Best Meal Delivery
High
Multiple
Excellent
Limited availability
Average
Multiple
Excellent
Not available in Alaska or Hawaii
Average
Multiple
Good
Not available in Alaska or Hawaii
Low
Limited
Good
Not available in Alaska or Hawaii
High
Limited
Good
Not available in Alaska or Hawaii
Meal delivery services have rapidly expanded recently. From keto to vegan, you can find a meal delivery kit to suit your diet plan. There are even meal delivery services that cater to the smallest (and often pickiest) members of your family.
If you're interested in having meals delivered to your door, we've compiled a selection of the top meal delivery services to help you decide which is best for you.
Our Top Picks For Best Meal Delivery
- EveryPlate: Best For Lowest Price Per Portion
- Sunbasket: Best For Special Diets
- HelloFresh: Best For Wide Variety Of Options
- Factor: Best For Fully-Prepared Meals
- Blue Apron: Best For Fast Shipping
Best Meal Delivery Reviews
Why we chose it: EveryPlate is one of the cheapest meal delivery services available. Additionally, each recipe is six steps or less, which makes EveryPlate a good option for people who want to keep dinner simple.
EveryPlate offers a wide selection, and each week you get to choose from 25 different meals. Since the menu changes frequently, you won't get stuck eating the same meals week after week. You can also select from one of five preferences:
- Meat & Veggie
- Veggie
- Family Friendly
- Quick & Easy
- Nutrish & Delish
Depending on which option you choose, you'll see recipes that most closely align with your preferences first, but you'll be able to pick from any of the 25 meal options no matter what preference you select. Most recipes include a protein source, vegetables and a starchy side. You can select to receive meals for two or four people, and you can choose between three and six meals weekly.
If you're looking for more specific options, EveryPlate also allows you to filter your meals based on top-rated, spicy and premium.
The meals are shipped in insulated boxes, so they'll stay fresh even if they're delivered while you're away from home. When you open the box you'll find your ingredients and recipe cards that correspond with your meals for the week.
Overall, the reviews of EveryPlate are positive. Many people are impressed with the simplicity and quality of the meals. However, some people have reported missing ingredients.
EveryPlate is best for people who are looking for normal dinners at an affordable price. However, if you're looking for more complex cuisine with a "wow" factor, you might be disappointed. The lack of specialized diet options is also an issue for some people. Although they offer vegetarian meals, you won't find vegan, gluten-free or keto meals. However, sticking with the basics is how EveryPlate keeps costs down.
Why we chose it: Sunbasket offers meals that fit into many different special diets, including vegetarian, keto, diabetes-friendly, gluten-free and pescetarian.
Although they're on the pricey side compared to other meal delivery kits, Sunbasket prioritizes fresh, organic produce and offers options for almost every diet plan. They also offer "fresh and ready" meals that don't require any cooking.
With Sunbasket, you're not limited to any particular diet. You can choose from the entire menu and add extra options for lunches or snacks as well as dinners. Their diet choices include:
- Paleo
- Pescetarian
- Carb-conscious
- Mediterranean
- Gluten-free
- Keto-friendly
- Diabetes-friendly
- Vegetarian
- Fresh and Ready
All of Sunbasket's produce is organic, and most of the packaging is compostable or recyclable, making them an eco-friendly service. Sunbasket is more specialized than many other meal delivery services, which may be why its availability is more limited. It's not available in Alaska, Hawaii, and selected areas of Montana, New Mexico and North Dakota.
Every week you can select two or more dinners from the rotating menu. Each dinner serves two or four servings. You can filter based on diet, speed of preparation, or caloric content, among other choices.
After you make your dinner selections, you can add on breakfast and lunch options. Some of their breakfast options include:
- Breakfast burritos
- Oatmeal
- Granola
- Waffles
- Smoothies
Some lunch options include:
- Salads
- Pizza
- Pasta bowls
- Empanadas
Customer reviews are mostly positive, with many people being impressed by the flavor and quality of the meals. Sunbasket's recipe cards are generally easy to follow, and the meals are packaged well for freshness and protection. Most negative reviews are related to Sunbasket's higher price point.
Sunbasket is a great choice if you're looking for convenience and high-quality, flavorful meals and don't mind spending extra.
Why we chose it: HelloFresh offers a choice of six meal plan options, and each option has over 27 weekly recipes to choose from. You can also make substitutions to customize your meals.
HelloFresh's meal plan choices include:
- Meat & Veggies
- Veggie
- Family-friendly
- Fit & Wholesome
- Quick and Easy
- Pescetarian
You can choose meal kits that serve two or four people, and you can opt for two to four recipes weekly. Some HelloFresh meals include the option to exchange or upgrade over 12 protein or side dishes each week, making it one of the most customizable meal delivery kits available. If you don't like shrimp, for instance, you can swap it for chicken.
HelloFresh has a repository of over 2,500 recipes, with over 100 available to choose from each week. You aren't limited to the meal plan you choose, and the sheer number of available recipes means you're likely to find something that appeals to you. However, if you follow a strict eating plan, such as vegan or gluten-free, your selection will be much more limited.
Customer reviews of HelloFresh are mostly positive. Many people appreciate the variety, freshness and flavor of the meals. Others like being able to try recipes that they otherwise wouldn't have. Some negative reviewers complain about late delivery and high prices. This may be because HelloFresh offers premium meals that can significantly increase the cost of your plan. While it may be worth the extra expense, make sure you take note of it so you aren't caught by surprise.
HelloFresh is also a good option for families that want to get their kids involved in the cooking process. Their simple recipe cards and kid-friendly options make it easy for younger kids to help in the kitchen or for older teens to cook dinner for the whole family.
Why we chose it: Factor offers single-serve meals that are premade and cater to specialized diets such as gluten-free, dairy-free and keto. It's a good option for people who want to eat healthily but don't want to cook.
Factor's meals are never frozen, so the quality and texture is better than what you'll find in your supermarket's frozen food aisle. Each week you can choose from 35 meals to build your custom box of six, eight, 10, 12, 14 or 18 weekly meals. Menu options include:
- Chef's Choice
- Keto
- Vegan and Veggie
- Calorie Smart
- Protein Plus
Factor's focus on healthy eating is apparent in the emphasis it places on nutrition. Not only are Factor meals created by dieticians to fit into a healthy eating plan, but also you can schedule an online session with a nutrition coach or dietician to help refine your diet plan. This complimentary session can also help you plan your meals to align with your fitness goals.
Their focus is more keto and fitness-conscious than many other meal delivery kits, and you can choose add-on options for breakfast, snacks and desserts. Factor is a good option for people who need single servings — whether they're single or you're following a different diet than the rest of their family. While choosing Factor to feed a family might be more expensive, it could make sense for families that have significantly different tastes, since each person could pick their own meal.
Why we chose it: Blue Apron delivers every day of the week in selected cities. The company also lets you select your own delivery day based on where you live. If you live in a more populous area, you're likely to have more options.
In addition to fast delivery, Blue Apron is a good general meal delivery service because it provides a wide range of meal options that are simple to prepare. Menu options include:
- Signature
- Vegetarian
- Wellness
- Signature for Four
Blue Apron lets you choose two or four servings for two, three or four meals per week. They have more add-on options than most other meal delivery services, and also offer wine delivery. You can choose pairings to go with your meals in two-serving portions or standard bottles. Unlike meal kits, wine delivery only offers a monthly option, so you'll need to plan ahead.
You can also take advantage of Blue Apron's market. Options include seasonal boxes, wine and kitchen tools, and shipping is free on orders over $50. When you give Blue Apron as a gift, the recipient will get an e-card so they can make their own selections.
Other Meal Delivery Services We Considered
There are so many meal delivery services on the market nowadays that it would be impossible to review them all. We chose the ones that provided the most variety to the widest range of customers.
We also considered the following companies, which all provide value but were either too specialized to appeal to most customers or didn't provide as much variety as our top choices.
Purple Carrot
Purple Carrot is ideal if you only want vegan options. While most meal delivery kits offer a few vegan selections, Purple Carrot is 100% vegan. They have ready-to-eat and standard meal kit choices as well as low-prep meal kits.
Purple Carrot also offers breakfast and lunch meals in addition to a "plantry" that includes packaged snacks. You can choose between a two-serving portion or four-serving portion.
We ultimately decided not to include Purple Carrot in our top choices because it only offers vegan options, which limits its customer base. However, it's one of the best companies if you're looking for vegan meal delivery.
Mosaic Foods
Mosaic Foods offers bake-and-serve meals for the entire family. You can choose boxes with six, 12 or 18 entrees. All meals are frozen, so you can stockpile them. Although prep is easy for most meals, it can take a while to heat them up in the oven, with some meals requiring over 60 minutes to cook. Shipping is free for 12- or 18-item boxes. Although Mosaic provides convenient plant-based meals, its limited availability and options don't make it ideal for a wide customer base.
Nurture Life
Nurture Life offers nutritionally-balanced meals for children that are ready in one minute or less. The service is ideal for parents of picky eaters because you can filter meals based on a variety of criteria. The meals are fresh, never frozen, so they're ready quickly and retain their flavor and texture.
You can also order snacks, smoothies and finger food for toddlers. Nurture Life is limited to children's meals, so it wasn't included in our best meal delivery services, but it's ideal for busy parents.
Meal Delivery Guide
If you've never tried a meal delivery kit, this guide will walk you through how they work and what you can expect.
What Is Meal Delivery?
Meal delivery refers to a service that delivers meals to your doorstep. Some meal delivery services provide fully-cooked meals that only need to be reheated. However, most provide kits with the ingredients you need to prepare a meal and a recipe card with instructions. There are many meal delivery services available that cater to every type of diet.
How Does Meal Delivery Work?
Each company has its own specific steps, but in general, you start by picking a plan. Some of the different plan options include low-carb, vegetarian, kid-friendly, low-calorie and more. Once you choose a plan, you'll be able to select the meals you want from the menu.
Most services don't limit you to the plan you've chosen, so if you see a mouthwatering option from a different plan, you can add it to your box. You can usually opt for two or four servings per meal. Many services offer a minimum of two meals per week, and up to six or seven. After you choose your meals, some services let you pick add-ons for breakfast, lunch and snacks. However, not all services offer this option.
Most companies ship meals out once a week. Your box will arrive on a specific day, and the contents will be chilled and insulated. When you receive them, they will need to be refrigerated. Ready-to-eat meals can be frozen for later, although this kind of defeats the purpose of ordering fresh food.
When you're ready to start cooking, simply pull out the recipe card and follow the instructions. All of the ingredients you need to prepare the meal are provided in the box, including spices. You may have to do some chopping and mixing, but everything is pre measured and portioned.
The Benefits Of Using Meal Delivery Services
With the busy pace of life today, many people struggle to find the time to plan meals, shop for groceries and cook dinner. If you have a family, you know how stressful it can be to plan multiple meals every single day. Meal delivery services can make the endless and often thankless task of meal planning easier and less monotonous. Some of the benefits of using a meal delivery service include:
Saves Significant Time
Scrolling through a fixed number of meals and choosing some that look appealing is much quicker and easier than strolling through aisle after aisle in the grocery store, hoping inspiration strikes. You'll significantly reduce the amount of time you spend planning meals and shopping at the grocery store. Additionally, when you have everything you need at your fingertips, you don't have to worry about making a last-minute grocery run to pick up a forgotten ingredient.
Makes It Easier To Consistently Eat Healthy Meals
If you face "cook's block" when it comes to planning healthy meals, a meal delivery service can make it easier for you to consistently eat healthy meals. Whether you're following a specialized diet such as keto or vegan, or you just want to increase your vegetable intake, most meal delivery services only offer nutritious, well-balanced meals.
Meal delivery kits can also offer dinner options you may never have considered on your own. Sure, bookstores and the internet offer endless inspiration for healthy meal ideas, but it's time-consuming to sort through all the options and create your own plan.
Helps People With Certain Medical Conditions Maintain Their Health
If you have type 2 diabetes or need to follow a gluten-free diet, you may have a hard time finding easy, tasty meals that stay within your dietary guidelines. Meal delivery services offer nutritionally balanced meals for all types of diets. Most services feature recipes that were developed with the input of nutritionists or dieticians, so you benefit from their expertise when you order them.
In particular, when you're trying to adapt to a new diet, you may find it challenging to prepare meals that meet the criteria of your eating plan. Choosing meals from the selection offered by a healthy meal delivery service can make the process much easier.
Cuts Down On Food Waste
Grocery store packaging doesn't always align with recipe portions, so you may end up buying more than you need for a particular recipe. Meal delivery kits eliminate waste by only providing the amount you need. While you can always store extra ingredients for later, you'll risk having a hodgepodge of leftovers that don't really go together and are difficult to use. You don't have to worry about this with meal delivery kits since there are no extras.
Expand Your Palate
Using a meal delivery service is a great way to increase the variety and flavors in your diet. You'll be exposed to recipes you may not consider trying on your own. Meal kits often include a wider variety of herbs, spices and sauces than you have at home. Many meal delivery services rotate their recipes every week to feature a variety of globally-inspired dishes
Who Shouldn't Use a Meal Delivery Service?
Although meal delivery services can be valuable for a wide variety of people, there are some situations where that's not the case. If you're on a very tight budget, shopping for groceries can be cheaper, particularly since you can plan meals with less expensive ingredients. Most meal delivery kits contain more ingredients and are therefore more expensive than cheap, simple meals you plan yourself.
If you enjoy shopping for fresh, local ingredients, you may not enjoy using a meal delivery service. Although saving time is one of the biggest benefits of a meal delivery kit, for some people, shopping is an enjoyable pastime. Meal delivery services also use streamlined supply chains, so your ingredients will probably have to travel quite a distance to get to you. If you're a locavore, this may not appeal to you.
Meal Delivery FAQ
How We Chose The Best Meal Delivery
Our methodology for choosing the best meal delivery services included:
- Affordability, including the price per portion and delivery fees
- Quality of meals and ingredients, such as whether the produce is organic
- Variety, including how many meal choices are offered each week
- Specialized dietary options such as keto or vegan meals
- Customer reviews, including the most common complaints and how they're addressed
- Availability of delivery services throughout the US
