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.
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Learn more about our experts. From popular blogs to user reviews on various platforms—think Trustpilot, Yelp, and even Reddit—we dug deep to understand what customers truly want.
We prioritized services that offered a range of options. Once we had our list, it was time for our favorite part: taste-testing! We sampled dishes from numerous services, rating them on flavor, freshness, portion sizes, and overall satisfaction. Yes, it was as delicious as it sounds! We analyzed the cost per meal, looking for services that provided value for money without compromising on taste.
An overlooked but super crucial aspect! And of course, we made some cheeky calls to their customer service to see how responsive and helpful they were. We favored services that used eco-friendly packaging, had recycling options, or showcased any efforts towards sustainability.
Armed with all this data, our team sat down for some serious discussions and maybe a food coma or two! We debated, discussed, and sometimes even passionately argued to whittle down our choices to the final list.
Gone are the days when ordering food was a rare treat. With the advent of meal delivery services, a plethora of culinary delights are just a click away. Imagine getting gourmet dishes or even simple home-cooked style meals delivered right at your door, without the hassle of grocery shopping or meal prepping.
But with the vast sea of options available, how does one pick the right service? Enter meal delivery services! They cater to a range of preferences, from health-focused meals to indulgent treats.
Before you get overwhelmed with options, take a moment. Think about what you really need. Are you aiming to lose weight? Maybe you need high-protein meals.
Or are you a gourmet at heart, seeking new and exotic flavors? Pinning down your priorities can narrow the field significantly. From those avoiding gluten to vegans, and from keto enthusiasts to pescatarians, the spectrum is vast.
Check if your prospective vegan meal delivery service can cater to your specific dietary needs. We all dream of eating like royalty, but the wallet does have its limits. While exploring, keep an eye on the price tag. Some services might seem affordable at first but can rack up costs with add-ons.
Find one that offers the best bang for your buck. Look into how your chosen service packages its food. Do they use excessive plastic? Or have they adopted eco-friendly alternatives? Your choices can make a difference.
Food can be an adventure. While local delicacies are comforting, sometimes the soul craves exotic flavors. Scour through reviews. Consistent complaints about a particular issue should raise eyebrows. If multiple customers talk about tardy deliveries or poor food quality, take note.
But for those who find solace in cooking, meal kits can be therapeutic. We live in the digital age. A smooth app experience is almost as essential as the food itself.
An intuitive interface, easy customization options, and swift checkouts can make all the difference. If a service offers trial packs or promotional discounts, jump on it! Maybe you decide to go on an impromptu vacation or want to switch services. Having flexible return and cancellation policies can be a relief.
At first glance, ordering a meal from a delivery service might seem pricier than whipping up something with ingredients from your local grocery store.
For those who value their time, enjoy variety in their meals, and dislike the hassles of grocery shopping, meal delivery services might indeed be a cost-effective option. Hey there, fellow food enthusiast! But how do we separate the sizzle from the steak? Ah, the transformation! Remember when food delivery was just a cheesy pizza or some crispy spring rolls?
Well, the culinary world has undergone a revolution, and now, gourmet meals are just a click away. What once was a domain dominated by a few select fast-food joints has exploded into a myriad of options.
Our doorsteps have transformed into landing pads for dishes from every corner of the world. As our schedules become chaotic and our world increasingly digital, the desire for tangible, real-world pleasures like good whole food arrives fresh out has skyrocketed. No more! These plans are your ticket to more leisure.
Think about it: hours previously spent on grocery shopping, prepping, cooking, and the worst part—cleaning up—are now all yours. Maybe take up painting or perhaps finally start that book you always wanted to read.
Most of these plans have menus curated with the help of nutritionists. Think of the myriad of choices at your fingertips, each designed to tantalize and satisfy in unique ways. Can you imagine diving into the heart of Italy with a rich, creamy risotto one evening, and by the next, venturing into the vibrant streets of Thailand with a tangy pad thai?
And the best part? Ever felt the weight of dietary restrictions pulling down your gourmet dreams? Those days are behind you. Think hearty chickpea stews, sumptuous vegetable curries, or maybe a tofu stir fry that bursts with flavors.
Savor dishes like almond flour pizzas, zucchini pasta, or maybe a succulent steak with roasted veggies. No more sifting through ingredient lists or fretting about cross-contamination. From fluffy gluten-free pancakes to nut-free desserts, the options are both safe and scrumptious.
For those watching their caloric intake, fear not! During testing, we found that the more umami a dish had, the more filling it felt to testers.
However, this service fits the bill if you want something fast and healthy. Pros: With its ethical sourcing and USDA-certified organic ingredients, Sunbasket has a level of variety and customization options that set it apart from the rest.
Cons: Our testers found some of Sunbasket's recipe instructions hard to follow, and shipping is only free for your first order. Sunbasket takes pride in ethical sourcing and using certified USDA-organic ingredients whenever possible from a plethora of U.
purveyors and farmers. The service offers healthy and nutritious meals , with an option for a traditional meal kit with pre-portioned ingredients or fresh-and-ready prepared meals you can heat up in minutes. Meals are available for two or four servings, and many of the meals offer protein customization alternatives, plus options to add on breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.
From Persian salmon to chimichurri steaks to chop suey, Sunbasket creates enticing and internationally inspired meals. Sunbasket tries to ship its meals in environmentally-friendly packaging; our items arrived in a cardboard box lined with paper and denim insulation. The food is kept cold with plastic ice packs, which are filled with compostable gel.
Proteins are sealed in plastic, while all other ingredients are sealed in brown paper bags. Recipes are printed on a full-color folded sheet, and their information is extensive and helpful.
There are even instructions on making your meal ahead of time, which we thought was a nice touch. As part of our testing, we cooked and prepared:. Despite the care Sunbasket puts into its packaging, we were puzzled to find that the company made ingredient substitutions with no warning beforehand.
The differences were small we received Parmesan instead of Pecorino, and the recipe listed roasted garlic when we had raw cloves , but enough to give us pause. Pros: Home Chef has recipes designed to save you time, and with its easy-to-customize dishes, bigger serving sizes, and affordable price point, it's a great option for families.
Cons: Home Chef only offers limited dietary accommodations, so those with specific needs may want to look elsewhere. You can choose from tasty, comfort food-leaning options like Tuscan-style shrimp penne, crispy shallot beef burgers, and mushroom and black bean chili, each of which can feed up to six people.
Then you specify your dietary preferences. You have until Friday each week to pause, skip, or cancel your order, which you can do via Home Chef's website or app. At this time, Home Chef does not ship to Alaska or Hawaii. Our Home Chef ingredients arrive in an insulated cardboard box, with items kept cool with ice packs.
Proteins are individually wrapped and packed together in a plastic bag, and all premeasured ingredients are grouped in resealable plastic bags, making it easy to store the items in the refrigerator until ready for use.
Each recipe comes with its own double-sided card; these are already three-hole punched and intended to be saved in a binder. We sampled several recipes from Home Chef, which consisted of the following:.
Pros: Dinnerly offers comfort food favorites in varying sizes at budget-friendly price point. Cons: In order to cut down on cost, Dinnerly only offers digital recipe cards. Some of our testers also report chatbot issues when reaching out to customer service. You can order meals with either two or four servings, with an option of three to six meals a week.
Dinnerly's rotating weekly menu focuses on family-friendly comfort foods like steak and potatoes, quesadillas, and rice bowls. You can also incorporate grocery items into your shipments using the new online Market by Dinnerly.
With preportioned items and only a handful of ingredients, meals are quick to prepare and delicious. You don't need to create an account to view Dinnerly's menu. Simply click on "View Menu. First, select the number of meals and servings you need. Then, provide your location, email address, and delivery address.
Choose the delivery day that suits you best. Once you've added your payment information, you can select the meals you want for your first delivery.
Dinnerly will choose your meals, but you can adjust your preferences by clicking on the "edit taste profile" link in your account settings. Once there, you can customize the types of proteins you prefer, whether you want vegetarian options, and whether you like spicy food.
To choose your meals, simply click on "edit recipes," select the meals you want, and then hit "continue" to reach Dinnerly's "Market" section. In the "Market," you can choose up to 10 additional items from categories such as bakery and dessert, breakfast and brunch, drinks and smoothies, fresh fruits and vegetables, lunch, and prepared meals and sides.
Dinnerly ships its meal kit ingredients fresh, and items are kept chilled in transit by a combination of insulation which can vary based on your location and a large ice pack. Proteins are separated from your produce and seasonings, and all perishable items should be stored in the refrigerator.
The company only provides digital recipe cards to reduce costs and its carbon footprint. These are always available in your Dinnerly account and can be accessed on your phone via the app or on your computer.
Our sample meals included:. Our main complaint? The broccoli and chicken were supposed to be cooked in the same skillet, but this proved impossible and required another skillet and thus more dishes to clean. Dinnerly is also the most affordable meal delivery service we tested.
Blue Apron stands out from the rest for its diverse selection of meals and entrées available, all with a gourmet touch.
Additionally, the company offers both kits and the convenience of heat-and-eat meals, giving busy folks more options to save valuable time in the kitchen.
Last but not least, with its pre-prepped ingredients and clear, step-by-step instructions, Blue Apron makes it both fun and convenient to try new meals each week.
Our dedicated team, which includes editors, researchers, home testers, dietitians and skilled chefs, has conducted a comprehensive review of over 50 meal delivery services.
We've carefully evaluated each company on various criteria, such as pricing, meal variety, packaging, cooking time, and more.
To ensure we provide the best recommendations to our readers, we've tested and tasted over 1, meals and counting! Our testers begin by creating an account with the service and exploring the website to assess its user-friendliness. They then select a diverse range of meals that represent a variety of dietary preferences and make a purchase.
Upon delivery, our testers meticulously document the unboxing process by conducting a packaging count and taking photos. Next, our testers follow each recipe's directions and photograph the cooking process as they chop, slice, and sauté.
They keep track of the time spent preparing and cooking the dish to see how these recipes stack up against their expected preparation and cooking times.
Finally, we document the best part—the food! Our testers are encouraged to assemble a tasting panel of family and friends to try the meals and make note of details such as texture, seasoning levels, and presentation. While we know taste is subjective, we collect feedback from the panel and present those notes to our readers to help them make an informed decision when choosing a meal delivery service.
Each meal delivery service is unique and may offer a variety of health benefits. For instance, if you follow a strict diet, such as vegan , gluten-free , or keto, there are specific meal kits that focus on these dietary needs.
For those looking to lose weight, there are dietitian-designed services that cater to customers who want extra support. If you are looking to add more organic produce or vegetables into your diet, many meal services offer a vegetarian meal plan or work with local farms to procure and produce healthful meals.
While each meal delivery service is distinctive in its offerings, most of the meal companies share nutrition facts for each meal and may even offer filters or tags to help you find the ideal meal. If you have any specific health ailments or issues, speaking to a doctor or registered dietitian may be advised to help select the right meal delivery plan for you.
Fortunately, for those who suffer from food allergies and restrictions, there are plenty of options when it comes to meal delivery. Many services cater to a variety of food allergies and dietary needs, and some meal services are created by physicians and registered dietitians to offer custom meal plans.
A variety of services offer a selection of diets, such as vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-, nut-, and dairy-free. It's important to note that, despite offering diet-specific meals, many companies process foods in facilities that may not uphold strict allergen standards.
For this reason, consider reaching out to customer service to learn more about each service's processing and facility practices. With so many meal kit plans available, there are several factors to consider when selecting a meal delivery service.
Who is the plan for?
We tested popular meal prep delivery services, like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh, to find the best meal delivery service for every household Explore our comprehensive guide to the best meal delivery service options available. Discover convenience, variety, and top-quality meals for every palate PlateJoy is your personal meal planning assistant, providing custom meal plans and recipes. Start your free trial to enjoy recipes tailored to your
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