9 Best Meal Delivery Services in Chicago 2021 Cheap + Healthy

Let’s face it, meal delivery services offer an undeniable level of convenience right to your door, whether you’re doing your best to stick to specific meal plans or simply save time in your day.

If you’re new to Chicago and are looking to simplify your life, we’re here to lend a helping hand. We tried out the services that deliver to your city, and have narrowed it down to nine top picks in our list of Chicago’s best meal delivery services.

Short on Time? Here Are the Best Meal Delivery Services in Chicago of 2021 

• HelloFresh – Best simple, no-fuss meal plan option.

• Freshology – Best for delicious, portion-controlled meal plans.

• Home Chef – Best customizable plan for any dietary restrictions.

• Comparison table
  

• FAQ

Our Best Meal Delivery Services Reviewed

1. HelloFresh – Best Overall Home Delivery Service in Chicago 

HelloFresh Best Features

• Family-friendly – options even kids will enjoy

• Inexpensive – meal plans as low as $7.49 per meal

• High-quality ingredients – farm-fresh produce, sourced direct

• Variety – tons of tasty options for all culinary skill levels

HelloFresh in a Nutshell 

With up to 20 recipes to choose from each week, HelloFresh offers popular meal plans for a range of tastes and even allows you to filter by prep and cook time. With dedicated menus like Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family Friendly, and Calorie Smart, you’re sure to find something to make the whole family happy.

HelloFresh prides itself on offering high-quality, fresh ingredients while prioritizing sustainably sourced proteins. It also incorporates seasonal ingredients, ensuring variety in your diet.

Learn more about meal plans on offer in our HelloFresh review.

HelloFresh currently delivers throughout the contiguous United States, with most areas receiving deliveries Wednesday to Friday. Some exceptions apply, with specific regions receiving deliveries Saturday to Tuesday.

2. Freshology – Best for Delicious, Portion-Controlled Meal Plans

Freshology Best Features

• Customizable menu plans – food allergies and sensitivity options

• Monitored macronutrients – nutritional information readily available online

• Flexible caloric value – pick between 1,200 and 1,600 calories per day

• Diet options – low-carb, low-fat, or low-fat vegetarian

Freshology in a Nutshell 

Chef-prepared, ready-to-eat meals can be delivered or picked up. These portion-controlled meals are flash-frozen to maintain maximum nutrient value while helping you reach your diet goals.

You can customize your meal plan by selecting your daily caloric intake and each menu is based on your dietary needs and ideal wellness goals. You’ll have a huge menu to choose from, with 500 recipes per meal plan and the ability to make swaps.

Find more information in our expert Freshology review.

Freshology is delivered by FedEx on Tuesdays and Fridays.

3. Home Chef – Best Customizable Plan for Any Palate

Home Chef Best Features

• Flexible plans – options to feed up to six people per meal

• Lots of customization – you can even swap out proteins

• Easy-to-follow recipes – some ready in as little as 15 minutes

• Wide variety – meals plus salad kits, grill-ready kits, and protein packs

Home Chef in a Nutshell 

While meal delivery services are nothing new, Home Chef stands out from the rest by offering a wide variety of customization options in each box. With up to eight servings per meal, this is one of the biggest options we’ve found in a meal delivery service – it’s great for feeding big families. Home Chef offers delicious yet straightforward meals, with loads of recipes to choose from.

Home Chef also offers meal plans that are vegetarian, carb-conscious, and calorie-conscious, making healthy eating easier than ever. And if that isn’t enough customization for you, you can swap out your protein in nearly every recipe it offers.

If you’re interested in seeing more information about Home Chef’s meal plan options, take a look at our in-depth Home Chef review.

Home Chef currently delivers to 98% of the United States in eco-friendly boxes. Delivery schedules are based on area availability but run Monday to Friday.

4. Veestro – For 100% Plant-Based, Organic Meals

Veestro Best Features

• Ready-made meals – no cooking required

• Large selection – 50+ options to choose from

• Weight-loss friendly – as little as 210 calories per serving

• Choose your frequency – 10, 20, or 30 frozen meals weekly

Veestro in a Nutshell 

Offering vegan comfort-food, Veestro provides a wide range of weekly menu options. All meals are delivered frozen to your door – just heat up to eat.

You can add breakfast or lunch options to your dinner choices to cover every meal of the day. Veestro also offers frequently updated dietary and health information on its website to go along with your subscription.

Find out what we love the most about this meal service in our Veestro review.

Veestro delivers to the contiguous United States with deliveries Wednesday to Friday, depending on your region and meal plan. All meals come in properly insulated boxes with dry ice, which keeps food frozen upon delivery.

5. Sunbasket – Best for Healthy, Organic, and Sustainable Food

Sunbasket Best Features

• Organic kits – wild-caught and farm-fresh ingredients

• Special diet inclusive – diabetic and paleo options available

• Add-on options – from coffee beans to entire meals, like breakfast

• Unique recipes – think outside of the box with innovative kitchen creations

Sunbasket in a Nutshell 

Sunbasket offers both meal kits and Fresh & Ready meals based on your needs. With meal kits, you can be more hands-on in the kitchen with around 15-40 minutes of preparation and cooking time. Otherwise, if you’re short on time, the prepared Fresh & Ready meals can be ready in as little as six minutes via microwave or oven.

With ten different plans to choose from, you can even mix and match to select your weekly recipes. All of Sunbasket’s deliveries have a 100% money-back guarantee within seven days of receiving your order.

Find out more about the wide range of plans available in our Sunbasket review.

Sunbasket deliveries are currently available in the contiguous United States. Deliveries are made Monday to Thursday between 8 am and 9 pm.

6. Blue Apron – Quick and Easy Meal Plans

Blue Apron Best Features

• Fast meals – most meals ready in 20-30 minutes

• Great for families – weekly plans with up to four servings of four different meals 

• Wine pairing – pick a great wine to go with your meal

• Allergy-friendly – specify any food allergies in your preferences

Blue Apron in a Nutshell 

Blue Apron offers a wide variety of meal plans, including a WeightWatchers-friendly option, which has points associated with each meal to make following the diet a breeze. You can also specify certain dietary restrictions without limiting your options.

Enjoy restaurant-quality meals with minimal prep and cook times from the comfort of your own home. If you’re still navigating your way around a kitchen, Blue Apron has an app to help you learn new cooking techniques through short demonstration videos. 

Find out what else we like about this meal delivery service in our Blue Apron review.

Blue Apron currently delivers throughout the contiguous United States, with most areas receiving deliveries Tuesday to Saturday. When you sign up with Blue Apron and enter your zip code, you can choose your first delivery date from a drop-down menu based on your area’s availability.

7. Fresh n’Lean – Great Premade, Never Frozen Meal Delivery

Fresh n’Lean Best Features

• Good for allergies – gluten-free meal plan is allergy-friendly, and also free from refined sugar and artificial ingredients

• Never frozen – nutrient-rich meals delivered fresh to your door

• Certified organic – locally sourced, organic ingredients that are GMO-free

• Environmentally friendly – BPA-free and fully recyclable packaging

Fresh n’Lean in a Nutshell 

Fresh n’Lean offers five different menu options, including Protein, Keto, Paleo, Vegan Standard, and Vegan Low Carb. Pick from up to three meals per day or select your meals a la carte – whichever makes sense for your lifestyle.

With new chef-created menus released weekly, you’re sure to find a range of exciting options. You can even edit your weekly orders to try out new meals or treat yourself to healthy keto desserts like rich avocado pudding. Best of all, keep track using Fresh n’Lean’s online macro calculator.

Stock up on extra proteins, veggies, starches, or anything else you need, by taking advantage of dishes available in bulk. Included in the a la carte meal plan is “Beyond Meat,” a great vegetarian and vegan protein source.

See what all the hype is about in our expert’s Fresh n’Lean review.

Fresh n’Lean currently delivers anywhere within the United States via GLS or FedEx, depending on your area. Orders are set for Friday deliveries and are guaranteed to arrive no later than Saturday.

8. Kitchfix – Super Healthy Meal Delivery Service

Kitchfix Best Features

• Organic produce – locally sourced ingredients from around Chicago

• Sustainable seafood – whitefish and lake trout from Lake Superior

• Unprocessed ingredients – chef-created and made from scratch

• Registered dietitian on staff – reviews all nutritional content of meals

Kitchfix in a Nutshell 

All ingredients used in Kitchfix kitchens are organic and sourced as locally as possible to Chicago. From local pasture-raised chicken and pork to local, grass-fed beef, it doesn’t get any fresher than this.

Kitchfix offers exclusively gluten-free meals, with options that complement both paleo and vegetarian diets. The company’s ethos is rooted in the head chef’s belief in the power of food as medicine, which is why each dish contains anti-inflammatory ingredients, superfoods, and organic produce.

Kitchfix currently delivers to homes and offices throughout Chicago. Deliveries arrive at your doorstep from Sunday to Thursday, depending on your zip code. You can also collect from hubs Monday to Thursday and from Kitchfix Kitchens Sunday to Thursday.

9. Meez Meals – Focus on the Cooking Experience

Meez Meals Best Features

• Easy meal kits – ingredients are pre-portioned, prepped, and ready to go

• Seasonal recipes – ever-changing, exciting dishes to choose from

• Re-imagined classics – comfort food meets cross-cultural fusions

• Local partners – sourcing the best ingredients possible

Meez Meals in a Nutshell 

Meez Meals are simple yet deliciously crafted meals that can be cooked in 30 minutes. All ingredients are sourced to be as fresh as possible and arrive already measured out.

If you customize your meal kit preferences in advance, you’ll be alerted if you accidentally pick something that goes against what you’ve chosen, which can be handy if you have intolerances or strong dislikes. Most importantly, this is a non-committal service, which means no accidental charges if you forget to skip a week.

Meez Meals delivers to the Midwest, including Illinois. All deliveries arrive on Mondays in a specially packed cooler box.

Best Meal Delivery Services for Chicago: Comparison Table

Bottom Line: Why Choose a Meal Delivery Service?

Whether you are looking to save time, money, or energy, there’s a meal delivery service out there for you. City life can be busy, and a meal delivery service is a great way to help you stick to a specific diet without the stress of planning and grocery shopping for each meal.

FAQs

What is the best meal delivery service in Chicago?

HelloFresh is one of the best, most well-rounded meal delivery services currently available in Chicago. Offering a wide range of menus, diet preferences, and meal plan sizes, with a reasonable price tag, you’ll get perfectly tailored meals delivered weekly. 

If you want a meal delivery service that works for the whole family, look no further – HelloFresh has a great family-friendly plan, too.

What is the most affordable meal delivery service in Chicago?

Both Home Chef and HelloFresh also offer incredibly affordable options, with a wide variety of choices.

Is DoorDash in Chicago?

While DoorDash is available in Chicago, it’s not something you could use in place of a meal delivery service. 

Between the cost of take-out food, delivery charges, and service fees, your money is probably better placed in a prepared meal delivery service like Freshology, for weight loss meals, or Home Chef, for all kinds of oven-ready meals.

The beauty of a service like Home Chef is that you can get both prepared meals and meal kits, for skill levels and cook times that suit your schedule.

Is Grubhub in Chicago?

Much like DoorDash, Grubhub is available in Chicago and is an excellent idea for the occasional meal choice, but not realistic for daily meals. Like all delivery apps, there are delivery charges and service fees, making each meal more expensive than meal delivery services. 

A meal delivery service like Veestro gets you 100% plant-based meals that are healthy and microwave-ready. You can even find vegan versions of your favorites, like “chick’n nuggets” and filling quesadillas. Sunbasket is great for balanced meals with all-organic ingredients, and for meals following the needs of specific diets, like keto andpaleo.