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The best meal delivery will cater to a person’s unique needs and preferences. With a wide range of meal delivery services available, people with various dietary requirements have many options to choose from.
- Best overall meal delivery: HelloFresh | Skip to review
- Best meal delivery service for weight loss: Factor | Skip to review
- Best plant-based meal kit: Purple Carrot | Skip to review
- Best vegetarian meal delivery: Blue Apron | Skip to review
- Best organic meal delivery: Sunbasket | Skip to review
- Best meal delivery for diabetes: BistroMD | Skip to review
- Best gluten-free meal delivery: Green Chef | Skip to review
- Best paleo meal delivery: Trifecta | Skip to review
- Best customizable meal delivery: Home Chef | Skip to review
- Best for children’s meals: Nurture Life | Skip to review
- Best for muscle building: Muscle Meals 2 Go | Skip to review
- Best affordable meal delivery service: EveryPlate | Skip to review
- Best for healthy pre-prepared meals: Fresh n Lean | Skip to review
- Best meal delivery service for families: Dinnerly | Skip to review
- Best meal variety: CookUnity | Skip to review
Medical News Today chooses meal delivery services that fit the following criteria:
- Nutritional value: MNT chooses meal delivery services that meet the average person’s nutritional needs and promote healthy eating habits.
- Ingredient quality: MNT chooses meal delivery services that use fresh, high quality ingredients. Some also use organic produce or sustainably sourced ingredients.
- Variety: MNT chooses meal delivery services that feature a range of flavors and ingredients to suit different taste preferences and diets.
- Price: MNT chooses meal delivery services with different price points to suit a range of budgets.
- Availability: MNT chooses meal delivery services available throughout most of the United States.
- Sustainability: MNT chooses meal delivery services that reduce their environmental impact by employing recyclable packaging, carbon neutral shipping, local ingredients, and other sustainable practices.
- Reputation: MNT only chooses brands that adhere to industry best practices and have passed our medical vetting process.
Medical News Today follows a strict product selection and vetting process. Learn more.
Medical News Today has tested some of the services below. Reviewers may have received some products from the manufacturers for free, which does not influence their review. All opinions are the reviewers’ own.
The table below compares each of the meal delivery services in this article on key points:
Cost | Serving size | Number of meals | Shipping | |
---|---|---|---|---|
HelloFresh | $9.99–$11.49 per serving | serves 2–4 people | 2–6 meals per week | $8.99 per box |
Factor | $10.99–$13.49 per serving | one serving per meal | 6–18 meals per week | $9.99 per box |
Purple Carrot | $11–$13.25 per serving | serves 2–4 people | three or four meals per week | $10 for any orders under $100 |
Blue Apron | $7.99–$11.99 | serves 2–4 people | 2–5 meals per week | $10.99 per box |
Sunbasket | from $10–$12 per serving | serves 1–4 people | 2–5 meals per week | $9.99 per box |
BistroMD | $149.90–$219.80 per week | one serving per meal | 10–20 meals per week | $19.95 per box |
Green Chef | $11.99–$13.49 per serving | serves 2–6 people | 3–4 meals per week | $8.99 per box |
Trifecta | $104.93–$110.99 per week | one serving per meal | 7–21 meals per week | $9.99 per box |
Home Chef | from $9 per serving | serves 2–8 people | 2–6 meals per week | calculated at checkout |
Nurture Life | from $6.55 per item | one serving size | 6–16 items per week | $8.99 per delivery |
Muscle Meals 2 Go | $13.95–$16.50 per meal, or from $145 per week | one serving per meal | 10–24 meals per week | $9.99 per delivery in Florida, or $25 to all other contiguous US states |
EveryPlate | $4.99–$7.49 per serving | serves 2–6 people | 3–6 meals per week | $9.99 per box |
Fresh n Lean | $10.66–$15.99 per serving | one serving per meal | 5–21 meals per week | free on orders over $100, or $9.99 on orders below $100 |
Dinnerly | $45.95–$131.75 per week | serves 2–4 people | 2–6 meals per week | $11.99 per box |
CookUnity | from $11.09 per serving | one serving per meal | 4–16 meals per week | free |
Meal kits are ingredients, recipes, and cooking instructions a company sends out in regular deliveries to its customers. This can make it easier for people to prepare meals at home without needing to shop for groceries or spend too long cooking.
Companies offer a variety of customizable subscription plans. A person can request meals for the whole week or just a few days.
People with certain conditions, such as diabetes or gluten intolerance, and those following paleo or plant-based diets, for example, can often find delivery services that meet their needs.
If people would prefer to try preprepared meals instead, there are many options available.
Meal delivery services may be particularly beneficial for people who do not have the time to source and cook healthy meals every day. This is especially true for people who live in food deserts: receiving meal kit deliveries may be easier and cheaper than driving to the nearest grocery store.
These services may also be good for people looking to make a healthy change to their diet by reducing the amount of takeout they order. Many companies offer meals inspired by traditional takeouts, such as Chinese and Indian cuisines. However, these meals may be a healthier alternative.
Many meal delivery services offer food that is suitable for the whole family. People can choose family favorites that even pickier eaters are likelier to enjoy.
Finally, these services can teach people how to cook or make amateur chefs more comfortable in the kitchen. Most companies offer recipe cards that break down the meal into easy-to-follow steps.
People should consider the following factors when choosing a meal delivery service:
- Diets: Some individuals may prefer choosing a meal delivery service that caters for different diets, especially if they have children and are ordering different meals for family members. People should check if a service caters to their diet. Many brands offer dedicated vegan, gluten-free, or keto diets, and some brands offer menus for those with diabetes or IBS.
- Shipping: Many brands do not ship to certain states. People should check where the company delivers to before making an order.
- Price: Prices depend on the amount of food a person orders per week. Typically, prices per serving start at around $6. A person should work out how many meals they would like each week and whether their budget suits their chosen brand.
- Packaging: People may wish to prioritize companies that use recyclable packaging to reduce their impact on the enviroment.
- Convenience: Individuals who have a busy schedule and do not have time to shop for or prepare complicated meals may consider choosing a company that provides easy-to-follow instructions and fresh ingredients.
HelloFresh is one of the most popular meal delivery services. However, people may wish to choose a meal delivery service that caters to their diet and fits their budget.
There are a variety of premade meal delivery services that prioritize nutritious ingredients, including Sunbasket, Factor, Trifecta, and Purple Carrot.
One of the main differences between Daily Harvest and HelloFresh is that Daily Harvest offers prepared meals, while HelloFresh offers meal kits. People with limited time to cook may prefer Daily Harvest. However, HelloFresh can help people learn cooking skills.
Daily Harvest only offers meals suitable for vegans and free from gluten. People following these diets may find a range of meals for their diet using this service. HelloFresh may be best for those following meat-based diets. Plus, the meals are also suitable for families.
People may consider their dietary needs, time constraints, and budget when choosing between these two meal delivery services.
Factor and HelloFresh offer low calorie menus that may help a person lose weight. People may wish to speak with a doctor before changing their diet.
Having meal delivery may cut time spent planning and grocery shopping. The best mealy delivery depends on a person’s needs and preferences.
Several companies offer specialized kits for individuals with some health conditions, such as diabetes, and specific diets, such as a vegan diet.
People should speak with a doctor before changing their diet, especially if they have existing health conditions.