10 Best Meal Delivery Services in San Diego 2022: Updated List

Finding the best meal delivery service for your specific likes, dietary needs, or to fit in with your schedule can feel like a lot of effort, especially in a city as food-diverse as San Diego.

But when you find the right one, it’s totally worth it. Which is why I’ve taken a close look at more than 20 meal delivery services across all diets and tastes, rounded up the best, and reviewed them based on price, cuisine, and how delicious they are.

Of all of the meal delivery services I’ve reviewed, my top choice is Home Chef. Not only does it have a great range of meal types that work for all kinds of schedules, but its excellent customization options allow you to switch up the protein in almost every recipe. Sounds good, right?    

The Best Meal Delivery Services Reviewed

1. Home Chef – Best All-Around Meal Kit Service in San Diego

Key Features

• Customize It feature allows you to swap, upgrade, and double-up on protein 

• 20+ recipes per week  

• Dietary options include vegetarian, and calorie- and carb-conscious

• Current deal: Get 16 Free Meals!

One of the best things about Home Chef has to be how flexible it is. Almost all the meals can be “upgraded” or customized by swapping out or doubling-up on the protein in each recipe. 

As well as that, lots of the meals can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, with speedy meal kits and oven-ready dishes.

Recipes are rotated weekly, meaning you’ll never get bored, while there are also just enough options for those on a calorie-conscious or carb-conscious diet. You can read more about both of these plans in my colleague’s Home Chef review.

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!

2. Blue Apron – Best Gourmet Meal Kits in San Diego

Key Features

• Fun add-ons include wine pairings, kitchen tools, and pantry items   

• 19 meal kits and prepared meals per week 

• Dietary options include diabetes-friendly and WW-approved recipes 

• Current deal: $110 off across your first 5 boxes!

With a great balance of comfort food dishes and healthy recipes – many of which are inspired by cuisines around the world, Blue Apron is great for those who want to keep things interesting. 

For those who enjoy cooking, the meal kits are packed with fresh, colorful ingredients. But there are alsoa few prepared meals on the menu for those busy nights. Check out my colleague’s Blue Apron review for more details.

There’s a Vegetarian plan and a Wellness Plan as well as a four-person and two-person Signature plan. Keep in mind that there’s not really anything for vegans, though, beyond being able to customize the vegetarian menu using items from your own kitchen. 

3. Green Chef – Best For Organic Ingredients

Key Features

• Recyclable packaging – some of the best I've seen on the market

• 9-12 recipes on the menu each week

• Dietary plans include Plant-Powered and Keto + Paleo

• Current deal: Get $130 Off + Free Shipping

Green Chef was the very first meal kit delivery service to be certified organic. Thanks to its healthy recipes and clean ingredients, it's a top choice for vegans, vegetarians, and keto, and paleo dieters. 

There are also plans geared towards each of these diets, which you can read more about in this in-depth review.

I found that most of the recipes are easily assembled and cooked within 30 minutes, with ingredients arriving prepared for you (chopped, mixed, and more), complete with detailed instructions.

Green Chef is truly committed to the environment, too. This was one of the only meal kit delivery services I found with packaging that’s almost 100% recyclable. It also has a fantastic delivery process with your box being trackable from the moment it leaves the warehouse.

4. HelloFresh – Best Family-Friendly Meal Kits

Key Features

• Quick and easy meals available, including one-pot, and more

• 35 recipes each week

• Dietary options include vegetarian, pescatarian, and low-calorie 

• Current deal: 16 Free Meals + 3 Gifts + Free Shipping

Although it doesn't have many dietary-specific plans (vegans and paleo eaters, this might not be your best choice), HelloFresh does have some brilliant menu filters such as Easy Prep and Easy Cleanup, which make sure you only get the meals that suit your lifestyle. 

Read more about this in my colleague’s HelloFresh review.

There are more than 35 crowd-pleasing recipes on the menu each week, across plans that include Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family Friendly, and Fit & Wholesome. That, combined with those filters, is a winning combination in my book! 

You’ll also be able to edit your order up to five days before your delivery slot.

5. Sunbasket – Best for Dietary-Specific Meals

Key Features

• Healthy and exciting dishes inspired by global cuisines 

• 35+ meal kits and prepared meals each week  

• Dietary options include paleo, Mediterranean, diabetes-friendly, and more  

• Current deal: $90 off Plus a Free Gift!

Sunbasket is an excellent choice for meal kit delivery in San Diego. It has a huge range of dietary-specific plans (the largest range I've seen), with a whopping 10 to choose from. You can read more about this in my colleague’s in-depth Sunbasket review.

Although Sunbasket pays close attention to the number of calories per serving (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.

All that coupled with an average 30-minute prep time and easy-to-follow recipe cards makes Sunbasket a top choice. And there’s a range of prepared meals to choose from, too!

6. Marley Spoon – Martha Stewart-Approved Meal Kits

Key Features

• Easy-to-follow recipes and quality ingredients

• 40+ dishes on the menu, plus seasonal extras 

• Dietary options include vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and more 

• Current deal: Get $120 off Your First 5 Boxes

Marley Spoon may be a big name in the meal delivery space thanks to its partnership with Martha Stewart, but believe the hype, people – the home-style meal kits are balanced, varied, and packed with high-quality ingredients. 

They’re also very reasonably priced compared to other services, making this a great option for families. You can find out more about the plans and pricing in my colleague’s in-depth review.

Each week you’ll find plenty of options for vegetarians and vegans, as well as meals that are dairy-free, gluten-free, lower-calorie, kid-friendly, and more. There’s also a category for dishes that can be on the table in less than 30 minutes – because dinner waits for no hungry child! 

7. Freshly – Best For Nutritionist-Designed Prepared Meals

Key Features

• No cooking required – just heat and eat in three minutes

• 50+ meals on the menu 

• Dietary options include gluten-free, dairy-free, low-calorie, and more  

• Current deal: Save $125, Promo Code: SAVE125AFF

Whether you're looking to bulk up, lose weight, or you’re just not much of a cook, Freshly could be a great meal delivery option for you.

Although at first, it might be tough to pick from the selection of more than 50 meals each week (check out the sorts of dishes you can expect in this Freshly review), you can browse by categories such as Purely Plant and FreshlyFit, making the whole process less overwhelming.

There’s not as much choice for vegans as there is for meat-eaters, but for those looking to manage their weight, Freshly takes all of the guesswork and calculation out of preparing your food.

8. Purple Carrot – Best Plant-Based Meals in San Diego

Key Features

• Strong focus on making veggies exciting 

• 20 entrees each week, plus breakfast and lunch items  

• Dietary options include soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, and more 

• Current deal: Get $25 Off & FREE Delivery

For a high-quality meal delivery experience, Purple Carrot is up there with some of the best. Even better, it focuses solely on plant-based meals, with an ever-changing selection of vegan meal kits, prepared meals, and even breakfast, lunch, and pantry items. 

You can find out more about Purple Carrot’s offerings and some of my colleague’s favorite recipes in this tried-and-tested review.

Needless to say, the company’s inspired dishes make the veggies the star of the show with a focus on healthy plant-based proteins, such as beans and organic tofu, as opposed to the processed meat substitutes that some services offer as vegan alternatives. 

9. Fresh n’ Lean – Best for Prepared, Fitness-Focused Food

Key Features

• Locally grown, non-GMO, gluten-free, and certified organic ingredients

• 13-16 prepared meals each week

• Dietary options include keto, paleo, vegan, and more 

• Current deal: $20 off 1st Box + 15% Off All Orders

Fresh n’ Lean is the perfect option for anyone who doesn’t have time to spend in the kitchen but still wants healthy, organic, low-calorie meals. 

There are seven plans to choose from, including Keto, Protein+, Paleo, Low-Carb Vegan, and more. 

Find out more about these (and the others!) 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 purchases), your meals will be decided for you. Having said that, Fresh n’ Lean does a great job of choosing these, with crowd-pleasing breakfast, lunch, and dinner options.

10. Grubhub – Best For Restaurant Food Delivery in San Diego

Key Features

• Enjoy frequent promotions

• Monthly membership option for anyone looking to avoid delivery fees

• Try out Grubhub+ commitment-free for two weeks

• Current deal: null

Differing from the others on our list, Grubhub is a food delivery service. It’s also one of America’s better-established food delivery services. Through Grubhub you can order meals from your favorite participating local restaurants with the convenience of never having to step foot outside your door.

A great benefit of Grubhub is that it regularly offers promotions. The standard delivery fees are typically under $7, or you can get free delivery with a monthly subscription to Grubhub+ for $9.99 per month.

Grubhub currently serves more than 300,000 restaurants in more than 3,200 cities across the United States, including San Diego. Check out its website or user-friendly app to see what local restaurants are currently available.

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Meal Delivery Service in San Diego 

From healthy frozen meals to recipe card subscription services, it can be hard to know which meal delivery service might suit your lifestyle the best. Here’s everything you need to consider:  

• Meal type: Consider the types of meals each service provides and which will work best with your schedule. Are lunchtimes and weeknights often hectic for you? Perhaps prepared meals would be best. Love cooking and want to add to your repertoire? Meal kits could be fun. Even better, choose a service that offers both so you can switch it up. 

• Your dietary needs: If you have allergies or restrictions, it’s vital to find a service that can cater to your needs, whether that’s vegan, veggie, low-sodium, soy-free, or others. If you’re gluten-free, I highly recommend opting for a company that prepares its meals in certified gluten-free kitchens, such as Freshly

• Menu variety: Eating the same meals week after week can get repetitive, so choose a service that offers plenty of variety and cuisine types. Also look out for services that offer seasonal items or weekly offers, like Home Chef, Sunbasket, and Marley Spoon.  

• Portion sizes: Check out the plans and make sure they work for you. For example, Home Chef allows you to order for up to six people, while most prepared meals are single-serving portions only. 

Bottom Line: Why Choose a Meal Delivery Service?

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, or don't have time, meal delivery services can make your life easier. 

FAQ

What is the best prepared meal delivery service in San Diego?

That would have to be the Fast & Fresh meals from Home Chef. There’s a whole range of low-prep meals, too, including 15-minute meal kits. 

Which meal delivery service is best for diabetics in San Diego?

I strongly recommend Sunbasket for diabetics due to its specific Diabetes-Friendly Plan. You'll also get a wide variety of options to choose from every week, and creative, flavorful meals too! 

Elsewhere, Blue Apron also offers a range of diabetes-friendly meals as part of its Wellness plan.

Which meal delivery service is best for vegetarians in San Diego?

Veggies have their pick as most meal delivery services offer some kind of vegetarian plan these days. My favorite has to be Green Chef for its organic Plant-Powered plan.

If you’re looking for strictly plant-based meals, however, Purple Carrot’s all-vegan menu is an excellent choice. 

What is the most affordable meal delivery service in San Diego?

Blue Apron is one of the most affordable San Diego meal delivery services, with portions starting from just $3.24 on the Signature For 4 Plan.