If you’re a stressed-out parent looking to make better food at home or a single looking to hone your kitchen skills, home meal kit delivery can have you putting together delicious and unique home-cooked meals in no time.
These meals are healthy, tasty, easy to make, and maybe best of all, you don’t have to wait for inspiration to strike and then battle the crowds at the grocery store. With home meal kits, you just go online and browse the latest recipe ideas, and they come straight to your door ready for you to put together.
When looking for a meal delivery service, there are a few things to consider beyond just the price per meal. Most meal kit delivery services allow you to pick your meals from a selected group of recipes that changes each week. Make sure that the variety of meals is to your liking, and in particular if you have any dietary issues - such as a gluten sensitivity or if you’re a vegetarian - you’ll want to make sure that the company can provide enough options for it to be worth your time - and money. Also, life can be unpredictable, you’ll want to look for a company that will allow you to skip a week if you’d like, or that makes cancelling your membership painless and simple.
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A Closer Look at the Top 10 Meal Delivery Services
- What’s in the box3-5 mealsof 2 or 4 servings each
- Special dietsVegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free
- Price$7.87-$8.99per serving
HelloFresh is one of the easiest and most convenient meal kit delivery services. With straightforward recipes and pre-portioned ingredients, all of its meals are done and dusted in 6 steps or less, allowing you to sit down and enjoy your dinner within 30 minutes. What’s more is that the convenience doesn’t end with the meals: HelloFresh’s website is extremely user-friendly, and modifying, cancelling or reactivating a subscription is as easy as pie.
There are 3 different meal plans: the Classic Box, Family Box and Veggie Box, with 17 recipes overall but a somewhat limited choice for the vegetarian option. However, if you’re an omnivore, there is plenty of variety, with an array of proteins, fresh produce and grains. Dishes range from zucchini flatbread to lobster ravioli and Korean beef Bibimbap, offering something to suit everyone’s tastes. Plus there’s a recommended wine pairing with each recipe, which we felt was a nice touch.
The diversity of meal plans may not be as great as other meal kit delivery services but the quality, ease and convenience of HelloFresh is second to none.
Pros- Fresh ingredients
- Simple and time-efficient recipes
- Easy to manage subscriptions
Cons- Fresh ingredients need to be used in a timely fashion
- Smaller, less diverse menu
- What’s in the box2-6 meals2,4 or 6 servings each
- Special dietsVegetarian-free, soy-free, dairy-free and more
- Price$7.99 or $9.95per serving
Home Chef lets its customers set up a "taste profile” to help it to determine the meals best suited to them. Each week there is a selection of 18 different dishes to choose from, including quick, 5-minute lunches and entrées, and there are also add-ons such as smoothies. Plus there are options for all types of dietary specifications, including nut-free, gluten-free and dairy-free. The recipes are simple and easy to prepare, and some of the ingredients even arrive pre-cooked, which is a huge time saver.
As the name suggests Home Chef’s meals do have a homey feel to them, meaning they’re not overly exotic or ambitious, which may put off some of the more adventurous home cooks. That said Home Chef certainly delivers on its promise to save you time, reduce food waste and bring people together around the dinner table.
Pros- Helps you build a “taste profile” to match you with recipes
- Convenience of 5-minute lunches
- Lets you choose meals a month in advance
Cons- Limited range
- Unadventurous recipes
- What’s in the box2-4 mealsof 2-4 servings each
- Special dietsVegan, quick and easy, lean and clean and many more
- Price$10.99-$11.99per serving
If you’re looking for innovative, healthy, tasty and sustainable meals, then Sun Basket is undoubtedly the service for you. The company caters to a variety of diets, including vegetarian, paleo, gluten-free and pescatarian, with 18 different recipes to choose from each week for all of its special plans.
Developed by award-winning San Francisco chef Justine Kelly, Sun Basket’s menus showcase ingredients and flavors from around the world. You may be eating Okinawa flaked tuna and egg stir-fry with arugula-mango salad one night, and Tex-Mex chicken fajitas with sweet-pepper tomato salsa the next. But while seductive and exotic, the recipes are neither gimmicky nor overly complex, but rather they are simple to follow and easy to prepare.
The variety of meal plans and dishes as well as the high-quality of ingredients and focus on sustainability sets Sun Basket apart from many of its competitors. There is a higher price tag for this premium product, but when it comes to interesting, easy-to-make meals and clean, organic eating, Sun Basket won’t let you down.
Pros- Organic ingredients
- Chef-driven menus
- Eco-friendly packaging
Cons- More expensive than other services
- What’s in the box2-6 mealswith 2,4, or 6 servings each
- Special dietsLow-calorie, low-carb
- Price$9.95-$12.45per serving
Fresh and Easy’s meals come with oven-ready pans and grill-friendly bags that will leave you with a full stomach and an empty sink. A new service offered by Home Chef, Fresh and Easy offers an even simpler take on the meal delivery kit.
The menu includes about 9 meals a week that focus on hearty comfort foods. Dishes such as pretzel crusted chicken and grilled salmon and salsa come with all the ingredients pre-cut and portioned to save you the leg work. Simply toss them in the oven pan or grill-bag, cook for around 40 minutes, and enjoy a home-cooked meal without the clean up. Although the menu’s heavy on meat and not as diverse as other meal delivery services, it’s simplicity is refreshing and a nice solution for families who’d like a low-maintenance meal with a home-cooked feel.
As a part of the larger Home Chef brand, Fresh and Easy has its ordering and shipping process down to a science. You can order anywhere from 2-6 meals a week for 2, 4, or 6 people and choose from a new menu released every week. Meals take around 40 minutes to cook and include a number of salads in addition to entrees.
Pros- Includes oven- and grill-ready pans
- Hearty and lean comfort foods
- Eliminates prep work and dirty dishes
Cons- Menu lacks diversity and vegetarian options
- Still a new service
- What’s in the box2-3 mealsof 2 or 4 servings each
- Special dietsCarnivore, pescatarian, paleo, keto and more
- Price$10.99-$12.99per serving
Green Chef is your one-stop shop for chef-driven recipes using USDA certified organic, non-GMO, and sustainable ingredients from trusted suppliers. The first certified organic meal kit delivery service, the company has a cooperation with farmers, purveyors and fishermen, bringing you the kind of top quality ingredients you’d otherwise have to hunt for at the farmer’s market.
All of its recipes are designed to be cooked and ready to eat within 30 minutes. Ingredients come pre-portioned and many additional items such as flatbreads, sauces or dressings arrive premade. This convenience simplifies things and makes for a definite time saver,but the downside is you’re not learning how to make them.
Green Chef’s mantra is “you are what you eat,” and its family of meal plans gives you enough choice and flexibility to make up your own mind about who you want to be. Whether that’s an omnivore, carnivore, pescatarian, vegan, vegetarian, paleo or keto, its diverse range of meal plans has your eating habits covered.
Pros- Certified organic
- Quality ingredients
- Many specialty diets available
Cons- Lots of premade/processed ingredients
- Shipping not included
- What’s in the box4, 6, 9 or 12 meals of one serving
- Special dietsGluten-free, high-protein, vegetarian, soy-free and more
- Price$8.99-$12.50per serving
Most meal kit delivery companies claim that they’re different than other services, but with Freshly there really is one big difference: there’s no actual cooking involved. That’s right, all of Freshly’s meals come pre-cooked and are ready to eat in under 3 minutes.
Freshly’s ethos is to offer fresh ready meals that are both nutrient-dense and delicious. Its recipes are put together by a team of in-house chefs, culinary scientists and nutritionists, whose focus is on gluten-free, high-protein dishes that contain less than 500 calories and 35 grams of carbs.
Freshly provides only individually packaged meals so there are no family plans or meals for 2. However, meal plans accommodate up to 12 meals per week and you can order multiple servings of the same dish as well as add-ons such as snacks and desserts.
Ready to eat meals are the ultimate convenience food but with Freshly there’s no need to feel guilty about it. The company’s integrity of ingredients and good for you recipes make it an absolute no brainer for anyone wanting to eat well without any hassle.
Pros- Convenience
- Quality ingredients
- Good for you
Cons- No family plans
- Menus rotate frequently
- What’s in the box10-21 servings per week
- Special dietsDiabetic, menopause, heart-health and more
- Price$6.42-$9.00per serving
If you’re having a hard time staying on the path to healthy eating, BistroMD can really help you. By providing tried and tested meals developed by a team of doctors and chefs, the company makes it easy for you to stick to a diet plan without the hassle of worrying about poor food choices and portion control.
BistroMD offers 6 different programs: standard, vegetarian, gluten free, diabetic, heart healthy and menopause. There are 4 meal plans designed specifically for women and men: a 5-day plan, comprised of 5 breakfasts, lunches and dinners (15 meals in total); a 7-day plan, which includes 7 breakfasts and lunches, and 6 dinners, for a total of 20 meals, and 2 custom plans of only lunches and dinners.
For naturally healthy eaters, who enjoy fresh, wholesome foods, BistroMD is probably not the best choice. The meals arrive frozen and must be heated up in the microwave, a bit like airline food. But if you’re at a loss and struggling to shed pounds and need guidance, the service will take the guesswork out of dieting and help you stay the course to meet your weight loss goals.
Pros- Doctors and chefs collaborate on dishes
- Customizable programs
- Affordable
Cons- Food is not fresh
- Can’t order individual dishes
- What’s in the box3 meals2-4 servings each
- Special dietsNone
- Price$4.99per serving
EveryPlate is known as being the budget-friendly meal kit delivery service. And if you are watching your spending, there’s no better option than this. Each week, EveryPlate offers a variety of scrumptious meal options that you can throw together yourself. But the best part is the price tag. For less than $5 a meal, you can have healthy, hearty, and home-cooked meals all week long.
EveryPlate is also generous when it comes to portion sizes, so you will never walk away from one of these delicious meals hungry. Meals take about half an hour to prepare, and you don’t need to be Gordon Ramsay to prepare these dishes either. Instructions are clear, colorful, and easy to follow.
Pros- Delicious meals for under $5
- Big portions
- Easy to follow instruction cards
Cons- Disorganized packaging system
- Not a ton of variety to choose from
- What’s in the box2-3 meals5 or 7 days per week
- Special dietsKeto, diabetes, low carb, low calorie
- PriceFrom $7.52
If you’ve tried to lose weight in the past to no avail, Diet to Go is the right meal delivery service for you. Based on science and research, these meals are each designed to deliver the proper nutritional balance to keep your body healthy while promoting weight loss at the same time.
Diet to Go takes all the hard work out of meal prep, cooking, and dieting by providing you with meals that are already cooked and ready to eat. And since the plans are geared toward healthy eating and weight loss, you don’t even need to count calories or guestimate amounts. Each meal gives you just what you need. Losing weight and eating right has never been easier!
Pros- Portioned and calorie-calculated for weight loss
- Absolutely no meal prep, just heat and eat
- Lots of variety within the menu and plans
Cons- Not 100% organic
- High shipping costs
- What’s in the boxReady-made meals according to your subscription
- Special dietsKeto, carb30, diabetes, vegetarian
- Price$121.99-$204.59/week
Freshology is a branch of the popular Diet-to-Go meal delivery service. If you like the idea of ready-to-make meal kits delivered to your door, then you’re going to love Freshology because it does you one better. These meals are already made by professional chefs. So they arrive cooked, and ready to eat as soon as they get there. Freshology is one of the only meal delivery services that offers the freshest, most ready to eat meals on the market.
Convenient for those who don’t have time to cook, Freshology is also great for people who are looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy eating lifestyle. That’s because every meal is perfectly balanced to deliver all the nutritional needs for your day. For keto-based meals, Freshology packs in a generous helping of proteins, healthy fats, and fresh vegetables to round out the meal. And with its 100% satisfaction guarantee, Freshology certainly makes healthy eating a no-brainer for everyone.
Pros- Meals are delivered fresh, never frozen
- Keto-based meals for nutrition and weight loss
- Contact-free delivery to your door
Cons- Have to put in payment info before choosing meals
- Not much in the way of side dishes
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.20190730083947.jpg "EveryPlate's affordable meals help you cook like a pro at home")
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Here's How I Rated The Best Meal Delivery Services
To rate these best meal delivery services and help you to decide which companies are worth your money and kitchen time, we dug in deep so you don’t have to. We ordered and tried out each of these meal kits to assess the following:
- User experience online
- Flexibility of a subscription
- Diversity and variety of meal plans
- Quality of the ingredients
- Recipe accuracy
- Difficulty level
- Tase
Why Try a Meal Delivery Service?
With a meal kit service, you choose recipes each week that are shipped fresh to your door with pre-portioned ingredients and a step-by-step recipe card. These easy-to-prepare meal kits allow you to cook up a tasty, healthy meal without having to travel to the grocery store and spend hours preparing.
Besides being healthy and convenient, meal kits are a great way to get familiar with different cooking techniques and seasonings and even get your spouse and kids involved.
How much do meal delivery services cost?
Meal delivery service prices vary from one company to the next, and is often based on how many meals you order per week. Since companies offer different pricing structures that can appear complex, the best way to compare prices is to look at how much each serving (meal) costs.
EveryPlate is one of the more affordable meal delivery service companies, charging $4.99 per serving across the board. From there, the prices can go up depending on the type of cuisine, the quality of ingredients, and other factors. HelloFresh, one of the best-rated meal delivery services out there, charges $7.99-$8.99 per serving and offers a wide variety of recipes and high quality ingredients. At the higher end of the spectrum is Green Chef, whose meals range between $10.99 and $12.99 but feature USDA-certified organic ingredients and plenty of healthy, tasty recipes.
Most meal kit companies today offer special family meal plans. There are often fewer family recipe options per week, and they are a little less adventurous than the recipes for couples and singles. The focus is usually on hearty, kid-friendly meals that can be cooked in a single pot—and leave some leftovers for later.
Is shipping included with meal delivery?
One factor that can really make a difference when choosing a meal kit company is the shipping cost. The shipping costs range from around $6.99 to $9.99 or more per order, basically the same price as a meal serving.
With many companies, the shipping cost is waived if your overall order is above a certain total. For instance, with Plated, shipping costs $7.95 per order, but is free if you order more than $60. With Home Chef the shipping is free if your order exceeds $45.
With HelloFresh on the other hand, all shipping is free - no matter how much you order. While with Sun Basket, the shipping isn’t waived with a minimum order amount.
If you’re ordering for yourself, it may be difficult to hit that order minimum, but by doing so, the savings on shipping could offset your delivery costs.
If you’re ordering for a family of four, you should be able to exceed the minimum order no problem.
Does meal delivery save time?
Yes. One of the major draws of meal delivery services is the time factor. People from all walks of life have been turning to meal delivery services to save time.
Parents, busy professionals, and even college students have seen major changes in their schedules after signing up for meal delivery services. For one thing, they save you the trip to the grocery store. With everything you need delivered straight to your doorstep, you have more time to spend on what matters, be it work, kids, or other errands.
Meal delivery kits are also easy to make and can save you time searching for recipes and then chopping, grating, and preparing ingredients. With all the ingredients delivered portioned and ready to cook, you’ll be able to drastically minimize the time you spend in the kitchen--and that includes doing dishes afterwards.
Are meal kits good for losing weight?
Yes, and many current customers use meal-kits for just that. Meal kits are a great way to lose weight for many reasons ranging from portion control and healthy ingredients to diet-specific companies that offer tailored meals, weight-loss tips, and other resources designed specifically to help those who are trying to shed pounds.
Most meal kit companies print the nutritional information online, so if you’re on a diet, it can be an easy way to track what you’re eating. Some companies will offer low-calorie dishes and low-carb dishes designed for dieters.
And then there are weight-loss meal kit companies such as Diet to Go and Bistro MD targeted specifically to those trying to lose weight. These companies create meals and meal plans with weight-loss in mind, staffing nutritionists, dieticians, and chefs who prepare meals that focus specifically on calorie-count and portion control.
Are meal kits good if you have dietary restrictions?
If you have dietary specifications like gluten allergies, food sensitivities, or if you’re abiding by a low-carb diet—meal kits can be a great way to help you break the monotony.
Most companies have special meal plans that are suited for specific diets, so you don’t need to feel so limited by your dietary limitations. Others let you substitute ingredients when you’re ordering meals so that you can leave out problematic ingredients. And since all of them list the ingredients on the menu, you’ll have no problem finding meals that meet your dietary needs.
Are meal kits sustainable and good for the environment?
From ditching the plastic straws to carpooling to work and bringing your own bags to the grocery store, the importance of conservation is something we should all be able to agree on. Meal kit companies can help by supporting sustainable providers and making sure that you have exactly the amount of food you need so you’re not over-purchasing and throwing out food.
But what about the packaging? The waste created with every food kit order, even if it is the best meal delivery service, is something of a turnoff for many customers, but here are 2 ways meal kits can be good for the environment:
Sustainability. Packaging aside, one of the ways that meal kit companies do better by the environment is by supporting sustainable, organic—and when possible—local providers. Sun Basket has made its 99% organic menu items a major selling point, and for Blue Apron, “building a better food system” is central to the company’s vision. The Blue Apron approach includes working with partners to create a distribution system that provides high-quality products and supports local growers. Like other meal kit companies, Blue Apron also provides Non-GMO ingredients, meat that isn’t fed antibiotics or hormones, and sustainable seafood that has been recommended by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. Sun Basket, for their part, provide meats that are antibiotic and hormone free, as well as pasture-raised lamb and turkey, and organic milk, yogurt, and eggs.
Cutting down on waste. A convenient aspect of meal kits when it comes to conservation is the fact that they include precisely measured ingredients. You won’t need to buy an entire 750ml bottle of hoisin sauce for the tablespoon your recipe requires, nor will you end up throwing out rotten potatoes after you completely overestimated what you’d need for that side of scalloped potatoes. The difference can be significant. According to a study commissioned by Blue Apron in 2016, the company wastes 5.5 percent of its food, as opposed to 10.5 percent for grocery stores. The study also found that while grocery store shoppers toss almost 24 percent of the food they buy, Blue Apron users only chuck 7.6 percent of their ingredients.
What Types of Meal Delivery Services Are There?
With the growth of the meal delivery market has come an increase in specialty purveyors focusing on anything from vegan to kid-friendly or gluten-free. No matter what your food preferences or allergies may be, there is a service that will meet your needs.
Vegetarian Meal Services
While meat and fish still dominate, most companies now provide decent vegetarian options. And the variety of ingredients and recipes offered is pretty broad. From Asian inspired noodle or rice dishes to Indian vegetable curries, Mexican quesadillas or Mediterranean pasta dishes, many of the vegetarian options will leave even the most ardent of meat eaters satisfied.
Vegan Meal Services
Anybody living a plant-based life knows it’s not always easy. Choosing a meal delivery company that caters to vegans is therefore a smart choice. Recipes feature seasonal ingredients, innovative sauces and novel meat substitutes such as jackfruit, seitan or tempeh, keeping things interesting, environmentally sustainable and healthy.
Gluten-Free Meal Services
There is a growing number of companies delivering fresh or frozen gluten-free meals. While some follow stringent enough preparation practices to make them GFCO certified and safe for those suffering from celiac disease, others admit they’re aimed at consumers who choose to eliminate gluten. Be sure you know what you’re ordering.
Organic Meal Services
The benefits of organic living are plenty when it comes to healthfulness and reducing our impact on the environment. And if you want to increase your intake of organic homemade foods, meal delivery companies make it easier than ever to eat well without the hassle, offering organic produce and antibiotic and hormone free meats.
Weight Loss Meal Services
Just like anything else that’s inherently good for you, sticking to a healthy eating regime can be a challenge. That’s why weight loss focused meal deliveries can really work for you. Chefs and nutritionists collaborate to design a structured menu of meals that will help you stay the course to meet your health goals.
Paleo Meal Services
Eating like our Stone Age ancestors has become a firm part of the 21st century’s dieting landscape. But following paleo’s rigid rules can be difficult. That’s where paleo-focused meal delivery services have your back. They take the guesswork out of what is and isn’t allowed and make it easy and hassle free to stick to the regime.
Kid-friendly Meal Services
For time-crunched parents trying to put interesting new meals on the table every evening can quickly turn into a nightmare. Fortunately there are plenty of kid-friendly meal delivery services, with healthy recipes that are both interesting enough to appeal to grown ups and yummy enough so that little ones will gobble them up.
Diabetic Meal Services
Nearly 10% of Americans live with diabetes and if you’re among them, you know that it is vital to keep on top of your diet. A number of companies offer meal plan customization to meet American Diabetes Association (ADA) standards, helping you to manage your food and calorie intake and stick to a regular eating schedule.
Place Your Order
Of course, make sure the service you choose delivers to your area before getting too excited. Then pick the best service that offers the right combination of features and food for your lifestyle. There’s something for everyone, so get on the meal delivery service bandwagon, and find out what it’s like to eat healthier and easier today!
