9 Best Meal Delivery Services in Carlsbad 2023

Carlsbad is packed with incredible outdoor activities including some of the best beaches in Southern California and beautiful flower farms, so no one wants to spend any extra time making meal plans and shopping for groceries.

I’ve pulled together the best meal delivery services in Carlsbad to save you time not only planning and shopping but also doing the research. I’ve done research on many services available in the area and I’ve narrowed it down to the top ten.

Home Chef tops the list thanks to the customization recipes making each meal fit into even more diets, but we’ve got a plan on the list for everyone. Whether you’re looking to try out vegan eating or you’re craving local fish tacos, we’ve got options to help make dinnertime easier so you can stay out and watch that sunset at the beach now that your meals are taken care of.

The Best Meal Delivery Services in Carlsbad Reviewed

1. Home Chef – Best Customizable Meals in Carlsbad

Key Features

• Swap the proteins to give your family more options

• 30+ unique recipes per week

• 3 dietary options including Carb-Conscious, Calorie-Conscious, Vegetarian

• Current deal: Get 18 Free Meals (50% off your first 4 boxes)!

Home Chef is unique because of all the customizable options for the meals offered. Use the Customize-It tool to swap or double up your protein options. Some meals can even be made vegetarian or vegan as well with plant-based options. 

Check out this in-depth Home Chef review for more details about the customization and meal options available.

In addition to the protein swaps, you can choose different serving amounts by meal. Choose Culinary Collection meals, like Smoked Almond-Crusted Mahi-Mahi, or 15-minute meal kits, like Cheddar-Crusted Chicken, depending on your schedule and how much you want to work in the kitchen.

The number of meal options and different ways you can customize them sets this meal delivery service apart from competitors. You can also add extras including salads, soups, pizza, breakfast, and desserts.

2. Blue Apron – Great Adventurous Meals in Carlsbad

Key Features

• Option to add on a wine subscription

• 19+ unique recipes per week plus weekly add-ons

• 3 dietary options including Wellness, Vegetarian, and Signature

• Current deal: Enjoy $180 off across your first 6 orders

Blue Apron uses many different global cuisines to inspire the meals each week. You’ll have seasonal options, like the Seared Chicken and Vegetable Barley pictured above, along with fun flavors like a Mango Chutney Beyond Burger or Miso-Ginger Chicken. Read more about the options in our Blue Apron review.

Choose between one of the three different meal plans. The Signature plan offers the widest selection including meals from the other plans, so it’s the best choice if you have no restrictions. There’s a Vegetarian plan with all plant-based meals and the Wellness plan. The Wellness menu was created in partnership with Weight Watchers to offer healthy, calorie-conscious meals.

Check out the weekly add-ons with some unique side dishes, desserts, and protein options. Use the marketplace to grab any kitchen essentials you need to cook your items or add on the wine subscriptions to try something new that pairs with your meals. Blue Apron even offers a few Heat & Eat options each week for the nights that you don’t have time to cook.

3. Green Chef – Carlsbad’s Best Healthy and Organic Meal Service

Key Features

• Receive ingredients prepped and ready to your door

• 24 unique recipes per week

• 6 dietary options including Keto+Paleo, Vegan, and Mediterranean

• Current deal: Get $250 off + free shipping

Green Chef is a healthy meal delivery service that utilizes certified organic ingredients that are pre-prepped and ready to put together for each of the recipes. You can count on sustainably and ethically sourced produce and ingredients for your meals.

The service covers multiple diets, so you can choose the plan that suits you best. You’ll always have access to the entire menu each week. Dietary options available are Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Keto+Paleo, Mediterranean, and Fast & Fit. Check out the Green Chef review for more information about the recipes available.

Green Chef is also a great option for families. Choose from two, four, or six servings per meal to meet the needs of your household.

4. HelloFresh – Best Family-Friendly Meal Delivery Service for Californians

Key Features

• Easy prep and easy cleanup recipes available

• More than 30 unique recipes per week

• 4 dietary options including low carb, veggie, pescatarian, and low-calorie

HelloFresh offers a giant selection of unique recipes each week. Easy-to-locate tags help differentiate meals that are easy clean-up and easy prep for the nights where you need quick options. Check out the full HelloFresh review for more information.

There are new recipes alongside customer favorites each week, so you can try new things and enjoy highly rated recipes from previous menus. The family-friendly plan offers meals that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy. California families love the selection.

Order up to six recipes each week for either two or four people. There are options to swap protein and sides for some meals as well to better fit your family.

5. Purple Carrot – Best Plant-Based Meal Service in Carlsbad

Key Features

• Choose between meal kits and prepared meals

• 20 unique recipes per week

• 6 dietary options including gluten-free, high protein,<600 calories, nut-free, soy-free

Purple Carrot is a popular meal delivery service for Carlsbad families and households looking to try more plant-based meals each week. Learn more about the types of meals offered in our Purple Carrot review.

Select a variety of breakfast, lunch, and dinners along with items for your pantry, like veggie burgers, crackers, or chocolate. Purple Carrot offers both meal kits and prepared meals. For special occasions or those nights when you want a fun dining experience, you can order the celebrations box which delivers a three-course meal for two.

6. Marley Spoon – Meal Service Inspired by Martha Stewart

Key Features

• Great selection of fast and easy prep meals

• 45+ unique recipes per week

• 5 meal categories including Health & Diet, Family-Friendly, and Vegetarian & Vegan

Martha Stewart is well known for her skills in the kitchen and Marley Spoon has worked with her to create a meal delivery service that makes this accessible for more people. Our full Marley Spoon review breaks down more of the choices and perks.

With five different meal categories, you can easily sort through the options to find the best options for your household. The Family-Friendly and Under 30 meals are perfect for the busy Carlsbad families. The other options are Health & Diet, Meat & Fish, and Vegetarian & Vegan. 

You also have the option to add a dessert or some side dishes featuring seasonal produce and recipes that are great for entertaining or fun special dinners each night.

7. Fresh & Easy – Quick and Simple Healthy Meals

Key Features

• Portioned, chopped, ready-to-cook meals

• 26 unique recipes per week

• 3 dietary options including Vegetarian, Calorie-Conscious, and Carb-Conscious

Fresh and Easy is a sub-brand of Home Chef and focuses on low-prep meals. You’ll get the same high-quality ingredients, but the items are chopped and portioned making the prep work much easier than standard 30-60 minute meals. Read more in our Fresh and Easy review.

Choose between 15-minute meal kits, salads, and oven-ready for a little bit of cooking. Many of these options include protein swaps if you want to switch to something you like more. You can also choose the Fast & Fresh meals which just need to be put into the microwave or oven with zero other work required.

8. EveryPlate – The Most Affordable Meal Delivery Service

Key Features

• Easy cleanup and fast prep (<30 min) options available

• 18 unique recipes per week

• 4 plan options including Veggie, Meat & Veggie, Family Friendly, and Quick & Easy

EveryPlate is popular as the most affordable meal delivery service in Carlsbad, so it’s a favorite for families on a budget. The Family-Friendly options include customer favorites that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy. Check out our full EveryPlate review for even more information.

Choose one of the four plans and pick your recipes. You’ll receive everything you need to put the meals together and none of the extras. EveryPlate keeps the process as simple and streamlined as possible to keep the price low. If you want something a little fancier, choose one of the premium recipes each week for premium ingredients.

9. Grubhub – Best Food Delivery Service in Carlsbad

Key Features

• Support local restaurants without leaving the house

• Easy to use app and website for searching

Grubhub is a great option if you want to have meals ready to eat and you don’t want to lift a finger. You’ll have access to the menus of hundreds of local Carlsbad restaurants. Filter for the cuisines or meals you’re looking for and place your order. Grubhub will assign a delivery driver to pick up your food and deliver it to your door.

This is a great service to help support your local restaurants and get an easy dinner. Filter by dietary restrictions or highest customer ratings. Try new places or order from your favorites. There’s a pick-up option as well if you’re out and about and want to collect your own food.

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Meal Delivery Services in Carlsbad

When you’re searching for a meal delivery service to try in Carlsbad, consider these few tips to make sure you’re choosing the best option for your household.

• Number of Servings: Make sure that you find an option that feeds your entire household.

• Dietary Restrictions: If you, or anyone in your family, has dietary restrictions, check to see which services offer meals that fit within your diet the best.

• Exciting Options: Check out the menus and see which service has recipes that are exciting for you. Every person has different tastes, so find which service has options that you actually want to eat.

• Delivery Days: Services deliver throughout the week. Check the dates that services deliver to your zip code and make sure that works with your schedule.

Bottom Line: Carlsbad Has Incredible Meal Delivery Service Options

Regardless of which service you try, you’ll be treated to some time back in your schedule and healthy meal options available for your family. You can spend a little more time playing at the beach because you don’t have to worry about grocery shopping.

Give Home Chef a try to learn some new tricks in the kitchen or try one of the options that offer prepared meals to save even more time and energy. There’s an option for every household, from vegans to gluten-free to keto to picky eaters.

FAQ

What is the cheapest meal delivery service in Carlsbad?

For the lowest price overall, check out EveryPlate. It offers four different plans to help fit as many households as possible while keeping costs low and affordable.

What is the healthiest meal delivery service in Carlsbad?

If you’re looking for a healthy meal delivery service, check out Home Chef or Green Chef. Both companies offer high-quality ingredients and fresh produce to make a good variety of meals each week to choose from.

Are there any vegan meal delivery services in Carlsbad?

For the best vegan meal delivery service, check out Purple Carrot. Each meal is plant-based and healthy without sacrificing taste. You can also order vegan meals from other services if you want to mix and match.

Best Meal Delivery Services in Carlsbad in 2023 – Final Score: