Looking for a gluten-free meal kit? Online meal kit provider Green Chef has you covered. The company recently announced that it has received Gluten-Free certification through the Gluten Intolerance Group’s (GIG) Gluten-Free Food Service (GFFS*) program.
In addition to a specific gluten-free meal kit menu, Green Chef’s keto and paleo options are also certified gluten-free. This means all of the company’s gluten-free meal kits will now be adorned with the official “Certified Gluten-Free” label, recognized as a mark of authentication by consumers with celiac disease and others with gluten-intolerance.
Green Chef, a gluten-free meal kit trailblazer
Launched in 2014, Green Chef is a trailblazer in the meal kit marketplace. Not only did it become the first national meal kit provider to be certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it also was the first to launch specialty menus designed for consumers following vegan, keto and paleo diets.
Green Chef has now gone through the rigorous process to uphold standards needed to attain gluten-free certification by a consumer and patient advocacy group well-regarded throughout the gluten-free and celiac community.
Catering to the needs of dedicated populations, including those with special dietary needs, is a well-played move by Green Chef. For the 1% or so of the consumer population with celiac disease — who must maintain a strict gluten-free diet to stay healthy — finding “safe” places to dine out or quick and easy meal solutions is anything but convenient.
There’s a huge opportunity for manufacturers and retailers to fill a gaping void in the marketplace by better catering to the needs of the gluten-free community — as well as other consumers on special diets.
While getting certified gluten-free could be a hefty investment due to the rigorous standards that must be upheld to ensure foods remain safe and free of all gluten — that is, avoiding any potential cross-contamination throughout the entire food chain from suppliers to storage areas to food prep stations to packing, shipping and delivery — the outcome could be worth it.
Green Chef gluten-free meal kit options
Green Chef features two meat or seafood dinners and one vegetarian dinner each week. Meals are priced at $13.49 a meal — which is a very reasonable price for a certified gluten-free meal. Remember, however, that you’re paying for the gluten-free meal kit ingredients and instructions. You’re on your own for the preparation itself.
Featured Green Chef gluten-free meal kit choices for the week of October 23 – October 29 include:
- Mustard-spiced chicken, which comes with roasted sweet potatoes and a grape pan sauce with thyme
- Tuna poke bowl, served with sushi rice, ginger-scallion relish and bok choy slaw
- Butternut squash chili (shown in the featured photo at the top of this post)
For more, follow this link to my brief on Food Dive.
* According to information posted on Green Chef’s website, the GFFS certification program is a model of established best practices for foodservice facilities offering gluten-free options. The GFFS logo displayed on food and menus stands for the independent verification of quality, integrity and safety of food preparation policies, procedures, education and standards. Certified companies have demonstrated that they will apply the necessary level of rigor to processes and procedures to eliminate cross-contamination and provide a safe eating experience for gluten-free consumers.