10 Best Meal Delivery Services 2021 Healthy & with Discounts!

Whether it’s saving time, sticking to a diet, or trying new foods, it’s easy to see why meal kits and prepared meals have taken the world by storm.

Our experts have conducted a deep dive into the leading options for meal kits and other forms of meal delivery. Based on their research, we’ve compiled our recommendations for the top 15 meal delivery services to suit any diet.

Here, you’ll find the best companies to accommodate plant-based, low-carb, weight-loss, and many other dietary preferences, plus our top picks for the best all-around meal delivery services you can order right now.

Short on time? Here are the best meal delivery services of 2021

• Blue Apron – Best meal delivery service for international cuisine

• Home Chef – Best meal delivery service for customizability and variety

• HelloFresh – Best family-friendly meal kits

• See 7 more meal delivery services

• Comparison table 

• FAQ

Our Best Meal Delivery Services Reviewed

1. Blue Apron – Best Meal Delivery Service for International Cuisine

Blue Apron Special Features

• WW-approved Wellness menu for healthier eating options

• Wide selection of unique vegetarian recipes, including dishes with Beyond Meat

• Optional wine subscription service to pair with your meals

• Special discount available – Save $160 over your first 5 boxes!
  

Blue Apron in a Nutshell

Blue Apron is one of the most popular meal kit delivery services on the market, and not by coincidence. This company earned the top spot on our list thanks to its multifaceted services, competitive prices, and – most importantly – its flavorful meals.

My colleague’s Blue Apron review goes deeper into what makes this service shine.

Adventurous palates will love the diverse and premium ingredients featured in Blue Apron’s menu. The company’s eclectic and internationally inspired recipes like the Crispy Paneer Cheese pictured above offer unique flavors that you won’t see in many other meal kits.

Every week, enjoy recipes that incorporate flavors from all over the world, including Vietnamese, Italian, and Cajun-inspired dishes.

2. Home Chef – Best Meal Delivery Service for Customizability and Variety

Home Chef Best Features

• Order up to eight servings of every dish for hungry families

• Accessible and easy-to-follow recipes for stress-free cooking

• Choose from a variety of prepared meals and meal kits

• Special discount available – Save $110 Over Your First 5 Orders
  

Home Chef in a Nutshell

Home Chef is one of our favorite meal delivery services thanks to its highly customizable menu and variety of preparation options. Our in-depth Home Chef review goes into more detail, but suffice it to say Home Chef gives you the power to choose your culinary destiny. 

Meal kits are great for people who need quick and easy recipe solutions for weeknight dinners. Home Chef’s 15-Minute Meal Kits and Fast & Fresh prepared meals are perfect for this purpose.

But that’s not the only type of recipe on offer. Meals from Home Chef’s Culinary Collection feature premium ingredients and more elaborate cooking techniques.

Culinary Collection dishes, like the Honey-Ginger Salmon pictured above, are perfect for those nights when you want to feel like a chef. You can also customize this recipe to suit your tastes by replacing the salmon with chicken breasts, filet mignon, or Ahi tuna.

3. HelloFresh – Best Family-Friendly Meal Kit

HelloFresh Best Features

• Caters to low-calorie, pescatarian, and vegetarian diets, plus more

• Offers categories including Oven Ready, Takeout Favorites, and Taste Tours

• A marketplace option where you can do all your online grocery shopping each week

• Special discount available – 14 Free Meals + 3 Gifts + Free Shipping
  

HelloFresh in a Nutshell

In many ways, HelloFresh is the gold standard for meal kits. It offers easy recipes and fresh ingredients at an affordable price, making it an ideal service for just about anyone. Our detailed HelloFresh review has the scoop on this incredibly popular company.

HelloFresh’s dishes are perfect for any palate – including picky eaters and children. Its standard menu is full of modern takes on well-known North American dishes, and you can even set your preference for a Family Friendly menu to ensure you only receive classic, crowd-pleasing dinners.

HelloFresh offers an ever-changing menu of family-friendly recipes, but the service doesn’t shy away from bringing back its most popular dishes. These Hall of Fame meals, like the Black Bean and Poblano Flautas pictured above, are guaranteed to be a hit with any family.

4. Sunbasket – Best Organic Meal Delivery For Any Diet

Sunbasket Best Features

• Offers meal kits as well as Fresh & Ready meals to heat and enjoy in minutes

• Internationally inspired dishes for adventurous palates

• Purchase snacks, specialty ingredients, and more

• Special discount available – Get $90 Off & 4 FREE Gifts
  

Sunbasket in a Nutshell

Some meal delivery services specialize in catering to particular diets, while others focus on providing meals that appeal to everyone. Sunbasket is one of our favorite services because it does both and allows you to mix and match between different menus.

Its comprehensive plans include dishes for just about any dietary or lifestyle preferences you may have, including plant-based, diabetes-friendly, gluten-free, and more.

Our Sunbasket review goes into greater detail on all ten options.

The Pinto Bean and Hominy Pozole Rojo pictured above is a good example of Sunbasket’s flavorful offerings. It’s suitable for many diets while also being easy to prepare (ready in just twenty minutes!).

5. Purple Carrot – Best Vegan Meal Delivery Service

Purple Carrot Best Features

• Free shipping on all deliveries

• Pick your own meals or let Purple Carrot decide for you

• High-Protein, and Gluten-Free options available

• Special discount available – Get $25 Off & FREE Delivery
  

Purple Carrot in a Nutshell

Though many of the services on this list cater to plant-based lifestyles, Purple Carrot stands out for its ability to coax amazing flavor into its vegan dishes. My colleague gave their expert opinion on this service in our detailed Purple Carrot review.

Take the Japanese Gnocchi pictured above. This unlikely combination of flavors unites techniques from Italian and Japanese cuisines to create something new, exciting, and completely vegan. Garlic, onion, and tomato combine with smoked nori and white miso for a truly transcendent dining experience.

The weekly menu includes breakfasts, lunches, and dinners as well as a “Plantry,” where you can purchase tasty plant-based snacks and desserts like dark chocolate bars and vegan cookies.

If you adhere to a vegan diet but don’t want to miss out on the convenient meal planning and new recipes a good meal service can provide, then Purple Carrot is for you.

6. Marley Spoon – Best Sustainable Meal Delivery Service

Marley Spoon Best Features

• Curated spice blends are a shortcut to unique and delicious flavors

• Weekly shipments include Martha Stewart’s tried and tested original recipes

• All produce comes fresh straight from the farm

• Special discount available – Get $100 off Your First 4 Boxes
  

Marley Spoon in a Nutshell

At first glance, Marley Spoon’s biggest draw is its relationship with famed homemaking guru Martha Stewart. 

The collaboration with Martha allows subscribers to enjoy Martha-endorsed recipes like the Warm Bacon and Lentil Salad seen above, but this service’s benefits reach far beyond its celebrity ambassador.

My colleague’s Marley Spoon write-up details their thoughts on the pros and cons of this service, including its expertly designed meal kits. If you ask me, though, the company’s most desirable feature is its efforts to reduce its global footprint.

Marley Spoon’s website contains detailed information on its packaging, including the sustainably sourced paper and cardboard materials it uses for shipments.

Beyond sustainable ingredients and materials, Marley Spoon is also dedicated to carbon neutrality. Its carbon offset projects include planting trees in Uruguay and Venezuela (over 44,000 to date) and distributing efficient stoves to Zambian families.

7. Freshly – Best Gluten-Free Meal Delivery Service

Freshly Best Features

• Order between four and twelve meals each week

• Individually packaged meals are easy to store and fully recyclable

• All meals are gluten-free and peanut-free

• Special discount available – Save $100, Promo Code: CYBER25AFF
  

Freshly in a Nutshell

Freshly prides itself on providing single-serving prepared meals that are tasty, healthy, and super easy to prepare. The company’s food philosophy involves reducing sugar, preservatives, and processed ingredients in favor of real, nutritious food.

Our dedicated Freshly review discusses this service’s mission in greater detail.

Freshly’s meal plans let you choose from several fun categories, all of which are nutritious and gluten-free. One menu, Takeout Twists, imitates your favorite takeout flavors with dishes like Chicken Tikka Masala.

Meanwhile, the FreshlyFit plan is perfect for active lifestyles and includes high-protein dishes like the Paleo-Friendly Pulled Pork.

Freshly is also a great choice for busy people. Its meals are all designed to be perfectly portioned for individual servings and are ready to enjoy after just three minutes in the microwave.

8. Green Chef – Best Organic Meal Delivery Service

Green Chef Best Features

• USDA-Certified Organic meal delivery service

• Menus for both low-carb and plant-focused diets available

• Ingredients are pre-chopped and sorted for painless prep

• Special discount available – 10 Free Meals + Free Shipping

Green Chef in a Nutshell

Green Chef’s commitment to organic, ethically sourced ingredients makes it perfect if you want to be more mindful of your impact on the planet. Our in-depth review goes into more detail on the qualities that make Green Chef such a great service. 

My favorite feature of Green Chef, however, has to be its simple and delicious menus. Green Chef offers three plans designed with the goal of clean, healthy eating in mind.

The Plant-Powered menu features a collection of both vegan and vegetarian recipes, while the Keto + Paleo menu is filled with low-carb options

The Balanced Living plan contains a variety of healthy meals without conforming to a particular diet. Green Chef’s streamlined plans make it easy to try out healthier eating habits – and stick to them.

9. EveryPlate – Best Meal Kit On A Budget

EveryPlate Best Features

• 17 meals to choose from each week

• Choose from Classic, Veggie, or Family-Friendly plans

• Swap out the sides and proteins on select dishes

• Special discount available – $32 OFF throughout your first 3 boxes
  

EveryPlate in a Nutshell

It can sometimes feel like you’re spending a lot of money when you buy a week’s worth of meals at once. With EveryPlate, though, this isn’t the case.

EveryPlate is owned by HelloFresh, but it functions as its own meal delivery service providing unbeatable value.

Meals start at just $4.99 per serving – but that doesn’t mean they skimp on flavor! Our dedicated EveryPlate review looks into the quality of these super-affordable meals. Unlike other services, this low price stays the same regardless of your plan or order size.

One thing I really like about EveryPlate is that you aren’t limited to just “budget” meal options. Each week, you’ll have the option to order premium meals like the Tomato Garlic Scallops pictured above. Because EveryPlate’s affordable prices make it easy to save money, I love the option to splurge on the occasional gourmet meal.

10. Nutrisystem – Best Home Meal Delivery For Weight Loss

Nutrisystem Best Features

• Partner plan lets you double up to lose weight with your partner or roommate

• Studies show an average weight loss of 15 lbs after two months

• Plans include basic, prepared meals as well as frozen, protein-rich dishes

• Special discount available – 50% Off All Plans + Free Shipping!
  

Nutrisystem in a Nutshell

If your goal is not just to be healthy, but specifically to lose weight, then Nutrisystem may be the best service for you. My colleague’s Nutrisystem review weighs the pros and cons of this diet meal service.

Nutrisystem’s diet plan is an all-encompassing menu that seeks to replace your favorite dishes with healthier alternatives. This includes highly processed frozen and shelf-stable meals, so while it’s great for calorie counting, it’s probably not the best choice for someone who craves fresh, natural ingredients.

However, considering you get all your daily meals taken care of, the service is pretty affordable at less than $10 per day!

Nutrisystem’s all-encompassing diet meal plan even accounts for those mid-day cravings and those with a sweet tooth. Instead of feeling guilty for enjoying a dessert, indulge in guilt-free sweets like the Chocolate Brownie Sundae pictured above. This after-dinner treat is low in calories and high in fiber and protein, so go ahead: give in to temptation!

Best Meal Delivery Services: Comparison Table

What We Look For in the Best Meal Delivery Services

When we set out to find the top meal delivery services, we take a long hard look at what people are really looking for from their meals. The services we recommend must offer fool-proof recipes (like what my colleague describes in her Home Chef review), diet-friendly meals (like Sunbasket’s menu that caters to a wide range of diets), and above all, convenience!

What We Look For in Both Prepared Home Delivery Meals and Meal Kits

• Easy, flexible plans – You don’t want to get penalized just for skipping a week of meals. The best services make it easy to tailor your subscription to your needs.

• Menu variety – Nobody wants to eat the same thing every day. The best meal delivery services offer big menus with a lot of choice or dynamic menus that change every week.

• Support for dietary preferences – Whether you’re gluten-free or pescatarian, you should be able to order meals that cater to your needs without stress or uncertainty.

• Affordability – While it’s fun to splurge on a fancy meal, overpriced subscriptions aren’t a great long-term solution. We look for the perfect balance of quality and cost-effectiveness.

• High-quality ingredients – Everything in the meal should be ethically sourced and fresh. Bonus points for organic and non-GMO options!

• Quick prepping – Whether you’re following a meal kit recipe or reheating a prepared meal, you should be able to enjoy your food in as little time as possible.

How Meal Delivery Services Work

Food Delivery vs. Meal Delivery Services

You may recognize popular food delivery services like Postmates as great last-minute resources to get meals delivered hot and fresh from your favorite local restaurants.

While these services represent the ultimate in convenience, they aren’t quite as sustainable as meal kits and other meal delivery services, which provide more cost-effective and environmentally friendly meal solutions.

Meal Plans Explained

There are two important factors when selecting a meal plan: how many meals you want per week, and which kind.

Home Chef provides more flexibility when it comes to meal numbers. You can choose anywhere from two to six weekly meals for up to six people. Meanwhile, Blue Apron only lets you choose up to four meals per week for four people max.

Diet-focused meal delivery services, like Sunbasket, place more emphasis on offering food for diverse preferences and restrictions, from avoiding certain allergens to fully specialized diets, like paleo.

Meal Plan Prices

The cost of a meal delivery service can vary dramatically depending on many factors. Specialized meal delivery services like Green Chef typically have higher prices to accommodate organic or specific-diet-friendly ingredients.

Plus, the advertised “starting price” isn’t necessarily the price you’ll pay. Factor’s starting price is $11 per serving, but only for the 18-meal plan. For four meals a week, this goes up to a whopping $15.

Conversely, EveryPlate offers the most affordable meal kit on the market. Its price of just $4.99 per serving is true for any order size.

Meal Plan Delivery

Blue Apron gives you tons of control over your deliveries. You can select any day of the week for your kit to be delivered. You’ll receive detailed tracking information and the guarantee that your package will arrive by 8 pm.

Some services are slightly more limited: Home Chef, for example, doesn’t offer delivery on weekends.

Smaller companies, like Veestro, are less likely to offer a specific delivery date. Instead, they may provide a delivery estimate based on your location, so you usually have to rely on the tracking information.

How to Pause, Skip, or Cancel Your Orders

These days, pretty much all the major companies make it easy to skip an order for any reason. The only caveat is you’ll have to make sure you’re mindful of the cutoff time. 

For example, canceling EveryPlate is quick and painless, as our How To Cancel guide shows. You just have to remember to pause your subscription before 11.59 pm PST at least five days before delivery. Otherwise, you’ll receive (and be charged for) one more week’s worth of meals.

When is a Meal Plan NOT Right For You?

A meal plan needs to support your diet and ideal eating habits.

If you have severe food allergies, you’ll want to make sure the company you subscribe to explicitly avoids cross-contamination. For example, if you have celiac disease, then you may be more comfortable with a 100% gluten-free service like Freshlyrather than a service that offers dishes both with and without gluten.

This is true if you have other food-sensitive conditions too, but everybody is different. First and foremost, you should speak to your healthcare provider if you have any concerns about subscribing to a meal delivery service.

Bottom Line: Are Meal Delivery Subscription Boxes Worth It?

Yes! Taking away the stress of planning, going grocery shopping and prepping, and saving precious time and money are the obvious benefits of having your meals delivered regularly to your door.

Plus, you can use the time saved to spend more time with your loved ones. Bonding over cooking a fun meal kit with your family or trying out a new weight loss plan with your partner may be just the thing to bring you closer.

FAQ

Which meal delivery service provides the best value for money?

Nutrisystem is a great service that offers you a lot of value for money. Starting at $9.74 per day, an order brings you prepared meals for the whole week, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. There’s no shipping fee to worry about, either. And to save even more, you can use our special discount to get 55% off your first month.

What’s the cheapest meal delivery service?

The most affordable meal delivery service on the market is EveryPlate, with a $4.99 cost per serving. With EveryPlate, you can order up to five meals weekly from its classic, vegetarian, or family-friendly plans. And the good news is that this low cost per portion remains the same throughout each plan, no matter the size of your order. Plus, you can use our special discount to save even more, as it gets you $80 off over your first three boxes.

What’s the healthiest meal delivery service?

Sunbasket is a meal delivery service that caters to the most diverse diets and health conditions. From vegan to low-carb to gluten-free, both its meal kits and prepared meals contain super healthy recipes and fresh, premium ingredients. Green Chef is another great service with clean, healthy recipes, and it’s also 100% certified organic. It features veggie, keto, paleo, and balanced plans.

What’s the best vegan meal delivery service?

Purple Carrot offers plant-based meal kits and prepared meals. With a weekly-changing menu, the recipes are always creative and fun, while highlighting plant protein in every dish.

Veestro is another fully vegan option that has a constant menu of prepared meals featuring twists on popular dishes, such as vegan “chicken” nuggets. 

What’s the best meal delivery service for weight loss?

If you want to lose weight, Fresh n’ Lean is your best bet. With plans for diets like high-protein, keto, paleo, and vegan, its meals are always gluten-free and never frozen.

Diet-to-Go is another great weight loss service, with menus that accommodate vegetarian, low-carb, and diabetes-friendly diets.

Which meal delivery service is best for vegetarians?

Marley Spoon is a great meal kit delivery service that has lots of vegetarian options in its dedicated Vegetarian + Vegan plan, including desserts.

Blue Apron is another meal kit service that includes a vegetarian plan. It features four or five internationally inspired recipes weekly, but you’ll occasionally see a Beyond Burger recipe as well.

Which meal delivery service is best for low-carb?

Factor is a premium service that features low-carb and keto-friendly dishes, so you can reach your fitness goals with no stress. 

All of its meals are ready-made, so you can save a lot of time. 

You can also try Green Chef’s Keto + Paleo plan, which is perfect for low-carb and gluten-free diets.

How many Americans use meal kit delivery services?

According to a recent survey, almost half of Americans have tried a meal kit delivery service since the pandemic.

This number seems to be growing, as people are discovering the benefits of meal delivery services.

As well as saving time and money, meal kits produce less waste and allow diners to try diverse and interesting recipes.