Best Meal Delivery Services 2018

Meal Delivery Services — What You Need to Know

These are the top meal delivery plans on the market today. Read on for in-depth details on features, plans, and pricing.  

Home Chef

• Recipe suggestions based on your preferences
• Smoothies and fruit baskets available
• Gluten-free, low-carb, dairy-free, and vegetarian options
• Shipping free on orders over $45

In the world of home meal kit delivery, Home Chef is making a name for itself with premium ingredients, personalized preferences, and a wide variety of meal options that should take cooking at home to a whole new level. 

Each week you get to pick from 14 different meal options, and with Home Chef you can easily find vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, and low carb recipes, as well as ones for people who nut or soy allergies. In addition, the company learns your preferences in time and adjusts the meal suggestions each week in order to find recipes that are more suited to your tastes. 

You also have the option of mixing it up some with fruit baskets and smoothies available each week. You can also get meal plans designed for cooking for 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 meals per week. In addition, if you spend over $45 on your order, all shipping is free, which can mean big savings on your plan. Home Chef delivers to 98% of the US—you can search your zip code on the website.

The recipe cards keep things simple and easy to follow, as does the mobile app. 

And like most companies in the meal kit industry, Home Chef has made all of its packaging recyclable. 

Read the full review 

Sun Basket

• All produce is organic and fresh 
• Suitable for paleo, gluten-free, and vegetarian diets
• Recipes are developed by chefs and nutritionists
• Flexible plans—cancel any time 

If one were to find a single word that applies to major food trends in the past several years, it might just be “quality.” Premium ingredients have become a major focus of the food service industry and in the meal kit business, Sun Basket has taken this as a siren call of sorts.

The company features produce that is fresh, completely organic, antibiotic free, hormone-free and sustainable. Recipes are designed by chefs and nutritionists, so no matter what you’re cooking you can be assured that the quality is top-notch, delicious, and healthy. 

In addition, the company has taken heed of the newfound popularity of certain diets, and can accomodate customers who are on paleo, gluten-free, or vegetarian regimens. 

With the classic plan you get 3 meals per week for 2 to 4 people, while the family plan gives you 2, 3, or 4 meals per week for a family of 4. One the classic menu you can pick from more than 15 recipes per week, while the family menu only has 6, though this is because the focus is more on recipes that are kid friendly. 

The company isn’t the cheapest in the meal kit business, though at $11.49 per meal and only $6.99 shipping per order the difference isn’t huge. In addition, the price to some extent reflects the company’s use of premium ingredients.

Read the full review 

HelloFresh 

• Recipes are 6 steps and should take 30 minutes or less
• Pause or cancel account at any time 
• Vegetarian and family plans available
• Breakfast and premium meal options 

Brilliant recipes and fresh, delicious ingredients are at the forefront of HelloFresh, one of the rising stars in the meal kit industry. 

The company keeps things simple with recipes that are only 6 steps and should take only about 30 minutes to whip up at home, even if you’re a novice in the kitchen. There is a wide variety of cuisines featured by the company, and the company features a large number of vegetarian recipes as well as gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan options. There are also “fit” and “quick” recipes available, along with breakfast options. 

You can choose between 2 and 4 people for the classic plan and whether or not you’d like 3, 4, or 5 meals per week. One drawback is that this provider only features 8 recipes to choose from each week, though these recipes—in addition to being very simple—have also been designed by chefs and dieticians, so even with less options you can be assured of high-quality.

The plans are affordable—only $9.99 per serving for the veggie and classic plan, and $8.74 per serving with the family plan. In addition, all shipping is free, meaning that one of the biggest expenses of being a meal kit customer doesn’t even apply here.  

Read the full review 

How Do Meal Kits Work? 

There’s nothing quite like a delicious, healthy home-cooked meal, but sometimes the hassle of grocery shopping and following complicated recipes can leave you heading for the drive-thru for another fast food dinner. Luckily for you, help is on the way. 

With meal kit delivery services, you receive pre-packaged meals that are broken down into their individual ingredients and come with easy to follow recipes. Even if you’re a stranger to the kitchen, you can throw together fantastic meals that’ll have you forgetting about those pizza delivery magnets on the fridge.

What Types of Meal Delivery Services Are There?

Vegetarian

Meal kits combine fresh, organic, and even locally-sourced produce which is sent directly to your door, saving you the trouble of trying to find a store with the premium produce you need. 

Most meal kit delivery companies offer fairly extensive vegetarian meal options. These tend to cost the same or less than the meat meal plans, and can provide you with new and interesting ways to make tasty vegetarian meals. Some companies have more extensive options than others, for instance HelloFresh, which has a veggie plan as one of the 3 meal plans offered.

Vegan

When ordering from a meal kit delivery company, check if it has specifically vegan meal plans, and if not, read the fine print and see if you can get enough mileage out of the vegetarian options. As a vegan, it can at times be hard to find out new recipes to stretch your no-animal products diet - meal kits can help. 

Gluten-free

Gluten-free menu options are a feature offered by most meal kit companies, which know how important it is to many consumers today, especially those with celiac disease or sensitivity to gluten. A number of companies also specially-wrap their products in order to prevent gluten cross-contamination. 

If you’re trying to cut gluten out of your diet and are a bit stumped about how to fill that gap left by bread and pasta, meal kits are a great way to find new recipe ideas that can keep dinner-time interesting. 

Organic

The meal kit delivery industry has its finger on the pulse when it comes to organic food. Most companies tout their investment in finding sustainable, organic food, and this has become a major selling point for these companies. 

Sun Basket, for instance, is a USDA-certified organic handler with over 99% organic produce, while Freshly has a list of 85 banned ingredients (like corn syrup and preservatives). Blue Apron is one of a number of companies that have partnered with Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch to make sure their seafood offerings are sustainable.

Weight loss

Meal kits help you plan out meals ahead of time with interesting, healthy ingredients. In time, you will learn new recipes and cooking techniques that you can then integrate into your daily life. This can help you eat healthy at home more often, which can be a great way to lose weight, even without a rigid diet.

If you’re looking for a strict diet meal plan, there are a number of companies like NutriSystem or BistroMD that can provide you with dietitian planned meals sent to your door which are specifically designed to help you eat healthier and lose weight. 

Paleo

For the most part, the paleo diet focuses on meat, fruits and vegetables, and cuts out breads, dairy and sugars. A number of meal delivery companies offer menu items which are suited to the paleo diet. SunBasket takes it farther, offering more than 120 Paleo meals that feature high-quality lean meats. 

Even if a recipe doesn’t specifically say it’s paleo, you can look closely at the ingredients when placing an order to see how it matches up to your requirements. 

Kid friendly

In a wider sense, all of the meal kit delivery industry is kid friendly. After all, these companies get you in the kitchen making home-cooked meals for your dinner table, and we all know that’s where the magic happens when you have a family.

More specifically, many companies feature family meal plans, as well as “kid-friendly” recipes. Kid-friendly recipes are dishes your kids may recognize and are typically not spicy. The family meal plans typically include meals that are designed for 4 people and are easier to make. The family plans often have a lower cost per serving as well. 

With Marley Spoon, for example, you can order 2-person or 4-person “family boxes,” and you can filter the menu options specifically for ones that are “kid-friendly.” SunBasket offers a family plan and family menu, which features 6 “family-friendly” recipes per week.

Diabetic

For diabetics focusing on weight loss, dietitian-designed meal plans like South Beach Diet may be the right fit for you. Many companies have meal plans specifically for diabetics, while others will help customers design their own diabetes-friendly meal plan through consultation with a dietician. 

If you’re going with the big name meal kit delivery companies like Blue Apron, you can speak to customer service to get assistance planning a diabetic-friendly plan, and also always remember to look closely at the menu list to make sure the offerings aren’t high in sodium, fat, and sugar. 

Choosing the Best Meal Kit for You and Your Family

Family meal plans

If you’re looking to feed your family, then your first step should be to find a company that offers family meal plans. These are typically boxes that include meals for 4 people 2-3 times a week. 

Take a look at the “kid-friendly” options offered by various companies. These tend to be easy, one-dish meals that you can whip up quickly after a long day at work and which even the pickiest eaters - kids - shouldn’t need much convincing to try. 

Price the different plans

With most meal kit companies, the prices hover around $9.99 per serving. That said, with a number of companies that price can rise to $11.99 or more, and with added shipping fees, it can get steeper. Take a look to see if you can find a company that offers the selection you want with the prices that are right, and even with shipping included.

Special dietary needs 

Are you a vegan or have you recently started a paleo diet? It may be hard to find a meal delivery service that is specifically crafted for your dietary needs, but there are definitely companies that offer vegan, paleo or gluten-free options (among many others) on their menus on a regular basis. Check the frequency of these menu offerings and decide which company offers more of the options that you need.

Flexibility 

We all know that our day-to-day lives can be unpredictable at times. When looking for a meal plan, try to make sure that the plan is flexible. Find one that will let you freeze the plan certain weeks, or cancel orders or your membership at any time. 

Shop around

By signing up for a home meal kit delivery service you can take part in one of the most dynamic and interesting developments in home cooking. You’ll find new recipes to inspire your culinary creativity and boost your confidence in the kitchen, and also you’ll save yourself some of the hassle of having to come up with new recipes each week. 

Which one is the best option? That depends mainly on you - what type of dietary needs you have and the budget and menu options that are best for you. Take some time to browse through these top meal kit companies and you’ll be whipping up some delicious home cooking in no time. 

 *The information on this site is based on research, but should not be treated as medical advice. Before beginning any new diet plan, we recommend consulting with a physician or other professional healthcare provider. Results may vary based on various health factors, individual weight loss plans and adherence to the meal plan.