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Top 7 Best Meal Delivery Services In 2022

Kyle Schlansker
meal delivery services

Best and most reliable meal delivery services will be discussed in this article.  Each delicious home-cooked meal is carefully planned and made. You no longer have to pay for freezer meals if you’re one of the many folks who can’t squeeze homemade dinners into the daily grind.

The majority of the preparation work is handled by meal delivery services, leaving only the cooking to be done. Subscribers take advantage of weekly home-cooked meals and recipe exploration for a small fraction of the time and work.

We tried four to five meals from each of the ten firms we tested. Discover which subscription boxes are our top selections for the best meal delivery services by reading what our testers had to say below.

Top 7 Best Meal Delivery Services in 2022

Top 7 Best Meal Delivery Services are explained here.

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1. Best Meal Delivery Service for Beginners: Blue Apron

Why we chose it: Blue Apron is a great option for first-time users who want to test out meal kits, hone their culinary skills, and discover new recipes thanks to its streamlined and carefully chosen meal selection.

PROS

Ingredients that are non-GMO

CONS

There are four meal plans available through Blue Apron: Signature, Wellness, Vegetarian, and Signature for Four.

With more than 15 meal choices, the Signature plan offers the most variety. You can limit your options by adding more search terms like “chef’s favourite,” “premium,” “family-friendly,” or “quick prep.”

Our tester tried the Signature plan and said she would purchase from Blue Apron again since she liked all the recipes. The formulae are easy to follow, and the accompanying photos make cooking go more quickly.

The sheet pan cheesy mango chicken was one meal that stood out: “This dish was wonderful and quite full. I rarely accomplish a sweet and savoury taste while cooking on my own, but the cheese and mango combo does. It was very convenient to prepare a meal on a single sheet pan, albeit I had to place some of the ingredients on separate sheets because the whole thing wouldn’t fit. I would absolutely order it again because of how attractive it looked.

The only drawback is that there is a weekly order limit of four meals, with a maximum of four servings each order. Other businesses on our list are more suited to catering to larger households or consumers who need meals for the full week.

2. Best Budget Meal Delivery Service: HelloFresh

Why we picked it: Hello Fresh made our list as the finest cheap meal delivery service with a starting cost of just $8.99 per serving & a broad range of additional discounts.

PROS

CONS

Meal packages from Hello Fresh come with pre-measured ingredients and recipe cards with simple directions. The majority of dinners should only take 25 to 35 minutes to make, although a few “gourmet” recipes may take up to 50 minutes.

The majority of the five recipes our tester tried were good, filling, and simple to prepare. She added that the components made it possible for her to eat foods that she normally wouldn’t. She remarks, “I frequently order bibimbap at Korean restaurants, but I’d never considered that I could handle preparing my own! ” about one of the dishes, zucchini and mushroom bibimbap bowls. This meal impressed me in every way – it was excellent, filling, and versatile.

The only bland meal in the box was the white cheddar wonderburgers recipe. Our reviewer claims, “The recipe didn’t tell me to stir anything with the ground beef.” “Therefore, the patties had a bland taste. Garlic powder and dry ranch seasoning might have been utilised! ” The ingredients were fresh, and the shipment arrived on schedule and in excellent condition. The contents of the box were labelled and split into individual brown paper bags by meal. The paper bags and cardboard delivery box were recyclable, and the vegetables were put in the bags without any further packing. However, individual plastic wrapping of components like cheese, spices, and sauces led to excessive waste.

3. Best for Families: Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon

Why we picked it: We picked Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon as the best for families since it offers 45 different recipes every week, ranging from gastronomic options like honey-glazed pork tenderloin to comfort food classics like sausage and ricotta lasagna. Also check Conference Call Services

PROS

CONS

Every week, Marley Spoon offers 45 recipes, and each meal is designated as “kid-friendly,” “dairy-free,” “meat,” or “vegetarian.”

Fresh ingredients and meal ideas from Marley Spoon were well-liked by our tester. Even though she thought the cooking times were “overly optimistic,” all but one of the recipes took longer than they were supposed to. Nevertheless, she found the recipes to be simple to follow.

The everything bagel salmon meal with creamy chive potatoes and green beans was the favourite among our testers’ family: “This was a tremendous hit. Although the salmon chunks weren’t very large, they had an excellent flavour. The potatoes were full and had a terrific flavour. Although there weren’t many green beans, the flavour was good.

The success or failure of certain other recipes was mostly dependent on the individual’s taste.

The packaging was perplexing because all the vegetables, meats, and pantry goods were in individual containers and the contents were divided by category rather than by meal. Even still, packing the goods in a meal kit like that from Marley Spoon results in a lot less waste than if they were packaged individually.

4. Best for Celiac Disease: Green Chef

Why we choose it: Because Green Chef has received certification from the Gluten Intolerance Group, we believe that it is the greatest alternative for people with celiac disease. This certification guarantees that both the facility where the gluten-free meals are made and the meals themselves adhere to stringent gluten-free requirements.

PROS

Produce and eggs that are USDA-certified organic

CONS

Meal packages from Green Chef are divided into Mediterranean, keto + paleo, Fast & Fit, and gluten-free categories. There are more than 10 weekly recipes available for subscribers looking for gluten-free dinners, the majority of which can be designed in 35 minutes or less.

Additionally, all of the produce and eggs at Green Chef are USDA-certified organic. However, if the manufacturer is unable to get the components organically, your box may still contain non-certified substances.

All of the meals our tester tried from the keto + paleo meal plan, which featured several gluten-free items, were delicious. The chicken and butternut squash hash was his favourite dish: “The chicken cutlet was fresh, juicy, and the spice was wonderful. The veggies had a nice flavour. Four out of five stars overall.

Despite not being familiar with the recipes, he stated he would buy from Green Chef again because the dishes were simple to prepare. If he had to choose between grocery shopping and eating out, the meal would be the deciding factor. The high price of Green Chef might not be the greatest choice for those on a tight budget.

5. Best for Weight Loss: SunBasket

Why we picked it: SunBasket offers ten different meal options on its weekly menu, including Mediterranean, low-calorie, vegan, and keto options. No of their weight loss strategy, consumers with weight loss goals can pick from a variety of healthful meals.

PROS

CONS

SunBasket offers menu choices for the following diets: gluten-free, dairy-free, omnivore, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, diabetes-friendly, and soy-free. SunBasket uses USDA-certified organic products whenever possible.

If losing weight is your objective, meal packages might not be the ideal choice. Pre-prepared foods designed to help you lose weight have a well-deserved reputation for frequently being bland, flavourless, and not very filling. Furthermore, since every body is unique and there isn’t a tried-and-true diet that can help you lose weight, their efficacy can’t be guaranteed.

We chose to highlight SunBasket because of its emphasis on nutrient-rich, wholesome meals that are suitable for a range of dietary requirements. The optimal meal plan for weight loss can be chosen by subscribers from SunBasket, ideally in conjunction with a plan from a licenced dietitian nutritionist.

When our tester tried several of SunBasket’s gluten-free recipes, she found the meals to be tasty and filling. The kimchi fried the rice with peas, bok choy, & fried eggs in certain were plenty for three serves thanks to the kit’s enormous portion proportions.

The fact that some components arrived partially rotten or wilted was a noticeable drawback. The food was still good, but it shouldn’t be the standard, especially for a business that prides itself on using premium, fresh products.

SunBasket made an effort to avoid using too much packaging; each meal was individually wrapped in brown paper bags along with the accompanying ingredients. The vegetables were, however, contained in sealed, non-recyclable plastic bags.

6. Best for Customization: Home Chef

Because you may choose from a range of meals, including gourmet dishes, 15-minute meals, and ready-to-eat recipes, Home Chef is our top selection for customisation. By changing the protein in several of these meals, you may make them more unique.

PROS

CONS

Meal plans from Home Chef can be prepared in a variety of ways. Gourmet meals, regular meal kits, quick prep recipes (that require between 15 and 30 minutes of prep time), and oven- or grill-ready foods may all be found in the Culinary Collection. Subscribers have the option of getting their protein from beef, fish, poultry, or a meat replacement.

Fresh and in the right packing, all the ingredients were delivered. Nothing had a quality or storage issue, and everything held up well throughout the course of the week.

All of the meals were well received by our tester, who opted to transfer from her current meal kit service to Home Chef. She tasted a chili-lime enchilada chicken as her first meal, and this is what she had to say about it: “SO GOOD. She also said that one of the recipes required a meat thermometer, something not many people have at home. She added that one of the recipes required pre-chopped vegetables, so it was just little more difficult to cook than heating up a TV supper.

The packaging for Home Chef contained non-recyclable plastic waste. The cardboard box and the ice packs that were used to keep the package cool during transport were the only things that could be recycled. Also check Mebos Alternatives

7. Best for Vegans: Purple Carrot

Why we picked it: Purple Carrot is the finest option for vegans because it only provides a meal that is completely free of animal products and uses ingredients and spices from different cuisines.

PROS

CONS

A carefully curated selection of vegan foods from various flavour profiles, such as Thai or West African food, are available on Purple Carrot’s menu. There are also a number of high-protein, low-calorie, and gluten-free varieties available.

Our tester gave us good comments, saying that it was simple to follow the directions. He would reorder from them largely because it would be easy for him to try out new and intriguing vegan dishes.

He stated, “This was my favourite dish. It was tofu palak paneer with quinoa and mango chutney. The spinach and jalapenos combined to create a vivid green curry. The dish is described in the recipe as being spicy. On that aspect, it was a little disappointing because it wasn’t hot enough.

The extensive packaging used by Purple Carrot was one prominent flaw. Every meal and individual item was delivered in heavy plastic wrapping, which is effective for certain ingredients but not for others. Our tester was unable to use the ginger root since it spoiled sooner than anticipated despite being a significant component in several dishes. Ginger root typically outlasts most vegetables when left unwrapped, however it appears that the plastic packing contained moisture and hastened the deterioration of the product.

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Other companies we considered

You can read brief reviews of a few less well-known meal kit delivery services that we were unable to test below. You can also read reviews for products and services that we tried out but didn’t recommend because of packaging problems or poor food quality.

Hungryroot

PROS

CONS

The cost varies widely.

No mobile app

No established meal plans

A innovative meal delivery service offering both meal kits and groceries is called Hungryroot. This results in a highly personalised solution that can accommodate the most, if not all, dietary needs.

You will first take a survey to ascertain your dietary requirements, preferred recipes, and desired number of meals and goods. Following that, Hungryroot analyses that data to generate a plan that includes all the necessary ingredients, a list of suggested dishes, and any other groceries or pantry items you’ll require for the coming week.

Hungryroot was not available for our crew to sample, but we nevertheless advise you to do so. Meal kits and any other items you would need for your fridge or pantry are all available through this service.

Freshly

PROS

Serving sizes begin at $8.99.

CONS

One of the most reasonably priced ready-to-eat meal delivery services is Freshly. It offers a large menu with choices for the majority of dietary demands, including vegan, low-calorie, gluten-free, and dairy-free diets, with over 40 items mentioned.

Since Freshly is approved by the Gluten Intolerance Group, customers with severe gluten allergies can place orders with confidence from the company. This accreditation ensures that meals free of gluten are made in a gluten-free kitchen without the risk of cross contamination.

Because Freshly technically isn’t a meal kit service, we didn’t include it in our list of the best options. Having said that, Freshly’s service might appeal to people who like the convenience of ready-to-eat meals. The business is currently one of the most well-liked meal delivery services and has positive online ratings.

Factor 75

PROS

CONS

Consumers seeking ready-to-eat meals who are concerned about their health, especially those on a ketogenic diet, frequently choose Factor 75. Weekly menus are created by registered dietitians, and the meals are made in-house close to the delivery date. Since the meals arrive chilled rather than frozen, this has a significant impact on freshness.

We were unable to try Factor 75, so we are unable to comment on its flavour. While some dishes are hit or miss, online reviews note that they have generally received good meals and many would continue to use the service.

Veestro

PROS

CONS

Only vegan ready-to-eat meals are available at Veestro. You may filter the meals by various nutritional requirements, such as high-protein, gluten-free, and low-calorie, and the meal plans are divided into A La Carte and Weight Loss.

With more than 40 options for lunch and dinner and a lesser selection of morning meals, the menu is broad. If you’re seeking for wholesome, ready-to-eat alternatives to vegan meal kits like Purple Carrot but haven’t had a opportunity to try them yet, we recommend you give this service a shot. However, Veestro’s exorbitant price – meals start at $11.03 for a single serving — may deter buyers on a tight budget.

Everyday Harvest

PROS

CONS

Remarks The dishes could have used more flavour

Flatbreads, bakes, chia bowls, grain bowls, soups, and other plant-based frozen foods are available from Daily Harvest and may be heated in the microwave, stovetop, or oven. Additionally, there are soups, smoothies, dessert, breakfast, and snack products that are ready to combine.

Customers choose their preferred box size (6, 9, 14 or 24 items per box) and choose menu items up to the box limit from all menu categories. Additionally, they can filter products based on dietary requirements such as vegan, gluten-free, high protein, low carb, and low calorie. At Daily Harvest, criteria like “keto” actually returned a small selection of meals, although gluten-free had a wider selection. Also check free music apps

Despite being full and healthy, Daily Harvest didn’t make it into our top recommendations because our tester thought the meals lacked flavour significantly. Customers should also be aware that on June 20, 2022, Daily Harvest issued a recall on its lentil and leek crumble after receiving many social media complaints from customers describing various stomach problems.

Dinnerly

PROS

CONS

For consumers on a tight budget, Dinnerly is a good alternative to Marley Spoon’s meal kits. The most of the dishes our tester tried were good, however she thought the amounts to be too tiny for a household of two and that the Thai coconut curry chicken recipe “sadly, lacked any taste.”

Dinnerly’s packaging concerns prevented it from making our list of top favourites. The tester was unable to prepare two servings because the shipment was damaged in transportation (the bread, peas, and chicken were useless). Along with the usual oil, salt, and pepper, the kit also required extra pantry staples like flour, milk, vinegar, and garlic.

EveryPlate

PROS

CONS

EveryPlate, like Dinnerly, emphasises affordability with pricing that start at less than $5 per serving. Our tasters preferred the Turkish chicken and rice bowl the most. The remaining dishes didn’t satisfy her nutritional needs; she thought some of them were overly rich and deficient in vegetables, as well as being high in sugar and fat. She also had issues with the packaging, having to throw away some potatoes because the chicken container had leaked, which presented a possible health concern.

Meal Delivery Services Guide

What is a meal delivery service?

A subscription-based service known as a meal delivery service will send meals that you have chosen to your door. The meal plan you select when you sign up for the service will depend on your dietary requirements as well as how many meals and portions you want each week. Next, pick the recipes you want to attempt. Numerous businesses concentrate on particular dietary choices, such vegan, vegetarian, low-calorie, or organic.

Meal delivery services are divided into two groups:

Meal kits

Delivery services for meal kits send a box of prepared, portioned goods together with recipe cards. The business handles the scheduling, shopping, and preparation of the items, and once a week they deliver everything to your house. All you own to do is prepare each meal according to the recipe. Everything you require will be included in the kits, with the exception of common pantry goods like salt, pepper, oil, and butter, as well as kitchenware including pans, pots, knives, bowls, and cutting boards.

Ready-to-eat

Meals that just need to be heated up are considered ready-to-eat meals. Subscribers select items from an online menu based on their dietary choices, just like with meal kits. While ready-to-eat meals may sound comparable to the TV dinners you would find in the freezer section, they are frequently greater in quality and freshness. The meals are made on location close to the delivery date and then delivered to you in a chilled box without the use of preservatives or a lot of sodium.

How meal kit delivery services work

Delivery services for meal kits function as online subscriptions. Online registration, payment, and plan management are all available to users. To try out the meal kit delivery services, we signed up for more than ten of them.

Here is an explanation of how the services function:

Register — Select a meal plan based on the number of meals you want delivered each week and the number of servings you require at each meal. From there, you can see the menu and all of the various dietary options.

Choose how many meals you will eat each day and how much meal you will serve each meal. You may, for instance, order food for five days with portions for two to six individuals. You should be aware that few businesses let you select just one dish, so if you live alone, you’ll need to place an order for at least two people.

Cost — Depending on the provider, how many meals and servings you get, and other factors, the starting price for a week’s worth of meals ranges from $40 to $120. It’s a good idea to quickly look for discounts on Google before checking out because the majority of businesses occasionally give discount codes. The total price includes a fixed sum for shipping.

Payment — To set up the subscription, you’ll need a credit card or PayPal account once you’ve chosen the meal plan and servings. You don’t need to sign up for the service for an extended period of time, and you may stop using it whenever you like as long as you do so before the deadline for weekly orders.

Managing your subscriptions – Without incurring any fees, subscribers may halt their subscriptions, alter their meal plans, or skip deliveries as necessary. There is a deadline for any changes, which is typically four to six days before the subsequent planned delivery. After then, any modifications or cancellations won’t be taken into account for the upcoming delivery.

The process of pausing or cancelling your subscription proved to be a little challenging. While some businesses made the pause/skip option obvious and available, others made us search their websites to discover it. Some businesses required you to write an email or call customer care to cancel, while others only offered this option on the web and not on mobile.

Some websites allowed us to log in and access our personal and payment information even after we cancelled the membership. It’s advisable to get in touch with the business directly and ask to have your information removed if this is something that worries you.

What’s a food delivery app?

UberEats, Doordash, and Grubhub are examples of food delivery services.

Customers can place takeout orders from a network of partner restaurants and fast food chains for delivery using a meal delivery app. The cost of having a driver pick up and deliver your item to your home is an additional payment made by the business at the time of purchase.

A subscription service called a meal delivery service, in contrast, gathers the supplies, creates a meal, sorts and prepares the food, cooks the meals (if necessary), and then delivers the kit to your door in a chilled and insulated bag.

Are meal kit delivery services worth it?

It depends on what you’re looking for, to put it simply. Paying for time and convenience by subscribing to a meal kit service. These services handle planning, prepping, and grocery shopping so you can focus your attention on other priorities.

Consider the following advantages and disadvantages:

PROS

CONS

There are alternative methods to streamline your at-home meal preparation if meal kit delivery services don’t work for you:

How do you choose the best meal kit delivery service for you?

The ideal meal kit will match your spending limit, dietary requirements, and household size. In addition, it should live up to its promise of convenience and have good flavour.

Budget

Meal kits can be purchased for anywhere between $5 and $25 per serving. Consider your dietary requirements, how much you spend on groceries and takeout, and then make a decision. Even if you are unable to buy a full week’s worth of food, you can still take advantage of meal kits’ affordability by ordering just one or two dishes per delivery.

Nutritional need

Your nutritional requirements could be anything from adopting a vegan or gluten-free diet to eating more healthfully. Fortunately, meal kits are available for everyone, and businesses are quite open about the nutritional information of their goods. Even without a current subscription, you can examine the complete nutritional information for each item.

Be aware that there are fewer companies that cater to people who follow more stringent diets, such as veganism and gluten-free eating, as opposed to vegetarians and carnivores. For diabetics, the same is true. Although some businesses label recipes as “diabetes-friendly,” it is often the consumer’s responsibility to review the nutritional facts for each dish.

The businesses that accommodate restrictive diets the best include:

Available time

Consider how much time you have available to prepare the meal packages. The kits handle the preparation, but ready-to-eat meal delivery services are preferable if you’d rather not cook at all. Additionally, search for meal kit providers who provide quick and simple to prepare meals like skillet or oven-ready meals.

Household size

Servings for at least two persons were available from the meal kit companies under consideration. If you intend to divide the meals into lunch and dinner, having leftovers can be a good thing if you live alone.

Companies that provide ready-to-eat meals can be your best option if you like just one serving. Families and homes with multiple people should seek out businesses that provide additional servings and a diverse menu that includes family-friendly fare.

Meal Delivery Services FAQ

What are the prices for meal kit delivery services?

A week’s worth of meal kits for two people costs between $40 and $120, including shipping. The priciest kits include options for specific diets like organic, vegan, or vegetarian. Cost will also depend on how many meals and dishes are ordered. Be aware that discount coupons may significantly alter the final price.

The Methods Used To Select The Best Meal Delivery Services

We tested 10 of the most well-liked meal kit delivery services available on the market in order to determine the top meal delivery services. Our testers tried a variety of meals from the firm they were given, and they then responded to survey questions about the flavour, packaging, nutrition, freshness, and usability.

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