Figuring out what to eat for weeknight dinners can be a drag, especially if youre already mentally and physically exhausted from work, kids, and all of the other things that pull you in one direction or the other. And yet, the average person can only handle doing so many dishes and so many nights of takeout in a row. Traditional meal delivery kits, with pre-portioned ingredients and simple steps, are great and all, but they dont solve the issue of having to cook and clean up.
Enter premade delivery services. They send prepared foods to your door and require little to no prep. Simply pop a meal into the microwave, and bam! A complete meal thats ready in minutes.
But not all premade meal delivery services are created equal. The market is vast and filled with a variety of options to suit different tastes, schedules, and dietary preferences. You can sign up for a service that includes a weeks supply of main meals, or choose one that supplies a handful of dishes to have at the ready. There are chef-created meals for hardcore food obsessives, and protein-packed picks for gym-goers that require zero meal prep.
We've done the hard work for you, sussing out the best options for a wide range of eaters. Our pitch for the category? Youll save money, do less dishes, and maybe even find some extra time for the things that you love: spending time with loved ones, binge-watching Bridgerton, or even sleeping. The choice is yours.
With the sheer number of meal delivery services on the market, we wanted our list to reflect the diversity of offerings. These include meal services that cater to a range of dietary restrictions and preferences (vegan, keto, paleo, etc.) and offer flexibility in the number and frequency of meals you receive. There are meal delivery services that have options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all of the above, plus companies that allow you to mix premade meals with traditional meal kits for those nights when you have time to actually make a meal.
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Best Chef-Inspired
Sure, many (if not all) meal delivery services are curated by chefs, but the ones brainstorming the dishes youll receive from CookUnity are some you might actually recognize: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Hugh Acheson, and Esther Choi, to name a few.
These award-winning chefs create a weekly-changing menu of fresh options that balance great taste with solid nutrition. Prices begin at $9.55 per meal.
The testimonials on the CookUnity homepage sum it up well. One reviewer describes the meals as delicious, fresh, and the perfect portion, adding that they look forward to coming home after a long work day and having restaurant-quality meals [ready] in minutes.
Best Variety
You may have noticed Daily Harvests beautiful smoothies in an Instagram ad (or four), but the service offers so much more than just super delicious fruit- and veggie-packed smoothies. Consider its Harvest Bowls, which can be microwaved or prepared on a stovetop, Harvest Bakes that you pop into the oven (and are big enough to share), flatbreads, soups, chia seed bowlsthe list goes on.
With a subscription, you can mix and match: choose all smoothies or pick favorites from a variety of categories. Pricing begins at $5.99 per meal.
Factor brings the flavor and nutrition in each of its fully prepared meals, which youll actually want to eat. Theyre proud of the fact that they use fresh, never frozen, ingredients and combine chef recipes with advice from dietitians. There are keto, low-carb, low-calorie, and even plant-based options to choose from.
One reviewer says the flavors and seasonings are outstanding. Prices begin at $5.50 per meal.
Best Portable
Perfect for office lunches and quick breakfasts, Farmers Fridge meals are ready-to-eat and require no prepyou dont even have to heat them up. Another plus is you dont need a subscription to try their meals. Just order enough to fill up a box and youre good to go.
Their Green Goddess Salad is a customer favorite; one says that the glazed pecans give it a nice crunch and the dressing goes perfectly with the quinoa and greens. Prices begin at $5.99 per meal.
Best For Active People
A simple solution to refueling after a grueling workout, Fresh n Lean serves up protein-packed meals that are ready to eatno meal prep required. They bill themselves as the #1 meal plan for fitness junkies and offer organic meals that are fresh and nutrient-dense.
Testimonials on the Protein+ page come from professional athletes like Sloane Stephens, a tennis player, who says the meals keep her full and focused. Prices begin at $10.75 per meal.
Best Microwave-Ready
Freshlys model is simple and straightforward: Order more meals and save more money. Each single-serving meal is ready after a three-minute blast in the microwave, and theres a solid variety of options, from Steak Peppercorn to a Savory-Sweet Chicken Teriyaki Bowl. Also, there are gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, and low-calorie options on their menu.
According to testimonials on the Freshly homepage, one customer said that using Freshly has cut their monthly food bill in half. Prices begin at $8.99 per meal.
Best Oven-Ready
Not a microwave person? Home Chef offers oven-ready meals that require just a little assembly before popping them into the oven. Options include Tuscan-Style Shrimp and Peppers, Steak au Poivre Baked Penne, and Creamy Cheddar Buffalo-Style Chicken Breast.
One reviewer describes Home Chef as delicious and versatile, as you can mix and match oven-ready meals with traditional meal kits that you prepare yourself. Prices begin at $6.99 per meal.
Best Freeze-Dried
Kenckos just add water approach allows them to pack lots of fruits and vegetables into shelf-stable smoothies and bowls, which come in portable packets. The company supplyiesthe reusable bowl and fork to make meals like lentil dhal and minestrone soup.
A customer on its reviews page swoons that Kenckos food is very convenient and tastes great. Prices begin at $6.90 per meal.
Best Vegetarian
Whether youre vegetarian or simply looking to introduce more plant-based meals into your diet, Mosaic is a standout option. To help curb food waste, Mosaics meals go in the freezer (so they last longer and are less likely to end up in the trash bin). Also, for every box sold, Mosaic donates two pounds of nutritious food to New Yorkers in need in partnership with City Harvest. Mosaic also offers bake-and-serve Family Meals that feed four.
One reviewer writes that in addition to convenience, affordability, and sustainability, Mosaic also delivers on taste. These are not your mothers frozen dinners, they wrote. Meals start at $4.99.
Best Paleo
Offering paleo plates without the prep, Petes Paleo serves up a weekly-rotating menu that changes with the seasons and is based on what their farmers are growing and harvesting. Sample meals include BBQ Short Ribs with Cabbage Slaw and Chive Mashed Potatoes, and Mushroom Herb Turkey Burgers with Garlic Yukon Potatoes and Sauteed Spinach. Meals begin at $16.
Best Health-Focused
If you want to eat like Gwyneth Paltrow, look no further than this health-focused meal plan from Sakara Life. The service says it harnesses the power of food as medicine to provide ready-to-eat meals that are organic, plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, and have no refined sugars.
To sign up, you need to choose at least two meals and how many days a week you want them (two, three, or five). Youll scroll past a number of testimonials before you get to that step, with Lily Aldridge saying that its her go-to for healthy, clean eating and easy for a mom on the go.
Prices begin at $109 a week.
Best Dietitian-Approved
Co-founded by a James Beard Award-winning chef, Sunbasket employs a team of chefs and registered dietitians to make tasty meals featuring organic produce. Their Fresh & Ready meals are heat-and-eat and ready in under four minutes. They can be mixed in with traditional meal kits if youre looking for both experiences.
A customer review on the Sunbasket homepage notes that they have been subscribed for more than two years and have been impressed with the unique deliciousness of the meals and stellar customer service. Prices begin at $5.99 per meal.
Best With Smart Oven
For meals that cook themselves (wait, what?!), Tovala has you covered. It separates itself from other meal kit services in that it also makes a smart oven that scans your meal and uses heat and steam to prepare it. The oven also works with items you find at the grocery store, like pizza rolls, and has a manual option to steam, bake, broil, toast, and reheat whatever you want.
On Tovala's reviews page, one customer notes that the service is worth every penny and has the best tasting meals out of any other meal delivery program theyve tried. prices begin at 11.99 per meal, while the Tovala oven goes for $99.
Best Holistic
Trifectas selling point is that it offers more than just ready-to-eat meals that cater to specialty diets like keto, paleo, and vegan. It also has a team of nutrition experts that offer support and guidance, plus an app that tracks macros. The company's testimonials page is filled with customers who have lost weight, gotten into shape, and even improved gut health with Trifecta. Prices begin at $99.99 per week.
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The 14 Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services Of 2022 - Delish
