Subscribing to a meal delivery service can be a great option if you don't have time to go grocery shopping or hate spending time planning meals.
But not every meal delivery service is great, and there are some far better than others. To find the cream of the crop in Lincoln, I researched plenty of meal delivery services, keeping in consideration factors like price, meal variety, quality of ingredients, and more.
After all that research, I found Home Chef to be the best – hands down. Its highly customizable and tasty meal kits are affordable and easy to prepare.
That being said, all the other meal delivery services I’ve reviewed below have their own strengths, so read on to find out what they are!
Home Chef – Best meal delivery service in Lincoln
Blue Apron – Best international meals in Lincoln
Green Chef – Best organic meal kits
HelloFresh – Best for farm fresh ingredients
Purple Carrot – Best vegan meal delivery service in Lincoln
Customize your meal with your choice of protein
25+ unique recipes every week
Dietary options including low calorie and low carb options
Current deal: Get 18 Free Meals (50% off your first 4 boxes)!
At the top of the list, we have Home Chef, which is known for its tasty meals and excellent menu variety. You can also choose your favorite protein on most dishes – something most delivery services don't offer.
You could, for instance, substitute the chicken in the Garlic Butter Crispy Chicken dish for Filet Mignon or salmon fillets if you wish.
If you’re on a diet, Home Chef has calorie- and carb-conscious meals that are great for losing weight. And should you feel like trying a fancy meal from time to time, you can choose meals that come with the Culinary Collection tag. These have more premium ingredients and adventurous flavors than the other dishes on the menu.
If you’re curious to know more about the menu, you can check out this in-depth Home Chef review.
Meals vary in prep time – some meals take 30-50 minutes to prepare, whereas others can be prepared quickly in 10-20 minutes.
International cuisines including Asian, Italian, and Middle Eastern
19+ unique recipes every week
Dietary options include vegetarian, diabetes-friendly, and low-calorie
Current deal: Enjoy $180 off across your first 6 orders
Second on our list is Blue Apron, which has an exotic menu inspired by various international cuisines. It also has a great selection of American food, in case you feel like having something closer to home.
Some of my favorite dishes from the menu were the Beef Enchiladas Rojas, the Creamy Shrimp and Pancetta Cascatelli, and the Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken Thighs and Farro. You can find out more about these meals in our detailed Blue Apron review.
And what better to try these tasty delights than with a glass of wine? For a reasonable price, you can have Blue Apron deliver six 500-ml wine bottles to you every month!
Eco-friendly packaging that helps avoid waste
30 unique recipes per week
Dietary options include keto, paleo, and vegan
Current deal: Get $250 off + free shipping
Green Chef was one of the first USDA-certified organic meal kit delivery services on the market. So for those looking for meal kits that use fresh organic ingredients, then this service is the best you’ll find in Lincoln.
Each meal is expertly crafted to have the right amount of protein, veggies, and whole grains. In this way, you get to have a balanced and nutritious meal every day. See what my colleague said about the service in her in-depth review.
It has six meal plans to choose from – Keto + Paleo, Vegetarian, Mediterranean, Fast & Fit, Vegan, and Gluten Free. And the best part is that you can mix and match meals from each of these plans. Each recipe is very easy to follow using the recipe cards provided (and available online).
HelloFresh is another meal delivery service that uses high-quality ingredients that are responsibly sourced from local farms.
Like Green Chef, you can choose from six plans – Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick & Easy, and Pescatarian. Learn more about the menu and plans in our HelloFresh review.
Those of you with kids will like HelloFresh as most of its meals are ideal for families and children. You can order up to six meals for four people each week and choose from over 30 recipes weekly.
Choosing the right meal is also easy with self-explanatory tags like Carb Smart, Easy Cleanup, Easy Prep, Spicy, and more on each recipe.
100% vegan meal kits
20 choices across meal kits and prepared meals per week
Dietary options include gluten-free, and soy-free
Current Deal: Get $30 off with code carrot30
If you're vegan or thinking about going vegan, then Purple Carrot might be the meal service for you.
The dishes taste great, making it not that difficult to switch to a plant-based diet from a meat-based one. Each week’s recipe selection also has a lot of variety, keeping things fresh. To learn more, check out our Purple Carrot review.
Some of the interesting dishes on the menu include the Black Bean Burger with BBQ Glazed Onions and Spicy Argula Salad and Italian Sausage Grinder with Giardiniera Aioli and Herb Roasted Potatoes.
One of the most environmentally friendly meal delivery services
45+ weekly dishes to choose from weekly
Dietary options include gluten-free, vegan, and spicy
Current deal: Get $250 off your first 8 boxes!
Martha Stewart crafts each recipe for Marley Spoon, so you know the food here is going to be something special.
And that’s exactly what my colleague found out when she tried the meals. Read more about her experience in this detailed review.
Most dishes are perfect for families and children. These include the Meatball and Orzo Stew, Crispy Chicken Paillard, Grass-Fed Ground Beef Tacos, and more. All of its meals also have generous portions.
You may also be glad to hear that Marley Spoon uses sustainable packaging in order to achieve total carbon neutrality. It’s great to have companies that care about the environment.
Customizable proteins and add-ons such as bread and desserts
20+ weekly recipes to choose from
Dietary options include Carb-conscious and Calorie-conscious
Current deal: Get 18 Free Meals (50% off your first 4 boxes)!
Fresh and Easy is a subsidiary of Home Chef, which means you can expect the same great quality of meals as well as meal customizability. But the key area where it differs is that Fresh and Easy only has easy-prep meals that can be prepared in a short time.
Meals include microwaveable, Oven Ready, Grill Ready, and 15-minute meals. My colleague has done a more in-depth review Fresh and Easy review so be sure to check that out.
Outside of these meals, you can also purchase salads, prepared breads, protein packs, and desserts to supplement your diet.
Meals start at $1.49 per serving
20+ meals in every menu plus extras
Dietary options include vegetarian and family-friendly
Current deal: $1.49/meal on your 1st box + 20% off next 2 boxes!
At $1.49 per serving, EveryPlate is our list's cheapest meal delivery service. It has a great selection of crowd-pleasing comfort dishes that are great for families and kids.
If you’re wondering why the prices are low, it’s mainly because EveryPlate doesn’t cater to specific dietary needs like Vegan or Paleo. Plans on offer include Meat & Veggie, Family Friendly, and Quick & Easy. Find out more about the menu in this EveryPlate review.
The meals are also satisfying, with tasty options like the Spicy Shrimp Rice Bowls, the Cheesy Egg-in-A-Hole, and the Creamy Buffalo Chicken and Bacon Pasta on the menu.
Huge variety of meals to choose from
User-friendly app to filter out dishes based on various criteria
Frequent promotions and discounts
GrubHub lets you choose from your favorite meals from your favorite local restaurants. You can also choose from the best-reviewed local restaurants or try out a new one.
It offers frequent promotions and discounts, including free delivery on certain orders. And if you subscribe to GrubHub+ for $9.99 per month, you’re guaranteed free delivery on orders above $12. You can try this subscription out for 14 days before committing to it.
The app’s filters can help you select by the offer, free delivery, distance, price, and more.
Top Plans | |||||||||
Top Plans | ![]() | ||||||||
Our Rating | |||||||||
Our Rating | 9.4 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.1 | 8.8 | 9.3 | 7.7 | 9.0 |
Starting Price | |||||||||
Starting Price | $7.99 Per Serving | $5.74 Per Serving | $5.99 Per Serving | $3.32 Per Serving | $8.50 Per Serving | $2.99 Per Serving | $7.99 Per Serving | $1.49 Per Serving | |
Minimum Order | |||||||||
Minimum Order | 2 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meal kits for 2 people/6 prepared meals | 2 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meals for 2 people | Varies by supplier |
Meal Types | |||||||||
Meal Types | Kits, speedy kits, oven-ready, prepared | 20 - 60 min. meal kits | 30-minute meal kits | 20 - 30 min. meal kits | Meal kits, prepared meals | 30 min. meal kits | Oven- & grill-ready, kits, prepared | 30-minute meal kits | Prepared |
Prep Time | |||||||||
Prep Time | 5-50 min | 5-45 min | 25-40 min | 15-40 min | 3-40 min | 20-40 min | 15-30 min | 20-45 min | 0 |
Active Deals | |||||||||
Active Deals |
If you’re looking for a Lincoln-based meal delivery service, here are some important factors to consider.
Choose according to your dietary needs: Whether you’re on a keto, paleo, or vegan dietary plan, make sure the service you’re considering caters to your diet. Also, if you’re allergic to certain ingredients, look for services with filters to exclude those allergens and that takes steps to avoid cross-contamination.
Choose according to your budget: Ordering food from a meal delivery service is more affordable than dining out. That being said, not all services are priced equally. Services (like Purple Carrot) are relatively expensive, whereas others (like EveryPlate) are extremely cheap. There’s something for all budgets on this list.
Choose according to your schedule: If you have time available and enjoy cooking then meal kits would definitely be the way to go but if you’re super-busy, and hate cooking and washing up then you’ll definitely be better off with a prepared meals delivery service. Some services offer both so you can mix and match. Whatever the case, you’ll need to take into consideration your lifestyle before choosing a service.
Meal delivery services are a great way to avoid spending excessive time in the kitchen as well as avoid spending too much money. They can also make life a lot easier and simpler if you’re feeding a family.
My favorite meal delivery service is Home Chef because of its fantastic menu variety, tasty food, as well as the ability to change proteins on most meals. Not to mention that it's quite affordable.
Home Chef is easily the best meal delivery service in Lincoln, thanks to its extensive menu and fantastic customization options. The best part is that the meals have generous portions that come at an affordable price.
Blue Apron is the healthiest meal delivery service in Lincoln. It has a WW-approved plan that offers low-calorie and low-carb meals. The dishes are also low in saturated fats and sugar and high in protein.