Meal delivery services for seniors are becoming increasingly popular for many reasons. They can simplify cooking if your family has left home. They are a low-cost, low-food-waste option that works well if you are on a fixed income. And if you have mobility issues or struggle to get to the grocery store on a regular basis, getting convenient, chef-crafted meals made with the highest-quality healthy ingredients delivered to your door can be a lifesaver.
Whether you are looking to have all your meals covered or simply need a few days off cooking, there is a meal delivery plan for you. You can even customize most plans to fit your preferences.
We tested and reviewed the top 10 best food delivery services for seniors to help you choose the right one for you. Read this article to find out about different services’ pricing, special diets, portions, shipping, prep time, and more.
Our Best Meal Delivery Services for Seniors in 2024
- HelloFresh - Best senior meal delivery service overall
- Magic Kitchen - Best for seniors on restrictive diets
- Mom’s Meals - Best for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries
- Fresh and Easy - Best for seniors without food intolerances
- BistroMD - Best for those trying to lose weight
- The Good Kitchen - Best for seniors with food allergies
- EveryPlate - Best for those on a budget
- Daily Harvest - Best for smoothie lovers
- Sunbasket - Best for seniors who want both meal kits and precooked meals
- Factor_ - Best for those who want pre-cooked food
A Closer Look Into Our Best Meal Delivery Services for Seniors in 2024:
1. HelloFresh
A wide variety of meals for you to cook at home
Price: From $8.99
What’s in the box: 2-6 meals
Special diets: Vegetarian, pescatarian, low-carb
HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service offering a variety of meal kits for you to choose from each week. The service offers a range of meal plan options suitable for seniors, including vegetarian, fit and wholesome, quick and easy, and family-friendly options.
Every week, you have up to 60 menu items to choose from. HelloFresh delivers all of the necessary ingredients for your chosen recipes with a recipe card detailing all the steps necessary to prepare the meal. I particularly liked that, as the exact amount of ingredients is delivered, there’s minimal waste. Overall, I recommend HelloFresh for seniors who love to cook healthy, filling, and nutritious food, but want to skip time-consuming shopping and waste.
Why we chose HelloFresh: It has lots of healthy, convenient menu options to choose from each week. The recipe card is easy to follow, and exact portions are delivered so there’s minimal waste, which is helpful if you’re only feeding one or two people.
Pros
Wide variety of menu options
Flexible subscription: cancel, pause, and skip anytime
Quick & easy recipes
Cons
Doesn’t cater to common allergies like nuts, gluten, or seafood
Quite pricey considering the food isn’t cooked
Read the full HelloFresh Review
2. Magic Kitchen
Customize your meals with an a la carte menu
Price: From $10.50
What’s in the box: 2-15 servings
Special diets: Diabetic, portion-controlled, dialysis, renal, dairy-free, gluten-free, low-fat, low-sodium, low-carb, and vegetarian
Magic Kitchen is a meal delivery service specializing in frozen meals that come precooked, which makes it a quick and easy option for seniors. The company offers two menus to choose from: an A La Carte menu and Complete Meals. The Complete Meals option is exactly as it sounds, while the A La Carte menu allows you to select individual sides or entrees that you can pair as you wish.
What I love most about Magic Kitchen is the fact that it has meal programs specifically meant for seniors. Better yet, the service also accepts payments from Medicaid. It also caters to about nine dietary restrictions, including vegetarian, diabetic-friendly, and low sodium. However, it doesn’t offer vegan options.
Why we chose Magic Kitchen: It accepts insurance payments from Medicaid which makes it suitable for many seniors. It also offers meals designed for many dietary restrictions.
Pros
Offers both a la carte and complete meal menu options
Has meals specifically for seniors
Caters to many dietary restrictions
Cons
Some meals run out of stock
No vegan option
Read the full Magic Kitchen Review
3. Mom’s Meals
Delicious, healthy meals, even through Medicaid payments
Price: From $7.99
What’s in the box: 10-21 meals
Special diets: Diabetes-friendly, vegetarian, heart-friendly, cancer support, lower sodium, renal-friendly, gluten-free, and pureed
Mom’s Meals is a unique meal delivery service specializing in individuals with special needs, such as seniors and those in long-term or post-discharge care. I particularly liked that the company accepts payments from multiple programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, plus those living in senior living communities.
Customers can choose their meals from a static menu of over 60 meals. The meals are refrigerated and not frozen but can stay fresh for up to 14 days if stored appropriately in the fridge. Mom’s Meals caters to eight dietary restrictions including many aimed at seniors, including the pureed menu for those with difficulty chewing.
Why we chose Mom’s Meals: It’s specially catered to those with injuries and disabilities. Plus, the meals last for up to 14 days.
Pros
Caters to many dietary restrictions
Accepts insurance and Medicare beneficiaries
Has meals specifically meant for seniors
Cons
You can’t order less than 10 meals
Static menu
4. Fresh and Easy
Ready meals, meal kits, or oven-ready sheets
Price: From $7.99
What’s in the box: 4-36 meals
Special diets: Low-calorie and low-carb
If you’re a senior who loves variety, Fresh and Easy is the delivery service for you. The service offers three types of meals, including both prepped meal kits that require cooking and cooked meals that only require heating. I liked that there’s also an in-between option of meal kits that come in an oven-safe container ready to cook.
In addition to its multiple services, it also offers a wide range of meals to choose from every week. In my opinion, the only downside is that it doesn’t cater to many dietary restrictions, so it’s certainly not for everyone.
Why we chose Fresh and Easy: Seniors with changing schedules can mix and match between meal kits, oven-ready meals, and cooked food, covering a variety of needs.
Pros
Allows you to filter out meals with ingredients you don’t like
Recyclable packaging
Flexible subscription
Cons
Only caters to two dietary preferences
No plant-based options
Read the full Fresh and Easy Review
5. BistroMD
Tasty, balanced meals focused on weight loss
Price: From $6.94 per meal
What’s in the box: 10-20 meals
Special diets: Gluten free, heart-healthy, keto, diabetic, and menopause
Bistro MD is a great meal delivery option aimed at those looking to lose some weight, but it’s just as wonderful for seniors who just want healthy meals. You have the option to choose between receiving meals for five or seven days a week. The seven-day meal plan includes six dinners to give you one night “off” to indulge a little. You can also get a customized meal plan by contacting customer care, which I thought was a nice touch for seniors, who may have more dietary restrictions.
My favorite thing about BistroMD is the volume of options available: each week there’s a selection of 150 dietitian-designed meals for you to choose from. The service caters to six diet restrictions, including some targeted at seniors, such as a selection for those in menopause. If you would like BistroMD to take care of snacks too, you can select BistroMD Eats to add to your meals.
Why we chose Bistro MD: It’s great for weight loss, especially for those in menopause. There’s also a huge number of meals available to choose from this week.
Pros
Offers options specifically for seniors
Affordable in comparison to competitors
Offers snacks as well
Cons
No vegetarian or vegan menu
Can’t choose less than 10 meals
6. The Good Kitchen
Clean, nourishing food delivered every week
Price: From $15
What’s in the box: 6-12 meals per week
Special diets: Whole30, primal, paleo, low fat, keto, and certified diabetic
The Good Kitchen is a healthy meal delivery service whose goal is to help seniors eat farm-fresh food without the hassle of picking it, washing it, and cooking it. The majority of The Good Kitchen’s meals are ready in four minutes or less, which I found very convenient.
Each week, The Good Kitchen offers a selection of about 20 meals for you to choose from. Seniors are free to choose a delivery frequency of weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. I liked that all subscription services are very easy to pause or cancel. The Good Kitchen offers menus for six dietary preferences, including primal, Whole30, and paleo, plus menus for those with allergies to dairy, eggs, shellfish, and tree nuts.
Why we chose The Good Kitchen: It’s great for seniors with common food allergies and has a carefully curated menu with a focus on quality ingredients.
Pros
High-quality fresh and organic ingredients
Caters to many allergens
Allows you to filter out ingredients you don’t like
Cons
Limited dining options
No vegetarian or vegan menu
Read the full The Good Kitchen Review
7. EveryPlate
Affordable meals ready in five minutes or less
Price: From $1.99
What’s in the box: 6-24 meals
Special diets: Vegetarian
EveryPlate is a meal kit delivery service offering pre-prepped ingredients to help seniors cook affordable meals with ease. If a lot of chopping is tiring but you still enjoy cooking, this is a great option. Each meal kit comes with a complete step-by-step recipe that should take no more than 30 minutes to complete. The subscription is very flexible, too, allowing you to pause, cancel, or skip at any time.
Each EveryPlate delivery offers a rotating menu of up to 25 options. While the menu changes every week, I found that EveryPlate’s meals aren’t very varied, resulting in a limited range of choices. The menu is even more limited for seniors on restrictive diets such as gluten-free and vegetarian.
Why we chose EveryPlate: It’s extremely affordable, great for those on a fixed retirement income. Plus, you can easily change the frequency of your deliveries to suit your schedule.
Pros
Affordable
Flexible subscription
Has a vegetarian menu
Cons
Limited menu options
High shipping costs of $8.99
Read the full EveryPlate Review
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8. Daily Harvest
Clean organic smoothies, snacks, and bowls
Price: From $8.49
What’s in the box: Customizable with a minimum of nine items
Special diets: AIP (Autoimmune Protocol), low FODMAP, keto, paleo, ≤10g Fat, ≤15g Net Carbs, ≤15g Sugar, ≤250 Calories, ≤500mg Sodium, ≥10g Protein, and ≥6g Fiber
Daily Harvest rose to popularity as a smoothie company. Now, it offers many healthy food categories, including salad bowls, bakes, bread, and soups. Daily Harvest meals come precooked and only require five minutes or less of prep, perfect for seniors with limited mobility. Its smoothie ingredients come pre-chopped and frozen—just add a liquid and blend.
Daily Harvest caters to over 10 dietary needs and I particularly liked that it allows you to filter out ingredients you might not like, such as avocado, onions, or garlic. Seniors can also order a selection of snacks, lattes, and plant-based milk. However, note that while Daily Harvest has many options to choose from, the menu is quite limited, with only about 10 items in each category.
Why we chose Daily Harvest: It has a focus on sustainable, organic ingredients, so eco-conscious seniors can feel confident that they’re getting a healthy, balanced diet that’s also good for the planet.
Pros
Caters for many dietary restrictions
Offers snacks
Sustainably sourced healthy organic ingredients
Cons
Limited menu
Menu does not change weekly
Read the full Daily Harvest Review
9. Sunbasket
Organic meal kits and cooked meals in one service
Price: From $9.99 per serving
What’s in the box: 4-10 prepped meals or 4-20 meal kits
Special diets: Paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, pescatarian, Mediterranean, diabetes, keto, and low-carb
If you’re a fan of delicious meals made with the freshest organic ingredients, I’d urge you to consider Sunbasket. Sunbasket gives seniors the choice between getting prepped meal kits or precooked meals. But while customers certainly love it, it’s hard to ignore how pricey Sunbasket meals are.
Sunbasket’s weekly menu, while very delicious in my opinion, is also very limited. The menu only has about 20 meal kit options and 10 cooked meal options per week. The service caters to multiple dietary restrictions, which will be useful for seniors who have stricter diets, but this limits meal choice even further.
Why we chose Sunbasket: It offers both meal kits and precooked meals, perfect if you only want to cook for yourself sometimes. Plus, it caters to a range of dietary restrictions suitable for many goals and life stages.
Pros
Farm-fresh, organic ingredients
Choose meal kits or precooked meals
Flexible subscription—skip or cancel anytime
Cons
Pricey
Limited menu options
Read the full Sunbasket Review
Factor_
Nutritious meals in minutes
Price: From $10.49 per meal
What’s in the box: 6-18 meals per week
Special diets: Keto, calorie-smart, vegan & veggie, and high protein
Factor offers a selection of chef-crafted meals that are dietitian approved to help you eat a healthy, delicious diet with ease. The meals come precooked and only require about five minutes to heat up. Factor only uses the highest quality organic ingredients, so you can be sure you are nourishing your body with every meal.
In addition to meals, I liked that Factor also offers nutrition consultations for those who need some help deciding on a meal plan. This can be especially helpful to seniors who might be having trouble meeting their nutritional requirements due to illnesses or conditions like difficulty chewing.
Why we chose Factor: It offers chef-prepared meals with nutritious, whole-food ingredients. It also offers bespoke nutrition consultations, a great feature that can help seniors develop a plan for their unique needs.
Pros
Little prep required
Offers nutrition consultations
Flexible subscription—skip or cancel anytime
Cons
Pricey in comparison to other services
Not specifically designed for seniors
Our Methodology: How Did We Choose the Best Senior Meal Delivery Services?
To select the best food delivery services for seniors, we looked at a variety of options on the market.
Our team of dietitians and nutritionists signed up for each service, selected meals, and cooked them in order to compare them based on the following criteria.
Flexible subscriptions
High-quality ingredients
A range of dietary preferences
Delicious meals
Easy sign-up
Reasonable pricing
Reasonable prep time
What Is Senior Meal Delivery and Why Should Seniors Consider Using It?
Senior meal delivery services deliver meals to older customers at home. Some deliver fully cooked meals, while others send out ingredients that require cooking. A few offer both options. While most companies do not solely deliver to seniors, many have options that benefit seniors, such as diets for specific medical conditions or accepting insurance.
All the senior meal delivery services we included offer a wide selection of meals to choose from every week. While a few have fixed menus, the majority rotate their menus every week to allow you to enjoy a variety of meals.
Senior meal delivery services allow you to customize your meal plan according to your dietary preferences and sometimes allergies. Some services also offer additional nutritional support, such as consultations.
What Are the Advantages of Using a Meal Delivery Service for Seniors?
Using a meal delivery service can offer many benefits to seniors, including the following.
Cost savings: While paying for meal delivery might appear to cost more than shopping and cooking for yourself, it can save money in the long term by avoiding wasted food and ordering out.
Convenience: For seniors with limited energy or mobility, meal kits save you the time you spend preparing and shopping for ingredients. Fully cooked meals save even more time, as they take about five minutes on average to prepare.
Health: Many prepared meal delivery services for seniors work with registered dietitians to ensure that their meal plans provide all the necessary nutrients you need to be healthy.
Waste reduction: Since each meal comes pre-portioned, using a meal delivery service can help you reduce waste.
Opportunity to try new dishes: Senior meal delivery services offer a range of meals that can add some variety to your weekly menu.
Time savings for caregivers: For those taking care of elderly relatives, or seniors who have in-home caregivers, taking meal planning and prep off the table can save lots of time and effort.
Solution to food insecurity among the elderly: Senior citizens are often at risk of food insecurity. Food insecurity not only means lacking food but also lacking access to high-quality, nourishing food. Meal deliveries can bring low-cost, nutritious meals right to seniors’ doors.
How to Choose the Best Senior Meal Delivery Service for Your Needs
When choosing a senior meal delivery service, consider the following factors to make sure that you choose the best option for your unique situation.
Cost
Senior meal delivery services come at different price points, so you should be able to find something within your budget. While fully cooked meals tend to cost more than meal kits, keep in mind that they save you more time, energy, and effort, which could even out over time.
Dietary Preferences
Opt for a senior meal delivery service that caters to your dietary preferences, allergies and restrictions. If you like variety, look for services that offer a wide variety of meals every week.
Area of Operation
Some meal delivery services don’t deliver all over the country, so you should confirm with them before making an order.
Required Preparation
Preparation time differs between services. If you prefer minimal prep, opt for a service that delivers precooked meals. However, if you prefer cooking, meal kits may suit you better. Some services even offer both.
How Do I Prepare the Food From a Senior Meal Delivery Service?
The preparation required for food from a senior meal delivery service will differ from service to service. Most meal delivery services include detailed instructions with each box which may also be available on the company website.
Precooked meals often require five minutes or less in the oven or microwave, while meal kits will require you to do some cooking, usually an hour or less.
What You Need to Know Before Choosing a Senior Meal Delivery Service
There are a few things seniors might want to note when starting with a meal delivery service.
Many services offer discounts for buying more portions or meals, so the lowest advertised prices may not apply if you only need a few meals per week. This may be a concern if you eat smaller portions or no longer have a large family living at home.
Some services enable you to choose delivery times. If you have mobility issues or are getting food delivered to a care facility, make sure there is somebody available to help you pick up and properly store your delivery.
Finally, many meal delivery services expect you to choose your upcoming menu online or via an app. If technology is not your forte, you may want to enlist the help of a tech-savvy loved one.
How Much Do Meal Delivery Services for Seniors Cost?
From our analysis, senior meal delivery services cost between $5 and $18 per serving. Shipping costs also vary depending on the company and your location. Although most services offer free shipping, it’s best to check and make sure.
Other Senior Meal Delivery Services We Reviewed
In addition to the top-rated senior meal delivery service we've highlighted, there are several other options available on the market. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve reviewed several other senior meal delivery services, including their features and pricing.
Couldn’t find what you were looking for? We have plenty of other reviews for you here.
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If you're interested in learning more about meal delivery options, be sure to check out our other articles on the topic. We've covered a wide range of topics, from budget-friendly meal delivery services to options for specific dietary restrictions. Whether you're looking for convenience, variety, or specialized options, we have something for everyone.
Summary
If cooking your own meals every day as a senior has proven challenging, a meal delivery service might be just what you need. But even if you love to cook, senior meal delivery can have many benefits. It not only gives you access to new recipes you might not normally eat, but also provides you with healthy meals that nourish your body.
From saving time and money to reducing waste and helping those with medical conditions or limited mobility, there are plenty of reasons to give meal delivery services for seniors a chance.
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