10 Best Low Calorie Meal Delivery Services 2021 (+ Discounts)

When you’re looking to lose weight, not all diet plans are created equal.

Luckily, I’ve rigorously researched each company below to get the details on the plans they offer. I’ve analyzed each company’s strengths and weaknesses to give you a firm grasp of what they can do for you.

Looking for special diet options for vegans or diabetics? I’ve got you covered. Or maybe you want diet meals you can eat on the go? I’ll discuss that, too.

Whatever your dieting needs, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading for more.

Short on Time? Here Are the Best Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services of 2021: 

• Blue Apron – Health-conscious low-calorie meal kits

• Sunbasket – Best for special diet and low-calorie meals

• Home Chef – Low-calorie meals designed for convenience

• See 7 more meal delivery services

• Comparison table

• FAQ

Our Best Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services Reviewed

1. Blue Apron – Health-Conscious, Low-Calorie Meals

Blue Apron’s Best Features

• WW-approved meals that have up to 600 calories, and low-carb options as well

• Tailor meals to your preferences with Blue Apron Customized

• Premium Recipes introduce advanced cooking techniques and protein combinations

• Special discount available – save $110 on your first four boxes

Blue Apron in a Nutshell

Blue Apron offers high-quality meals that you can adjust to your own liking. The Shawarma Spiced Cod and Arugula Salad lets you swap the cod fillets with salmon. Or the plant-based Grilled Gochujang Beyond Burger can be exchanged for a burger made of real beef.

Blue Apron’s Meal Prep plan allows you to prepare up to eight meals in advance in just two hours – ideal for those on tight schedules. And for high-protein dieters, the Butcher Bundle sends you 12 servings of protein to supplement your meals.

Blue Apron also provides a filter to cut out ingredients like beef, pork, shellfish, and several others. This is useful when you’re tracking your daily calorie count as you have the option to swap one ingredient for a lower calorie alternative.

2. Sunbasket – The Best Meal Plans for Special Diet and Low-Calorie Meals

Sunbasket’s Best Features

• Lean & Clean plan available with less than 600 calories per dish

• Plans for different lifestyles including Paleo, Mediterranean, Vegetarian, and more

• Responsibly raised meats and wild-caught or sustainably sourced seafood

• Special discount available – get $90 off and four free gifts from Sunbasket

Sunbasket in a Nutshell

If you’re on a restrictive diet, Sunbasket may be the meal delivery service for you with its 10 different specialty diet plans. For low-calorie eaters, however, there’s something extra special – The Lean & Clean menu. Lean & Clean provides meals with around 550 calories per serving that are high in both fiber and protein, as well as avoiding both dairy and gluten.

Not only does Sunbasket offer an excellent variety of meals for dieters, but it also has a number of extra goodies. It offers options for breakfast and lunch as well as several healthy snacks labeled for different dietary requirements (no added sugar, vegan, etc).

Find out more about Sunbasket’s organic ingredients in our expert Sunbasket review .

3. Home Chef – Convenient Low-Calorie Kits That Suit Any Schedule

Home Chef’s Best Features

• Fast and Fresh prepared meals can be on the table in five minutes

• Shopping List feature on app allows you to recreate your favorite Home Chef meals

• Oven-ready meals that come with ingredients pre-portioned in an oven-safe tray

• Special discount available – get $80 off plus free shipping

Home Chef in a Nutshell

Home Chef is one of the most flexible services out there. Its Customize It feature allows you to upgrade and double-up on protein, or swap out ingredients on select meals.

Its Calorie-conscious filter is easy to find and offers a modest number of recipes sorted into meal kits, microwavable options, and culinary collections. Most of the recipes can be further customized by an easy-to-use dialog box.

The result is a whole slew of possibilities! The Charred Broccoli and Shiitake Mushroom Noodles, for example, has six possible variations. It can be made with shrimp, chicken, beef, or even a plant-based beef substitute. Whichever you want!

All this and its additional filters – carb-conscious, <30 minute, and vegetarian – makes it a solid choice for dieters with a variety of needs.

4. HelloFresh – Low in Calories, High in Quality

HelloFresh’s Best Features

• One-pot meals and quick, <20-minute recipes for easy prep

• Excellent Calorie Smart recipes to suit most dieters’ needs

• High-quality, farm-to-table ingredients even fussy eaters will love

• Special discount available – Get $80 off plus free shipping

HelloFresh in a Nutshell

With an entire Calorie Smart plan , HelloFresh gives you 25+ options a week to choose from, across your desired number of meals for two or four diners.

Vegetarian Calorie Smart options include Mushroom Ravioli and Mushroom and Herb Shepherd’s Pie. Low-calorie meat options include Sheet Pan Chipotle BBQ Pork Tenderloin. All are under 650 calories.

You can learn more about the meals offered on the Calorie Smart plan in my colleague’s HelloFresh review ).

HelloFresh is also competitively priced, with servings starting from $7.49. So, you can save on both calories and money. I also really like that you can pause your delivery and skip weeks if you know you’re going to be out of town for a while.

5. Marley Spoon – High-Quality, Chef-Worthy Meals in 30 Minutes or Less

Marley Spoon Best Features

• A large selection of exceptional quality meals

• Recipes developed with culinary legend Martha Stewart

• Special dishes like lunch and breakfast available throughout the year

• Special discount available – get $100 off your first four boxes

Marley Spoon In a Nutshell

Backed by Martha Stewart, Marley Spoon’s diverse menu offers 29 weekly options from five different categories – Health & Diet, Meat & Fish, Vegetarian & Vegan, Under 30 Minutes, and Family-Friendly.

Each recipe comes with Martha’s very own favorite spices to make meals that will please even fussy eaters. Many of the recipes fall into multiple categories, like the Tomato and Peach Salad that’s both low-calorie and vegan.

Marley Spoon also contains a wealth of information on its site. Not only can you find out about five of the most popular diets (low-carb and whole food, Mediterranean, paleo, vegan, and gluten-free), you can learn about general meal planning, meal kits, ingredient lists, and more.

Find out what our resident culinary expert thought of Martha’s dishes in this

prodcutReviewLink product="marleyspoon"]dedicated Marley Spoon review .

6. Fresh n’ Lean – Low-Calorie, 100% Organic Meals

Fresh n’ Lean’s Best Features

• Prepared meals that come ready to heat and eat!

• Six different diet plans to choose from

• Offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as snacks.

• Special discount available – $20 off your first box then 15% off all future orders

Fresh n’ Lean in a Nutshell

What’s better than having a single great low-calorie plan? How about six plans: Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Vegan, Low-carb Vegan, and Whole30 Approved? Welcome to Fresh n’ Lean!

Fresh n’ Lean’s 100% organic meals are pre-cooked, so you just need to warm them up and eat at your leisure.

Plus, calorie counting is a breeze – not that you have many calories to count: the Low-Carb Vegan plan averages a mere 295 calories per meal. Even the Protein+ is only 490 calories. 

All the meals are gluten-free and Fresh n’ Lean even has a rich variety of low-calorie desserts like Cinnamon Maple Almonds, Coconut Almond Buttercups, and more!

You can learn more about the different low-calorie plans and guilt-free desserts in our dedicated Fresh n’Lean review .

7. Diet-to-Go – Effective Weight Loss with Analysis and Support

Diet-to-Go’s Best Features

• More than 500 options for low-calorie meals

• Plans designed entirely for weight loss

• Professional coaching and analysis with access to a dietitian

• Special discount available – save $100 on your first five weeks

Diet-to-Go in a Nutshell

Diet-to-Go offers four different meal plans: Balance, Balance-Diabetes, Keto-Carb30, and Vegetarian. Each plan provides three pre-portioned meals a day and is structured to embrace a different approach for your weight loss and diet control.

Check out my colleague’s analysis of Diet-to-Go’s weight loss plans in this in-depth review .

The Diabetes plan, for example, is excellent for people with pre-diabetes or even type 2 diabetes. With under 45g of carbs and around 15g of protein, it helps you control your blood sugar, not to mention your sodium, fat, and cholesterol as well.

With 500+ meals to choose from, you’ll never get bored – and that makes it even easier to stick with your plan. Plus, Diet-to-Go comes with support like diet analysis, dietitians to call on, blogs, and more!

8. Freshly – Prepared Meals On the Go

Freshly’s Best Features

• Pre-cooked meals are ready in three minutes

• Chef’s Special meals are prepared by renowned chefs for an additional $1.49

• Bulk portions available for some proteins and side dishes

• Special discount available – save $60 with Promo Code LAUNCH15

Freshly in a Nutshell

Not only are Freshly meals quick and easy to prepare, but they can also serve a variety of dietary needs. Freshly has a wide selection of meals and you can sort them by nutritional values when you’re editing deliveries.

To get even more information on Freshly and its FreshlyFit plan, check out my colleague’s experience in this review .

Freshly also offers a FreshlyFit menu focusing on particular macronutrients to support your health goals and encourage an active lifestyle. These meals are low in carbs, high in protein, and make a satisfying reward after a strenuous workout.

Both Freshly and FreshlyFit meals seek to reduce reliance on added sugars and processed foods. Instead, the focus for each of these menus is on nutrient-dense ingredients that promote healthy living.

9. BistroMD – Doctor-Designed, Low-Calorie Meals

BistroMD’s Best Features

• All-in-one low-calorie meal plan for healthy weight loss

• No cooking required – just heat it and eat it!

• Choose from four plans, each one set up for medically guided weight loss

• Delivery Rank special discount available – get 25% off plus free shipping with BistroMD

BistroMD in a Nutshell

Developed by a physician who specializes in bariatric medicine (treating obesity), BistroMD focuses on long term weight loss. The goal is to teach you to eat right, not just lose a few pounds for the short term.

Discover what our expert reviewer thought about the portion sizes in our detailed   BistroMD review .

There are four medical diet plans (Diabetic, Gluten-Free, Menopause, and Heart Healthy), plus two separate plans that recognize dietary differences between men and women. This helps you to eat right for long-term weight loss.

BistroMD provides plenty of variety. You have 150+ different meals to choose from and your plan covers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks. The food is easy to prepare – all you need to do is heat it up, and eat!

10. Nutrisystem – Lose Weight Your Way with 11 Different Plans

Nutrisystem’s Best Features

• 11 different plans to choose from!

• Support to help you make healthier long-term dietary choices

• Flexible a la carte ordering

• Special discount available – get 55% off one month and free delivery

Nutrisystem in a Nutshell

With 150+ delicious food options and 11 different plans for singles, I'm confident Nutrisystem can find you a personalized plan for weight loss. It even has a 12th separate plan for partners , if you and your significant other want to tackle dieting together.

You can heat most of the meals in just a few minutes in a microwave – so it’s really quick and easy. If you prefer, some of the meals can be prepared in a conventional oven in thirty minutes or so.

Nutrisystem also gives you access to weight loss consultants and dietitians for extra support on your dieting journey. With their knowledge and the wealth of information Nutrisystem offers on its site, you'll learn how to lose weight and keep it off for the long term.

Best Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services: Comparison Table

What To Look For in Both Prepared Low-Calorie Home Delivery Meals and Meal Kits

There are still several things you need to consider before settling on a specific meal delivery service:

• How flexible is the subscription? Is there a la carte or one-off ordering, or do you need to be hooked into a weekly subscription? If so, how easy is it to cancel?

• How varied is the menu? A few of the low-calorie meal kits have a somewhat limited menu (isn’t that just always the way with diet food?), so you should check how much meal variation there is, and if it's enough to keep you happy and well-fed.

• How much will shipping cost you? While some of the meal kit delivery options have free shipping, others will see you pay anywhere between $5.99 - $19.95 shipping fee, either weekly or monthly. That’s something that needs to be factored into your budget.

Bottom Line: Are Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services Worth It?

Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services can be a godsend for those struggling to think of healthy recipes and control their portion sizes. Dieting can be tough! Figuring out what to eat, when to eat, and how much to eat is no easy task. With a Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Service like those listed above, this work is done for you.

In addition to that, most of these services provide a wealth of related information on their sites or via their respective apps. This information can help you deal with allergens, dietary preferences, and similar issues that might be holding you back.

FAQs

What is the best meal delivery service for weight loss?

BistroMD is my top recommendation for long-term results due to the fact that it was founded by a trained medical doctor and designed using her wealth of knowledge and experience.

Which is the healthiest meal delivery service?

All of the above meal delivery services do well in terms of health, but the one that stands out the most is Blue Apron . Not only are the meals made from top-notch ingredients, but it lets you track your WW points and guides you through creating healthy low-calorie meals at home.

However, if you’re interested in gluten-free, organic, prepared meals or meals designed to fuel a more active lifestyle, then Fresh n’ Lean is another way you could go.

Has anyone lost weight with Freshly?

Freshly is focused on serving a wide range of nutritional needs and providing a broad menu.

Its FreshlyFit plan provides high protein, low carb meals, which support an active lifestyle and health goals including weight loss.

Is HelloFresh good for dieting?

HelloFresh has a Calorie Smart plan with numerous low-calorie dishes like the Steakhouse Pork Chops. My colleague was also impressed with the excellent customer service, as described in this dedicated HelloFresh review .

However, if you’re looking for a meal kit with more options for tracking calories, check out Blue Apron. Its partnership with WW means that you can easily select diet-conscious meals and make WW-approved substitutions to maximize the impact of your chosen recipes.