Many of us have found ourselves cooking at home a whole lot more these days, so it's more important than ever before to simplify meal prep. With busy work schedules, lots of kiddos at home from school for the foreseeable future, and limited time to grocery shop for ingredients, weeknight meal prep can sometimes fall by the wayside. Thankfully, these trusty meal delivery services can help you out where logistics — and yes, stress and burnout from a global pandemic — can't.
There are tons of options for meal delivery services to help you plan wholesome breakfasts, lunches, and dinners in advance. They bring the ingredients right to your front door, and even coach you in the kitchen with step-by-step tutorials.
Regardless of your family's size, dietary restrictions, or culinary chops, there's a plan designed just for you. We even included a meal service specifically designed for families with little ones to encourage healthy cooking and eating habits from a young age, as well as those that offer signature curations from award-winning chefs.
The Best Meal Delivery Services
- Best Overall: Hello Fresh
- Cheapest for Families: Dinnerly
- The Original: Blue Apron
- Best Plant-Based Microwaveables: Veestro
- Best Organic: Sunbasket
- Best for Picky Kids: Yumble
- Best Value: Home Chef
- Best for the Health-Conscious: FlexPro Meals
- Best for Detoxing: Sakara Life
- Students Get a Discount: EveryPlate
Our top picks for the best meal delivery services will take the stress out of mealtimes and give you more energy to focus on what really matters: enjoying that plate of food!
Best Overall
Key Specs
- Price: From $7.99 per meal
- Servings: 2 or 4
- Options: Meat and Veggies, Veggie, Family Friendly, Fit and Wholesome, Quick and Easy, Pescatarian
- Availability: Nationwide
From the pre-measured ingredients to simple step-by-step recipes (the Ikea of cooking!), HelloFresh is an incredibly user-friendly meal delivery service that can be customized to fit both couples and families. With customizable meal plans, easy-to-follow recipes, and family-friendly preferences at less than $10 per meal, this subscription kit is both robust and affordable for those on a budget.
HelloFresh supplies all the ingredients you'll need for weeknight meals that are carefully planned and locally sourced. The fact that it has six chef-curated, customizable meal plans to satisfy a wide variety of dietary preferences — plus nationwide availability — earns it our vote.
Cheapest for Families
Key Specs
- Price: From $4.69 per meal for the Family box
- Servings: 2 or 4
- Options: Two-Person Box or Family Box, 3 to 6 meals each; option for Vegetarian box; filters available for dietary and prep-time preferences
- Availability: Nationwide except Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, and North Dakota
Dinnerly proudly claims itself as the most affordable option, so those with a tighter budget can still grab some great-tasting recipes (28 are available to choose from each week) that even the fussiest of eaters will be hard-pressed to resist. Each meal only has five steps, simplifying the prep-and-cook process, and you can filter through to categories such as One-Pot Meal, Kid-Friendly, or No Added Gluten, among others.
All recipes are available online, complete with skill level and nutrition information for easy reference. There are also some ready-made options for snacks and desserts.
The Original
Key Specs
- Price: From $7.49 per meal
- Servings: 2 or 4
- Options: Signature, Wellness, Vegetarian
- Availability: Nationwide
If you or your partner are pinched for meal-planning time during the week but still love to experiment with new cuisines, Blue Apron is the meal kit for you. The OG of meal plans, their chefs work directly with farmers to create recipes that are sustainably farmed, as they’re on a mission to build a better food system by using non-GMO seasonal produce and sustainably sourced proteins. Oh, and rookie cooks, rejoice: They also have a series of how-to videos on their blog that covers basic skills. And did we mention the fact that they also offer a wine subscription?
The two-person meals tend to be slightly more layered, and often include culturally diverse flavors, spices, and ingredients. The four-person meals favor more kid-friendly fare.
Best Plant-Based Microwaveables
Key Specs
- Price: From $11.03 per meal
- Servings: Single person, 10 to 30 meals per week
- Options: A La Carte (filter by High-Protein, Gluten-Free, Low-Calorie, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Kosher, or Spring Favorites), Weight Loss
- Availability: Nationwide, except Alaska and Hawaii
If your diet is plant-based, Veestro will make weeknight dinners a no-brainer. With meals that come fully prepared and require zero prep work (all you need to do is reheat, as they come frozen), these meals are ideal for vegans or vegetarians pressed for time — or creativity!
Veestro's vegetable-forward entrees — think mushroom risotto, savory Indian stew, and veggie empanadas — are prepared by chefs using organic ingredients, and are then fresh-frozen. Especially handy is their Weight-Loss Plan, which allows you to mix and match any combo of meals that total approximately 1,200 calories a day, thereby removing any guesswork. All meals are also packed in 100% compostable carton trays or 100% recyclable BPA-free plastic pouches.
Best Organic
Key Specs
- Price: From $9.99 per meal
- Servings: Fresh & Ready (oven-ready) option can serve 1 person; Meal Kits serve 2 to 4 people
- Options: Fresh & Ready, Meal Kits; Meal Kits can be filtered by Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Mediterranean, and Diabetes-Friendly options, as well as preferred proteins and ingredient restrictions
- Availability: Nationwide, except Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, and parts of New Mexico
Certified organic by the USDA, Sunbasket hands-down offers the best organic, farm-to-table options available through a meal delivery service. Offering nutritionally balanced meals and globally inspired flavors, their meals are made with organic produce and sustainable ingredients that hit the sweet spot between healthy and scrumptious.
It offers two simple menu options to choose from, depending on the subscriber’s family size. The Fresh & Ready option features oven-ready premade meals that can be heated in as little as 4 minutes (and, perhaps most notably, are available for one-person servings), while their Meal Kits are for cooking. They take between 15 and 45 minutes, and are best for two to four people. Meal Kits also allow you to choose from different options (Paleo, Gluten-Free, etc.), as well as filter out any proteins or dietary restrictions.
Best for Picky Kids
Key Specs
- Price: From $5.99 per meal
- Servings: Single person, 4 to 16 meals per week
- Options: Varies — all are kid-friendly and arrive ready-to-eat or heat for 2 minutes or less, with options for vegan meals and dietary restrictions
- Availability: East Coast, California, Texas, and parts of the Midwest; check your zip code on the website for delivery info
Cofounded by a busy mother of three picky eaters, Yumble delivers a weekly box of healthy, fresh, fully prepared kids’ meals to totally streamline mealtime. They’re organized economically and to a T, with recipes that are intuitive, flexible, and, of course, kid-approved. Each cost-effective meal plan includes fun activities, rewards, and a star chart in each box to make cooking with your kids as low-stress and interactive as possible.
Yumble allows subscribers to choose from plans for six, 12, or 24 meals per week, based on the number of children in the family. Thoughtful and foolproof categories for lunches, dinners, and snacks include “Picky Kids,” “Vegetarian Kids,” and “Lunching Kids.” Underneath each recipe is important dietary info (“Egg-Free,” “Vegetarian,” or “Dairy-Free”) in case the little ones have any restrictions or food allergies.
Best Value
Key Specs
- Price: From $6.99 per meal
- Servings: 2 to 6
- Options: Home Chef, Home Chef Fresh and Easy (low- to no-prep); filters available for 15-Minute Meal Kits, Oven-Ready, Grill-Ready, Culinary Collection, and Fast and Fresh, as well as ingredient opt-outs
- Availability: Nationwide
Classic crowd-pleasing meals that start at less than $7 a serving, plus servings for larger families — it’s not hard to see why Home Chef is considered the option that gives you the most bang for your buck.
Their recipes take around 30 minutes or less to create, and users can filter through to their desired skill level, restrictions, or prep time (example options are “Adventurous,” “Quick and Simple,” “Low-Cal,” “Carb-Conscious,” or “Vegetarian”, as well as other filters for chef selections or microwaveable/oven-ready dinners).
Kitchen novices will also really appreciate the website’s quiz on skill level. Aside from home delivery, you can also purchase their meals in-store at any Kroger’s location.
Best for the Health-Conscious
Key Specs
- Price: From $76.93 per meal box (for 7 meals)
- Servings: Single person
- Options: Fat Trimmer, Lean Muscle; Meal Prep Box also available
- Availability: Continental U.S. with extra cost to Hawaii; currently no shipping to Alaska or Puerto Rico
Those on a ketogenic or macro-counting kick will love the options provided by FlexPro’s meal delivery service, which is one of the most protein-forward meal kits on our list. Subscribers can choose between two kinds of low-calorie programs: Fat Trimmer, which offers 200 to 450 calories per meal, or Lean Muscle, which offers 400 to 800 calories per meal. You then choose anything from seven to 21 meals a week. You get to pick your recipes, and provided you place your order before 3 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, your microwave-ready meals will then ship the same day (next day on weekends)!
Hailing themselves as the “Amazon Prime of meal delivery,” they make access to quick, easy, and healthy food so much simpler for those just beginning their nutrition-conscious journeys. Loyal customers also sing their praises for convenience and taste quality.
Best for Detoxing
Key Specs
- Price: From $23 per meal for three meals on their 5-day program
- Servings: Single person
- Options: Signature Nutrition Program (5 days), Level II: Detox, Bridal Meal Program, 10-Day Reset, 30-Day Reset (Limited)
- Availability: Nationwide, except Alaska and Hawaii
You wouldn’t be remiss in thinking that Sakara is one of the priciest options (especially for one that’s fully plant-based), but the company justifies the spend with their healthy, all-organic offerings that focus on transformative nutrition that’s actually flat-out delicious. Eunice Lucero-Lee, our senior editor, agrees: “I'm an omnivore through and through, but their Signature Nutrition Program didn't leave me feeling deprived at all; quite the opposite, in fact. I tried it a few weeks before my wedding and was blown away by the flavors and how filling the meals were — and the fact that they helped me get rid of any bloating!”
This is why those seeking to reset and rejigger their lifestyles — whether it be via a comprehensive month-long detox, a week-long deep cleanse, or getting wedding-ready from the inside-out — consider this premium service worth it when looking to get their bodies back on track.
In addition to their meal programs, they also offer snacks and supplements — their Metabolism Super Powder, Coconut Praline Granola, and Detox Water Drops are perennial best-sellers.
Students Get a Discount
Key Specs
- Price: From $4.99 per meal
- Servings: 2 to 4
- Options: ClassicPlate, VeggiePlate, FamilyPlate, EasyPlate
- Availability: Majority of the continental U.S.; check your zip code for delivery info
EveryPlate’s main selling point is satisfying, convenient meals at the best value, especially for those of us just starting out — in the kitchen and in life. Recipes are classic crowd-pleasers (Crispy Caesar Chicken, Gravy Lover’s Meatballs), and can serve either two or four people.
Cooking is quick and easy enough for even the most beginner of home chefs to take on, and since “they’ve been there,” they even offer a 20% discount on the next two boxes if you’re a Unidays-verified student — which means meals cost only a jaw-dropping $1.99 each. The dormer in your life will appreciate the opportunity to try new cuisines at an accessible price.
Best Diet Meal Delivery
Key Specs
- Price: From $139.95 for their 5-day program (5 lunches, 5 dinners)
- Servings: Single person
- Options: Men’s Program, Women’s Program, Heart-Healthy Program, Gluten-Free Program, Diabetic-Friendly Program, Menopause Program
- Availability: Nationwide, except Alaska and Hawaii
Hitting a wall with your diet goals, on a confusing new health plan, or just finding calorie-counting to be the most tedious thing ever? bistroMD can help jumpstart that “New Year, New You” journey by offering ready-to-heat-and-eat meals that are customizable to your specific dietary needs — without the effort.
The nutritionally balanced, doctor-created meals come in Full Week (7-day) or Work Week (5-day) programs consisting of three meals a day — breakfasts, lunches, and dinners — which can also be fully customized according to your needs. They also offer separate options for Men and Women, a hormone- and insulin-regulating Menopause program, and an effortless Diabetic-Friendly program, as well as members-only access to tools and support from registered dietitians.
Best Chef-Curated
Key Specs
- Price: From $10.49 per meal for 16 meals a week
- Servings: Single serving
- Options: Meals include classic options, as well as those for Low-Calorie, Low-Carbohydrate, Dairy-Free, Plant-Based, Keto, and Paleo
- Availability: Mostly nationwide; check your zip code on their website for delivery info
If you’ve ever dreamed of having your own personal chef on hand to cook you mouthwatering fare, then CookUnity is probably the easiest way to make those dreams come true. Touting itself as a chef collective, the service offers up ready-to-heat-and-eat meals from industry-renowned chefs. Their goal is to share their talent beyond the confines of their local kitchens, and bring their signature meals to tables across the U.S., where subscribers can now sample previously inaccessible dishes.
Recipes are scrumptious classics with each chef’s own twist, and the service also offers treats and drinks. Choose from four to 16 meals a week, which they deliver free of charge.
Best Vegan
Key Specs
- Price: From $9.99 a serving
- Servings: 2 to 4
- Options: Meal Kits, Prepared Meals; filters available for options like Quick and Easy, Chef’s Choice, Nut-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, and High-Protein
- Availability: Nationwide, except Alaska and Hawaii
Purple Carrot takes eating your veggies to a whole, new, revolutionary level. Not only does its plant-powered recipes help you lose weight and lower LDL cholesterol — aka the bad kind — in a month, it also claims that its plant-powered meals require 51% less water to produce and emit 72% less carbon than the standard American meal.
Their recipes aren’t your run-of-the-mill vegan offerings, either. They’re healthy, yes, but also delicious and creative. Options for breakfast — as well as snacks from their “Plantry” — make adopting a vegan or plant-based lifestyle easier and delightfully satisfying.
Best for Babies and Toddlers
Key Specs
- Price: From $3.44 per meal
- Servings: Single serving
- Options: 6, 9, 12, or 15 meals per week; filter through options like Vegetarian, Picky-Eater Fav, Gluten-Free, and any protein and dietary restrictions
- Availability: Nationwide
Toddler food that’s yummy, healthy, and delivered fresh to your doorstep? What a time to be alive! Seriously: Parents love the stress-free convenience of Nurture Life, a meal delivery service that caters specifically to babies, toddlers, and young kids learning to self-feed. Nutritionally balanced, choke-proof finger foods and meals, clean ingredients, and — most importantly — tasty, kid-approved flavors satisfy even the pickiest eaters, and can all be ready in under 1 minute. Mom guilt, begone.
Healthiest Microwaveables
Key Specs
- Price: Starts from $11.79 per meal for 12 meals per week
- Servings: Single person
- Options: 4 to 12 meals a week; everything is gluten- and peanut-free; filters available for Signature Collection, Purely Plant, Freshly Fit, and Proteins and Sides
- Availability: Nationwide, except Alaska and Hawaii
If you can’t be bothered to cook for one every day, yet still want reliable, well-balanced options, Freshly’s microwaveable meals are totally up your alley. They’re portioned for single servings, can be filtered through to satisfy vegetarian or low-calorie preferences, and come in well-loved flavors like Chicken Cordon Bleu and Pulled Pork Bowl, but with a healthier twist.
It’s not the cheapest, though, if that’s a concern. However, its abject convenience and the way in which it frees you from grocery shopping, food prep, or takeout each day is super appealing, especially for busy working individuals. Those who want to supplement their own meals with more inventive and health-conscious extras will also appreciate their Proteins and Sides option.
