs. RealEats is a subscription service, but you can always pause or cancel your plan if needed. How much does it cost? Pricing details are up next in this RealEats review.
What Plans Does RealEats Offer?
RealEats offers four different meal plans that vary by quantity. All of their meals are individually portioned, so basically, all you need to decide is how many meals you want per week. I’ll run you through each option below in this RealEats review.
- 4 Meals $15.99 per meal
- 6 Meals $14.49 per meal
- 8 Meals $13.99 per meal
- 12 Meals $13.49 per meal
There is a 25% off RealEats promo code automatically applied at checkout for first-time customers, so that will take the price of your first order down considerably to $10.12-$11.99 per meal.
You know what they cost, now it’s time to find out what their dishes are like. Popular dishes in the RealEats menu are coming up next.
5 Most Popular RealEats Menu Items
RealEats Tuscan Chicken Meatballs Review
Looking to lighten up your go-to meat sauce? The Tuscan Chicken Meatballs are a healthier choice that doesn’t sacrifice flavor. Made with tomato and mozzarella, these savory meatballs swim in a creamy sundried tomato sauce flecked with nutrient-rich spinach.
Paired with fusilli pasta with its own homemade marinara sauce and basil green beans, this combo is a pick-me-up on a busy weeknight. With 670 calories and 35 grams of protein, it’s super satisfying too.
RealEats Chipotle Steak Tacos Review
With tender steak, flame-roasted peppers, and cumin-scented braised black beans, traditional ingredients get a major upgrade in these Chipotle Steak Tacos. With mouth-watering chipotle flavor, this balanced dish is a flavor bomb—plus, it’s super fun to eat.
You’ll get 670 calories from this dish, along with 103 grams of protein and just 9 grams of carbs. For those on a muscle-building diet, be sure to add this recipe to your weekly menu. It’s totally wheat-free thanks to the corn tacos, and you can sub them for rice if you’d rather keep it a fork-and-knife dish.
RealEats Smoked Pulled Chicken Review
If it’s been smoked and pulled, you really can’t go wrong. The Smoked Pulled Chicken is a classic favorite, pairing up slow-smoked sweet barbecue chicken with a broccoli and spinach casserole and three-cheese pasta.
It’s a refined take on beloved BBQ cuisine, featuring classy grudge cheese and alluring cavatappi pasta.
The Smoked Pulled Chicken is a higher-calorie dish with 760 calories and 44 grams of protein and 36 grams of fat. Swap out one of the sides to make it lighter.
RealEats Green Curry Whitefish – Mediterranean Diet Review
I love the simplicity of a Mediterranean Diet, yet the meals are always so satisfying. The Green Curry Whitefish is a delicious take on a simple recipe, lending the flavors of Thai cuisine through a spicy green curry sauce.
A simple, bright side of lemony quinoa rounds out the dish, bringing filling fiber and a range of nutrients rice simply doesn’t.
Paired with French beans and spring carrots seasoned with olive oil, salt, and black pepper, this approachable dish is a reliable favorite for any night of the week.
The Green Curry Whitefish – Mediterranean Diet dish has 510 calories and 48 grams of protein and is wheat-free and soy-free.
RealEats Garlic Lime Shrimp – Low Sodium Diet Review
What the Garlic Lime Shrimp lacks in sodium it makes up for in flavor. Every element of this dish is bursting with intriguing flavor. Shrimp pops with the vibrancy of lime and savory elements of garlic while the basmati rice is simmered with cardamom, bay leaf, and saffron for a surprisingly elegant punch.
Fire-roasted veggies finish off the dish, including sweet corn, red onions, black beans, and poblano peppers for a subtly spicy kick.
The Garlic Lime Shrimp – Low Sodium Diet clocks in at 440 calories and a whopping 35 grams of protein. It’s also free from dairy, wheat, and soy.
Who would I recommend RealEats to?
RealEats is a great option for busy adults who don’t want to mess around with meal kits. These dishes are ready in 6 minutes, so they’re perfect for those who want restaurant-worthy flavors and simple ingredient meals in a short amount of time.
Their menu accommodates vegetarian, Mediterranean, and lower sodium diets.
Who I wouldn’t recommend RealEats to?
While there are plant-based meals on RealEats’ menu, the only protein they offer is tofu doused in different sauces.
They have a ton of vegan-friendly sides, but I don’t think RealEats is a great option for vegans in search of creative dishes. They also don’t have a ton of kid-friendly meals—no burgers or “fun” foods.
Alternatives To RealEats
There is an abundance of meal delivery services out there, each one offering something a little different. To give you an idea of your options, I’ll walk you through three comparable alternatives next in this RealEats review.
- Like RealEats, GreenChef is known for its fresh, vibrant ingredients. However, unlike our featured service, their ingredients are all certified organic BUT you will have to prepare their meals, they don’t come ready to heat and eat.
- HelloFresh is a renowned meal kit delivery service. It’s America’s #1 choice and delivers affordable meals and has a massive menu with great variety. Their ingredients are a touch lower in quality than RealEats’ are though, and their meals are prepped—not pre cooked. They do require cooking, about 30 minutes of it.
- SakaraLife is all about holistic balance. Their meals are 100% plant-based and are some of the most nourishing. SakaraLife delivers to limited locations though, so they’re even more exclusive than RealEats’ are—and they’re also more expensive. However, this service offers prepared meals just like their competitor.
What Do Experts Think?
Would you call a Michelin-star chef an expert? I would, and it just so happens that’s who created RealEats’ menu. Erik Battes is the mastermind behind RealEats’ flavorful dishes, balancing simple ingredients with restaurant-worthy taste.
RealEats Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
No RealEats review would be complete without feedback. Otherwise, we’d never know just how delicious their meals are. Thankfully I found plenty of evidence online of that fact.
On The Spruce Eats, RealEats received a 4/5-star rating, which is very good coming from a website that’s reviewed just but every meal delivery kit there is. Here’s what they had to say about this one:
“RealEats provides delicious comfort foods that are packaged and can be cooked with a sous-vide technique (food that is vacuum-sealed and heated in water) and ready within minutes, although the boiling water heating method can take some practice to master.”
Of the food itself, they continued, “The grits had a great creamy texture and we loved the crisp and sweet corn and hint of smokiness. The shrimp were also quite flavorful, with a nice roundness of garlic, and were quite tender. An extra squeeze of lime would have been nice.”
While The Spruce Eat’s RealEats review didn’t score the service flawlessly, they loved the dishes they tried. On Trustpilot, the brand fared similarly, receiving a 3.9/5-star average from 621 ratings. The rating snapshot looks like this:
- 5 stars: 56%
- 4 stars: 22%
- 3 stars: 9%
- 2 stars: 3%
- 1 star: 10%
One RealEats review read, “I look forward to dinner again. The food is definitely farm fresh recipes or what I expect to eat on a farm. The quality is there. The meals are NOT plates full of spices- I like to be able to taste the actual food not all spices and seasoning. I’m extremely content.”
The folks are CNET wrote a slightly more critical RealEats review, though they did say that this service provided one of the most satisfying meals they’ve had from a meal delivery service. That’s saying something. They also wrote:
“One boon for RealEats is the inclusion of premium foods such as steak, lobster and other seafood that you won’t find on most other meal delivery menus. And for picky eaters, the ability to customize each meal with protein and side swaps is another luxury most services don’t afford.”
Those who tried this service definitely say the food is fresh, that’s for sure, and they certainly offer perks that other meal delivery services don’t.
Some RealEats reviews express issues with subscriptions, but the service is quick to respond and resolve them. All in all, they look like an excellent meal delivery option—just be careful when plating!
Is RealEats Legit?
Nothing I found during my RealEats review would make me think otherwise. The service delivers their farm-fresh meals on time. While there have been a few mix-ups with subscriptions, it’s clearly not intentional and they resolve issues quickly.
Is RealEats Worth It?
RealEats has a lot of great things going for it. First and foremost, farm-fresh ingredients truly make a difference in meal quality. They also have an incredible variety of recipes and cater to all types of special diets.
I like the whole sous vide method of warming food, it’s different than other meal delivery kits and allows for more even heating.
Where else does RealEats differ? Their meals are freshly prepared and never frozen. Details like this make their slightly higher price per meal make sense.
Where To Buy RealEats
Excited about these fresh, flavorful meals? To browse their menu, go to RealEats.com.
FAQ
Who owns RealEats?
Dan Wise founded and owns RealEats.
What are Fresh Packs?
Fresh Packs™ are the plastic pouches your meals will come in. They allow you to properly heat up your food using the boiling technique or in the microwave.
The brand recommends using the boiling technique for even heating. RealEats Fresh Packs™ are 100% food safe and are free from BPA and phthalates. They will not leach chemicals into your food.
Can I return my meals if I don’t like them?
Unfortunately, no. We all have different taste preferences, and for that reason, RealEats won’t give you your money back just because you didn’t like a certain flavor. With that said, if something is off about your meal, don’t hesitate to let them know.
How many servings is one meal?
RealEats dishes contain just one serving. The calories per meal range depend on your customization preferences, but the average dish clocks in at around 400 cal.
You can read the nutritional information about each meal by clicking on it on the menu page. That’s something I really liked about this service—they’re transparent about what’s in their dishes and make it easy to make smart choices.
Does RealEats offer specific diets?
They do, but not every diet has incredible variety. For example, there is only one type of protein choice in their plant-based section.
Their Vegetarian section gets more imaginative, and you’ll find options for Lower Sodium, Mediterranean, and Keto diets too. There’s really something for everyone on this menu, but as I said, some categories have more options than others.
Where does RealEats ship to?
Because RealEats meals arrive fresh (never frozen), the brand is not able to deliver to certain locations. The service is available to 30 states on the eastern side of the US, as well as Washington DC. They do not currently ship to states west of Texas.
What is RealEats’ Shipping Policy?
Shipping is pretty easy with RealEats. I didn’t come across as many complaints about it when compared to other meal delivery services. Once you complete your order, you will receive a confirmation email with tracking information.
From there, you can keep an eye on where your order is. In certain locations, RealEats allows you to choose a delivery day and you can expect your order to arrive on the same day each week.
What is RealEats’ Returns Policy?
While RealEats won’t refund you if you simply didn’t like their food, they will if something is wrong with your order.
If you have a question about your order, email [email protected] and if a refund is required, they’ll issue it to your original method of payment within 3-5 business days or instantly as a credit to your RealEats account.
How To Contact RealEats
If you need any other information that wasn’t included in this RealEats review, get in touch with the brand Monday to Friday 9 am – 5 pm EST.
They can be reached by calling 855-695-6387, emailing [email protected], or using the chat feature on RealEats.com.
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