If you’re in Jacksonville right now, chances are you’d rather spend your free time down at the beach than queuing at the grocery store. Thankfully the city’s wealth of meal delivery services means you can still eat well at home.
From prepared meals to meal kits, my colleagues and I have cherry-picked the services that offer a mix of affordability, taste, and convenience – so there’s something for everyone.
Home Chef came top – and it’s easy to see why. Its versatile menu and great prices are a good fit for just about everyone, including singles, couples, and small families. You’ll get to spend minimal time in the kitchen and more time doing the things you love.
So, take your kids and boo to Jacksonville Zoo, or go fishing with your peers on Little Talbot Island knowing that your mealtimes are taken care of…
Home Chef – Best overall meal delivery service in Jacksonville
Green Chef – Best organic meals kits in Jacksonville
HelloFresh – Best family-friendly meal kits
EveryPlate – Most affordable meal kits in Jacksonville
Fresh and Easy – Quick and convenient meal kits in Jacksonville
Great value – from $7.99 per serving
Family-friendly – feed up to six people per recipe
Holiday bundles – meals for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more
Current deal: Get 18 Free Meals (50% off your first 4 boxes)!
Home Chef is my top meal delivery service for Jacksonville residents. It offers both oven-ready meals and meal kits complete with fresh, pre-portioned ingredients that will help to keep mealtimes quick, healthy, and balanced.
The menu has a bit of everything, from speedy salads and 15-Minute Meal Kits to the gourmet Culinary Collection of dishes which require a bit more time and skill. What’s more, the menu rotates every week, so there are always new and exciting recipes to try.
But what sets Home Chef apart is its Customize-It feature. Don’t fancy shrimp in your Fire-Roasted Shrimp Tacos? Simply swap it for steak strips or diced chicken breast. Want extra portions? You can double-up on the protein, too.
Home Chef offers a few options for those with special dietary requirements, including some veggie options and carb- and calorie-conscious meals. You can find out more about those in my colleague’s review.
Finally, in addition to its great mix of recipes, Home Chef also allows you to pick up extras such as breakfast dishes, protein bundles, and desserts. Snacks are in too, like Mac and Cheese Crunch Rolls (yum!) and sometimes even pizza…
USDA-certified – highest quality organic produce
Chef-crafted recipes – feel like a pro cook!
Suitable for celiacs – plenty of certified gluten-free meals
Current deal: Get $250 off + free shipping
Green Chef is a great choice for Jacksonville residents who value clean eating and sustainably-sourced ingredients. With its high-quality, USDA-certified organic meal kits, this service brings you the best flavors from trusted farmers.
And that’s not where the focus on healthy food ends. The 30-recipe menu (which changes weekly) includes keto, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, Mediterranean, and gluten-free dishes that you can mix and match as you wish. Even the prepared sauces and spice blends comply with your dietary needs!
The organic ingredients and dietary accommodations do put Green Chef at the pricier end of the meal delivery scale – but in my opinion, the quality and convenience are well worth it. You can find out more about what our reviewer thought when they gave Green Chef a try.
Each week, there are at least three meals that are a notch fancier, too, with flavors and textures worthy of the Chef Select tag. Expect ingredients such as Dijon pan sauce and truffle butter.
HelloCustom options – swap or upgrade some sides and proteins
Plan ahead – see the menu for the next six weeks
Quality ingredients – seasonal and farm-fresh
Current deal: 18 free meals + first box ships free + 3 surprise gifts with code DR18HF
If you have a crowd to feed at home, HelloFresh could be the perfect option. The menu is filled with family-friendly recipes – from One-Pot Wonders to burgers, tacos, several kinds of pasta, taquitos, and so much more. Most recipes offer easy prep and cleanup, too, and take less than 30 minutes to get on the table.
You can order up to six recipes each week for two or four people, so you can have everything you need to cook for you and your family on busy weeknights. But the service also leaves you enough flexibility for when you have something else planned.
The recipes are carefully crafted by experienced chefs to appeal to adults and kids with different tastes. Look out for dedicated plans such as Family Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick and Easy, and Veggie to see menus targeted to your needs. You can find out more about these in this tried-and-tested HelloFresh review.
There are more than 30 different recipes on the menu each week (more if you include the custom options!) so you’ll always have tons of variety to choose from.
Budget-friendly – from $1.49 per portion
Diverse menu – 18 weekly recipes to choose from
Add-ons available – garlic bread, desserts, pasta bundles, and more
Current deal: Try Everyplate at $1.49/Meal
EveryPlate is the best option in Jacksonville if you’re on a tight budget, but still want to cut down on your kitchen-related stress and time. You can order up to six meals for two or four people each week – which can easily feed large families as the portion sizes are generous and hearty.
Discover plans such as EasyPlate, VeggiePlate, FamilyPlate, and ClassicPlate – and find out more about these in our tried-and-tested review.
Even though the recipes are slightly more pared-back compared to some services (hence the lower price tag), you can still expect tons of flavor in every meal kit. The Southwest Pork Flautas (pictured), for example, are spicy with a rich, zesty crema and a fresh pico de gallo on the side. Sounds delicious, right?
Home Chef’s simplest dishes – little prep, little cleanup!
Varied menu – entrees, sides, breakfasts, salads, and more
Family-friendly – bundle options and recipes for busy nights
Current deal: Get 18 Free Meals (50% off your first 4 boxes)!
Fresh and Easy from Home Chef is the perfect solution for when you want to have full control over your meals without spending ages in the kitchen. The ingredients in the 15-Minute Meal Kits kits come prepped, portioned, and ready to cook, so everything is done for you.
As well as the meal kits, you can choose Fast & Fresh dishes that are ready to go in the microwave so you can enjoy them in as little as two minutes. Read more about these in my colleague’s review.
Oven-Ready Meals, like the Crispy Arrabiata Chicken (pictured), come in an oven-safe tray, while the Grill-Ready options come with grill-safe bags. You can even pick entree salads that you only need to assemble by throwing the ingredients and dressing into a bowl!
Last but not least, you can order and save with the Fresh and Easy bundles – choose from dessert and breakfast duos, soups, appetizers, and more.
Online marketplace – add spice blends and party bundles to your box
Prepared meals available – three or four each week
Wines – enjoy high-quality wines with your meals
Current deal: Enjoy $150 off across your first 6 orders
Blue Apron offers a range of two-serving meal plans – its Signature, Wellness, and Vegetarian plans. There’s also a Signature for Four plan, which is perfect for small Jacksonville families.
The menu (19 options per week) is varied enough to satisfy even the pickiest eaters. From global takes on meat and fish to veggie-friendly Beyond Meat™, you can get your dose of international fare, as well as good-old American recipes that appeal to both adults and kids.
You’ll find recipes that promise to be low-calorie and diabetes-friendly, too, and the ingredients are of the highest quality – as my colleague found out when they put Blue Apron under the microscope.
Though Blue Apron is known for its meal kits, there are a few prepared meals available for when time is of the essence. You can also pick up oven-ready options – known as Ready to Cook – which require some minor assembling in the recyclable pan that comes with the prepped ingredients.
The Market section is particularly great if you’re hosting – order meal kits or prepared meals a la carte, party bundles, and even wine to pair with your dishes!
More than dinner – breakfast, lunch, and snack items too
Quality plant-based ingredients – no meat substitutes here!
Festive bundles – for holidays and special occasions
Current deal: Get $30 off with code carrot30
Purple Carrot is a plant-based meal delivery service that will help anyone achieve their goal of eating more veggies. The recipes are varied and exciting – most also rank as high in protein and clock in at less than 700 calories.
Sure, you’ll get to indulge in yummy carbs like in the Cumin Spiced Broccolini Ciabatta (pictured) which comes with sweet potato chips and mayo. But this recipe is tagged Chef’s Choice, so you can rest assured that both the taste and nutrition are on your side.
Plus, it falls under Purple Carrot’s Quick & Easy category, so it’s a convenient lunch option. Most of Purple Carrot’s recipes take between 20 and 35 minutes to make, and its meal kits are a great way to learn new cooking techniques with veg, as my colleague discovered when they tried this service for themselves.
As for the service’s prepared meals, these can be popped in the microwave and enjoyed in just two minutes!
Family-friendly – adult- and kid-friendly dishes
Lots of choice – 40+ meals kits on the menu each week
Carbon-neutral company – and recyclable packaging
Current deal: Get $260 off your first 8 boxes!
Ever wondered what Martha Stewart’s recipe collection might look like? With Marley Spoon’s meal kits, you’ll be able to give them a try for yourself, since every dish has been tested and approved by the kitchen trailblazer herself.
They’re not complicated either. From the comfort of your own kitchen you can cook up wholesome, hearty dinners in just six simple steps using Martha’s signature sauces and seasonings, and quality ingredients. Most of the meals take 30 minutes to make, too.
In terms of cuisine, the menu takes inspiration from local American and Mexican dishes, but also Asian and European fare. You can sort the recipes by category, from Vegetarian & Vegan and Meat & Fish to Health & Diet and Family-Friendly. Find out more about the ever-changing menu in this in-depth review.
Even if you’re a novice in the kitchen, you shouldn't have any trouble bringing these meals to life.
Free delivery – when you subscribe to Grubhub+
Ready-to-eat food – delivered hot and fresh
Quick & easy ordering – via the app or website
Grubhub brings you freshly prepared food from your favorite local restaurants and pubs, including Jacksonville’s Jumpin Jax House Of Food and Super Food & Brew.
Like with all food delivery services, you browse the menu via the app or website, select, and hit order. You can also track the courier from the restaurant until they arrive at your door.
You can also take advantage of the Grubhub Perks feature, where you can earn rewards for your loyalty and get free food from selected restaurants. I mean, what’s better than free food?
And you can say goodbye to delivery fees for just $9.99 per month if you sign up to Grubhub+. It works on orders of $12 or more, so if you work or study from home it can be a lifesaver. Test it for free for two weeks – no strings attached.
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Top Plans | ![]() | ||||||||
Our Rating | |||||||||
Our Rating | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 7.7 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 9.0 |
Starting Price | |||||||||
Starting Price | $7.99 Per Serving | $5.99 Per Serving | $3.32 Per Serving | $1.49 Per Serving | $7.99 Per Serving | $5.74 Per Serving | $8.50 Per Serving | $2.99 Per Serving | |
Minimum Order | |||||||||
Minimum Order | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meal kits for 2 people/6 prepared meals | 2 meals for 2 people | Varies by supplier |
Meal Types | |||||||||
Meal Types | Kits, speedy kits, oven-ready | 30-minute meal kits | Meal kits, speedy kits, prepared meals | 30-minute meal kits | Oven- & grill-ready, kits, prepared | 20 - 60 min. meal kits | Meal kits, prepared meals | 30 min. meal kits | Prepared |
Prep Time | |||||||||
Prep Time | 5-50 min | 25-40 min | 5-50 min | 20-45 min | 15-30 min | 5-45 min | 3-40 min | 20-40 min | 0 |
Active Deals | |||||||||
Active Deals |
I’ll let you in on the criteria me and my team used when putting together this list. The most important things to keep in mind when choosing the best meal delivery service for you are:
Budget: Be aware that some meal delivery services are made to suit those on a tighter budget, while others require some extra dollar for things like organic produce or higher-end ingredients. The services listed here offer both options.
Variety: The first thing we look for in a menu is the diets it accommodates. From keto to plant-based, you have a lot of room to choose. What’s great is that many services can feed family members with different dietary needs in a single order.
Flavor: Just because you’re on a budget or follow a more restrictive diet doesn’t mean you need to compromise on taste. Your best bet is to see if the meals include herbs and spices outside of salt and pepper. International-inspired recipes are usually a hint!
Convenience: Flexibility is key, so I’ve only included easy-to-use services on this list. It should be simple to skip, pause, and cancel your subscription, right?
Yes, I would strongly say so! Meal delivery services give you more agency over what you put on your plate, help you achieve your health and fitness goals, and cut down on takeaway and junk food.
If you’re looking to feed more than one mouth, they also have great deals on bigger orders, as well as menus that can accommodate the diets of everyone in the family, from weight loss to vegetarian and even gluten-free.
You’ll find that you end up saving time as well as money. Instead of spending hours planning, shopping, and cooking, you can go have fun with your loved ones at MOSH Planetarium or in the awe-inspiring gardens along St. Johns River at the Cummer.
Take a look at my top pick for Jacksonville to see if the menu clicks with you. If not, I can guarantee you’ll find another match on this list. After all, we cherry-picked them just for you!
EveryPlate is my top choice for affordability – it’s the most budget-friendly service in Jacksonville. With meals starting at $1.49 per serving, EveryPlate can cater to all types of budgets and culinary tastes. Check out our special discount code – Try Everyplate at $1.49/Meal – to save even more!
Green Chef is the healthiest meal delivery service for Jacksonville residents. You can read more about its certified-organic ingredients and high-quality, sustainably-sourced produce. I was super impressed by how vast the menu is, with recipes that cater to diets such as keto, paleo, plant-based, and even gluten-free.
HelloFresh ranks high for families in Jacksonville, thanks to its great variety and kid-friendly recipes. You’ll find everything from tacos and burgers to pasta dishes and casseroles, with tried-and-tested recipes that are loved by customers worldwide.
If you’re looking for other options, Blue Apron and Marley Spoon also offer a wealth of family-friendly choices.