According to the US Department of Agriculture, the average American adult spends approximately 44 minutes shopping for groceries per trip. This doesn’t even account for the time spent on meal prep and clean up, which the same report shows takes up to an hour.
But before you jump on the bandwagon, check out our research so you’re fully informed about what our top picks for the best meal delivery services have to offer you.
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- Price – From $7.49/serving
- What’s in the box – 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 meals with 2 or 4 servings each
- Special diets – Vegetarian, flexitarian, pescatarian, low carb, low calorie
A simple and healthy way of eating
HelloFresh makes it convenient to enjoy wholesome, fresh meals with minimal prep. Ron Stewart, a former corporate executive chef at Pastini, tested HelloFresh and was “surprised at the quality of ingredients and ease of putting together exceptional meals,” calling their recipes “delicious as well as nutritious and balanced.”
Each week, HelloFresh lets you choose from over 100 breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes. Every kit includes straightforward, step-by-step recipe cards with fresh, pre-measured ingredients to help you get dinner on the table in under an hour.
This service is best for individuals and households without strict dietary requirements, though they offer low-carb and lower-calorie meals too. It’s possible to separately review ingredient information for each meal before ordering, including nutritional value and allergens, and any additional items you may need.
Why we chose HelloFresh: You can easily adjust or cancel your food delivery and subscription at any time. Meals are not overly complicated and reduce the need to buy ingredients in addition to what’s delivered for each recipe.
Our experience: We liked that HelloFresh lets you know ahead of time what cookware you’ll need so you can get cooking as soon as your delivery arrives. It was extra convenient that their extensive menu also let us swap out proteins.
Pros
Adjust, skip, or cancel your delivery and subscription at any time
Change, swap, or upgrade 12+ sides and proteins each week
Competitive pricing
Cons
No keto or paleo meal delivery plans
Limited flexibility for individuals with allergies
- Price – From $7.99/serving
- What’s in the box – 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 meals with 2, 4, or 6 servings each
- Special diets – Vegetarian, low-calorie, low-carb, nut-free, soy-free, wheat-free, dairy-free
Swap out or double your protein options
Home Chef is a meal service designed for cooks of any skill level. Each delivery provides recipe cards with step-by-step instructions and photos. Research by Hartmann et al. shows that enhanced cooking skills encourage healthier eating habits and thus improve nutrition. This makes Home Chef an excellent tool to achieve better health, by teaching you new recipes and techniques.
Choose from over 20 recipes each week and swap out proteins to your liking. Home Chef lets you filter and eliminate recipes with specific allergens, such as tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, mushrooms, fish, and shellfish. However, they can’t guarantee their meals are entirely free of cross-contamination.
Why we chose Home Chef: Their pre-portioned, partially prepared ingredients simplify and expedite food prep and clean up, while eliminating food waste.
Our experience: We found Home Chef’s recipe cards easy to follow and meals sizable enough to feed a hungry adult comfortably. We liked that we could save our recipe cards in a binder (included in your first order) for reference at any time.
Pros
Customize the type of protein you’d like in your dish
Filter and eliminate recipes with specific allergens
Meal kits available in Kroger-owned grocery stores
Cons
Some ingredients may contain colorants, sulfites, and/or artificial sweeteners
Minimum weekly order value of $47.96, excluding shipping
- Price – From $9.99/day
- What’s in the box – 3 meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and 3 or 4 snacks per day for a month
- Special diets – Diabetes-friendly, vegetarian, low-sodium
Nutritious, calorie-conscious meals
Nutrisystem is a science-driven meal delivery service designed to help you lose weight with its high-protein, lower-glycemic approach. Take the guesswork out of finding your perfect balance of protein, carbs, and fat. When you sign up for Nutrisystem, you get an individual plan and guidance for four weeks of weight loss.
There are individualized plans for men, women, couples, and diabetics. Depending on your gender, health goals, and the package you select, your order may include frozen and/or ready-to-eat foods. Some Nutrisystem meals require heating, while others can be enjoyed straight out of the box. Information about the package you select, including recipe ingredients, nutrition labels, and guidelines for preparation are available to you as you sign up.
Why we chose Nutrisystem: Nutrisystem’s four-week guided plan includes a full range of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, shakes, and snacks to keep your weight loss on track.
Our experience: We found their accompanying NuMi SmartAdapt™ app helpful in letting us know what and when to eat, in addition to tracking our progress and activity.
Pros
Over 135 meals to choose from
Weight-loss companion app
Shelf life of foods is up to 18 months
Cons
Limited flexibility for substitutions
Expensive upfront cost for a monthly subscription
- Price – From $9.95/serving charged weekly
- What’s in the box – 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 meals with 2, 4 or 6 servings each
- Special diets – Low-calorie, low-carb
Great for weight loss
Fresh and Easy is a meal delivery service by Home Chef that provides ready-to-heat meals. Choose between oven- and microwave-ready meals made with the same fresh ingredients and standards that Home Chef is known for. You can also try a 15-minute meal kit, requiring quick assembly of pre-portioned ingredients.
Most meals are full entrees, though sandwiches, salads, and “extras” are also available. Fresh and Easy does not cater to special dietary restrictions.
Why we chose Fresh and Easy: They offer the same quality standards as Home Chef with less customization, aimed at providing value for consumers on a budget.
Our experience: We found Fresh and Easy perfect for speedily cooking wholesome meals and were delighted with how little clean-up was needed. We do wish they had more options for diets like vegetarian.
Pros
Same high-quality standards as Home Chef
Oven- and microwave-ready
Fully prepped and portioned meals ready in 15 minutes or less
Cons
Limited customization options
Does not cater to diets
- Price – From $11.43/serving charged weekly
- What’s in the box – 5, 7, 10 or 14 meals (add-on for 7 breakfasts available)
- Special diets – Vegetarian, vegan, keto, paleo, pescatarian, gluten-free, peanut-free, dairy-free, soy-free
Ancient wisdom via a smart modern platform
Trifecta is a fitness-oriented meal delivery service designed by medical and nutrition experts. Aimed at helping you burn fat and build muscle, it’s ideal for losing weight.
As you sign up, choose how many weekly entrées you want from their Clean, Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Vegan, and/or Vegetarian plans. Although you can’t select which meals you’ll get, you can exclude up to two main ingredients from each order, such as beef, duck, pork, tree nuts, mushrooms, and fish.
They offer an app on their App Premium plan through which you can customize your dietary needs and use personalized macro-tracking features. It also includes educational resources on fitness and gives you access to community boards to keep you motivated.
Why we chose Trifecta: They offer fully prepared, organically sourced meals with flavorful, nutritious ingredients. Their online app is designed to eliminate barriers to achieving weight-loss targets.
Our experience: We felt good eating ingredients sourced from local, family-run farms. We also liked how their app helped us determine what to eat for our macro targets.
Pros
Mobile app with macro-tracking
Ingredients sourced from local, family-run suppliers
Delivery areas include Hawaii and Alaska
Cons
Can’t choose which meals you’ll receive
Not ideal for families since it only offers one serving per meal
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Meal Delivery FAQs
Which meal delivery service is the cheapest?
We found that EveryPlate is among the cheapest meal delivery services at $4.99/serving. For context, the average meal service costs around $9/serving.
Which meal delivery service is the healthiest?
Factor features health-forward and nutritionally balanced recipes curated and approved by dietitians, with prep-free meals made with high-quality proteins and produce.
Which meal delivery service is the best for families?
HelloFresh is at the top of our list for families, with its "Family-Friendly" filter, allowing you to sort through family-approved recipes loved by all ages. HelloFresh's unique flexibility feature lets you switch out proteins and sides for picky eaters. EveryPlate is perfect for busy households on a tight budget, providing value and simple homestyle meals instead of trying to cater to many dietary needs.
Are meal delivery services worth it?
Meal delivery services give you the convenience of skipping the drive, grocery aisles, and queues, and save you the time and energy of planning what's for dinner. Another big bonus is the pre-portioned spices, sauces, and marinades. Each meal comes with just enough of what you need, so you don't lose money on wasted food or on buying more condiments or spices than you need.
Are meal kits cheaper than buying groceries?
Yes, depending on how much you spend each week. A meal delivery service can help you save money on groceries and gas, and help eliminate food waste.
Do meal delivery plans work?
Yes, the best meal plan delivery service will expand your palate, save time, and ensure you and your family eat more varieties of produce and proteins. If you're sticking to a diet plan, meal delivery kits can also help you eat smarter in a sustainable way.
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