^[1]I’ve lost a pound in four days, and we’ve eaten healthy, organic meals ^[2] the past three nights.

New diet? Nope. I just signed us up for organic produce home delivery.

I received my first delivery this week, and it’s already delivering much more than I had hoped for: a reason to try new recipes, eating fruits and vegetables I’ve never ventured to buy in the grocery store (hello, kale!), and losing weight ^[3] in the process.

Also, I swear, the carrots just taste better.

Hearing a friend rave on Facebook about a local organic food delivery company conveniently coincided with the end of our Saturday farmers’ market routine ^[4]. It was like the perfect storm for pushing me into finally trying out this service.

Organic produce delivery companies exist in most metropolitan areas. There’s Urban Organic ^[5] in Brooklyn; Door to Door Organics ^[6] in Colorado, Kansas City, Chicago, Michigan and throughout the East Coast; Farm Fresh to You ^[7] and Spud ^[8] in California; and Greenling ^[9] in south Texas; among many, many others.

Here in Portland, Ore., I went with Organics to You ^[10] and chose the small box for biweekly delivery. I was even able to tell them if I had any allergies ^[11] or just didn’t like something (no eggplant, please!).

On Tuesday morning, a box filled with two leeks, a bunch of carrots, a bunch of kale, four zucchinis, two peaches, two apples, four pears, a pound of string beans, two huge heirloom tomatoes ^[12], a pint of kiwi berries, a head of romaine lettuce, broccoli and four ears of corn ^[13] arrived on my doorstep … delivered by a biodiesel ^[14]-powered van (yay!).

Is organic produce delivery for you?

If you, too, are on a quest to eat fresher ^[15], especially now that summer is over, here are a few things to consider before signing up.

1. How much time do you have during the week to prepare home-cooked meals ^[16]? A box of a dozen or so different fruits and vegetables is a lot to get through before it goes bad, even with a biweekly delivery.
2. How much time do you have to go grocery shopping, and how easy is it for you to find a good selection of organic produce? Access wasn’t a problem for me, as I’m in walking distance of three natural grocers. But since I just had our second child two months ago, my grocery shopping time is limited. Having food delivered to my door is like Christmas.
3. Is eating local ^[17] as important to you as eating organic ^[18]? Many companies work with local farmers, so you’re supporting your local community while eating healthy.
4. Do you have neighbors who can join with you? You might be able to save by splitting a box with friends. Plus you can take advantage of the whole Jack Sprat thing and eat the produce you prefer.
5. Are you adventurous? Kale showed up in our box, and I didn’t have the slightest idea what to do with it. I put the question out to my Facebook friends, and several replied, “Kale chips ^[19]!” I was completely skeptical but am now a huge kale chip fan. I can only hope the same thing happens when we get beets, radishes and chard.

So far, this seems very promising, and I’m just hoping that the extra $70 we’re spending per month takes the place of the not-so-good food in our budget instead of adding to it.

If you’ve tried organic produce delivery, do you have any additional tips for newbies like me?