10 Best Fresh Meal Delivery in 2023: Easy & Healthy

Sourcing the freshest ingredients no longer means having to browse farmers’ markets or trek to your local grocer. Now, thanks to many of the top meal delivery services in the US, you can get fresh, high-quality produce delivered to your door. But which fresh food service is right for you?

I’ve found some great options to fit a variety of dietary needs and lifestyles. Whether you’re looking for fresh prepared meals that are ready in minutes, meal kits made up of sustainable and organic ingredients, vegetarian or vegan menus, or fresh food on a budget, I’ve got you covered. 

Factor wins my top spot thanks to its fresh prepared meals, which are both highly nourishing and convenient. But every company on this list will deliver healthy and nutritious, feel-good food to your door. Read on to find out which services made my top 10.   

The Best Fresh Food Meal Delivery Services Reviewed

1. Factor – Best Fresh Prepared Meal Delivery Service

Factor’s prepared meals use only premium ingredients from its network of trusted partners. Since many of the meals are high in protein, it also focuses on the high-quality treatment and welfare of animals – particularly chicken – which you can find out a bit more about on its FAQ page. 

The meals are delivered fresh, as opposed to frozen. They make great fridge fillers and take just minutes in the microwave, allowing you to have healthy meals on hand for lunch or dinner, whenever you need them. When my colleague reviewed Factor at home, they were wowed by the flavor and quality. 

Factor offers the following 5 plans but lets you choose any item on the wider menu, so you can mix and match across different dietary options: 

• Chef’s Choice: Healthy, balanced meals to fit any lifestyle

• Keto: Low-carb, high-fat meals

• Calorie Smart: 550 calories per serving or less

• Vegan & Veggie: Meat-free, plant-based meals

• Protein Plus: 30g (or more) of protein per serving

The Roasted Garlic Chicken (pictured) is a good example of a Calorie Smart/Protein Plus meal with 450 calories and 41g of protein per serving. Factor dishes are an excellent choice for people who are looking for clean, feel-good foods as part of their workout plan – the Keto options feature lower-carb substitutes like cauli-rice and zucchini noodles in place of rice and pasta. 

You can also order extra proteins, smoothies, cold-pressed juices, and other add-ons. You'll find high-protein breakfast options like egg bites, oats, and pancakes, plus keto-friendly snacks, too. You also get a free 20-minute consultation with an in-house dietitian when you sign up, with the option to purchase additional sessions to help you meet your health goals. 

Factor is one of the more expensive meal delivery services on this list, but if you’re looking for prepared meals that are fresher than any you’ll find in the supermarket, these are it. Many will find the convenience and quality worth the price. For other (less costly) options, be sure to check out our list of the best prepared meal delivery services.

Prices start at $6.19 per serving, and you can order anywhere between 6 and 18 single-serving meals per week.

2. Green Chef – Best For Certified Organic Ingredients

Green Chef was the first USDA-certified organic meal delivery service, which means more than 95% of its ingredients are organic, and its meat and seafoods are responsibly sourced, non-GMO, and free from antibiotics, hormones, and steroids. 

This is also a service that caters well to different dietary needs. There are 8 plans to choose from, to help narrow down your options, but you can mix and match across the entire menu each week. The plans include:

• Keto: Carb-conscious, high-protein recipes free of gluten, grains, soy, and legumes

• Plant Based: Meatless meals focused on veggie and vegan ingredients

• Mediterranean: Packed with veggies and healthy fats

• Quick & Easy: Recipes that are ready in 25 minutes or less

• Gluten-Free: Free from gluten and soy
  

• Protein-Packed: Meals high in protein (approx 40g per serving)

• Calorie Smart: A collection of recipes that contain fewer calories than other meals

The recipes are colorful and nutritious – expect healthy, balanced meals packed with fresh veggies like Thai Coconut Chicken Soup with Carrots, Bell Pepper, Shiitakes, and Black Sesame Seeds, and Greek Pork Couscous Bowls with Chard, Tomato, Dried Figs, Feta and Pistachios.

Many  items on the Green Chef menu are also gluten-free, including some of the Keto menu. The meals that do contain gluten are prepared and packed in a separate facility to avoid cross-contamination, which makes Green Chef a great option for those who are highly gluten sensitive or allergic. 

These dishes definitely pass the taste test, too. I tried Green Chef at home and can attest to the high quality of its fresh meal kits. You don’t even need to worry about finding these complex recipes intimidating either; the instructions are clear and easy to follow, and you’ll even get some prepared ingredients like ready-to-use sauces and chopped and portioned veggies. 

You can also pick up fresh and healthy add-ons, including proteins like organic chicken cutlets and wild-caught salmon fillets. The breakfast options and super-speedy salads and sandwiches are perfect if you need additional meals each week.  

Green Chef prices start at $5.99 per serving. You can order 3 or 4 meals per week for either 2, 4, or 6 people, making it great for larger households. The 4-person plan also gives you the option to order just 2 recipes per week. 

3. HelloFresh – Best For Fresh, Family-Friendly Meals

HelloFresh’s ingredients come from a pool of trusted suppliers who meet strict quality standards – and the team always visits them in person. Everything is seasonal and sustainably harvested, resulting in a weekly menu that’s much larger than other services, with tons of family-friendly dishes, vegetarian offerings, and even calorie-smart meals. 

HelloFresh advertises 30+ recipes per week, but the number is often larger than that. You can select from 6 categories when you sign up to help HelloFresh recommend the right meals, but you’re free to order anything you like. The plans include:  

• Meat & Veggies: Balanced omnivorous meals

• Veggie: Vegetarian and vegan recipes

• Family Friendly: Kid-approved dishes

• Fit & Wholesome: Lighter meals with around 600 calories per serving

• Quick and Easy: Easy prep options

• Pescatarian: Meals with seafood and veggies

The HelloCustom feature lets you swap out proteins or sides on 12+ recipes each week, giving you even more choice. You can replace potatoes with a lower-carb side of broccoli, for example, trade steak for chicken or pork, or add extra protein to an otherwise-veggie salad. 

The menu is packed with crowd-pleasing dishes – think tacos, pasta recipes, chicken, pork chops, and so much more. Our reviewer especially loved how their chosen meals turned out when they tried and tested HelloFresh at home. 

There’s a wide range of vegetarian options, plus some vegan meals. However, those who only eat plant-based foods might fare better with a service like Purple Carrot, or one of those that feature on our list of the best vegan meal delivery services.

Subscribers also get access to the HelloFresh Market, which offers extra grocery items like spices and desserts as well as high-quality proteins and produce. If you live in a food desert where fresh ingredients can be harder to find, this is a simple way to get them delivered to your door.

The recipes are clear and easy to follow. You’ll get cards in your weekly box, alongside fresh ingredients that have been thoughtfully packaged – often in paper. In fact, almost every part of HelloFresh’s packaging can be recycled. The service has an ongoing commitment to reducing its carbon footprint so your meals aren’t just fresh, they’re kinder to the earth, too.

HelloFresh prices start from $3.32 per serving, based on the largest plan size of 6 recipes per week for 4 people. However, you can also order 2, 3, 4, or 5 meals per week for households of either 2 or 4. 

4. Home Chef – Best for Meal Customization

Home Chef has a wide range of options on its weekly menu. You’ll find gourmet meals in the Culinary Collection, with recipes created in collaboration with celebrity chefs, including Rachael Ray. But you’ll also see comfort-food favorites like burgers, pasta, and risotto, all made using high-quality ingredients that deliver on taste week after week. 

However, Home Chef really pulls ahead with its Customize It feature. Many services now offer a few customizable meals, but Home Chef lets you swap out or double-up on the protein in most recipes. The BBQ Chicken Ranch Salad (pictured), for example, can be ordered with strip steak or salmon filets. In some cases, you can also upgrade to organic meats. 

There are some vegetarian options – though the number varies from week to week. But for the most part, Home Chef is not really suitable for anyone with specific dietary needs such as keto. Omnivores will find a lot to love, however, and its 6-serving option makes it great for larger households and families who want easy, speedy meals.

The user-friendly website makes it easy to find meals that fit your lifestyle, including options for calorie-conscious and carb-conscious meals. Home Chef’s Fresh Start dishes are described as “lighter spins on classic favorites” – and are marked with a green tomato icon to make them easier to find. 

Many of the recipes are rated by difficulty, though most are rated either Easy or Intermediate to make weeknight meals as straightforward as possible. If you’re interested in trying out the more complex options, however, find out how my colleague got on when they prepared an Expert dish for themselves at home. 

You can also fill your box with extras each week, including sides, snacks, and protein packs. The “bundles” are particularly great for anyone who wants to save money on quick breakfast or lunch options – think Breakfast Fritatta and Mocha Latte duos, or Chopped Ranch Salads with Ready-to-Cook Chicken Breasts. 

Home Chef’s prices start from $7.99 per serving. You can order anywhere between 2 and 6 recipes for up to 6 people per week. Home Chef also offers discounts to doctors, nurses, hospital employees, military, first responders, and teachers.

5. Fresh and Easy – Best For Fast & Fresh Meals

Fresh and Easy is a subsidary of Home Chef, offering only the service’s quickest and simplest-to-cook meals. As the name suggests, the meal kits are both easy and fresh, and they're designed to take the stress out of everyday meal prep with high-quality ingredients that are microwave- or oven ready. It’s no wonder Fresh and Easy also scores so highly on our list of the best easy-to-cook meal delivery services. 

All Fresh and Easy meals come with prepped and portioned ingredients, which means you can start supper with no washing, weighing, peeling, slicing, or dicing. In fact, our reviewer was highly impressed by both the quality and convenience, declaring the service to be “a great source of stress-free meals.”

There is a meal type to suit every kind of schedule – these include:

• Fast & Fresh: Ready to heat in the microwave or oven

• Oven-Ready: Dishes you assemble in the oven-safe tray provided

• Express Meal Kits: 15-minute meal kits that require minimal prep

• Salads: Simply toss together and enjoy fresh

• Extras: Prepared desserts, bread, protein bundles, and more

On those nights you want something fancier, check out the Plus recipes. These have many of the same top-quality ingredients as you’ll find in Home Chef’s Culinary Collection dishes, including premium cuts of steak and tail-on shrimp, but are easier to make. You could enjoy meals like Sweet Chili Coconut Shrimp or Crispy Cajun-Style Mahi Mahi Tacos with Slaw in less time than you would wait to get a table at a restaurant. 

Fresh and Easy also lets you take advantage of Home Chef’s Customize It feature. You can swap out or double-up on the protein in many recipes. Just look for the Customize It tag at the bottom of the recipe to see your options. And if you don’t find something you like, you still have access to the wider Home Chef menu.

Fresh and Easy prices start from $7.99 per serving. The minimum order is 2 recipes for 2 people per week and you can order a maximum of 6 recipes for 6 people per week. Note that any customizations and extras will change the total at checkout. 

6. Blue Apron – Best Fresh Gourmet Meal Kits

All of Blue Apron’s ingredients are responsibly sourced and non-GMO. The company sources produce from local family-run farms, as well as sustainably caught seafood and meats free from antibiotics and hormones, so you can be sure you’re getting only the healthiest food. Everything is also seasonal where possible. 

The service offers 5 plans, but no matter which you choose you can always order any item on the menu. These include: 

• Chef Favorites: The Test Kitchen's top picks

• Wellness: Nutritionist-approved recipes
  

• Family Friendly: Kid-friendly meals the whole family will love

• Fast & Easy: Time-saving meals, including Heat & Eat options

• Veggies: Plant-forward meals

The exciting and creative recipes give the quality ingredients a chance to shine. Expect many global-inspired meals, plus some American favorites – like burgers – with a gourmet twist. Blue Apron’s optional wine delivery subscription could also take your meals to the next level with wine pairings specifically tailored to your meal kits.

You’ll also find a range of meal types. The Premium dishes cost a bit more but use high-quality ingredients like fresh seafood and prime cuts of steak with more complex side dishes. Or you might choose the Quick Prep meals, which often include sheet pan recipes and Ready to Cook options that come with a recyclable oven-proof dish. 

On the Add-Ons menu, you’ll find Heat & Eat meals, breakfasts, salads, and extra proteins like pork belly, smoked bacon, tail-on shrimp, and chicken breast pieces. You can also pick up charcuterie boards, desserts, wine bundles, kitchen utensils, and spice blends in the Market, something our reviewer found really useful. 

The meal kits are great for seasoned chefs and beginners alike, with how-to videos and online demos via the app and website. The recipe cards are clear and concise, and everything arrives packaged up by recipe, so it's easy to navigate your box upon delivery. 

Blue Apron prices start from $5.74 per serving. You can order 2 to 5 meals per week for households of either 2 or 4.

7. BistroMD – Best For Fresh Diet Meals

BistroMD offers healthy, balanced, portion-controlled meals to those who want to lose weight or help manage certain health conditions. The service was founded by Dr. Caroline Cederquist, a weight loss specialist and bariatric physician, with the aim of providing people with a convenient way to lose weight while still getting all the nutrients they need. 

You’ll get calorie-controlled portions of breakfast, lunch, and dinner delivered to your door. For anyone who has previously found dieting difficult, this could save you the hassle of tracking your food intake and counting calories. 

BistroMD’s menus are designed by doctors and prepared by chefs and promise only the highest-quality ingredients. While many diet meal delivery services offer heavily processed meal replacements, BistroMD’s meals include high protein options that use hormone-free meats and, where possible, local and seasonal veggies and produce. 

BistroMD offers 6 plans, including:

• Signature: The basic BistroMD plan, with options for men and women

• Gluten-Free: Meals containing less than 20 ppm of gluten

• Heart-Healthy: Meals containing 600mg sodium or less 

• Diabetic: Dishes containing less than 25g net carbs per serving

• Menopause: Designed to help with hormonal changes

• Keto Flex: A low-carb, high-protein program

All the meals are flash-frozen to preserve nutrients and can be stored in the freezer until you’re ready to eat them. Flash-freezing keeps the meals fresh without the use of chemical preservatives, while maintaining their taste and texture. When my colleague gave BistroMD a try, they found the meals to be filling, despite them containing just 450 calories or less per serving. 

If you want to add snacks to your order, you can. These EATS (essential and tasty snacks) include high-protein, high-fiber options to keep you on track. Pick up grass-fed whey protein bars and shakes, chips, cheesecakes, nut mixes, and more. All these are made with high-quality ingredients, such as non-GMO soy, nuts and seeds, and nitrate-free cured meats. 

You’ll also get support from BistroMD’s registered dietitians when you sign up. They can provide guidance and advice on healthy eating and exercise and help you develop better habits so you can maintain your ideal weight once you reach it. 

BistroMD prices start at $8.24 per serving. You can order 2 or 3 meals per day (omitting breakfast if you just opt for 2), 5 or 7 days per week. If you want to lose weight with your partner, BistroMD offers a 15% discount for couples and families. 

8. Marley Spoon – Best For Martha Stewart-Approved Meals

Marley Spoon is partnered with Martha Stewart, but it has more to offer than a celebrity spokesperson. Marley Spoon offers one of the largest menus out there and uses only the freshest produce and proteins sourced from trusted local suppliers. You’ll find some organic ingredients in your box where possible, and all meats used are grass-fed and antibiotic-free. 

Marley Spoon also takes sustainability seriously. It was the first meal delivery service to be carbon-neutral and its website features a ton of information on how to recycle its packaging. You can even select meals with a Climatarian label that produce less than 1.1 lbs of CO2 per serving.

The menu boasts a whopping 100+ items each week. Tags such as Under 30 Minutes, Kid Friendly, Dairy Free, Low Calorie, One Pot, and No Added Gluten will help you navigate the menu, but there’s no real order to it. You can also pick up extras like desserts and seasonal platters. The option to customize some dishes only expands your options further.

You’ll find adventurous recipes from a number of international cuisines, but many of them could also be described as family-friendly, with tasty-sounding options like Grilled Pesto Chicken, Italian-Style Cheeseburger, and Teryaki-Glazed Steak with Peanut-Chili Crisp. Marley Spoon’s wide selection of vegetarian and vegan recipes also won it a spot on our list of the best vegetarian meal delivery services.

Marley Spoon is an excellent choice if you're looking to learn new cooking skills. The easy-to-follow recipe cards make everything clear. Our reviewer tried Marley Spoon at home and described the meal kits to be “easy enough for an amateur cook like me.” Some dishes might expect you to have a well-stocked pantry, however, so be sure to check the recipes before ordering. 

This is also a service that accommodates dietary needs fairly well. The Ingredient Hub lets you check recipes for allergens, while some recipes (like those labeled No Added Gluten, for example) might be suitable for those with minor intolerances. Since all the meals are prepped in the same facility, it might not be a good choice if you have serious allergies.

Marley Spoon meals start at $2.99 per serving, so you get all this quality and variety at a very reasonable price. You can order up to 6 recipes each week for either 2 or 4 people, with a minimum order of 2 recipes per week. 

9. Purple Carrot – Best For Vegetarians & Vegans

Purple Carrot’s exciting menu is a great way to get more veggies into your diet. Whether you’re purely plant-based or simply want to cut down on the number of animal products you consume, a few meals a week from this service will undoubtedly change the way you look at vegan food. 

The service offers both meal kits and prepared meals. The menu is inspired by a number of global cuisines – think Asian, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and more. The meal kits do a great job of teaching you new recipes and techniques you can use in your own cooking, too. 

Purple Carrot’s tasty produce is sourced from trusted farms all around the US. The non-produce items in your box (including beans, tofu, and vegan cheese) will be organic and non-GMO, but because of Purple Carrot’s efforts to provide specialty ingredients, sometimes it’s limited in its options for organic goods. 

Purple Carrot also caters well to other dietary needs, with options for high-protein, soy-free, nut-free, low calorie (under 600 calories per serving), and gluten-free meals. On the meal kit menu, you’ll also find breakfast and lunch extras such as the Farmers’ Market Tofu Scramble with Mushrooms and Spinach, Mezze Bowls, and Smoky Tempeh BLTS.

The prepared meals are just as varied, and take just minutes to heat in the microwave. Look out for options like the Saffron Rice Bowl with Balsamic Roasted Vegetables, or the Romesco and Chana Masala with an Almond Sultana Pilaf. If you want to add some prepared meals to your order, Purple Carrot allows you to create a custom box. 

Purple Carrot's Less Prep meals sit somewhere in between a kit and a prepared meal, featuring ready-made sauces and pre-chopped vegetables to save you valuable cooking and cleanup time. 

Though Purple Carrot's menu is smaller than some, its meals are top-notch. I’m convinced even non-vegans will love this service, as explained by our meat-loving reviewer who declared that Purple Carrot’s meals are guaranteed to please even the fussiest of omnivores.

Prices start at $8.50 per serving. You can order 3 or 4 meal kits for 2 or 4 people per week, or subscribe to 6, 8, or 10 single-serving prepared meals each week. 

10. Dinnerly – Best For Fresh, Budget-Friendly Meals

Dinnerly is one of the cheapest meal delivery services out there, but its ingredient quality is surprisingly high, with meal kits featuring sustainably farmed, antibiotic-free proteins and even some organic fruits and vegetables. So how does Dinnerly keep its prices so low?

Dinnerly is owned by the same parent company as Marley Spoon. In fact, you’ll find many of the same high-quality ingredients used in your Marley Spoon meals in your Dinnerly box. The only difference is, Dinnerly often incorporates fewer ingredients for more pared-back dishes, which is why we’re able to access them at such an affordable price point. 

However, if you were expecting a limited menu, you’d be wrong! Our reviewer noted that Dinnerly’s menu offers more choices than many higher-priced companies.. The recipes are less complex, but the quality and variety is there. Each week you’ll spot around 10 vegetarian options, and around 4 or 5 fish and seafood dishes on the menu. You’ll even see some vegan entrees. 

You can customize some of the recipes, too. The Speedy Cheesy Garlic Knot Ravioli (pictured), for example, can be ordered with gluten-free pasta if preferred. Other recipes let you replace regular proteins with organic, or farmed seafood with wild-caught versions.

The Dinnerly Market also offers ingredients and grocery items, along with seasonal desserts, snacks, and breakfast options like Oat & Chia Pancakes.

To cut costs, Dinnerly uses less packaging than its more expensive competitors. Instead of individually wrapping each ingredient, everything arrives together in one box. All the recipes are digital only, so you’ll have to check your desktop or smartphone while cooking. It’s a small inconvenience but one that’s far better for the environment. 

Dinnerly’s menu uses the same tags as Marley Spoon to help you navigate the menu, and it also has an Ingredient Hub that lets you check each recipe for potential allergens. But note that you cannot filter out meals containing allergens and must check manually, which can be time-consuming given the size of Dinnerly’s menu.

Prices start at $2.12 per serving, and you can order 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 meals per week for 2 or 4 people. 

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Fresh Food Meal Delivery Services

Most meal delivery services claim to use fresh ingredients to some degree – but that doesn’t mean they’re fresh when they get to you. Here’s what I looked for in the best fresh food meal delivery services when compiling my list: 

• High-quality foods: The best meal kit services deliver ingredients that are ripe and ready to eat or cook. The texture and firmness of fruits and vegetables,  like those from Factor, signal freshness. They should also smell good and be vibrant in color.
  

• Locally-sourced ingredients: Not only does locally-sourced food taste better because it spends less time in transit, it’s better for the environment, too. Plus, it’s nice to know you’re supporting local businesses and farmers. Look out for services such as HelloFresh, which promise local produce.

• Organic and non-GMO labels: While these ingredients may be more expensive, they are grown without man-made fertilizers, chemicals, and pesticides. Therefore, organic meal delivery services like Green Chef are better for both your body and the environment.

• Reasonable pricing: You may expect fresher ingredients to cost more, but there are meal delivery services that offer high-quality ingredients at a very reasonable price. 

FAQ  

Which meal delivery service has the best prepared meals?

Factor’s prepared meals are made with high-quality ingredients and are always delivered fresh. As well as offering flavorful and balanced meals, Factor also caters well to dietary needs. Look out for the service’s keto menu, plus its high-protein and plant-based options.  

What is the best meal delivery service for organic food?

Green Chef was the first USDA-certified organic meal delivery service and continues to offer organic produce and antibiotic-free, sustainably-harvested proteins in all its meal kits. Many Green Chef meals (including some of the keto menu) are also certified gluten-free and are safe for those with celiac disease or a serious gluten sensitivity.

Which meal delivery service is the cheapest?

Dinnerly is the best choice for people looking for fresh food on a budget. It uses many of the same high-quality ingredients as Marley Spoon and cuts costs in other areas, including the use of less packaging and pared-back recipes that require fewer ingredients.

Best Fresh Meal Delivery Services in 2023 — Final Score