10 Best Meal Delivery Services in Sacramento 2023: Top List

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 Blue Apron with its commitment to using locally-sourced ingredients, hormone- and antibiotic-free proteins, and thoughtfully curated recipes. Blue Apron prides itself on primarily using sustainably-sourced ingredients from small farms that have environmental, animal, and human health in mind.

Read on to discover more fresh and convenient meal delivery service options.

The Best Meal Delivery Services in Sacramento Reviewed

1. Blue Apron–  Best Overall Meal Delivery Service in Sacramento

Blue Apron is the best overall meal delivery service in Sacramento. This service 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: Weight Watcher’s approved 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.

I particularly appreciate Blue Apron's optional wine delivery and pairing service. If you're a wine enthusiast, the combination of Blue Apron's meal kits, prepared meals, and wine delivery is too good to pass. You can explore new varieties, choose favorites, or follow the recommended pairings on each meal's recipe card.

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 maybe 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 4 recipes for 4.

3. Green Chef – Best Organic Meal Delivery Service in Sacramento

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 30 recipes across 7 plans:

• Keto – featuring low carb, moderate protein, and high fat recipes

• Gluten-Free – offering recipes without added gluten, though not certified gluten-free

• 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 Fast & Fit 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 $5.99 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.

4. HelloFresh –  Easy Yet Delicious Meal Delivery Service for Sacramentoans

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.

5. Home Chef – Great Customizable Familiar Favorites

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. The menu rarely offers vegan-friendly or plant-based recipes.

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.

6. Fresh and Easy – Great Easy Prep Recipes

7. BistroMD – Fully Prepared Low-Calorie Meals

8. Trifecta – Super Clean Microwavable Meals for Athletic Sacramentoans

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 uses 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:

• Clean – non-diet-specific Trifecta-selected recipes

• Keto – recipes with an average macro balance of 30 g protein, 28 g net carbs, 20 g fat

• Paleo – recipes with an average macro balance of 30 g protein, 28 g net carbs, 20 g fat

• High Protein Vegetarian – vegetarian recipes with at least 21 g protein per serving

• High Protein Vegan – vegan recipes with at least 21 g protein per serving

• Whole30 – recipes with about 28 g net carbs per serving, certified Whole30

• Meal Prep – build-your-own-recipes plan from Trifecta’s super clean ingredients

• Classic – order a la carte from 9 recipes each week

A convenient and engaging aspect of this service is Trifecta’s Meal Prep plan, which enables you to select from Trifecta's fully prepared ingredients, including fish and meats like grass-fed bison, complex carbs like quinoa and brown rice, and veggies like broccoli and butternut squash, to create your own meals.

All Meal Prep foods are minimally prepped with healthy ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, onion, garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Since flavoring is minimal for meal prep plan ingredients, you might want to season-to-taste before eating your meal.

The primary drawback of Trifecta's menu is that you can’t see what recipes are available for each plan, except on the Classic plan. The reasoning behind this is that ingredients rotate seasonally, and recipes rotate weekly to ensure variety and ingredient freshness. However, this is such a drawback for anyone who wants to avoid a particular ingredient. You’ll have to contact Trifecta’s customer service to ensure your recipes fit your needs.

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.

10. Marley Spoon – Extensive Menu of Affordable Meal Kits 

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.

Quick Comparison Table

Top Plans
Top Plans	See Menu	See Menu	See Menu	See Menu	See Menu	See Menu	See Menu	See Menu	See Menu	See Menu
Our Rating
Our Rating	9.7 Read Full Review	9.6 Read Full Review	9.6 Read Full Review	9.5 Read Full Review	9.4 Read Full Review	9.3 Read Full Review	9.2 Read Full Review	9.0 Read Full Review	9.1 Read Full Review	8.8 Read Full Review
Starting Price
Starting Price	$5.74 Per Serving	$6.19 Per Serving	$5.99 Per Serving	$3.32 Per Serving	$7.99 Per Serving	$7.99 Per Serving	$8.24 Per Serving	$6.00 Per Serving	$8.50 Per Serving	$2.99 Per Serving
Minimum Order
Minimum Order	2 meals for 2 people	6 prepared meals	3 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
Meal Types
Meal Types	20 - 60 min. meal kits	Prepared meals	30-minute meal kits	20 - 30 min. meal kits	Kits, speedy kits, oven-ready, prepared	Oven- & grill-ready, kits, prepared	Prepared meals	Prepared	Meal kits, prepared meals	30 min. meal kits
Prep Time
Prep Time	5-45 min	2-3 min	25-40 min	15-40 min	5-50 min	15-30 min	2-3 min	0-3 min	3-40 min	20-40 min
Active Deals
Active Deals	Enjoy $180 off across your first 6 orders	Up to $276 off!	Get $250 off + free shipping	18 free meals + first box ships free + 3 surprise gifts with code DR18HF	Get 18 Free Meals (50% off your first 4 boxes)!	Get 18 Free Meals (50% off your first 4 boxes)!	40% OFF + free shipping on your first week	Get $120 off your first 6 boxes with code DR120	Get $30 off with code carrot30	Get $250 off your first 8 boxes!

Tips for Choosing the Best Meal Delivery Services in Sacramento

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.

• Consider freshness and quality: Opt for a service that emphasizes fresh, high-quality ingredients like locally sourced, sustainably caught, grass-fed, and organic. Sacramento is the Farm-to-Fork capital, and you don’t want to downgrade from your local options! Green Chef is known for delivering organic, fresh, seasonal ingredients in their meal kits, ensuring a top-notch culinary 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. Blue Apron provides meals with partially prepped ingredients, a wide range of cooking times, and familiar recipes, allowing for a hassle-free cooking experience.

• Consider sustainability: Meal delivery services can incur a ton of extra plastic, cardboard, and food waste, so if you're eco-conscious, choose a service that prioritizes sustainable packaging and sourcing practices. Marley Spoon’s shipping and delivery system is 100% carbon neutral, which is rare among delivery services.

FAQ

Are there meal delivery services in Sacramento that cater to specific diets?

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.

Which meal delivery services in Sacramento use high-quality, locally sourced ingredients?

Many of the services on my list use locally sourced ingredients and prioritize using sustainably-sourced, hormone-free foods. These include Blue Apron, Green Chef, 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.

What is the average price per meal for the best meal delivery services in Sacramento?

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.

How can I find the most eco-friendly meal delivery services in Sacramento?

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.

Best Meal Delivery Services in Sacramento in 2023 — Final Score