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. You can still have many of the benefits of meal services while staying on budget. Finding a meal delivery service that fits in your budget will help you save money. You buy just the meals you need at affordable prices, and can save on the cost of a grocery run in many cases.

Meal prep for the week can take up a lot of time, which is a huge perk of meal delivery services. Meal kits provide just the right amount of ingredients for your meals, with many ingredients prepared already, so it minimizes the time needed to prepare and cook meals.

Additionally, prepared meals can just be put in an oven or microwave to heat up, virtually eliminating prep time completely.

Many meal services provide plans and options for people with specific dietary restrictions or needs. Also, anyone following keto, low-carb, paleo, vegan, or pescatarian diets will often find options through meal delivery services.

This takes out a lot of the hassle of having to find the right meals for your exact needs. Often at the grocery store, you may have to purchase more food than you want or need for the week, like purchasing a bag of onions when you only need one. Plus, many meal services source their ingredients sustainably through local organic farmers, which also impacts the environment in a positive way.

With trying to be frugal with your money, here are some things to look out for:. Many meal delivery services offer a first-time discount, which can vary depending on the company. 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.

Current Menu. View Menu. Give a Gift. Buy Online. The Mission. Simply supper is fantastic. Have been to private parties which were fun as well as weeknight session prep. My son has come and really enjoyed making the meals as well as eating them. I have been to the Northside store and the staff are friendly and helpful.

The store is very clean and organized. I love being able to pull a great meal out of the freezer and know supper will be delicious. Great special every now and then, too. I have loved using Simply Supper to help with meal planning and preparation during the busy work week.

I appreciate the varied menu — it has helped me to try new flavours and meal ideas that I otherwise would have skipped over in a recipe book. I started going to Simply Supper 8 years ago. I had two toddlers and was so busy that I got into a rut when it came to getting supper on the table.

My husband actually had the nerve to say he was tired of my cooking! I love how quick it is to go into Simply Supper to prepare meals, the staff is so helpful and everything is so easy.

It give our family variety in our meals and most importantly saves us time. Simply supper is delicious, fun and very easy to prepare and cook! The recipes are delicious and healthy and very affordable.

The staff are super friendly and so helpful at the river bend location!! Cant wait to see the new recipes and my favourite to recreate is the jalapeño salmon meal!!!

Great place if you have never tried it. Fun to bring family to help assemble meals.

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. 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. You can still have many of the benefits of meal services while staying on budget. Finding a meal delivery service that fits in your budget will help you save money.

You buy just the meals you need at affordable prices, and can save on the cost of a grocery run in many cases. Meal prep for the week can take up a lot of time, which is a huge perk of meal delivery services. Meal kits provide just the right amount of ingredients for your meals, with many ingredients prepared already, so it minimizes the time needed to prepare and cook meals.

Additionally, prepared meals can just be put in an oven or microwave to heat up, virtually eliminating prep time completely. Many meal services provide plans and options for people with specific dietary restrictions or needs.

Also, anyone following keto, low-carb, paleo, vegan, or pescatarian diets will often find options through meal delivery services. This takes out a lot of the hassle of having to find the right meals for your exact needs. Often at the grocery store, you may have to purchase more food than you want or need for the week, like purchasing a bag of onions when you only need one.

Plus, many meal services source their ingredients sustainably through local organic farmers, which also impacts the environment in a positive way. With trying to be frugal with your money, here are some things to look out for:.

Many meal delivery services offer a first-time discount, which can vary depending on the company. These discounts can be substantial, although prices may jump back up after a bit of use.

Here are a few of our best picks for meal services that offer consistently inexpensive meal options:. Many meal delivery services have smaller minimums and meal plans to cater for just one person. The cost of HelloFresh varies depending on the number of meal portions you order each week.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases. We think it's only fitting to create a resource for veterans who have played a vital role in defending our nation.

Below, you'll find seven workout programs that benefit veterans, active duty military, and even those who are simply looking to help veterans and be more involved. Read more. Our experts weigh in with fitness and safety tips for how to plan a running route.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Check Out the 14 Best Treadmills for Your Home Gym View More. Best Online Workout Programs Learn More. This includes physicians, certified trainers, elite-level coaches, and more. Learn more about our experts.

GGR Score: 4. Check Price. Cons Fresh ingredients need to be cooked within 4 days of delivery Meal selection only after signing up and entering payment information.

Bottom Line 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. Low minimum of meals Over meals to choose from.

Cons Very little customization when choosing meal plans Meals can be pricey. Bottom Line Fresh N Lean is a prepared meal delivery service that has a variety of meal plans to choose from.

Product Highlights Meal service that delivers ingredients and recipes 6 different plans available, including vegan and pescatarian options Can swap out different proteins and sides Can purchase between 2 and 6 meals, in portions to feed 2 or 4 people 40 weekly recipes to choose from Sourced from U.

farmers 6 meal plans to choose from. Cons Customer reviews complain about ingredient inconsistencies Some reviews claim meal portions are small. Bottom Line HelloFresh is a subscription meal delivery service that provides ingredients and recipes for weekly meals. Cons You do have to cook Have to meet plan minimum each week though you can adjust your minimum on a weekly basis.

Bottom Line 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.

They only require reheating and they may be sent fresh or frozen. Meal kits, on the other hand, consist of weekly shipments of recipe cards and all the corresponding ingredients to cook those recipes. There are five main factors to consider when choosing the best affordable meal delivery service for your household.

For individuals, prepared meals may be more convenient, but meal kits are often a better choice for families. Families who follow specific diets like gluten-free, vegan or keto will need to choose meal delivery services like Purple Carrot or Green Chef, which are more expensive than some others.

Additionally, if you eat organic that will limit your options as well. Only Green Chef offers exclusively organic meal kits. Finally, you should review the menu before you sign up and make sure that there are plenty of options that you and the other members of your household will enjoy.

When choosing a meal delivery service, what to avoid really comes down to your personal preferences and budget. Fortunately, you can view the menu for all of these services on their websites before signing up. In fact, I have tested all of the services on this list for myself, in addition to several others.

We were able to use my first-hand experiences to help guide our decisions for the best cheap meal delivery. Additionally, we considered price per serving, specialty diets and customer reviews to ensure that we included highly-rated meal kits that offered affordable options for people with many different dietary needs and preferences.

Meal delivery services are weekly subscriptions that send pre-prepared meals or meal kits with recipes and ingredients to your door each week. Some, like Nutrisystem, send monthly shipments. Meal delivery services are available at a wide range of prices.

Many of them cost around eight to ten dollars per serving, but they can range from five to fifteen dollars per serving. Meal delivery services can be a good fit for athletes, depending on their unique nutrition needs. Typically, athletes need to prioritize protein intake and may need to time their carbohydrate intake around athletic events.

Most meal delivery services feature protein-rich meal options and you can adjust the size of your carbohydrate serving if needed. Cheap meal delivery services can save your family hours each week. Although they are typically more expensive than grocery store prices, there are several affordable options that can save money compared to regular dining out.

Be sure to choose a meal kit that fits within your budget, is a good fit for your dietary needs and contains plenty of options that your household enjoys. Sign In. SI Tickets. SI Shop. Deals Fitness Health Nutrition SI Tickets SI Shop Sleep Tech.

By Matthew Dustin, fitness coach Feb 12, By Gabrielle Hondorp Feb 9, By Pete Nastasi, certified sports nutrition coach Feb 9, By Ashley Zlatopolsky Feb 8, By Sarah Falcone, BSN, RN Feb 8, By Anna Marie Clear, MS, RD, CPT Feb 8, By SaVanna Shoemaker, RD Feb 8,

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. You can still have many of the benefits of meal services while staying on budget. Finding a meal delivery service that fits in your budget will help you save money. You buy just the meals you need at affordable prices, and can save on the cost of a grocery run in many cases.

Meal prep for the week can take up a lot of time, which is a huge perk of meal delivery services. Meal kits provide just the right amount of ingredients for your meals, with many ingredients prepared already, so it minimizes the time needed to prepare and cook meals. Additionally, prepared meals can just be put in an oven or microwave to heat up, virtually eliminating prep time completely.

Many meal services provide plans and options for people with specific dietary restrictions or needs. Also, anyone following keto, low-carb, paleo, vegan, or pescatarian diets will often find options through meal delivery services.

This takes out a lot of the hassle of having to find the right meals for your exact needs. Often at the grocery store, you may have to purchase more food than you want or need for the week, like purchasing a bag of onions when you only need one.

Plus, many meal services source their ingredients sustainably through local organic farmers, which also impacts the environment in a positive way. With trying to be frugal with your money, here are some things to look out for:.

Many meal delivery services offer a first-time discount, which can vary depending on the company. These discounts can be substantial, although prices may jump back up after a bit of use. Here are a few of our best picks for meal services that offer consistently inexpensive meal options:.

Many meal delivery services have smaller minimums and meal plans to cater for just one person. The cost of HelloFresh varies depending on the number of meal portions you order each week. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.

We think it's only fitting to create a resource for veterans who have played a vital role in defending our nation. Below, you'll find seven workout programs that benefit veterans, active duty military, and even those who are simply looking to help veterans and be more involved. Read more.

Our experts weigh in with fitness and safety tips for how to plan a running route. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Check Out the 14 Best Treadmills for Your Home Gym View More.

Best Online Workout Programs Learn More. This includes physicians, certified trainers, elite-level coaches, and more. Learn more about our experts. GGR Score: 4. Check Price. Cons Fresh ingredients need to be cooked within 4 days of delivery Meal selection only after signing up and entering payment information.

Bottom Line 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.

Low minimum of meals Over meals to choose from. Cons Very little customization when choosing meal plans Meals can be pricey. Bottom Line Fresh N Lean is a prepared meal delivery service that has a variety of meal plans to choose from.

Product Highlights Meal service that delivers ingredients and recipes 6 different plans available, including vegan and pescatarian options Can swap out different proteins and sides Can purchase between 2 and 6 meals, in portions to feed 2 or 4 people 40 weekly recipes to choose from Sourced from U.

farmers 6 meal plans to choose from. Cons Customer reviews complain about ingredient inconsistencies Some reviews claim meal portions are small. Bottom Line HelloFresh is a subscription meal delivery service that provides ingredients and recipes for weekly meals.

Cons You do have to cook Have to meet plan minimum each week though you can adjust your minimum on a weekly basis. Bottom Line 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.

Product Highlights Plant-based meal service Frozen meals and smoothies Schedule deliveries every weeks. Cons Additional shipping fees for each delivery Subscription model Not all meals have a high-protein content. Bottom Line Mosaic is a frozen meal delivery service that offers plant-based options for vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike.

Product Highlights Meal kit delivery and online market Cook dinner in minutes Over 70 weekly staples to choose from New menus every week. Cons Subscription only delivery plans Not ideal for weight loss. Bottom Line Blue Apron is a meal kit delivery service that sends you everything you need for a fun, tasty meal right to your door.

Community Score: 2. Product Highlights Budget-conscious frozen meals Healthy meals all under calories Variety of meal plans including high protein, keto, gluten free Order meals in increments of 6.

Cons No customizations to menu or meals Meals only last up to 6 months in freezer. Product Highlights Kid-specific meal delivery service Options for babies and toddlers Fresh meals store up to 14 days in refrigerator, 3 months in freezer All meals are nut-free Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free options.

Cons Limited menu Subscription plans only Shipping is not included. What are you waiting for? Get the recipe for Tuna Melt. If you're looking for a way to use ground beef in a spicy, simple dinner that'll make the whole family happy, then you've just found your recipe for tonight!

Get the recipe for Tamale Pie. This ground beef enchilada dinner is especially a winner. A little taco seasoning, some corn tortillas, a can of enchilada sauce, cover it with cheese and boom! You've got a powerhouse meal for four or for two, with leftovers ready to go. Get the recipe for Beef Enchiladas.

Want to make your whole family feel taken care of? Treat them to a baked pasta dish. It's easy, it's cheap, and it's super filling.

Get the recipe for Classic Stuffed Shells. Who's in the mood for a minute dinner? Besides gnocchi and frozen spinach, all you need for this meal is some cream, some cheese, and a few pantry spices. Get the recipe for Gnocchi with Creamed Spinach. Tuna salad has been the centerpiece of a number of cheap and easy snack dinners in our household.

Add some crackers, some cheese, a little fresh fruit, and you've got a meal! Get the recipe for Tuna Salad. Broken noodles simmer in a tomato broth with sausage and spinach, capped off with a big dollop of blended cheese.

Get the recipe for Lasagna Soup. An easy way to save on dinner costs? Have breakfast for dinner. This simple but delicious mix of eggs, tortillas, and sausage is a fun way to go all out while still saving some cash. Get the recipe for Migas with Chorizo. If you're craving a tasty pasta dish that's a little more grown-up than jarred red sauce, give this dish a whirl.

We're pretty sure it'll become a regular part of your dinner plans. Get the recipe for Salmon and Creamed Spinach Fettuccini. We always seem to have the makings for tuna salad around, and elbow macaroni is not expensive. So when we're on a budget, this tuna mac makes a dinner that's fun, filling, and fast.

Get the recipe for Classic Tuna Macaroni Salad. Is there a more classic cheap dinner than mac 'n cheese? Especially because this recipe shows you how to cook the pasta and make the sauce all in the same pot, no draining required!

Get the recipe for Easy-Peasy Stovetop Mac 'n Cheesy. Known around the Upper Midwest as "hot dish," this pure comfort-food classic is easy, inexpensive, and plate-lickingly good. Get the recipe for Tater Tot Casserole.

Linguine with Clam Sauce. Oysters Rockefeller. Steak au Poivre. Marry Me Chicken. Filet Mignon with Duck Fat Potatoes.

Truffled Risotto with Mushrooms and Parmesan.