My Muscle Chef Review 2023 - The Best Meal Delivery for Muscle Gain and Calorie Control
My Muscle Chef have stolen the hearts of the lions share of the ready-made meal delivery market - we review why
My Muscle Chef Meals Review
My Muscle Chef are the most popular meal delivery service of 2023 and for good reason. Would you like to add more high-protein meals to your diet to gain muscle mass? Or would you like to reduce the calorie intake and cut down on sugar to regulate your blood sugar levels?
Whether you are after a pre made meal to save on time, a pre-workout or post-workout meal or snack to satisfy calorie intake or a healthy, portion controlled ready made meal to help with weight loss - My Muscle Chef can help you with that. My Muscle Chef meal delivery offers a great variety of meals for people on different diets, plant-based, and Keto diets. You'll definitely find something for your dietary preferences.
Who Is My Muscle Chef Meals For?
The Muscle Chef meal delivery service tries to offer meals for absolutely different fitness goals and dietary requirements. The focus is more on high-protein meals for people trying to gain muscle gain. However, there is a wide range of meals for people who want to cut on carbs, lose weight, or simply start eating healthier.
My Muscle Chef meal delivery service is the best choice for people on :
Plant-based, vegan, or vegetarian diet
Keto diet
Low-calorie and low-carb diet, trying to lose weight
High-protein and high-calorie diet to gain mass muscle
People who live a busy life and don't have much time to cook
Summary of the Muscle Chef Meal Delivery Service
Type: Ready-made meals
Available meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks
Meal options: Muscle gain, Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian
Price: $7-12 per meal,$110 - $200 per 10-20 meals, 15% discount on large order (25+ meals)
Pros
Delicious meals
High-protein options for muscle gain
Meals to replenish glycogen stores and support post-workout recovery
Easy calorie control
No cooking skills are required, just simple reheating
Easy to navigate website and menu with filters
Cons
Limited options for vegans
Few options with fish
Too much sodium in some meals
No whole food snacks
Enhancers, flavours, colours, and emulsifiers are present in the meals
My Muscle Chef Meals for Gym Junkies and Fitness Enthusiasts
Probably, the first question that pops up in your head:
Is My Muscle Chef Meal Delivery good for my pre- and post-workout nutrition?
Yes. If you don’t always have time or desire to cook, My Muscle Chef can help you out. On the menu, you can find many options that can give you the necessary amount of protein, carbs, and fats to help you maintain adequate energy reserves, and help with post-workout recovery.
What are the key macronutrients to fuel your workouts?
Protein
Consuming an adequate amount of protein before the workout helps improve muscle protein synthesis and muscle growth. Eating protein after exercising can enhance post-workout recovery and help build new muscle tissue.
Carbs
If you exercise quite often you need carbs to replenish glycogen stores, which are used as fuel during exercise. If you are doing endurance sports like running or road cycling, you might need to consume more carbs than someone who is just doing weight training or pilates.
Fat
It's true that fat may slow down the process of digestion and absorption of protein and carbs. However, an adequate amount of fat combined with protein and carbs won't impact glycogen replenishment rates and post-workout recovery. For instance, avocado is a source of healthy fats, and by combining it with protein and carbs, you can have a nice meal after workout to restore your energy.
Summary
Are there good carb-protein combos on My Muscle Chef? - YES!
You can find a wide variety of meals and snacks packed with protein, carbs and healthy amount of fat.
What meals can I order for pre-workout nutrition?
If you have have 2 hours before the workout, you can go with Protein Oats. There are several flavours, with chocolate & almond; caramel, hazelnut & cinnamon; raspberry, cranberry & coconut.
You can also have a protein shake or a plant-based smoothie (Banana Super Greens is rich in protein (20.2 g) and it's a gut-friendly and dairy-free drink.
If you have 2-3 hours before workout, you can have a proper meal like a bowl of rice with chicken:
Thai Green Chicken Curry With Basmati Rice
Chicken Fried Rice With Vegetables
If you have only 40-60 minutes before the work-out, just grab one protein bar to stay fuelled:
Protein Bite: Peanut Butter Choc
Protein Bite: Hazelnut Crisp (vegan-friendly)
What meals can I order for post-workout nutrition?
There are several options for post-workout meals.
If you have no time for a proper meal you may have a Protein Yoghurt, Protein Shake, or Protein Bar, Protein Cookie, or Protein Muffin.
One of the protein shakes could be a good option:
Protein Shake,Chocolate Flavoured: 30g of protein, 9.8g of carbs, and 1.4g of fat. It also contains creatine, L-carnitine and green tea polyphenols.
If you want to have a complete meal, consider a bowl with rice and meat like:
Beef Massaman Curry with Brown Rice
Mongolian Beef with Asian Greens & Brown Rice
Thai Beef Power Bowl
Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl
There are also some nice plant-based options like Lentil Dahl With Basmati Rice, Spiced Potato & Cauliflower.
4 Reasons to Order Muscle Chef Meals
1. Easy to navigate menu with options for people with different dietary needs
My Muscle Chef has created a great menu page where you can filter meals by:
Category (Bundles, Soups, Breakfasts, Snacks, Drinks)
Protein type (vegan, vegetarian, beef, lamb, chicken, seafood)
Carbs & Calories( great filter for people trying to lose weight or manage or prevent diabetes)
Dietary Preferences (no added dairy, eggs, gluten, nuts, seafood)
Note: There are meals on the menu that do not contain specific added allergens like milk, eggs, fish, soy, nuts, or gluten. But, there is a possibility of cross-contamination of various allergens in the meals from My Muscle Chef.
My Muscle Chef Disclaimer: “Our meals are prepared in a kitchen whose environment contains eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, sesame, crustaceans, soy, nuts, tree nuts, gluten, lupin and sulphites. Though best practices are used in preparing the meal, inadvertent cross-contamination may occur. We cannot guarantee the complete absence of these allergens.”
2. A variety of animal and plant-based protein options
My Muscle Chef offers a variety of protein sources both for meat eaters and vegans.
If you prefer meat as your main source of protein, you can choose meals with beef, lamb, chicken, and seafood.
If you’re looking for meals with plant-based proteins, you can find some options with tofu, tempeh, beans, edamame, legumes, quinoa, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, and nutritional yeast.
Soups and Protein oats contain pea protein, which is well-digested and doesn’t contain allergens like milk, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, and shellfish.
Protein Oats: Caramel, Hazelnut & Cinnamon Flavour
Protein Oats: Chocolate & Almond Flavour
These options are tasty and can give you energy for the day. The only problem could be if you’re allergic to nuts, or you’re on a strict low-carb diet to maintain balanced blood sugar levels (those meals are full of carbs).
One of the protein-rich My Muscle Chef products we liked is Yoghurt: Vanilla with Choc, Almond & Coconut, which is a low-sugar yogurt. You could try it as an alternative to Protein Oats. It’s a low-sugar yogurt, which can fuel you up in the best way without spiking your sugar levels.
3. Keto-friendly meals
For those on the keto diet, My Muscle Chef offers a special Keto Friendly pack, which is a mix of main meals, protein shakes, and low-carb bars. Not every meal delivery has options for people on the keto diet, and if you’ve just embarked on your keto journey, and are not used to cooking a lot, My Muscle Chef can help you out.
You won’t have to count the amount of healthy fats and carbs per meal on your own, and it will save you a great deal of time.
If you’re not going to order a bundle, but want to choose each meal and snack on your own, make sure to add Chicken Tikka with Chickpea Dahl to the cart. This keto-friendly Indian dish is not too spicy and flavoursome, low-calorie, but nutritious.
4. Low-calorie and low-carb options for better portion control
My Muscle Chef has created a great low-calorie and low-carb menu.
One of the meals we’ve tried is Chicken & Cauliflower Bake. This is a great combination of protein and non-starchy vegetables (complex carbohydrates packed with fiber and low amounts of naturally occurring sugar).
Briefly about the main ingredients of Chicken & Cauliflower Bake:
The main source of protein in this meal is chicken breast;
The non-starchy vegetables added to the meal: cauliflower, broccoli, onion, garlic, and red capsicum.
By consuming this type of low-carb and low-calorie meal, you may reach some of your fitness and weight loss goals.
In general, if you follow a low-carb diet, consuming a limited amount of carbs (healthy, unprocessed, or minimally processed), fat, and protein, you can improve your blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and as a result, reduce the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
4 Downsides of the Muscle Chef Meal Delivery Service
1. Too much sodium in some meals!
When it comes to dietary standards in Australia, 460 - 920 mg of sodium is considered to be an optimal amount per day. The limit is 2300 mg of sodium, which is around one and a half teaspoons per day.
Some of the My Muscle Chef meals are extremely high in sodium, which is not a healthy thing. Consuming too much sodium may lead to high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart and kidney disease.
Let’s just have a look at a few My Muscle Chef meals, that are available on the menu at the moment of writing this review:
Spaghetti & Meatballs (1690mg of sodium)
Asian Chicken Stir Fry with Hokkien Noodles (1930 mg of sodium!)
This is way too much sodium per one meal. If you have problems with regulating blood pressure or have an existing heart condition, you should check carefully the nutritional info of each meal before ordering.
2. Protein bar - doesn’t mean nutrient-dense
My Muscle Chef offers a great variety of snacks and drinks. However, if you check the ingredients of all those protein bars, bites, muffins, and protein shakes, you’ll realise that these are highly processed foods.
All the My Muscle Chef protein bars contain a soy protein isolate, which is a highly processed type of protein source, and quite often it is derived from genetically modified soybeans. You should be careful with the consumption of soybean products if you have a hormonal imbalance or any other condition.
While whole soy foods or minimally processed soy foods are rich in nutrients like fibre, high-quality protein, B vitamins, magnesium, and potassium, this is not about soy protein isolate.
It would be great if My Muscle Chef could introduce a new line of whole food snacks, which are more nutritionally rich.
2. Beware of enhancers, emulsifiers, colours, and vegetable oils
Don’t get tricked by the marketing and if it’s written “Gut Friendly” on the package, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will benefit your gut health.
Many meals are packed with flavour enhancers and natural flavours which make meals taste better, even making them addictive. But, the main side effect of this is that it may lead to unhealthy cravings.
One of the meals we’ve tried is Breakfast Burrito Bowl with Avocado & Lamb Sausages. It was indeed delicious and satiating, yet it’s definitely not the healthiest option for breakfast you can find.
When you look through the ingredients, you will find flavour enhancers, natural flavours, Maltodextrin (a highly processed type of carbohydrate that can cause blood sugar spikes), plus 1400 mg of Sodium per meal.
3. Low-fibre meals (even in the Vegan meal pack)
My Muscle Chef Vegan pack is slightly disappointing. First of all, there is no wide variety of vegan-friendly meals. Secondly, many meals are low on fiber, here are just a few examples:
Falafel Buddha Bowl with Chickpeas and Tahini (3.6g of fiber)
Vegetable Lasagne With Vegan Bolognese & Cashew Sauce (6.6 fiber, 1460mg of sodium)
Lentil Dahl With Basmati Rice, Spiced Potato & Cauliflower (2.5g of fiber)
It is recommended to consume 25g of fibre for women, and 30g - for men. Therefore, even by consuming these three meals, you won’t get the necessary amount of fibre. You will have to add some veggies and fruit on your own to fuel your good gut bacteria and satisfy your dietary needs.
If you do not consume enough fibre, it may lead to problems with digestion, elevated cholesterol, and weight gain. Finally, fibre-rich foods are rich in antioxidants which fight harmful free radicals and help reduce the risk of chronic disorders.
Note: If you’re vegan and looking for more plant-based options made with fresh, wholefood ingredients, check out the menu of the Soulara meal delivery. You can also look through our detailed review of the Soulara here.
4. Plastic Containers
Like most meal deliveries, My Muscle Chef is trying to optimise the packaging and make recycling easy. Currently, the packaging is not 100% compostable. Each meal goes in a plastic container, which just contributes to the whopping amount of plastic waste.
Here is some brief info on recycling My Muscle Chef packages:
Recycle thermal lining and the vacuum seal film with soft plastics
Place a delivery box, black meal container, and cardboard meal sleeve in a yellow kerbside bin
Pour the ice packs down the drain, or you can add them to your garden bed to help the soil retain water. Alternatively, the gel packs can be added to your garden bed as the sodium polyacrylate can help soil to effectively retain water.
How Do the Muscle Chef Meals Taste?
Based on the meals we’ve tried, we can say that there are some tasty and nutrition-dense meals, and there are some less appetising dishes that you may not like.
Paradise for meat eaters
If you like meat and would like to order a protein bomb in the form of a good bowl of meat, check out the meals with the tag “Protein Only”:
Butter Chicken
Chipotle Chicken
Pulled Beef
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Chipotle Chicken and Pulled Beef are properly cooked and deliciously seasoned with amazing flavours.
If you want to reduce the intake of sodium, we recommend trying Lemon Pepper Chicken. The taste is maybe not so rich, but if you combine it with some vegetables, it will be a great meal.
Tofu meals
We have tried several My Muscle Chef meals with tofu, they were quite flavourful.
Thai Yellow Curry with Tofu & Brown Rice. The rice was firm and fluffy, cauliflower and sweet potato were adding additional flavour notes. But not everyone may like the strong turmeric taste of the sauce, although it’s very healthy and immune-boosting.
Asian Tofu Stir Fry with Sweet Potato Noodles. The tofu was well-marinated, and the vegetables were crunchy. The only downside of this meal is a skyrocketing amount of sodium.
Delicious salmon - not many options with fish!
Chia Crusted Salmon with Soy Glaze, Broccolini & Rice is one of our favourite My Muscle Chef meals. Salmon with chia and sesame crust was simply melting in the mouth, it was not dry and flavourful. Although the rice and broccolini got a bit watery, broccolini was still a bit crunchy. In general, this meal is nutritious and easy to digest.
Sadly, My Muscle Chef offers only a few options with fish. It would be great if there would be more variety with fish and seafood or at least a few more new meals with salmon to diversify the menu.
Some meals may be watery and not appetising
It can be hard to make a meal look good sometimes due to its ingredients and texture. Some meals - mostly those with mash, vegetables, or too much sauce - may get watery and not good-looking.
Vegetable Lasagne With Vegan Bolognese & Cashew Sauce. It's a great combination of zucchini, eggplant, mushroom, tomato, capsicum, and spinach. This lasagna could be a vegetarian masterpiece if not its watery look.
Garlic & Herb Chicken With Vegetable Risotto. In general, this risotto tastes good, but it looks more like a mash. If you’re a really picky eater, we would recommend checking out some other meals with rice, meat, and vegetables.
Muscle Chef Menu and Plans
There are several ways to choose meals and make an order:
1 Way - Going directly to the menu
2 Way - Creating an individual plan based on your health and fitness goal
3 Way - You can choose a meal pack
Let’s have a closer look at the options offered by My Muscle Chef.
My Muscle Chef Menu
When you open the menu page of My Muscle Chef, you’ll find several categories with meals to choose from. At the moment of writing this review, these are:
Regular Meals (55 options)
Plus+ (9 large meals)
Soups (5 soups)
Hot Breakfast (only 2 options)
Protein Oats ( 3 options)
Protein Yogurts ( 3 options)
Several types of snacks (Oat Slices, Protein Cookies, Protein Muffins, Protein Bites, Low Carb Bars, Fava Beans)
Drinks (Protein Shakes, Plant Based Smoothies)
Use filters to navigate and choose the meals you like faster.
Individual plan with My Muscle Chef
Identify your fitness goals and what you’re looking for. With My Muscle Chef, you can get designed weekly meal plans for Calorie Control or Muscle Gain.
Once you know your goal, you just have to answer a few questions (gender, average number of workouts per week, and the number of meals you would like to order). In case you’ve changed your mind, you can go through the process again.
You can also customise your plan and add some additional snacks or drinks.
My Muscle Chef Packs
No time to scroll through the menu? Then you can just order a meal pack that fits your diet and fitness goals.
Keto Friendly Pack
Couples Lunch and Dinner Pack
Vegan Booster Pack
The Chef's Top Picks
Low Calorie Shred Pack
High Calorie Best Sellers
Snack Bundles
Ordering a meal pack has its pros and cons, of course. On the one side, you do not have to answer any questions, or filter meals by categories, protein type, or dietary preferences.
On the other side, a meal pack may contain dishes you do not like or it may have too many drinks and snacks you do not want (like in the Low Calorie Shred Pack, for instance).
My Muscle Chef FAQ’s
What to expect from the main meals of My Muscle Chef?
There are different types of main meals, but the majority of meals are cooked with animal protein. There are plant-based options, but the vegan menu is still quite limited (around 10 regular meals, a couple of soups and protein oats, and some snacks).
Some of the most common meals are pastas and bowls with rice and meat.
Vegan Beef Ragu with Vegetables & Spinach Pasta. This meal is low-calorie and nutritious, and it tastes absolutely great. It’s 100% plant-based, but vegan beef reminds real meat. Broccoli and zucchini provide the necessary amount of fibre. In general, this meal might be not a good fit for you only if you’re gluten-sensitive.
Teriyaki Chicken With Brown Rice & Vegetables. One of the great Muscle Chef meals to get the necessary amount of protein to bulk up your muscle mass. Teriyaki Chicken is indeed delicious and gives a rich flavour to the dish. However, this meal is loaded with too much sodium (1930mg), which could be a problem for people on a low-sodium diet or anyone who is trying to eat healthier.
What are the My Muscle Chef options for breakfast?
My Muscle Chef offers heatable breakfasts, cold breakfasts and protein oats for breakfast options.
Breakfast Spicy Vegetable Frittata with Fetta. It is well-seasoned, packed with vegetables, mozzarella, and fetta cheese. Briefly, this vegetable frittata is tasty and could work as a breakfast sometimes but not as a meal to consume regularly. It would be great if My Muscle Chef could add some new nutritious options for a hot breakfast.
Protein Oats: Chocolate & Almond Flavour. It seems to be a better option to kickstart your day than the hot breakfasts currently offered by My Muscle Chef. This meal is a good portion of wholegrain oats, plant-based protein, and fibre. And it tastes just great thanks to the chocolate chips, almonds, and pumpkin seeds. Recommended!
My Muscle Chef Meal Prices and Discounts
Although ready made meals are already saving most people money rather than cooking or eating out, there is still room to save money when ordering My Muscle Chef meals. Basically, the more meals you order, the higher the discount you achieve on the order.
These are the available discounts based on the number of meals you order:
13 meals save 2.5%
16 meals save 5%
21 meals save 10%
25+ meals save 15%
If you order 25 meals, it’s a good value for money as the prices drop significantly. Generally, 25 meals will last a little under two weeks if you are eating two meals per day. We recommend breaking up your daily diet and not eating pre made meals for every single meal.
But before you order lots of meals, we still recommend you start with a small order of around 13 -16 meals, or you can order a meal pack like The Chef's Top Picks ( 15 meals for $109.95).
My Muscle Chef vs YouFoodz
My Muscle Chef and Youfoodz are two of the big ready made meals powerhouses. Both are great. Both offer an affordable and convenient approach to ready made meals, but here's my perspective on the My Muscle Chef vs Youfoodz debate.
Taste and Meal Options
When it comes to the taste of the meals, My Muscle Chef tends to have a slight edge. Their meals are known for their delicious flavors, and they offer a wide variety of options to cater to different tastes and dietary preferences. Whether you're into classic comfort food or healthier, more specialized options, My Muscle Chef has you covered.
Youfoodz, on the other hand, does have some tasty dishes, but in my experience, they may not be as consistently flavorful as those from My Muscle Chef. The taste can be somewhat hit or miss, and some customers have reported that their meals can sometimes lack seasoning or flavor.
Menu Variety
My Muscle Chef offers an extensive menu with a range of options, including gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan meals. They regularly update their menu to keep things fresh and exciting, which is great for long-term customers who appreciate variety in their meal plans.
Youfoodz also has a decent menu variety, but it may not be as diverse as My Muscle Chef's offerings and the meal combinations are just much better in my eyes - for example the Crumbed Chicken and Potato is just a super simple and tasty option that never fails me. They do have some specialty dietary options, but they might not have the same range of choices as their competitor.
Ingredients and Quality
Both My Muscle Chef and Youfoodz emphasise the use of fresh and high-quality ingredients in their meals. However, My Muscle Chef has been praised for its commitment to sourcing premium ingredients and ensuring that their meals are nutritionally balanced. This dedication to quality ingredients often translates into better-tasting and more satisfying meals.
While Youfoodz also uses quality ingredients, some customers have reported inconsistencies in portion sizes and ingredient quality, which can impact the overall dining experience.
Price and Value
In terms of pricing, both My Muscle Chef and Youfoodz are competitive in the meal delivery market. However, when considering the overall value, My Muscle Chef's superior taste, wider menu variety, and focus on quality make it a better choice for those looking for a more satisfying and enjoyable meal delivery experience.
Delivery and Packaging
Both companies offer reliable delivery services, and their packaging is designed to keep the meals fresh. However, My Muscle Chef's packaging is often praised for being more environmentally friendly, which is a plus for those concerned about sustainability.
Overall, while both My Muscle Chef and Youfoodz have their merits, I lean towards My Muscle Chef as the better option due to its consistently delicious meals, extensive menu variety, commitment to quality ingredients, and overall better value for your money. Of course, personal taste and dietary preferences play a significant role in your choice, so it's always a good idea to try both and see which one suits you best.
Bottom Line
My Muscle Chef is a great option when you don’t have enough time to cook, or you want to add some variety to your diet. It is definitely a number one meal delivery in Australia for all the gym goers and fitness freaks due to its menu full of high-protein meals and low-calories and low-carb meals.
Summary:
It saves time and lets you focus on your goals and routines instead of long hours cooking and cleaning in the kitchen.
It offers meals with succulent and delicious meat as well as well-seasoned plant-based meals for vegans.
You can choose from a great number of protein-rich snacks and on-the-go nutritious drinks to stay on the top of your game and energised all day.
If you have any problems with digestion, food intolerances, or if you follow a specific diet, spend some extra time checking the ingredients when making your first order in order to prevent any disappointing experiences.
Final word: If you’re hesitating to order My Muscle Chef meals or not, we say - just give it a try! And don’t forget to share with us your personal experience with My Muscle Chef meal delivery. Bon appétit:)
