A typical Mindful Chef box for 2 people with 3 recipes costs about £59 a week, including £5.99 delivery. That is around £9.85 a serving, or £256 a month. Choose the cheapest recipes and the same box is £48.89; choose the dearest and it is £65.49.
Every recipe on the menu for 4 October 2026 priced in Mindful Chef's box builder for 1 person, 2 people and families, checked on 1 October 2026. Normal prices, without the new-customer discount.
Mindful Chef works differently from most recipe boxes. There is no fixed price per box: every recipe has its own price, and a steak dinner costs more than a vegan stew. So instead of one price list, this page shows what a box costs with the cheapest recipes, with a typical mix and with the dearest ones, for every household size. The calculator lets you pick your own.
This page is only about the price. For the menu, the gluten-free question and who Mindful Chef suits, read our Mindful Chef guide.
How Mindful Chef prices its recipes
You choose 2 to 5 recipes a week, for 1 person, 2 people or a family of four. Each recipe has its own price, and the box price is simply the total. On the menu we checked there were 28 recipes for each household size. The family menu is partly different, with more traybakes, pasta and kid-friendly dishes.
| Household | Cheapest recipe | Middle of the menu | Dearest recipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | £11.85 | £14.05 | £15.00 |
| 2 people | £13.80 (£6.90 a serving) | £17.70 (£8.85 a serving) | £20.05 (£10.03 a serving) |
| Family of 4 | £18.00 (£4.50 a serving) | £24.00 (£6.00 a serving) | £29.90 (£7.48 a serving) |
The pattern is easy to spot. Plant-based dishes sit at the bottom: for 2 people the Caramelised Shallot & Bean Stew was £13.80, and most vegan recipes were £14.55 to £15.55. Lamb, duck, steak and fish sit at the top, up to £20.05 for a Rosemary Lamb Stew. On the family menu the everyday dishes were mostly £20 to £24, while a sea bass paella came to £29.90.
Mindful Chef's help centre quotes starting prices of £11 (1 person), £6.75 (2 people) and £5.12 (family) a portion. On the menu we checked the lowest were £11.85, £6.90 and £4.50, so treat any “from” price as a rough guide: it moves with the weekly menu.
How much does Mindful Chef cost a week?
For a typical mix of recipes, between £34.09 and £125.99 a week, including £5.99 delivery. The table uses the middle price of the menu for every recipe.
| Box size | 2 recipes | 3 recipes | 4 recipes | 5 recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | £34.09 | £48.14 | £62.19 | £76.24 |
| 2 people | £41.39 | £59.09 | £76.79 | £94.49 |
| 4 people | £53.99 | £77.99 | £101.99 | £125.99 |
How much your own box comes to depends on what you pick. This is the range for the box price alone, from the cheapest to the dearest recipes on the same menu:
| Box size | 2 recipes | 3 recipes | 4 recipes | 5 recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | £25.40 to £29.80 | £36.25 to £44.60 | £48.80 to £59.35 | £61.35 to £74.00 |
| 2 people | £28.35 to £39.85 | £42.90 to £59.50 | £57.45 to £79.15 | £72.50 to £98.70 |
| 4 people | £38.00 to £59.70 | £58.00 to £88.50 | £78.00 to £117.15 | £98.00 to £144.70 |
There is a £25 minimum order before delivery. For one person that rules out the two cheapest recipes on their own: together they come to £23.70, so a 2-recipe box for one starts at £25.40.
How much does Mindful Chef cost per serving?
For a typical mix, from £6.30 a serving for a family box with 5 recipes to £17.05 for one person with 2 recipes, delivery included.
| Box size | 2 recipes | 3 recipes | 4 recipes | 5 recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | £17.05 | £16.05 | £15.55 | £15.25 |
| 2 people | £10.35 | £9.85 | £9.60 | £9.45 |
| 4 people | £6.75 | £6.50 | £6.37 | £6.30 |
- The household size matters far more than the number of recipes. Going from 2 to 5 recipes saves only 45p to £1.80 a serving: recipes are priced one by one, so the saving is just the delivery fee spread thinner. Cooking for more people is what brings the price down.
- The cheapest serving we found was £5.20 including delivery: a family box with the 5 cheapest family recipes. Mindful Chef's own “£4.50” is one family recipe without delivery.
- On your own you pay a lot more. With typical recipes one person pays £15.25 to £17.05 a serving, against £9.45 to £10.35 for a couple.
Work out what Mindful Chef costs you
Pick your household, the number of recipes and whether you lean towards the cheaper or the dearer dishes.
Work out what Mindful Chef costs you
- A week
- A serving
- A month
- Box price
- Delivery
- A year
Mindful Chef prices each recipe separately. A typical mix uses the middle price of this week's menu. Normal price without the new-customer discount. Change the delivery fee if you pick a paid delivery slot. A month is 52 weeks divided by 12.
Build this box at Mindful Chef ↗How much does Mindful Chef cost a month?
With a box every week and a typical mix of recipes, a couple ordering 3 recipes pays about £256 a month, and a family with 5 recipes about £546. A month is 52 weeks divided by 12.
| Box size | 2 recipes | 3 recipes | 4 recipes | 5 recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | £147.72 | £208.61 | £269.49 | £330.37 |
| 2 people | £179.36 | £256.06 | £332.76 | £409.46 |
| 4 people | £233.96 | £337.96 | £441.96 | £545.96 |
You do not have to order every week. Mindful Chef delivers weekly, fortnightly, every 3 weeks or every 4 weeks, and you can skip single boxes. A fortnightly box halves the monthly figures above. Changes have to be made by midnight four days before delivery, which is also when you are charged.
What else can you end up paying?
- Delivery, £5.99 per order. Included in the weekly, serving and monthly figures above. The first box is delivered free.
- Your recipe choice. Not an extra as such, but the biggest variable: the same box for 2 people with 3 recipes ranges from £42.90 to £59.50 before delivery.
- Ready to Go items. Breakfasts, smoothies and ready meals can be added to your box. They are not in the prices above.
What you pay in the first weeks
Mindful Chef's current offer for new customers: 30% off your first 4 boxes, plus free delivery on the first box. Applied when you order, no code needed. Not valid on the Roast Box. £25 minimum order before delivery. You join a flexible subscription. Checked 1 October 2026.
For a typical box for 2 with 3 recipes that means about £37.17 for the first box, delivered free, then £37.17 plus £5.99 delivery for the next three. From the fifth box you pay the full price, about £59 a week. The Roast Box is excluded from the discount. The current offer is also on our Mindful Chef discount code page.
Is Mindful Chef expensive?
Yes. Of the big UK recipe boxes it is the dearest per serving, for every household size. What you get for that is a health-led menu: no refined carbohydrates, a large share of plant-based recipes, and a menu that is still mostly gluten-free, although some family recipes now contain gluten.
- On your own: Mindful Chef has a real one-person box, but at £13.47 to £17.90 a serving, depending on the recipes and how many you order, it is a lot dearer than Gousto, where one person pays £8.20 to £12.25. More options in recipe boxes for one person.
- For a couple: £8.15 to £10.92 a serving for 3 recipes, depending on the recipes you pick.
- For a family: this is where it gets closest to the others, from £5.20 a serving with the cheapest family recipes.
Mindful Chef compared with Gousto, HelloFresh and Green Chef
| Box a week, incl. delivery | Mindful Chef | Gousto | HelloFresh | Green Chef |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person, 3 recipes | £42.24 to £50.59 | £30.00 | No 1-person box | No 1-person box |
| 2 people, 3 recipes | £48.89 to £65.49 | £36.24 | £37.93 | £40.50 plus delivery |
| 4 people, 4 recipes | £83.99 to £123.14 | £58.99 | £73.63 | £100.00 plus delivery |
Even with only the cheapest recipes, a Mindful Chef box for 2 costs about £11 a week more than HelloFresh and £12.65 more than Gousto. Green Chef, the other health-led box, is cheaper for couples before you add its delivery, and the family boxes are close. The full figures for the others are on how much does Gousto cost, how much does HelloFresh cost and how much does Green Chef cost.
How to pay less for Mindful Chef
- Pick more plant-based recipes. They are the cheapest on the menu. For 2 people, swapping the lamb stew for a vegan or vegetarian curry saves £4.50 to £5.50.
- Use the first four discounted boxes to find out which recipes you like, and look at the full price before the fifth.
- Order fortnightly rather than skipping weeks at random. Same food, fewer deliveries, and half the delivery charges over a month.
- Order more recipes per box rather than more boxes. Delivery is per order, so one box with 4 recipes is cheaper than two boxes with 2.
How we checked these prices
On 1 October 2026 we went through the box builder on mindfulchef.com for delivery on Sunday 4 October. We added every recipe on the menu one at a time, for 1 person, 2 people and the family size, and noted the normal price before the introductory discount. That is 84 prices in total. A “typical” box uses the middle price of that week's menu for each recipe; the cheapest and dearest boxes use the actual cheapest and dearest recipes, within the £25 minimum. The £5.99 delivery charge comes from Mindful Chef's help centre. More on our approach is on how we review.
The menu changes every week, so individual recipe prices will move. The ranges tend to stay similar, but if you see something quite different, let us know and we will check again.
Mindful Chef prices: frequently asked questions
How much is Mindful Chef a week?
For 2 people with 3 recipes, between £48.89 and £65.49 including £5.99 delivery, depending on the recipes you pick. A typical mix comes to about £59.09.
How much does a Mindful Chef meal cost per serving?
Before delivery, from £4.50 (family recipes) to £15.00 (one person). With delivery and a typical mix of recipes it is about £6.30 to £6.75 for a family, £9.45 to £10.35 for a couple and £15.25 to £17.05 for one person.
Why do Mindful Chef prices vary?
Every recipe has its own price, based mainly on the protein. Vegan dishes are the cheapest, lamb, duck, steak and fish the dearest. The box price is the total of the recipes you choose.
Is delivery included in the Mindful Chef price?
No. Delivery is £5.99 per order on top of the recipes, except on the first box, which is delivered free.
Is there a minimum order at Mindful Chef?
Yes. A box needs at least 2 recipes and at least £25 before delivery, and holds up to 5 recipes.
Is Mindful Chef more expensive than HelloFresh?
Yes. For 2 people with 3 recipes Mindful Chef costs £48.89 to £65.49 a week, HelloFresh £37.93, both including delivery.
Can I order Mindful Chef without a subscription?
Mindful Chef works as a flexible subscription, weekly to every 4 weeks, which you can skip or cancel online. According to its help centre you can also cancel the subscription and order one-off boxes instead.
Further reading
- Everything about the menu and the gluten-free question: our Mindful Chef guide
- The other health-led box: how much does Green Chef cost?
- The two cheapest big names side by side: Gousto vs HelloFresh
- All UK recipe boxes compared: our recipe box comparison
