That means none of the cutting, chopping, measuring, and straining that leaves you with lost time and a sink full of dirty dishes. Most meal prep services offer kits that require just a few minutes in the oven or microwave before they’re ready to eat. And with everything available from all-natural and vegetarian and vegan entrees to weight-loss-friendly plans, these alternatives make no sacrifices when it comes to the healthiness and flavor of your pre-made meals.
Breaking Down Our Top 10 Choices: Which Is Best For You?
Not sure which prepared meal delivery kit to go with? Here is our round-up of the top 10 prepared meal delivery kits - fresh and frozen - worth checking out.
Freshly: Best for gluten-free diets
HelloFresh: Best for busy families
Home Chef: Best for minimal prep work
Factor_: Best for healthy eating
Blue Apron: Best for gourmet cooking
Fresh and Easy: Best for oven-ready classics
Nutrisystem: Best for weight loss
EveryPlate: Best for affordable eating
Green Chef: Best for plant-based meals
Sunbasket: Best for organic eating
A Closer Look at Our Top 10 Best Meal Prep Delivery Services
1. Freshly Pre Made Meal Plan
Fresh, never-frozen gluten-free delights
Freshly, as you may have guessed from the name, doesn’t include any frozen food—all meals are prepared using fresh, all-natural ingredients (and thus, have a fridge shelf-life of about 4-5 days). You can choose from a rotating menu of 30 meals per week, so there’s plenty of variety and little chance of getting bored with your food. Freshly is a premier gluten-free meal delivery service, and its meals are prepared in a peanut-free environment and contain no refined sugars. If there are other foods that you want to avoid, you can customize your meal plan to exclude dairy, eggs, pork, turkey, fish, soy, and more. All of this makes Freshly the leader of our pack of the best meal prep services.
✓ Price: From $8.99 per serving
✓ Shipping: $3.99-$12.11
Pros
- Fresh, healthy meals delivered to your door
- Rotating menu of 30 meals per week
- All meals are gluten-free and peanut-free
Cons
- No desserts or snacks available
- Doesn’t offer paleo, keto, or other special meal plans
2. Hello Fresh Pre Made Meal Plan
Sub-30 minute line of meals for busy nights
Hello Fresh strikes a great balance between price, variety, and ease of preparation. By striking that balance, however, Hello Fresh does not offer a line of completely pre-prepared meals.
What Hello Fresh does offer the convenience-minded home cook is their “Quick Meals'' line of dinners. Each of these recipes can be completed in 30 minutes or less, which makes them ideal for evenings when you're short on time, but not for when you literally have no time.
Generally, the quick and easy meals are a pasta dish, a grain plus protein recipe, or some form of tacos. Even though there are dozens of options, this pattern could get old after a while. Although much easier than making a fresh dinner from scratch, Hello Fresh still needs some work from you to complete the meal.
✓ Price: From $7.99 per serving
✓ Shipping: Free
Pros
- Easier than cooking a meal from scratch
- Numerous options in the 30-minutes or less category
- Boxes include many pre-prepared ingredients
Cons
- Not as easy as a heat-and-eat meal plan
- May require additional preparation
Read the full Hello Fresh review
3. Home Chef Pre Made Meal Plan
Full range of easy-to-make prepared meals to choose from
Home Chef has multiple options for customers looking for minimal preparation, ranging from microwave-ready meals to meal kits completed in 15 minutes.
Home Chef’s “oven-ready” line only requires you to unwrap, bake and enjoy. The “fast & fresh” meals are microwave meals with no prep work, or cleanup, required. Then there are the 15-minute meal kits, which are typically one-pan meals that you can whip up on your stovetop in a matter of minutes.
No matter what your time constraints are, Home Chef has a meal delivery option that works for you. If you want to save time above all else, this may be the meal delivery service for you!
✓ Price: From $8.99 per serving
✓ Shipping: $7.99-$13.99
Pros
- Microwave-ready, oven-ready, and quick stovetop options give you all the choices you need for an easy dinner
- 3 health-related meal plans to suit your needs: calorie-conscious, carb-conscious, and vegetarian
- Chef designed menu is as delicious as it is convenient
Cons
- Limited pre-prepared options for people with dietary restrictions
- No grab-and-go options
Read the full Home Chef review
4. Factor_ Pre Made Meal Plan
Complete line of pre-prepared to put your health goals in reach
Factor_ aims to provide a huge selection of keto, paleo, vegan, low-calorie, or just flavorful premade meals to suit your health goals. Pre-portioned and pre-packaged, it doesn’t get simpler than this!
Most, if not all, of their meals come ready for you to pop in the microwave or oven and enjoy mere minutes later. The fact that all of their meals are always fresh, and never frozen, makes Factor_ one of the fresher prepared meal kits available.
The combination of diet-friendly options and heat-and-serve convenience makes Factor_ one of the most appealing meal delivery services for busy people who want to eat for better health.
✓ Price: From $11.00 per serving
✓ Shipping: $9.99 per delivery
Pros
- Suitable for a range of dietary restrictions
- Fresh, not frozen, whole foods options
- A complete line of pre-made meals to help you achieve your health goals
Cons
- No customization available in ingredients or meal size
- Few breakfast options
5. Blue Apron Pre Made Meal Plan
Convenient culinary delights
Blue Apron emphasizes enjoyable culinary experiences that cut some of the prep time out of making a balanced meal. You will not find any pre-prepared meals in Blue Apron’s meal kits.
What Blue Apron does offer by way of convenience is a series of meals that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less. They take some of the stress out of gourmet cooking by providing pre-portioned ingredients for every recipe, as well as step-by-step tutorials on how to best prepare items.
Although Blue Apron does not offer the convenience of a microwave- or oven-ready meal, this meal kit delivery service may be suitable if you don’t have enough time to explore your culinary interests.
Ultimately Blue Apron is a meal delivery service whose focal point is flavor and the cooking experience itself, not convenience.
✓ Price: From $7.49 per serving
✓ Shipping: First box for free
Pros
- Offers sub-30 and some 20-minute meal kits
- Requires preparation, but takes the stress out of it
- Provides step-by-step instructions to expedite prep-time
Cons
- No ready-to-heat meal kits available
- Many meal kits may take 40 or more minutes to prepare and cook
Read the full Blue Apron review
6. Fresh & Easy Pre Made Meal Plan
Oven-ready classics to save you time and money
Fresh & Easy is a little different than the other services on this list. It delivers all of the ingredients you need washed, cut, and portioned as well as the pots and pans you need to cook them in, though, unlike other prepared meal services, cooking is still required. That’s a cinch, however: meals are delivered complete with oven- and grill-ready dishes so that you can just pop the ingredients inside, heat up your meal, and enjoy the fruits of your own stove without having to deal with the aftermath of a dirty sink. A new service by meal-delivery veterans Home Chef, Fresh & Easy states its goal in its name: to make it even easier for people short on time but big on health to have access to fresh, home-cooked meals.
✓ Price: From $8.99 per serving
✓ Shipping: $7.99-$13.99
Pros
- Oven- and grill-ready dishes included
- No cutting or prep work necessary
- New service from Home Chef
Cons
- Limited menu options
- Meals are not ready to eat
Read the full Fresh & Easy review
7. Nutrisystem Pre Made Meal Plan
A veteran in the field of prepared meal delivery for weight loss
As a long-standing provider of pre-prepared meals, Nutrisystem knows what they're doing when it comes to combining health and convenience.
Nutrisystem has two main preparation styles in their meals. Their “all-in-one” meals are completely frozen meals ready to be microwaved or baked in the oven. The “skillet-ready” options are one-pan meals that make a fresh dinner a snap. Both of these options make healthy eating just minutes away.
Aside from the heat-and-serve options, Nutrisystem is one of the few meal delivery services that also offer grab-and-go snacks. The calorie-controlled options for 3 snacks a day will keep you from feeling famished on your health journey.
Nutrisystem takes all of the guesswork out of weight loss, and caters to multiple dietary needs, making it a great choice for people on the go who want to lose weight.
✓ Price: From $9.99 per serving
✓ Shipping: Free
Pros
- Portion controlled options to make the healthy choice the easy choice at any time of the day
- Meal prep is a thing of the past with grab-and-go, microwave-ready and skillet-ready options
- Caters to a number of different healthy eating plans
Cons
- Does not accommodate food allergies/intolerances
- Few fresh options (most meals/snacks are frozen or packaged)
Read the full Nutrisystem review
8. EveryPlate Pre Made Meal Plan
Well-priced and tasty 30-minute dinners
EveryPlate strikes a middle ground. Although they do not deliver pre-made meals to your doorstep, the meals kits they provide emphasize simplicity and ease. With EveryPlate, affordable 30-minute dinners are something to be expected, not just wished for.
EveryPlate provides step-by-step instructions to take the stress and guesswork out of meal prep. By focusing on simple ingredients, simple cooking methods, and having you do what little meal-prep these meals entail, EveryPlate helps you to gain the skills to cook meals more quickly yourself.
EveryPlate does not work well for busy people looking to optimize for convenience above all else. But, if you have 30-minutes a day to spare for dinner, then EveryPlate might be right for you.
✓ Price: From $4.99 per serving
✓ Shipping: $9.99
Pros
- Emphasizes simple preparation methods
- Many recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less
- Provides step-by-step instructions to make prep-time fast and easy
Cons
- Many meals take 35 minutes or more to prepare
- No pre-prepared, heat-and-serve options available
Read the full EveryPlate review
.20190221090028.png){kind=icon}
9. Green Chef Pre Made Meal Plan
Prepped organic delights
Green Chef is distinguished by their almost completely organic line of meal kits. If you’re strapped for time, unfortunately, the preparation required for the meals they offer averages at about 30 minutes.
Green Chef’s line of meals does come with pre-made sauces, dressings, and spice blends in order to minimize some of the more advanced and time-consuming preparation. Chef’s tips are provided when necessary in order to make prep work a little more convenient. Some ingredients may even come pre-chopped to expedite things further.
Green Chef may be the right choice if you have some time to spare for dinner prep, but if you need a plan that prioritizes convenience, you will have better luck with another service.
✓ Price: From $11.99 per serving
✓ Shipping: $7.99 after first box
Pros
- Emphasizes simple preparation methods
- Most recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less
- Offers keto/paleo, balanced, and plant-based menus to choose from
Cons
- Customization based on food allergies/intolerances is not available
- No pre-prepared, heat-and-serve options available
Read the full Green Chef review
10. Sunbasket Pre Made Meal Plan
Certified organic meals ready in minutes
Sunbasket may be the only meal delivery service that combines the convenience of zero-prep meals ready in minutes with the quality and flavor of an almost entirely organic collection of ingredients.
Their line of “speedy” meal kits are intended to be cooked in under 20 minutes. The “fresh & ready” meal options, on the other hand, can be popped in the microwave or oven for a hearty, healthy meal that’s ready in minutes. Whatever you choose, Sunbasket makes healthy high-quality eating within reach, especially if you’re too busy to cook.
Sunbasket offers a full day of meals — breakfast, lunch, and dinner — made with certified-organic and sustainably sourced ingredients that cater to every major health diet plan. Healthy eating doesn’t get faster, easier, or more delicious than this!
✓ Price: From $9.99 per serving
✓ Shipping: $5.99-$7.99
Pros
- Almost completely organic or sustainably sourced ingredients
- Speedy meal kits are ready in less than 20 minutes with minimal preparation
- Heat-and-serve microwave-/oven-ready meals are perfect for a healthy meal plan for an on-the-go lifestyle
Cons
- No single-meal option for people who live alone
- Recipes are packed in a facility that handles all major food allergens, so they may not be right for someone with a severe food allergy
Read the full Sunbasket review
Why Should I Use a Meal Delivery Service?
You might be asking yourself: are meal prep services worth it? Meal delivery services save you time spent on shopping and cooking, without having to give up healthy eating. They’re also a great way to make sure you always have backup meals stored in the freezer in case of emergencies.
It basically comes down to a combination of convenience, simplicity, and health that makes meal delivery services a great choice if you lead a busy life.
Prepared Meal Delivery vs. Meal Kits: What's the Difference Anyway?
While prepared meal deliveries are shipped ready-to-eat, meal kits offer ingredients that need to be chopped, mixed, cooked, or prepared in some way. These ingredients are packaged with clear recipe cards and instructions to follow. Sometimes, they even include fun facts about the dish.
Meal kits are usually cheaper than ready-made meals. If you opt for meal kits, you’ll get the chance to improve your cooking skills and try new dishes all for a fraction of the cost it would cost you at a restaurant or cooking school. On the other hand, preparing the meals requires a bit more time and effort on your part.
Choosing the Best Meal Prep Delivery Service for You
With so many top meal prep services to choose from, it can be hard to sit down and figure out which one is right for you. Some companies specialize in organic, plant-based frozen meals, some focus on specialty needs like diabetic and paleo diets, and others simply focus on taste and flavors that can appeal to everyone.
So when deciding on a healthy frozen meal delivery company, assess the needs of you and your family. Pay attention to what kinds of foods are on the menu, what kinds of diet the service is catering to, and how appealing the cuisine is.
A few other key details to look for:
- Make sure the company delivers to your state
- Make sure there’s a meal plan that accommodates the number of people in your home
- Keep an eye out for promotions and special offers
- Pay attention to shipping costs
Should I Choose a Fresh or Frozen Meal Delivery Service?
Almost all meal delivery companies have a team of professional chefs on staff that prepare your meals fresh. The flash-freezing process allows kitchens to ship their freshly prepared meals across the country without sacrificing flavor, nutrients, or quality. This way, customers can enjoy chefs’ creations and professionally made entrees at home without ordering in or cooking themselves.
Many services offer the option of delivering your meals unfrozen. Be sure to check how long the meals can be kept in the fridge before ordering in bulk if you don’t like freezing your food.
If you keep all of this in mind, you should have no trouble finding a meal prep home delivery service that is right for you.
