9 Best Meal Delivery Services in Ann Arbor 2023 (Updated)

Michigan’s fifth-largest city is one of its biggest cultural centers, with a diverse and discriminating population. Satisfying hungry students, working families, and starving artists is tough, but our list of the best meal delivery services for Ann Arbor has something for all of them.

I rate meal delivery services for a living. I study ingredients, compare shipping fees, pore through FAQs, communicate with customer service, and sample selections sweet and savory.  It’s a tasty job, but somebody has to do it.

Read on, Ann Arbor! I’m here to save you money and time and help you eat better.

Our Best Meal Delivery Services Reviewed

1. Home Chef – Ann Arbor’s Best Meal Delivery Service in 2023

Key Features

• Swap, upgrade, or double up on proteins with Home Chef’s Customize It feature

• The weekly menu offers a wide variety of choices

• Home Chef’s oven-ready meals are available at your local Kroger supermarket

• Special discount – Get 18 Free Meals (50% off your first 4 boxes)!

Home Chef always scores high in our rankings thanks to its wide range of meal offerings. And where some meal delivery services limit your choices by your chosen plan, Home Chef lets you choose any item from the menu, and offers both meal kits and fully prepared meals you simply slide into the oven.

You get even more control over your meals with Home Chef’s Customize It feature. With a few clicks, you can turn the Tuscan-Style Pork Chop into Tuscan-Style Salmon, or make your Alfredo Burger in a plant-based meal with an Impossible Burger. Learn more about Home Chef in our detailed review.

While Home Chef offers some vegetarian options, there’s very little for vegans. Ann Arborites on specialized diets will do better with some of our other listed services. But for most Ann Arbor residents, the wide range of choices means you’ll find lots to love about Home Chef.

2. Blue Apron – Ann Arbor’s Best Gourmet Meal Delivery Service

Key Features

• Blue Apron Market offers kitchen utensils, spice blends, and more

• WW-Approved recipes for dieters on the Weight Watchers plan

• Sustainably sourced seafood and high-quality produce

• Special discount – Enjoy $180 off across your first 6 orders

While it has a few prepared meals, most Blue Apron meal kits will require 20-50 minutes of cooking and preparation. If you’re a new cook, Blue Apron’s easy written and video instructions are a great way to learn. Find out more in our full-length Blue Apron review.

Blue Apron’s Wellness menu features lean proteins, fresh vegetables, and healthy plant fats. If you’re on the WW plan, you can track SmartPoints and enjoy meals like Greek Chicken and Carrots with Sautéed Kale, Raisins, and Feta Cheese.

While Blue Apron’s menu is a bit more sophisticated than our top choice, its price per serving is comparable to Home Chef at $5.74 per serving. If you’re looking for a slightly more adventurous meal delivery service and don’t mind chopping some vegetables, Blue Apron is for you!

3. Purple Carrot – Ann Arbor’s Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service

Key Features

• Nutritious, delicious, 100% vegan meal kits

• Plant-based breakfast and lunch options available

• Enjoy vegan fully prepared meals in minutes

• Special discount – Get $30 off with code carrot30

While Ann Arbor has more vegan restaurants than most Michigan towns, avoiding animal products can still be challenging. You never have to worry about stealth dairy or meat with Purple Carrot, because every item on Purple Carrot’s Menu is 100% plant-based.

Not vegan? Not a problem! Purple Carrot is a great way for omnivores to add more tasty plants to their diet. Its menu will introduce you to a whole delicious new world beyond mushy canned vegetables. Learn more in our detailed Purple Carrot review.

As well as dinner options, Purple Carrot’s menu boasts quick vegan breakfast and lunch options, as well as a prepared heat-and-eat menu. There’s also the Plantry for vegan snack items such as Lemon Hummus.

Since most Purple Carrot meals are under 650 calories per serving, Purple Carrot is also great for dieters.

4. HelloFresh – Ann Arbor’s Most Reliable Meal Delivery Service

Key Features

• Meal plans include Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Family-Friendly, and Quick and Easy

• All HelloFresh meal kits feature fresh farm-to-table produce

• Reliable service with great customer support

HelloFresh wins points for its clear, easy-to-use app and top-notch customer service. Signing up, ordering, skipping a delivery, canceling – HelloFresh makes meal delivery easy. Our HelloFresh reviewer described HelloFresh’s customer service as “arguably the best I’ve ever had.”

While not all ingredients are organic, HelloFresh uses local suppliers whenever possible and builds its meal kits around seasonal, farm-fresh produce. HelloFresh also donates most of its edible unsold ingredients to local organizations fighting food insecurity.

HelloFresh doesn’t have as many customization features as Home Chef, but with 25+ recipes each week you still get choices ranging from Homestyle Chicken and Biscuit Pot Pie to Szechuan Pork Ramen Stir-Fry, along with easy Lightning Prep and One-Pan options. If you’re new to meal delivery services, HelloFresh is a great introduction.

5. Sunbasket – Ann Arbor’s Best Meal Delivery Service for Specialized Diets

Key Features

• Premium produce and 99% certified organic ingredients

• Offers Diabetes-Friendly and Gluten-Free options

• Sauces, smoothies, egg bites, snacks, and side dishes available

Specialized dieters can have trouble finding the right meal delivery service. Sunbasket caters to a wide range of specialized diets. Fitness buffs eating Lean & Clean, Paleo bros seeking Stone Age suppers, and Mediterranean dieters will all find delicious Sunbasket meal plans.

Sunbasket offers both meal kits and prepared meals made with fresh, organic produce and hormone and antibiotic-free proteins. Sunbasket meals aren’t just diet-compliant, they’re also delicious, with entrees like Chicken with Gremolata and Orange-Glazed Beet and Radicchio Salad.

Our Sunbasket reviewer praised Sunbasket’s menu, saying it was “by far one of the best I’ve seen.” Sunbasket makes sticking to a restrictive diet plan easier than ever. Even if you’re not dieting, Sunbasket offers an adventurous selection of healthy meals that expand your culinary horizons, not your waistline.

6. Marley Spoon – Martha Stewart Meals Made for Ann Arborites

Key Features

• Martha-Stewart approved recipes every week

• 100% carbon-neutral meal delivery service

• Families of four can order up to six meals per week

Like Martha Stewart, Marley Spoon has high expectations. The recipes are easy to follow, but involve more complex techniques like browning and sauce reduction. Marley Spoon assumes you have ingredients like balsamic and apple cider vinegar in your cabinet so isn’t really designed for novice cooks.

Marley Spoon offers family-friendly fare like Spinach and Artichoke Enchiladas alongside more sophisticated offerings like Cod St. Jacques Gratin. Our Marley Spoon reviewer raved about the Roasted Veggie Pinwheels with Creamy Fontina Cheese Dipping Sauce.

Marley Spoon also offers prepared meals as well as breakfast and lunch items and protein packs. Order a bag of meats and seafood from Martha and you can have the classiest tailgate grill-out at the next Wolverines game. And while Marley Spoon meals have a touch of class, they come in at a starting price of $2.99 per serving.

7. Green Chef – Certified Organic Kits for Health-Conscious Ann Arbor Eaters

Key Features

• Sustainable, organic, and non-GMO ingredients

• Meal plans for up to six people can feed your whole collective

• Meal kits come with pre-chopped vegetables and premade sauces

While they have a smaller menu selection – 10 to 12 weekly choices instead of the dozens offered by many meal delivery services – Green Chef delivers tasty 100% certified organic meal kits with pre-chopped vegetables and premade sauces.

Green Chef offers three different menus. The Keto+Paleo plan is great for low-carb dieters, the Plant-Powered menu aims at vegetarians and vegans, and their Balanced Living menu targets omnivores.

Our Green Chef reviewer spoke very highly about Green Chef’s quality kits. While Green Chef is one of the more expensive services on our list, it can be a great investment in healthier eating.

8. EveryPlate – Ann Arbor’s Cheapest Meal Delivery Service

Key Features

• Kid-friendly, satisfying cuisine your whole household will love

• Price fixed at $1.49 per serving no matter how large your order

• Recipe cards break preparation and cooking down into six easy steps

At $1.49 per serving, EveryPlate is the cheapest meal delivery service on our list. When you’re struggling to feed a family or buy textbooks, cheap is good, but not at the cost of taste and quality. So what does EveryPlate give you for your money?

Our detailed EveryPlate review will tell you more about how EveryPlate makes it easy to eat better for less.

EveryPlate’s menu runs towards filling, family-friendly comfort fare like Creamy Chicken Sausage Penne and Smothered and Stuffed Meat Loaves. But while it offers a few vegetarian options, EveryPlate isn’t the best choice for vegans or those with specialized dietary needs.

9. Grubhub – Best Food Delivery Service in Ann Arbor

Key Features

• Wide selection of Grubhub restaurant partners to choose from

• Grubhub+ subscription gives you free delivery

• Grubhub orders support Ann Arbor restaurants

Once upon a time ordering takeout meant thumbing through the flyers stashed in your kitchen to find the restaurant you were looking for. Today, you just go to Grubhub’s app or website, search for the food you’re craving, then track your order on its journey to your doorstep.

Progress is great, but delivery fees can add up pretty quickly. With a Grubhub+ subscription, you get free delivery on orders over $12. If you’re not sure, Grubhub offers a 14-day free Grubhub+ trial that lets you try it out before you commit to a $9.99 monthly subscription.

Ann Arbor has many neighborhood restaurants struggling in the wake of the pandemic. Your Grubhub orders help keep them afloat. Helping your community never tasted better!

Best Meal Delivery Services for Ann Arbor: Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Meal Delivery Services in Ann Arbor

Curious about meal delivery services but not sure which one’s right for you? Here are some pointers from a meal delivery service analyst.

1. Consider your dietary needs – I generally recommend going with a meal delivery service that caters to your specialized needs. If you’re on a keto diet, for example, go with a service that offers dedicated keto recipes and, ideally, a dedicated keto menu.

2. Think about how many people you’re feeding – If you’re feeding a household, look for services that offer family-friendly meals. If you’re a working single, you may want to consider single-serving prepared meals for the taste and convenience.

3. Price is important, but it’s not the only thing – If you’re on a tight budget (and who isn’t nowadays?) you want to spend as little as you can. But you also want to get your money’s worth. An extra $0.50 a serving adds up to an extra $12 a month on a 6-serving subscription. If $3 is the difference between a week of meals you love and meals you tolerate, it may be money well spent.

4. Don’t be afraid to try a few meal delivery services – Ultimately the “best” meal delivery service comes down to personal preference. With our discount coupons, sampling new services is easier and cheaper than you expect. It may take you a few tries before you find the service that’s right for you.

Bottom Line: Are Meal Delivery Services in Ann Arbor Worth It?

For struggling students and working parents, time is money. Meal delivery services can save you hours of shopping and meal planning and make your life a little less stressful.

Meal delivery services come in at different price points. Whatever your budget or cooking skill, there’s a meal delivery service out there for you. Whether you’re trying to lose weight or just eat healthier, you’ll find a service on our list that suits your needs.

Still waiting for an answer, Ann Arbor? Here’s a spoiler: meal delivery services are worth it.

FAQ

What is the most affordable meal delivery service in Ann Arbor?

At $1.49 per serving, EveryPlate is the most affordable meal delivery service on my list. You can save even more with our special discount which saves you.

What is the best healthy meal delivery service in Ann Arbor?

Sunbasket tops my list of the best healthy meal delivery services for its fresh and tasty meal kits and prepared meals. With Mediterranean, paleo, keto, vegetarian and diabetes-friendly plans, Sunbasket can accommodate a wide variety of specialized diets.

What is the best diet meal delivery service in Ann Arbor?

Blue Apron has WW-approved meals that lets Ann Arbor dieters track SmartPoints and cut calories with low-fat ingredient substitutions.

What is the best paleo meal delivery service in Ann Arbor?

Green Chef sits atop my list of best paleo meal delivery services thanks to its certified organic gluten- and grain-free meal kits. Green Chef sends Ann Arbor kits with sauces prepared and vegetables chopped. Hunter-gatherers never had it so good!

Best Meal Delivery Services in Ann Arbor in 2023 – Final Score: