7 Best Meal Delivery Services for Anti-Inflammatory Diet 2023

As an avid health nut, I discovered that eating anti-inflammatory foods is the best way to go! Each person’s inflammatory reaction to food is different and includes symptoms such as bloating, chronic rashes, and migraines. On the other hand, anti-inflammatory foods are great for maintaining energy levels and mental clarity throughout the day. 

All the meal delivery services on my list exclude foods that cause inflammation. This means you won’t find anything deep-fried or highly processed here. These meals are also low in sugar, simple carbs, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and coloring.

I’ve thoroughly vetted the companies on this list so you don’t have to. To find the best meal delivery services for people on an anti-inflammatory diet, I followed criteria such as customizability, seasonal freshness, ingredient quality, and meal composition. 

Green Chef is my top recommendation due to its organic ingredients and respect for various dietary needs. But there are more companies on my list, so make sure to check my reviews before making a decision. 

The Best Meal Delivery for an Anti-Inflammatory Diet Reviewed

1. Green Chef – Best Certified-Organic Meal Delivery

If going organic is your way of approaching an anti-inflammatory diet – Green Chef is for you. Green Chef's produce and eggs are certified organic and non-GMO, so you can rest assured that there are no contents artificially preserving these ingredients. Plus, this service only chooses proteins from farms with high animal welfare standards.

Green Chef offers a Mediterranean diet plan, which is a popular anti-inflammatory diet. The menu changes weekly, and the recipes feature a combination of American and international cuisine. This way, you’ll always be looking forward to your meals and enjoy your experience with food. For more on Green Chef’s meal plans, check out my colleague’s in-depth review!

Recipes aren’t customizable, which isn’t ideal if there are specific non-filterable ingredients that cause inflammation for you. However, you can still choose from several meal plans that follow most anti-inflammatory recommendations, like Keto and Plant Based. There are also plenty of gluten-free options, so I think Green Chef can work well for a wide range of people. 

Green Chef also features a well-stocked Add-ons menu, with options for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and desserts. There’s also a wide range of proteins, which allows you to decide what to add as a side dish.

All Green Chef's meals arrive as meal kits. If you're still concerned about specific ingredients in your meals, you can leave those out during your meal prep. Also, most meal kits take between 20 and 35 minutes to prep and cook, so you don’t have to spend much time in the kitchen.

With Green Chef, you can order up to 6 meals per week for 2, 4, or 6 people. You may find the price of $5.99 per serving a bit steep, especially since it goes up for smaller order sizes. The service offers regular discounts, though, and the quality reflects the price.

2. Hungryroot – Best Recipe Customizability and Diet Accommodation

If you want diet-accommodating meal kits with ultimate flexibility, Hungryroot is a great choice. Unlike most meal delivery services, you can swap ingredients in Hungryroot's recipes to include more anti-inflammatory foods. You can even pair multiple diet options, like vegetarian, gluten-free, and soy-free.

Hungryroot’s business model is a bit different than most meal delivery services, like Blue Apron. Hungryroot combines the convenience of a meal delivery service with the flexibility of a grocery store. This way, you have an extensive list of options at your fingertips, and you can curate your weekly meals to suit your taste and dietary preferences.

With this service, you receive groceries based on your selection of recipes. Most meal kits send you pre-portioned and prepped ingredients, but that’s not the case here. Instead, your Hungryroot shipment will look more like a basket of ingredients from a round of grocery shopping.

Your subscription begins with a quiz about your diet, then Hungryroot fills your cart with recommended recipes. You can swap recipes or exchange any ingredients. Read our full review for a step-by-step guide to the whole process of ordering with Hungryroot.

There’s a minimum order size of 4 servings, but you can add as much as you like! Hungryroot offers hundreds of products, including grass-fed beef, wild-caught fish, free-range poultry, and fresh organic produce. Use them to create your own recipes or round out your grocery order.

With Hungryroot, you can order for 2 or 4 people, and prices start at $8.99 per serving. You have complete freedom over the recipes that go into your box, and the minimum order is $65 per delivery, plus shipping costs.

3. BistroMD – Dietitian-Designed Calorie-Conscious Meal Plans

BistroMD is a good choice if you want a calorie-conscious anti-inflammatory diet. All its meals are low-calorie and designed by a Ph.D. dietitian with over 20 years of experience and a team of registered dietitians who customize your weekly meal plans.

BistroMD’s menu is designed to help you achieve your weight loss goals without sacrificing nutrition. Every dish is carefully crafted to pack in 25 to 30 grams of protein, ensuring you stay fueled and satisfied. Plus, the meals keep blood sugar levels in check with low glycemic carbohydrates, and the added fiber helps you feel fuller for longer. 

It's worth noting that BistroMD’s programs limit calories to 1,200 to 1,400 per day. However, this doesn’t mean you’ll get bored or that you’ll be served tasteless food. The extensive menu includes a good variety of meals that are tasty even at around 450 calories per meal. Check out my colleague’s deep dive into BistroMD’s menu offerings.

BistroMD doesn’t focus on ingredient sourcing, and you can’t make any ingredient swaps within meals. You also can’t mix and match between meal plans. Nevertheless, you’ll always receive a dietitian-designed plan according to your chosen meal plan and weight loss goal.

Meals contain ingredients you would find in the recommended anti-inflammatory meals. Each recipe includes complex carbohydrates (brown rice, quinoa), proteins, and healthy fats. Plus, you get snacks and healthy desserts to keep those cravings in check.

BistroMD is designed for individuals, so you can choose between a 7-day program of 3 meals per day or a 5-day program of lunches and dinners. Prices start at $8.24 per serving and vary depending on the plan you choose.

4. Purple Carrot – Best Plant-Based Meals

Purple Carrot is a great choice if you want a plant-based way to reduce inflammation. All its meals are vegan, nutrient-dense, and seasonally fresh. Plus, you also get access to snacks, breakfast options, and even convenient microwave-ready prepared meals.

I like that Purple Carrot is committed to providing high-quality ingredients without relying on imitation meats like some other services do. The menu has many interesting recipes that use vegetables in clever ways. Vegans and omnivores alike will never be bored.

Most recipes are gluten-free for those who find gluten inflammatory. You also get to explore a wide range of cuisines, such as Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Mediterranean, or Mexican. Recipes like Cuban Style Black Beans or Masala Cashew Fried Rice are plant-based takes on classic international dishes.

Purple Carrot offers a high-protein option with 20+ grams of protein per serving. All of its meals are great for anti-inflammatory diets since the ingredients used are minimally processed and nutrient-dense. Plus, most non-produce items like tempeh, tofu, and nut milk are organic.

The menu may feel limited if you’re used to an omnivorous diet, but my omnivorous colleague still loved the variety of flavors.

Purple Carrot has 2 separate pricing systems. For meal kits, the best price per serving is $8.50 for 3 meals for 4 people per week. For ready-made meals, you can order 6, 8, or 10 single-serving meals per order at a flat rate of $13 per serving.

5. Splendid Spoon – Best On-the-Go Meals 

If convenience and nutrient-dense eating are your priorities, Splendid Spoon is for you. Splendid Spoon offers the best on-the-go meals with all-natural ingredients that follow anti-inflammatory recommendations.

You can choose from plant-based smoothies, fresh-squeezed juices, veggie-dense soups, and grain bowls. Ingredients are 100% plant-based with no artificial sweeteners and 100% non-GMO produce. Check out our in-depth Splendid Spoon review for more on its clean, vegan, prepared meals.

Splendid Spoon’s menu features light vegan dishes with an emphasis on convenience. Most meals take 5 minutes or less to prepare, so you can enjoy wholesome food options even if you have a busy schedule. Convenient wellness is this service’s mission.

The company offers several flexible plans, depending on how many meals you want. For those who need to avoid fructose as an inflammatory food, you can filter the menu using filters such as Blood Sugar Friendly, lower sugar, or lower carb. You can even filter to exclude other potential irritants like caffeine, soy, and tree nuts.

Splendid Spoon offers a huge selection of over 65+ food items, including noodles, dishes, bowls, smoothies, juices, and shots. This way, you can start your day with a delicious smoothie for breakfast, have a satisfying grain bowl for lunch, and get a light soup for dinner. 

It also offers juices and shots packed with essential vitamins and nutrients. The menu doesn't change weekly, so you’ll eventually have to repeat the items you get. In my opinion, though, the convenience and flavor of the meals more than make up for this.

Splendid Spoon prices vary depending on the meal plan you’re ordering. You can choose 7, 14, or 21 meals. Prices start from $9.99, and you’ll get free shipping on the larger plans.

6. MealPro – Best for Building Your Own Meals

MealPro is the only service on my list that offers a named Anti-Inflammatory menu. This clinically researched plan offers 10 days of lunch and dinner, so you don’t have to think twice about your daily food prep or choices.

It offers a wide range of Medical plans designed to follow the needs of specific conditions. For instance, there is a Diabetic Meal Plan with meals carefully crafted to avoid any sugar level spikes. The meals on this plan don’t include (or include very small quantities of) simple carbs and sugar.

The Anti-Inflammatory Meal Plan was designed in collaboration with Idaho State University. All the recipes on the plan are low in sodium, rich in veggies, and free of red meat and dairy. Most of these meals exclude ingredients known to cause irritation, such as tomatoes, lime, lemon, garlic, or spicy condiments.

Customizability is an important feature if you’re observing an anti-inflammatory diet. Instead of choosing from the menu, you can build your own recipes with MealPro’s high-quality ingredients. Your custom meal is then fully prepped and vacuum-sealed to maintain optimal freshness.

MealPro’s chefs prep and cook each meal to preserve the nutrient density of ingredients. Many vitamins and minerals are heat-sensitive, so it’s easy to cook out some nutritional benefits. By preserving these nutrients, MealPro ensures your body gets the most out of its meals.

MealPro is a bit expensive, but I think it’s worth it considering the care and consideration that goes into each meal plan. Keep in mind that all the plans are pre-defined, so you can’t choose your meals. If you want to do this, you either have to choose the Custom meal plan or order A la Carte. If you prefer to mix and match between diet plans, Green Chef might be a better option. 

7. The Good Kitchen – Great Gluten-Free, Farm-Fresh Meals

If gluten is the main source of your inflammation, then check out The Good Kitchen. All its meals are 100% USDA-approved gluten-free. Additionally, they’re all 100% USDA-approved peanut- and soy-free. The menu of prepared meals changes seasonally. 

It prioritizes seasonality and the highest animal welfare standards when sourcing ingredients. Fresh produce is locally sourced from small family farms and is 100% non-GMO. For more on The Good Kitchen’s excellent sourcing practices and full meal delivery service, check out my colleague’s in-depth review!

Proteins include grass-fed beef, pasture-raised pork, antibiotic-free poultry, and more. The menu is mostly made up of American and Mediterranean cuisine, but you can also find a few Asian or Mexican dishes to mix things up. 

The Good Kitchen’s recipes aren’t as customizable as other services, like Hungryroot. You can, however, easily filter out certain ingredients (garlic, mushrooms, nightshades, onions, spicy) based on your taste preferences. There are also several dietary and allergy-accommodating options. 

Meals arrive fully prepared in microwave-safe trays. Each recipe’s nutritional info is broken down by macros, such as proteins, calories, and carbs. This comes in handy if you’re on a strict diet and want to know exactly how much you consume. It’s also great if you’re using an app to track your calories or carbs.

The Good Kitchen’s specialized features make it a fairly expensive service. The meals are individually priced between $11.95 and $19.99 per serving. You can place a one-time order or choose a weekly subscription with 6, 8, 10, or 12 items per delivery.

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Meal Delivery for an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

If you're just getting started with this special diet, I've gathered a handful of tips to guide you in picking the best anti-inflammatory meal delivery service that fits what you're looking for.

• Consult an expert: If you think an anti-inflammatory diet could benefit a health condition you have, it's best to first consult a healthcare provider, registered dietitian, or certified nutritionist. This is especially crucial if you aim to lose weight through a program like BistroMD.
  

• Think about your health needs: Different meal services have different menus. Some might fit your dietary needs, others might not. Like, Purple Carrot’s menu is all plant-based. After you talk to a health expert and figure out the best foods for your anti-inflammatory diet, you can pick the meal service that suits you best. 

• Consider recipe flexibility: Few services offer anti-inflammatory-specific meal plans since our bodies all react differently to different foods. Services that offer customizability are excellent for anti-inflammatory diets since you can swap ingredients or build your own meal in order to minimize ingredients you know to give you inflammation. As a grocery delivery service, Hungryroot offers unparalleled flexibility.

• Consider ingredient quality: Generally, anti-inflammatory diets promote eating foods as close to their original form as possible. Choosing a meal service that prioritizes ingredient quality is a great start. All the meal services on this list offer some combination of 100% non-GMO, organic, locally sourced, wild-caught, free-range, hormone- and antibiotic-free proteins, gently cooked, preservative-free, and artificial flavor- and color-free. Green Chef, for example, has a bigger selection of organic items than most services.

• Consider the meal prep process: Eating food as close to its original form as possible usually preserves nutrient density and bioavailability of nutrients. Fresh meal kits are a great option so that you know your ingredients are fresh and you can cook them in the way you think is best for your anti-inflammatory diet.
  Be careful with fully prepared meals by ensuring that the food has been prepped to maintain nutrient density (like sous vide, seared, or slow cooked at low temperatures) and with ingredients that won’t cause you inflammation. Splendid Spoon is my best recommendation if you want premade meals.

Benefits of Eating an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

• An anti-inflammatory diet can help manage chronic illnesses related to inflammation. Many conditions such as heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes are largely driven by chronic inflammation. By incorporating nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods into your meals, you can significantly reduce inflammation and associated discomfort. If you’re considering switching your diet to manage a health condition, you should speak to a medical professional first for personalized advice.
• You can lose weight by consuming an anti-inflammatory diet, which is typically lower in high-calorie processed foods and sugars. These diets are often abundant in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats, all of which are known for their high nutritional value and low-calorie count. The fiber-rich content of these foods also provides a feeling of fullness that discourages overeating.
• Adopting an anti-inflammatory diet can also enhance your cognitive function and mental health. Inflammation in the brain has been linked to a wide range of mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety. Anti-inflammatory foods, rich in omega-3 fatty acids like walnuts and fatty fish can help support the brain and improve its function. 
• A more natural diet like the anti-inflammatory diet contributes to better overall physical and emotional health. The anti-inflammatory diet emphasizes the consumption of whole, unprocessed foods. This shift in eating habits can lead to improved digestion, enhanced energy levels, better sleep, and improved mood. Switching to an anti-inflammatory diet can help to improve your long-term health and well-being.

FAQ

Does an anti-inflammatory diet work?

Please speak to a medical professional, registered dietitian, or registered nutritionist if you have a specific health condition that you think can be addressed by an anti-inflammatory diet.

What is the best anti-inflammatory diet to follow?

The Mediterranean diet, like Green Chef’s, might work for some, while a low-sodium and low-carb diet might work better for others. Reducing foods that you notice cause inflammation is a great way to start transitioning into an anti-inflammatory diet.

Is keto an anti-inflammatory diet?

Keto is a great step into the anti-inflammatory world. That’s because keto meals, like the ones available on Green Chef’s menu, typically consist of healthy complex fats, protein, tons of veggies, and some complex carbs that are found in veggies.

Does HelloFresh have anti-inflammatory meals?

HelloFresh doesn’t specifically categorize meals as "anti-inflammatory," however, you can browse through the menu and pick dishes full of vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. It’s much easier to find anti-inflammatory meals with Green Chef thanks to its Mediterranean and Keto diet plans, which both contain anti-inflammatory meals.

How long should you eat an anti-inflammatory diet?

An anti-inflammatory diet is a long-term approach to healthy eating. Many people adopt it as a permanent lifestyle change. Over time, the diet can help reduce inflammation in your body, improve your overall health, and prevent chronic illnesses. All of the services on my list have menus that change enough, so you’ll never get bored. However, it's always best to consult a healthcare professional before starting a new diet and asking for personalized advice.

Best Meal Delivery for an Anti-Inflammatory Diet in 2023 — Final Score