When it comes to cost comparison, meal delivery services are typically a more affordable and healthier alternative to traditional takeout or dining at a restaurant. And if you're someone who overbuys at the grocery store and is regularly throwing out spoiled food at the end of the week, kits can even cut down on food waste since everything you need is pre-portioned.

In order to find the best and cheapest meal delivery services, the GH Institute's food and nutrition experts conducted an extensive review of over 40 meal delivery services with more than home chefs just like you.

For three months, our testers evaluated each service, including traditional meal kits, semi-prepared options and fully prepared ready-to-eat meals.

The top-performing affordable options kept costs down while still offering high-quality meals and great variety.

Read on to learn more about how we evaluate meal delivery services. Following a specific diet? We've included a comprehensive guide to options like gluten-free meal deliveries and vegan meal delivery services at the end of the article.

Pricing typically goes down with the more servings and meals you order, which is why you will see a range for each service. Rated as our best overall cheap meal delivery kit, Dinnerly strikes the perfect balance of affordability and inventive, delicious meals.

The service keeps costs down by opting for digital recipe cards instead of paper and utilizing fewer ingredients per dish which means less chopping and cleaning for you. How it works: You'll begin by building a box for two or four people and selecting from two to six meals per week.

You can opt to make the box vegetarian too. The menu is robust, allowing you to choose from over recipes each week that include family-friendly offerings, vegetarian and vegan fare, reduced-carb options and more. Everything is designed to be prepared in 30 minutes or less with no more than six ingredients.

Lab results: Our experts were very impressed with the variety and quantity of meals that Dinnerly offers, and they appreciate that the brand is able to remain affordable without sacrificing flavor or quality.

Testers were really impressed with the abundance of meals to choose from and just how tasty they were. But testers did note that some items came un-bagged in the box and that even though the recipes require only six fresh ingredients, you'll often need to work in a few basic additional items of your own.

That said, you can see in advance what ingredients they will send and what you'll need to have on hand. Many also noted that they would have preferred printed recipe cards, though Dinnerly does give you the option to print the recipe yourself at home.

You'll also find only basic nutrition information like calories and macronutrients on the recipes. The most inexpensive meal delivery kit out there, EveryPlate was launched by the popular HelloFresh a few years ago as a budget-friendly alternative.

The company is able to keep costs down by using less packaging and simple, accessible ingredients. How it works: Choose from either a two-person or four-person plan with three to six meals per week.

Lab results: Even though EveryPlate was the cheapest meal delivery kit we tested, both our experts and testers gave it top scores across the board. Although the offerings lean more toward the comfort-food side, our dietitians noted that it easy to find the nutrition facts for each meal readily available on the website.

More expensive services will package the food in individual bags or containers, but the food from EveryPlate doesn't come particularly well-organized in the box. This was one of the few complaints from testers, as some of the items were scattered around the box in transit.

Some testers also said that certain meals took longer to prepare than the time stated on the recipe cards. That being said, the meals are great value for the price, and testers loved how easy they were to prepare.

I also found the cooking instructions less complicated," a tester commented. Another said, "I like that EveryPlate has simple directions and comes with everything you need even stock packets to get your meal going. This delivery service has been popular in the meal kit game since and focuses on easy-to-follow recipes.

On its website, HelloFresh shares its own week price comparison study analyzing customers' costs versus the cost of shopping at nationwide grocery stores and found that HelloFresh is significantly cheaper than grocery shopping.

How it works: Choose a plan for two or four people and from two to six meals per week. Upgrades and add-ons are available as well, and there are over weekly menu options. Lab results: HelloFresh provides a solid meal delivery kit, with everything neatly packed into little bags with separators making the experience feel very organized and seamless.

The packaging in general also proved superior to other services we tested in terms of both performance and sustainability. Our experts like that full nutrition information and entire recipes are available on the site so you can get a preview before you commit to a particular meal.

Allergens are listed per meal as well. Testers appreciated the number of recipes, with one saying, "I liked that it seemed to have a lot of variety of meals to choose from.

One tester said, "It allowed me to try new foods, minimize food waste and save time planning meals for the week. Rated as our best overall meal delivery kit , Blue Apron offers high-quality ingredients, inventive recipes and lots of options for different dietary needs, including WW.

How it works: Choose to feed two or four people, and select from two to four meals per week. Their signature chef's faves menu offers a mix of meat, fish and WW-recommended recipes; the vegetarian menu highlights meat-free dishes with seasonal produce and the wellness menu focuses on balanced meals approved by nutritionists and WW-recommended dishes.

Lab results: Everything in the kits came well packaged in little bags to keep things organized. Full nutrition facts labels are available on the site, along with the complete recipes and ingredient lists. Our registered dietitians also loves the variety of WW-recommended meals for those trying to get creative in the kitchen and still manage their dietary goals.

Both our pros and testers agree that the ingredients are fresh and high-quality, with testers giving the service rave reviews and noting that the recipes were creative and full of flavor.

The recipe cards offered simple step-by-step instructions, and the meals had substantial portions. The ingredients are perfectly measured, packaged well and fresh. Home Chef offers boxes that feed up to six people per meal , which is more than other services.

They provide plans that include both pre-portioned ingredients with easy-to-follow cooking instructions, as well as low- or no-prep meals for busy families. How it works: Users begin the process by taking an online quiz to determine which meal plan is the best for them, including answering questions on any dietary preferences and restrictions.

Lab results: Our experts love just how many different meal kit options Home Chef offers, whether you're looking to get something on the table fast for the family or want to indulge in a more special premium cooking experience. And you don't have to order a crazy number of meals to unlock their lowest pricing.

While it may not be the lowest-cost meal delivery kit on the list, it's definitely less than other big names out there, and the quality is top-notch. You can check to see what items you'll need to have on hand for each meal and also get full nutrition facts readily available for every recipe on their website, but our registered dietitians do point out that the sodium content is very high on some of the meals.

Great taste! I was very pleased," a tester said. Another commented, "It's always hard to find new dinner ideas; these are a perfect variety to keep everyone in your family happy and full. The very first thing I did when I woke up was get my sourdough ready for the oven.

I quickly made some hardboiled eggs in my air fryer for breakfast, and then everyone was able to have a slice of bread fresh out of the oven before heading off for the day. While the bread was baking, I packed the kids' lunch boxes with leftover chicken burritos from the night before.

I added some fresh fruit and veggies on the side! The day was spent trying to get as much physical activity in as possible and spend time outside because we were lucky to get another beautiful day.

Since things were going pretty leisurely, I decided it would be a good time to prepare some yogurt to have on hand for breakfasts and snacks for the week. My daughters love yogurt and will eat everything we have very quickly, which can be a real budget buster.

So instead, I buy a small container of yogurt and some milk. Then I use the Instant Pot to heat, cool, and incubate the yogurt to make it grow into more yogurt! While the yogurt did its magic, I started preparing dinner. It's prime time for citrus right now in my area, which means excellent sales.

Simple Orange Citrus Salad was the perfect meal to make on such a sunny day, and required minimal attention so I could also multitask the yogurt.

I was worried if I told the kids the blood oranges were actually called "blood oranges" that they would stop right there. Honestly, I can't blame them. I know if I heard "blood oranges" as a child, I would have been STRESSED. After a nice, long incubation period, I finished off the yogurt by straining it into some storage containers.

We ate a bit for breakfast with some fresh raspberries. I didn't want the leftover guacamole browning in the fridge for too long, so for dinner I chose taco potatoes.

I was also able to use the remaining cheese I had already shredded from a few nights before as well. While I baked the potatoes, I browned the meat and got all the various toppings ready. There are two things my son will not eat: rice and potatoes. Usually, I always put a bit of everything on the kid plates so that they always have an opportunity to try things, but he has been very clear for long enough that he doesn't like them so I no longer serve him those things.

I knew the yogurt needed a little crunch, so I made up a batch of my favorite homemade granola. Being a nut-allergy household, granola is really something we have a hard time buying so this recipe for vanilla granola is a slam dunk.

Greek Chicken Kebabs were on my mind for dinner. Once I pulled out all the ingredients, I decided I would roast the chicken instead of grilling it on skewers, because although we've had a few nice days, I haven't actually gotten the grill ready for prime time after being buried under snow for a few months.

I cut up some tomatoes, cucumbers, and took out some store-bought tzatziki. You can actually make your own tzatziki very easily and pretty cheap, but sometimes, you need to consider your sanity as well!

In the future, I would love to try this recipe with fresh herbs instead of dry. I recently got the cookbook Meal Prep Magic by Catherine McCord, and when I saw this rice pudding recipe, I had to give it a try! Although the recipe I followed was from the book, there is a similar recipe here.

I put everything into a storage container and placed in the fridge to set. Once the chaos of mid-day was over, I wanted to make a quick snack. The rice pudding had me thinking of childhood treats I loved, and I remembered an at-home Orange Julius recipe we loved to make.

I had a free window of time that afternoon — and decided to knock out a few prep-and-go meals for later in the week. First, I used my sourdough starter to make biscuits. The ingredients were few, and steps were minimal.

Since I didn't have to do much in terms of breakfast preparation, I was able to bake up another loaf of cranberry sourdough. As you look through the flyer think what you would make with different sale items. As you make your shopping list, keep in mind what you will do with each item you buy.

It may be an ingredient as part of a cheap week night dinner or a breakfast item, or it could be a stockpile item on an amazing sale that you use regularly so you purchase 10 of them.

Take time to think through how many of each item you need to buy. Take advantage of sales, but do not waste money by buying too much if you cannot eat or use it. As you make your grocery list think about what you already have in your fridge and on your shelves that you could combine together to make a meal.

After your reviewed the flyers and sales it is time to grocery shop. Grocery shop on the weekend so you can meal plan for the week. Be sure to stick to your list. After you know what your family eats, checked your inventory, looked at the store ads, and grocery shopped it is time to write out your meal plan.

From the items purchased at the store, and your list of items that need to be used at your house, write out meals for the week. Use my FREE printable to help you plan cheap meals. Go through each meal — breakfast, lunch and dinner and write down plans on this printable.

Here is an example of a weekly meal planning sheet. Breakfast, lunch and snack Ideas do not need to be written down in any specific order unless you need them to be on a certain day. At my house a breakfast or snack item may be used 7 times that week or not at all.

Part of this depends on if the item is perishable or not. For example, my husband will eat a banana every morning for breakfast if we have them, but only eat an apple sauce cup if our perishable fruit variety is low.

The breakfast, lunch and snack ideas are based off of food you got on sale at the grocery store or non-perishable food in your pantry or freezer. However, dinner is more planned out so you know exactly what meal is on which day. This way you can prepare some of the meals in advance on the weekend and know what you need to do on each day to make the meal happen.

While you are looking at the grocery store ad and sales think ahead to the next couple of weeks. I am always thinking in advance what am I going to need to make coming up to watch for things to go on sale.

There are different ways to go about planning meals for your family. The most budget friendly way is planning meals from grocery store sales and stockpiles in your fridge, pantry and freezer. Besides saving money, it can save you time because the grocery ads help plan your meals.

You do not have to come up with them all on your own. Know what your family likes to eat and check your inventory before you grocery shop. This helps you grocery shop efficiently and not over spend on items you will not use. Use a weekly meal planning sheet like the one above to save you time and money on planning cheap meals for your family.

I don't supply endless options. I'm not going to overbuy produce that will end up going bad in the fridge without being used. I'm not going to be a vending machine for pantry snacks. My kids get to pick what they want their non-recipe veggies, fruits, and snacks to be for the week, and we usually pick two options for each category.

One budget flop I did make this week was accidentally spending more than intended on the dried cranberries. Oftentimes, I will add things to my shopping list way in advance so that I don't forget to add them when it comes time to shop.

A past version of me decided it would be a good time to stock the pantry with dried cranberries. I made my sourdough starter using flour and water awhile back. Although I didn't create the actual starter this week, it's one staple now in my house that we always lean on.

Last week, I tried to give my 2-year-old a store-bought piece of bread, and she threw an absolute fit telling me she wanted the homemade sourdough. At the end of the day, it's shocking how much money I save each week by taking minutes every few days that's the pace in our house to make a loaf or two!

Many Instant Pots have a specific 'yogurt' function — but mine does not, so I use these instructions. This process is extremely simple, but it does take patience. I also roasted a few chicken thighs and put the remaining thighs in the freezer for later in the week.

After lots of ideas of what I could tell them they were called, I ended up going with "they're purple and special, eat them. I ended up yielding about 2. Since most of us made burrito bowls Monday night instead of actual burritos, we had a lot of tortillas left, making it a perfect swap for my son.

The granola has such a subtle sweetness, which I love, and it only takes about 5 minutes to prepare. The rest of the time it takes to prepare is very hands-off with just baking and cooling.

A quick side note: I've also added oat butter into the yogurt bowl before and that is so creamy and a delicious addition.

I was prepared to have a lot of rice to utilize for the week, so while I made some to pair with the Greek chicken, I made sure to make double what I normally would.

I still thought this was a delicious, cold breakfast — but I definitely enjoyed it more while it was warm! I didn't have all the required ingredients for the exact recipe so I improvised with the leftover blood oranges, yogurt, and orange juice.

The blood oranges turned the whole thing purple, which worked well because that just happens to be my daughter's favorite color. I love prepping breakfast sandwiches, and making the eggs on a sheet pan is the ultimate trick!

The eggs come out flat, which is perfect for stacking on a sandwich, and it allows you to easily assemble a large amount of sandwiches in a short amount of time. I used the biscuits as the bread component and wrapped them for the freezer for later in the week.

My 4-year-old loved this meal. We had to tell her a few times to use her silverware because she kept digging in with her hands. When I make this again, I'd add a bit more liquid!

This could be an alteration needed due to higher elevation, but thought I'd mention it. We are hoping for a prosperous garden this year so that we can rely more on our homegrown herbs and veggies! I wasn't really sure how the noodles would play out, but I figured the lemon flavors would be a natural fit with the rest of the recipe.

I thawed the chicken thighs I put in the freezer earlier in the week and got to slicin'. Since I was also using the leftover pasta, I wasn't sure we had the full 8 oz the recipe called for.

I knew adding in extra veggies would be a good way to bulk everything up! I was really thankful I used the lemon noodles for this dish, because the bright flavors still shined through! Food · Posted on Apr 22, by Sydney Martin BuzzFeed Contributor. Sydney Martin. With meal planning, up-front preparation is key — but it's also the most challenging thing.

Here are a few tips and tricks that I use each week:. I always try to have some sort of independent activity ready for my kids while I'm cooking because otherwise, they decide to run in circles around the kitchen — which usually also includes stumbling over the dog waiting for any morsel to fall.

My son actually ended up being the only one that made his meal into a standard burrito, with everyone else opting for a burrito bowl! Once the kids were in bed, I made some dough for two different sourdough loaves. One plain and one with cinnamon and dried cranberries.

The cinnamon recipe actually calls for raisins, but we love cranberries instead! Rise and shine — time to bake! The very first thing I did when I woke up was get my sourdough ready for the oven. I quickly made some hardboiled eggs in my air fryer for breakfast, and then everyone was able to have a slice of bread fresh out of the oven before heading off for the day.

While the bread was baking, I packed the kids' lunch boxes with leftover chicken burritos from the night before.

I added some fresh fruit and veggies on the side! The day was spent trying to get as much physical activity in as possible and spend time outside because we were lucky to get another beautiful day.

Since things were going pretty leisurely, I decided it would be a good time to prepare some yogurt to have on hand for breakfasts and snacks for the week. My daughters love yogurt and will eat everything we have very quickly, which can be a real budget buster. So instead, I buy a small container of yogurt and some milk.

Then I use the Instant Pot to heat, cool, and incubate the yogurt to make it grow into more yogurt! While the yogurt did its magic, I started preparing dinner. Ree loves a supermarket swap—like using store-bought French bread on pizza night!

It's quick, easy, and perfect for any topping that your family members prefer. Get Ree's French Bread Pizzas recipe. These beef enchiladas keep things simple with canned enchilada sauce, but don't worry, there's still plenty of spice and melty cheese! Get the Beef Enchiladas recipe.

Prices for chicken thighs can vary, but on average they're less expensive than chicken breasts. Learn how to cook the thighs to perfection using an air fryer for crispy skin and juicy meat.

Get the Air Fryer Chicken Thighs recipe. SHOP AIR FRYERS. Say hello to your new favorite family dinner! It's cheesy, comforting, and fit for a crowd.

Plus, even picky eaters can get on board with the ground beef and noodle dish. Get the Cheeseburger Casserole recipe. Jam-packed with veggies and a satisfying, savory sauce, these noodles are everything you love and more! Serve with a drizzle of hot sauce, like Sriracha, if you want an added kick.

Get the Lo Mein recipe. Buy a store-bought rotisserie chicken at the supermarket and you'll be supplied with endless dinner ideas, like this hearty burrito filed with rice, beans, chicken, and cheese.

Get Ree's Ancho Chicken Burritos recipe. When you're in a pinch, you can't go wrong with that can of tuna that's hidden in the back of the pantry! Use it to make this fun pasta salad inspired by tuna noodle casserole.

Get the Tuna Pasta Salad recipe. Ree says that you can call this a "clean out the fridge soup" because it's so versatile. Swap out your choice of veggies depending on what you have on hand.

Get Ree's Hamburger Soup recipe. SHOP STOCK POTS. Eating on a budget doesn't need to be boring and this casserole recipe proves it!

The packet of ranch seasoning mix gives it a punch of flavor, plus you can't go wrong with anything topped with bacon! Get the Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole recipe. Stew meat or even chuck roast is a great inexpensive option for making this hearty twist on chicken and noodles. It has that stick-to-your-ribs kind of goodness.

Get the Beef and Noodles recipe. If you've invested in an Instant Pot, then not only will this chili be budget-friendly, but it'll be easy to make, too!

No more standing over a pot on the stove! Get the Instant Pot Chili recipe. Satisfy your pizza craving and your pasta craving at the same time.

You'll get a two-for-one deal with this fun Italian mash-up. Get the Pizza Casserole recipe. The humble potato is the star ingredient in this comforting soup recipe. You can dress it up with fun loaded potato toppings like cheddar cheese, chopped chives, sour cream, or bacon.

Get the Slow Cooker Potato Soup recipe. BBQ Meatball Subs Are the Ultimate Picnic Main. Chicken and Dressing Sheet Pan Supper. Homemade Pasta. How to Make Perfect Beef Wellington.

Sour Cream and Onion Tuna Noodle Casserole. Pressure Cooker Shredded Chicken and 3 Easy Meals!