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Some meal delivery brands cater to people who want to lose weight. Increasing exercise levels and adopting other healthy habits can help.
- Best for a range of diets: Factor
- Best for organic meals: Trifecta
- Best for lower budgets: Blue Apron
- Best for certified humane meals: Fresh n’ Lean
- Best for allergies: Gobble
- Best for gender-specific meals: BistroMD
- Best for fast preparation: Freshly
- Best for vegans: Veestro
This article explains how meal delivery services work and why they may help with weight loss. It lists brands that people can try, discusses the benefits and downsides of meal delivery, and looks at general weight loss tips.
Meal delivery brands provide prepared meals for home delivery. A person only needs to heat them up. Meal delivery kits, on the other hand, contain portioned ingredients and recipes. People prepare and cook these meals at home.
In both cases, a person chooses the types and number of meals they want to order each week. Most brands offer one-off purchases as well as subscription plans.
Using a meal delivery service may save time and help prevent food waste. These services may appeal to people with limited cooking abilities or people who want to try new recipes without the hassle of grocery shopping.
People may wish to consider the following when choosing a meal delivery service:
- Preparation time: Some services may provide ready-to-eat meals, recipes, or premeasured ingredients, all of which have different preparation times.
- Menu choices: Individuals with food allergies or dietary requirements should ensure that the meal delivery service they choose has food they can consume.
- Cost: People should choose a meal delivery service that fits their budget.
A person should be sure that their meal choices meet nutritional requirements and contain whole grains, vegetables, and a suitable balance of macronutrients.
People should vary their menu choices to ensure that they are getting essential vitamins and minerals.
Learn more about a healthy diet here.
Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication.
Medical News Today follows a strict product selection and vetting process. Learn more here.
Best for a range of diets: Factor
Factor, formerly Factor 75, provides fully prepared meals designed by dietitians and prepared by chefs. The company says that its meals are fresh, never frozen, and that a person needs to eat them within 7 days of delivery.
The brand offers various menus that may help with weight management, including:
- low calorie
- low carb
- high protein
- keto
- plant-based
- paleo
It also has gluten-free options. The company says its meals each have around 600 calories.
Sample meals:
At the time of writing, some options include:
- keto poblano bowl
- Peruvian grilled chicken
- BBQ pulled chicken
Pricing:
| 4 meals per week | $15.00 per meal |
|---|---|
| 6 meals per week | $12.83 per meal |
| 8 meals per week | $12.30 per meal |
| 12 meals per week | $11.50 per meal |
| 18 meals per week | $11.00 per meal |
Factor also offers add-ons, such as snacks and shakes, for a fee.
Delivery is free, and the company ships to the contiguous United States. Deliveries are made between Monday and Wednesday, depending on the zip code, and customers are able to skip deliveries as long as they give 4-weeks’ notice.
Best for organic meals: Trifecta
Trifecta delivers fresh, organic, chef-prepared meals. Each meal contains 350–500 calories.
The meals are suitable for a range of diets, including plant-based, keto, and paleo.
Sample meals:
Some options include:
- salmon and wild rice
- chicken pesto pasta
- pineapple coconut loaf
Pricing:
| Keto, Clean, or Paleo meal plans | $108.43 per week |
| Vegan or Vegetarian meal plans | $90.93 per week |
| Meal Prep, Classic Meals, Budget Meal Prep, or Meat Lovers Meal Prep kits | $119.20 per week |
Delivery is available in the contiguous U.S. The company offers free shipping, and customers are able to skip deliveries as long as they give 7 days’ notice.
Best for lower budgets: Blue Apron
Blue Apron offers meal kits. Its menus include low calorie, carb-conscious, and diabetes-friendly options.
It also has meals approved by WW (previously Weight Watchers) and meals with 600 calories or less.
For people with plant-based diets, it uses the Beyond Meat plant-based alternative in its recipes.
Sample meals:
Some options include:
- grilled Italian burgers with fontina, Calabrian mayo, and balsamic-herb onions
- curry-peanut chicken with sushi rice and marinated vegetables
- smoky guajillo pork and rice bowls with fresh tomato salsa and lime mayo
Each kit comes with recipe cards with beginner-friendly instructions, and most recipes take under 45 minutes to prepare.
Pricing:
| Signature | Vegetarian | Signature for Four | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 recipes per week | $9.99 per serving | $9.99 per serving | $9.99 per serving |
| 3 recipes per week | $9.99 per serving | $9.99 per serving | $7.99 per serving |
| 4 recipes per week | $9.99 per serving | not available | $7.49 per serving |
Shipping is free for most Blue Apron plans, and delivery is available in the contiguous U.S.
A customer can decide to skip meals or change plans between 5 weeks and 5 days before the company processes their next order.
Best for certified humane meals: Fresh n’ Lean
Fresh n’ Lean offers organic, non-GMO, free-range, and certified humane meals. The meals are single-serving and microwavable, and most are under 500 calories.
This company provides low carb, vegan, paleo, and keto meals. People can choose 5–7 meals per week.
Sample meals:
Some options include:
- roasted chicken thigh with cilantro cream
- beef stroganoff
- tofu with coconut curry brown rice
Pricing:
| Paleo | $73.50–$209.30 per week |
|---|---|
| Keto | $73.50–$209.30 per week |
| Vegan | $73.50–$166.60 per week |
The company also has an a la carte menu, which offers prepared protein, grains, and vegetables.
Fresh n’ Lean delivers meals each Friday. Shipping is free. People can skip or cancel their weekly order as long as they do so before noon PST on the Saturday before their delivery.
Best for allergies: Gobble
Gobble offers chef-designed, prepared and portioned meal kits that are ready to eat in 15 minutes. Each serving of the company’s Lean & Clean plan has no more than 600 calories.
People can personalize their meals so they are free of dairy, nuts, and gluten.
Sample menu:
Some options include:
- Mexican-style steak and vegetables with refried black beans
- chicken paillard with asparagus and lemon butter sauce
- seared salmon, roasted broccoli, and cauliflower with Italian salsa verde
Pricing:
| Dinner for 2 plan | starts at $11.99 per serving |
|---|---|
| Dinner for 4 plan | $11.99 per serving |
Gobble also offers sides, such as soups, salads, and breakfasts, which people can add to their orders.
The company offers free delivery and operates in many states across the contiguous U.S. People can check to see if Gobble delivers to their state on the company’s website.
Best for gender-specific meals: BistroMD
BistroMD offers three meals and two snacks per day, or two meals per day, with different plans for males and females. The plan for males provides an average of 1,400 calories per day, whereas the plan for females provides an average of 1,200 calories.
The company offers gluten-free, diabetes-friendly, low sodium, and menopause-friendly meals.
Sample meals:
Some options include:
- Western egg scramble
- Mediterranean quinoa salad
- meatloaf with honey bourbon glaze
Pricing:
| Full program 7 days | $199.95 per week |
|---|---|
| Full program 5 days | $169.95 per week |
| Lunches & dinners 7 days | $169.95 per week |
| Lunches & dinners 5 days | $139.95 per week |
BistroMD states that delivery takes 5–6 days and will cost $19.95.
Best for fast preparation: Freshly
Freshly offers microwavable meals that it states are ready in 3 minutes or less. People can filter meals to refine their choices. For example, FreshlyFit meals have 500 or fewer calories per serving.
Additionally, Freshly offers options that are free of dairy, gluten, and soy.
Sample meals:
Some options include:
- protein-packed chicken parm
- turkey meatballs
- southwest beef stew
Pricing:
| 4 meals per week | $57.15 |
|---|---|
| 5 meals per week | $68.94 |
| 6 meals per week | $69.93 |
| 7 meals per week | $79.92 |
| 8 meals per week | $85.91 |
| 9 meals per week | $95.40 |
| 10 meals per week | $103.89 |
| 11 meals per week | $113.18 |
| 12 meals per week | $119.87 |
Freshly charges shipping for each order, which it includes in the above prices. People may also have to pay a sales tax.
Best for vegans: Veestro
Veestro is a meal delivery service that provides plant-based frozen meals. The company states that eating three of its meals per day yields an average of 1,200 calories.
People can also filter menu options by dietary requirements, such as gluten-, nut-, and soy-free meals and low calorie and kosher options.
Veestro offers two menus: an a la carte menu and a dedicated weight loss plan.
Sample meals:
Some options include:
- ultimate veggie wrap
- jackfruit jambalaya
- red curry with tofu
Pricing:
| 5-day weight loss plan | $178.95 per week |
|---|---|
| 7-day weight loss plan | $250.53 per week |
| 10 meals a la carte | starts from $12.82 per meal |
| 20 meals a la carte | starts from $11.93 per meal |
| 30 meals a la carte | starts from $11.03 per meal |
Veestro states that shipping is free on all of its plans.
Opting for a meal delivery service may help reduce a person’s overall calorie intake because the portions of the food are set.
Meals made with fresh ingredients from a delivery service may be similar to home-cooked meals, and some research has looked at how home cooking may help with weight loss.
A large, population-based
The researchers found that 39.3% of participants who ate home-cooked meals more than five times a week lost at least 5% of their initial weight. Furthermore, 22.4% of these participants sustained a loss of at least 5% of their initial weight for up to 3 years.
The researchers also found that people who ate more home-cooked meals were 28% less likely to be overweight, based on their body mass index, and 24% less likely to have excess body fat.
The following are some benefits and drawbacks of using meal kits for weight loss.
Pros
- Meal delivery services have set portion sizes, which may help a person keep to their weight loss plan.
- Meal delivery services provide full nutritional information, which can help a person track their calories and nutrients.
- Meal delivery services offer food that people can prepare quickly, which may suit those who are short on time.
Cons
- Some meal delivery services offer higher-calorie meals, which may hinder weight loss efforts.
- People will need to consider what meals or snacks they consume other than the delivered meals to achieve a calorie deficit.
- Meal delivery services can be more expensive than batch-cooking home-cooked meals.
To lose weight successfully and safely,
As a
However, the same review does highlight some generally effective strategies for weight loss. These include:
- avoiding added sugars
- limiting processed foods
- consuming whole grain products
- having fruits and vegetables make up more of the diet
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), for a person to maintain their current weight, they need to do
To lose weight and maintain the loss, people likely need to do more exercise than this.
Meal delivery services may support weight loss goals, but it depends on various factors, including meal choices and overall activity levels.
Some brands have menus designed for weight loss. These may include low calorie, carb-conscious, or plant-based options.