Any diet can be tough to stick to, and diabetes in particular requires you to be extra diligent in order to control your blood sugar levels. Prepared meal kits are an enticing solution, but finding the best meal delivery services for diabetes can be daunting. There are countless plans online claiming to provide diabetic-friendly meals, but not every plan will get you the health results you’re looking for.
Diabetic-friendly diets can be a healthy choice for anyone, not just people with diabetes or prediabetes. Whether you’re changing your diet on your doctor’s orders or simply looking to reduce your intake of sugar and unhealthy fats, there are several considerations when choosing the right meal delivery plan for your needs.
Our experts have compiled a list of the eight best meal delivery services for diabetes, comparing price, nutritional content, taste, and many other factors. Read on to find out which service is the best fit for you.
Disclaimer: We’re not medical professionals, and are not qualified to provide guidance on any health condition. Please consult with your doctor before signing up for one of our suggested meal delivery services.
Home Chef – Best overall diabetes-friendly meal delivery service
Blue Apron – Nutritious meal kits with wellness in mind
Hello Fresh – Farm-fresh meal kits suitable for diabetes
BistroMD – Balanced, chef-prepared meals without weekly commitments
Green Chef – Low-carb, organic meals to make at home
Flexible plans to feed you the whole week – order up to 36 portions of food
Customizable protein – you can swap, upgrade, or double it up on selected meals
Speedy meals – from Oven-Ready Meals to 15-Minute Meal Kits
Current deal – Get 18 Free Meals + Free Shipping on 1st + Free Dessert Item for Life!
Home Chef is a great choice for people with diabetes thanks to its Carb-Conscious plan. And since it’s heavily customizable, you can change the recipes to your own liking or add more protein to improve your blood sugar. For example, in the recipe pictured above, you can change the Pork Chops into New York Strip Steak, Pork Tenderloin Medallions, or Chicken Breasts.
It’s easy to filter the menu by cooking time, meal type, and others, so you can spot the low-carb options in a second. Many of them are Express or Oven-Ready as well, making them very easy and quick to get ready. Convenient and healthy, now that’s a catch!
Find out more about the low-carb menu in this detailed Home Chef review and see my colleague’s experience when cooking one of the meal kits.
And, since you can order up to 36 portions of food each week, you can easily get healthy meals for the whole family, not just for you. Besides the Carb-Conscious recipes, the menu includes balanced dishes for everyone as well as low-calorie options. And you also have tons of add-ons, including proteins and breakfast options.
Wellness plan – new health-focused menu integrates with WW (formerly WeightWatchers)
Several diabetic-friendly options – find wellness details and nutrition info on each recipe
Meal kits put you in charge – control the salt and sugar levels by preparing your own meals
Current deal – Enjoy meals starting as low as $4.79 - plus, the first week ships free!
Blue Apron is best known as a premium meal delivery service providing delicious meals to prepare at home. You may be surprised to hear that the company has recently begun to incorporate healthier dishes into its expansive offerings. This includes the Wellness plan featuring recipes designed in collaboration with WW. You learn more about it in our in-depth Blue Apron review.
Unfortunately, Blue Apron does not offer a specialized menu for people with diabetes. However, if Blue Apron’s unique dishes like Yuzu-Orange Glazed Trout with Roasted Vegetables (pictured) appeal to you, you may enjoy subscribing to the Wellness plan.
Not all of Blue Apron’s Wellness dishes are necessarily low-glycemic or low-carb, but you can always view the nutrition facts before ordering to ensure you’re getting dishes appropriate for your needs.
50 or more recipes weekly – including family-friendly recipes
Premium quality – enjoy high-quality produce and fresh ingredients
Real food, unreal flavor – chef-crafted, dietitian-approved meals
Current deal – 10 Free Meals Across 7 Boxes, 1st Box Ships Free + Free Dessert for Life
HelloFresh offers a healthy meal delivery service with fresh, seasonal ingredients and easy recipes delivered to your door. Expect phenomenal flavor and quality ingredients when you order from the menu. HelloFresh takes the burden of research and meal planning off your hands, providing healthy meals made with fresh produce, lean meats, and seafood.
Even though the menu itself isn’t designed for diabetes, you’ll find that many of the meals are diabetes-friendly, including some low-carb options. With over 50 meals you can choose from each week, HelloFresh offers something for just about everybody, so you can feed your family too with one order.
Since HelloFresh provides fresh and seasonal ingredients for a diabetes-friendly diet that doesn’t skimp on flavor, the only effort required on your part is the actual cooking! Read more on how easy cooking the meals is in our expert HelloFresh review..
Nutritionally balanced recipes – low-carb meals to help keep your blood glucose levels under control
No shortcuts – entrées contain no aspartame or trans fat and are never freeze-dried
Farm-sourced food – hand-crafted, small-batch meals are prepared with ingredients you know and love
Current deal – Get 40% Off + Free Shipping on Your First Week
BistroMD makes it easy to break old eating habits and develop healthy new ones. Founded by a doctor and a food enthusiast, the BistroMD team has designed a diet plan based on fail-proof nutritional and metabolic science. Knowing how difficult it is to stick to a new diet plan, BistroMD offers delicious, customizable menus and healthy snacks to stave off cravings.
Meals on its Diabetic-Friendly Program contain 25 grams or less of net carbs per serving and are designed to help promote stable blood sugar. You can learn more about BistroMD in our dedicated BistroMD review.
BistroMD offers a massive, chef-prepared menu that changes each week. You can either try something new or swap out meals for the dishes you know you love.
Choose between the five- or the seven-day programs. The full program includes breakfast, or you can stick with a lighter plan that only provides lunch and dinner.
Organic meal kits – all ingredients are USDA-certified organic
Cook your own meals – one of the only diabetes-friendly meal kits
Other meal types available – like the Plant-Powered and Balanced Living categories
Current deal – 50% off + First Box Ships Free + 20% Off For 2 Months
Because of the often strict limits on ingredients like carbs and other sugars, diabetes-friendly meal delivery services often rely on premade meals. For people who prefer to cook their own dishes, however, Green Chef is a great source of healthy and organic dinners.
Green Chef doesn’t have a special menu for people with diabetes, but the company’s Keto + Paleo plan is a perfect source of low-carb meals. Enjoy meals like Smoky Pork Patties with Caramelized Onion (pictured) that are low in carbs, high in protein, and most importantly, absolutely delicious.
You can learn more about Green Chef’s earth-friendly ethos in our dedicated Green Chef review.
Preparing your own meals gives you more precise control over the salt and sugar levels in your food, so health-optimized meal kits like those from Green Chef can be a good choice for people who want a diabetes-friendly menu.
Snacks and smoothies – order diet-friendly soups, snacks, and smoothies à la carte
Easy-peasy prep – individual servings can be reheated in a matter of minutes
Diverse menu – enjoy keto, paleo, and gluten-free breakfasts and desserts
Current deal – Get $130 Off
Low-carb diets like paleo and keto are often a great choice for people with diabetes. Factor is one of our recommendations for diabetes-friendly diets because of its high-quality, low-carb dishes.
Factor provides perfectly portioned premade meals, making it easy to track exactly what you’re putting into your body. Start your day with chef-prepared breakfast dishes like the Keto Breakfast Skillet (shown above), which includes plenty of healthy veggies and protein without overloading you with carbs. Learn more about how Factor works in this expert review.
Factor lets you order anywhere between four and 18 meals every week, making it easy for you to adjust your subscription to suit your lifestyle.
Home Chef’s quality – in dishes with little prep and cleanup
Meals for every occasion – entrees or sides, breakfasts or salads
Bundle options – all kinds of recipes for busy family nights
Current deal – Get 18 Free Meals (45% off your first 5 boxes)!
Fresh and Easy is the perfect plan from Home Chef if you want to control your carbs and keep your diabetes in check, but don’t have time for extensive prep and cleanup. All ingredients in the Express meal kits are already portioned and you can assemble the recipes in just 15 minutes.
For lazy (or very busy) nights, you have the option of microwave-friendly Fast & Fresh dishes that you can enjoy in as little as three minutes. Check out my colleague’s review to find out more about those low-prep options.
A great middle ground are the Oven-Ready Meals (complete with oven-safe aluminum trays) and the Grill-Ready meals (with grill-safe bags). And last but not least, the Fresh and Easy bundles help you save money by buying more portions of dessert, breakfast bites, appetizers, and more.
The right balance of nutrients – loaded with low-glycemic whole-grain carbs, fiber, protein, and healthy fats
Meals and snacks every few hours – keep your blood sugar levels steady with several small meals per day
Around 1,200 to 1,500 calories each day – stay full while losing weight
Current deal – $30 off weight loss plans
Nutrisystem is a meal delivery service expressly designed to help anyone lose weight, no matter their dietary needs. With menus that include everything from cinnamon rolls to hamburgers to ice cream sandwiches, Nutrisystem provides small, healthy versions of your favorite foods to enjoy alongside Flex meals that you prepare yourself.
We go into more detail about how Nutrisystem works in our Nutrisystem review, but here’s a brief overview of its weight loss plans:
Nutrisystem D is the brand’s specialized diabetes management program. It offers three plans, depending on how many meals and how much variety you want each week. The Basic Plan is the least expensive, providing five days’ worth of shelf-stable meals and snacks every week. The Uniquely Yours Plan offers the same number of meals while also letting you choose from a broader menu.
The most comprehensive plan, appropriately called the Ultimate Plan, provides you with seven full days’ worth of food each week, perfect for people who don’t have time to plan their own meals. No matter which plan you choose, Nutrisystem’s program will help you lose weight while managing your diabetes.
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Our Rating | ||||||||
Our Rating | 9.5 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 9.5 | 9.4 |
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Starting Price | $7.99 Per Serving | $3.74 Per Serving | $3.32 Per Serving | $8.24 Per Serving | $9.99 Per Serving | $10.49 Per Serving | $7.99 Per Serving | $9.64 Per Serving |
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Minimum Order | 2 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 10 prepared meals | 3 meals for 2 people | 6 prepared meals | 2 meals for 2 people | 6 meals for 4 days |
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Meal Types | Kits, speedy kits, oven-ready | 5 - 60 min meal kits and prepared meals | Meal kits, speedy kits, prepared meals | Prepared meals | 10-45 minute meal kits | Prepared meals | Oven- & grill-ready, kits, prepared | Prepared meals, shelf-stable, and frozen food |
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Prep Time | 5-50 min | 5-45 min | 5-50 min | 2-3 min | 25-40 min | 2-3 min | 15-30 min | 0-3 min |
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Because it can be difficult to maintain a diabetic diet, specialized meal delivery services are a great way to take the guesswork out of the equation. Rather than spend your time measuring the salt and sugar content of every dish you make, check in with your healthcare provider about diabetic-friendly meal kits and premade dishes from services like Home Chef and Blue Apron. This just might be the best way to enjoy delicious food tailored to suit your dietary needs.
Strictly speaking, there’s nothing that people with diabetes can’t eat. However, this is highly individual, and you must check in with your doctor about your personal situation.
There does seem to be a general consensus when it comes to avoiding high levels of carbs, sugar, and sodium – like soda, candy, and fast food. Meanwhile, green vegetables like broccoli and spinach, as well as healthy carbs and proteins like whole grains and fatty fish, are ideal for many individuals with diabetes.
Because eating well even when not managing diabetes can be somewhat stressful, meal delivery services can be a convenient solution. Ask your doctor about any of the above diabetes-friendly plans, like the one from BistroMD, to see if it might be suitable for your needs.
It’s always best to check in with your healthcare provider before setting any macronutrient goals.
However, the CDC recommends that people with diabetes get about half of their daily calories from carbs. For a 1,800-calorie diet, this works out to about 200 grams of carbs. It’s best to look for sources of healthy carbs, like quinoa and sweet potatoes, and carb intake should be evenly spread throughout the day to prevent blood sugar spikes.
Meal delivery services like BistroMD and Nutrisystem provide meals that have been designed by professional dietitians and prepared by chefs. Ask your doctor about whether a meal delivery service might be right for you.
Fruits contain many vitamins and nutrients as well as fiber, all of which are great for people with diabetes moderation.
However, many fruits – like pineapple and watermelon – are high in sugar and therefore not the best choice. Some fruits that are great for people with diabetes include blackberries, strawberries, apples, bananas, oranges, and even tomatoes.
Doctor-recommended meal delivery services that have a dedicated diabetic plan, like BistroMD, actually provide you with the fruit and snacks to enjoy in between their prepared three meals a day.
At the end of the day, it’s always worth getting guidance from your doctor.
While this is something you should clarify with your doctor, a diabetic diet or a diabetic-friendly diet is generally a meal plan designed to provide maximum nutrition without relying on sugar and sodium for flavor. A good diabetic diet includes high-quality proteins like fish and chicken, carbs like quinoa and brown rice, and plenty of vegetables.
Meal delivery services like BistroMD and Nutrisystem take the guesswork out of eating well while managing diabetes with dietitian-designed and chef-prepared meals.