According to the US Department of Agriculture, the average American adult spends approximately 44 minutes on each trip shopping for food. This doesn't even take into account the time spent preparing and cleaning up the meal, which according to the same report takes up to an hour.
It's no surprise that the food delivery industry has boomed in recent years, helping people avoid trips to the supermarket, save time in the kitchen and potentially spend less money by reducing food waste.
But before you jump into the action, check out our research so you're fully informed about what our top picks for the best meal delivery services have to offer.
Our Top 10 Best Meal Delivery Services for 2023:
- HelloFresh – Best Overall Food Delivery Service
- Home Chef: best for flexible plans
- Factor: Great for dietitian-approved, restaurant-quality recipes
- Martha & Marley Spoon: Best for Improving Your Culinary Skills
- EveryPlate: Best for affordable, family-friendly meals
- Green Chef: Best for Organic Ingredients
- Nutrisystem: the best for weight loss
- Fresh and easy – great for comfort meals with little to no preparation
- Freshology – Best for Serving Diet and Reheated Foods
- Trifecta: ideal for prepared and low-calorie meals
Our Methodology: How We Reviewed the Best Meal Delivery Services
We've evaluated the most popular food delivery services to help you decide which ones are worth your time and money. Our experienced dietitians and nutritionists ordered, selected, prepared and tested each of these meals to evaluate the following:
- User experience and customer service.
- Subscription Flexibility
- Variety of meal plan.
- Quality of ingredients
- Recipe precision.
- Preparation difficulty level.
- The overall taste of the food.
A Closer Look at the Top 10 Meal Delivery Services
HelloFresh
HelloFresh makes it possible to enjoy fresh, healthy meals with minimal preparation. Former Pastini executive chef Ron Stewart tried HelloFresh and was “amazed by the quality of the ingredients and the ease of preparing exceptional meals,” calling his recipes “delicious, nutritious and balanced.”
Each week, HelloFresh lets you choose from over 100 recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each kit includes simple step-by-step recipe cards with fresh, pre-measured ingredients to help you get dinner on the table in less than an hour.
This service is best for individuals and households without strict dietary requirements, although they also offer low-carb, low-calorie meals. You can review the ingredient information for each meal individually before ordering, including nutritional value and allergens, as well as any additional items you may need.
Why do we choose HelloFresh? You can easily customize or cancel meal delivery and subscription at any time. The meal is not overly complicated and reduces the need to purchase ingredients other than those supplied for each recipe.
Our experience. We love that HelloFresh lets you know in advance what dishes you need so you can prepare a meal as soon as your delivery arrives. It was also convenient that their extensive menu also allowed us to swap out proteins.
Read the HelloFresh review
PROS
- Adjust, skip or cancel your delivery and subscription at any time
- Change, swap or upgrade 12+ sides and proteins every week
- Competitive price
CONS
- No keto or paleo meal delivery plans
- Limited flexibility for allergy sufferers
Home Chef
Home Chef is a catering service designed for chefs of all levels. Each shipment provides recipe cards with step-by-step instructions and photos. Hartman et al. shows that improving cooking skills encourages healthier eating habits and therefore improves nutrition. This makes Home Chef a great tool for achieving better health by teaching you new recipes and techniques.
Choose from more than 20 recipes each week and change the proteins to your liking. Home Chef allows you to filter and eliminate recipes with specific allergens such as tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, mushrooms, fish and shellfish. However, they cannot guarantee that their food is completely free of cross contamination.
Why do we choose Home Chef? Its pre-portioned and partially prepared ingredients make food preparation and cleanup easier and faster, while eliminating food waste.
Our experience. We found that Home Chef's recipe cards are easy to follow and the meals are large enough to comfortably feed a hungry adult. We loved being able to save our recipe cards in the binder (included with your first order) at any time.
Read the Home Chef Review
PROS
- Customize the type of protein on your plate
- Filter and remove recipes with specific allergens
- Meal kits are available at Kroger-owned grocery stores.
CONS
- Some ingredients may contain artificial colors, sulfites and/or sweeteners.
- The weekly minimum order is $47.96, not including shipping.
Factor
Factor is a chef-created, dietician-approved food service that provides an affordable way to heat and serve meals for a healthy diet. Marie Sabat, nutritionist and president of Body Designs, notes that they are “worth the extra money” and offer “many options for someone trying to follow a certain diet.”
Factor makes your nutritional and ingredient information transparent, so you can filter out recipes that may not meet your health goals. Their meals range from 300 to 900 calories, giving you an easy way to lose weight depending on which low-calorie meals you choose.
Why do we choose Factor? In addition to Factor's microwave and oven-ready meals, they also offer nutritious add-ins such as juices, smoothies, cookies, desserts, and breakfasts.
Our experience. Although the recipes were often high in fat, the ingredients were clean and high quality. We loved being able to develop the right diet plan for us with a free consultation with one of their registered dietitians.
Read the review of factors
PROS
- Do not prepare, heat and serve food.
- Many dietary options
- Includes a 20-minute initial consultation with a nutritionist.
CONS
- Not suitable for families as the meals are single use.
- Mainly high fat ketogenic meals.
Martha
Martha & Marley Spoon is a custom catering service serving fresh, pre-portioned ingredients.
The recipes come straight from celebrity chef Martha Stewart's kitchen and each includes “labels” that make it clear if they are dairy-free, gluten-free, or kid-friendly. They also automatically fill your box with recipes based on your previous tastes, but you can customize and choose your dishes.
The food comes fresh in an insulated box with six-step recipe cards. If your pantry is missing an ingredient, you can add items to your order through the online marketplace. The company recommends freezing animal proteins within two days of delivery and vegetables within four days for optimal flavor, nutritional value and freshness.
Why we chose Martha & Marley Spoon. They offer a hands-on way to explore new flavors and learn new cooking techniques from a celebrity chef.
Our experience. Martha & Marley Spoon produced better quality meals than many of the restaurants we frequent. Preparation took a few minutes longer than other food delivery companies, but the experience was worth it.
Read the Martha and Marley Spoon Review
PROS
- A variety of health-based options.
- Master new cooking techniques and explore new flavors.
- Fresh and top quality ingredients.
CONS
- The meal plan includes lunch options only.
- There are no completely allergen-free eating plans.
EveryPlate
EveryPlate is for those who want simple, delicious meals for the whole family. Choose from a variety of 25 different recipes each week from their Meat & Veggie, Veggie, Family Friendly, Quick & Easy and Nutrish & Delish menus.
Frozen meals come carefully packaged in an insulated box to ensure freshness. EveryPlate does not recommend refreezing ingredients, so they should be refrigerated once opened and consumed within five days of delivery.
Because EveryPlate focuses on profitability, it does not cater to special diets other than vegetarianism. Review the ingredients in each recipe before placing your order to ensure the meals meet your dietary needs.
Why we choose EveryPlate. Their recipes require no fancy or special tools, encouraging new cooks to get into the kitchen and prepare delicious, convenient meals in a matter of minutes.
Our experience. EveryPlate's easy recipes made it easy for us to get meals on the table quickly, reduce food waste, and minimize cleanup. However, we found the portions a little small.
Read the EveryPlate review
PROS
- No special kitchen utensils needed.
- The most affordable prices.
- Simple recipes
CONS
- Limited options for people with allergies or special diets.
- small portions
Green Chef
Green Chef is chef-driven and offers nutrient-dense meals made with farm-fresh organic produce and premium proteins. Upgrade your order with breakfast dips, treats and sides.
Each dish comes with pre-measured and mostly prepared ingredients, including homemade sauces and marinades, as well as a recipe card with special tips from the chef. Some dishes may require more preparation, such as dicing, chopping, peeling, and grating.
Green Chef is currently not allergy friendly, but you can review each recipe's ingredient list for more detailed information.
Why do we choose Green Chef? Green Chef serves high-quality, organic ingredients for delicious, healthy meals, and every recipe has been tested by trained chefs.
Our experience. We appreciated how Green Chef took us out of our comfort zone to try new spices and interesting dishes. The ingredients were fresh and tasty, although the recipes took longer than expected (about 45 minutes).
Read the green chef review
PROS
- Certified organic, farm-fresh products and premium proteins
- It adapts to many diets.
- Eco-friendly packaging
CONS
- Additional food preparation required
- It does not serve people with allergies.
Nutrisystem
Nutrisystem is a science-based meal delivery service designed to help you lose weight with a high-protein, low-glycemic approach. Take the guesswork out of finding the perfect balance of protein, carbs and fat. When you sign up for Nutrisystem, you get a personalized four-week weight loss plan and guide.
There are personalized plans for men, women, couples and diabetics. Depending on your gender, health goals, and the package you choose, your order may include frozen and/or prepared foods. Some Nutrisystem meals require heating, while others can be eaten right out of the box. Information about your chosen package, including recipe ingredients, nutritional labels, and cooking instructions, is available to you when you sign up.
Why do we choose Nutrisystem? Nutrisystem's four-week guide plan includes a full range of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, shakes, and snacks to keep your weight loss on track.
Our experience. We found the accompanying NuMi SmartAdapt™ app helpful in knowing what and when to eat, as well as tracking our progress and activity.
Read the Nutrisystem Review
PROS
- More than 135 foods to choose from
- A companion app for weight loss
- The shelf life of food is up to 18 months.
CONS
- Limited flexibility of substitutions.
- Expensive upfront for a monthly subscription
Fresh and Easy
Fresh and Easy is a Home Chef meal delivery service that offers prepared meals. Choose from oven- and microwave-ready meals made with the same fresh, standard ingredients Home Chef is known for. You can also try a 15-minute meal kit, which requires quick assembly of pre-portioned ingredients.
Most meals are full main courses, although sandwiches, salads and “extras” are also offered. Fresh and Easy does not cater for special dietary restrictions.
Why do we choose fresh and easy? They offer the same quality standards as Home Chef with less customization aimed at providing economic value to consumers.
Our experience. We found it fresh and easy, perfect for preparing healthy meals quickly, and we were surprised by how little cleanup it required. We wish they had more options for vegetarian-like diets.
Read a new and easy review
PROS
- The same high quality standards as Home Chef
- Oven and microwave ready.
- Fully prepared, pre-portioned meals are ready in 15 minutes or less
CONS
- Limited customization options
- Does not cater to diets.
Freshology
Freshology offers a menu of restaurant-quality meals to eat for people looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle. Menu options offer balanced portions of dietitian-approved meals that are heart-healthy, low-sodium, calorie-controlled and nutritionally balanced.
Freshology meals have no added preservatives, so deliveries should be refrigerated immediately to ensure maximum freshness. Foods have a shelf life of seven days, although they can be frozen if needed and must be thawed before reheating. Customers within a certain distance of a Freshology kitchen are entitled to receive fresh, unfrozen food twice a week in cold-box insulated boxes.
At this time, Freshology does not offer gluten-free meals for people with celiac disease, nor any kosher or vegan plans. However, their Keto-Carb30 menu is low carb if you want to avoid bread. Nutritional information and individual ingredients can be found in each recipe.
Why we chose Freshology? Freshology offers hot and cold meals that make healthy and wholesome food more affordable. Use fresh, local ingredients to ensure delicious and satisfying meals, sourcing organic ingredients whenever possible.
Our experience. It was nice that we never had to think about what was for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We loved that the meals came fully cooked and could be enjoyed cold or heated up, just as we would with leftovers from our favorite restaurants.
Read the Freshology review
PROS
- Includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and condiments.
- Lists of meals to eat in just two to three minutes with no prep required
- Restaurant quality, nutritionally balanced food.
CONS
- Shipping costs $19.98/week
- It is not ideal for families.
Trifecta
Trifecta is a fitness-focused food delivery service developed by medical and nutrition experts. Intended to help you burn fat and build muscle, it is ideal for weight loss.
When you sign up, choose how many entries per week you want from their Clean, Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Vegan and/or Vegetarian programs. Although you can't choose which meals you want, you can exclude up to two main ingredients from each order, such as beef, duck, pork, nuts, mushrooms and fish.
They offer an app in their App Premium plan that allows you to customize your dietary needs and use custom macro tracking features. It also includes fitness educational resources and gives you access to community tips to stay motivated.
Why we chose the Trifecta. They offer fully prepared, organically sourced meals with tasty and nutritious ingredients. Their online app is designed to remove obstacles to achieving your weight loss goals.
Our experience. We feel good about eating ingredients from local family farms. We also loved how your app helped us decide what to eat for our macro goals.
Read the Trifecta review
PROS
- Mobile app with macro tracking
- Ingredients from local and family suppliers.
- Delivery areas include Hawaii and Alaska.
CONS
- You can't choose which meals to receive
- It is not ideal for families as it only offers one meal.
How to Compare the Best Meal Delivery Services
Use the comparison chart below to check if the lunch box delivery service of your choice serves your area. From there, decide if you want a heat-and-serve meal kit or one that requires some time to prepare and cook.
Make sure your nutritional needs and health goals are met, as some companies don't offer vegan or gluten-free options, for example. Finally, compare meal delivery services that will provide you or your family with the right amount of food each week.
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How Does Meal Delivery Work?
Once you select and sign up for a meal subscription service, you must select the number of meals and servings you want to receive each week. You will then be directed to a page of recipes curated based on your taste and the package you selected.
Explore meals and see how long each recipe takes to prepare. Unlike regular grocery delivery, a meal delivery kit provides pre-portioned ingredients and recipe preparation instructions. Heat and eat services require no preparation and are ready to devour after quick and easy reheating in the oven or microwave.
What Are the Advantages of Meal Kit Delivery Services?
There are quite a few benefits to using a meal kit delivery service, including:
- Convenience. Busy schedules can make cooking difficult. Food delivery services send all the ingredients needed for each recipe right to your door. It is not necessary to leave the house or plan what you are going to do each week. These packages offer high-quality foods and often come with easy-to-follow instructions.
- Waste reduction. A survey by LendingTree found that 31% of respondents overspend “almost always,” even when they are prepared with a shopping list. Meal delivery packages come complete with everything you need to prepare a meal, allowing you to purchase the exact amount of produce you need and prevent unused produce from spoiling in the refrigerator.
- Variety. Food delivery services bring to life an endless variety of recipes. Try a few new foods a week to keep things interesting.
- Position control. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, between 30% and 40% of food in the United States is wasted each year. Meal kits make it easy to reduce waste with balanced, pre-portioned meals.
- Health. A survey by Finder shows that 74% of American adults spend $4,073 a year on prepared food instead of cooking at home. Meal kits can offer an affordable option to order healthy food on a budget.
- Special diet plans. Some meal packages can also be tailored to dietary needs, such as low-sodium, low-calorie, or low-glycemic options. These are useful for those who want to lose weight or have heart conditions or diabetes. Foods in most restaurants or grocery stores are often not labeled with this dietary information.
- Save time. The ingredients are already pre-measured and the recipes take approximately 30 minutes to prepare. Fully prepared meals only need an oven or microwave to heat up in less than three minutes.
What Do You Get in a Meal Kit Delivery?
The content of each delivery varies depending on the meal kit you choose and the plan you choose.
However, the standard set includes the following:
Packaging: Most services deliver packages with ice packs in a reusable or recyclable insulated box to keep ingredients fresh or slightly cold.
Composition: In each package you will find all the ingredients you need to prepare the meal of your choice. This can include fresh produce, proteins, spices, sauces and marinades. Ingredients are pre-measured and sometimes even pre-cut for assembly and cooking.
Recipe card. A meal delivery kit usually contains a recipe card with simple instructions and pictures. You get all the nutritional information for the food, as well as how to modify the recipe for various dietary restrictions.
Choosing the Right Meal Delivery Service for Your Needs
There are several factors that go into choosing a meal kit delivery service for yourself. Consider your budget per serving, your dietary needs, and whether you prefer ready-to-eat meals or grab-and-go packages. From there, consider other factors such as ingredient supply, stability, and available recipes.
Here's a quick look at our picks for food delivery excellence across all categories:
- Best food delivery services overall: HelloFresh, Home Chef, Factor_
- Best meal delivery services: Martha & Marley Spoon, Blue Apron
- Best Organic Food Delivery Services: Green Chef, Fresh & Easy, Sun Basket
- Best Paleo Meal Delivery Services. Hello chef fresh, green, purple carrot.
- The best vegan food delivery services. EveryPlate, Freshology, Veestro
- Best Vegetarian Food Delivery Services: Purple Carrot, Blue Apron
- Best Keto Meal Delivery Services: HelloFresh, Factor_, Fresh N Lean
Best Food Delivery Services for Weight Loss: Nutrisystem, Trifecta, Factor
Prepared Meal Services
The best prepared meal delivery services can reduce meal prep time with prepared meals at your
doorstep. This makes them ideal for starting a new diet, juggling a busy schedule, or dedicating more time to life outside the kitchen.
Vegetarian Meal Services
Vegetarian food delivery services are the perfect option for vegetarians or those who want to include more vegetables in their diet. For example, Veestro offers fresh, chef-made meals with clean ingredients—no meat, fish, dairy, eggs, or honey.
Vegan Meal Services
Vegan food delivery services like Green Chef offer free-range animal and animal-derived products, such as eggs, milk, cheese, and honey. Purple Carrot is also completely vegan and made entirely of plant-based ingredients. A plant-based diet may include meat substitutes such as tofu or use plant-derived ingredients.
Gluten-Free Meal Services
HelloFresh and Sunbasket are ideal for people struggling with digestive upset caused by gluten. These and other gluten-free food delivery services also help with celiac disease, a disease that causes gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye) to damage the lining of the small intestine, causing medical complications over time.
Organic Meal Services
Organic food delivery services like Freshology offer food packages made with organic ingredients and clean products. This means that ingredients come from certified organic suppliers who undergo annual compliance checks. They have stricter guidelines that do not allow pesticides and herbicides that can harm the immune system with regular use.
Weight Loss Meal Services
Nutrisystem and Diet-to-Go can provide meal delivery services for weight loss with various carbohydrate and/or calorie restricted diet plans. They help you feel full without overeating, which is a major deterrent to weight loss. Diet-to-Go has a keto package that replaces carbs with fat to speed up your metabolism, while Nutrisystem offers high-protein, low-calorie meals.
Keto Meal Services
Ketogenic eating plans take a low-carb, high-fat diet approach to replace carbohydrates with healthy lipids to help the body burn fat instead of sugar for energy.
Fresh and easy makes it more convenient to follow the ketogenic diet, providing nourishment for those who are carb conscious.
Paleo Meal Services
Paleo food delivery services deliver food based on the idea that we should eat the types of foods that early humans ate. These generally include meat, fish, vegetables and fruit and exclude dairy, grains and processed foods, which our ancestors did not have access to.
Home Chef lets you enjoy paleo-friendly meals by customizing your meal proteins and salads to follow these guidelines.
Diabetic Meal Services
BistroMD and Magic Kitchen are two of the best diabetic meal delivery services that can help you better manage your blood sugar levels with low-sugar, low-carb meal plans.
How Much Do Meal Delivery Services Cost?
Meal delivery service prices range from $4 to $12 per serving, depending on how many meals you order per week, the portion size, and the source of the ingredients.
Because companies offer different pricing structures that can seem complicated, the best way to compare meal plans is to look at how much each serving costs.
Cheapest Meal Delivery Services
Among the most budget food delivery companies, EveryPlate has the lowest prices at $4.99/serving across the board. However, HelloFresh, one of the best meal delivery services we've reviewed, charges between $7.49 and $8.99/delivery, which is still competitive compared to most meal kit services.
Expensive and High-End Meal Delivery Services
For those with a more refined palate, Green Chef provides upscale meals from $11.99 to $12.99. They feature USDA certified organic produce ingredients and a wide variety of recipes. They also source the best organic produce from local farms.
Meal Delivery Shipping Cost
Most companies will refuse to ship if your total order exceeds a certain total amount. For example, with Plating, shipping is $7.95/order, but is waived if your order is over $60. Shipping is free with Home Chef if your order is over $45.
How to Choose and Compare Meal Delivery Services
There are many food delivery services, each with unique offerings. Some offer only vegan or gluten-free options, while others are more family-friendly and offer home-cooked meals that everyone can enjoy.
Before ordering a meal delivery kit, there are a few things you should consider:
- Budget: Choose a food delivery service that fits within the desired price range you want to spend on weekly meals.
- Dietary needs. Consider whether the service meets your dietary preferences and needs. For example, some meal kits let you filter recipes for dairy, gluten, or nuts, or let you choose an all-keto or low-carb plan. Others focus solely on providing rich meals without considering allergens or special dietary needs.
- Required doses: how many people will eat with you? Consider whether you will have overnight guests, travel plans, or additional dinner guests. If you want an extra serving for lunch, you can make two servings for dinner.
- Delivery area: not all services are available everywhere in the US, so please check to see if your area is covered. Most meal kit services ship to all states except Hawaii and Alaska.
- Preparation time: Consider whether you want to spend time cooking and improve your cooking skills by learning new recipes and techniques. Otherwise, choose fully prepared meals that only require heating.
- Nutrition. Make sure the food delivery service you choose meets your nutritional or health goals. For example, if you want to increase your protein intake or decrease your carbohydrate intake, check to see if these options are available.
Food Pack Reviews. Food delivery service reviews like the ones above can give you an idea of what it's like to use the service, its reliability, and overall quality. Read them carefully and check for patterns of complaints or praise.
Who Uses Meal Kits?
Customers can opt for meal delivery packages to simplify meal times. They may be busy families with no time to cook, wanting to experience new flavors and/or wanting to learn new culinary skills. Because many meal delivery packages are tailored to specific diets, consumers are more likely to follow a particular diet and improve their nutrition, according to a study by researchers Huichen Zhu and Ruopeng An.
More Meal Delivery Services and Companies We Reviewed
In addition to our list of meal kit delivery services, our certified dietitians and nutritionists have reviewed other meal kit services, including the following:
- My Patriot Supply – Best for Hearty Meals on Camping Trips
- Dinner: Best for Dining on a Budget
- Splendid Spoon – Best for Vegan and Gluten-Free Meals
- Fresh N Lean: The Best USDA Organic, Heatable, Ready-to-Eat Foods
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Summary
Our picks for the top 10 food delivery services are: HelloFresh, Home Chef, Factor, Martha & Marley Spoon, EveryPlate, Green Chef, Nutrisystem, Fresh and Easy, Freshology, and Trifecta.
How much time do you spend providing sufficient, nutritious meals for yourself and your family? Meal kit delivery services are an ideal way to save time and money while allowing you to do what you love. Additionally, with balanced and portioned meals, a meal subscription plan will not result in a reduction in your overall diet.