The 15 Best Meal Delivery Companies
Which Meal Delivery Service is the Best?
Like us, our food choices are distinctive and individual. The booming prepared meal delivery services industry is a reflection of that. Choosing a meal kit from all the choices available depends on a lot of factors - the most important of which is the reason why you are looking for an easier way to nourish yourself in the first place.
Perhaps you are dealing with a chronic illness that can be helped by altering your diet. Maybe you need to take a break from cooking because you are going through significant changes in your life. It is possible that your young family is too busy with extracurricular activities, playdates, and obligations to find time for menu planning and grocery shopping.
Wednesday, December 4th
2024 Meal Delivery Company Reviews
Sunbasket
With a commitment to constant improvement, Sunbasket truly outshines other meal delivery services. There is no other meal service that offers organic and sustainable foods for every meal with a 100% guarantee. Sunbasket is inclusive of all palates and even has meals specifically for people with dietary restrictions, allergies, or food aversions. Sunbasket offers customers the ability to create perfectly custom menus that fit any lifestyle - all without breaking the bank. In fact, Sunbasket allows you to customize the cost of your subscription on a weekly basis. They've earned our highest rating for these reasons and more. We think you'll love Sunbasket's meal delivery service too.
Hello Fresh
HelloFresh is a great service for families who want to have quick meals on a busy schedule but still build memories around discovering, preparing, and eating delicious meals together. While HelloFresh doesn't categorize their food by diet, every week there are choices that will work for vegetarians, people avoiding certain foods, and people who want to steer clear of carbs. HelloFresh has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau and tens of thousands of positive customer reviews, making it one of our most reliable recommendations for meal delivery services.
Factor
If you are a serious gym rat, enjoy Crossfit and weightlifting, or are really trying to watch your macros, Factor may be a great meal delivery service for you. For those too busy to take the time to make meals throughout the day, Factor slashes that time by offering fully prepared and cooked meals that simply need to be taken out of the fridge and reheated. Unlike other meal delivery services on our list, Factor offers up to 18 single-serving meals delivered weekly, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you're ordering 18 meals per week, Factor's prices go as low as $10.99 per serving and as high as $13.99. Factor has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau and is very responsive to complaints. With over 60,000 (mostly) positive reviews from customers, this meal delivery option could be a perfect choice for someone who is looking to save time and not worry about counting macros or trying to eat a specific diet.
Dinnerly
Dinnerly is a very affordable meal delivery service that has long-time subscribers raving about the quality, simplicity, and consistent great taste of the meals they receive. Each meal serves 2 or 4 people, and subscribers can choose to have 2-6 meals delivered per week. Dinnerly is proud of their simplicity, which they say goes a long way to keeping costs down - all recipes are a maximum of 5 steps only and can be prepared in about 30 minutes. Complaints usually have to do with delayed shipping, resulting in less than fresh produce and ingredients. Fortunately, in these instances, subscribers have said that they've received a credit when they report it to the company. Dinnerly is very customizable and has so many quality meals at affordable prices to choose from that it deserves its place on our list as a recommended meal delivery service.
ModifyHealth
ModifyHealth creates meals for a myriad of chronic medical conditions in the hopes of improving outcomes through a better diet. Every recipe is developed and approved by dietitians using organic, gluten-free ingredients and the meals are available to ship to everyone in the continental United States. The company believes that many chronic conditions like IBS, Type 2 diabetes, and heart disease can use food as medicine without sacrificing flavor. ModifyHealth makes meals that are safe for people with serious chronic conditions. Meals are $13.45 per servings and shipping is always free. In addition, subscribers can schedule a consultation via phone or video chat with an expert dietitian. We really like ModifyHealth's philosophy of food as medicine, so they've earned a nod from us.
Home Chef
Home Chef is a long-time contender in the meal kit delivery industry and has a very strong presence, offering a wide variety of recipes for individuals and families. Home Chef gives discounts on initial orders and continual discounts to hometown heroes like military, teachers and first responders. They also offer discounts to students and alumni. If you are looking for a pleasant online experience and an easily customizable meal kit, or if you have a large family, Home Chef's got you covered. Customer reviews are pretty average, but we are generally impressed with the meal delivery options Home Chef has to offer.
EveryPlate
EveryPlate is a great deal. Where else can you find a meal kit subscription that consistently runs specials for meals as low as $2.99 per serving? With regular-priced meals clocking in at just $5.99 per serving and only $10.99 for flat-rate shipping, it's really unlikely that you can find something comparable that is lower-priced. That being said, you won't get the advantages of the higher-priced meal delivery services here: EveryPlate isn't organic and doesn't wax poetic about sourcing. This is truly a no-frills meal delivery option, because savings is the number one priority. You can't cater to dietary restrictions with this plan, either, but if you are at the end of your rope trying to juggle feeding a healthy family of 2-6 and a busy schedule, EveryPlate is a great meal delivery service for you.
Top Chef Meals
Top Chef Meals offers frozen, ready-to-reheat-and-eat meals without a subscription. So, if your lifestyle is unpredictable and you don't want regular deliveries, this might be the meal delivery service for you: these are priced and delivered as single serving recipes. Top Chef Meals offers free shipping for those who order a certain number of meals, which fluctuates depending on zip code. Top Chef Meals' recipes are free from preservatives, antibiotics, chemicals, trans fats, and high fructose corn syrup. Top Chef Meals was started by the men behind Execu Lunch, an executive lunch catering service that started in the early 1990's, and it shows. Their website is like looking back in time to the earlier era of the internet. It's plain, and there are no bells and whistles. Top Chef Meals states they are focused on helping busy families, singles, and seniors by saving them time and helping them eat healthy meals, but it seems geared mostly toward seniors (with a 10% senior discount). But, this company gets pricey per serving and it's missing the quality of our higher-ranked meal delivery services.
Territory
Territory is different from most other meal delivery services - and it has virtually eliminated delivery-related issues that plague the prepared meal delivery service industry by going strictly local. Territory utilizes a unique model that sources chefs by region so food is ultimately more fresh. Meals are single serving, which may be a deal-breaker for families, and with meals averaging around $15 per serving (not including shipping), it may be cost-prohibitive for many. If price isn't a factor and you are interested in some of the highest-quality, carefully-sourced, customized meal plans available, then this might be a perfect fit for you. Unfortunately, Territory's meal delivery service is only available in 27 states, and that, combined with the high price tag, is why we gave it an average rating.
Marley Spoon
Ever wished you could cook like Martha Stewart? You could use Marley Spoon as a shortcut to get you there. With over 45 "Martha approved” recipes every week, this meal delivery service can boost your confidence in the kitchen for as little as $8.69 per serving. But, customers are still not happy with their overall experience with Marley Spoon, and the BBB has continued to give the company a corresponding "D-” rating. We'd recommend looking at other options before committing to Marley Spoon for meal deliveries.
Gobble
Gobble delivers pre-prepped meals that can be ready in 15 minutes for 2-4 people straight to your door. Gobble also offers fully-prepared meals that simply need to be reheated. But, this company has a higher price tag and fewer options than many rival meal delivery services. While Gobble has many good reviews from long-time customers, there are some complaints about upcoming deliveries being difficult to cancel. Even the most positive customers suggest that it would be nice to get an email reminder regarding future shipments. Finally, the website has no information on the sources or quality of the ingredients, and Gobble fans still point out that most meals take more than 15 minutes to prepare (with some chopping and slicing involved). Gobble's meal delivery service earns a below-average rating from us.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron has shipped over 530 million meals since its inception as one of the first modern meal delivery kit services and has a corporate vision to transform the way food reaches consumers in a more sustainable way. Its recipes are tried and true, and they have a gift for creating beautifully-plated, adventurous dishes that are exciting but appeal to almost any palate. Unfortunately, their customer service is problematic when it comes to quality issues, mostly due to bad shippers. This is a challenge that all meal delivery services face, and Blue Apron has the experience to have come up with a solution, but they seem to be ignoring it - to the point of losing the confidence of its once loyal customers. It's a shame, and we hope it will change in the future, but for now, we cannot recommend Blue Apron as a good meal kit delivery solution.
Diet To Go
Diet-to-Go is primarily for people who are looking to lose weight through portion control and healthy foods, so it is probably one of the strictest meal delivery options we've looked at. Diet-to-Go has plans for 2 or 3 servings, with a frequency of 5 or 7 days a week. There are five meal plans to choose from, but choose wisely - while you are able to update to a different plan, you cannot mix-and-match meals from different plans. Each week clocks in at a minimum of $138.99 after the initial week's 20% discounted box. There is no customization in this meal plan by design because it is a precise, calorie-controlled diet. There are no substitutions - even with allergens. While Epicurious, Very Well Fit, and TrueSelf rated Diet-to-Go pretty highly, we haven't been able to find too many real-life customer reviews. And, we really dislike the fact that canceling a subscription requires a phone call. In the end, Diet-to-Go fell to the lower half of our rankings.
Bistro MD
bistroMD was created for people who have a desire to manage their weight but lack the ability to cook healthy meals or stick to a restrictive diet. They have taken the guesswork out of managing diabetes, heart problems, menopause, and weight. Subscribers also have access to a dietitian (via email or Facebook group) who will usually respond within 24 hours. They have recently added GLP-1 medications like Ozempic to their meal plans, so you can manage your prescription and your eating plan in one place. The $6.95 price per meal only applies to the first week of the program, after which the price per meal goes up to a minimum of $10.99 per meal. In spite of what sounds like a great weight management solution, meals are reviewed as being off on taste and texture (most likely a result of being flash frozen), not seasoned well enough, and overpriced. Unless you have a very restricted diet or are trying to lose weight, there are many other meal delivery services that are far better.
Green Chef
Green Chef's website is beautiful and easy to navigate. Menu items look delicious on the site, and Green Chef promises to deliver fresh, sustainable and premium ingredients that are prepped and pre-measured, with homemade sauces and marinades ready to use. In theory, these meals can easily be prepared within 30 minutes and will be nourishing and delicious. Like most meal delivery services, Green Chef offers incredible introductory offers, but buyer beware. Online customer complaints are met with terrible responses from customer service. Meals are missing ingredients, shipments don't show up, and when they do, vegetables and proteins are often rotting or spilled everywhere. Customers have a difficult time skipping, pausing, and/or canceling subscriptions and are often charged for shipments that did not even arrive. Pass on Green Chef and go with a higher-rated meal delivery company instead.
Continued from above...
Perhaps you are a senior who needs a fully prepared meal solution. Maybe you are just tired of takeout and food waste and only want the food you know you will cook. Or you're a rotten cook who wants to learn how to prepare a meal that isn't too dry or undercooked. Meal delivery services can help you and your family's mental and physical health, regardless of your circumstances or motivations.
A meal delivery service can alleviate the burden of preparing entirely different menus for you and your loved ones in cases where families have multiple dietary restrictions. So if you need a diet to deal with the effects of menopause but your partner is weightlifting and needs a high protein diet, a meal delivery service can cover that. You only receive the food you actually eat with these services because everything is pre-portioned. Some kits even do the prep work of chopping, slicing, and cooking grains for you.
Meal delivery services typically keep things simple while still ensuring that your food is tasty and satisfying. Some are kits that take just five or six steps to prepare. There are others who promise 30-minute meal prep time. If you are interested in learning how to cook but are short on time, a meal kit subscription could be a good option. You can even learn new cooking techniques from the gourmet meals that some services provide (sometimes for an upgraded price, but it is worth it). In no time at all, you will be able to confidently claim the title of "home chef." And, for individuals who are mindful of their budget, there are companies that specialize in delivering affordable home-cooked meals.
If you are concerned about the environment, you can find a number of meal delivery options that adhere strictly to regulations regarding responsible fishing and provide only the healthiest ingredients in their prepared meals. Although not certified organic, many businesses are now buying from local farms that follow rigorous standards for the humane treatment of animals and for healthy, delicious produce.
There are meal delivery services that will teach you new skills but will also require you to do some prep work, and there are other services that will deliver meals that only require 15 minutes to make. Incredibly detailed recipe cards and easy-to-follow instructions are provided by most brands, making meal preparation accessible to even the youngest family members. Some people find the recipes on these cards to be so useful that they opt to keep them for when they want to make the same dish on their own.
Our mouths watered while researching today's most popular meal delivery options. Before you choose your ideal service, there are a few things we think are important:
- Options, options, options. Lots of interesting and varied options are offered by these companies. Take stock of your priorities and make a selection based on those. Always keep your must-haves close at hand so you will not give in to the temptation to try something you are probably not going to like. If variety is important to you and you really have an open mind when it comes to trying exotic ingredients or dishes, don't pick a mostly meat and potatoes service. If you love complex dishes and advanced gourmet cooking, don't choose something that is basic or for beginning cooks. If you don't like the taste of microwaved leftovers, you may not be happy with a flash frozen meal delivery service that requires reheating in the microwave. There are so many options - don't be afraid to make your wish list specific and don't compromise. Trust us, you'll find a company with a meal plan that's right for you. And if it's not exactly right, most companies allow you to mix and match plans.
- Cost. You'll almost always get a better deal by subscribing to a service rather than choosing a one-off delivery. Many meal delivery services offer great introductory offers, too. Often, if you are a subscriber, you can receive free shipping or you will get some savings on repeat orders. Make sure you get the most bang for your buck when you sign up for a subscription with a meal delivery provider. Sometimes this includes free shipping, other times it means you may save 10-15%, and sometimes you even get a surprise gift. (One subscription we know of has sometimes surprised customers with delicious chocolate chip cookie dough. Yum!)
- Flexibility. While there are some people who can keep to an extremely strict diet and never bend, most of us need flexibility. Make sure to check how flexible your meal delivery service is. Can you pause your subscription for weeks when you are on vacation? Can you skip a week if none of the recipes are what you are in the mood for? Can you cancel online, or do you have to call in to cancel? Can you swap proteins, customize, or upgrade meals to your liking? Can you order add-ons like breakfast or snacks if you are having friends over for a holiday? These are important things to consider.
- Ingredient quality. Quality is everything in a meal delivery service. There is nothing worse than coming home from a rough day and seeing your meal delivery box and opening it only to discover wilted, rotten produce or bad chicken. Quality control is vital in a meal delivery service. Some people prioritize eating sustainably and buying fresh food from local farms. Services that offer non-GMO, organic food with sustainable sourcing practices are usually going to provide some of the highest-quality meals.
- Reputation. What do other customers say about their experience with the meals from the company you're considering? Are deliveries fresh and on time? Outsourcing to cheaper shipping companies resulting in bad delivery practices is something to look out for in this industry. What are the refund or credit policies when quality is compromised? What do others say about their experiences with customer service? Since most companies deliver weekly, you don't want to have to worry about headaches trying to get credits or refunds if things go wrong.
To give you the most worry-free experience with choosing a meal delivery service, the experts at Top Consumer Reviews have spent hours looking at every aspect and facet of the most popular companies on the market today. We hope this helps you find a solution to creating healthy, delicious mealtimes - where you can create loving memories around the common, everyday act of providing a hot, home cooked meal with joy.
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