Most reviewers are very happy with EveryPlate, although some say that they occasionally receive bad produce in their box. Nutrisystem is a comprehensive weight loss meal delivery service that includes low-calorie meals for an individual.

They offer specific plans for men, women, people with diabetes and people over 55 years old. In addition, they offer a partner plan for couples. Their meals and snacks are either frozen or shelf stable, but require zero prep other than heating—with the exception of smoothies or protein shakes that may need to be mixed with liquid.

However, although they can be very helpful for weight loss according to reviewers, the meals are low in veggies and highly processed. Highly-processed food has been linked to several poor health outcomes, including digestive issues, type 2 diabetes, depression and heart disease.

Additionally, because these meals are for individuals or their partner plan for two , Nutrisystem may not be a good solution for families of three or more. Check out our Nutrisystem Review for more information.

Green Chef is a traditional meal kit that specializes in high-quality organic ingredients and caters to specialty diets such as keto , paleo, vegan and gluten-free. Naturally, this focus on high-quality ingredients means that their prices are higher than other meal kit services.

Still, their prices are fair and competitive for what they offer. Reviewers also love Green Chef. Note that occasionally Green Chef may need to substitute some non-organic ingredients in your box, depending on availability. All of these will be clearly labeled. For more information, check out our in-depth Green Chef review.

Purple Carrot is an exclusively plant-based meal kit service that offers both traditional meal kits and ready-to-heat meals, making it a good choice for vegan families and individuals alike.

Overall, the service has great reviews from customers, although many say that some of their produce items regularly arrive in poor condition. They also offer several gluten-free options each week. Still, it may not be a good fit for families with picky eaters because the recipes tend to feature bold, regional flavors.

However, they have a huge catalog of weekly options, including several that require minimal prep. This makes Dinnerly a better fit for families on a budget who also need meals that come together quickly.

Some of their recent menu options include No Chop! Low-Cal Chorizo Tacos and Ready Made! Cheesy Chicken Penne Alfredo. Many reviewers love the variety that Dinnerly provides, but they do say that occasionally produce arrives in bad shape.

Overall, the sheer variety of Dinnerly—along with its low price—makes it a great fit for most families without special dietary needs. They even offer some low-carb and dairy-free meals. HelloFresh is one of the most well-known meal kit delivery services. They offer a wide variety of meals each week, including crowd-pleasing choices and more unique dishes.

For singles, a two-serving plan provides a dinner and one serving worth of leftovers for lunch the next day. It can save a lot of money compared to dining out for lunch and dinner. Other than occasional shipping issues, reviewers rate HelloFresh highly—with many saying that they cook at home much more since starting their HelloFresh subscription.

Meal delivery services are companies that ship prepared meals or meal kits to your doorstep each week. While most meal delivery services have healthy options, some are much healthier than others.

If you're keen on eating low-calorie, low-carb, plant-based or pescatarian food, certain meal kits and meal delivery services will be better than others. Number of meals per week. If you can't imagine yourself cooking more than twice per week, don't order more than two meal kits because they typically won't last more than a week in the fridge.

Most prepared meals either arrive frozen or can be frozen after unboxing. That means it's less of an issue if you order too many meals on your first go around.

Our experts have logged more than 5 years of cooking more than 75 meal kits and tasting more than prepared meals from various services to help land on our list of the best in Meal kits and prepared meal delivery aren't a new concept, but having so many options to sort through is.

To help you find the best fit for a hassle-free dinner, we tested more than two dozen of the top players. We also dove deep into prepared meal delivery subscriptions that require no cooking at all.

In that category, Fresh N Lean was our clear favorite, sending great-tasting premade meals made from healthy ingredients that kept us fueled all week.

The best meal kit or meal delivery service ultimately depends on your eating habits, schedule and budget. To help you find the best service for your money, we tested more than 20 to find the best meal subscriptions in several categories.

We also found a few exceptional vegan meal delivery services to satisfy plant-based eaters. For those looking to accomplish health or nutrition goals, we also tested to find the best meal delivery for keeping to a keto , paleo and low-calorie diet.

And if you're wondering if meal kits are worth it, we compared recipes from EveryPlate and Blue Apron to see how they compared with buying the groceries yourself. Below you'll find the best meal delivery services of , as tested and reviewed by CNET.

Why our testers picked Blue Apron : With tasty, premium entrees such as steak and seafood at some of the best prices in the meal kit category, Blue Apron represents the best overall value for any meal delivery service we tried.

Blue Apron is the granddad of meal kit programs in the US and the brand still manages to deliver excellent meals with easy-to-follow recipes all at a fair price. Weekly menu choices available range from simple pasta dishes to inventive global cuisine, with high-end recipes including those for steak and seafood at no extra cost.

Read our full review of Blue Apron here. Factor is a healthy prepared meal service and had some of the best meals I tried in all my testing of prepared meal services, including a zesty pesto salmon and a divine keto cheesecake. Among the hits, however, were the occasional misses, so you may have to learn the menu over time.

Factor puts a focus on healthy meals with plenty of low-carb options, and all the nutritional information is listed on the website before you choose your meals each week. With all the keto and paleo meal options, it's certainly a solid choice for people keeping to either of those plans.

Read our full review of Factor here. Why our testers picked Pete's Real Food : While it's more expensive than other prepared meal services on our list, the quality of food doesn't get much higher than Pete's. The cuisine is designed to fuel those following the precise paleo diet, but even those not keeping to the plan should enjoy this grub.

Pete's Real Food formerly Pete's Paleo won me over in a week-long taste test of its healthy organic and paleo meals, earning a spot as one of the best healthy, organic meal delivery services.

Pete's meals are all fully prepared and ready to heat and eat. The dozen or so Pete's Real Food meals we've tested were all cooked well: meats were tender, vegetables mostly cooked to proper doneness and all the flavors worked. If you're in training or keeping to a paleo plan and looking for lots of protein, healthy fats and nutrient-filled carbs such as sweet potatoes and beets, Pete's should hit the spot.

Pete's Real Food formerly Pete's Paleo is an excellent meal service if you're adhering to a paleo or whole foods eating plan. Read our full review of Pete's Real Food here. Why our testers picked CookUnity : This is a prepared meal service aimed at those with refined tastes and an adventurous palate.

The best thing about CookUnity is the sheer volume of meal options you can choose from, all originating from chefs -- some famous and some not -- of different backgrounds and culinary styles. I liked almost everything I tried, with recipes ranging from very healthy to more comfort-style food.

There are plenty of options for vegetarians, too, but note that the menu will vary depending on where you live since they pull from local chefs to create the weekly offerings.

Read our full review of CookUnity here. Why our testers picked Mosaic Foods : This plant-based service was one of the best prepared meal services we tried, and not just among vegan options.

I sampled more than 10 of Mosaic Food's plant-based prepared meal offerings and the vegetarian prepared meal delivery service had an astoundingly high hit rate. Mosaic uses global flavors and employs creative use of meat substitutes such as tofu, jackfruit, cauliflower and vegan sausages to create tasty and satisfying vegetarian meals.

While everything I ate from Mosaic was at least good, some standouts included the bean and jackfruit chili, tomato olive and feta ragout and a tangy Thai noodle dish. Why our testers picked HelloFresh : HelloFresh combines, convenience, selection and family-friendly options for an all-around excellent meal kit experience.

HelloFresh has the most recipes per week of any meal kit service we tried making it a good pick for families and homes with picky eaters. This meal kit service's portion sizes are generous and there are meals to fir eating plans and diets of all sorts.

It's also affordable, especially if you order larger meals. Ya know, for a family. HelloFresh recipes are mostly fast and easy to follow, even for beginner cooks. Plus, they'll allow you to make substitutions so you can always find a recipe that suits your taste. Why our testers picked Purple Carrot : For authentic, organic, plant-based cooking, Purple Carrot delivered big with a bounty of interesting recipes and fresh ingredients.

Out of all the vegan meal kits I've tried, Purple Carrot's provided me with the best base for cooking vegan cuisine and its ingredient mainstays such as lentils and grains. There are about eight recipes to choose from each week.

I tested a full week's worth of meals and enjoyed all of them. Read our full Purple Carrot review here. Why our testers picked Green Chef : This meal kit service uses almost all organic meats and produce, and offers interesting and healthy recipes for the discerning home cook.

While it may be one of the pricier options, we like Green Chef for its versatility in the different specific diet plans available. The healthy meal kit service also boasts the most organic ingredients of any meal kit service including produce, meats and fish. Green Chef also offers paleo, keto, pescatarian, vegan and vegetarian meals as well as gluten-free meal kit recipes and meals.

Read our full review of Green Chef here. EveryPlate keeps overhead costs low by offering just eight easy meal kit recipes to choose from weekly, which mostly excludes vegetarians and those on special diets, but the eight available meals are full of variety and flavor otherwise.

You can expect a lot of comfort food from this meal kit service such as meatloaf, burgers and pasta dishes but everything I made was solid.

Why our testers picked Fresh N Lean : With extremely high-quality meals, tons of healthy options and fair pricing, this service was an easy pick for best prepared meal delivery service. Fresh N Lean ran away from the competition, ticking more boxes than any other with healthy food that is thoughtfully prepared, tastes great, looks appetizing and is fairly affordable depending on the plan you select.

Fresh N Lean has five meal plans to help keep folks on track with their specific nutrition goals including low-carb, vegan, paleo and protein-plus options.

The food was all made exceptionally well using simple, whole ingredients. Why our testers picked Home Chef : Home Chef is a meal kit service with a sprawling menu that includes tons of low-carb options.

Even if you're not going full keto, but just want to curb your carb intake, Home Chef offers 15 recipes per week with less than 15 grams of net carbs in each.

On balance, Home Chef meal kits weren't the best we tried, but the bulk of meals we made took less than 25 minutes and the portions were more than satisfying. That, coupled with its slew of easy, healthy low-carb options, makes Home Chef the best meal kit service for keto eaters.

The first big decision you'll make is whether you want meal kits, which require some prep and cooking, or a prepared meal service that sends fully cooked meals that are ready to heat and eat. After you've picked between meal kits or meal delivery, you'll want to find a service within your budget.

Here we've outlined all the best cheap meal delivery services for Our list of the healthiest meal delivery services for is a good place to find all the most nutritious options. Lastly, you'll want to hone in on exactly how much food you'll want sent to you per week.

Most services allow you to change the number of meals or servings in your plan even after you've started.

With nearly every service, the more meals your order per delivery, the cheaper it is per meal. All the meal delivery services may look delicious in their website glamour shots, but that's certainly not enough to convince me.

To settle on this list of the best meal delivery service I tried as many as we could get our hands on, noting everything about them from freshness and flavor to ordering, packaging and delivery. Testing meal kits for CNET means rolling up our sleeves and cooking at least one week's worth of meals from each service, often more.

How each meal kit tastes, how easy it was to prepare and the portion sizes are all considered. We also evaluate the website and how easy it is to navigate along with determining how easy it is to pause, cancel or change your order at any given time.

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.

Those looking for more plant-based fare will appreciate the hearty vegetarian offerings from Mosaic. You'll find everything from veggies and pizzas to smoothies, soups and oat bowls. The brand uses high-quality ingredients, choosing organic and local options when possible.

How it works: Start by selecting your plan, which includes six, 12 or 18 options per box you'll get more savings the more you order. Then fill your box with a variety of plant-based breakfast, lunch and dinner options. Meal filters include vegetarian, vegan, wheat-free, nut-free and high-protein.

Select what you'd like or have Mosaic build a box for you based on customer favorites. You'll then determine how often you'd like to receive deliveries, ranging from weekly to monthly. All of the meals are delivered frozen with free shipping on 12 and 18 item boxes. Testers were impressed with how tasty the veggie-forward meals were, with one saying, "Delicious!

So flavorful for frozen meals. We were impressed. Made eating plant-based so easy. At the Good Housekeeping Institute , we test all types of food products and services, from healthy snacks and supplements to food subscription boxes and meal delivery services.

Our experts are committed to bringing you the best of the best when it comes to quality, performance, flavor, nutrition and more. In our most recent study of meal delivery services, we recruited more than at-home testers across the nation, while our in-house experts also tested the services in our Labs.

All in all, we evaluated over 40 different meal delivery services , ranging from traditional kits that come with pre-measured ingredients and a follow-along recipe card to fully prepared options. We tested the services over the course of three months. For each service, we tried a total of 15 or more meals across our experts and testers.

We are currently and constantly testing new offerings in this category to keep readers up-to-date. In the end, we made our selections based on expert evaluations and tester feedback in the categories of overall satisfaction, food quality, cost, recycling efforts and availability.

Our top picks cater to a wide variety of dietary preferences, including gluten-free, low-carb, high-protein and more. Although taste is subjective, we ultimately chose companies that scored high points overall with testers. When finding the best meal delivery service to fit into your lifestyle and budget, there are a few key things to consider:.

There are also options that fall in between: Food is partially prepped and requires minimal extra work to get a balanced meal on the table quickly. You'll want to take a look at the plans the different services offer and keep in mind that while some services may start at a low price that is for a large order.

You'll typically be able to check the price ahead of ordering, so you can see how much it will cost for your specific needs and servings per week. If you are cooking for more than four people, check to make sure the service will accommodate your family, as some services only serve a max of four people per meal.

Frozen meals can avoid waste whereas fresh options can spoil if not eaten immediately. Most services allow you to skip a week and adjust your plan along the way, which can be a strategy to help keep costs down if you can't use the food quickly. Some options, like Dinnerly, have robust vegetarian menus, for example, whereas other services may offer only a handful of vegetarian meals to choose from each week.

Certain services will let you customize further and swap out proteins, which can be beneficial. Most services will give you a discount on the first box and additional discounts if you are a first responder or in the military. And if you know a friend or family member who is using the service, you may both get a discount for the referral.

Some meal delivery services can be pricey — and most also involve shipping fees. But it's worth keeping in mind that they also tend to be healthier and less expensive than takeout. There's also the benefit of skipping a trip to the grocery store and not having to spend time coming up with meal ideas and hunting for recipes.

Many meal kits offer assistance with meal prepping, chopping and more , cutting down on prep time too. You'll also get the opportunity to learn new cooking techniques and try new foods that may not be in your regular mealtime rotation. If you'd rather not bust out all your pots and pans every night, prepared meal delivery services can also offer a smart solution.

While prepared options do come at a premium, you're ultimately paying for the convenience, which may be worth it for you.

These types of melas are typically comparable with the cost of takeout but have one standard shipping fee since the meals come together. This article was originally written by registered dietitian Amy Fischer.

It was most recently updated by registered dietitian and Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Director Stefani Sassos. As a dietitian and working mother, Stefani is passionate about putting balanced meals on the table for her family without having to spend a ton of time or money at the grocery store.

She personally uses meal delivery services as a way to change up her family's normal dinnertime routine and to get introduced to a variety of new foods and unique preparation methods. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living.

She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family.

She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Miami University of Ohio and a master's degree in clinical nutrition from NYU. Prior to Good Housekeeping , she worked at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City as a cardiac transplant dietitian.

She has authored numerous chapters in clinical nutrition textbooks and has also worked in PR and marketing for food company start-ups. The Best Single-Serve Coffee Makers. Owala Water Bottle Review. The 9 Best Multivitamins for Women. Pepper Bra Review. The Best Walking Shoes for Women.