Read on to see our favorite affordable meal delivery services. Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only.

It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider. Good for: People looking for an inexpensive meal kit service with quality ingredients. Skip the food shopping and the chopping—Dinnerly is a meal kit service that sends you fresh ingredients right to your door with most of the food preparation already done.

Our pick for best overall cheapest meal delivery service goes to Dinnerly. Additionally, Dinnerly provides a market where you can purchase premade meals and food groceries, as well.

Within that time frame, meals rotated to new selections already. The meal kits were a hit for Nicole, who tried the turkey taquitos and pastrami-crusted steak with an everything bagel potato; they were both delicious to her.

It has better ingredient quality and definitely less sodium than a TV dinner, but with very similar taste vibes. Our expert dietitian Perry Nix, RD, likes that Dinnerly provides affordable meals to avoid going out to eat, which improves our diet as well as saving money.

Good for: Those wanting an inexpensive prepared meal delivery with organic ingredients. Fresh N Lean is a prepared meal delivery service that has a variety of meal plans to choose from. In addition, you can select exact meals from their A la carte section. I was surprised! What stood out to dietitian Perry Nix was the protein amounts provided in each prepared meal.

Additionally, the one issue Kate ran into was that it was a hassle to cancel her meal subscription. She actually had to call customer service…who does that anymore? Customers can choose between 10 and 21 weekly healthy meals geared toward weight loss.

You can eat meals after just microwaving them for a few minutes. Meal plans include options for specific diets, like keto, mediterranean, plant-based, or low carb diets.

RELATED: Best Weight Loss Programs. Unfortunately, eating too few calories for a prolonged time can actually damage your metabolism and make it harder to lose weight.

HelloFresh is a subscription meal delivery service that provides ingredients and recipes for weekly meals. They provide six different plans, including plant-based, pescatarian, and quick and easy meals.

Additionally, 40 different recipes are available each week, and proteins and sides can be swapped out as needed. The subscription is flexible, as you can skip a week, pause, or cancel your account at any time.

Meal kits include ingredients and recipe cards, and you prep and cook your meals for two people or four.

Our product tester, Ashley Little, has used HelloFresh for several years, and enjoys the ease of ordering and customizing your weekly meals. There is quite a bit of customization, an aspect that appealed to dietitian Perry Nix, RD, as well, particularly for family-friendly options.

Also, since you cook these meals at home, the kids can help prepare their meals, which inspires them to taste new foods. Still, with its low price and discounts, this meal service is worth a shot. Good for: Meal kits that have variety up to par with grocery shopping.

Hungryroot offers a unique take on meal delivery, in that you find a recipe you like, and the company will send you all of the ingredients to make it. There are many options for types of food to choose from, and you can even order extra groceries that you might need as well. You do have to cook though, so if that's not interesting to you, this won't be the right plan.

This feels less like a meal service and more like grocery shopping, according to GGR head of content and certified personal trainer Kate Meier, who tested out Hungryroot. The ease of prep was fantastic for a meal kit service, according to Kate.

But it was so easy—not a lot of chopping, because everything is prepackaged and ready to throw in a skillet. There is an abundance of variety with Hungryroot, particularly for those with dietary restrictions. Also, Kate was a bit overwhelmed by the initial quiz at the start—asking lots of questions before you even get to see the meal options.

Nevertheless, this is a solid service that provides high-quality ingredients for a relatively inexpensive price.

Mosaic is a frozen meal delivery service that offers plant-based options for vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike. Mosaic has a wide selection of frozen veggie bowls, family meals, pizzas, smoothies, soups, and oat bowls.

Dishes vary from smoothies to pizzas and flatbreads, and even soups and oat bowls. Family-friendly meals were also available, which dietitian Perry Nix, RD, enjoyed.

Vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals that promote immune health, improve vision, and support strong bones and a healthy metabolism. Make sure to check if they deliver to you though, as their delivery is limited to certain parts of the U. RELATED: Plant-Based Protein Powder Benefits.

Good for: Families needing meal kits with options for all family members. Blue Apron is a meal kit delivery service that sends you everything you need for a fun, tasty meal right to your door.

Blue Apron is our favorite budget-friendly meal delivery service for families. With wellness and veggie plant-based options available in their preferences, Blue Apron also provides family-friendly options for kid-friendly meals, as well as a fast and easy quick prep option.

RELATED: Blue Apron Vs HelloFresh Vs Home Chef. Our tester, Sarah Carlton, enjoys the meal kits overall, although some meals shine brighter than others. On the other hand, the Salmon was packed with flavor and so good. The quality of the ingredients impressed Perry Nix, RD.

These ingredient standards support the environment, farmers, and animal welfare. A fault that Perry notes is that Blue Apron is fairly limited when it comes to dietary preferences. RELATED: Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss. There are no subscriptions, you can order at the frequency to like.

Our favorite prepared meal delivery on a budget is Clean Eatz. Clean Eatz allows you to pick six meals from their meal plans—including keto, high-protein, and gluten-free plans—and then a quantity of these six-meal packs.

Only being able to choose six meals at a time with limited variety might not be what some are looking for; still, with a decent amount of protein in each meal and delicious ingredients, Clean Eatz provides good value at a pretty low price.

Busy parents will rejoice in picker-eater approved menu items with hidden vegetables and wholesome ingredients from Little Spoon, a kid-specific meal delivery service.

Little Spoon has meal options for babies who are not yet eating solid foods, little ones moving to bite-size pieces, toddlers eating finger foods, and smoothies for on-the-go snacks. Subscription plans offer biweekly delivery cadence that can be skipped, paused, or canceled at any time.

For the picky eaters in your household, we suggest Little Spoon. Providing meals for all age ranges, from infants to toddlers to young kids, Little Spoon exposes kids to a variety of flavors and ingredients at a young age.

Dietitian Perry Nix, RD, speaks on the importance of diversifying the foods a child is exposed to early on. Senior editor and certified nutrition coach Nicole Davis tested out these meals directly with the source: her two oldest children.

The kids, being moderately picky in their foods, had mixed reactions to some meals. Whether or not Little Spoon is right for you and your children will mostly depend on how your children like it. However, with organic ingredients that are non-GMO, this is a great meal service for kids.

You can read our in-depth thoughts in our Little Spoon review. Not every meal service we tried made our top picks; here are a few honorable mentions we tested:. Obviously, one of the biggest factors we accounted for on these meal delivery services was the price that these meal services brought to the table pun intended.

There are more benefits to an inexpensive meal service besides the money. The Sakara meal delivery service was co-founded by Whitney Tingle, a certified yoga instructor, and Danielle DuBoise, a holistic health coach. The service aims to provide fresh, plant-based healthy meals made with organic ingredients.

Sakara is best for: People who eat a lot of salads and organic meals, and want to save time. Purple Carrot offers vegetarian meal kits. There are a few different plans. The Quick and Easy plan has simple dishes designed that can serve as a good introduction to basic skills.

Purple Carrot also offers a Performance Meals plan. Purple Carrot is best for: Someone who thinks their vegetarian and plant-based meals are stuck in a rut.

Availability: Currently ships to most zip codes in the United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. The easy-to-follow recipes are inspired by unique, seasonal, or hard-to-find ingredients and everything comes pre-measured and precut—a plus for super busy cooks.

The weekly box can be tailored for two or four people, and customized based on your dietary needs. All the recipes are beginner-friendly thanks to the picture-heavy, step-by-step instructions.

Calorie counts for each recipe are included as well. And Blue Apron has add-on programs for wine delivery and a market feature to shop for kitchen tools. In addition to their weekly box, they also have seasonal boxes for events like an entire Thanksgiving dinner or holiday roast for six to eight.

Blue Apron is best for: Someone who wants help learning foundational cooking skills and repeatable recipes. For each recipe you can substitute items for example, if a recipe uses beef, you can swap in turkey, chicken, or a meatless alternative.

You can also swap out types of noodles and other ingredients. Their fresh ingredients come chopped, sauces come pre-made, and all the easy meals are designed to come together in a matter of minutes.

Hungryroot also offers a grocery section and with organic produce, meat, seafood, plant-based proteins, breads, bakery items, sauces, dips, dressings, grains, pasta, sweets, dairy, eggs, beverages, and plenty of snacks. Hungryroot is best for: People who hate tedious prep like mincing garlic and want really fast food.

Availability: Most zip codes throughout the contiguous U. and the District of Columbia. These fresh, ready-made meals arrive in an insulated box with ice packs. Additionally, all the meals are certified organic.

If you want to outsource the effort it takes to create heathy, nutritious meals, Methodology is a worthy partner. They offer a rotating, plant-based menu they say is healthy and designed to optimize gut health by maximizing plant variety, nutrient density, and fiber, minimizing saturated fat, and avoiding processed food altogether.

The entire menu of premade meals is free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. Methodology also takes steps to be sustainable and a more environmentally-friendly meal kit.

The food is packaged in glass jars or recyclable plastic, and you can even arrange to have your packaging picked up and reused. Factor is another meal delivery service that does all of the cooking and prep work for you.

Factor meals include grass-fed meat and pasture-raised eggs, as well as items that are gluten-free, antibiotic- and hormone-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and have no added sugars. Meals can also be catered to the Paleo or keto diet.

HelloFresh offers three plans: classic, vegetarian, and family-friendly. All plans include complete nutritional information. Choose between meal kits that feed between two and four people. Omnivores get to choose from 15 menu options; vegetarians options are preset. HelloFresh is best for: Someone in any stage of life interested in learning to cook.

CookUnity gives you access to meals from a variety of chefs around the world like Jose Garces or Esther Choi. Availability: CookUnity delivers to most of the United States.

Check to see if they ship to your city here. This doctor-designed program incorporates high-quality, nutrient-dense ingredients that are grown on an organic, sustainable farm in New Jersey.

As the name suggests, this meal kit aims to provide food that can help to keep you healthy for the long run. There are a variety of weekly menus to choose from, including vegan, pescatarian, kosher, and flexitarian weekly meal plans.

Each meal is designed by Chef Luigi Fineo. Food for Longevity is best for: Busy people looking for morning and mid-day meals while they work. One of the best meal delivery services for the smoothie enthusiast, Daily Harvest sends you the ingredients to blend both smoothies and soups.

It also has bowls, flatbreads, and even family-size bakes. This is an easy way to work more fruits and vegetables into your diet with minimal cleanup afterwards.

All of its meals are guaranteed to be GMO-free and gluten-free. The extensive menu features more than 40 meals. If you have food restrictions or nutrition preferences, you can filter your menu choices to eliminate beets, cilantro, mushrooms, soy, tree nuts, caffeine, coconut, sesame, and spiciness.

Splendid Spoon is best for: Vegans and vegetarians who currently utilize the freezer aisle of their local grocery store.

Revive Superfoods prides itself on its nutrient-dense smoothies, but has other offerings as well. In addition to creamy smoothies, it also has oatmeal, dairy-free desserts, soups, burrito bowls, açaí bowls, falafels, and more.

The smoothies, which are the real focus of this meal delivery kit, are rounded out with filling ingredients like seeds and pea protein and in addition to fresh fruit and vegetables. Revive also has a wide selection of oatmeal, like its best-selling banana and chocolate overnight oats.

To prepare the oats you just have to add your liquid of choice and allow the cup to soak overnight. It can also be heated in the microwave if you want something faster same-day. They all come precooked, and need to be heated for 4—5 minutes in the microwave.

Revive Superfoods is best for: People who are too busy for breakfast but should really be eating it. All meat ingredients are antibiotic- and hormone-free and the eggs are organic. When it comes to fish, Sunbasket uses wild-caught seafood recommended by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program.

With more than 20 weekly recipes, you can choose between oven-ready meals, prepped servings, and classic meals that still require you to do all the chopping; servings vary between two and four.

Sunbasket is best for: A new home cook looking to experiment with new ingredients or techniques. Availability: Currently ships to most zip codes in the United States, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, and parts of New Mexico.

Both menus can be tailored to work with specific dietary preferences. FlexPro also has a Power Bakery with protein-packed cookies and brownies that you can add to any weekly order.

In the meal prep box, you can order ready-made proteins, like sous vide chicken, prime rib, shrimp scampi, sirloin steak, pulled pork carnitas, and rotisserie chicken. These are perfect for tossing into salads or bowls throughout the week.

Elaheh Nozari. Emily Johnson. Well Equipped Cleaning Gear. Meal Kits. Home Chef. Buy at Home Chef. Photo by Linda Pugliese.

Pros: Marley Spoon meals got our testers and their kids cooking and eating a bit outside their comfort zone—the harissa salmon salad was a big hit. They are clearly labeled as such on the website.

We had a couple things leak over a few weeks of orders. Pros: A lot of meal kits claim they take 20 minutes, when it can often be almost double that. Gobble said its meals could be prepped in 15 and we were pleasantly surprised just how close all of them came to that benchmark.

Nothing took over 20 minutes. There are also a lot of one pot meals to keep you from making too big a mess. They repurpose ingredients like garlic confit in lots of dishes in a way that seems smart and efficient rather than repetitive.

Cons: The solution from customer service which is lovely by the way if something is missing from an order is to credit an extra meal to your account. Gobble is best for: People who want freshly cooked food really fast. On the Menu: Pan-roasted chicken with broccoli-cheddar mac and cheese and chicken breast Portuguese-style shrimp with pinto beans and rustic tomato pimentón sauce and sustainably raised ocean shrimp Cheesy corn and black bean enchiladas suizas with zesty cabbage salad Korean bulgogi beef lettuce cups with vegetable japchae Availability: Continental United States.

Buy at Gobble. Buy at Dinnerly. Green Chef. Photo by David Cicconi. Pros: Green Chef has a way of making even ingredients our testers did not care for they had a thing about green bell peppers very appealing. The step-by-step instructions, which all use pictures, are super helpful and really do teach new techniques.

There are even dessert options, too — the dark chocolate peppermint keto-friendly cheesecake was my personal favorite. The very best part of this kit for me was the ability to feel like I was having a fancy meal without any of the work. Not only for Thanksgiving , Gobble is the meal kit that serves up generous turkey-day-sized portions no matter the season.

The first thing I noticed about Gobble was just how much fresh produce I received in my order. For the beautiful Italian flat iron steak meal, which is supposedly two servings, I got a huge bag of ripe cherry tomatoes and an entire bundle of green onions. For my miso-baked salmon, I got a giant bag of fresh broccoli and a ton of jasmine rice.

During the unboxing alone, it was evident that Gobble values quantity and quality. The four balls of cookie dough that came with my meal, not that I had any room left in my stomach after the meal to come.

A second dessert stomach is a thing, right? Another thing to note was the smaller, more compact recipe cards. While they are so much easier to save and store in a kitchen drawer than full-sized pieces of paper, they are also a bit more cramped in terms of directions and information.

The total time for my medium-rare meal came out to 29 minutes and 33 seconds, prep work included. For a full steak dinner that yielded enough for two portions and leftovers of the polenta and veggies, this is the kit for hungry families who want to spend some quality time together in the kitchen.

Though I am a carnivore through and through, I found that Purple Carrot is a great introduction to vegan eating. When choosing a meal to cook, I knew I wanted something that I loved already in its original meaty form, made vegan, to really put the box to the test. After I had chopped everything down to size and foraged for my mushroom heads well, I picked them apart from the woody stems, but it sure felt like foraging , 15 minutes had already ticked by.

The rest of the cook was pretty straightforward, used minimal dishes, and came out almost exactly like the photo, albeit a bit more soupy of a sauce. Did this vegan dupe stand up to comforting chicken and dumplings? Another pro: everything was included in the box except salt, pepper, and oil, as they made sure to package vegan butter, flour, baking soda, and thyme into pre-measured baggies.

For those who do want to eat plant-based for all three meals of the day and then some, the site does offer a lot of different options, changed up every week. On the site now, curate your box with eight different dinner options, two breakfasts, two lunches and six different snacks from an array of vegan companies.

Instead, expect a trifecta of support, with meals, coaching, and tracking, too. Trifecta is indeed a meal kit company, meaning you can simply order the meals to arrive at your home, fresh and pre-packaged, sent to your door on ice to then be reheated in the microwave or oven.

However, for those who want a whole-body and mind experience when it comes to healthy eating and lifestyle, you can add a lot more from Trifecta. Back to the food at hand — and in fridge — there are a variety of options to choose from when selecting your meal plan.

When receiving my box, I loved that all of the items were packaged with the meals clearly labeled, helping me choose which I wanted to eat now and stick in the fridge and which I wanted to freeze for later — you can freeze the meals for up to three months in the freezer, or leave them for up to seven days in the fridge.

To really put the flavors and textures to the test, I used the microwave, and to my delight, the rice was cooked to perfection, the sausages were left juicy, and the packaging was cool enough to touch. One note: since these meals are in sustainable packaging, the bottom may get soggy, so it is advised to use a plate underneath.

Otherwise, the meals provided enough food for a full meal maybe add fresh fruit on the side and made me feel more energized than if I had grabbed a different freezer meal from the grocery store. Clean eating has never been easier, with Sakara Life calling the shots for every meal of the day.

The plant-based and nutrition-focused meal delivery service is one that can really revamp the way you eat breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. The meals each come in a take-out style container, with a sticker indicating when I should eat the meal right down to the time and day of the week.

The best part for me was the portability and ease of the whole thing, especially as someone who skips breakfast or opts for a muffin when running late. While heating my dinner bowl, a Sakara burger with chili cashew creme, I decided to browse the site to see what sort of plans they offered.

For those who want to try out a weekly meal plan but are a bit timid, they do have a one-week trial to test the waters. If you like it, you can set up a recurring subscription and have Sakara Life meals all week long. Bonus points for being super customizable, as some may want just a few days a week and others an entire fridge of pre-planned meals for their three squares.

With my burger bowl, after incorporating the cashew creme and the other garlicky dressing, I do have to say that while not a burger in my meat-eating eyes, this was one of the best salads I have had — ever. Even though this bowl was shipped to my door, everything was crunchy and fresh, with no wilted leaves in sight.

As someone who spends far too much money at Sweetgreen only to find myself hungry again, finding filling and yummy salads and bowls that I can bring into the office can be a challenge.

This is where I think Territory Foods fits in nicely. They are also all made without gluten or dairy, which is super great for those with allergies in the house. The coolest part for me, though, was when I took a peek at the packaging and the menu, to find out that my options were actually tailored to my region, partnering with local chefs and restaurants to create the weekly menu of over 35 rotating options.

My Ginger Garlic Chicken Salad was not only ready-to-eat and delicious but was also made by Chef Rachelle Slotnick of Chantilly, VA. Also, a nod to the packaging, the removable slip contains the calories, protein, fat, and carbs of each meal, should you be tracking yours, as well as the eat-by date and the warming instructions if needed on the back.

The last thing that really sets Territory Foods apart is the pricing plan structure. When setting up my account, the first thing to make note of was just how many options for breakfast, lunch and dinner there are. In unboxing, one quick thing to remember is that there is dry ice that comes on top of your order, so make sure to have an adult unpack and dispose of the ice.

As for the meals, the smoothies and wellness shots can be thawed in the fridge or enjoyed as an icy treat. I chose the latter for my mango guava smoothie due to my impatience, and it was a refreshing option that I sipped on during this whole review, and eventually melted into a drinkable smoothie.

The wellness shots are more like a few sips, but great as an ice cube or a liquid — up to you. The soups, however, should be reheated, in my opinion, and can be warmed in the microwave, as the bowls they come in are micro-safe and BPA-free.

Can I hear it for no dishes? Full transparency, we had our very own Matt Levy help with this review, or, more specifically, his toddler did the hard work. While the little one munched, mom and dad also took some bites, deeming the Nurture Life foods parent approved, should there be leftovers when your kiddo is done.

These are chopped up small to prevent choking, and come in a variety of flavors to expose your tike to new flavors and textures. The meal service is great for those parents who are sick of sharing off their own plates as well, as the Nurture Life meals let your kid have their very own plate of yummy food, and a great option for those who need some more variety in their weekly kid-approved cooking rotation.

Starting from the way the package arrived — hand-delivered in a reusable tote, layered with ice to keep the food fresh — the whole CookUnity experience was restaurant-level without ever leaving home. I was also sent a text to track my order, letting me know an hour in advance so I could be prepared.

The food arrived in great shape, with no foggy plastic coverings or soggy cardboard to be found. The only downside to the meals is that they are single-serve, as I would have loved left overs or to be able to serve to a family or crowd — oh, well, more meals for me! Eat Clean is a prepared meal delivery service, that not only takes the grocery shopping out of the equation like a typical meal kit, but also takes care of most of the prep work, cooking and cleaning.

The meals arrive in a pre-packaged and pre-portioned tray that is microwave safe, or you can opt to open the pack and use an oven-safe dish to reheat the food in minutes. And yes, packaging is recyclable.

On to the nutrition aspect, the packaging wrapped around each tray has detailed nutritional information, plus, the website does a great job of describing each menu item, outlining all of the ingredients as well as health information.

For those on a specific diet, you can also choose from plant-based meals, Keto and paleo. I opted for a random selection of meals this go around, but would also like to note that the service does carry a variety of options for breakfast and snacks, in addition to lunch and dinner, should you want to plan for busy mornings or an eventful day with little time to snack.

I went the dinner route, and happily ate BBQ pulled pork with sweet plantain mash off of the traditional menu, as well as Kung Pao chicken with sweet potato noodles from the paleo menu.

Both were extremely flavorful, not skimping on seasonings at all. Portion sizes are on the somewhat smaller size, but the meals themselves were filling, each coming with a protein and a veggie for the meals I chose.

Daily Harvest truly means daily, as I happily ate a breakfast, lunch and a dessert in one sitting when diving into my box of frozen meals and snacks. They keep it simple; everything comes frozen on dry ice careful with kids if they help with the unboxing process!

and ready to either reheat, blend, or in the case of ice cream, thaw and enjoy. My sweet potato bowl took about four minutes in the microwave, and I was surprised by how well it turned out.

All in all, Daily Harvest is a great kit to have on-hand and in-freezer at all times, whether it be as part of your daily routine or a great fall back when waking up late and needing a quick smoothie or bowl or a dinner for the family on busy nights.

Mosaic is another frozen meal delivery service that sends breakfast, lunch and dinner to your door and can be reheated in the microwave in five minutes or less for a quick and healthy meal.

I personally love this style, as it helps to eliminate food waste and saves room in the freezer for exactly what you want. Each category is priced out differently, but you can mix and match to reach your minimum box order. Furthermore, deliveries are super easy to customize, as you can get a recurring box every week, every two weeks or every four weeks, with the option to pause or cancel should you be out of town.

For my trial box, I ordered a few things from each category but decided on soup and some noodles for lunch. The directions were pretty straightforward, as all you need is a microwave and about five minutes of patience before food is served. The soup took an initial five minutes and then an additional two, as per the instructions, so be sure to read the packaging for the exact cooking time.

I actually had leftovers because it was so filling — always a pro when it comes to plant-based foods. Sunbasket is truly a ray of sunshine for those who value organic ingredients and getting a healthy and delicious meal on the table.

For my box, I decided to do a mix of everything, getting one oven-ready meal that was gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian and one regular meal kit to be cooked up. For the instant option, I was sent a shrimp paella with fire-roasted tomatoes and bell peppers, instantly taking me back to Spain where I tried the dish for the first time.

Instead of a bulky pan to cook my paella, I was given a microwave safe container, cutting my cook time to just six minutes total. I was wary of overcooked and rubbery fish with dry rice, but the dish came out moist and delicious, so either I have a magic microwave or the people at Sunbasket knew what they were doing when it comes to microwavable meals.

They have a full breakfast menu with options for different types of eggs, oatmeals, breads and spreads, and even juice, smoothies and a coffee-in-a-can that looks awesome.

Moving on to lunch and dinner, they have both the ready-made meals as well as cooking options, a whole section for pastas and sauces, extra protein packs, and of course, snacks.

For the traditional meal, I went for their Italian sausage and vegetable skillet with spicy green harissa. The veggies included all had organic stickers on them, and were fresh and crisp as I was chopping them up. I also noticed that they were full sized, ultimately serving a bit more than the two promised portions.

If you find yourself rooting around your kitchen all day for meals and snacks, Hungryroot may be the best choice for you. Its mix of branded items and other brands is a great way to explore new products.

When I first signed up to make my profile, I was taken through a fun, almost Buzzfeed-style quiz that had me pick and choose my favorite types of foods and think about my eating habits.

To be honest with myself, I was sure to check the boxes for liking sweets and snacking, skipping breakfasts, and adding snacks to my dinners. At the end of the quiz, you are presented with a customized plan of meals and servings, as well as the option to add on breakfasts, snacks and sweets.

While some of the food is Hungryroot brand, such as the veggies, pasta, meat, and rice, some of the other items, including snacks, desserts, and even the buns for my burgers, were from other unique brands. This was actually really cool to see, as by ordering one box, I was exposed to new products that I can now go out and buy on their own when I run out — looking at you, Pipcorn cheese balls!

If any additional items typically salt, pepper, and olive oil are required, they will be items that most people will already have on hand. We ordered and tasted three meals as part of our evaluation of Green Chef; however, we were limited by a shipping issue that caused the vacuum-sealed bags containing the raw pork and chicken to leak in transit, leaving us unable to sample these items.

Some packaging leaking in transit was a disappointing turn of events, though we found that the flavors we could sample were reasonably cohesive, and Green Chef earned points for its inventive use of spices and flavor combinations.

Pros: Most of Hungryroot's meals are ready in 10 minutes or less, and customers have access to more than 2, recipes. Cons: The simplicity of Hungryroot's recipes may not appeal to more advanced home cooks. Hungryroot is a meal planning service and grocery ordering site all in one.

New customers complete a detailed food preference quiz, and Hungryoot's algorithm creates a tailored meal plan with an accompanying list of groceries and pre-portioned ingredients to make meals in 10 minutes or less.

With an archive of thousands of recipes and tons of search filters, you can mix and match to create nutritious and healthful meals, including salads, rice bowls, soups, pantry items, snacks, beverages, and even ready-to-eat foods.

In addition, Hungryroot focuses on sustainable packaging , with recyclable boxes, biodegradable ice packs, and recipes designed to curb food waste.

If you have specific dietary needs or even just a family of picky eaters, Hungryroot allows you to customize your order more than almost any other meal delivery service we tested. Once your profile is complete, Hungryroot will send you suggested meals based on your preferences every week.

Hungryroot delivers everywhere in the contiguous U. Most recipes require only five or six steps, and we found that actual cooking time was very minimal and estimated hands-on time was very accurate.

In fact, both our recipes took under 20 minutes to complete. We tried two recipes from this service:. The suggested cook time for a medium-rare steak was 3 to 4 minutes per side, but we found this left the steak with a cool, red center.

The only other step was adding creme fraiche to the potatoes and mashing them. Pros: CookUnity offers chef-crafted meals that cover a range of dietary needs, and its focus on sustainable packaging appealed to our eco-conscious testers.

Cons: With only single-serving options, CookUnity isn't an ideal choice if you're looking to feed a family. CookUnity offers an extensive selection of fresh, small-batch chef-to-consumer meals ready to heat and eat in minutes. With east coast, west coast, Texas, and Midwest hubs, you can select from a rotating menu of meals created by award-winning chefs, including Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Esther Choi.

The menu caters to all sorts of dietary preferences , including dairy-free, vegan, low-calorie, low-sodium, and keto. Culinary and global delights feature bibimbap, Thai curries, barbeque, udon soups, pizza, tacos, and mezze platters. Meals are all single-serving, and you can order up to 16 entrées a week.

The company also includes profiles of all its chefs, which makes the site more engaging. The service only delivers to select regions in 47 states, leaving many testers outside major metropolitan areas out of luck. The box is insulated with a recyclable paper insert, and the contents are kept cool with a large ice pack at the bottom of the shipping container.

Each meal tray is encased in a colorful paper sleeve with the name and photo of the chef who created the recipe, a use-by date, and detailed nutritional information. The meal tray is made of industrially compostable material and sealed with a plastic film.

We were generally impressed with these prepared meals; while we found some portions on the small side, the flavors won over many of our prepared-meal skeptics. Pros: Daily Harvest's menu is entirely plant-based, and the service makes every effort to use organic ingredients.

Cons: More impatient home cooks may not like that all meals arrive frozen; you also must commit to a minimum order of nine items with each delivery. Since , Daily Harvest has provided plant-based eaters nationwide with top-notch meals that are chock-full of nutrients.

Everything on the menu is plant-based and gluten-free, with a strong focus on organic ingredients. There are more than dishes on the menu , from sweet potato and wild rice bowls to artichoke and spinach flatbread to purple corn and tomatillo soup.

While all items arrive frozen, that just means you can keep your freezer stocked with meals whenever you need them. Ordering from Daily Harvest is a straightforward process. You do not need to create an account to view the menu, so browse as much as you like before signing up.

Instead, your order will simply repeat until you manually alter it. While there may be better choices than Daily Harvest for larger households, we found its smoothies, bowls, and flatbreads to be a solid choice for folks who want a quick, nutritious meal.

Daily Harvest ships its products in a cardboard shipping box, insulated with a liner and kept cool with a package of dry ice. Your items will arrive frozen and can be stored in your freezer for up to three months.

Most packages have at least three elements: a paper-based vessel, a plastic film seal, and a plastic lid or thin cardboard sleeve. Harvest bakes are the exception; they have the sleeve and plastic seal, but the vessel is an aluminum tray.

In general, containers, lids, and sleeves are recyclable or compostable. Preparing your Daily Harvest meals is about as foolproof as it gets. Aside from overnight oats and chia bowls, which need to soak for at least six hours, harvest bakes and flatbreads take the longest, requiring roughly 20 to 30 minutes to bake in the oven or toaster oven.

Everything else is ready to eat in about five minutes. We sampled nine different items to get an idea of what Daily Harvest has to offer, including:. During testing, we found that the more umami a dish had, the more filling it felt to testers. However, this service fits the bill if you want something fast and healthy.

Pros: With its ethical sourcing and USDA-certified organic ingredients, Sunbasket has a level of variety and customization options that set it apart from the rest. Cons: Our testers found some of Sunbasket's recipe instructions hard to follow, and shipping is only free for your first order.

Sunbasket takes pride in ethical sourcing and using certified USDA-organic ingredients whenever possible from a plethora of U. purveyors and farmers. The service offers healthy and nutritious meals , with an option for a traditional meal kit with pre-portioned ingredients or fresh-and-ready prepared meals you can heat up in minutes.

Meals are available for two or four servings, and many of the meals offer protein customization alternatives, plus options to add on breakfasts, lunches, and snacks. From Persian salmon to chimichurri steaks to chop suey, Sunbasket creates enticing and internationally inspired meals.

Sunbasket tries to ship its meals in environmentally-friendly packaging; our items arrived in a cardboard box lined with paper and denim insulation. The food is kept cold with plastic ice packs, which are filled with compostable gel.

Proteins are sealed in plastic, while all other ingredients are sealed in brown paper bags. Recipes are printed on a full-color folded sheet, and their information is extensive and helpful. There are even instructions on making your meal ahead of time, which we thought was a nice touch.

As part of our testing, we cooked and prepared:. Despite the care Sunbasket puts into its packaging, we were puzzled to find that the company made ingredient substitutions with no warning beforehand.

The differences were small we received Parmesan instead of Pecorino, and the recipe listed roasted garlic when we had raw cloves , but enough to give us pause. Pros: Home Chef has recipes designed to save you time, and with its easy-to-customize dishes, bigger serving sizes, and affordable price point, it's a great option for families.

Cons: Home Chef only offers limited dietary accommodations, so those with specific needs may want to look elsewhere. You can choose from tasty, comfort food-leaning options like Tuscan-style shrimp penne, crispy shallot beef burgers, and mushroom and black bean chili, each of which can feed up to six people.

Then you specify your dietary preferences. You have until Friday each week to pause, skip, or cancel your order, which you can do via Home Chef's website or app. At this time, Home Chef does not ship to Alaska or Hawaii.

Our Home Chef ingredients arrive in an insulated cardboard box, with items kept cool with ice packs. Proteins are individually wrapped and packed together in a plastic bag, and all premeasured ingredients are grouped in resealable plastic bags, making it easy to store the items in the refrigerator until ready for use.

Each recipe comes with its own double-sided card; these are already three-hole punched and intended to be saved in a binder. We sampled several recipes from Home Chef, which consisted of the following:.

Pros: Dinnerly offers comfort food favorites in varying sizes at budget-friendly price point. Cons: In order to cut down on cost, Dinnerly only offers digital recipe cards. Some of our testers also report chatbot issues when reaching out to customer service.

You can choose from five plans, ranging from four meals per week up to 18 meals per week. I recently tried out Factor after the brand sent me a few boxes, and I found the meals to be both delicious and extremely convenient — after a long day at work, I simply popped them into the oven and they were ready to eat in no more than 15 minutes.

Price is based on six meals per week. CookUnity offers multiple plans depending on how many meals you want to receive, with subscriptions ranging from four to 16 meals per week. You can make your selections from a rotating menu of ready-to-eat options each week or have them picked for you based on your preferences, including your choices of protein and any dietary restrictions like vegetarian, vegan, low-carb and gluten-free.

The meals come fresh and have a refrigerated shelf life of about four to seven days, according to CookUnity. Within its rotating weekly menu of more than 30 meals to choose from, Home Chef will offer about 10 options that are pre-made. When looking at individual menu options, each meal shows the estimated time it takes to heat up.

Home Chef also lets you customize the type and amount of protein you want in each meal including low-calorie and vegetarian options , which makes it a great option for people who want variety or those with certain dietary restrictions, according to Ben Leonard , chef and culinary manager for GreenPan.

With that said, it may not be the best option for people who are indecisive or picky eaters, says Leonard. Price is based on 20 meals per week. It lets you choose from over chef-prepared meals based on your dietary needs.

Lisa Moskovitz, a registered dietitian and CEO of NY Nutrition Group , recommends this service because it offers various health-conscious plans — you can pick from five different programs: Signature, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Diabetic and Menopause.

Sunbasket offers both meal kits and pre-made meals, which consist of high-quality ingredients and organic produce, according to the brand. Each meal indicates whether it accommodates certain dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, soy-free and vegetarian.

Price is based on 14 meals per week. Splendid Spoon offers over 50 healthy ready-made and gluten-free meals and snacks, including smoothies, soups, noodle bowls and dishes. You can choose one of three plans, including a seven-, or meal plan per week and you can add more meals at an additional cost.

The service recommends freezing the food upon unpacking, which it says makes the meals last one to three months. Purple Carrot offers prepared meals as well as meal kits , which are plant-based and include several gluten-free options.

You can customize the number of meals you get per week — ranging from six to 10 frozen meals. Deliveries take place on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays depending on your shipping location, and you can choose to skip a delivery on any given week.