The best healthy meal delivery services can make it easier to fuel your body with healthier, more nutritious meals.
From healthy money decisions to healthy meal options, Money Under 30’s editors have decided to cover popular meal delivery services so you can judge the value of these services as well as the taste!
Hungryroot tops our list as the healthiest meal delivery service because it’s offers healthy, sustainably-sourced groceries, not just ingredients for specific recipes.
Overview: Best healthy meal delivery services
These are our overall top picks by experience and research for the top healthy meal delivery services.
- Best overall: Hungryroot
- Best for keto and plant-based options: Green Chef
- Best for health-conscious meals, restaurant-quality recipes: Blue Apron
- More, including affordable and customizable, also great healthy meal services
Hungryroot
is one of the newest competitors in the food delivery space, but it’s quickly becoming a favorite. Unlike other companies that only send you per-portioned ingredients to cook specific recipes, Hungryroot lets you include snacks and other healthy groceries you can use between meals or to prepare your own recipe.
Hungryroot is a different kind of grocery delivery services that ships healthy, sustainably-sourced foods to your door along with recipes. Unlike other meal kits, with Hungryroot you'll have leftover ingredients and can add snacks and other foods even if they're not attached to a recipe.
- Healthy, sustainably-sourced foods
- Shop groceries, not just pre-portioned meals
- Can get expensive
- Must customize every week to avoid random deliveries
If you like meal kits but don’t want to be limited to specific recipes and small quantities of prepackaged ingredients, Hungryroot might be what you’re looking for. Hungryroot offers healthy, sustainably-sourced groceries delivered straight to your door.
Customers can choose from fresh produce, meat and seafood, plant-based proteins, grains, pasta, sauces and dressings, bakery items, dairy and eggs, snacks, sweets, and more. Before you place an order, you can take a quiz in order for Hungryroot to create a customized grocery plan for you, with questions about your goals, how many people you’re feeding, dietary needs, and what you like to eat for dinner. Then, you can choose from hundreds of top-rated products to add to your cart.
Hungryroot isn’t a meal kit, and ingredients don’t come prepackaged in terms of individual meals. Instead, Hungryroot delivers fresh ingredients straight to your door, along with accompanying recipes. You can skip, cancel, or pause delivery at any time.
Green Chef
Green Chef is a premium meal delivery kit company that offers healthy, organic meal options with fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients. Green Chef offers customized meal plans for keto and paleo dishes, balanced living, and plant-based vegan and vegetarian meals.
Green Chef stands out as one of the best healthy meal delivery services using certified organic ingredients. It’s ideal for people who want nutritious dinners made with organic food and those looking for a variety of flavors and ingredients to fit their specific diet.
- Meals for paleo, a vegetarian, or gluten free
- Certified organic ingredients
- Eco-friendly sourcing and recyclable packaging
- Higher cost per a serving
Green Chef’s meals start at $11.99 per meal. While this is more expensive than many other meal kits, the company’s emphasis on organic, sustainably sourced ingredients makes these meals worth the price if you’re interested in healthy eating.
The ingredients in these meal kits have no GMOs, toxic pesticides, irradiation, sewage sludge, antibiotics, or steroids, and come pre-measured and prepped along with pre-made sauces, marinades, and spice blends. The meals are also packed in eco-friendly packaging, which is a nice additional perk if you’re looking to reduce your environmental impact.
Green Chef menu options change weekly, and there are plenty of different meals to choose from. Keto and paleo meal examples include cheesy dijon pork chops and honey citrus grilled chicken thighs. Balanced living meals include a mix of meat, fish, and vegetarian options, with meals like Greek feta burgers and sausage and apple farro bowls. Plant-powered meals feature dishes like truffle butter risotto and Korean fried rice with kimchi.
You can skip individual meals or weeks when necessary, and cancel anytime. While Green Chef is a little on the pricier side when compared with some other meal kits, they’re an excellent option for health-conscious diners looking for delicious meals that are easy to prepare.
» MORE: Select a Green Chef plan or check out our full Green Chef review.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron is another recommended option when it comes to healthy, tasty meals delivered straight to your door. They’re popular for a reason, with a great combination of high-quality healthy ingredients, step-by-step recipes, and menus updated weekly so you’ll never get bored.
Blue Apron offers both meal kits you prepare yourself and heat-and-eat meals that are already fully cooked. Ingredients are sourced directly from family-run farms to ensure freshness and quality and recipes are curated by a team of professional chefs.
- Highest-quality ingredients
- Adventurous recipes foodies will love
- Plenty of menu choices
- Not allergen-friendly
- Excessive packaging
One great feature when it comes to meals from Blue Apron is their partnership with WW (formerly Weight Watchers). Thanks to this partnership, several meals each week are marked with the WW logo, indicating that they’re great low-calorie, health-conscious options. These meals also list WW SmartPoints for easy tracking. If you’re already trying to lose weight and improve your health through WW, this makes meals from Blue Apron a no-brainer.
You can choose between meal plans for two servings, four servings, and vegetarian options, making it a great choice whether you’re looking to just feed yourself or the whole family. Prices on Blue Apron meal kits range from $7.99 to $12.49 per serving, and shipping is free for most orders. Meals like sour cherry glazed lamb chops, garlic caper chicken, and za’atar roasted chicken thighs combine restaurant-quality recipes with healthy, nutritious ingredients and easy preparation instructions.
Blue Apron is a great choice if you’re looking to eat healthier meals, lose weight, or just get out of a recipe rut.
» MORE: Try Blue Apron or read our full Blue Apron review.
Also great
These are some other meal delivery services that don’t top our list, but stand out for keeping health in mind. You might find one of these to be a better option for you. These include a plant-based delivery service, our favorite that offers the option to Customize It on your protein pick, an extremely affordable meal kit, and America’s #1 most ordered meal delivery service.
Purple Carrot
Purple Carrot offers delicious plant-based meals delivered straight to your door. Customers can choose from Quick & Easy, High-Protein, Gluten-Free, or Chef’s Choice dinners, and Purple Carrot also offers breakfast and lunch options as well as packaged snacks.
Purple Carrot is veggie-centric – delivering plant-based vegan meals every week. The meals don’t include meat or dairy products but still strive for a balance of proteins, starches, and veggies. Their portions are generous, and the recipes are easy to follow.
- Healthy options that are filling and delicious
- Veggie-centric meals
- Step-by-step recipes
- Pricier than other meal options
- Not much price transparency
- Limited customization for food allergies
Purple Carrot’s meals start at $11.00, which is a bit higher than many of the other meal delivery kits on this list. However, these meals emphasize healthy, fresh, nutritious ingredients, making them a great choice for health-conscious consumers looking for easy weekday meals.
Purple Carrot’s menu changes weekly. Some examples of tasty plant-based meals include cauliflower shawarma, black bean and corn quesadillas, and creamy tahini noodles. Snacks include mushroom jerky, oat chocolate bars, and peanut butter cup truffles.
The thing that makes Purple Carrot’s meals stand out is their commitment to plant-based menu items. Whether you’re looking to switch to a vegan or vegetarian diet, or just want to eat meat less often, Purple Carrot makes it easy to incorporate more plants into your diet. Far from boring salads and bland boils vegetables, these items are fresh, unique, and full of flavor.
» MORE: Try Purple Carrot or read our full Purple Carrot review.
Sunbasket
Sunbasket is a great choice for customers looking for healthy meals that are organic, sustainable, and ethically sourced. Sunbasket prides themselves on including only the highest quality ingredients in its meal kits.
Sunbasket is the meal kit to choose if you're looking for the freshest ingredients and the healthiest recipes.
Although more expensive than competitors, Sunbasket has menus for every diet and lifestyle, whether vegan, paleo, gluten-free, keto-friendly and more.
- Meal options for most dietary needs
- Fresh organic ingredients
- Neat, recyclable packaging
- Pricier than other services
Sunbasket’s meal kits strive to feature 100% USDA-certified organic fresh produce (landing at approximately 98%), responsibly raised meats free of antibiotics and added hormones, and sustainably sourced, wild-caught seafood. All recipes are approved by a dietitian and are created in accordance with the latest science-based nutritional recommendations. Meals are typically between 500 and 800 calories and include fresh produce, whole grains, and high-quality protein.
Another aspect that makes Sunbasket unique is its commitment to ethical animal welfare standards. The company only works with suppliers who meet certain standards and treat their animals humanely and with care. If you don’t want to adopt a vegan or vegetarian diet but are still concerned about animal welfare, Sunbasket is a great choice if you’re trying to avoid factory farms and prevent animal cruelty.
Meal kits from Sunbasket start at $11.49 and their Fresh & Ready Meals start at just $9.99 per serving. Customers can choose meals that meet their specific dietary needs and preferences, whether they’re looking to adopt a Mediterranean diet, avoid excess carbohydrates, or follow a paleo or gluten-free diet.
Sunbasket is a great choice for customers interested in ethical, sustainable eating and those with specific dietary needs.
» MORE: Try Sunbasket or read our full Sunbasket review.
Home Chef
Home Chef offers a variety of customizable meal kits, all of which include healthy, nutritious ingredients that are perfect for customers looking to improve their health or lose weight. Take this delicious-looking bowl above: Customize It with Impossible burger steak strips, ground beef, boneless skinless chicken breasts, or skip the protein at your preference.
Rated #1 in customer satisfaction and our favorite meal delivery company.
Home Chef offers multiple meal choices each week with ample variety to meet dietary needs. While not the most adventurous or customizable meal box out there, Home Chef delivery fresh, quality ingredients and tasty recipes consistently.
- Recipes are easiest to follow
- Customize meals with your favorite protein
- Super fresh ingredients, all measured out
- No vegan option (vegetarian only)
The subscription service lets customers customize their meal options depending on their preferences, including calorie-conscious and carb-conscious options for people looking to eat healthier meals. You can also choose between omnivore, carnivore, vegetarian, and pescatarian options, and indicate any special food categories, like dairy or gluten, that you’d like to avoid. Additional filter options are based on skill level and time you’ll be spending in the kitchen preparing these delicious meals.
Home Chef also makes choosing delicious, healthy meals super simple. Every Monday, customers receive an email with 20+ meal options to choose from, and you have until Friday to select what meals you’d like for the following week. You can skip deliveries when you need to and cancel your subscription at any time. Meals like BBQ mushroom flatbread, Huli Huli tofu rice bowls, and turkey and butternut squash chili are just a few examples of the flavorful, healthy meal options on offer.
If you’re looking to eat healthier but don’t have the time or energy to cook meals from scratch each night, Home Chef also has a solution for that. With their oven-ready option, you can select what meals you’d like and they’re shipped straight to your door. Pre-portioned ingredients come in an oven-safe tray that you can stick directly in your oven, and with no extra pots and pans required it makes for easy cleanup.
Overall, Home Chef is a great choice whether you’re looking to switch up your dinner routine, spend less money on takeout, or eat healthy, nutritious meals.
» MORE: Try Home Chef or read our full Home Chef review.
EveryPlate
EveryPlate specializes in healthy, affordable meals that are great for the whole family. They have clearly-marked vegetarian options and list the nutritional information for all meals, which is helpful if you’re counting calories or just watching what you eat.
EveryPlate is an affordable meal kit company focusing on simple comfort food recipes that are easy to make and tasty. The budget-friendly options with EveryPlate are up to 56% cheaper than top meal kit services and can save you up to 30% on your groceries.
- One of the lowest cost meal kit services
- Easy meal prep
- Minimal plastic packaging
- Somewhat limited menu
- Few vegetarian and gluten-free meals
EveryPlate’s meals are as low as $4.99 per serving, making them one of the most affordable meal delivery kits available. While customers do pay a flat $9.99 fee for shipping (pretty much standard), the quality, affordable meals are well worth this small additional cost.
Customers can choose from meals like caramelized zucchini linguine, Moroccan chickpea tagine, and citrus chicken and pepper bowls (pictured below, enjoy). The menu features a nice mix of family-friendly comfort food and more elevated flair, with plenty of options to choose from.
Each meal comes with an estimated preparation time clearly listed on the website, so you can choose different meals for different nights based on how much time you have to prepare dinner. The menu changes weekly, so you’ll always have new options to choose from. Customers can easily skip a week or cancel their subscriptions online.
Overall, EveryPlate is a great option for health-conscious customers who still want to indulge in the occasional comfort food, and are interested in creative recipes to switch up their dinner time routine.
» MORE: Try EveryPlate or read our full EveryPlate review.
HelloFresh
HelloFresh’s commitment to fresh, affordable, and healthy meals makes it a great option for customers looking to eat better and lose weight without breaking the bank. You may notice some similarities between Green Chef and HelloFresh because HelloFresh actually acquired Green Chef back 2018.
HelloFresh offers 45+ weekly recipes and 100+ seasonal and convenience items to choose from that can please a variety of different diets and preferences.
The recipes are easy to prepare with simple step-by-step instructions that anyone can follow, and the pre-portioned ingredients provided are always fresh.
- Easy meal prep with simple instructions
- Range of options to please everyone
- Eco-friendly and convenient packaging
- More expensive than some competitors
- Delivery window can be inconvenient
Each recipe comes with detailed nutritional information, which makes it easy to see just how many calories and nutrients you’re consuming with your meal if you have wellness goals in mind (without sacrificing the flavor I might add). There is also clearly marked information for customers with food allergies or dietary preferences.
You can pick from a variety of plans, including options for yourself and your household. You can also skip meals up to six weeks in advance, change meals, and cancel your subscription at any time.
Meals start at $9.99 per serving and come with high-quality ingredients sourced straight from farms. Each recipe is tested 200 times to ensure deliciousness and simplicity, with plenty of vegetarian, gourmet, and kid-friendly options to choose from. Whether you’re in the mood for tacos, curry, quesadillas, paella, or more, there’s plenty of easy, healthy, tasty recipes on offer among the 45+ weekly recipes and 100+ seasonal and convenience items.
Overall, HelloFresh is a great choice for health-conscious customers looking to up their weeknight dinner game. The meal options feel fresh and creative, without requiring too much prep time. They’re also some of the most affordable meals we’ve come across with pre-portioned ingredients that mean you don’t waste money on excess food.
» MORE: Select a HelloFresh plan or read our full HelloFresh review.
The competition
Fresh n’ Lean
Fresh n’ Lean advertises itself as “fast meal prep – not fast food.” The idea behind Fresh n’ Lean is to deliver fchef-cooked, organically-sourced meals to your door in easy-to-store packaging.
Your meals arrive in an insulated box and can be heated in typically under three minutes when you’re hungry since they’re delivered fresh, not frozen. They cater to your diet, so there are protein-heavy, keto, and paleo options. You can order breakfast, lunch, dinner, and the snacks in-between we all try to avoid. It can get pricey as meals start around $9.99 each and fluctuate in price depending on the options and frequency you select. This is a service more designed for individuals trying to substitute or replace meals they
How to choose a meal delivery service that’s healthy
When researching meal delivery kit services, look for companies with an explicit focus on fresh, nutritious meals that can help people make healthy choices, whether they’re looking to lose weight, eat better, or follow certain dietary restrictions.
There are meal kits that include a variety of different meals and plan options for both individuals and families. The services above represent a great mix of health, nutrition, flexibility, and taste.
Why should you use a healthy meal delivery service?
Meal delivery kits are great for a wide variety of people. These include:
- People who want to eat healthily and lose weight – Because meal delivery kits come in pre-portioned packages, it’s easy to eat the right amount of food without having to count calories or measure ingredients.
- People who want to learn new recipes – Many meal delivery kits feature simple, delicious recipes that are great for home chefs looking to master the basics.
- People who want convenience – Meal delivery kits make dinner prep way easier than planning, shopping for, and cooking a meal from scratch.
- People who want to plan in advance – If you’re the type of person who likes to know in advance your dinner plans for the week, meal delivery kit services are a great way to plan and customize your weekly menu ahead of time.
While meal delivery kits have many strengths, they’re not always the best choice for everyone. People who they might not work for include:
- People who like to improvise – These meal kits generally come with a fixed amount of ingredients along with specific preparation instructions. If you’re the sort of person who likes to improvise in the kitchen, meal delivery kits might not be the best fit.
- People who want to get the absolute lowest price – While many meal kits are very affordably priced, you can sometimes score even lower prices if you shop in bulk and cook meals from scratch.
- People concerned about the environmental impact – Most meal delivery services strive to be as environmentally friendly as possible, but they do impact the environment when it comes to shipping and packaging.
Features of the best healthy meal delivery services
When it comes to choosing a meal delivery service, here are a few of the features you should take into consideration.
Cost
Cost is one of the most significant aspects of a meal delivery kit. For most customers, meal delivery kits will still be slightly more expensive than shopping in bulk and cooking from scratch. However, meal delivery kits are often significantly less expensive than takeout and delivery. Meals typically range between about $5 to $10, with EveryPlate coming in at the bottom of the range, so they’re still pretty affordable even if you’re on a budget.
Preparation method
Some meal kits involve spending some time in the kitchen preparing each meal, while others you can simply stick in the microwave for a few minutes. Which type is the better choice for you is largely a matter of personal preference. Meal kits like Sunbasket tend to require a little more time in the kitchen, while services like Home Chef include plans are ready in minutes.
Meal variety and options
While all meal delivery kits have a variety of options to choose from, some go above and beyond when it comes to creative menu options or specific dietary accommodations. I found that Blue Apron had some of the most creative and appetizing menu items, while multiple options on our list did a great job of accommodating different nutritional needs.
What are meal delivery services?
The best meal delivery services essentially attempt to answer the question of what to have for dinner. Rather than scrounging for snacks in an empty kitchen or resorting to another night of takeout after a long workday, meal delivery kits make planning out a week’s worth of dinners easy, affordable, and fun.
Parents occupied with well…being parents may especially find them beneficial since they take off a couple items off the shopping list (literally). Check out meal delivery service for families if that’s the case for you.
Summary: Best healthy meal delivery services
If you’re looking to eat healthily, lose weight, or just simplify your dinner routine, these meal delivery kits are all great options. It can be a relief not to have to think as much about what you’ll make for dinner each night, and the kits are full of healthy, nutritious ingredients that are the perfect complement to an active lifestyle.