Even after the pandemic’s peak, meal kits are still all the rage in America.

Whether your priority is frugal dinners or environmentally conscious ingredients, odds are there is a meal delivery service that will meet your unique wants and needs… unless you’re single.

But many meal kit delivery options are too much food for one person. So, those of us cooking one recipe that lasts a full week or buying ingredients that go bad long before we’ve had a chance to use them are the ones struggling to find the perfect kit.

Fortunately, even though most meal delivery services have a minimum order of three meals for two individuals weekly, there are still plenty of great choices for single adults. Here are the top four worth trying.

Overview of the Best Meal Kit Delivery Services for One

Freshly: Best for Single Servings

• Price per serving – $8.99+
• Estimated cook and prep time – 3 minutes
• Special diets – Gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, plant-based, low-calorie, carb-conscious
• Current promotion – Get $60 off your first four boxes

As we’ve established, most meal delivery services cater to couples and families… most.

Freshly is unique among the meal kit giants, because they don’t offer traditional meal kits designed for a minimum of two people and three meals. Instead, Freshly provides single-serving meals, and you can order 4 to 12 per week.

Additionally, Freshly doesn’t send a box full of individually wrapped mayo packets and chicken breasts. Instead, they send a fully cooked frozen meal you can heat in three minutes or less.

All this said, if there’s any downside to Freshly, it’d be the price. For a glorified frozen dinner, you’ll pay $8.99 per serving (or more), plus a shipping cost of $9.99 or more. If you’re on the fence, consider the fact that $8.99+ includes a delivered, chef-made, health-conscious dinner, and you can choose from a number of diet- and allergy-friendly options, including plant-based and low-calorie.

For the singles who are career-focused, traveling, or simply on-the-go, Freshly can’t be beat.

Try Freshly now or read our full Freshly review.

EveryPlate: Best for Price

• Price per serving – $4.99
• Estimated cook and prep time – 20 to 40 minutes
• Special diets – Vegetarian
• Current promotion – Get $35 off your first three boxes

If you found Freshly’s prices a little out of reach, EveryPlate will be a welcome surprise.

EveryPlate dinners cost just $4.99 per serving, making it one of the most affordable meal delivery services out there. This company uses simpler ingredients and packaging to keep costs low, but still manages to provide 17 delicious, healthy options every single week.

Customers interested in a specific diet like keto or those with food allergies such as peanuts or gluten should note that EveryPlate’s slimmer business model also means they do not cater to specific dietary needs beyond vegetarian.

Nevertheless, if you’ve never tried a meal delivery service before, EveryPlate is a great place to start, especially because their current promotion reduces their price per serving to just $1.99 for your first three boxes!

Try an EveryPlate subscription or read our full EveryPlate review.

Blue Apron: Best for Variety

• Price per serving – $7.99+
• Estimated cook and prep time – 5 to 50 minutes
• Special diets – Vegetarian
• Current promotion – Get $80 off your first four boxes

Of the meal delivery services listed thus far, Blue Apron is one of the originals.

After a decade in the industry, this formidable food giant has established itself as a leader. Blue Apron offers meals that are both tasty and nutritious at a competitive price of $7.99+ per serving — but perhaps its greatest perk is a truly comprehensive menu. Every week, customers choose from a wide selection of more than 50 dishes!

For the single folks who hate cooking the same five entrees week after week, Blue Apron can help you expand your palate, featuring popular dishes from all over the world. You can order something unique, like chimichurri tilapia, or play it safe and select steak tacos.

Even the time involved in each dish is across the board, with some dishes taking nearly an hour to prepare and others traveling from box to table in less than 10 minutes.

Try a Blue Apron subscription or read our full Blue Apron review.

Sunbasket: Best for Being Environmentally Conscious

• Price per serving – $9.99+
• Estimated cook and prep time – 4 to 40 minutes
• Special diets – Paleo, gluten-free, low-calorie, vegetarian, pescatarian, mediterranean, diabetes-friendly, and carb-conscious
• Current promotion – Get $90 off your first order, plus a free gift and free shipping on your first box

Last on our list is Sunbasket, a company that’s catering to the environmentally conscious, sustainably minded consumer.

Sunbasket’s business model features meals that prioritize health above all, meaning your own personal health as well as the planet’s. They use fresh, organic produce and work with farmers and fishers who care for their animals as well as their land.

Thanks to their sustainable approach and talented team of chefs, Sunbasket’s menu is playful and comprehensive, with options like Burmese beef khow suey or Korean BBQ tostadas with pollock, charred scallions, and carrot slaw. In addition to their creative dishes, Sunbasket offers a variety of breakfasts and snacks, as well as individual products such as salmon filets and roasted mushroom ravioli.

All this said, if Sunbasket seems to suit your taste buds best, prepare to pay a pretty penny. Their Fresh & Ready meals (heats in the microwave in four minutes or less) are $9.99 per serving, while their traditional meal kits (take 4-40 minutes to make) cost $11.49 per serving.

Try a Sunbasket subscription or read our full Sunbasket review.

Summary of the Best Meal Delivery Services for One

How I Came up With this List

First and foremost, there is only one popular meal delivery kit company that delivers single-serving meals: Freshly. Freshly’s business plan is unique among its competitors, and it caters well to the single crowd.

To further hone my list of America’s best meal delivery services for singles, I considered the values and concerns of many singles — especially Millennial and Gen Z singles, since the average age of a single person in America is roughly 30 years old. This led me to prioritize the meal delivery services that addressed three values: price, variety, and sustainability.

Cost

Cost is an important concern for many meal kit customers, whether it’s because we’re worried about saving for retirement or spending our spare change on trips and treats. With meals available for $4.99 per serving, EveryPlate has created a solution for the frugal-minded foodies.

Variety

Another value for many singles, especially those who enjoy travel and trying new foods, is an extensive and creative menu. Meal delivery services allow us to try a variety of different dishes, and with 50+ options per week, Blue Apron has one of the widest selections available.

Sustainability

Finally, a growing priority of many Millennials and Gen Z — and singles, by extension — is sustainability and supporting environmentally conscious companies. Among the meal delivery top dogs, Sunbasket has the clear lead in this department, using almost 100% organic produce and partnering with sustainable fishers and farmers across the country.

What are Meal Kit Delivery Services?

Meal kit services deliver healthy meal packages directly to your door, some with prepared dishes and others with ingredients to make the meals yourself.

Most of the country’s leading meal delivery kits provide a wide selection of a couple dozen choices each week, and you can cancel or skip a delivery whenever you like. Many provide meals that can cater to certain dietary preferences, such as vegetarian dishes, as well as food allergies, such as gluten-free options.

On average, these companies charge around $5-$10 per serving, with an additional fee of $10 or more for shipping.

Why Should You use Meal Kit Delivery Services?

The primary perk of a meal kit delivery service is time.

For the busy singles building their careers, the wanderlust travelers, and the less-than-creative cooks, meal delivery services save significant time and energy every week. You’ll bypass the hours spent searching for recipes, wandering the grocery store, and — depending on the meal kit you choose — preparing a delicious and nutritious meal.

This being said, folks looking for more affordable entrees may not find their solution in a meal kit. Depending on the company, some meal delivery services cost the same as a dinner out each night. If cost is important to you, consider a company like EveryPlate, which provides a competitive price per serving of just $4.99.

Related: Best Meal Delivery Services for Families

The Bottom Line

Meal delivery subscriptions can be a great help to customers who want to save time and eat healthier.

Unfortunately, most of these companies offer kits that serve a minimum of two individuals weekly. As a result, it can be difficult for singles to find a company that meets their specific wants and needs.

Freshly is the only established meal delivery service that provides single-serving dishes, from 4 to 12 each week, but there are plenty of other popular companies that individual shoppers should consider. For instance, EveryPlate offers a particularly affordable price of $4.99 per serving, and Blue Apron’s extensive menu gives single folks the opportunity to explore elaborate entrees from all over the globe.

Featured image: tommaso79/Shutterstock.com

Read more:

• The true cost of eating out (and how to save)
• How much does it cost to live alone?