In the past few years, meal delivery services have become a popular way to eat healthy foods while saving time on planning and grocery shopping. Most meal delivery services send a box each week with all the ingredients and instructions you need to make healthy, delicious dinners. You can develop your cooking skills while trying a wide variety of interesting recipes.
There are many meal delivery services available that offer different menus and pricing plans. The best service for you depends on your budget, your dietary preferences, and how much time and effort you want to spend preparing your meals.
1. Blue Apron
Blue Apron was the original meal delivery service, and it continues to be the most popular option. Each week, you can choose from eight different recipes depending on your preferences and dietary restrictions, and you can skip meals at any time. You’ll receive a box with all your ingredients as well as step-by-step cooking instructions. Each meal takes 20 minutes to an hour to prepare.
One of the best things about Blue Apron is its high-quality ingredients. Their produce comes from local farmers and is packaged at peak freshness, and their meat comes from animals who eat hormone-free and antibiotic-free diets. The company is committed to sustainable food growing, and they only partner with suppliers who share the same philosophy.
The weekly cost depends on how many meals you’ll receive and how many people you need to feed. The two-person plan costs $47.95 per week for two recipes and $59.94 for three recipes. The family plan costs $71.92 per week for two recipes, $95.88 for three, and $119.84 for four.
Although Blue Apron provides cooking instructions, some of the meals are a bit complex. One of Blue Apron’s goals is to teach their customers cooking techniques, so it may not be the best choice for people who want to stick to simple and easy recipes.
2. HelloFresh
HelloFresh delivers a box of fresh and healthy ingredients to your doorstep one day a week. Each week, you can choose from six different recipes, which are all labeled with their allergen information and preparation time.
You can always find 20-minute meals as well as egg-free and nut-free options on the menu. There are a wide variety of international foods on the menu, too. Some recipes also include extra ingredients, so you can make enough to have leftovers the next day. The vegetarian menu is more limited than the classic menu, but the company recently acquired the organic meal delivery service Green Chef, so they’ll probably introduce new veggie options in the future.
Most HelloFresh meals can be prepared in 40 minutes or less, so it’s a great meal delivery service for busy people. All their meat and produce items are sustainably sourced from local farms, and they package their boxes with ice to keep the ingredients fresh.
HelloFresh offers a classic plan and a vegetarian plan that both cost $7.99 per serving, and you can choose to receive two to four meals per week. They also have a family plan that serves four people for $6.99 per serving. Shipping costs $5.99 per week.
New customers can also save money on their first HelloFresh orders. The company regularly offers deals and signup discounts, like $80 off and free shipping for new subscribers, or eight free meals (two per order) with signup.
3. Home Chef
If you’re looking for a meal delivery option that offers plenty of variety and bigger portions, Home Chef is the answer. While many meal delivery services offer pre-portioned meals, they aren’t always enough for every appetite. Home Chef features a selection of nearly 40 different meal kits to choose from, including unique grill packs, oven-ready meals, and one-pan dinners to customize your cooking. Every Home Chef delivery includes the perfect portions of food, all the ingredients you’ll need, and a cooking tray so there’s no mess and no dishes to wash.
Even more appealing is the ability to customize your meal kits. Home Chef lets customers adjust their protein, choosing both the type and the amount to suit your family’s needs. You can, for example, double the protein without doubling the amount of sides if you need a bigger serving. You can also choose antibiotic-free protein if you’d prefer.
Servings start at $6.99 per person, but you can upgrade to premium recipes for an additional price. New customers can score savings, too, with offers like $35 off for new signups plus $10 off a second order by signing up with your email.
4. Sun Basket
Sun Basket is one of the best meal delivery services for people with dietary restrictions as it has several different menus and plans for a variety of diets. When you sign up for Sun Basket, you can choose from the following plans:
- Chef’s Choice
- Paleo
- Lean and Clean
- Gluten-free
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Pescatarian
- Mediterranean
- Diabetes-friendly
- Quick and Easy
You also have the option to mix and match recipes from different meal plans. Each week, there are 18 recipes on the menu to choose from. On average, a Sun Basket recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare, and the instructions are easy and straightforward enough for inexperienced cooks to follow. Their produce is all organic, and their meat and fish are sourced sustainably.
With the classic menu, you can get three recipes per week for two to four people at $11.99 per serving. With the family plan, you can choose to receive two to four meals per week for a family of four at $10.99 per serving.
New customers may find savings when they sign up with Sun Basket. The company offers different discounts and specials routinely, like free shipping on orders or new customer dollars-off deals.
5. Freshly
Freshly is different from most meal delivery services in that you don’t have to prepare the meals yourself. The recipes come in individually-packaged containers, and all you have to do is microwave them. It’s an excellent option if you’re busy or if you don’t have much interest in cooking.
For microwaved meals, Freshly recipes are very healthy. All the meals are gluten-free, none are frozen, and most are high-protein and low-carb. They don’t use artificial ingredients, preservatives, hydrogenated oils, or refined sugars. Freshly changes its menu every week, so you can choose from a wide variety of healthy options. The menu always includes vegetarian, soy-free, and low-calorie meals.
Freshly costs $49.99 per week for four meals, $59.99 for six meals, $89.99 for nine meals, and $107.99 for 12 meals. You can always skip a week or postpone your delivery if you’re going out of town or don’t need the recipes.