RealEats Review 2023: Farm-to-Table Food in Minutes

Overview

If you’re someone who enjoys a balanced diet, RealEats will hook you from the get-go with its chef-prepared, healthy comfort-food meals made with locally sourced ingredients – it certainly did for me. 

Unlike most other prepared meal delivery services, RealEats uses sous-vide techniques to cook and package its food – this keeps things fresh right up to minute it reaches your plate.

Plus, all the dishes come in at less than 600 calories per serving and include a healthy combination of protein, carbs, and good fats, so they’re great if you’re looking for an easy way to eat better.

Read on to find out more about my experience with RealEats, including my favorite dishes, the perks of being a long-term customer, and more.

Pros

• Supports local farmers 

• Free delivery on all orders

• Great range of add-ons available

• Purchase breakfast too

Cons

• Packaged in difficult-to-recycle plastic 

• Not many vegetarian options

• The menu doesn’t change that often

RealEats Is Best For

• Busy professionals with limited time to cook

• Anyone trying to stick to a calorie-controlled diet 

• Individuals, couples, or small families

RealEats May Not Be Great For

• Picky eaters or anyone with specific dietary needs

• Vegetarians or vegans

What’s on the RealEats Menu

RealEats offers single-serving prepared meals, packaged using the popular French sous-vide technique. You can order between 4 and 12 meals each week, but you can also add on breakfast, doubling your options from 8 to 24 meals per week.

With typically 25 entrees, and around 4-5 options for breakfast, the weekly menu is not wildly varied, but you’re sure to find plenty of dishes that you like.

Expect mostly home-style American cuisine – with some Asian influences here and there – with hearty combinations of protein, carbs, and vegetables. All the meals have been created by professional chefs and come in at less than 600 calories per serving.

I like that you get to browse the complete menu before you sign up – for me, this shows full transparency, and it allowed me to decide whether this was the kind of food I wanted to eat before committing to anything.

As I added the meals I wanted to the cart, it felt a little bit like shopping online – it’s easy, and the browsing experience is fun. When you click on a food item, you can see the list of ingredients and nutritional information, with the calories, carbs, and protein content at the top. 

I also like the fact that you have the option to include extras to your box, including individually packaged proteins like chicken, steak, and fish, as well as sides like vegetables, pasta, and rice. There’s even a range of smoothies and snacks.

Of course, anything you add will bump up the final cost, but it’s a great way to customize your meals and make things a bit more interesting. Just be sure to keep an eye on the cart as you shop! 

I was disappointed that RealEats doesn’t have many options for vegetarians, though. There are 1 or 2 dishes, but they’re limited. Since all the components are packaged individually, you could just choose to not eat the meat in a regular meal (which could work if you’re eating with someone who isn’t a veggie), but it’s not ideal.

Unboxing

The cardboard box arrives well-insulated with frozen, reusable gel packs to keep the food cold. Once open, it’s best to store all the meals in the refrigerator (except for the ones you want to prepare right away).

Each meal is broken down into individual components (for example, rice, veggies, and meat), which are packaged in little plastic pouches and held together by a paper sleeve. So if you want to add or take anything out of the dish, it’s easy to do so.

The plastic sous-vide pouches are BPA-free and food-safe, and you’ll find all the heating instructions, nutritional info, and recycling guidelines on the paper sleeve.

Cooking (and Eating) with RealEats

All the food that reaches your door is cooked and ready to eat – all you have to do is heat and enjoy!

RealEats recommends boiling each component in its packaging for best – and most consistent – results. However, if you don’t want to do that or don’t have the time, you can open the pouches, put everything on a plate, and stick it in the microwave.

I like the boiling water method because it allows you to heat everything up more gently for a more enjoyable meal. You’ll see that the meat or fish usually requires a bit more time – if you put everything in the microwave, you run the risk of overcooking the more delicate ingredients.

Shortlist of My Favorite Meals

I always like to try new things – but there were 3 RealEats meals that I couldn’t give up!

The first one was the Honey Soy Salmon – a decadently rich meal that combines sesame-topped veggies, grains, and mushrooms with the velvety texture of well-cooked salmon. And, it’s only 530 calories and 47g of carbs!

I liked that the broccoli and other veggies kept their texture and flavor, and the brown rice and mushrooms was a nice combination. It was also easy to heat everything up, and nothing felt wasted.

My second favorite dish was the Grilled BBQ Chicken with Spring Vegetables and Mashed Potatoes. The chicken was always perfectly cooked (not dry!) and the barbecue sauce was super tangy. The mashed potatoes even remained fluffy after 2 days in the fridge!

The veggies are a nice, fresh addition to the meal, but if you don’t feel like eating them, you can keep them for another time. 

Lastly, my third favorite RealEats meal was the Korean BBQ Steak (520 calories and 45g carbs). As you can probably tell by now, I am a fan of dishes that contain some kind of barbecue sauce!

In this case, the meat (a top blade cut) is marinated in Korean-style barbecue sauce and seared until juicy. Thanks to the sous-vide packaging, you don’t lose any of the juiciness, flavour, or texture – it’s perfect.

The side dishes are gently steamed broccoli and stir-fried vegetable rice. Everything is lightly drizzled with garlic-infused oil for a more inviting flavor.

Shipping & Delivery

RealEats doesn’t deliver to the whole of the US, so it’s best to check if your zip code is covered. As well as Connecticut, Illinois, New York, North Carolina, and more, the company ships to most of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, and other areas, but only to some parts of Arkansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, Mississippi, Texas, and others.

Plus, depending on your zip code, you may not be able to choose your delivery day. In general, you should receive your box on a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. Once your shipment is scanned into the system, you’ll receive an email with all the details, including the tracking number.

You’ll also be notified via email of any delays in shipping (so watch out for any emails landing in your spam folder!). The box will be shipped via FedEx or UPS – and, best of all, it’s free! 

Subscription

RealEats makes it easy to create an account and place your first order.

How to Sign Up

There are 2 ways to sign up: 

1. Introduce your email address in the text box and click Get Started

2. Click on the Try Now button in the upper-right corner of the page

Both these actions will take you to the Select Your Meal Plan page, where you can choose between 4, 6, 8, and 12 meals per week (with or without breakfast). Once you select your plan, you’ll see the menu, where you can choose your dishes.

I like that you can update your plan on the go if you decide that you want to order more meals. You can do so by clicking on the Update Meal Plan link in the bottom-right corner of the page.

Once you’re done choosing, you’ll see the Add-Ons section where you can shop more proteins, veggies, or snacks. However, keep in mind that these extras are not covered in the original meal plan price – and any discounts won’t apply.

Lastly, you’ll see the Checkout page, where you’ll introduce all the necessary details. And that’s it! Your order will soon be on its way. 

Managing Your Subscription

You can make changes to your box and your subscription by logging into your account. You can also pause, skip, or cancel anytime – as long as you do so before the deadline, which is Thursday 4.59 pm (EST).

Customer Service

The RealEats customer service team is pretty responsive – you’ll receive a reply within hours via email or contact form – and works hard to solve any problems you may be having. 

You can also contact them via phone or live chat but pay attention to the working hours – Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm (EST). 

Prices

RealEats is a bit on the expensive side – but this is true for most meal delivery services that focus on convenience and high-quality ingredients. I found it OK, but I’d recommend keeping an eye on any extras, as they can add up.

For instance, a single portion of Honey Sesame Chicken will set you back $6.99. If you decide that you want something sweet that week, a portion of Baked Blueberry Oatmeal will set you back $5.50. Just these 2 items will add $12.49 to the initial order.

Prices start at Price: Missing Product real-eats per serving for 12 entrees and 12 breakfasts, but if you choose to skip breakfast and only want four meals per week, the price can shoot up to $14.99 per serving.

As long as you meet your plan’s requirements, you can order as many servings of the same dish as you’d like – so if you want to stick with your favorites, you can! Also, it helps that the shipping is free.

The Bottom Line: Is RealEats Worth It?

I liked it and I think you might too. As long as you can afford it and you're not on a strict diet, RealEats is a good choice for fast, satisfying, and healthy dinners.

The food is satisfying and tasty, and the sous-vide packaging helps keep it fresh and nutritious.

I also liked the add-ons, even though you can very easily ramp up the cost of your order without noticing. But if you’re careful, it’s a nice way to make customizations and taste new things without having to purchase the entire meal.

Plus, all the meals are less than 600 calories – fantastic news for people who want to maintain a healthy weight while enjoying good food.

FAQ

What does RealEats cost?

The price per serving at RealEats varies according to the plan you choose. The lowest price per serving is Price: Missing Product real-eats, for 12 entrees and 12 breakfasts per week, but this only works for couples or families. If you choose the 4-meal plan and skip breakfast, you’ll pay a whopping $14.99 per serving. All deliveries have free shipping.

Is RealEats any good?

Yes! RealEats pays close attention to the ingredients it uses, sourcing only from local, independent farmers where possible. Plus, everything is prepared and cooked by pro chefs. The sous-vide method used to pack the meals seals in all the nutrients and flavor, so the foods will reach you fresh and ready to eat. 

Can RealEats be microwaved?

Yes, but the company recommends heating the pouches in boiling water. This, more gentle, method takes about six minutes and helps heat everything evenly without overcooking the ingredients.