RealEats Meals Review

Published on January 20, 2021
Last modified on June 15, 2023

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.

Written By Alison Chew    |    Dietitian Verified by Rebecca Housh, MS, RDN

 

What is RealEats?

RealEats delivers healthy prepared meals made with high-quality ingredients, designed by culinary experts, and personalized to your needs directly to your door.

Unfortunately, RealEats is NOW CLOSED.  For more options check out the prepared meal services below.

 

RealEats Prepared Meals Competitors

Factor Review

Fresh Meal Plan Review

CookUnity Review

Fresh N Lean

 

 

group of four meals in packages and meatballs in bags-realeats review-mealfinds

 

RealEats Meals Pros

  • Made with clean, farm-fresh ingredients
  • Easy to store with simple directions (boil in bag or microwave)
  • Lots of add-ons like breakfast, soup/chili, snacks, smoothies, protein, and sides
  • Free shipping
  • Mix and Match Proteins and Sides for personalized meals!
  • Don’t take my word for it! Check out the MealFinds RealEats User Ratings here.

 

RealEats Meals Cons

  • Few vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free meals
  • Portion sizes vary
  • Do not deliver to the West Coast (but they are working on it!)
  • Expensive if you only order 4 meals

 

RealEats FAQs

 

shredded chicken fajitas-realeats review-mealfinds

 

How much do RealEats meals cost?

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

  • 4 Meals: $15.99 per meal
  • 6 Meals: $14.49 per meal
  • 8 Meals: $13.99 per meal
  • 12 Meals: $13.49 per meal

 

Add On’s

  • Breakfast: Starting at $5.50
  • Soups and Chilis: Starting at $5.99
  • Drinks and Smoothies: Starting at $1.99
  • Snacks: Starting at $2.49
  • Proteins: Starting at $6.99
  • Sides: Starting at $3.99

 

Is RealEats a subscription service?

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.

 

How do I cancel RealEats?

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.

 

Where does RealEats deliver?

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.

 

How much is RealEats shipping?

All RealEats plans come with FREE shipping!

 

How long do RealEats meals last?

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.

 

Can you microwave RealEats meals?

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.

 

Can you freeze RealEats meals?

Yes!  You can freeze RealEats meals.  Be sure to thaw meals completely in the refrigerator before heating them.

 

Is the plastic safe to put in boiling water?

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.

 

Do RealEats meals contain artificial flavors or preservatives?

No!  RealEats meals do not contain artificial sweeteners or preservatives!  All RealEats meals are made with clean, farm-fresh ingredients that are simply prepared with few ingredients.

 

What type of dietary options does RealEats have?

You can select from Keto, Mediterranean Diet, Lower Sodium, Heart Healthy, Low Calorie, Carb Conscious, Vegetarian, and Plant Based meals on the RealEats menu.

 

Can I personalize my RealEats meals?

Yes!  You can personalize your RealEats meals by swapping out your entree and/or two sides to make them exactly how you want them.

 

How long does it take to make a RealEats meal?

grandmas beef meatballs meal in water-realeats review-mealfinds

 

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.

 

RealEats-Review Cooking Demonstration VideoHealthy-Prepared-Meals-MealFinds

 

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.

 

RealEats Meals Menu

RealEats meals are made with clean, farm-fresh ingredients that are simply prepared with few ingredients.  In addition, RealEats meals do not contain artificial sweeteners or preservatives!

RealEats has an extensive menu with over 60 meal options and 90+ protein and side add-ons.

Most meals are under 650 calories with a healthy mix of lean protein, legumes, and vegetables.

Choose from Chef’s Picks or from a specific diet including Keto, Mediterranean Diet, Lower Sodium, Heart Healthy, Low Calorie, Carb Conscious, Vegetarian, and Plant Based meals.

What is unique about the RealEats menu is that you can mix and match sides and entrees personalizing each and every meal to suit your needs.

 

RealEats Meals Review

 

realeats-bbq-chicken in package-realeats healthy prepared meals review-mealfinds

 

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:

  • Choosing a plan: RealEats offers either dinner or dinner + breakfast weekly deliveries that can contain anywhere from four to twenty-four meals.  Each meal serves one adult.
  • Selecting Meals: Choose from either a set seasonal or refreshed weekly menu.  All meals are around 650 calories with some low-calorie, dairy-free, and vegetarian meals each week.
  • Mix & Match:  Personalize your meals by mixing and matching sides and entrees to fit your tastes.
  • Selecting Add-Ons: For a little bit more, RealEats offers soups, chili, breakfasts, proteins, sides, beverages, and snacks as possible extras to your order.

 

For our RealEats reviews, we’ve ordered several times and have tried breakfast meals, dinner meals, and add-ons.

Watch our unboxing video below for more details.

 

realeats meals unboxing-realeats meals review-MealFinds

 

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.

 

RealEats Meals Favorites

realeats green-curry-fish on plate-realeats healthy prepared meals review-mealfinds

 

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.

 

grandmas beef meatballs meal on plate-realeats review-mealfinds

 

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.

 

green chili beef meal -realeats reviews-mealfinds

 

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.

 

    RealEats Meals Misses

    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.

     

    RealEats Meals Review: Bottom Line

    chicken tikka masala on plate-realeats review-mealfinds

     

    RealEats delivers healthy prepared meals made with high-quality ingredients, designed by culinary experts, and personalized to your needs directly to your door.

    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.  With RealEats, you can personalize each meal, something few other prepared meal services offer.

    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 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.

    Finally, we love that you can MIX AND MATCH sides and entrees allowing you to fully customize each meal that you order!

    We recommend RealEats meals to those looking for personalized meals, those that are looking for quick lunch or dinner, and those looking for prepared meals that are free from

    Enjoy!

    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.
    rebecca-housh-ms-rdn-ldn-registered-dietitianRebecca 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.

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