If you’re diabetic, you know that the key to controlling your blood sugar and staying healthy is a lean eating plan. But sticking to a diabetic eating plan can be hard, especially if you’re a busy parent and lack the time needed to find recipes and go grocery shopping.
Add in having a diabetic child that’s a picky eater or a spouse with certain food preferences, and you’ve got yourself one heck of a task.
Importance of a Diabetic Meal Plan
For starters, a diabetic meal plan can help you not only control your blood sugars, but manage your weight, and control other risk factors often associated with diabetes like heart disease and high blood fats. Diabetic meal plans can help you stay on top of your health by managing your food intake and calorie count.
A good diabetic meal plan should be nutrient-rich and as low in fat and calories as possible. The main components of a good diabetic diet are fruits, vegetables, and plenty of whole grains. Essentially, it’s about eating healthy foods and sticking to a regular eating schedule.
There are many recipes out there that are specially crafted for diabetic diets. These recipes are often low in carbohydrates, as carbs are the foods that get broken down into sugars and raise your glucose levels. Since calorie counting, carb counting, and sticking to a diabetic meal plan can be tough, many people turn to meal delivery services to take the stress off.
Why a Diabetic Meal Delivery Service is for You
Turning to meal kit services helps keep your dinners and diet new and exciting, and allows you to save time on grocery shopping. When using a meal deliveries for diabetics service, you will quickly see that living with diabetes doesn't have to mean constantly feeling hungry or deprived of certain foods.
Frozen vs. Fresh for Diabetics
People are often stuck between choosing the right meal kit service for them, and go between frozen and fresh ones. Fresh meal kits can be better for diabetics because fresh produce, meats, and poultry contain more nutrients than frozen. Either way, there's a diabetic meal kit out there that's right for you.
Comparing the Top Brands
The Best Diabetic Meal Delivery Services - In-Depth Reviews
Sun Basket
1
700 calories or less per serving- Price$10.99-$11.99per serving
- Great forTotally clean, healthy eating
- Special offersFree shipping on your first order
This meal kit service emphasizes flavorful meals, sustainability, and most importantly, clean ingredients - all designed to help you manage diabetes. Sun Basket only uses organic and fresh produce in its kits, which is a necessity for diabetic diets and is great for those who are carb-conscious with recipes made up from whole foods like whole grains, beans, and lentils. Additionally, all of its recipes are developed by an award-winning chef and are nutritionist-approved, while many of them have been approved by the American Diabetes Association.
It has a large variety of recipes that are suited for diabetics, and even has a vegetarian category that uses beans and other plant-based proteins as the main ingredient. Some of its most popular recipes that are ideal for diabetic meal plans include salmon and quinoa bowls with wilted greens and citrus dressing, and steak and charred vegetables with basil and lemon. Diabetic or not, Sun Basket’s fresh recipes will have your mouth watering at the sound of “dinner.”
Read Sun Basket Full ReviewPros- 100% clean and organic ingredients
- Caters to lots of different specialty diets
- Fully recyclable and compostable packaging
Cons- Recipes are a bit complex for newbie chefs
- Shipping not included in costs
HelloFresh
2
Fit plan ideal for diabetics- Price$6.99-$9.99per serving
- Great forHealthy, home-cooking, good for 2 or more
- Special offersVarious discounts and online vouchers
HelloFresh’s vegetarian, gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan recipe options make it a great service for diabetics. When browsing recipes for the week, you get to see pictures and read a snippet about the tastes and flavors of individual dishes, and also view the nutrition facts for each recipe. This is especially useful for sticking to a diabetic diet meal plan, as you can see the carbohydrate, fat, and protein count of each dish.
With HelloFresh's approach you can easily watch your sugar intake and with its specific “fit plan” that offers 650 calorie meals you'll be able to say in shape at the same time.
Read HelloFresh Full ReviewPros- One of the most budget-friendly meal kits out there
- Family plan available for eating with kids
- Easy to follow, delicious recipes
Cons- No leftovers from these meals
- Have to do a little prep work
Home Chef
3
Diabetic-friendly smoothie selection- Price$5.45-$19.90per serving
- Great forHome-style foodies
- Special offers$10 off your first order
Home Chef is one of the most diabetic-friendly meal services on the market. It categorizes its recipes so that anyone, no matter their dietary restriction, can find recipes suitable for their eating habits. This is great for diabetics as some of its main categories include low calorie, low carb, and dairy-free.
Another differentiating factor between Home Chef and other meal kits, is that it has a diverse and delicious smoothie section. This is great for diabetics, as you can satisfy your sweet tooth with natural sugars. The company also has a taste profiling feature that sends you ideal meals for your dietary needs that are based off of your past recipes.
Read Home Chef Full ReviewPros- Fully customizable meals
- All ingredients are pre-portioned for convenience and speed
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
Cons- Not enough options for vegans
- Expensive alternative to other dining options
Plated
4
Easily search for diabetic options- Price$9.95per serving
- Great forExotic, globally-inspired meals
- Special offers25% off your first 4 weeks
Never leave a meal feeling hungry or unsatisfied again. Plated has a huge selection of recipes and menu ideas that suit even the most strict diets. It offers peak-season produce, and meats raised without antibiotics so you know you’re eating quality ingredients.
Plated also offers a really simple way to search for recipes. You can select one of its main categories such as meat, seafood, vegetarian, or dessert, and further customize your search by things like low carb diet and less than 600 calorie meals.
Read Plated Full ReviewPros- Tons of flexibility within meal plans
- Lots of menu options to mix and match
- Fun and interesting chef hacks to improve cooking skills
Cons- Limited shipping within Texas
- When you start with the add-ons, prices skyrocket
Martha & Marley Spoon
5
Quality diabetic-friendly ingredients- Price$8.20-$12.00per serving
- Great forPeople who love cooking and need inspiration
- Special offersN/A
With Martha & Marley Spoon, you can choose from 10 separate recipes per week, all of them taken from the recipe book of Martha Stewart, and featuring top quality ingredients sourced from trusted providers.
If you’re watching your sugar intake, you’ll be happy to know that the recipes are arranged with labels such as “low calorie” and “low carb.” The nutritional facts are displayed in detail so you can keep track.
And the taste? With high-quality ingredients and some of the most interesting recipes in the meal kit industry, you’re in good hands.
Read Martha & Marley Spoon Full ReviewPros- Pre-portioned foods for all ingredients
- 18,000 diet-friendly recipes archive
- Detailed, color-picture, easy instructions
Cons- Lots of pans and cleanup involved
- Some recipes take more than 30 minutes to prepare
Bistro MD
6
Medically designed by doctors and nutritionists- Price$8.99-$11.99per serving
- Great forNutrition-minded people who love gourmet food
- Special offers25% off+free shipping
BistroMD is a renowned meal delivery service that has worked hard to earn its good name. Like Diet to Go, BistroMD focuses on delivering the healthiest and most diet-friendly meal options. But this service takes things even further. For one thing, BistroMD is a program that is medically designed by doctors and nutritionists to maximize metabolic activity and therefore maximize caloric burn for the fastest and best weight loss results. What’s more, BistroMD will customize your meal plan for you based on your dietary needs, health situation, and weight loss goals.
BistroMD also goes the distance when it comes to subscription and menu flexibility. It is one of the few meal delivery services that allows you to order one-off meals. So, you can shoot off any order if you’re just in the mood for a plate of blackened chicken with creamy smoked paprika sauce one day. BistroMD even has plans specialized for men, women, heart-healthy, gluten-free, diabetics, vegetarian, and menopausal women too. Oh, and did we mention that you have more than 200 different menu items to choose from? With a variety like that, you can literally have something new every week for a very long time.
Read Bistro MD Full ReviewPros- 200+ meal options available
- Science-based diet plans for optimal health results
- Personalized weight loss and diet support
Cons- Really expensive shipping fees
- Requires a lot of freezer space
Fill Your Body With the Best
Living with diabetes doesn’t have to mean hungry days or boring meals times. Learning about diabetic-friendly meal plans is the key to staying on top of your health and ensuring you maintain proper blood sugar levels. A diabetic meal delivery program, like the ones mentioned, help make sticking to a diabetic diet easy, convenient, and hassle-free!
