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Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:- Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
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We tested over 30 of the most popular meal delivery services on the market. See which ones made our list as the best meal delivery services to subscribe to, from prepared meals to food prep companies.
Finding the time to shop for ingredients, plan meals, and cook sometimes just isn’t possible for people leading busy lives working, caring for a family, or running a household.
There are a several meal delivery services that can help make meal prep easier. However, they differ in meal types, suitability for various diets, quality of ingredients, variety of flavors, and cost.
Healthline editors and registered dietitians tried 32 of the most popular meal prep companies to see which ones could fit busier lifestyles.
Whether you’re looking for meal kits you cook yourself or fully prepared meals that are ready to heat and eat, keep reading to see our picks of the five best meal delivery services, as well as our list of other services that just narrowly missed the cut.
Related: Best healthy meal delivery services
Disclaimer: All the services tested below were tried by Healthline writers or editors who initially received the meals for free. All opinions are our own.
Here’s a quick look at how our top picks compare:
score
(out of 5)
• $10 for smaller orders
Narrowing down our favorite food delivery services wasn’t an easy feat. Here are additional services that scored well during testing but fell short of making our top five:
- Sunbasket (4.6 out of 5): Offering exciting flavor combinations, a wide variety of recipes to choose from, and multiple diet-specific menus, Sunbasket was one of our favorites during testing. However, because we couldn’t justify the service’s high price point (some meals cost as much as $28 per serving), Sunbasket didn’t make our top five.
- HelloFresh (4.2 out of 5): HelloFresh is a great option for families and beginners. It’s moderately priced and has a large rotating menu. However, our testers noted that the service can get repetitive after several months.
- Green Chef (4.2 out of 5): Green Chef is a certified organic meal kit subscription service and one of the best options if sustainability is your top priority. It also scored highly for ease of sign-up, meal variety, nutrition quality, and taste.
- Trifecta Nutrition (4.2 out of 5): Featuring dietitian-designed meals that are calorie and portion controlled, Trifecta Nutrition is one of the best meal prep companies for those looking to lose weight. Just keep in mind that meals are selected for you, so it’s not the best option for picky eaters.
- BistroMD (4.1 out of 5): A great option if you’re interested in weight loss, BistroMD delivers a week’s worth of low calorie, pre-portioned meals, including breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
- Territory (4.1 out of 5): Territory is a good, but expensive, option if you follow a specialty diet, such as keto, paleo, low carb, or plant-based. Our tester noted that the meals tasted incredibly fresh and had a good variety of textures and ingredients.
Our Medical Standards and Insights team has carefully researched and vetted over 11,000 products and services. We fact-check health claims, evaluate menus and ingredients, and look into each brand’s reputation before sharing products and services on Healthline.
To choose the meal delivery services on this page, we considered all the services that passed our vetting process. Then, we personally tested some of them to narrow down our list even further. Read more about how we test meal delivery services.
At Healthline, we know that meal delivery services aren’t a small investment, which is why we’ve taken the time to test more than 30 of the most popular meal delivery services on the market.
Testers select a week’s worth of meals from multiple menus to get a well-rounded view of the types of flavors and ingredients offered.
During testing, we consider several factors, including the ease of the sign-up and meal selection process, the variety and nutritional composition of the meals offered, ingredient quality and freshness, how easy the meals are to cook, and, of course, the taste.
Additionally, each service we feature is in compliance with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food safety and manufacturing regulations and uses a trusted shipper to handle its food products.
Learn more about how we test meal kits.
Whether you’re looking to make gains at the gym or trying to reduce your sodium intake, it’s important to choose a meal delivery service that caters to your dietary needs and preferences.
Find the company that best fits your lifestyle in one of our roundups:
- Best meal delivery for weight loss
- Best Mediterranean diet meal delivery services
- Best gluten-free meal delivery services
- Best keto meal delivery services
- Best plant-based meal delivery services
- Best diabetes-friendly meal delivery services
- Best low sodium meal delivery
- Best organic meal delivery services
- Best bodybuilding meal delivery options
Blue Apron is our pick as the best overall meal delivery service thanks to its creative recipes and quality ingredients. Factor was our pick as the best for prepared meals, while Purple Carrot scored highly for fully plant-based meals.
Many companies offer fully prepped meals that require little to no cooking.
Factor is our pick as the best prepared meal delivery service. The company offers single-serving, fully prepped meals that are nutritionally balanced and easy to reheat in the microwave.
For families, Home Chef and Mosaic Foods both offer multiserving oven-ready meals.
Meal delivery services may be worth the price tag if you value their convenience.
Many services offer a wide selection of meal kits and ready-to-cook dishes to help streamline meal prep. Some services also offer fully prepared meals, which can be a time-saving alternative to cooking meals at home and may even be more affordable than ordering takeout.
EveryPlate is one of the cheapest meal delivery service options available, starting at $4.99 per serving, depending on the number of meals you select each week. However, there’s also a $10.99 shipping fee on every order.
Although many food delivery services are available, only some offer both nutritious and delicious options.
The meal delivery services listed above have been tested to make sure they provide satisfying, tasty meals. Many also offer dishes that are suitable for a variety of dietary needs, food preferences, and common food allergies.
You can use the list above to choose the best meal delivery service based on your lifestyle and nutritional needs.
