8 Best Meal Delivery Services for New Parents 2023
As a new parent, you’ve suddenly been saddled with a huge amount of additional responsibility. The last thing you want to do is pore through recipe books, search for various ingredients in the grocery store, and labor away prepping dinner in the kitchen. No, you’d much prefer to spend quality time with your family, and to catch up on sleep as much as possible!
In this article, we’ll introduce you to the best meal delivery services for new parents. These meals for new parents delivered to your door come from top-notch companies that truly ensure customer satisfaction.
They make life easier on new parents by delivering pre-made and even ready-to-eat meals to your home. Check out all the details regarding our top picks below!
Are you really hungry? Here’s our quick list of the best 8 meal delivery services of 2023 for new parents!
Blue Apron - Best Overall Food Delivery for New Parents
Fresh and Easy - Quickest Meal Kits with Nutritious Recipes
HelloFresh - Super Customizable Family-Friendly Meals
What We Look For in the Best Meal Delivery Services For New Parents
Our goal was to determine which meal delivery services were best suited for sending meals to new parents, so we carefully evaluated dozens of different companies, keeping these essential features in mind:
Ease of ordering and quality of customer service: We know new parents don’t have the time or desire to deal with complicated websites and contract options, and nobody wants to wait on hold for hours with a question.
Variety: The easy meals many new parents turn to tend to be boring and bland. We looked for brands that feature a wide range of available delivery meals for new parents.
Special modifications: We searched for companies that provide lots of options and send meals to new parents who have allergies and intolerances, so you can ensure everyone in your family gets the modifications they need.
Healthiness: As a new parent, your health as well as your baby’s is a top priority. We selected meal delivery services that provide great health benefits and all the nutrients your family needs to thrive.
Blue Apron - Best Overall Food Delivery for New Parents
What I Liked:
Awesome ingredients, like an exclusive spice blend and sustainable seafood
Perfectly measured-out ingredients that provide for good portion control
Plenty of options for different dietary needs
New parents will love the quick 20-30 minute prep
What I Didn’t Like:
Only 10 meals per week to choose from for the four-people plan
Have to cancel by email rather than on the website
Blue Apron is a well-known food delivery service for new moms and dads that promises to cut back on time spent shopping and preparing meals. It provides options such as meat, fish, Beyond Meat®, Vegetarian, and WW-friendly (Weight Watchers) meals.
The recipes are creative and internationally inspired, although you will get to enjoy the occasional burger. But you won’t get stuck cooking the same thing over and over again, that’s for sure.
One of the best things about Blue Apron is that you can add wine to your meals, and Blue Apron will even select a specific type of wine to complement your chosen meal.
Plus, two of the meals in the menu are actually pre-made, so you can have a couple of nights per week to lean back and relax with a glass of wine in hand! Just what a new parent needs.
But something to keep in mind is that the recipe cards can be a bit confusing, especially for cooks that aren’t very experienced in the kitchen.
Fresh and Easy - Quickest Meal Kits with Nutritious Recipes
What I Liked:
Super time-saving with its low to no prep meals
Healthy recipes like salads, grill- and oven-made dishes
Thoughtful holiday bundles that feed the whole family
Special diet-friendly food, such as low-carb and low-calorie
What I Didn’t Like:
The menu seems more adult-oriented
Not so many vegetarian options
Fresh and Easy encapsulates the best of Home Chef’s philosophy that anyone can cook good food in the comfort of their own home, while adding the benefits of a super quick and easy preparation.
Some of the dishes save even more time with zero prep necessary - so any new parent can pop the meal into the oven and take a well deserved break until it’s ready.
While you need to pay a significant delivery fee for every order, the meals themselves are super affordable and the price per serving doesn’t change if you order more servings. This is especially helpful for families.
The recipes are customizable, so you can tweak the protein type and quantity to fit your exact needs. There are also add-ons available, such as desserts and breakfast options, plus some a la carte proteins like Italian sausages or plant-based meat alternatives.
All in all, I think Fresh and Easy offers a lot of value for the price, and it’s worth trying for every new family that needs a bit of extra help in the kitchen.
HelloFresh - Super Customizable Family-Friendly Meals
What I Liked:
Customizable menus for new parents in search of variety
Quick and easy recipes that can easily fit into a tight schedule
Flexible delivery times to cater to new parents’ hectic lives
Option of “Family Friendly Preference” to include little ones
What I Didn’t Like:
Amount of packaging needed for delivery isn’t environmentally friendly
Recipes don’t include many seasoning recommendations
HelloFresh is a meal delivery service for new parents that carries the title of “#1 Meal Kit Delivery Service.”
In each box, you’ll receive simple and fun recipes along with nutritional information, fresh high-quality ingredients for your meals, and meal kits that are packaged perfectly for refrigerator storage.
When it comes to food delivery for new moms and dads, HelloFresh is one of the best on the list. There are six available preferences to choose from: Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family Friendly, Calorie Smart, Quick and Easy, and Pescatarian. This variety of options allows you to pick the type of meals that your family will love most!
Also convenient is the fact that HelloFresh never locks you into a contract. Plus, it’s simple and quick to skip a week of delivery if needed. This element of flexibility is perfect for new parents.
Green Chef - Best Sustainable Meal Kit
What I Liked:
USDA certification that new parents can trust
High vegetable content for optimal nutritional benefits for the family
Options for your family members’ specific diets (Keto, paleo, etc.)
No hassle, fast and easy meal prep for new parents
What I Didn’t Like:
Shipping not included in meal plan price
Difficult to add recipes from other plans to your order
Green Chef differs from other food delivery for new parents because it has an emphasis on sustainability. Green Chef’s packaging is all created with the smallest possible carbon footprint in mind, and it contains USDA-certified high-quality organic ingredients.
If a healthy lifestyle is important to you, Green Chef is a wonderful choice.
This meal service for new parents provides three plan options: Balanced Living, Plant-Powered vegetarian and vegan, and Keto + Paleo. The Keto + Paleo plan has a different price tag than the other two, so if you want to mix & match, this may be a problem.
Vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats abound in Green Chef packages. Colorful recipe cards include step-by-step instructions and photos to make cooking a breeze, and they feature minimal prep time!
The majority of recipes take less than 30 minutes, perfect for new parents who don’t have a lot of time on their hands.
EveryPlate - Best Affordable Meal Delivery for New Parents
What I Liked:
Major affordability, which is huge for many new parents
A combination of traditional and fun flavors for picky eaters
Variety for the family with brand-new recipes each week
Easy-to-follow recipes with step-by-step instructions
What I Didn’t Like:
No modifications for dietary restrictions available other than vegetarian
Limited delivery time options makes for less flexibility
EveryPlate’s main advantage is its amazing price - it’s cheaper than every other meal service on the market. Each week, the company presents a set of 17 recipes for customers to choose from.
EveryPlate can send a meal to a new mom and dad, providing recipe options which include traditional meals, pasta dishes, hearty sandwiches, spicy recipes, international dishes, vegetarian options, and premium choice - so there’s a great amount of variety!
The four plans you can choose from are ClassicPlate, EasyPlate, the vegetarian VeggiePlate and the aptly-called FamilyPlate. In case you were still wondering if this company is suitable for you and your loved ones, the dinners are kid-approved as well.
So EveryPlate is a great meal delivery system for moms and dads that want to stick to a budget while still providing delicious home-cooked meals for the family. You get to try new recipes each week, along with applicable side dishes for a well-rounded meal. Plus the recipe cards make the cooking process simple and quick, so it’s one less thing to worry about.
Sunbasket - Best Add-Ons to Delivery Meals for New Parents
What I Liked:
Tons of helpful add-ons, such as breakfast items
Lots of specialized options for different types of diets
Generous portions that provide leftovers for the family
Healthy Mediterranean-style recipes
What I Didn’t Like:
Shipping is not included in the meal kit price
Overall price is slightly more expensive than competitors
Sunbasket truly prides itself on its organic ingredients, which are hand-picked from specially selected farmers.
It offers some amazing specialized options, including Paleo, Carb-Conscious, Vegetarian, Mediterranean, Chef’s Choice, Lean and Clean, Diabetes-Friendly, Fresh & Ready, Gluten-Free-Friendly, and Pescatarian.
There is definitely something for every type of diet at Sunbasket, so your entire family can rest assured that there are options regardless of any dietary restrictions.
Another great plus for Sunbasket is its add-ons. Some options include coffee (what new parent doesn’t need some caffeine?), flatbread and pita bread to pair with your meals, quick pasta and salad kits, and extra meat and seafood to pile onto your dishes.
You even have the ability to add yogurt, oatmeal, protein bars, and other breakfast essentials to your meal kits, so you can skip a trip to the grocery store!
Purple Carrot - Best Plant-Based Meals for New Moms Delivered
What I Liked:
Great health benefits for the whole family
A wonderful variety of fresh vegetables in every recipe
Simple and easy prep work for zero stress, including ready-made meals
Free shipping included with each meal plan
What I Didn’t Like:
More of an investment than other meal delivery services
Customers do not get to choose day of delivery
First off, every meal from Purple Carrot is 100% vegan.
This plant-based meal delivery service for new parents is great for those who want to focus on their health, but don’t have quite as much time as they used to now that they’ve welcomed their little bundle of joy.
Skipping a delivery or pausing your subscription is quick and hassle-free, so you won’t be stuck on the phone with a customer service representative trying to figure out how to adjust your meal plan.
However, Purple Carrot is a bit more limited than most other meal delivery services in the number of recipes it offers. In total, you can choose from eight four-serving meal kits each week. A recipe booklet is provided rather than the typical recipe cards.
But the good news is that there’s also a prepared meals menu with single-serve dishes that you can choose from as well, with another 15 yummy weekly recipes.
Yumble - Best Food Delivery Service for Kids’ Meals
What I Liked:
Nutritionist-approved lunches, dinners and snacks for kids
Fun activities and stickers included in each meal kit
Ready-to-eat meals that only need to be microwaved
Flexible subscriptions that are easy to pause, skip, or cancel
What I Didn’t Like:
No special options for dietary restrictions
High amounts of sodium in some meal options
Yumble is unique in that it caters specifically to kids and claims that it can get even the pickiest children to enjoy their meals! Sounds like a dream come true for many parents - and for many kids as well.
Yumble offers an impressive 45 different meal options each week, including snacks, so your family definitely won’t grow bored with the selection that is offered.
Perhaps the best thing about Yumble is that there’s virtually zero prep time. While most other meal delivery services for new parents still require 20 to 30 minutes of time in the kitchen for meal preparation,
Yumble meals are pre-cooked, already prepared meals for new parents. They’re ready to eat straight out of the box. Just microwave them for a minute and a half, and you’re good to go!
The Bottom Line: Our Top Picks for Meal Delivery Services for New Parents
Now that you’ve had a chance to read about all of the top meal delivery services for new parents, it’s time to choose the brand that’s right for you and your family! If you’re still having trouble deciding, here are a few pointers:
Do you hate wasting ingredients?Blue Apron is sure to please you with its perfectly measured portion sizes along with simple and easy recipes.
Do you want dinner that’s oven- or grill-ready and meal kits that you can cook in just 15 minutes? Fresh and Easy gives you all that, along with quality ingredients.
For a great overall experience with variety and flexibility, HelloFresh is a wonderful option.
If you’re in search of a sustainable and environmentally-friendly meal delivery service, Green Chef is a great choice.
Looking for a truly affordable meal delivery service that will allow you to cook delicious homemade meals? EveryPlate is the perfect selection.
Interested in cutting back on your trips to the grocery store even more? You’ll love Sunbasket, with its long list of add-on options!
Are you focused on providing a delicious and healthy plant-based diet for your family? Purple Carrot has everything you’re looking for.
If you’re struggling to get picky kids to eat their veggies, try out Yumble, with its huge selection of yummy meals that all children are sure to enjoy.
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FAQ
Which meal delivery service is the best for new parents?
The best meal delivery service for new moms and dads is Blue Apron. Blue Apron has great healthy menus and quick and easy recipes that the whole family will enjoy! In addition, the different preferences available to customers are sure to cater to each family member’s dietary needs.
Which meal delivery service is the cheapest?
The cheapest meal delivery service that can send a meal to new parents is EveryPlate. This brand introduces eight new and unique recipes each week, combining traditional flavors with adventurous ingredients. EveryPlate also comes with delicious side dishes along with the main meal options.
Which meal delivery services offer free delivery?
Purple Carrot, Yumble, and Blue Apron all offer free shipping with their meal kits.
HelloFresh, Green Chef, EveryPlate, Sunbasket, and Fresh and Easy require shipping to be paid separately.
While EveryPlate is the cheapest option when you look at meal price alone, it does require you to pay for shipping.
Are there meal delivery services without subscription plans?
While all of the meal delivery services include subscription plans, most allow you to pause or cancel at any time. These includeFresh and Easy, HelloFresh, Green Chef, EveryPlate, Sunbasket, Purple Carrot, and Yumble.
The only meal delivery service that requires you to email the company to cancel a subscription is Blue Apron.
