10 Best Eco-Friendly Meal Delivery Services 2023

You like the idea of eco-friendly meal delivery services, but you’re concerned about the carbon footprint. You don’t want to deal with wasteful packaging or services that rely on factory farms for their meats and proteins.

Luckily, I’m here to help. I’ve scanned menus, explored packaging, studied ingredients, consulted with colleagues, and researched best practices to bring you the 10 best eco-friendly meal delivery services in 2023.

While Green Chef gets my #1 spot for its commitment to organic ingredients, every service on our list offers great meals with healthier ingredients and less environmental impact.

Saving the planet has never been tastier. Read on and learn more!

The Best Eco-Friendly Meal Delivery Services Reviewed

1. Green Chef – Best for Eco-Friendly Meal Kits

Key Features

• Pre-measured and prepped ingredients ensure less waste

• 24 unique recipes per week

• Dietary options including Keto, Paleo, Vegan, Fast & Fit, Gluten-Free

• Current deal: Get $250 off + free shipping

Green Chef is the first USDA certified organic meal delivery service. All eggs and produce are 100% organic, all wild seafood is sustainably harvested, all meats are produced to high animal welfare standards, and Green Chef relies on local and family farms wherever possible.

Our reviewer noted that almost all Green Chef packaging uses recyclable, reusable, or compostable materials. Cardboard boxes are recyclable and made with a minimum of 40% recycled content. ClimaCell, a proprietary plant-based insulator, is used to keep your meal kits cool.

Green Chef proves that you can be eco-friendly without sacrificing your culinary quality of life. Green Chef’s 24 weekly recipes let you choose from a variety of world cuisines, and tags make it easy to find meals that fit your dietary needs.

2.  Purple Carrot – Best Plant-Based Meal Kits

Key Features

• Purple Carrot’s website has excellent instructions for recycling packaging

• 12 meal kits and 8 prepared meals weekly, plus add-ons

• High-protein, gluten-free, and soy-free options available

• Current deal: Get $30 off with code carrot30

One of the best things you can do for the planet is to eat more vegetables. And if you want to increase your plant intake and reduce your carbon footprint, Purple Carrot may be the meal service for you.

Purple Carrot’s menu is 100% plant-based and features breakfast and lunch items along with staples at the Plantry. For example, the Mac n’ Cheese pictured above uses vegan cheddar rather than factory-farmed dairy cheese.

Not vegan? No problem! Our reviewer tried Purple Carrot and declared it “a perfect choice for vegans and omnivores who want to learn how to turn veggies into delicious and satisfying meals.”

Long-term lifestyle changes are the best way to help our environment. Purple Carrot teaches you how to eat more healthy and tasty plants.

3.  HelloFresh – Best Family-Friendly Meal Kits

Key Feature

• America’s most popular meal kit service

• 30+ unique recipes per week

• Dietary plans include Veggie, Family Friendly, Quick and Easy

• Current deal: 18 free meals + first box ships free + 3 surprise gifts with code DR18HF

Preparing environmentally sustainable meals is great. Getting your family to eat those meals can be a challenge. HelloFresh Family Friendly recipes like White Cheddar Wonderburgers (pictured above) are crowd-pleasing and ecologically conscious too, with portions that are generous but carefully sized to minimize food waste.

HelloFresh dedicates an entire section of its website to recycling and makes efforts to minimize its carbon footprint. Our reviewer, who tried HelloFresh at home, was impressed to learn that HelloFresh purchases carbon offsets for 100% of its deliveries.

Healthy meals your picky eaters will love and less food waste – with HelloFresh everybody wins, even the planet! And if you’re still not sure, HelloFresh has a Cookbook on its site, so you can try its recipes for yourself!

4. BistroMD – Best for Weight Loss

Key Features

• Doctor-designed menus for healthy weight loss

• More than 150 breakfast, lunch, and dinner options every week

• Options include Heart Healthy, Keto Flex, and Gluten-Free programs

Diet food is rarely exciting, but BistroMD is working hard to demolish that stereotype. Its flash-frozen meals feature controlled portions of tasty, nutritious foods that help you lose weight and learn healthier eating habits. Our BistroMD reviewer noted that “a lot of thought and creativity has gone into the taste.”

BistroMD is a complete meal plan that sends two or three meals five or seven days a week. This makes sticking to your diet easier. And with meals like the Southwest Taco Bowl pictured above, you won’t feel tempted to cheat.

While not all produce is certified organic, BistroMD buys ingredients from local, family-owned farms wherever possible. BistroMD uses environmentally-responsible seafood and hormone-free chicken and beef. All BistroMD packaging is 100% recyclable and/or compostable.

5. Snap Kitchen – Best Low-Carb Prepared Meals

Stir-Fry Chicken and Broccoli with Garlic Sauce by Snap Kitchen

Key Features

• Chef-prepared, clean meals you simply heat and eat

• Over 35 unique meals each week

• Dietary options include High Protein, Keto, Paleo, and Whole30

Fitness-conscious environmentalists will love Snap Kitchen’s tasty prepared meals. I speak from experience here, since I personally tested Snap Kitchen’s meals and, in my official reviewer capacity, declare them delicious.

Snap Kitchen offers a good selection of breakfasts and entrees for paleo, keto, and low-carb dieters. The protein is lean and clean, and all entrees are approved by dietitians and prepared by chefs, with most having between 250 and 600 calories. All Snap Kitchen meals are soy and gluten-free, and prepared without preservatives, hormones, artificial sweeteners, or antibiotics.

Fully-prepared meals are more resource-hungry than meal kits, but Snap Kitchen provides recycling information on its website. Snap Kitchen also keeps its carbon footprint down by limiting its shipping locations: check the website to see if they deliver to your zip code.

6. Dinnerly  – Best for a Tight Budget

Key Features

• Most Dinnerly meals are ready in under 40 minutes

• Over 45 unique recipes per week

• Options include vegetarian, low-calorie, and dairy-free

Environmentally friendly alternatives can be more expensive than less eco-friendly options. But with prices starting at $2.12 per serving, Dinnerly is the cheapest meal delivery service on our list.

Dinnerly uses digital recipe cards instead of paper. While many meal delivery services package their ingredients separately, Dinnerly’s ingredients are packed together. These cost-cutting measures also use less paper and plastic. (And the packaging Dinnerly uses is all recyclable!)

Dinnerly’s menu tends toward familiar comfort food and uses more basic ingredients, which is less wasteful. Our reviewer noted that “Dinnerly uses sustainable proteins and produce sourced from its trusted suppliers.”

With over 40 recipes every week, Dinnerly gives you lots of choices, including vegetarian meals like Creamy Miso with Broccoli and Onions (pictured above), and even occasional organic fruits and vegetables.

7. Splendid Spoon – Best for Food On the Go

Key Features

• Clean, gluten-free, plant-based meals and smoothies

• Choose from 20 smoothies and more than 35 meals

• Dietary options include high-protein, high-fiber, low-sugar, and more

The planet isn’t the only thing that could use a detox. If you want a break from processed food, Splendid Spoon offers a full-day Reset followed by five days of breakfast smoothies and veggie bowls.

Splendid Spoon’s smoothies and prepared meals are great for busy environmentalists! All ingredients are gluten-free, non-GMO, and mostly organic. Our reviewer found Splendid Spoon “an ideal meal plan to keep you on track with eating clean and vegan.”

All Splendid Spoon packaging is recyclable. And the dry ice Splendid Spoon uses instead of gel packs simply evaporates, leaving no waste behind. Because Splendid Spoon’s menu is entirely plant-based, it automatically has a lower carbon footprint.

8. Sprinly – Delicious Organic Prepared Meals

Key Features

• A great choice for vegans on a busy schedule

• 6 unique recipes per week

• Dietary options including soy-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, nut-free

Sprinly uses USDA-certified organic ingredients grown using sustainable agricultural practices. All meals are gluten-free and contain no refined sugars. And because Sprinly’s vegan meals are high in fiber, they fill you faster than you would expect given their calorie count. It’s hard to believe the Vegetable Tikka Masala above has just 352 calories!

After receiving a sample box from Sprinly, our reviewer reported “I tried six dishes and can honestly say, I enjoyed them all.” Our reviewer was also impressed with the detailed recycling instructions and noted everything in Sprinly’s packaging is compostable or recyclable.

While Sprinly loses points for its relatively limited menu selection and its steep starting price of $16.05 per serving, it scores high marks for quality and taste.

9. The Good Kitchen – Best For Allergy Sufferers

Key Features

• The Good Kitchen uses seasonal produce and local ingredients

• 18 unique recipes per week

• Dietary options include Whole30, Paleo, Keto

Many Good Kitchen meals are paleo-friendly and Whole30-compliant, as well as being free of gluten, peanuts, and soy. The Good Kitchen filters let you avoid meals containing allergens like tree nuts, shellfish, dairy, nightshades, garlic, and onions. Most meals clock in at 500 calories or less.

Our reviewer found The Good Kitchen “puts a lot of care into choosing organic, fresh, and responsibly-sourced farm ingredients.” TGK’s menu includes classic dishes like Beef Shepherd’s Pie and more adventurous meals like the Miso Glazed Wild Boar Meatballs pictured above.

Instead of styrofoam or plastic, TGK uses certified recyclable insulation and box liners. TGK ice packs are made with 100% biodegradable water-based gel you simply pour down your drain before recycling the empty plastic bag.

10. Sunbasket – Great for Specialized Diets

Key Features

• Seasonal, sustainable ingredients, always organic where possible

• Over 35 unique recipes per week plus add-ons

• Dietary options include Lean & Clean, Protein Plus, Mediterranean, and more

Finding a meal delivery service can be challenging when you’re on a specialized diet. Sunbasket has Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, and Mediterranean menus, along with gluten-free, high-protein, and diabetes-friendly meals.

Sunbasket’s fresh organic fruits and vegetables, as well as lean, sustainably sourced proteins, make healthy eating easy and delicious. Sunbasket also sends its meals in recyclable and compostable packaging.

While Sunbasket is one of the more expensive services on our list, our reviewer found "you really do get premium options on Sunbasket that cheaper meal plans simply don’t have.”

Sunbasket offers both meal kits and prepared Fresh & Ready meals you just heat and eat. The Market section also offers breakfast and lunch options as well as smoothies, juices, coffee, cheeses, and other staples.

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Eco-Friendly Meal Delivery Services

If you’re interested in an eco-friendly meal delivery service, here are some pointers from a professional reviewer.

• Small steps help the planet: Omnivores who eat more plant-based meals shrink their carbon footprint. Every time you avoid a trip to the grocery store you save fossil fuels.

• Make sure your eco-friendly service meets your dietary needs: If you’re on a paleo, vegan, or another specialized diet, look for a service with a dedicated menu.

• Know who you’re cooking for: If you’re cooking for a partner or family, get their input and work together to find an eco-friendly meal delivery service everyone loves.

• Don’t be afraid to switch: Finding the right meal delivery service can take time. All the eco-friendly meal delivery services on our list have easy cancellation policies, so you can try them out with no fear of commitment.

Bottom Line: Are Eco-Friendly Meal Delivery Services Worth It?

If you’ve been thinking about trying a meal delivery service, but are concerned about waste and pollution, eco-friendly meal services are definitely worth it. You get all the benefits of meal delivery and you make the world a cleaner and better place.

If you wish to practice mindful eating and support sustainability, eco-friendly meal delivery services can deliver clean and sustainably sourced food to your doorstep while teaching you how to cook healthy and environmentally friendly meals. Making long-term changes to your diet can benefit both your health and the environment.

Bottom line: eco-friendly meal delivery services are definitely worth it.

FAQ

How can I make food delivery more environmentally friendly?

One of the best ways to make food delivery more environmentally friendly is to recycle as much of the packaging as possible. Green Chef, our top eco-friendly meal pick, does an excellent job of using reusable packaging and limiting its carbon footprint.

What is the most environmentally friendly diet? 

Plant-based meals require fewer resources and have a lower carbon footprint than meals featuring meat, seafood, or other animal products. Purple Carrot’s entire menu is 100% plant-based and a Purple Carrot meal kit releases 72% less carbon into the atmosphere than the standard American meal.

What is the most environmentally friendly prepared meal delivery service?

Snap Kitchen is our top choice for the most environmentally friendly prepared meal delivery service. Snap Kitchen delivers clean, delicious, and sustainably-sourced meals that are always free from hormones, preservatives, antibiotics, gluten, and artificial sweeteners.

Best Eco-Friendly Meal Delivery Services in 2023 – Final Score: