Sacramento is considered the Farm-to-Fork Capital of the US – maybe the world – with over 1.5 billion acres of farmland in the region. While Sacramento has excellent local fresh resources and unparalleled farmers' markets, it's still a big city. Finding time to plan and prep meals might not be on your agenda, and finding a meal delivery service with equally high-quality produce may be your best bet.
I'm a professional meal delivery reviewer and tester, and I curated a top 10 list of meal delivery services that can suit your needs. Whether you're feeding yourself, you and your partner, you and your college roommates, or a small family, you'll find fresh and convenient plans on this list.
At the top of my list is Factor with its commitment to using cage-free chicken and its thoughtfully curated prepared meals. Factor prides itself on using healthy, balanced ingredients that cater to a range of niche diets, too.
Read on to discover more fresh and convenient meal delivery service options.
Factor – Best fresh and fully prepared meals
Green Chef – Best organic meal delivery service in Sacramento
HelloFresh – Easy yet delicious meal delivery service for Sacramentoans
Home Chef – Great customizable familiar favorites
Fresh and Easy – Great easy prep recipes
Ready-made recipes made for athletic lifestyles
35 recipes and 40+ add-ons weekly
6 plans including Chef’s Choice, Calorie Smart, Vegan & Veggie, Keto, Flexitarian, and Protein Plus
Current deal: Get 50% OFF your 1st box + 20% OFF the next 4 boxes!
Factor sets itself apart by delivering meals fresh, not frozen. It's recommended to consume the meals fresh, but you can easily store them in the fridge or freezer in the trays they come in if you need to extend their shelf life. A fellow reviewer tried Factor's service and meals and mentioned "if healthy, prepared dinners are what you're after – then Factor ranks among the best."
Accommodating a variety of dietary requirements, Factor also provides 6 meal plans – all of which are gluten-free! These plans include:
Chef’s Choice – featuring recipes from every diet plan
Keto – focused on low carb, high fat, and moderate protein recipes
Calorie Smart – offering recipes with 550 kcal per serving or less
Vegan & Veggie – comprising meat-free meals
Protein Plus – containing 30 g of protein or more per meal
The well-rounded Chef's Choice plan is ideal for busy individuals in Sacramento, while its keto menu excels with approximately 15 high-protein, moderate-fat, low-carb options each week.
Factor offers around 5 plant-based recipes every week but caters more to moderate- to high-protein diets and keto followers. Its add-ons primarily target keto-eaters and omnivores and can be a great way to integrate low-carb days into your meal plan.
Factor takes pride in using top-notch ingredients from humane and sustainable sources for its produce and proteins. Although not an organic service and lacking detailed information about ingredient sourcing, Factor passed my colleague's home test with outstanding results – as did its flavors.
A comprehensive list of ingredients for each recipe can be found on the website, which also highlights potential allergens and possible cross-contamination during meal preparation. Please note that no customization is available for any meal since they all arrive fully prepared.
You can enjoy a free 20-minute nutrition coaching session with one of its in-house dietitians. Consulting with a registered dietitian (RD) can be incredibly helpful for those wanting to lose weight, improve fitness levels, or revamp their eating habits. What sets Factor's complimentary consultation apart is the ability to access it before subscribing, enabling you to more confidently determine if Factor meals align with your diet and fitness goals.
While Factor's pricing places it in the premium category, I think you get what you pay for in terms of convenience, ingredient quality, and variety. For Sacramento residents searching for quick, convenient, and dietitian-approved meals, the price might be well worth it.
Factor's meal pricing begins at $6.19 per serving, with costs increasing for smaller orders. With a minimum order of 6 single-serving meals per week and the option to buy up to 18, it's perfect for keeping your fridge stocked.
Organic ingredients
45+ unique recipes each week
8 meal plans include keto, gluten free, plant-based, and more
Current deal: Get $250 off + free shipping
Green Chef's main attraction stems from its organic ingredients and dietary options. As the first predominantly organic meal delivery service, Green Chef uses only CCOF-certified and USDA-certified organic produce, ensuring all produce is free of hormones and antibiotics.
Every week, you can choose from 45+ recipes across 8 plans:
Keto – featuring low carb, moderate protein, and high fat recipes
Gluten-Free – offering recipes without added gluten
Vegan – containing no animal products in these recipes
Vegetarian – providing meat-free meals
Protein-Packed – including high protein meals ideal for omnivores
Fast & Fit – comprising calorie-conscious keto and veggie meals ready in under 25 minutes
Mediterranean – consisting of recipes with a focus on veggies, fish, and healthy fats
Each recipe within the weekly menu has a tag on it so you know what diet plans it belongs to. For instance, Green Chef's Barramundi Over Carrot-Ginger Salad with lettuce, bell pepper, cashews, sesame seeds, and mint (pictured above) is part of the Gluten-Free, Keto, and Quick & Easy menus.
Meal plans offer flexibility, allowing you to choose meals across plans and granting you access to the full menu. I mostly eat Mediterranean recipes while trying to adhere to Keto-friendly options. So, I appreciate being able to order a dish like the Salmon With Piccata Sauce, roasted beets and bell pepper, sautéed kale with walnuts, which is featured on both the Mediterranean and Keto menus.
Green Chef prepares meal kits with pre-made sauces and spice blends and even pre-washes and chops certain vegetables to streamline the cooking process. This helps cut down on how much time you spend in the kitchen. However, if you're looking for prepared meals, you’ll need to look elsewhere. You might want to consider Factor for fully prepared meals.
Green Chef also offers an assortment of add-ons to complete your weekly menu. The selection changes weekly, much like the main menu, but you can expect a delightful variety of sides, breakfasts, and proteins at an additional cost, including colorful salads, oatmeal, and desserts.
While the premium ingredients are higher priced, it's a justifiable investment for those whose version of healthy means eating organic. A colleague of mine tried Green Chef at home and found that the exceptional ingredients led to more flavorful meals.
Pricing begins at $9.99 per serving, based on a maximum order of 4 meals for 6 people per week. Being able to order for up to 6 people makes this an excellent choice for larger families, as long as you can handle the expense. The minimum order consists of 3 meals for 2 people.
Large selection of family-friendly meal kits
60+ meal options and plenty of add-ons from the Market
Dietary options include low-calorie, pescatarian, and vegetarian
Current deal: Free Breakfast For Life + 16 Free Meals
HelloFresh truly shines as an exceptional family-focused meal delivery service, offering premium, competitively priced fresh ingredients. With over 60 recipes to choose from every week, you'll discover a mix of popular recipes tagged Hall of Fame and globally-inspired dishes. Although HelloFresh initially selects recipes based on your chosen plan, it grants you the flexibility to swap recipes and interchange between plans.
HelloFresh features 6 adaptable meal plans:
Meat & Veggies – primarily protein and vegetable-based dishes
Veggie – timeless vegetarian options
Family-Friendly – well-loved dishes to satisfy everyone
Fit & Wholesome – health-conscious meals ready in under 25 minutes
Quick & Easy – dishes prepared in under 25 minutes
Pescatarian – meatless meals and Mediterranean cuisine
Each meal kit comes with easy-to-understand recipe cards, making the cooking process a breeze, even for beginners. It's no surprise that my coworker mentioned how well-structured the recipes were and how delicious the meals were after trying out this service.
The cuisine mainly draws inspiration from Mediterranean and American traditions, with a hint of Asian flair. For example, consider the Pork Katsu with Sesame Roasted Carrots and Ginger Rice (pictured above), which artfully blends Japanese elements through its katsu, sesame, ginger, and rice fusion.
HelloFresh even lets you customize proteins in certain meals, enhancing the range of available meals. This option allows you to substitute proteins in some dishes or remove them to make the recipe vegetarian. Keep in mind, though, that customization incurs an additional fee of $0.99 to $3.49 per serving, depending on what protein you switch.
Ingredient availability influences the swapping options. For example, 1 week you may be able to swap beef for salmon in a dish, but the following week that option might not be available for the same recipe.
You can replenish essential groceries through the HelloFresh Market, which offers extra produce, proteins, desserts, and spices to complete your weekly menu. The Market makes HelloFresh a great option for those trying a meal delivery service for the first time since you can easily add Market ingredients or adjust proteins flexibly.
A minor inconvenience of HelloFresh’s website is that you can’t browse the menu by diet. You'll need to click through the menu and read recipe cards to identify which recipes best fit your requirements. This is a time-consuming process for those with dietary restrictions and allergies and reduces the full convenience meal delivery services can offer.
The order minimum is 2 recipes for 2 people, and the maximum is 6 recipes for 4 for each plan. Prices start at $3.32 per serving.
Double-up or swap proteins
32+ recipes weekly
Dietary options include calorie-conscious, carb-conscious, and vegetarian
What sets Home Chef apart is that you can customize proteins in many of its recipes. This customization option expands the menu even further when you account for the increase in recipe number due to available protein customization choices. Keep in mind that protein swaps incur an extra fee per portion.
Recipes with the Customize It button below the recipe card image include protein swap options. You’ll see the protein swap options for that dish when you click the button, which can mean swapping chicken for shrimp or replacing pork with steak. For example, protein swap choices in the French Onion Beef Meatloaf (pictured above) include ground pork and ground turkey. However, you can’t modify recipe sides like you can with some Marley Spoon recipes.
My colleague tested Home Chef and said it was "practically flawless," due to recipe quality and portions, since recipes were tasty and there were often meal leftovers. You can check out their review of Home Chef’s complete service here.
Another advantage of this service is the variety of meal prep types it offers. These range from its standard kits ready in about 30 minutes, to recipes in the Culinary Collection that are ready in about 45 minutes, which are also a bit pricier than the standard kits for their more premium ingredients.
You can also find easier and faster prep 15-minute and oven-ready kits that merely require assembly in the provided pan. Or you can check out Home Chef’s sub-menu of quick and easy kits called Fresh and Easy, which also has a spot on this list.
However, Home Chef doesn't have great specialized diet options. The only diet filters on the menu are Vegetarian, Calorie-Conscious, and Carb-Conscious, but you won’t find accommodations like dairy- or gluten-free. To create vegan-friendly or plant-based recipes, you can try some simple substitutions at home.
But you can use the extensive extras menu to create your own meals. Imagine a Quiche Lorraine with a Lobster Bisque and Creamy Tomato side, with an Everything Chopped Salad, salad, and a Vanilla Latte by La Colombe for breakfast. Other extras include meal bundles, desserts, breads, juices, microwave-ready meals like empanadas, and a charcuterie board.
The starting price is $7.99 per serving. The minimum order is 2 recipes for 2 people, and you can order up to 6 recipes for 6 people. This maximum is above average for a meal delivery service, making this a great option for small families, parties, or small groups of roommates.
Home Chef’s line of quick meals
Low-prep kits and prepared meals
Calorie-conscious, carb-conscious, and vegetarian options
Fresh and Easy is Home Chef’s express option – it offers quick and easy meals tailored for those craving delicious food but short on time for preparation. The selection consists of recipes made with top-notch ingredients, with most dishes taking under 15 minutes to whip up.
With Fresh and Easy meals, ingredients come portioned by recipe and ready for action. Chances are, you won't have to bother with slicing, dicing, or peeling any components, making these meal kits perfect for novice chefs.
One notable feature of these meals is that they arrive in oven- and grill-friendly dishes. Oven-ready meal kits are delivered in an oven-safe aluminum tray, while grill-ready dishes arrive prepped for easy grilling. Since the packaging is ready for immediate use, there's no need to break out your pots and pans. As a result, choosing Fresh and Easy means minimal cleanup. You can learn more in my colleague’s review of Fresh and Easy’s complete service.
In addition to speedy meal kits, you'll discover quick-mix salads and microwavable meals. These options are ideal for those who need a quick bite. Simply microwave the prepared meals for a few minutes, and for salads, just combine the fresh ingredients.
Fresh and Easy is a separate service from Home Chef – but you get access to its full menu. This allows you to select meals from Home Chef that require a bit more prep and maybe more ingredients you might want to eat. Plus, you can still utilize the Customize It tool for some Fresh and Easy meals.
The primary drawback of this service is the absence of diet-specific options, like keto and vegan meals. Keto enthusiasts should consider Factor's prepared meals or Green Chef’s kits, while Purple Carrot provides ready-made recipes for plant-based dieters.
For any questions or concerns regarding the Fresh and Easy meal line, reach out to Home Chef's live chat customer service via the website or mobile app. You can also consult their easy-to-navigate FAQs for valuable information, just remember that it’ll fall under the Home Chef brand.
You can order 2 meals for 2 people or as many as 6 meals for 6 per week. Prices per recipe start at $7.99 per serving for the maximum order, with the cost per meal increasing if fewer meals are purchased.
Clear recipe cards with images
19 unique meal kits and 8 microwave-ready per week
Dietary options include vegetarian and low-calorie
Blue Apron works with over 100 family-run farms to source the most seasonally fresh, sustainably grown produce and humanely-raised proteins.
You can choose from the following meal plans:
Signature for 2: Blue Apron’s main menu
Vegetarian: includes some pescatarian options
Wellness: Low-calorie and Mediterranean-inspired recipes
Signature for 4: Balanced menu with meals serving 4 people
Blue Apron boasts restaurant-quality dishes with fresh, high-quality ingredients. Living in Sacramento, you're surrounded by locally-sourced produce and natural flavors, which Blue Apron can deliver directly from its family-run farms to your doorstep.
The globally-inspired dishes offered by Blue Apron give you the chance to experiment with new flavors you might not have cooked with before, such as the ponzu sauce and sesame in the Yuzu and Soy-Glazed Tilapia with Aromatic Rice, Green Beans, and Sesame Seeds (pictured above). The cuisine is primarily American, Mediterranean, and Asian-inspired flavors.
Each recipe card features images and straightforward instructions, and you can even find how-to videos on the app, ensuring that chefs of any skill level can successfully cook each recipe. My colleague tested Blue Apron's service and found that the recipes are fun for skilled and unskilled chefs.
For families of 4, parties, or weekly meals – check out the Signature for 4 menu. The Signature for 4 menu includes a selection of Blue Apron’s Signature recipes in portions of 4 servings, including Wellness, Vegetarian, Premium, and Family Friendly options. You can order these recipes if you’re feeding 4 or more, as a party side, or to meal prep for the week.
The menu offers 19 meal kits and 8 microwave-ready meals every week. The menu changes weekly, but you'll still see reoccurring favorites as Blue Apron rotates the menu. There are plenty of choices if you prefer variety over repetition. And microwave-ready meals don't skimp on flavor, like the Miso-Sesame Chicken with Brown Rice and Vegetables. It’s ready in just 5 minutes.
You can add many items, like desserts, breakfasts, and appetizers, to your weekly delivery. Think of fresh dishes like the Orange and Radish Salad with cotija, peanuts, guacamole dressing, sustainably sourced Tail-On Shrimp, and Jalapeño and Smoked Gouda Biscuits for your own complete meal creation.
You'll also see customization options like swapping proteins or Make it Vegetarian in about 10 of its 19 recipes each week. In the above pictured Yuzu and Soy-Glazed Tilapia, you can swap the tilapia for shrimp. You can even see the nutrition facts for each swap when you click the View Recipe button next to the swap option.
However, Blue Apron doesn't offer allergy accommodations. This service is best for people who have no food allergies, are happy with the cuisine options, and want to eat high-quality, fresh, restaurant-grade recipes. Cross-contaminations are also possible for the entire menu, so those with severe allergies may want to try another service.
Meals cost less than dining out in a restaurant and more than planning, shopping for, and preparing your weekly meals, but the convenience of the service and freshness and quality of the produce and proteins may be well worth it for you.
Blue Apron provides great value, with prices starting at $5.74 per serving. The minimum required order is 2 recipes for 2 people, and the maximum order is 5 recipes for 4.
Several weight-loss plans
150+ low-calorie recipes across 7 dietary plans
5- and 7-day programs
BistroMD offers microwavable low-calorie meals for those pursuing weight loss. By ordering any of its plans, you'll enjoy wholesome dishes crafted by registered dietitians and cooked by skilled chefs. Rather than eating less or skipping meals, BistroMD promotes filling, calorie-conscious options for those trying to shed pounds.
Meals are designed to fulfill a 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day diet. Typically, breakfasts contain about 250 calories, with lunches and dinners averaging 300 calories each. Snacks clock in around 200 calories. Check out my colleague’s thoughts on the menu and the assertion BistroMD customers often see results in under 10 days after starting their BistroMD diet plan.
BistroMD is unique in that it offers plans tailored for men and women. Men’s plans include a higher calorie count, while women’s plans include a slightly lower calorie count. You can further personalize your meal plan by selecting from the following plans:
Signature – the main menu of 150+ low-calorie recipes
Gluten Free – wheat-, barley-, and rye-free meals, not certified gluten-free
Heart Healthy – recipes with under 3.5 g of fat per serving
Keto Flex – 85+ less-restrictive alternatives to traditional keto meals
Diabetic – recipes with under 25 g of carbs per serving
Menopause – recipes designed to help manage hormonal changes
Vegan – a program of 25 plant-based meals
In addition to American fare, BistroMD's menu features numerous Mediterranean dishes. If you're craving other international cuisines like Indian, Mexican, or Chinese, explore alternatives such as Blue Apron, whose Wellness Plan is also geared towards weight loss. You can also explore Trifecta’s fully prepared meals tailored to suit athletic lifestyles.
The biggest downside of BistroMD is the lack of customization options. Recipes are designed to meet specific macro and nutrient counts for the plan you choose, and are meant to be consumed as is. Aside from the Gluten-Free plan, you won’t find any allergy accommodations.
You can choose 2 or 3 meals per day for 5 or 7 days per week, and decide whether to include snacks. If you choose 2 meals per day, you’ll get lunches and dinners. The complete 7-day program provides 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, and 6 dinners. BistroMD removes 1 dinner to give you a free evening to indulge as you please.
The cost per serving varies depending on your chosen program. Prices start at $8.24 for the 3 meals for 7 days (minus 1 dinner) plan. The price per serving increases as you order fewer meals. Please note that BistroMD’s shipping is the highest on this list at an extra $19.95 per delivery.
Nutrient-dense, low calorie, and humanely sourced foods – all gluten-free
Over 100 meals
4 plans, including Keto, Paleo, Whole30, and Plant Based
For athletes and health-conscious individuals in Sacramento, Trifecta is the top choice from this list. Trifecta is meant for athletes seeking balanced meals comprised of proteins, veggies, and complex carbs who want to reduce or eliminate time spent planning, shopping, and cooking. All meals are delivered fully prepared, individually packaged, and fresh, making it easy to heat, eat or store as soon as they arrive.
Trifecta only uses seasonally fresh organic produce and humanely-raised clean proteins, and it never uses processed or refined ingredients, preservatives, or additives, ensuring ingredients remain high-quality and nutrient-dense. To maintain optimal nutrition, Trifecta prepares and delivers meals fresh and never frozen. Green Chef's organic ingredients are the only ones that can rival Trifecta's clean offerings.
Various meal plans are available, including:
You can pick your own meals or let Trifecta choose for you. When you sign up, you can select 5, 7, 10, or 14 entrees per delivery. There’s also the option to add the same number of breakfasts, which can be handy for refueling after an early morning gym session.
You can exclude 1 ingredient from a list of options (such as beef, pork, or shellfish). Trifecta limits you to just 1, which might not be enough for picky eaters. Bear in mind that these exclusions don’t change individual meals. They simply filter meals containing your chosen ingredient from the menu, so you’ll see fewer options each week.
Similar to Factor, Trifecta offers consultations with in-house personal trainers and RDs to optimally balance your meal plan with your diet and fitness goals. For more insights on Trifecta's service, you can check out my colleague’s complete review of Trifecta's delivery service., which highlights the communal feeling they found with the in-house trainers and diet coaches.
If you’re single, following your diet plan will be easy since meals arrive individually packaged and portioned for 1 person in microwave-safe trays. This makes eating, heating, storing, or taking on the road very convenient. You won’t have to think twice about what to eat each time you open the fridge since you’ll be pulling out a super clean, optimally macro-balanced, diet-specific meal.
And for those nutrition-tracking nerds – you’ll appreciate Trifecta’s app. You can track exercise, water, and food intake, including each of Trifecta’s recipes. The app even allows you to scan barcodes of additional foods you might incorporate into your meals for seamless nutrient tracking.
However, Trifecta is a premium service and not quite budget-friendly, which means it's pretty pricey. You’ll pay about $300 per week for 21 meals, with per-serving prices beginning at $6.00.
Plant-based meal kits and prepared meals
16 entrees each week, covering 3 meals a day and snacks
Dietary options include high-protein, gluten-free, and more
Purple Carrot specializes in plant-based cuisine catered to vegan diets. The menu excludes meat, cheese, eggs, and all other animal-derived ingredients. If you're in search of delicious and healthy food without animal-based proteins, Purple Carrot is a fantastic option.
This meal delivery service provides both meal kits and prepared meals. Meal kits cater to cooking enthusiasts, while prepared meals are ideal for those with limited time. Typically, the menu offers over 12 meal kit choices and 8 ready-to-eat recipes. Read my colleague's comprehensive review of their nearly flawless experience with Purple Carrot's service.
The menu features dinners, breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and a few pantry items. Around 2 breakfast and lunch options are available on each weekly menu. Breakfasts come in 4 servings, lunches in 2 servings, and dinners in 2 and 4 servings. Additionally, snacks and extras can be chosen from the Plantry.
Purple Carrot also offers a Less Prep category for quicker meal kits. Meals in this group resemble the regular meal kits on the menu but include pre-chopped ingredients and premade sauces. Less Prep dishes also minimize cleanup time, as they typically require fewer utensils during preparation. Look for the Less Prep tag on the menu.
While Purple Carrot sources organic and non-GMO ingredients for its meals, it occasionally faces limitations in acquiring them. If you prefer organic food, consider Green Chef – a USDA-certified organic company.
Navigating the Purple Carrot menu is a breeze. I appreciate the essential information accompanying each meal, such as prep times, ingredients, and macro and calorie counts. Each meal is also labeled with gluten-free, <600 calories, <30 minutes, chef's choice, and high protein.
Purple Carrot's menu highlights a diverse array of international cuisines. You'll find Italian, French, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean recipes, among others. Vegan takes on American classics are also available, like the Mango Poke Bowl with Macadamia Nuts and Nori lunch pictured above.
The cost per serving depends on whether you select meal kits or prepared meals and the number of servings. The minimum weekly meal kit order consists of 3 meals with 2 servings, and the maximum meal kit order includes 3 meals with 4 servings. For prepared meals, you can order 1 serving for 6, 8, or 10 meals. The price per serving begins at $8.50 per serving. A $10 shipping fee applies to orders under $99. Otherwise, delivery is free.
Recipes curated by kitchen guru Martha Stewart
100+ dishes on the menu per week
Dietary options include vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and more
One of the things I love the most about Marley Spoon is its weekly 100-recipe selection. This menu has meals for most preferences. The service accommodates various dietary needs, featuring recipes labeled as low-calorie, no gluten added, and dairy-free. However, you can't browse the menu by your preferences – you'll have to scroll and search.
The menu mainly includes American comfort foods with some globally-inspired fare, catering to those craving more adventurous meals. You'll find familiar dishes like spaghetti and tacos, as well as more internationally-inspired foods such as Thai Red Curry. This makes Marley Spoon ideal for anyone needing to feed fussy eaters or those who enjoy varying their meals.
Marley Spoon’s priority is being budget-friendly, so no diet-specific plans are available. The menu is best suited for those who don't adhere to keto, paleo, vegan, or other specific diets. You may find a few options here and there, but you'll need to closely examine recipes and nutrition facts. Green Chef and Trifecta are better for diet-specific meal plans.
Despite its affordability, Marley Spoon provides an array of customization options. Recipes with customizable features display a yellow Customizable icon on the recipe’s image. This feature allows you to swap proteins or sides for higher quality, easier prep, or pescatarian options. For example, you can upgrade to wild-caught shrimp in the Shrimp Tikka Masala with peas and rice (pictured above).
It's important to note that allergen cross-contamination is possible for the whole menu. Those with severe allergies are better off with a service like Trifecta or Purple Carrot, which offer better allergy-conscious menus.
One downside of this service is that you’ll be required to have pantry items and utensils not normally required by other meal delivery services. However, Marley Spoon compensates for this inconvenience by listing each item you’ll need to complete your recipe on each recipe card on the website. My colleague tested this service and mentioned that anyone who wants to cook at home more frequently will appreciate what Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon has to offer.
For all you eco-conscious Sacramentoans – Marley Spoon is 100% carbon neutral. Furthermore, meal kit ingredients are pre-portioned as required for each recipe, resulting in minimal food waste and less required packaging.
The minimum order per week is 2 meals and the maximum is 6. This means it’s a good service for singles, couples, and small families as you can order 2 or 4 servings per meal. You can even add desserts, microwavable meals, and sides to your order once you’ve signed up. Per serving prices start at $2.99.
With Dinnerly, you can still experience the convenience of meal delivery without breaking the bank. Its 100+ recipe selection is impressive given its affordable price point. You can cover 3 meals a day with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert recipes. You’ll also find fun appetizers like Garlic-Chive-Stuffed Mushrooms or Chorizo Corn & Bean Nachos.
What’s impressive about Dinnerly’s affordable menu is the dietary options. You’ll even find about 5 vegan recipes each week and 25+ vegetarian recipes, with a sprinkle of Keto and plenty of No Gluten Added recipes. While you can’t filter the menu by diet, each recipe is tagged with the diet it can accommodate.
A minor con of budget-friendly meal delivery services like Dinnerly is recipe complexity. Dishes are simple and easy enough for chefs of any skill level to prepare, but you won’t find any gourmet meals or fun culinary projects. Dinnerly’s priority is offering affordable, convenient meal kits. Read more about Dinnerly’s complete menu and service in my colleague’s full review.
You might try Dinnerly’s PremiYUM or microwavable meals with the money you save. PremiYUM meals offer slightly more complex recipes with a small, per-serving upcharge and microwavable meals offer added convenience for those busy days when meal prepping is just too much of a chore.
Overall, Dinnerly is a great choice for budgeting singles or small households. If saving money is your priority, and you don’t mind eating a simple, standard American diet, Dinnerly might be a great meal delivery service for you.
Dinnerly is the cheapest service on my list with per serving prices starting at $2.12. To get this lowest per-serving price, you have to order the maximum meals per week of 24 meals. The minimum order required is 2 meals for 2 people per week.
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Our Rating | 9.8 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 8.6 | 9.5 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.2 | 9.2 |
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Starting Price | $6.19 Per Serving | $9.99 Per Serving | $3.32 Per Serving | $7.99 Per Serving | $7.99 Per Serving | $5.74 Per Serving | $8.24 Per Serving | $6.00 Per Serving | $8.50 Per Serving | $2.99 Per Serving | $2.12 Per Serving |
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Minimum Order | 6 prepared meals | 3 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 10 prepared meals | 7 meals | 3 meal kits for 2 people/6 prepared meals | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meals for 2 people |
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Meal Types | Prepared meals | 30-minute meal kits | Meal kits, speedy kits, prepared meals | Kits, speedy kits, oven-ready | Oven- & grill-ready, kits, prepared | 5 - 60 min. meal kits | Prepared meals | Prepared | Meal kits, prepared meals | 30 min. meal kits | 30-minute meal kits |
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Prep Time | 2-3 min | 25-40 min | 5-50 min | 5-50 min | 15-30 min | 5-45 min | 2-3 min | 0-3 min | 3-40 min | 20-40 min | 20-45 min |
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Here are 4 essential tips to help you make the best decision when you're searching for the perfect meal delivery service to meet your needs and preferences.
Prioritize freshness and quality: Opt for services that use high-quality ingredients such as local, sustainably sourced, grass-fed, and organic products. Given that Sacramento is renowned as the Farm-to-Fork capital, it's crucial not to compromise on the quality of your local options. Green Chef is known for delivering organic, fresh, and seasonal ingredients in its meal kits, ensuring a superior cooking experience.
Consider dietary restrictions: It's crucial to select a meal delivery service that can accommodate your specific dietary requirements. Each menu on this list caters to different allergens and dietary accommodations, so scrutinize plans and recipes meticulously. Factor is an excellent option for specific diets as it offers five meal plans ranging from Keto to Vegan and Veggie.
Consider recipe prep time and complexity: Ease of meal prep and cooking time required are important factors when selecting a meal delivery service. You don’t want to subscribe to a service to reduce your weekly meal prep time and end up with recipes that take an average of 45 minutes to prep and require cooking skills you don’t have.
Think green: Meal delivery can create a lot of waste. If you care about the environment, go for a service that uses eco-friendly packaging and responsible sourcing. Marley Spoon, for example, has a carbon-neutral delivery system, which really sets it apart.
Yes – some of the services I recommended, such as Factor, Green Chef, and Trifecta, cater to specific diets. Trifecta offers similar plans to Green Chef and Factor, including a build-your-own-recipes plan called Meal Prep that’s best for omnivores, plus High Protein Vegan and High Protein Vegetarian plans.
Many of the services on my list use locally sourced ingredients and prioritize using sustainably-sourced, hormone-free foods. These include Green Chef, Blue Apron, and Purple Carrot. To ensure the quality and sourcing of ingredients, you can read through vendor FAQs to determine whether sourcing policies seem transparent and whether partnerships with local farms or artisan producers are emphasized.
You can expect an average price per serving of $9 to $15 per meal, with per serving prices varying by what vendor, meal plans, add-ons, or upgrades you choose. Some companies offer discounts or promotions for first-time customers or larger orders, which can help reduce the overall cost. For more budget-friendly services, you can check out our review of the Best Cheapest Meal Delivery Services 2023.
Consider reading each service’s FAQs, which is where you can typically find sourcing policies. FAQs often include information about packaging materials, the company’s efforts to reduce food and delivery material waste, and local and organic farm partnerships. Marley Spoon is a 100% carbon neutral meal delivery service and has plenty of information on its website about how the service achieves this.