Thanks to inflation, eating out or ordering from restaurants is becoming increasingly expensive. And even if you decide to put on your apron and take cooking into your own hands, it can be time-consuming. It's also not fun deciding which recipe to make each day.
However, there’s a faster, cheaper, and more convenient way to prepare delicious and healthy meals – and that’s by using meal delivery services. My colleagues and I have tried out plenty of them, and I’ve compiled a list of the 9 best ones in Santa Clarita.
For a delivery service to merit a place on this list, I considered its price, taste, customizability options, diet variety, and more.
Among all the delivery services, I preferred Home Chef since it has the best customization options and easy-to-follow recipes. Its prices are also pretty reasonable. The other nine on my list have their own perks, which I’ll get into below.
Home Chef – Best overall meal delivery service in Santa Clarita
Blue Apron – Best delivery service for international recipes
Purple Carrot – Best vegan delivery in Santa Clarita
HelloFresh – Fresh, farm food directly to your doorstep
Marley Spoon – For the Martha Stewart fans
Customize your meal with your choice of protein
Step-by-step recipe instructions for even novice cooks
Family-sized portions with up to six servings
Current deal: Get 18 Free Meals (50% off your first 4 boxes)!
Home Chef is my favorite delivery service as it offers meal kits for every cooking style. Are you short on time? Choose one of its Oven-Ready or 15-Minute Meal Kits. Or maybe you have time aplenty and want to exercise your cooking skills? Then its regular meal kits will have dinner on the table in around 30 minutes.
One of my favorite features is that Home Chef lets you choose from a variety of proteins for each dish. For example, when you order the Abodo Chicken Enchiladas, you get the option to swap your protein to steak strips or ground beef as well.
Home Chef also allows you to stick to your fitness goals with its carb and calorie-conscious tags. You can find out more about the menu and the dietary requirements it caters to in my colleague's review.
It would be great if it included a filter that allows you to customize your food around allergens. However, opening up any meal kit’s recipe will tell you what allergens are present, so you can always avoid them.
Healthy eating with WW menu options
Shop for utensils, spices, and more
Add wine to pair with your meals
Current deal: Enjoy $180 off across your first 6 orders
If your taste buds crave exotic international dishes, then there’s no better meal delivery service than Blue Apron. I love trying out new food, and the meal kits from Blue Apron scratched that itch for me.
Exotic dishes can be quite challenging to make if you’re cooking with unfamiliar ingredients. But preparing Blue Apron meals is easy thanks to the step-by-step cooking instructions (with images). You can learn more about the recipes in our Blue Apron review.
Blue Apron also has a Wellness Plan that features protein-packed, low-carb meals like Seared Chicken & Vegetable Barley, which makes it easy to watch your weight.
And if you don't enjoy cooking or are just pushed for time, you can opt for Blue Apron’s Heat & Eat microwavable meals that require no prep whatsoever.
Delicious, 100% vegan meal kits
Breakfast and lunch options available
High-Protein, gluten-free, and soy-free options available
Special Deal: Get $30 off with code carrot30
Looking to go vegan, but don’t know where to start? Purple Carrot makes the process much easier with its incredible variety of plant-based dishes. It also has breakfast, lunch, and pantry options, so you can make your whole week’s diet meat-free.
Just like Blue Apron, Purple Carrot has cuisine options from around the world. Some of my favorites were the Za’atar Spiced Tempeh and the Korean-inspired Kimchi Mushroom Fried Rice. However, I wish it had more meal choices, as there are only 12 items on the meal-kit menu.
Even so, it has a greater selection than any of its vegan competitors. To learn more about Purple Carrot, you can check out our in-depth review.
You don’t have to worry about switching to a plant-based diet as Purple Carrot’s meals are nutritionally balanced. It also offers high-protein meals, which are useful for athletes, as well as gluten and soy-free options.
High-quality ingredients
Choose from over 25 recipes each week
Excellent customer support
HelloFresh lives up to its name with its farm-fresh food. Couples and families of four can enjoy up to six meals/week – that’s almost every day covered!
The Meat and Veggies plan is great for omnivores, but there are plans for most mainstream diets, including Pescatarian and Veggie. You can pick your meals from the 25+ rotating dishes or have them chosen automatically by HelloFresh based on your preferences.
Cooking times range from 20-35 minutes in general, and the recipes also have tags like Easy Prep, Easy Cleanup, and No Oven, which makes it easier to decide how much time you want to spend in the kitchen.
Advanced recipes approved by Martha herself
More than 40+ weekly dishes to choose from
One of the best carbon neutral delivery services
If you’re an aspiring cook looking for a challenge, Marley Spoon gives you the option to flex your culinary skills with more advanced techniques. You still get step-by-step instructions with photos, so even beginners will be able to prepare meals without stumbling.
Marley Spoon’s menu has a variety of meat, seafood, vegetarian, vegan, and low-carb options, so there’s something for most common diets. It also has over 40+ recipes weekly to choose from. To learn more, check our in-depth review of the service.
Another thing I liked is that it doesn’t wrap its ingredients in plastic, only in paper bags. The company prides itself on being carbon neutral, making it a great choice if you're environmentally conscious.
USDA-certified organic ingredients
Easy-to-follow recipe instructions
20+ weekly menu options
Green Chef provides fresh and organic ingredients in its meal kits, making it a fantastic option for healthy eaters. It covers a range of specialist health diets, including keto, paleo, and plant-only options.
Cooking meals is easy and can be done within 30 minutes. Most of the veggies are sliced and prepared, which is a great time saver that not many meal kit services offer. You can learn more by checking out our in-depth Green Chef review.
Its packaging is very environmentally friendly, with most of the ingredients wrapped in paper rather than plastic.
Starts at $1.49
Simple to make, yet tasty recipes
Options to add extra protein
If you want to reduce your monthly meal budget, then EveryPlate is hands down the best option. With its low starting price of $1.49, the most budget-conscious folks won’t have to think twice when ordering their favorite dishes.
The company keeps prices low by using simple recipes and having a smaller menu. That doesn’t mean that the food isn’t tasty – you’ll find mouthwatering dishes like Creamy Herb Lemon Chicken and Jammin’ Fig Pork Chops on the menu that changes weekly.
For a more detailed look at this service, see how my colleague got on when they tried it out.
Just keep in mind that while the service is cheap, it may not be the best if you’re looking for vegan or gluten-free options.
Order from the best local restaurants
Free delivery with GrubHub+
Filters that make it easy to find the exact dish you’re looking for
Grubhub lets you choose from your favorite local restaurants, unlike the other options in the list. You can also order from the best-reviewed restaurants, so every meal will be a delight.
When you use the app, you can play around with the different filters so you can find your meal craving for the day on-demand.
It’s a good idea for regular users to get the $9.99 subscription as it will help eliminate excessive delivery fees. The service also regularly offers coupons and discounts, which can make ordering food more affordable.
Options for both meal kits and prepared kits available
99% certified organic and premium ingredients
Great rotating menu with excellent variety
Sunbasket caters to a wide audience with differing dietary requirements. You get the option to choose between Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Carb-Conscious, Diabetes-Friendly, and Paleo plans – and more – making it perfect for all types of health-conscious readers.
The cooks among you can choose a meal kit, whereas those of you who want to avoid cooking can choose the Fresh & Ready meals that only require heating before eating. You can learn more about Sunbasket’s menu by by checking out our review.
Its ingredients are certified organic with decent portions. The only downside is its high shipping fee, which can add up if you order from Sunbasket every week.
Top Plans | |||||||||
Top Plans | ![]() | ||||||||
Our Rating | |||||||||
Our Rating | 9.4 | 9.7 | 9.1 | 9.5 | 8.8 | 9.6 | 7.7 | 9.0 | 7.4 |
Starting Price | |||||||||
Starting Price | $7.99 Per Serving | $5.74 Per Serving | $8.50 Per Serving | $3.32 Per Serving | $2.99 Per Serving | $5.99 Per Serving | $1.49 Per Serving | $4.27 Per Serving | |
Minimum Order | |||||||||
Minimum Order | 2 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meal kits for 2 people/6 prepared meals | 2 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meals for 2 people | 3 meals for 2 people | Varies by supplier | 2 meal kits for 2 people/4 prepared meals |
Meal Types | |||||||||
Meal Types | Kits, speedy kits, oven-ready, prepared | 20 - 60 min. meal kits | Meal kits, prepared meals | 20 - 30 min. meal kits | 30 min. meal kits | 30-minute meal kits | 30-minute meal kits | Prepared | Fresh & Ready meals, 30-Min Meal Kits |
Prep Time | |||||||||
Prep Time | 5-50 min | 5-45 min | 3-40 min | 15-40 min | 20-40 min | 25-40 min | 20-45 min | 0 | 3-40 min |
Active Deals | |||||||||
Active Deals |
Choosing the right meal delivery service can be an overwhelming process. I’ve shared my tips to make it simple. Here’s what to look out for:
Dietary requirements: If you have allergies or are on the lookout for diet options like keto or paleo, you should pick a service that gives you these customization options.
Menu variety: If you enjoy trying new and exciting dishes, choose a service offering international cuisines. However, if you don’t have an adventurous palate, pick a service that specializes in American classics. Whatever cuisine you prefer, look for services with a weekly changing menu, so you don’t get bored.
Preparation time: Choose the service that suits your schedule. Some offer prepared meals that just need to be heated, whereas others offer meal kits that deliver ingredients for you to cook (these take an average of 30 minutes to make). And if you have a schedule that varies, why not try a service that offers both so that you can mix and match?
Affordability: Some services are more expensive than others as they have organic ingredients, cater to niche diets, and have meals that are ready-prepared. You also need to look out for high weekly shipping costs, as they can make even budget meals quite expensive.
You don’t need to spend hours hunting for ingredients at your local grocery or cooking in the kitchen. By using a meal delivery service, you can save time, keep healthy, and save money at the same time.
My favorite meal delivery service is Home Chef because of its huge menu and range of prep styles, as well as its affordability. I also like that it allows you to customize most meals with the protein of your choice. This includes a beyond Beyond Burger swap for vegans, although my top plant-based pick would be Purple Carrot for the most variety.
Home Chef delivers the best customizable meal kits in Santa Clarita at a competitive price. Every week, its menu features a variety of tasty meals. It also has a special range of low-prep kits, making it easy for anyone to prepare its meals.
EveryPlate is the cheapest meal delivery service on my list that delivers to Santa Clarita. People who want to save money on their monthly food costs will love its meal kits, which are priced at only $1.49/serving.
Yes, HelloFresh delivers to Santa Clarita. It ranked high on my list and is popular among residents as it delivers farm-fresh food directly to their doorstep. You can choose from around 25+ weekly rotating dishes, so there’s always something new to be tried.