For this RealEats meals review, we were given a sample and this post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase we may be compensated. All opinions are our own.
By Alison Chew | Dietitian Verified by Rebecca Housh, MS, RDN
The RealEats movement motto is simple: “rise up against fake food”. Collaborating with Michelin-star chef Aliya LeeKong and a team of his own culinary experts, founder Dan Wise has created a series of meals that are made with only high-quality ingredients from the Finger Lakes agricultural region of New York.
Cooked, sealed in air-tight packaging, and shipped on chilled ice right to your doorstep, RealEats healthy prepared meals are designed to give you back your free time.
Boil water. Drop the pouches in. It’s that easy.
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The cost of RealEats meals starts at $13.49/meal and varies depending on your chosen plan which can be skipped, paused, or canceled at any time. All come with FREE shipping.
Here’s the breakdown.
Meal Plans
Add On’s
Yes! RealEats is a flexible subscription service. There is no minimum subscription period and you can skip, pause, or cancel your subscription at any time via your online account.
To cancel, simply log into your online account and click My Dashboard, then select My Account, then Manage Plan, click More Options and then Cancel Plan.
Currently, RealEats delivers to most of the east coast, southeast, and midwest states in the United States and is adding delivery areas regularly. Be sure to check the site to confirm you are within their delivery area.
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All RealEats plans come with FREE shipping!
RealEats meals will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to one week. They recommend checking the “user-by” date insert that comes in your box.
Yes! You can also microwave meals by following the preparation instructions on the back of the package. You simply remove the meals from the pouches and follow the heating recommendations.
Yes! You can freeze RealEats meals. Be sure to thaw meals completely in the refrigerator before heating them.
Yes! RealEats uses 100% food-safe, “sous-vide” style Fresh Packs™. These Fresh Packs are BPA-free, plasticizer-free, and phthalate-free and do not leach chemicals into your meals.
You can not microwave these bags, though.
You can select from Keto, Mediterranean Diet, Lower Sodium, Heart Healthy, Low Calorie, Carb Conscious, Vegetarian, and Plant Based meals on the RealEats menu.
Yes! You can personalize your RealEats meals by swapping out your entree and/or two sides to make them exactly how you want them.
RealEats meals can be prepared in 6 minutes (or less). To heat, bring a large pot of water to a simmer, place pouches in the water, and heat based on the time indicated on each menu item.
In general, proteins take about 6 minutes and sides 3 minutes.
All RealEats meals are sealed inside BPA-free, plasticizer, and phthalate-free plastic pouches.
These pouches are made from quality food-safe pouches that are used by gourmet restaurants for “sous-vide” style cooking.
They are safe to place in hot water, but can not go in the microwave.
All RealEats orders regardless of whether you choose to start right away with customizing your package or browse their weekly updated selection of healthy prepared meals will take you through the following steps:
For our RealEats reviews, we’ve ordered several times and have tried breakfast meals, dinner meals, and add-ons. Get 20% Off + Free Shipping on First 3 Orders >>
When you open your box of meals from RealEats, place all of your meals in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat most meals can be prepared either by placing them in a pot of boiling water or heating them in the microwave. We tried both.
I was surprised at how easy it was to boil some water, pop the meal components in, and then plate. There is virtually no cleanup and cooking them sous-vide style keeps everything super moist. Get 20% Off + Free Shipping on First 3 Orders >>
Check out our favorite RealEats meals below!
Green Curry Sustainable Market Fish: My favorite! The fish was tender and the minty peas were a wonderful surprise. Everything together created the perfect bite.
Grass-Fed Green Chili Beef: Very flavorful! My husband usually adds hot sauce to everything and he ate this as is!
BBQ Grilled Chicken: Chicken was moist, though I wouldn’t pour all of the bbq sauce on the plate again. The mashed potatoes were creamy and the veggies were not soggy at all.
Granma’s Beef Meatballs: We really liked this comfort-food meal! This meal came with sweet peas and pasta and tasted wonderful. We will definitely order this one again!
Shredded Chicken Fajitas: My son LOVED this meal. The fajitas were super flavorful and he really enjoyed the black beans and rice. We will definitely order this one again!
Hearty Roasted Breakfast Hash: Great flavors and balance of ingredients.
Local Squash & Chickpea Curry: The squash complemented the warm, rich curry really well. Get 20% Off + Free Shipping on First 3 Orders >>
Sustainable Grilled Salmon: The salmon was delicious and light.
Huevos Rancheros Frittata: Yum! Layers of onions, peppers, tomatoes, and oregano on a frittata base with black beans. This was a filling breakfast with only 320 calories.
Side of Meatballs: We microwaved our side of meatballs one day for lunch by removing them from the package and placing them in a bowl for 1 min 30 seconds. They came out wonderful and did not dry out at all. Get 20% Off + Free Shipping on First 3 Orders >>
While we enjoyed most of our RealEats meals there were a couple of meals that we wouldn’t order again.
Wild Shrimp & Pea Risotto: The shrimp were tough to get through and the risotto was very thick. We recommend watching your cooking time with anything that contains shrimp.
Baked Blueberry Oatmeal: The New York Maple Cream was good, but the oatmeal felt too condensed. This is more like a cross between a cake and a pudding vs your standard oatmeal.
Freshly (now closed)
RealEats could easily be my favorite local restaurant instead of a prepared meal delivery service. Once the food slides out of its bag and onto the plate, I saw and tasted nothing different than what I’d expect from a meal made in thirty minutes instead of six.
And while the texture of some meals was off, these healthy prepared meals tasted great, were very easy to make, and required virtually no cleanup. It would be nice to see more vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options on the menu so that more people can enjoy RealEats.
Compared to other prepared meal services, the cost of RealEats is in the middle to high end of the price range for dinner. And like most prepared meals, portion size will vary.
We love that meals are made with organic when possible as well as locally sourced and sustainable ingredients. In addition, meals are free from artificial ingredients, binders, fillers, GMOs, and artificial preservatives.
We also love all of the new add-ons! You can order everything you need for the week from breakfast to lunch to snacks and dinner and have it delivered to your door. The convenience of RealEats is wonderful. Get 20% Off + Free Shipping on First 3 Orders >>
Looking for more prepared meals? Check out our Prepared Meals directory >>
| This post has been reviewed and approved by our dietitian Rebecca Housh, MS, RDN, LDN for nutritional accuracy. | |
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 | Rebecca Housh is a registered dietitian based in Chicago, IL. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Human Physiology from Boston University and a Master of Science in Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois in Chicago. Rebecca is passionate about the idea of food as medicine in both preventative and therapeutic care. Her current professional interests lie in food security, food access, and nutrition for chronic disease. |
