You can check to see what items you'll need to have on hand for each meal and also get full nutrition facts readily available for every recipe on their website, but our registered dietitians do point out that the sodium content is very high on some of the meals.

Great taste! I was very pleased," a tester said. Another commented, "It's always hard to find new dinner ideas; these are a perfect variety to keep everyone in your family happy and full.

Those looking for more plant-based fare will appreciate the hearty vegetarian offerings from Mosaic. You'll find everything from veggies and pizzas to smoothies, soups and oat bowls. The brand uses high-quality ingredients, choosing organic and local options when possible. How it works: Start by selecting your plan, which includes six, 12 or 18 options per box you'll get more savings the more you order.

Then fill your box with a variety of plant-based breakfast, lunch and dinner options. Meal filters include vegetarian, vegan, wheat-free, nut-free and high-protein. Select what you'd like or have Mosaic build a box for you based on customer favorites.

You'll then determine how often you'd like to receive deliveries, ranging from weekly to monthly. All of the meals are delivered frozen with free shipping on 12 and 18 item boxes. Testers were impressed with how tasty the veggie-forward meals were, with one saying, "Delicious!

So flavorful for frozen meals. We were impressed. Made eating plant-based so easy. At the Good Housekeeping Institute , we test all types of food products and services, from healthy snacks and supplements to food subscription boxes and meal delivery services. Our experts are committed to bringing you the best of the best when it comes to quality, performance, flavor, nutrition and more.

In our most recent study of meal delivery services, we recruited more than at-home testers across the nation, while our in-house experts also tested the services in our Labs. All in all, we evaluated over 40 different meal delivery services , ranging from traditional kits that come with pre-measured ingredients and a follow-along recipe card to fully prepared options.

We tested the services over the course of three months. For each service, we tried a total of 15 or more meals across our experts and testers. We are currently and constantly testing new offerings in this category to keep readers up-to-date. In the end, we made our selections based on expert evaluations and tester feedback in the categories of overall satisfaction, food quality, cost, recycling efforts and availability.

Our top picks cater to a wide variety of dietary preferences, including gluten-free, low-carb, high-protein and more.

Although taste is subjective, we ultimately chose companies that scored high points overall with testers. When finding the best meal delivery service to fit into your lifestyle and budget, there are a few key things to consider:.

There are also options that fall in between: Food is partially prepped and requires minimal extra work to get a balanced meal on the table quickly.

You'll want to take a look at the plans the different services offer and keep in mind that while some services may start at a low price that is for a large order.

You'll typically be able to check the price ahead of ordering, so you can see how much it will cost for your specific needs and servings per week. If you are cooking for more than four people, check to make sure the service will accommodate your family, as some services only serve a max of four people per meal.

Frozen meals can avoid waste whereas fresh options can spoil if not eaten immediately. Most services allow you to skip a week and adjust your plan along the way, which can be a strategy to help keep costs down if you can't use the food quickly.

Some options, like Dinnerly, have robust vegetarian menus, for example, whereas other services may offer only a handful of vegetarian meals to choose from each week.

Certain services will let you customize further and swap out proteins, which can be beneficial. Most services will give you a discount on the first box and additional discounts if you are a first responder or in the military.

And if you know a friend or family member who is using the service, you may both get a discount for the referral. Some meal delivery services can be pricey — and most also involve shipping fees.

But it's worth keeping in mind that they also tend to be healthier and less expensive than takeout. There's also the benefit of skipping a trip to the grocery store and not having to spend time coming up with meal ideas and hunting for recipes.

Many meal kits offer assistance with meal prepping, chopping and more , cutting down on prep time too. You'll also get the opportunity to learn new cooking techniques and try new foods that may not be in your regular mealtime rotation. If you'd rather not bust out all your pots and pans every night, prepared meal delivery services can also offer a smart solution.

While prepared options do come at a premium, you're ultimately paying for the convenience, which may be worth it for you. These types of melas are typically comparable with the cost of takeout but have one standard shipping fee since the meals come together. This article was originally written by registered dietitian Amy Fischer.

It was most recently updated by registered dietitian and Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Director Stefani Sassos. As a dietitian and working mother, Stefani is passionate about putting balanced meals on the table for her family without having to spend a ton of time or money at the grocery store.

She personally uses meal delivery services as a way to change up her family's normal dinnertime routine and to get introduced to a variety of new foods and unique preparation methods. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living.

She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Miami University of Ohio and a master's degree in clinical nutrition from NYU.

Prior to Good Housekeeping , she worked at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City as a cardiac transplant dietitian. She has authored numerous chapters in clinical nutrition textbooks and has also worked in PR and marketing for food company start-ups. The 9 Best Multivitamins For Men.

The Best Thread Count for Sheets. The Best Japanese Knives. The Best Mattresses for Kids of All Ages. The Best Down Comforters. The Best Comforters. Best Mattresses for Back Pain Our affordable food delivery options are limitless. Whether you are trying to improve your nutrition or stick to a healthier diet, our delivered meals are full of nutrition and flavor.

No more shopping for fresh ingredients and standing in line. com ensures you receive balanced and varied meals delivered to your door so that you can skip the trip! Our meals also include diabetic meals , portion controlled meals and senior meals among many others.

With two menus, a la carte and complete meals, you have plenty of options to please everyone. We don't deliver a package of ingredients that you have to cook and then clean up after. Our meals are fully cooked, and you heat them up in the containers they come in.

Ten minutes from fridge to table. Browse our two menus: A LA CARTE and COMPLETE MEALS. We cover a great variety of diets. You can place a single order or set up a MEAL PROGRAM with no commitment and no contracts.

The meals are delivered to you packed in reusable, recyclable Styrofoam containers filled with dry ice. Read more about our affordable meal programs. com offers 3-day ground nation-wide deliveries- Delivery anywhere in the Continental US. However, the food is not shipped on weekends to ensure the meals are in good condition.

We do it all for you: create recipes and plan meals delivered. Our chefs create amazing, easy to prepare meals to be delivered to you. They make it interesting yet simple. We're on a mission to prove that healthy can taste good. We offer food to suit your lifestyle-you would think it's custom-made.

Gobble is best for: People who want freshly cooked food really fast. On the Menu: Pan-roasted chicken with broccoli-cheddar mac and cheese and chicken breast Portuguese-style shrimp with pinto beans and rustic tomato pimentón sauce and sustainably raised ocean shrimp Cheesy corn and black bean enchiladas suizas with zesty cabbage salad Korean bulgogi beef lettuce cups with vegetable japchae Availability: Continental United States.

Buy at Gobble. Buy at Dinnerly. Green Chef. Photo by David Cicconi. Pros: Green Chef has a way of making even ingredients our testers did not care for they had a thing about green bell peppers very appealing. The step-by-step instructions, which all use pictures, are super helpful and really do teach new techniques.

Cons: Ingredients can get a little repetitive so this is best to slip in just two or three times a week. Green Chef is best for: The beginner cook. Buy at Green Chef. Pros: In general what we got was more filling than expected or than it looked like it might be. Even though so many of the meals are salads, Sakara really knows how to make a salad dressing enticing we loved the avocado tahini and creamy cilantro.

The breakfast parfaits were delicious meals. They were surprisingly complex and ate like fancy desserts. Cons: Per meal cost is around 28 dollars and sometimes one of those meals is a single donut or muffin.

Buy at Sakara. Purple Carrot. Pros: It offered new vegetarian recipes that could be incorporated easily into a regular weekly cooking cadence. Cons: The fresh produce was not always perfectly ripe. Buy at Purple Carrot. Blue Apron. Pros: We really like the way Blue Apron formats their instructions.

It really teaches you how to prep everything before cooking. It's much more detailed than your typical recipe instructions. They offer really nice proteins. The highlight for was the quality fillets of salmon or cod that arrived each week. We even tried scallops in one "premium" basket.

If you don't have time to shop at the butcher or fishmonger or feel at all intimidated by that experience, the proteins alone make this kit worth it.

All the Indian meals, for example used the same one spice—curry powder. On the Menu: Vegetable peanut lo mein with chili crisp fried eggs Hoisin pork belly and miso ramen with bok choy and soft-boiled eggs Smoky poblano sausage gnocchi with tomatoes and monterey jack Oregano and olive chicken with farro, zucchini, and carrots.

Availability: Nationwide. Buy at Blue Apron. MICHAEL MARQUAND. On the Menu: Zesty hummus and chicken rainbow bowl Curry tofu and broccoli jasmine rice bowl Tomatoey turkey meatball and bell pepper rice bowl Spinach artichoke chicken stuffed potato Availability: Most zip codes throughout the contiguous U.

Buy at Hungryroot. On the Menu: Thai red curry chicken with coconut lime rice Chicken, root vegetables, and wild rice harvest bowl Crustless chicken potato pot pie Beef, lamb, and eggplant moussaka Availability: Nationwide. Cons: They repeat ingredients we saw lots of mushrooms and nutritional yeast, for example , which makes this a good addendum to your cooking, but perhaps not something to commit to for five meals a week in perpetuity.

Methodology is best for: Busy, health-minded folks. Buy at Methodology. Cons: This is not the friendliest meal option for lactose intolerant individuals who eat meat, as the bulk of their meat options have some sort of dairy component to them.

Buy at Factor. On the Menu: Creamy dill pork tenderloin with couscous and green beans Meatloaf à la mom with potato wedges, broccoli, and gravy Crunchy Italian chicken sheet pan bake with spiced potatoes, and lemony green beans Cheesy smashed pork burgers with old bay fries, caramelized onion, and special sauce Availability: Nationwide and abroad Buy at HelloFresh.

On the Menu: Jerk-spiced chicken with johnny cakes and braised collard greens Singaporean chicken curry rice bowl with potatoes and carrots Chicken ropa vieja with arroz moro and roasted sweet plantains Chicken thighs in scallion cream with rosemary potatoes and carrots Availability: CookUnity delivers to most of the United States.

Buy at CookUnity. Nutrition for Longevity. Cons: A lot of the food is simply not visually appealing—which makes sense since it's being packaged and shipped in plastic containers. This is something we noticed with more than one meal delivery service that focused on fully cooked food.

Buy at Food for Longevity. Daily Harvest. Cons: Portion sizes are not as substantial as meal kits that focus more on dinners. Buy at Daily Harvest. Splendid Spoon. Cons: We had to add our own spices to get everything to a level of seasoning we liked.

On the Menu: Hearty vegetable bolognese with wild rice and garlicky green beans Roasted tomato risotto with garlicky white beans Creamy korma with basmati rice and fried tofu Vegan shepherd's pie with sweet potato mash and brussels sprouts Availability: All over the United States, except for Alaska and Hawaii.

Buy at Splendid Spoon. Revive Superfoods. Pros: There is good variety, even in the standard, pre-set pack. Not just the oatmeal, but also the smoothies were quite filling.

We thought the smoothies could stand up as a full breakfast on their own. The precut ingredients in the cups were very convenient to blend up, and the fact that the cups are designed to be reused as the drinking vessels with a straw-ready lid is a nice touch. Cons: The instructions for the smoothies suggest filling the cups, with the frozen fruit and veggies still in them, with a liquid of your choice we used dairy milk and oat milk , and then pop all that in a blender.

On the Menu: Banana and pumpkin spice spiced pumpkin pie smoothie with notes of apple, cinnamon, and nutmeg Apple matcha sweet matcha latte smoothie with hints of apple, pineapple, and greens Mango and papaya sweet mango refresher with subtle notes of papaya, ginger, and turmeric Spinach and mango a sweet green smoothie refresher with hints of mango and kale Availability: The entire United States.

Everyplate is the one of the cheapest you'll find out there with good quality. Upvote Our top picks: · 1. Dinnerly. Best Overall Cheap Meal Delivery Service · 2. EveryPlate. Best Value Cheapest Meal Delivery Service · 3. Blue Apron Dinnerly is the affordable meal delivery service on the market. Open the door to unfussy, affordable weeknight cooking

Low-cost food packages - Blue Apron is an affordable meal kit delivery service with prices that start at just $ per serving. They top our list because of their Everyplate is the one of the cheapest you'll find out there with good quality. Upvote Our top picks: · 1. Dinnerly. Best Overall Cheap Meal Delivery Service · 2. EveryPlate. Best Value Cheapest Meal Delivery Service · 3. Blue Apron Dinnerly is the affordable meal delivery service on the market. Open the door to unfussy, affordable weeknight cooking

Hungryroot also offers a grocery section and with organic produce, meat, seafood, plant-based proteins, breads, bakery items, sauces, dips, dressings, grains, pasta, sweets, dairy, eggs, beverages, and plenty of snacks. Hungryroot is best for: People who hate tedious prep like mincing garlic and want really fast food.

Availability: Most zip codes throughout the contiguous U. and the District of Columbia. These fresh, ready-made meals arrive in an insulated box with ice packs. Additionally, all the meals are certified organic.

If you want to outsource the effort it takes to create heathy, nutritious meals, Methodology is a worthy partner. They offer a rotating, plant-based menu they say is healthy and designed to optimize gut health by maximizing plant variety, nutrient density, and fiber, minimizing saturated fat, and avoiding processed food altogether.

The entire menu of premade meals is free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. Methodology also takes steps to be sustainable and a more environmentally-friendly meal kit.

The food is packaged in glass jars or recyclable plastic, and you can even arrange to have your packaging picked up and reused.

Factor is another meal delivery service that does all of the cooking and prep work for you. Factor meals include grass-fed meat and pasture-raised eggs, as well as items that are gluten-free, antibiotic- and hormone-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and have no added sugars.

Meals can also be catered to the Paleo or keto diet. HelloFresh offers three plans: classic, vegetarian, and family-friendly. All plans include complete nutritional information.

Choose between meal kits that feed between two and four people. Omnivores get to choose from 15 menu options; vegetarians options are preset. HelloFresh is best for: Someone in any stage of life interested in learning to cook. CookUnity gives you access to meals from a variety of chefs around the world like Jose Garces or Esther Choi.

Availability: CookUnity delivers to most of the United States. Check to see if they ship to your city here.

This doctor-designed program incorporates high-quality, nutrient-dense ingredients that are grown on an organic, sustainable farm in New Jersey. As the name suggests, this meal kit aims to provide food that can help to keep you healthy for the long run.

There are a variety of weekly menus to choose from, including vegan, pescatarian, kosher, and flexitarian weekly meal plans. Each meal is designed by Chef Luigi Fineo. Food for Longevity is best for: Busy people looking for morning and mid-day meals while they work. One of the best meal delivery services for the smoothie enthusiast, Daily Harvest sends you the ingredients to blend both smoothies and soups.

It also has bowls, flatbreads, and even family-size bakes. This is an easy way to work more fruits and vegetables into your diet with minimal cleanup afterwards. All of its meals are guaranteed to be GMO-free and gluten-free.

The extensive menu features more than 40 meals. If you have food restrictions or nutrition preferences, you can filter your menu choices to eliminate beets, cilantro, mushrooms, soy, tree nuts, caffeine, coconut, sesame, and spiciness. Splendid Spoon is best for: Vegans and vegetarians who currently utilize the freezer aisle of their local grocery store.

Revive Superfoods prides itself on its nutrient-dense smoothies, but has other offerings as well. In addition to creamy smoothies, it also has oatmeal, dairy-free desserts, soups, burrito bowls, açaí bowls, falafels, and more.

The smoothies, which are the real focus of this meal delivery kit, are rounded out with filling ingredients like seeds and pea protein and in addition to fresh fruit and vegetables.

Revive also has a wide selection of oatmeal, like its best-selling banana and chocolate overnight oats. To prepare the oats you just have to add your liquid of choice and allow the cup to soak overnight. It can also be heated in the microwave if you want something faster same-day.

They all come precooked, and need to be heated for 4—5 minutes in the microwave. Revive Superfoods is best for: People who are too busy for breakfast but should really be eating it.

All meat ingredients are antibiotic- and hormone-free and the eggs are organic. When it comes to fish, Sunbasket uses wild-caught seafood recommended by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program.

With more than 20 weekly recipes, you can choose between oven-ready meals, prepped servings, and classic meals that still require you to do all the chopping; servings vary between two and four.

Sunbasket is best for: A new home cook looking to experiment with new ingredients or techniques. Availability: Currently ships to most zip codes in the United States, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, and parts of New Mexico. Both menus can be tailored to work with specific dietary preferences.

FlexPro also has a Power Bakery with protein-packed cookies and brownies that you can add to any weekly order. In the meal prep box, you can order ready-made proteins, like sous vide chicken, prime rib, shrimp scampi, sirloin steak, pulled pork carnitas, and rotisserie chicken.

These are perfect for tossing into salads or bowls throughout the week. Elaheh Nozari. Emily Johnson. Well Equipped Cleaning Gear.

Meal Kits. Home Chef. Buy at Home Chef. Photo by Linda Pugliese. Pros: Marley Spoon meals got our testers and their kids cooking and eating a bit outside their comfort zone—the harissa salmon salad was a big hit. They are clearly labeled as such on the website.

We had a couple things leak over a few weeks of orders. Pros: A lot of meal kits claim they take 20 minutes, when it can often be almost double that. Gobble said its meals could be prepped in 15 and we were pleasantly surprised just how close all of them came to that benchmark. Nothing took over 20 minutes.

There are also a lot of one pot meals to keep you from making too big a mess. They repurpose ingredients like garlic confit in lots of dishes in a way that seems smart and efficient rather than repetitive. Cons: The solution from customer service which is lovely by the way if something is missing from an order is to credit an extra meal to your account.

Gobble is best for: People who want freshly cooked food really fast. On the Menu: Pan-roasted chicken with broccoli-cheddar mac and cheese and chicken breast Portuguese-style shrimp with pinto beans and rustic tomato pimentón sauce and sustainably raised ocean shrimp Cheesy corn and black bean enchiladas suizas with zesty cabbage salad Korean bulgogi beef lettuce cups with vegetable japchae Availability: Continental United States.

Buy at Gobble. Buy at Dinnerly. Green Chef. Photo by David Cicconi. Pros: Green Chef has a way of making even ingredients our testers did not care for they had a thing about green bell peppers very appealing.

The step-by-step instructions, which all use pictures, are super helpful and really do teach new techniques.

Cons: Ingredients can get a little repetitive so this is best to slip in just two or three times a week. Green Chef is best for: The beginner cook. Buy at Green Chef. Pros: In general what we got was more filling than expected or than it looked like it might be. Even though so many of the meals are salads, Sakara really knows how to make a salad dressing enticing we loved the avocado tahini and creamy cilantro.

The breakfast parfaits were delicious meals. They were surprisingly complex and ate like fancy desserts. Cons: Per meal cost is around 28 dollars and sometimes one of those meals is a single donut or muffin.

Buy at Sakara. Purple Carrot. Pros: It offered new vegetarian recipes that could be incorporated easily into a regular weekly cooking cadence. Cons: The fresh produce was not always perfectly ripe.

Buy at Purple Carrot. Blue Apron. Pros: We really like the way Blue Apron formats their instructions. It really teaches you how to prep everything before cooking. It's much more detailed than your typical recipe instructions.

They offer really nice proteins. The highlight for was the quality fillets of salmon or cod that arrived each week. Full Cart® is a program of the nonprofit U. Through our virtual food bank, we partner with generous donors to cover the cost of food and ship it directly to the front door of those in need.

Every family has a story. Donations will help change the story for households in need of emergency assistance like these families below. It is truly appreciated by myself and my family. Now that I'm aware of this program, once I'm able to get back on my feet I will make sure that I give back as well so that other people can benefit from this great generosity that I am about to receive.

Thank you again. blessings to all. I have applied for other sources of relief both with SNAP and financial assistance but haven't been approved yet for any of them. I also live with my father who is disabled and out of work so I'm now supporting 2 people on NO income. What you guys are doing is a godsend!

Last year I became disabled after 31 years in the medical field. I have a teen child with Cohens syndrome I am also caring for. thank you so much. Drop your email below for a meal planning calendar to help you prepare some delicious meals and stay up to date with our newsletter!

Full Cart Fam loves getting creative with their meals! Share your Full Cart creations with FullCart or FullCartFullHeart.

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