6 Best Frozen Meal Delivery Services in 2023: Reviewed

Many meal delivery services deliver frozen meals, but these aren’t like what you’ll find in the freezer section of your local grocery. These ingredients are flash-frozen, which locks in their nutritional value and – more importantly – all the flavor. 

It can be hard to find the best service for your tastes, as there are many different features available. For example, while most are cost-effective, some services are more expensive than others. I’ve done the research and consulted with my expert colleagues to bring you the best frozen meal delivery services on the market today.

Green Chef is my top contender. The service provides balanced, tasty, and complete recipes, which cater to dieters with different needs and preferences. It also offers certified organic produce and eggs.

The Best Frozen Meal Delivery Services Reviewed

1. Green Chef – Top Organic Meal Kit Delivery Service

Green Chef is one of the best organic meal delivery services in the USA and for good reason. It's the first CCOF-certified organic meal kit, and it sources sustainable produce, eggs, meat, and seafood, whenever possible. If for some reason Green Chef isn't able to get organic ingredients, it lets consumers know through labeling and in-box communication. Even in these cases, you’ll still receive ingredients of the highest quality.

The Green Chef menu is divided into Meals and Add-ons. Meals comprise lunch and dinner options featuring various ingredients. Some of the primary ingredients in those dishes are chicken, beef, pork, chickpeas, and mushrooms. Add-ons include breakfast options, desserts, and proteins like salmon filets.

Use helpful tags to select meals that suit your taste and dietary preferences. Some of the tags, which accompany each meal and some extras, are Keto, Quick & Easy, and Calorie Smart. Also, you'll find serving time information accompanying every product so you can make an informed decision.

You can narrow down suitable options conveniently by stating your preferences. Click on Our Plans in the header and choose suitable categories among the following:

• Keto

• Plant Based

• Quick & Easy

• Delicious Discoveries

• Gluten Free

• Mediterranean

• Protein Packed

• Calorie Smart

Consult our detailed Green Chef review to learn more about these plans. 

The service doesn't allow ingredient customization to preserve the nutritional value of its meals. Therefore, carefully review the ingredients of your selected meals to ensure that they align with your dietary preferences and restrictions.  

You'll receive fresh ingredients that you can freeze if you like. You can either freeze them upon delivery or after preparing the meal. Just remember to thaw them properly before use. For safe thawing, it's best to defrost frozen ingredients in the fridge, microwave, or cold water, but never at room temperature. 

Green Chef doesn't use artificial preservatives to extend the shelf life of its ingredients. So you should consume its food within 5 days of delivery if you decide to keep it fresh. Seafood has a shorter shelf life lasting up to 3 days.

The service delivers recipes to consumers in the continental US only at the moment. If you live in a more remote area like Hawaii, Alaska, and Puerto Rico, check out Nutrisystem. It offers frozen and shelf-stable meals and offers shipping to many parts of the world.

The number of meals determines your cost per serving. The price per portion starts at $5.99 for the largest order that includes 4 meals and serves 6 people. The minimum order, which comes at the highest cost per serving, is 3 meals for 2 people. Additionally, you'll have to pay a flat rate delivery fee of $9.99 per box.

2. HelloFresh – Great Dish Personalization Service

HelloFresh is one of the best frozen meal delivery services offering meal customization. It allows you to personalize your meal plan by choosing among 6 categories catering to various foodies. But that's not all since the service has the HelloCustom tool allowing you to swap ingredients in selected dishes.

Speaking of categories, these are:

• Veggie

• Pescatarian

• Quick & Easy

• Family Friendly

• Meat & Veggies

• Fit & Wholesome

You can mix and match recipes from every plan, regardless of what you select at signup. Read our tried-and-tested HelloFresh review to see what our expert reviewer thought about this service.

The HelloCustom tool lets you replace the sides and proteins in 12+ selected dishes on its menu. For example, you can swap potatoes for broccoli or chicken for steak, depending on the recipe.

Speaking of the menu, the company has a selection of over 70 weekly options, even though it advertises 30+ meals on its main page. It accompanies dishes with useful labels that help dieters choose meals suiting their dietary needs and habits. Some self-explanatory tags are Asian Flavors, Fast & Fresh, and Hall of Fame. Moreover, various tags informing you about prep time and diet types, such as Veggie and Protein Smart, accompany most meals.

HelloFresh pre-measures its ingredients before shipping them. You’ll get top-quality ingredients including wild-caught fish and farm-raised meat from farms that follow the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recommendations. Note that although high-quality, most ingredients aren't organic. If you prefer organic food, check out Green Chef, a USDA-certified organic company.

You can freeze your HelloFresh ingredients, although the company advises using its ingredients within a few days of delivery for optimal freshness. From my research, I found that most of the ingredients can last up to 2 months in the freezer if stored in their original packaging. If you open them before freezing, they should remain safe for about a month. 

The menu is mostly omnivorous, but you’ll find many diet-friendly options as well. Pescatarians will be satisfied with the selection of fish dishes, and there are a number of plant-based meals for vegans and vegetarians. There are also low-carb and low-cal recipes.

In addition to weekly recipes, HelloFresh’s cookbook is a great source of inspiration. With over 2,500 recipes inspired by various international cuisines, you're bound to find something that tantalizes your taste buds. Browse through different world cuisines using tags like American Recipes, Mexican Recipes, and Italian Recipes. Choose Taco Recipes, Stir-Fry Recipes, Skewer Recipes, and other tags to narrow down a preferred dish type.

The minimum order you can place with HelloFresh is 2 weekly meals for 2 people. The maximum purchase is 6 recipes for 4. The cost per meal starts at $3.32 for the largest order and increases the fewer recipes you order. You'll learn the delivery fee at the checkout.

3. BistroMD – The Biggest Frozen Recipes Selection

BistroMD is a frozen meal delivery service preparing many tasty and healthy dishes. It offers over 150 meals designed by expert nutritionists every week. And you can find them falling into Breakfast and Lunch/Dinner categories. There are distinct plans based on your gender and any health conditions you have.

The service specializes in low-calorie recipes that can help you lose weight. The doctor-designed program includes 3 meals per day as well as snacks. This service frequently ranks highly among the best weight-loss meal delivery services on the market. 

You can choose between 7 programs depending on your needs or preferences:

• Vegan – meals without animal ingredients 

• Menopause – dishes designed for the nutritional needs of older women

• Diabetic – recipes with lean proteins that help regulate blood sugar levels

• Keto Flex – for a flexible low-carb, high-fat diet 

• Heart Healthy – meals with controlled sodium and saturated fat levels

• Gluten Free – meals lacking wheat, rye, and barley

• Signature – the standard menu of all weight loss recipes

You'll have from 25 to 150+ recipes to choose from depending on your chosen plan. In general, each category has over 100 dishes except for Keto Flex (85+) and Vegan (25+). Check out our in-depth review to learn more about available programs. If you’re looking for a different approach to weight loss, check out Nutrisystem. 

You'll also find nutritious snacks on the BistroMD menu. They can help you lose weight thanks to the combination of high-quality protein and fiber that assists in burning fat. Among other options, you can find various cakes and cookies on offer, even proteins and juices. 

The company offers a lot of flexibility regarding its meal plans. You can choose between a 5-day or 7-day program. Besides, select either a Full Program with breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, or just Lunches & Dinners. If you opt for Full Program, you’ll get My Night to treat yourself to anything you’d like to eat. Once you place your order, BistroMD’s licensed nutritionists will create a customized meal plan meeting your individual needs.

Your meals should last up to a year in a frozen state. To prepare them, defrost them in a refrigerator for a couple of days. Upon thawing, they should be still safe for consumption in the next 2 or 3 days. 

Ordering more meals at once from BistroMD can save you money. The price per serving starts at $8.24 for a full 7-day program that includes 20 meals. Note that the price per meal for the Lunches & Dinners 5-day program will be higher. Also, you'll need to pay a flat-rate shipping fee of $19.95 to get your order. 

4. Nutrisystem – Best Weight-Loss Partner Plans

Nutrisystem is a solid choice if you're looking to lose weight. It's a well-established meal delivery service with many specialized diet programs. I love its partner plan for couples who live together, but it has many options for singles as well.

The service recommends a unique diet of 6 small meal replacements each day. While there are many prepared meals on the menu, healthy snacks make up most of your diet. Expect to eat a lot of bars and similar snacks if you sign up for this service.

The company's menu includes 3 main meals plus snacks and desserts. Some breakfast options could be oatmeal, rolls, and waffles. Lunch and dinner options you can enjoy could be soups, hamburgers, pizzas, and other dishes featuring a variety of proteins and veggies. Some snacks you can choose between meals could be cream bars, sandwiches, and cakes.

Nutrisystem clearly highlights which meals are frozen on its menu. The large menu includes a mix of fresh and frozen options.  

You can choose between 3 or 4 programs, depending on the chosen plan. The most common options are Essentials, Uniquely Yours Max+, and Complete 55. I liked that these programs offer balanced recipes and let eaters supplement them with their favorite groceries. All plans give you access to a dedicated app, allowing you to personalize your meal plan. Pricier plans let you enjoy dishes inspired by popular restaurants. Check our dedicated review to learn more about available programs. 

Nutrisystem's foods have a pretty long shelf life, ranging from 6 to 18 months. It's worth noting that the Best by date printed on the packaging relates to freshness, not safety. So even if you consume meals after the expiration date, they could still be safe for eating if you stored them properly. 

This frozen meal delivery service caters to various dieters. You should find its recipes suitable if you're an omnivore, vegetarian, diabetic, or carb-conscious foodie. But if you're a vegan, consider subscribing to BistroMD, which has a dedicated plan for you. 

Nutrisystem offers dishes inspired by Chinese and Italian cuisines. Of course, you can stick to recipes inspired by American cuisine, if you prefer.

The company ships its food throughout the contiguous US and overseas locations. These include Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and other territories and possessions. Frozen food shipments are free for orders over $75 for A La Carte members. Otherwise, the shipping cost is $20.  

The cost per day depends on the plan you select. The Essentials plan is the most affordable, while Uniquely Yours Max+ and Complete 55 are pricier. The cost per day starts from $8.54. 

5. Diet to Go – Best for Meal Preferences Customization

Diet-to-Go is the right choice if you're after a service offering plan customization. It boasts 5 meal plans, and you can customize each upon placing an order. That way, you can personalize the mealtime to suit your taste and fit your lifestyle. 

The service has the following plans:

• Balance – standard menu of calorie-controlled food 

• Balance-Diabetes – heart-healthy meals that help control blood sugar

• Keto-Carb30 – low-carb, high-fat dishes for keto and similar diets

• Vegetarian – balanced, dietitian-approved recipes without meat

• Mediterranean – dishes with fish, fruits, veggies, and nuts

Every meal you receive comes with pre-portioned ingredients. This means no chopping or dicing – you can enjoy nutritionally-balanced, ready-to-eat meals with minimum prep and no cleanup.

The company's recipes suit anyone seeking to lose weight or lead a healthy life. It formulates recipes by following the recommendations of the USDA and other national health associations. And Diet to Go prepares food in state-of-the-art kitchens. 

The service has a 5-week rotation cycle for its meals. It has a variety of dishes, and you might even see the same dishes on the menu throughout different cycles. Note that you'll start with the meals of the 4th cycle if you sign up during the 3rd week of the cycle. Read our in-depth review to learn more about meal rotations. 

You may receive fresh or frozen dishes depending on where you live. If you're near the service's commercial kitchen, you'll get fresh food in insulated boxes with cool packs. But if you're further away, you'll receive a box with frozen meals packed with dry ice. The amount of dry ice depends not only on your location but on the climate, too.

The shelf life of Diet to Go's recipes isn't long because they contain no preservatives. For this reason, they are typically safe to eat for 4 or 5 days when refrigerated. You can keep them in your freezer for up to a month. If you prefer a frozen meal delivery service whose meals can last longer, check Nutrisystem. 

The company offers a wide range of international cuisine-inspired meals. The selection of Thai, Mediterranean, Indian, and Caribbean recipes should satisfy you if you're a fan. You should also find Chinese, Italian, and Middle Eastern recipes. Of course, you can enjoy the comfort of American cuisine, too.

The weekly plan's cost depends on a few factors you can customize. The number of days you want to receive meals (5 or 7), the number of daily meals (2 or 3), and whether you choose to include seafood or not are some. Still, the price of the weekly meal plan starts at $4.60. The shipping cost is $19.98 nationwide, regardless of the plan.

6. Blue Apron – Best For International Meals

Check Blue Apron if you're looking for a service providing great value for your money. Its menu features a variety of meals that come in 2 or 4 servings, which is perfect for couples and families. Its ingredients are sourced from small farms that practice sustainable cultivation techniques. 

The company's menu consists of 16 weekly meals. I like that you can see recipes as far as 4 weeks in advance. When I browsed the menu, I found a variety of proteins available, including steak, fish, chicken, and tofu.

Dishes are organized in 5 categories when you land on the menu page:

• Signature – meat and fish recipes

• Vegetarian – seasonal produce

• Wellness – low-calorie meals
  

• Signature for Four – meat and fish meals for families and small gatherings

• Add-Ons – appetizers and sides

You can specify preferred meal types to narrow down suitable options when personalizing your meal kit in the Pricing section of the website. Available options are:

• Chef Favorites – top choices

• Wellness – approved by nutritionists

• Family Friendly – kid favorites

• Fast & Easy – short serving time

• Veggies – plant-based recipes

You have access to every item on the menu, no matter which plan you sign up for. Your selections will, however, affect your recommended meals. Check out our in-depth review for more info.

You can replace the main ingredient in selected dishes with Blue Apron. For example, you can swap out chicken breasts for shrimp in Garlic-Caper Chicken. Many meat-based meals also have an option to “Make it Vegetarian,” and you also have the option to add extra protein to vegetarian recipes.

You can freeze most ingredients and save them for later use. Just remember to follow the USDA's safe food handling recommendations when thawing them. If you decide not to freeze some of the ingredients, Blue Apron covers you with a 7-day Freshness Guarantee.

Blue Apron's food caters to many taste preferences. First off, it's among the best meal delivery services for diabetics. And its dishes are suitable for calorie- and carb-conscious, Mediterranean, and gourmet foodies, among others. But if you're a vegan, Green Chef will be a better fit for you. 

Blue Apron has an assortment of high-quality wines at great prices in addition to meal kits. However, since shipping wine is subject to different state laws, you should check the website to see where it currently ships wine.

The cost per meal varies depending on the number of servings you purchase. For instance, if you order a maximum of 5 meals with 4 servings, the price per portion will be $5.74. You can order no less than 2 meals for 2 servings. You'll also have to pay a shipping fee of $10.99, regardless of the size of your purchase.

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Frozen Meal Delivery Service

You know now what the best frozen meal delivery services are. However, before making a final decision, you’ll need to do a bit more homework to figure out which is best for you. To that end, keep these tips in mind:

• Think about your dietary goals. If you engage in regular physical activities, such as jogging or working out, a high-protein diet might suit you best. If you’re aiming to shed some pounds, prioritize low-calorie meals like those from BistroMD.
  

• Figure out how much time you have or are willing to spend in the kitchen. You have the option to choose between meal kit and prepared meal services. If you're a passionate cook who relishes time spent in the kitchen, go for Green Chef, for example. 

• Order more servings to pay less in the long run. Purchasing more meals lowers the cost per meal. This strategy saves you on shipping costs since most services charge a flat-rate delivery fee, regardless of the box size. So, if you have the freezer space, consider buying in bulk.

• Check delivery terms. Delivery schedules vary from 1 meal delivery service to another. While some have set delivery days, others are flexible, allowing you to choose your preferred delivery day. Additionally, some companies use their own delivery network, while others rely on third-party carriers like FedEx and UPS. Check with customer support to see what options are available if you're not home when the shipment arrives and how flexible the drivers can be. Lastly, verify if the company delivers to your area. Consider subscribing to Nutrisystem if you reside in a US territory or dependency outside of the continental US.

FAQ

Should seniors consider frozen meal delivery services?

Yes, seniors should think about subscribing to frozen meal delivery services. While cost may be a factor, maybe their insurance can help with some of it. And many companies, such as Green Chef, provide healthy meals based on seniors’ specific dietary needs.  

Are frozen meal delivery services affordable?

The services on my list represent many different price points. With many companies, the price per serving also depends on the number of meals you purchase. HelloFresh is among the services providing reasonably priced recipes boasting great value for money.  

What are the best frozen meal delivery services for weight loss?

BistroMD is a great option for those looking to lose weight. It has over 150 weekly meals and weight-loss plans catering to various categories of dieters. Its meals can stay frozen for up to a year.  

Best Frozen Meal Delivery Service in 2023: Final Score