10 Best Columbus Meal Delivery Services in 2023

Meal delivery services are becoming increasingly popular and there are some fantastic options available for people living in Columbus, Ohio. But with so many options out there, including big names like Home Chef and HelloFresh, it can be hard to know which service to try first.

I’ve researched all the top meal delivery services in Columbus, Ohio, and on this occasion, my all-around winner is Home Chef, thanks to its ample customization, weekly meal options, and flexible plans. Plus, you can try it out risk free. That said, it was a close call. If you have a niche diet or time constraints there are so many other great options to choose from in Columbus.

The Best Meal Delivery Services Reviewed

1. Home Chef – Best for Customizations

Key Features

• Great selection of meal types including easy-prep and family-friendly options

• 25+ unique recipes per week

• 2 dietary options including calorie-conscious and carb-conscious

• Current deal: Get 60% off your first three boxes

Home Chef is a great option if you’re looking for a meal delivery service with lots of great customization options. What I really like about Home Chef is that it understands that most of us need flexibility around meals and offers a range of options including low-prep meal kits and oven-ready meals. There’s even a “Customize It” feature for certain dishes that lets you switch out or double up on the type of protein you’d like in your dish.

Though Home Chef isn’t specifically a weight-loss plan, the option to filter out calorie-conscious and carb-conscious meal options is great for anyone trying to control their diet. Each meal also comes with a full list of ingredients, macros, and nutritional information. Find out more in our Home Chef review.

Unlike some other meal delivery services which only offer main courses, the Home Chef menu also includes a range of delicious breakfasts, desserts, snacks, add-ons, and pantry items. This means you’ll hardly have to step into a supermarket again if you don’t want to.

2. Blue Apron – Best for Quality Ingredients

Key Features

• Great for novice cooks

• 19+ unique recipes per week

• 7 dietary options including carb-conscious, low-calorie, vegetarian, and pescatarian

• Current deal: Enjoy $110 off across your first 5 orders

When researching Blue Apron, I was delighted to find that the company puts quality first. Blue Apron’s prepared meals and meal kits are packed with fresh ingredients. In fact, 80% of the ingredients in its meals come direct from producers and Blue Apron works with over 100 family-run farms that use sustainable practices. Check out our Blue Apron review to find out more.

Another great feature is the flexibility Blue Apron affords customers. You can get boxes delivered according to your schedule and skip, pause, or cancel at any time as long as you do so before the cutoff date and time (found under Account Settings > Upcoming).

In the spirit of freshness, all Blue Apron boxes come with a “Freshness Guarantee” which means if your ingredients don’t arrive to standard you can let them know within seven days and receive meal credits to make up for any ingredients that need replacing.

3. Green Chef – Best for Healthy Choices

Key Features

• Meals designed by expert nutritionists

• 24+ unique recipes per week

• 6 dietary options including keto, paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, and plant-based

• Current deal: Get $250 off + free shipping

Green Chef is a great healthy meal delivery service in Columbus. Green Chef’s menus make healthy eating easy. There are six dietary plans to choose from including Vegan, Vegetarian, Keto & Paleo, Mediterranean, Fast & Fit, and Gluten Free so you won’t have to worry about searching out meals to fit your lifestyle.

As well as offering a wide range of dietary options, Green Chef also makes it easy to track your nutrition. Nutritional information for every meal can be found on the recipe cards that come with each delivery as well as on the Green Chef website and app. Check out this Green Chef review for a detailed breakdown of everything Green Chef has to offer.

As well as being good for your health, Green Chef is good for the planet. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the company uses sustainable ingredients in all of its recipes and offsets 100% of its operational and distribution-related carbon emissions and in-box plastic waste.

4. HelloFresh – Best for Families

Key Features

• Flexible plan sizes

• 30+ unique recipes per week

• 6 menu plans including Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family-Friendly, and Fit & Wholesome

HelloFresh is a great option for families in Columbus looking for an easy way to liven up mealtimes without the stress of recipe planning. HelloFresh offers a huge recipe selection meaning there’s something to suit every taste including kid-friendly options. Discover more in our HelloFresh review.

There’s no commitment required. If HelloFresh isn't working with your schedule it’s super easy to just skip a week, pause your subscription, or cancel altogether. Just make sure you do so before the cut-off point which is 11:59 pm PST, five days before your next scheduled delivery.

HelloFresh is ideal if you’re not so confident in the kitchen. The weekly rotating menus are full of exciting dishes and each dish comes with pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow cooking instructions designed to help you enjoy a fun and stress-free cooking experience.

5.Purple Carrot – Best for Vegans

Key Features

• Choose between meal kits and prepared meal options

• 20 unique recipes per week

• Dietary options include low-calorie, high-protein, soy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free

Purple Carrot is a great option for anyone who wants to include plant-based meals in their diet. Purple Carrot will introduce you to the rich and exciting flavors that can be enjoyed as part of a plant-based diet. Check out our Purple Carrot review for more details.

Purple Carrot is a great option because you can order a combination of meal kits for when you fancy cooking up a storm and prepared meals for when you just need something delicious and nutritious on your plate in minutes.

Unlike some other meal delivery services, Purple Carrot offers more than just dinners. There’s a great selection of creative breakfasts (like the gorgeous Farmer’s Market Tofu Scramble), lunches, and plant-based pantry items too (pumpkin spice cookies anyone?), so you’ll be able to stock up your kitchen with all the good stuff!

6. Marley Spoon – Channel your Inner Martha Stewart

Key Features

• Easy 6-step recipes

• 45+ unique recipes per week

• Dietary options include carb-conscious, low-calorie, vegetarian, and pescatarian

Marley Spoon is Martha Stewart’s very own meal delivery service, meaning you’ll be able to cook up some of her best-renowned recipes at home with the help of pre-portioned ingredients and simple recipe instructions. For even more information check out our Marley Spoon review.

One of the things I like most about Marley Spoon is the wide range of cuisines on offer. Martha’s recipes span nine different cooking traditions including American classics, Chinese, Thai, Korean, French, Italian, Mediterranean, Indian, and Mexican-inspired dishes.

As well as exciting flavors, Marley Spoon customers also enjoy fantastic quality, seasonal, ingredients. Marley Spoon works with a network of trusted suppliers, producers, and family-owned businesses and all produce is carefully selected and tested against Marley Spoon’s standards.

7. Freshly – Time-Saving Prepared Meals

Key Features

• Great customer support

• 40+ unique recipes per week

• Dietary options include gluten-free, soy-free, low-calorie, and dairy-free

Freshly is ideal for busy individuals who still want to eat nutritious food. Freshly’s prepared meals are ready to eat in three minutes and are nutritionally balanced and perfectly sized for one person.

Freshly’s prepared meals aren’t just your standard meal from the freezer section. Freshly’s meals are prepared and delivered fresh, not frozen using quality ingredients. Learn more about Freshly in our Freshly review.

Plus, with a rotating menu of over 40 balanced dishes, you’ll never have the chance to get bored at mealtime. You can mix and match from a range of dietary-specific options to your heart’s content, safe in the knowledge that each meal contains less sugar, fewer processed ingredients, and more nutrients than your standard ready meal.

8. Fresh and Easy – Awesome Low-Prep Meals

Key Features

• No equipment necessary

• 20+ unique recipes per week

• 2 dietary options including calorie-consious and carb-conscious

Home Chef’s Fresh and Easy plan is great for busy people. It offers a specific range of meals that are pre-prepped, pre-portioned, and ready to cook with minimal effort, equipment, or clean-up. Learn more in our in-depth Fresh and Easy review.

Most of Fresh and Easy’s meals are all either microwave-ready, oven-ready, or grill-ready. If you want to dabble in the kitchen but don’t have a lot of time to spare there’s also a selection of 15-minute meal kits on offer.

Fresh and Easy also offer a range of fresh entrée salads which come with super fresh pre-portioned veggies and proteins so you can whip up a light dinner or side in seconds. All you have to do is combine the ingredients and enjoy your meal.

9. EveryPlate – Great for Households on a Budget

Key Features

• Ideal for families

• 18+ unique recipes per week

• Dietary options including omnivore and vegetarian

When it comes to price, EveryPlate is a real winner. There’s not quite as much choice when it comes to cuisines and dietary preferences, but if that’s not an issue for you and your family then EveryPlate is a highly affordable option.

The flexible weekly menu is filled with classic crowd-pleasing meals. There’s even a specific Family-Friendly meal plan that you can opt for when you sign up with a range of kid-approved dinners. Check out our EveryPlate review for a full product round-up.

It’s super easy to switch up your plan size. You can change the serving size or the number of dinners per week up to five days prior to your next scheduled delivery from the Meal Plan tab in your account.

10. Grubhub – Enjoy Restaurant Meals at Home

Key Features

• No meal prep necessary

• Meal options from all Grubhub eateries in your area

• Check dietary options with local restaurants

Unlike the other meal delivery services I’ve discussed, Grubhub is more of a “take-out” style operation. With Grubhub you can order meals from restaurants in your local area for pick-up or delivery and there are some fantastic options in Columbus to choose from.

As well as classic take-out food like burgers and pizzas you’ll be able to choose from a huge range of meal types and cuisines on Grubhub including breakfast orders, kids menus, lunch specials, diner favorites, BBQ, Mexican and more.

Plus, since Grubhub is a restaurant delivery service, there’s absolutely no prep or clean-up. Simply order your meal and enjoy.

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Meal Delivery Service in Columbus

With so many meal delivery services out there claiming to have the best product, it can be hard to know where to start. To help you choose the best meal delivery service in Columbus for you, here are our top four criteria for reviewing and ranking delivery services.

• Pick a plan that suits your dietary requirements: just because a particular meal delivery service has lots of items on the menu, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be meal options that meet your unique dietary requirements. Check the range of dietary accommodations offered by each service ahead of time to prevent disappointment.

• Factor in your cooking level: If you’re a novice cook or lack confidence in the kitchen it’s worth starting with a meal delivery service that offers prepared or low-prep meals. As your skills develop you can branch out to try more complex recipes.

• Check delivery speed and availability: Make sure that your chosen meal delivery service offers delivery days and slots that suit your schedule. If you’re often away from home, make sure there’s the option to pause or skip a week.

• Remember you can always switch: The first meal delivery service you try doesn’t have to be your forever go-to. Most services have flexible cancellation policies so you can try as many as you like until you find your favorite!

Bottom Line: The Best Meal Delivery Service in Columbus

If you’re a Columbus resident then you’re in luck. There are some fantastic meal delivery services operating in your area right now. Whether you’re after quick heat-up meals or you’re ready to roll up your sleeves in the kitchen, there’s something for everyone.

Meal kits like those from Home Chef offer a great balance of options to choose from including a range of easy-prep and family-friendly options. Other services like EveryPlate offer equally delicious budget-friendly options that won’t break the bank.

Whatever your priority, whether that’s diet and nutrition, feeding a large family, or saving time, there’s a meal delivery service in Columbus that’s perfect for you.

FAQ

What is the cheapest meal delivery service in Columbus? 

Meal delivery services like EveryPlate offer super affordable options that are perfect for feeding the whole household. If you’re not too fussed about dietary-specific plans, EveryPlate’s meals are delicious and affordable and meal kits start at $1.49 per serving.

What is the best diet-friendly meal delivery service in Columbus? 

Green Chef is a fantastic option if you’re looking for healthy meal choices in Columbus. There are six dedicated dietary plans to choose from including vegan, vegetarian, low-carb, flexitarian, keto, and pescatarian making it easy to stick to your diet without any stress.

Are there prepared meal delivery services in Columbus? 

Yes. My top pick for prepared meals in Columbus is Freshly. Freshly meals are made and delivered fresh not frozen and can be heated up in minutes. You’ll be able to enjoy all the convenience of a prepared meal without any of the processed ingredients or added sugar that’s often found in these types of meals.

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