Looking to get more servings of nutritious fruits and veggies into your daily meal rotation? Everything comes frozen and preportioned in convenient little cups, requiring only a few minutes of blending, thawing, or reheating before enjoying.

Feeding a crowd? Perhaps the best option for families on our list, Home Chef provides a menu of three dozen comfort food-leaning meals that feed up to six people each.

Menu selections run the gamut from steak and broccoli stir-fry to portobello mushroom burgers to pasta with meatballs, plus gourmet-style dishes like panko-crusted mahi mahi and scallop risotto. You can also add items like extra proteins, soups, salads, sides, and desserts to your order—and those options change each week, too!

As far as pricing, that will vary depending on what you order and how many servings you need. Blue Apron combines the gourmet feel of high-end restaurants with the ease and convenience of home delivery into one truly stellar meal service. One of the leading names in the meal kit world, Blue Apron has turned restaurant-quality meal delivery into an art form.

Choose from gourmet signature dishes like duck confit with coconut curry ramen, vegetarian picks like cheesy romesco gnocchi, and even Weight Watchers-approved choices like crispy skin salmon with Calabrian mayo.

Meal Kits. Heat and Eat. Designed by both dietitians and chefs, the meals are formulated to meet specific nutrition requirements including diabetes-friendly, gluten-free, sodium-controlled, and renal-friendly. Whether you follow a vegan eating style, want to pack more protein into your meals, or even follow a popular diet like keto, paleo, Whole30, or Mediterranean, Fresh N Lean makes getting your daily nutrition easy, convenient, and delicious.

Since , the company has been churning out fully prepared meals that only require a few minutes of reheating before enjoying. Perhaps the biggest name in the entire meal delivery industry, HelloFresh has set the standard for delivering flavorful, tried-and-true recipes made with high-quality ingredients.

With that said, whether or not a meal service is right for you will depend on multiple factors unique to you and your situation.

While the services on our list all provide meals at wallet-friendly price points, those who are working with a tight budget may find it more cost-effective to go grocery shopping for ingredients themselves rather than investing in meal delivery.

Additionally, if you have specific dietary needs , like a severe gluten allergy, for example, it may be a safer option to prepare and cook meals in your own kitchen to reduce the risk of any cross-contamination.

In many cases, yes! However, this will depend on the size of your family. Most meal kits max out at four servings per recipe, and a handful of them can accommodate six.

With that said, services like Daily Harvest allow you to order up to 24 frozen meals in each box, and you can order multiple boxes per week if needed.

This allows you to keep your freezer stocked with tasty meals to feed however many people are at your table. They certainly can be! Many meal delivery kits provide nutritious recipes that utilize fresh produce and meats or meat alternatives , and in some cases, you can alter or omit ingredients here and there to tweak the amount of sugar or sodium in the meal.

That depends on which restaurant—but in many cases, they are! This largely depends on whether the meal delivery service provides meal kits or prepared meals. Some companies also offer protein customization options at the point of ordering, so you can substitute those chicken breasts for tofu if you so desire.

Our team of food writers, editors, and meal testers evaluated a total of 40 meal delivery services to determine the most affordable options.

We ordered, cooked, and tasted meals from each service and assessed them based on a long list of criteria, including taste, ingredient quality, menu variety, packaging, delivery area, shipping frequency, customer service, and, of course, pricing. We also took note of any accommodations these companies made for various dietary needs, as well as any special perks the companies offer their customers.

Harvard School of Public Health. By Kayleigh Drake Kayleigh is an associate food editor for the Performance Marketing team at Dotdash Meredith. Use limited data to select advertising. Create profiles for personalised advertising.

Use profiles to select personalised advertising. Create profiles to personalise content. Use profiles to select personalised content. Measure advertising performance. Measure content performance. Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources.

Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content. You can order a few tasty meals based on your family size or number of meals you need. The meal delivery kit will show up on your front door step on whatever day you request.

So, how do these meal kits measure up compared to just buying the ingredients at the grocery store? We picked out three recipes from one of the big-name meal kit delivery companies and then went to a local grocery store here in Nashville to compare the cost of basic ingredients tax not included.

This is a great example of a simple meal that can be made at home for much less than what the meal kit delivery service is offering. The meal prep cost would be even cheaper if you already had the seasonings on hand. With this recipe, you might already have some staple items on hand like the honey, ketchup and garlic.

That could cut down on the ingredient cost here too. You might have a hard time at the grocery store trying to buy exactly 20 ounces of ground beef. Here, we had to buy two pounds of meat to have enough to follow the meal kit delivery recipe. That would easily save you a couple of bucks on the meal prep right there.

If you absolutely hate cooking, this can actually make the whole thing easier for you. Shocker—you might even find the cooking process to be enjoyable! Trying to eat healthy and avoid the temptation of pizza and tacos every night?

Most of these meal kits pride themselves in offering nutritious options, and even a variety of choices for those with food allergies or restrictions gluten free, vegetarian, etc.

How many times do you buy specialty items for certain recipes and have them go bad before you can ever use them? Hello there, spaghetti squash buried at the back of the fridge.

And how about when you buy a massive bottle of Asian ginger sauce but only need a teaspoon of it for the recipe? For some of you, the convenience of meal kit delivery might be worth a few extra dollars spent each week. The idea of getting even just a couple hours added back into your day is pretty much priceless.

EveryPlate keeps its pricing low by focusing on affordable ingredients and responsible packaging. You can cut open gel ice packs to throw away the gel and either recycle the pack or reuse it for personal use. Daily Harvest is a great option for someone looking for a cheap meal delivery service offering organic, plant-based meals.

Daily Harvest's pricing is different from other meal delivery services. Choose from over 80 options offered by Daily Harvest, from lattes and snacks to bowls and flatbreads. Daily Harvest even has plant-based milk and ice cream.

All items arrive in dry ice and recyclable packaging. Frozen items can be thawed and enjoyed or microwaved, depending on which items you choose. You can change preferences inside your Daily Harvest account at any time until 6 p.

ET on Sunday, prior to your next scheduled shipment. Home Chef may be the best choice for you if you like to customize your meal delivery services. Dietary preferences are limited to calorie or carb-conscious, and you can choose to avoid certain foods, such as pork, beef, shellfish, mushrooms, tree nuts, peanuts, and poultry.

You can also add meals and edit serving sizes for each recipe when setting up your weekly meal delivery. When you're selecting meals for the week, certain recipes will have a "Customize It" button underneath.

Click and choose your preferred protein, which is carefully selected to complement each recipe. You can also bundle and save with breakfast or salad bundles or choose extras like breakfast, dessert, bread, snacks, or protein packs.

Also: The best electric smokers. You can search for meal recipes based on your cooking preference, such as oven-ready, microwaveable, grill-ready, culinary, and minute meal kits for those days you just need a quick dinner.

You can also purchase home Chef meals from Kroger grocery stores. Mom's Meals is a company focused on serving nutritious meals for seniors and those who have health conditions that require a specific diet, offering almost 60 meal choices.

Those covered by Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Long-Term Services and Supports, and the Older Americans Act may be eligible for Mom's Meals through insurance. Mom's Meals delivery service offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, and it's easy to choose based on various health conditions.

Each meal comes pre-made, can be refrigerated for up to 14 days, and is easy to heat in the microwave. Meals can also be frozen, though be sure to thaw them in the refrigerator before heating.

I chose Dinnerly as the best cheap meal delivery service because it offers the cheapest per-serving price and uses only six ingredients in a five-step process. All you have to do is check out the meal tags to make choosing your weekly plan faster and easier. Then sit back and wait for your pre-portioned ingredients to arrive at your door.

I've broken down my favorite cheap meal delivery services below based on price, meal choices, and dietary preferences. Choosing the right best cheap meal delivery service for you comes down to dietary preferences, budget, and time. If your diet is vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based, it makes sense to find a meal delivery service that caters to your specific diet.

If you're feeding a family and need kid-friendly meals, a meal delivery service focusing on family meals may work best. If prep and cook time are your biggest factor, Dinnerly may be an ideal option for fast meals, especially compared to Home Chef meals, which usually take longer to assemble.

An older adult, a caregiver, or an individual with dietary needs specific to a health condition. Plus, no cooking is required.

Since everyone has different needs, I chose meal delivery services that meet a variety of dietary preferences. I also analyzed kid-friendly options with family portion sizes, as well as options for single people who may not want leftovers or extra food going to waste. The number of meal options on each weekly menu also impacted this rating.

The environmental impact of using a meal delivery service also serves as an important factor in the decision-making process. Pre-portioned and packaged ingredients can increase the amount of plastic waste in the environment. All companies featured except for Mom's Meals demonstrate a commitment to limiting package waste by providing recyclable packaging materials and reusable ice packs.

Budget and shipping costs were also considered, with the lowest budgets per serving a major factor. Though Mom's Meals has higher shipping fees and may not focus on plastic waste reduction like other meal delivery services, it serves a niche audience that other services do not, making it a valuable option for those living with health conditions that need specifics diet to thrive.

A meal delivery service is a subscription-based service that delivers a box of fresh ingredients with pre-portioned amounts for your preselected recipes. Cook-from-a-kit boxes, or meal-kit delivery services, are substitutes for grocery shopping, meal planning, and searching for recipes.

Also: The best meal kit delivery services. Some meal delivery services provide ready-to-eat meals that can be heated in the microwave or oven or thawed and enjoyed, like smoothies and bowls.

You can also find Home Chef meals at your local Kroger grocery. When you use a meal delivery service, the service sources ingredients and sends them to you prepackaged and ready to cook. You can use the provider's website to select the meals you want.

Many places rotate menus, allowing you to try new dishes every week while enjoying your favorites. Alternatively, you can use a meal delivery service that prepares meals, so all you have to do at home is heat them up. Once you select your meal choices, the delivery service packages ingredients and ships them to your door.

The service has expanded over the years and we've tried many of the offerings with great success. If you're looking to learn new recipes or kitchen skills, there are many classic and premium choices, but they'll require a bit more time in the kitchen so choose them if you enjoy the cooking process.

We were especially impressed with the variety of international flavors on offer. Recipes we've requested multiple times include the za'atar-crusted grilling cheese served with lemony couscous and roasted veggies, and the bánh mi burger , which puts an American twist on the classic Vietnamese sandwich with lightly pickled veggies and sriracha mayo.

Our main gripe about HelloFresh is the relative inaccuracy of the recipe timing—we found that HelloFresh recipes were rarely on the table in the amount of time the recipe cards promised. However, we were consistently impressed by the flavor, which often made the extra time worth it.

While HelloFresh offers a wide variety of dishes, it still lacks many vegan offerings. But it does offer a variety of meal options for other specialty diets, like vegetarians and pescatarians.

HelloFresh has made strides over the years to improve its variety as well as its ordering interface. With so many choices, meals are categorized effectively and you can use either the website or the app to change your meal selections, add items, skip deliveries, and manage your account.

Our only ongoing complaint with the ordering process is that you have to pay close attention to your email, or schedule your own reminder, so you don't miss the deadline to customize your order each week. If you do miss it, HelloFresh sends you its selections for you according to the preferences you set in your account.

If you set those preferences with intent, you should always get meals you'll like, but it's still nice to tailor your selections to your mood or plans for the week. We love the clearly labeled, recyclable paper packaging used to contain each meal.

But you'll still have to dispose of the large ice packs and cardboard boxes each week. Cost: Visit HelloFresh for updated pricing. You can choose your combination of desired servings and recipes each week.

The valuable convenience of most meal kit delivery services come at a price—but not at Dinnerly. But cutting down on price doesn't mean cutting down on quality.

When we tested Dinnerly, we were taken aback by the flavor and portion sizes of each meal. Dishes with global flair like chicken satay and Moroccan-spiced chicken soup felt akin to ordering takeout from an international restaurant. Better yet, Dinnerly is devoted to simple, fuss-free prep.

That means every recipe has just five steps or less, and uses minimal pots and pans so post-dinner clean-up is a breeze. And a lot of the dishes we tested were actually ready faster than the estimated recipe time.

There are a few minor downsides we found, though, like disorganized packaging and fewer included ingredients. The ingredients are not organized according to each recipe, which means you'll have to sift through a pile of produce and packaged spices before cooking each meal.

Dinnerly also doesn't deliver printed recipe cards, so you'll have to refer back to your email as you cook. We also found that you may need to have some staples on hand before your package gets delivered, like fresh garlic and apple cider vinegar.

But don't worry: Dinnerly will send you a list of ingredients via email before the box arrives. Despite these minor hiccups, we think Dinnerly delivers major value for the price, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a better meal delivery service with such excellent value.

Read the full Dinnerly review. Favorite meal: Soy-ginger pork tenderloin with garlic rice and green beans. Cost: Visit Dinnerly for updated pricing. Subscriptions can serve two or four people, and you can choose anywhere from two to six meals per week.

Like its name suggests, Home Chef provides customers with the tools necessary to become true masters of the kitchen. Home Chef also offers oven-ready meals which come with their own cooking trays and the option to swap out proteins, making it appealing to an even wider swath of busy cooks.

Aside from classics like the farmhouse fried chicken with mashed potatoes, green onion gravy, and corn , Home Chef also offerings meals that are diverse enough to include healthy meal options.

It also accommodates almost any dietary preference, including vegetarians and vegans. The menu offers at least 25 dinner options per week, as well as a handful of oven-ready meals. There are also some lunch and snack choices as add-ons to its main menu.

We were impressed by the depth of flavor in the yang-yang beef with shishito peppers , a lighter alternative to traditional American Chinese food, and loved the hot honey salmon with zucchini and tomatoes for its summer simplicity.

What we love most about Home Chef is its organization. Ingredients are divided per meal into labeled bags that easily slide into the fridge, recipe instructions are consistently clear, and time estimates are always accurate.

Plus, the website is easy to navigate, allowing you the freedom to choose what you want and skip delivery weeks at will. One of its only downsides is the lack of variety on the weekly menu.

We would describe most of Home Chef's recipes as American-style, with a few Italian or Mexican-inspired options each week. HelloFresh, on the other hand, offers a wide range of dishes with international flair every week, like Peruvian chicken and Indian-inspired curry.

Home Chef would be also wise to incorporate more biodegradable packaging into its existing model. Read the full Home Chef review. Favorite meal: Farmhouse fried chicken with mashed potatoes, green onion gravy, and corn. Cost: Visit Home Chef for updated pricing. Subscriptions can serve two, four, or six people, and you can choose anywhere from two to six meals per week.

Paneer Tikka Masala was our favorite dish we tested from Gobble, our pick for best pre-prepped meal kit.

That means your box will contain pre-made sauces and partially-cooked starches that require simple reheating, plus pre-sliced, -diced, and -minced veggies. We were pleasantly surprised by the ingredients' freshness, and found that everything survived a day or two in the fridge before cooking.

Our biggest qualm with Gobble is that not all recipes are created equally. While some dishes were inventive, balanced, and super flavorful, others had us wishing we tweaked some of the ingredients ourselves. That said, most of what we tried was very tasty and we would definitely make most of the dishes again.

But because Gobble preps most of the veggies for you, there's unnecessary albeit recyclable packaging for things like chopped onions, which means more stuff for you to dispose of. Read the full Gobble review.

Favorite meal: Paneer and cauliflower tikka masala with garam masala basmati rice. Cost: Visit Gobble for updated pricing. Although we found some flaws with this fully vegan meal delivery service a few years back, our second time testing proved most if not all of our issues had been remedied.

We tried Purple Carrot for two weeks—trying meals from both the meal kit menu and the prepared meals section—and were impressed by the results. Previously, we found the brand to suffer from confusing recipes, bland flavors, and unsatisfying portions. This time around, we were excited by the menu's international variety, high-protein ingredients, and overall tastiness.

Standout plant based meals included the tamarind cauliflower with gingered fried rice and cashews , which was addictively tasty, and the buffalo tempeh quinoa bowl , which had a satisfying balance of heat and freshness. We also tried the brand's prepared meals, which arrive ready to eat after a few minutes in the microwave.

These meals weren't to the same level of deliciousness as the freshly made stuff, but they were still hearty, balanced, and decently tasty. We were happy enough to take them to work on in-office days. Subscribers to Purple Carrot can choose between either two or four servings a week for a meal kit subscription, or three or four meals a week for a prepared meal subscription.

You can also add prepared meals to your meal kit subscription for an additional cost—that's what we did. There are about a dozen meals to choose from each week, and several are conveniently labeled for folks with dietary restrictions, like Gluten-Free or Nut-Free. There are even a few Less Prep options, which feature pre-mixed sauces, pre-cut veggies, and recipes that require fewer pots and pans.

The service also offers breakfast and lunch dishes, plus add-ons think snacks and pantry staples from the cleverly named Plantry. There were still a few minor hiccups during testing, like an unusual recipe card format and slightly inaccurate cook times.

But once you get used to this learning curve it's not a dealbreaker. Whether you're a longtime vegan or just someone looking to add more plant-based ingredients into their life, we recommend subscribing. Read the full Purple Carrot review. Favorite meal: Tamarind cauliflower with gingered fried rice and cashews.

Cost: Visit Purple Carrot for updated pricing. Unlike the other services in this roundup, CookUnity delivers fresh, fully prepared meals directly to your door—no cooking required.

CookUnity wowed us from the moment we created an account and started browsing the hundreds—yes, hundreds —of meal options that are offered in any given week. Each dish on the website is curated by one of CookUnity's featured chefs, who typically specialize in a certain style of cooking.

Subscribers can choose to filter the overwhelming number of offerings by anything from diet type think vegan and keto , ethnicity think Mexican, African, or Mediterranean , or by featured chef once you become familiar with them.

When we tested these meals, it felt like we were dining at a restaurant. Each dish was flavorful, fresh, and enticing; they felt like they had been cooked fresh—but the prep took mere seconds.

The meal packaging prompts you to choose between a typical pre-made meal preparation read: microwave or a chef-suggested preparation.

The latter requires popping the tray into the oven or transferring the food into a pan. We opted for the chef's suggestions—and it was worth it. A few of the dishes we tried had smaller portions and left us craving more of a balance of protein, carbs, and veggies.

But this issue can easily be avoided by reading the in-depth meal guides on the website to see what's featured in each dish and what its nutritional information is. Read the full CookUnity review. Favorite meal: Sesame-ginger tofu poke bowl.

Cost: Visit CookUnity for updated pricing. Despite the success of its competition, the original meal kit service still has some fight left in them. Time and experience has allowed Blue Apron to keep prices low, perfect time estimates on recipes, and offer fun wine-pairing and gift options.

When we originally tested this service, we had problems with flavors and ratios being off. Oregano overpowered orecchiette , jalapeño overwhelmed peach salsa, and my polenta was in desperate need of salt, spice, or anything to make it more than a bland mush.

But when we tested it again in , we found that the menu offered much more variety. Flavorful meals like Mexican-spiced shrimp bake and shawarma chicken and currant rice had us enjoying every last bite. A few details continue to fall short, though, like disorganized packaging and inaccurate time estimates.

There's also a lack of vegan offerings with this meal kit. 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!

I chose to cook a Hungryroot brand spinach feta turkey burger on an Ozery OneBun multigrain bun with Hungryroot avocado crema. The burgers came in pre-formed, pre-cooked patties and were super easy to pan-sear while the buns toasted, all in all, totaling about 10 minutes total for a healthy and hearty lunch.

The burger itself was delicious, and something I would seek out in a grocery store to buy again. While this particular meal was on the easy side, while browsing the site, I was happy to see a whole range of options, including groceries to have in the fridge, which I found to be super unique and well-needed in the traditional meal kit space.

This company is great for those who have a culinary mind and like cooking their own recipes but also like trying new ones, especially with healthy ingredients and fun new products. Plus, it saves a trip to the grocery store and scrambling to plan a weekly menu on the spot.

Especially with diets like keto and paleo becoming all the rage, this meal plan is one of the best to cater to those diets while also being surprisingly filling. I am always a skeptic when it comes to pre-packaged salads and fresh greens, but when my order arrived, I was pleasantly presented with a super fresh and crunchy Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad that I ate a few days after receiving my box.

They last up to 10 days in the refrigerator, so stocking up is definitely an option. I opted for the microwave, and while the bacon was perfectly crispy and the sausage heated all the way through, I should have reheated the eggs differently.

Also, note to remove the dressing and sauce containers under the plastic film before microwaving, as I narrowly avoided a very melty and messy situation. As stated above, I fell in love with the filling and fresh Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad , which also happened to be keto, including the creamy dressing on the side.

I loved how this was a true ready-made meal, with no heating or even re-plating required. If you spend too much time and money on take-out health food or the Whole Foods salad bar, this is the kit for you.

The ready-to-eat meals come in super easy-to-transport plastic containers, a la a work cafeteria, or a fast-casual restaurant. When it comes to fresh veggies and vegan meals, I can be skeptical that the produce will retain its crunch upon delivery or that the meat or meat alternatives will arrive a soggy mess.

However, I was thrilled to bite into my Monday Kale Pesto Pasta Salad to find excellent crunchy roughage and al dente pasta. The other thing to note about freshness is the packaging.

Thistle takes care to label each breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack yes, snack! My Smashed Sonoma Chickpea Snack Plate was delicious! with the day you should eat it. Since I ordered for Monday — Wednesday, it was easy to organize my fridge by day so I could simply eat down the line.

What is the difference between a meal kit and a meal delivery service? Well, this one is a bit tricky, as both are included in this roundup, and there is some overlap. A meal kit is usually a subscription-based program that sends ingredients and recipes to your home.

A meal delivery service may be the above, or be pre-cooked meals or grocery items in addition or instead of ingredients for a specific meal. Do you need to subscribe to the meal kit?

Most of the time, yes! Usually a subscription is needed to try the meals, however, some companies also have a marketplace that sells items a la carte. How often do offerings and menus change? Typically, sites will switch up their meal offerings on a weekly basis.

Do I have to be a good cook to use a meal kit? Meal kits come in many different skill levels, from simply microwaving to more intensive chopping and cooking. They can also be a great way to learn how to cook and teach children.

Diet: Pay attention to the dietary options each service caters to, from vegetarian and vegan to Keto and paleo. Household Size: Count the number of people in your family and then account for how much they eat to best calculate how many servings you need to feed everyone. Some kits detailed above have larger portions, while others are single-serve only.

Budget: Meal kits and services have a wide range of prices. Some offer free shipping, while others have a minimum spend, and other specialty or health-related plans may cost more.

Time: Think about how long you want to be cooking for each night. Some meals require 30 or more minutes to cook, not including cleaning up. Check out New York Post Shopping for more content. Contact The Author Name required. Email required. Comment required. Updated Jan. New York Post Composite.

The hard part is just deciding which to try, which is why I tried them all for you first. Previous 1 of 3. Sophie Cannon. You can also transfer it to an oven-safe dish and cook 15 minutes at °F.

Through Snap Pass, its free membership service, you can customize orders and keep tabs on your favorite meals.

All of Snap Kitchen's meals are created by expert chefs and vetted by in-house nutritionists. Fresh N' Lean makes it easy to stay on top of your healthy-eating goals by removing the hassle to grocery shop in bulk every week or tediously meal-prep every day.

The healthy meal delivery service has thoughtful, nutrient-packed meals and snacks. Best of all? There's no cooking required. If you're looking for a prepared meal service that helps with your nutrition goals and actually tastes great, Fresh N Lean is worth a try.

You can unsubscribe at any time. By Talia Abbas. By Erin Parker. By Jake Smith. Best healthy meal delivery services by category Best Healthy Food Delivery Service Overall : Home Chef Best Value Meal Delivery Service : EveryPlate Best for Special Diets : Sunbasket Best for Vegan Meal Delivery Service: Purple Carrot Best for Small Kitchens : Gobble Best Organic Meal Delivery Service : Green Chef Best Kid-Friendly Meal Kits : Nurture Life Best for People Who Love to Cook: Blue Apron Best for Simple Meal Delivery Service : Dinnerly Best for Seasonal Meals : Sakara Easiest Meal Delivery Service : HelloFresh Best for Breakfast and Lunch : Splendid Spoon Best for Picky Eaters : Hungryroot Best for Meal Delivery Service for One Person : CookUnity Best High Protein Meal Delivery Service : Factor Best Family Meal Delivery : Marley Spoon Best Meal Delivery for Seniors : Snap Kitchen Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss : Fresh N Lean Are food delivery services better than eating out?

Are meal kits good for dieting? Best Overall: Home Chef. Shop at Home Chef. Most Popular. The Golden Bachelorette is Officially Coming to ABC This Fall. Who's the Lucky Lady? Your Horoscope for the Week Ahead. Type: Meal kit, premade Dietary options: Vegetarian, keto, dairy-free, low-calorie, low-carb, gluten-free Our favorite meals: BBQ pulled-pork tacos; maple miso butter salmon; sun-dried tomato turkey campanelle; zesty chicken tortilla soup; penne Bolognese with zucchini and spinach Servings: Meals serve 2, 4, or 6; you can order 2 to 6 meals per week.

Pros: Relatively affordable, great for couples or families; huge variety of recipes and preparation options Cons: Most meals include animal products. Subscribe Now.

Best Value: EveryPlate. Shop at EveryPlate. Best for Special Diets: Sunbasket. Shop at Sunbasket. Best for Vegans: Purple Carrot. Shop at Purple Carrot. Availability: Purple Carrot delivers to the contiguous 48 states; you can check availability here.

Shipping cost: Shipping is free and included in the regular cost of each box. Best for Small Kitchens: Gobble. Shop at Gobble. Best Organic: Green Chef. Shop at Green Chef. Type: Meal kit Dietary options: Vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, keto, paleo Our favorite meals: Cuban chicken with chimichurri; shrimp fra diavolo; herby barramundi over Parmesan cauliflower rice; curried coconut turkey soup; black bean and mushroom enchiladas Servings: Each dish serves two, four, or six people, and you can opt for two, three, or four per week.

Availability: Green Chef delivers almost everywhere in the United States except Alaska, Hawaii, and parts of Louisiana. Pros: 30 weekly recipes, options for a wide variety of diets organic ingredients Cons: You can order only up to four meals per week. Best for Kids: Nurture Life. Shop at Nurture Life.

Best for People Who Love to Cook: Blue Apron. Shop at Blue Apron. Type: Meal kit, premade Dietary options: Vegetarian, pescatarian, low-carb, low-calorie, Mediterranean Our favorite meals: Sesame kale and quinoa bowls; orange-glazed meatballs with bok choy and jasmine rice; smothered tomatillo burritos; Korean beef and rice bowls; ribeye steak and ginger-orange pan sauce Servings: Meal kits serve two or four people, and you can get between two and five of them each week.

Availability: Blue Apron is available nationwide in the United States, but different delivery options depend on your area, which you can check here. Check its guide for specifics on each material.

Pros: Option to add wine, family-friendly recipes, wide variety of meals Cons: Can get pricey. Best for Simple Meals: Dinnerly. Shop at Dinnerly. Best for Seasonal Meals: Sakara. Shop at Sakara. Type: Premade Dietary options: Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, low-calorie Our favorite meals: Wild rice and miso salad; four-bean protein chili; root veggie enchilada; sweet Thai oatmeal; acorn squash salad with pink tahini dressing Servings: Each item serves one.

You can order as little as one item per day or as many as three up to five days per week. Availability: Sakara now delivers everywhere, but the number of days available depends on your delivery zone, which you can check here.