Best Meal Delivery
Reviews
Blog
Finding the best meal delivery service for your specific likes, dietary needs, or to fit in with your schedule is a nightmare, especially in a city as food-diverse as San Diego.
But all is not lost! I’ve taken a close look at over 20 meal delivery services across all diets and tastes, rounded up the best, and reviewed them based on price, cuisine, and how tasty they are.
From all of the meal delivery services I’ve reviewed, my top choice is Sunbasket. It has the best range of dietary-specific meal kits (vegan, paleo, gluten-free, diabetic, and more) that I've seen from one meal kit service.
Sunbasket – Best for special diets, including vegan and diabetes
Green Chef – The top choice for fully-organic ingredients
Blue Apron – The cheapest meal kit on the market
Wide range of specialist plans available – Vegan, Paleo, Mediterranean, and more!
Huge portion sizes – the biggest I’ve seen on the market
Helpful guidance available – videos, tips, and technique walkthroughs
Family plan available – kid-friendly meal kits and prepared meals
This is my top choice for meal kit delivery in San Diego. It has a huge range of dietary-specific plans (the largest range I've seen on the market), with a whopping 10 menu options to choose from. You can read more about this in our in-depth Sunbasket review.
Although Sunbasket pays close attention to the number of calories per portion (most of which fall between 500-800), it doesn't skimp on the portion size and creativity of its meals. While other meal kits might stick to standard, American fare, Sunbasket really goes all-out to bring you exciting flavors and creative meal ideas.
All that coupled with a 30-minute prep time, and an easy-to-follow recipe card makes Sunbasket a top choice.
100% fresh and organic ingredients, responsibly sourced
Recyclable packaging – some of the best I've seen on the market
Ingredients prepared for you – just put them together to cook/bake, et voila!
Special dietary plans available, including Keto + Paleo
Green Chef is the very first meal kit delivery service certified to be 100% organic. That means it's a top choice (and my top pick) for plant-powered, keto, and paleo dieters. There are also plans geared towards each of these diets, which you can read more about in this in-depth Green Chef review.
I found that most recipes are easily assembled and cooked within 30-minutes, with ingredients arriving prepared for you (chopped, mixed, and more), complete with very detailed instructions.
Green Chef is truly committed to the environment. This was one of the only meal kit delivery services I found with packaging that’s almost 100% recyclable. It has a fantastic delivery process with your box being trackable from the moment it leaves the warehouse, and you have up to seven days before your delivery to edit your order.
One of the least expensive meal kit deliveries on the market
Free delivery on plans with more than three meals a week
11 recipe options a week, across three plans
Easily filter out certain allergens or food aversions (such as pork, seafood, and others)
If you want to give meal kits a try, but don't want to be out of pocket, then Blue Apron is the perfect experience for you. It’s one of the most affordable meal kit delivery services on the market and there’s even enough choice for fussy eaters. For a more in-depth idea, check out my colleague’s Blue Apron review.
There’s a Vegetarian plan and a Wellness Plan as well as a four-person and a two-person Signature plan. There’s not really anything for vegans beyond being able to customize the vegetarian menu. In the other plans, you'll be able to filter out certain allergens and food avoidances.
Overall, Blue Apron is a nice and easy basic meal-kit service.
Range of quick and easy recipes available – recipes for under 20 minutes, one-pot, and more.
Less expensive than other healthy kits on the market
Kid-friendly and family-friendly recipes available
Quality produce, fresh from the farm, delivered to you
Although it doesn't have any dietary-specific meal plans (vegans and paleo eaters, this might not be your best choice), HelloFresh does have some brilliant menu filters such as total cook time and prep time, which makes sure you only get the meals that suit your lifestyle. You can read more about this in my colleague’s HelloFresh review.
There are up to 20 recipes a week, across plans for Meat and Veggies, Veggie, Family Friendly, and Calorie Smart. That, combined with those filters, is a winning combination in my books! You’ll also be able to edit your order up to five days before your delivery slot.
Easily customizable meals and menu plans allow you to swap, upgrade, and double up ingredients
Fresh and prepared meals available
Super easy, step-by-step instructions
One of the best things about Home Chef has to be just how flexible it is. All meals can be upgraded and customized by doubling up or swapping certain ingredients. As well as that, most meals can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.
Recipes are rotated weekly, meaning you’ll never get bored, while there are also just enough options for those on a calorie-conscious (under 625 calories) or carb-conscious (under 35 grams) diet. You can read more about both of these plans in my colleague’s expert Home Chef review/prodcutReviewLink.
Unfortunately, vegans and other specialty diet followers might struggle to find a lot to suit them, but for non-specialty diets, there’s a lot to love... and that all-important flexibility!
Weight loss-centric, dietitian-built meals so you don’t need to worry about calculating macronutrients or counting calories
500+ options available across four plans – so you'll never be bored!
Easily build your own menu, swapping meals if you wish
No-prep or cook, just heat your meal in the microwave
Whether you're looking to lose weight, manage your diabetes, or you’re just not much of a cook, then Diet-to-Go is the best meal delivery option for you.
Although at first, it might be tough to pick from the 500+ meals on offer (you can check out the sorts of dishes on offer over in this Diet-to-Go review), you can browse by breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks making the whole process less overwhelming. You can learn all about it in this dedicated Diet-to-Go review.
There’s little choice for vegans but for any non-vegans looking to manage their weight, Diet-to-Go takes all of the guesswork and calculation out of preparing your food. You don't even need to cook it, just heat it up in the microwave, and your weight loss journey has begun!
100% vegan meals, delivered straight to you, no cooking necessary!
96%+ fully organic ingredients
Free shipping when you enable auto-delivery
Kid-friendly vegan meals available, too
Veestro is the best option if you follow an exclusively vegan diet, but don't want the hassle of actually having to cook. You can read more in my Veestro review.
Veestro goes above and beyond for even the fussiest vegan eaters (and kids): you can easily filter out the meals on offer for gluten, soy, nuts, high-protein, low calories, and more. There’s even an option to view kosher meals only.
With fully-recyclable packaging (yay!), your meal will arrive pre-cooked and can last in the fridge for up to five days, or in the freezer for eight weeks. There’s also free shipping when you turn on auto-deliveries.
No need to cook, just heat and eat!
Locally grown, non-GMO, gluten-free, and certified organic ingredients
One-time orders available – no need to lock yourself into a plan
Free shipping available
Fresh n’Lean is the perfect option for anyone who doesn’t have time to spend in the kitchen but still wants 100% organic, low-calorie meals. There are five plans to choose from: Keto, Protein+, Paleo, Plant-Based, and Low-Carb Plant-Based – find out more about these in this full Fresh n’Lean review.
But there’s one catch: unless you're ordering from the a la carte menu (where you get to make one-off orders), your meals will be set for you. Having said that, Fresh n’Lean does a great job of choosing these, with mouth-watering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options.
Order a prepared Signature meal or build your own meal and menu according to your favorite ingredients and dishes
Order small, large, or custom meals, depending on your preferences
Meals are broken down into protein, veggies, carbs, and sauce, allowing more flexibility
All ingredients are 100% gluten-free, all-natural, and contain fresh ingredients
If you're looking to use a meal kit as a way to support you towards a healthier eating lifestyle, rather than a quick fix, then the Lean Machine Meal Prep helps you on your way, with no fuss or hassle anywhere.
Not only are all of its ingredients 100% gluten-free, fresh, and all-natural, but it's also highly customizable: build your own menu, set your portion size, and even decide whether you want protein, carbs, veggies, or sauce. You'll pay individually for each type of portion!
The recipes on offer are delicious, with no cooking required...but vegans and vegetarians, this one’s not for you as meat or fish options are the only protein choices.
San Diego-based meal prep
All ingredients are organic and gluten-free
Paleo, keto, and vegetarian plans available
One-off ordering or weekly ordering available
Michaela’s Meals in a Nutshell
If you're looking for something close to home, it doesn't get more local than Michaela’s Meals. Based in and delivering to the Greater San Diego area, this is your answer to healthy, organic, and gluten-free meal delivery. Choose from a range of options including vegetarian (not vegan), paleo, keto, and classic, across 5-14 meals a week, which you can choose for either one-off or weekly delivery.
Meals are kept on the low-calorie, low-carb side, with clearly displayed nutritional information and ingredients. You can also “bulk” your order with an extra 2oz of protein, or double the carbohydrates – a perfect solution for athletes and those looking to bulk up themselves!
Meals starting from | Diet options | Shipping costs | Meal variety | ||
$8.99 per serving | Vegan, paleo, mediterranean, low-carb, diabetic, weight loss, pescetarian | $6.99 per week | 18+ options p/menu | ||
$11.99 a serving | $7.99 per week | 9 options per menu | |||
$7.49 for three meals a week for four people | $6.99 per week | 17+ options per menu | |||
Meals starting at $6.99 | Free over $45, $10 if under | 21+ options per menu | |||
Starting from $8.57 | $9.99 per week | 500+ options per plan | |||
$9.90 per portion | Free | 50 options per week | |||
$7.49 per serving | Free shipping on three recipes per week and up; $7.99 per week on two recipes per week | 17+ options p/menu | |||
From $7.93 per meal | Free | 12+ options per menu | |||
From $9 per meal | None | $8.25 per week | 17+ options per week | ||
From $65 per week (five meals subscription) | keto, paleo, vegetarian | Free | 16+ options per menu |
Meal delivery services come in all shapes and sizes, meaning there’s definitely at least one out there that could be the perfect fit for your lifestyle. So whether you don't know what to cook, how to cook, don't have time, or are trying to stick to a specific diet, meal delivery services can help make your life easier.
And, regardless of whether a pandemic rages, you can't get to the supermarket, or find a delivery slot, you can rely on your meal kit provider to get your order to you, every time!
That would have to be the prepared meals from Sunbasket. You get organic meals made with ethically-sourced ingredients. What could be better than that?
If you're looking for dietary-specific prepared meals, then the best option for you could be Veestro for prepared vegan meals or Fresh n’Lean, for organic and gluten-free meals.
I strongly recommend Sunbasket for diabetics due to its specific Diabetes-Friendly plan. You'll also get up to 20 options to choose from every week, and creative, flavorful meals too!
Vegetarians have their pick as most meal delivery services offer some kind of vegetarian plan in San Diego! My favorite has to be HelloFresh’s Veggie plan. It has recipes with under 20-minutes of prep and cook time, kid-friendly recipes, and one-pot recipes, too.
Blue Apron is the most affordable San Diego meal delivery kit on the market, with portions starting from just $7.49 on the Family plan. Another option is The Lean Machine Meal Prep, which charges you separately per “type” of food you include – protein, veggies, sauce, and carbs – meaning you can build a meal that really works for you and your budget!