10 Best Meal Delivery Services in Tucson 2023: Updated List

Meal kits and prepared meals are a great way to improve your life in Tucson. These services can help you save time and money, making it easier to enjoy all the amenities in this gorgeous southwestern city.

Not all meal delivery services are equal, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. As a foodie who loves to mess around in the kitchen, I’ve done a deep dive with thorough research to rank the 10 best meal delivery services in Tucson this year.

After much deliberation, my top choice is Factor. I based my choice on its wide menu variety and focus on health-conscious prepared meals. My expert colleagues and I ensured every company on this list has something to offer, so read on!

The Best Meal Delivery Services in Tucson Reviewed

1. Factor – Best for Busy Professionals in Tucson

Factor is a meal delivery service that specializes in diet-friendly prepared meals. The menu consists of single-serving dishes designed to be tastier and healthier than your average store-bought frozen dinner. In fact, Factor’s meals are never frozen and always delivered fresh.

I like that there are no restrictions, so you can add any meal you want to your box. And the options go from the classic Potato Leek Mash & Grilled Chicken to more upscale dishes like the Truffle Butter Filet Mignon, which is part of the Gourmet Plus section. 

Each entrée is designed to be healthy and nutritious without sacrificing flavor. Plus, the menu rotates weekly to keep your palate entertained. You’ll also find a good selection of vegetarian and vegan options (around 3 options for each category each week), which works well for those with dietary restrictions.

The menu has options from international cuisines, such as Mexican, Mediterranean, and Asian. Recently my colleague tried Factor's meals for their review and loved the overall culinary diversity and authentic taste. 

Factor offers limited customization options since all its meals are premade. But you have all the necessary information (allergen info included) with each recipe. This way, you can make an informed decision when adding a meal to your order.

Another feature I love about Factor is the Add-ons section. Here you can find a multitude of items, such as smoothies, juices, shakes, breakfasts, healthy desserts, sides, and cooked proteins. And the items change every week!

Factor's pricing starts at $6.19 per serving, which is a bit steep. This is especially in comparison to more affordable services like HelloFresh. If you can afford it, however, you won’t find a more convenient source of healthy lunches and dinners.

2. Green Chef – Best for Clean Eating and Dietary Preferences

Green Chef prides itself on providing organic, wholesome, and easy-to-cook meal kits. The company stands out due to its commitment to using sustainable and high-quality ingredients from trusted sources. 

This meal delivery service is a CCOF-Certified Organic company, but that doesn’t mean all its ingredients are organic. Produce and eggs are organic whenever possible. The meat and seafood ingredients, while not always organic, come from reputable providers that use humane and sustainable methods.

The Green Chef menu caters to various dietary preferences, including keto and vegan. It also features cuisines from around the world, including Pan-Asian, Mediterranean, and South American. 

The service provides speedy recipes with useful shortcuts. Most are easy to follow with minimal prep times of 30 minutes or less. This truly impressed my colleague while they tested the service for our in-depth Green Chef review.

Green Chef doesn’t offer meal customization options, but you can choose based on your dietary preferences. Each week, you’ll find around 8 gluten-free dishes, 5 plant-based meals, and 4 keto recipes. There are also 10-min Lunches as well as brunch options and bundles.

To spice your order up, Green Chef has a well-stocked Add-Ons section. Here, you’ll find essentials like cooked proteins, healthy desserts, lunch and brunch options, and more. But keep in mind that these items are priced separately, so anything you add comes at an additional cost.

Speaking of pricing, Green Chef’s meals start at $5.99 per serving for the maximum order. The service has plans for families (with 4 or 6 members) and couples and lets you order between 2 and 4 servings per person.

3. HelloFresh – Best Convenient Meal Kits in Tucson

HelloFresh offers a collection of recipes that are perfect for families, couples, and singles alike. Its plans include Meat & Veggies, Fit & Wholesome, Quick & Easy, Pescatarian, and more. These guide your recommendations, but you’ll always have access to the full menu.

Meal choices include fan favorites marked with a Hall of Fame tag. There are also plant-based meals, like the Vegan Street Cart-Style Chickpea Bowls, and fresh seafood options, like the Miso Maple–Glazed Salmon. My colleague taste-tasted HelloFresh for themself and was thoroughly impressed with the flavors.

HelloFresh’s extensive menu is varied, including low-prep meal kits and gourmet recipes. The quick-prep recipes take around 20-30 minutes to prepare and are easy to find by following tags like Quick, Easy-Prep, or One-Pan. The fancier gourmet recipes are labeled as Premium Picks, take between 40 and 55 minutes to prep and cook, and come with an additional cost.

The HelloCustom feature is useful if you want to mix things up on the menu. This option is available for around 12 recipes each week, and it allows you to swap proteins and sides to find options that best fit your preferences.

This service also has a surprisingly well-stocked Marketplace section. Here, you’ll find a wide variety of items, such as lunches, breakfasts, ready-made meals, sides, snacks, cooked proteins, kids' lunches, smoothies, bread, desserts, and more. These items are priced individually and come as an extra to your order.

The price per serving starts at $3.32 for the maximum order of 6 meals for 4 people per week. The price per serving is higher for smaller orders, but I found it to still be quite affordable. 

4. Home Chef – Best for Customizable Recipes

Home Chef’s menu variety and customization options make it perfect for a city like Tucson. The service caters to foodies, families, busy professionals, and anyone who craves a convenient, flavorful meal that takes 30 to 40 minutes to prep and cook. Plus, many of these recipes help you create restaurant-quality meals in the comfort of your home.

The menu includes a wide variety of dishes for every taste bud, from picky eaters to foodies. For foodies, Home Chef has the Culinary Collection, where you’ll find premium options. For vegetarians, there are around 5 to 7 entrees each week. And for people on a diet, there are carb- and calorie-conscious recipes.

Home Chef’s recipes are easy to cook, and you can pick meals that fit your skills. For instance, if you don’t like spending much time in the kitchen, the menu features Easy Prep, Oven-ready, and Express meal kits that are ready in under 30 minutes. You can read more about this in our in-depth Home Chef review.

Most recipes let you swap, upgrade, or double up on protein as needed. For example, you can make your Sunday Supper Pot Roast Meatballs vegetarian or swap the beef for pork. This extends your menu options and opens up new horizons for people who have specific dietary needs.

The customization option offered by Home Chef (Customize It) lets you swap or upgrade the protein as needed. As a result, it’s incredibly easy to find meals you like, even if you have to play a little with the ingredients. And if you can’t find the right combination of ingredients, you always have the Extras section, which is packed with options for lunch, breakfast, dessert, and more.

With Home Chef, you can order for couples and families (with 4 and 6 members), and prices start at $7.99 per serving. Each item is individually priced.

5. Fresh and Easy –  Best for Quick, Easy, and Delicious Meals

Fresh and Easy is Home Chef's convenient option for those who lead busy lives. The service provides easy-prep meal kits that require less than 30 minutes to prepare but feature the same care for quality and taste as the recipes on the main menu.

Since the menu focuses on speedy meal kits, there is less variety than a typical Home Chef order. However, there are still plenty of options available for every palate. The service offers dishes from around the world, such as burgers and BBQs, Italian-based meals, fresh seafood, and Asian recipes. Plus, you can access the full Home Chef menu as well.

Fresh and Easy offers microwave-ready dishes, oven- and grill-ready options, 15-minute meal kits, and salads. The recipes use simple ingredients, but this doesn’t take away from the flavor. Each dish is carefully designed to provide a well-balanced, tasty, and nutritious meal that will boost your energy.

This service makes it super easy to prepare dinner or lunch. Our reviewer loved Fresh and Easy’s convenience. The steps are easy to follow, there’s little to no cleanup, and most of the ingredients come prepped and portioned.

Customization options are also available for most 15-minute kits and some oven- and grill-ready recipes. You won’t be able to customize microwave-ready meals, but this won’t be such a big issue. And if you’re looking to add extras, the Home Chef Add-ons are readily available.

Prices start at $7.99 per serving, just like with Home Chef. And, similar to its parent company, you can order for 2, 4, or 6 people, between 2 and 6 servings per person. The maximum order is 6 meals per person for 6 people, and the minimum order is 2 meals per person for 2 people.

6. Blue Apron – Best for Home Cooks Who Want Gourmet Meals

Blue Apron offers pre-portioned ingredients and gourmet recipes to cook at home. Its menu of meal kits is packed with creative recipes. And though it doesn’t feature the largest menu on my list, many global cuisines are represented.

The menu changes weekly, so there’s plenty of variety. The recipes are always inventive, and they offer a range of vegetarian, low-calorie, and family-friendly options to choose from. I mean, it’s not every day you get to enjoy impressive dishes like Spanish Shrimp Rice or Curry Butter Chicken & Mango Rice!

Blue Apron caters to a wide range of taste preferences by offering crowd-pleasers and gourmet meals. The company also challenges your cooking abilities with new recipes and exotic ingredients you may not get to try otherwise.

Customization options are a bit limited on Blue Apron's menu, but you can personalize some of the recipes. For instance, the “Make It Vegetarian” label indicates meat-containing recipes you can make vegetarian. You’ll find at least 1 each week.

There are also a few add-ons, ranging from cooked proteins, salads, and lunch options to ready-made meals. My colleague tried both the meal kits and the add-ons for their in-depth Blue Apron review and loved the overall ingredient quality and freshness.

Blue Apron also offers a variety of meal kits with different prep times and difficulties. Most meal kits fit in the 20 to 35 minutes prep time, but there are more complex recipes that take up to 55 minutes. Plus, the company offers a separate wine menu and pairing service, so you’ll get the best wines for your selected meals.

Pricing differs depending on how many people in your household will be cooking/eating each week. The price per serving starts at $5.74 per serving, and you can order for 2 or 4 people, up to 5 meals per week.

7. BistroMD – Best Weight-Loss Meal Plans in Tucson

If you’re looking to lose weight and enjoy your meals in the process, give BistroMD a try. The service focuses on science-based nutrition to help customers lose weight while having a healthy diet. For this, BistroMD provides chef-prepared frozen meals designed by a doctor in collaboration with registered dietitians.

BistroMD offers 7 meal plans that cater to different needs, including diabetes, gluten-free, and keto. The meals are created based on a very specific formula and include, on average, 400-450 calories per serving. To learn more about BistroMD meals, make sure to check my colleague’s in-depth review of the service.

The macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) are also carefully controlled for each meal. You can find all the nutrition facts on the dish’s label, so it’s easy to keep track of your intake using your favorite app.

I like that you have lots of options, and you’re not limited to eating chicken breast and broccoli. The menu is extensive, and you can choose from a vast array of ingredients like beef, chicken, turkey, pork, seafood, pasta, plant-based meals, soups, and stews. There are even a few healthy desserts and snacks.

The menu rotates weekly, and there are new items added with each season. However, BistroMD’s menu doesn’t change every week, so you’ll see some of the same recipes week after week. Still, due to the size of the menu and the many diets it serves, there is enough variety.

Prices start at $8.24 per serving on the largest plan that includes all your meals for a week. But you can also choose to get only Lunches and Dinners for 5 days per week (the minimum order). Overall, BistroMD is a great fit for individuals since all the recipes are designed to be consumed in one sitting.

8. Marley Spoon – Great for Culinary Diversity and Customization Options

Marley Spoon is a great service for foodies and families alike. The menu boasts a huge variety of restaurant-quality meals as well as kid-friendly options. You’ll also find low-prep meals and add-ons like appetizers and desserts.

The service is suitable for many diets, with vegetarian, dairy-free, and other options. There are low-calorie and low-carb options to help with weight loss regimens, and there’s even support for several minor allergies.

Marley Spoon’s menu rotates weekly and features a wide range of cuisines. Besides classic American fare, you’ll find dishes inspired by Vietnamese, Mexican, Mediterranean, and more cuisines. For example, just check out the Greek Pork Tenderloin pictured above!

While the service specializes in meal kits, there are also some prepared meals available. Each week, you’ll find around 3 ready-made meals that you can simply heat and eat. 

While Marley Spoon is a meal kit service, each week, you’ll also find 3 ready-made meals on the menu. The service does offer a solid amount of low-prep kits, but if you want a meal kit delivery service with a better selection of prepared meals, check out Home Chef’s menu.

Many of its meals are customizable. You’ll get the option to swap or upgrade your protein or side on select dishes. For example, the Thai Steak Salad comes with sirloin steak by default, but you can swap it for chicken breast, salmon, or organic sirloin steak. Premium swaps, like the salmon and organic sirloin, come with an extra charge.

The service is a great option if you want a family-friendly, affordable, and diverse menu. My colleague was particularly impressed with the quality of the recipes in their well-researched Marley Spoon review. 

With the maximum box size (6 meals for 4 people each week), pricing starts at around $2.99 per serving. I think the per-serving prices are affordable on most plan sizes, but it starts to get expensive with the minimum order of 2 meals for 2 people.

9. Purple Carrot – 100% Gluten-Free Plant-Based Meals

Purple Carrot is a plant-based meal delivery that helps you incorporate healthy, whole foods into your diet. The company offers both prepared meals and meal kits, as my colleague highlights in their tried-and-tested Purple Carrot review.

Its ingredients are sourced from a variety of small farms and reliable suppliers. This way, you can be sure that only the freshest, highest-quality produce possible will end up in your ready-made meals and meal kits. 

Purple Carrot’s non-produce items like tofu and nuts are almost all organic. Whenever possible, the company prioritizes the use of non-GMO and organic produce, but it isn’t certified organic like Green Chef.

I like that there are no processed meat substitutes in any of these recipes. There are also plenty of high-protein and gluten-free options, so not only vegetarians and vegans can benefit from this menu. All the meals are put together by professional chefs, so you can expect restaurant-quality meals, whether ready-made or as kits.

Purple Carrot has a diverse selection, including entrees, lunches, and breakfasts. Look for the Less Prep tag for speedy recipes. There’s also a Plantry where you can order add-ons like desserts and ingredients as well as shelf-stable items like spices. 

In the ready-made meals section, you’ll find a variety of single-serving microwave-ready dishes. The recipes are quite interesting and usually range from 500 to 800 calories per serving. Some of the more popular dishes in this section are Thai Peanut Noodles with Crispy Tofu and Chana Masala with Lemon Basmati Rice.

Overall, Purple Carrot's meal kits aim to make healthy eating more accessible for everyone. You can order for individuals, couples, and families, and the price per serving starts at $8.50 for meal kits. The price for ready-made meals is fixed ($13 per serving).

10. Dinnerly – Best Budget-Friendly Meal Delivery Service in Tucson

Dinnerly specializes in simple and easy-to-follow recipes that anyone can put together. Its biggest draw, however, has to be its incredibly low prices. This Marley Spoon subsidiary is easily the most affordable service on my list.

I was pleasantly surprised that such a cheap service offers organic ingredients! However, the organic options come with an upcharge, as they are mostly limited to the more-expensive PremiYUM meals. Still, the low overall price means it might be worth the occasional splurge.

Dinnerly even has some customization options to expand on its already-large menu. You’ll have the option to swap the protein and sides in many recipes to suit your diet and taste preferences. However, these come with a varying added fee.

The ingredients are high quality even if you don’t upgrade them. Dinnerly sources its ingredients from both local farms and select suppliers. Instead of cutting costs here, it saves money with simplified recipes. For an affordable service with more complex recipes, check out HelloFresh.

Dinnerly's recipes are designed to be quick to prepare and often include 6 or fewer ingredients. For instance, this delicious French Onion Pan-Seared Steak comes with potatoes, onions, steak, parmesan, Worcestershire sauce, and granulated garlic. The overall recipe is simple, but as my colleague highlighted in their detailed review of Dinnerly, the taste is restaurant-worthy.

As another cost-saving measure, Dinnerly doesn’t provide printed recipe cards. You’ll have to download these online. I don’t find this particularly inconvenient as you can simply read the recipes from your phone. It also saves on paper!

Dinnerly starts at $2.12 per serving for 6 meals for 4 people each week. You can order for 2 or 4 people, between 2 and 6 meals per week, and you’ll have to pay a fixed fee for shipping. Overall, Dinnerly is the most convenient and affordable meal kit delivery service on my list.

Quick Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Best Meal Delivery Services in Tucson

Here are some of the most important criteria I used to create my list:

• Menu options: Make sure the meal delivery service offers a variety of menu options that suit your preferences and dietary needs. For instance, Green Chef offers meal options for a wide range of dietary needs, such as keto, gluten-free, vegan, and more.

• Quality of ingredients: Look for a service that uses high-quality, fresh ingredients to ensure you’re getting nutritious meals. Check out HelloFresh, which is among the most popular meal kit delivery services on the market.

• Flexibility: Choose a service that allows you to customize your meal plan or make changes as needed. Home Chef offers some of the best customization features, but many other services allow you to make changes.

• Special diets: If you have unique diet needs, ensure the service has options for you. BistroMD, for example, offers specialized meal plans.
  

FAQ

What is the most affordable meal delivery service in Tucson?

Dinnerly is your best bet when you’re looking for a budget-friendly meal delivery service. Compared to other meal delivery services, Dinnerly offers some of the most budget-friendly options without sacrificing the quality and flavor of their meals.

What is the best diet meal delivery service in Tucson?

Factor’s prepared meals are some of the healthiest available in Tucson. It offers many plans suitable for different dietary needs, including keto, vegetarian, and low-calorie options.

What is the best meal delivery service in Tucson for specific dietary needs?

Green Chef is definitely worth considering. The service offers a range of options, including gluten-free, keto, and vegan meals. Plus, the menu is diverse and features organic, sustainably sourced ingredients.

Best Meal Delivery Services in Tucson in 2023 — Final Score