Navigating the world of meal planning can be a daunting task, especially for busy individuals and families. Monthly meal plan subscription services offer a convenient solution, delivering pre-portioned ingredients or fully prepared meals directly to your doorstep. This article provides a detailed comparison of several popular services, highlighting their pros, cons, and unique features to help you make an informed decision.
Blue Apron: Gourmet Recipes and Fresh Ingredients
Blue Apron stands out for its wide variety of plans, including both meal kits and premade meals. The company prides itself on using fresh ingredients and creating inventive recipes suitable for all cooking levels.
How It Works
Blue Apron has transitioned from a subscription model to an à la carte service, offering over 35 gourmet recipes each week. Options range from dishes like Miso Glazed Salmon and Calabrian Shrimp and Orzo to one-pan meals with minimal prep and ready-made meals for those who prefer to skip cooking altogether. You can also add meal prep proteins or Splendid Spoon smoothies for extra convenience.
What We Like
The recipes are consistently great, with creative twists and incredible flavor profiles. Blue Apron is committed to using high-quality, fresh ingredients. The recipe kits generally offer better quality than the premade dishes, though both are solid options. Menu options include calorie- and carb-conscious choices, as well as fast, easy recipes that can be whipped up in about 15 minutes, such as Poblano Sausage Gnocchi. Testers loved the variety and creativity of the recipes, praising the clear, step-by-step instructions on the recipe cards.
Take Note
While Blue Apron offers a fantastic meal kit experience, there are a few things to keep in mind. The price per serving is average, but it can increase if you choose more premium items. The service does use a noticeable amount of plastic packaging, though many components are curbside recyclable. Also, you'll need to supply some pantry basics, such as salt and pepper, which aren't included in the kits.
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Features at a Glance
- Type: Standard meal kit or prepared meals
- Cost: Most recipes average around \$12 per serving, premade dishes around \$10 each, plus an \$11 shipping fee
- Availability: Delivery to the contiguous United States
EveryPlate: Affordable and Delicious Meals
For home cooks on a budget, EveryPlate offers affordable and tasty recipes that can be made in under 30 minutes. The service provides a nice variety of ingredients and recipes, along with helpful recipe cards that include photos.
How It Works
EveryPlate offers a fixed price of \$5.99 per serving, making it one of the lowest-priced meal delivery services available. The meal kits are uncomplicated, without the fancy packaging of other services, but the food quality remains excellent. Each week, they offer a solid variety of 32 comfort-food meals, including Cheesy Southwest Beef Tacodillas and Super Smashed Burgers. Managing your subscription is easy through your account, but be sure to cancel at least five days before your next delivery.
What We Like
The meals are surprisingly tasty. EveryPlate also offers vegetarian meals, quick and easy recipes, and smart and fit options. The app is useful for ordering and following along with full recipes when you get your kit. Testers loved the variety of meals and the freshness of the ingredients. Many praised the helpful instructions, which included pictures, making it easy to prepare and plan ahead.
Take Note
One drawback is that the ingredients aren't as carefully packaged as with other kits, so you'll have to sort through your box to figure out which ingredient goes with each recipe. You may also need to have a few more pantry staples on hand, like butter, oil, and sometimes flour. That said, the box and packaging materials are sturdy.
Features at a Glance
- Type: Standard meal kit
- Cost: \$5.99 per serving + \$10 shipping fee
- Availability: Delivery to the majority of the continental USA
Green Chef: Certified Organic and Diet-Specific Options
Green Chef stands out as a USDA-certified organic company, offering neatly organized meal kits with multiple plans to accommodate different dietary preferences. The service provides solid portion sizes and high-quality organic fare.
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How It Works
Green Chef is committed to certified organic ingredients sourced directly from sustainable farms. Each week, the service offers a robust menu with more than 44 chef-crafted meals, like Barramundi with White Bean Couscous or Pork Filet with Sriracha Apricot Sauce. The meal plans cover a wide range of diets, including Mediterranean, Carb Smart, High Protein, Calorie Smart, Plant-Based, Quick and Easy, Gluten-Free, and Functional Nutrition. Managing your subscription is straightforward; simply ensure that you cancel at least seven days before your next scheduled delivery if you wish to pause or stop.
What We Like
The quality of the ingredients and how thoughtfully everything was packaged are impressive. The kits arrive neatly organized and pre-portioned, which makes cooking way less stressful. The recipes are vibrant and flavorful, and the app is great for managing your meal choices or following the recipe steps if you lose the cards. Testers loved the substantial portions and fresh flavors.
Take Note
Some testers did mention that a few recipes required multiple pans and bowls, which means a bit more cleanup than usual. The instructions can sometimes be a little complex, but the pictures on the recipe cards helped clarify and make everything easier to follow.
Features at a Glance
- Type: Standard meal kit
- Cost: \$11.99 per serving + \$9.99 shipping fee
- Availability: Delivery to almost everywhere in the continental United States
Dinnerly: Affordable and Easy Recipes with a Large Selection
Dinnerly offers one of the most extensive weekly menus available, with over 100 recipes to choose from, including vegetarian and reduced-carb options. It's more affordable than most meal delivery services, and the price per serving actually drops the more meals you order.
How It Works
Dinnerly keeps costs low by using fewer ingredients per dish and simple, uncomplicated packaging. The meals are very low-effort, requiring minimal chopping and prep, and usually contain just a few ingredients to create something delicious, such as Thai-Style Ground Turkey Stir-Fry and Low-Cal Baked Feta Pasta. The brand used to offer only digital recipe cards, but now you can choose to get printed cards in your box if you prefer. Managing your subscription is straightforward as long as you cancel before the next order cutoff date.
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What We Like
The meals are very low-effort, requiring minimal chopping and prep. Testers raved about how much easier Dinnerly was to prepare than other meal delivery services they'd used. They were also happy with the variety of recipes and gave the dishes top marks for flavor and for using fresh ingredients. The meals work well for beginner cooks too, with one tester adding, "I would recommend this meal subscription because of the variety of meals, portion size, easy-to-follow recipes, and most importantly, the wonderful taste." Families also enjoyed the Picky Eater Approved meals each week. Plus, you can choose recipes and schedule delivery through Dinnerly's app.
Take Note
To minimize packaging waste, some items are shipped loose in the box, which means you'll need to spend extra time sorting through the ingredients. You'll also need a few pantry staples, such as eggs, flour, garlic, and cooking oil, which Dinnerly lets you know about ahead of time, but this could be inconvenient if you're not stocked. The meals weren't as premium as those of some other services on the list, but they were still tasty and well-balanced. If you are looking for meals that are a bit more gourmet, consider Dinnerly's sister service called Marley Spoon (the Martha Stewart meal kit).
Features at a Glance
- Type: Standard meal kit
- Cost: \$5.99-\$8.99 per serving + \$10.99 shipping fee
- Availability: Delivery throughout the contiguous United States
Sunbasket: Sustainable and Versatile Options
Sunbasket is a solid, versatile option for those who value sustainability and healthier fare. It offers a wide variety of choices, from standard meal kits to premade dishes, with options for different dietary needs.
How It Works
Every recipe is crafted by chefs and registered dietitians, featuring high-quality ingredients and organic produce. While the meal selection isn't huge, you can add standalone proteins to your box, which saves a trip to the butcher or fishmonger. Managing your subscription is simple: you can cancel directly in your account without contacting customer service.
What We Like
Sunbasket offers plans for paleo, carb-conscious, gluten-free-friendly, keto-friendly, diabetes-friendly, Mediterranean, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets. The menu features standout dishes, including Barramundi with White Bean Couscous and Pork Filet with Sriracha Apricot Sauce. The premade meals heated best in the oven, but the microwavable option was handy when in a time crunch. Sunbasket's sustainable packaging and delivery efforts are a major commitment for the brand. Testers loved the creative, unique recipes, with 100% saying the service encouraged them to try something new. The breakfast options were also a big hit.
Take Note
Be aware that Sunbasket occasionally substitutes ingredients in your box due to seasonal produce availability. However, it consistently delivers a reliable experience. Meals are good, packaging is solid, and recipe cards are well done. Ingredients are all pre-portioned for each recipe, and they have a vast selection of dishes that rotate weekly.
HelloFresh: A Wide Selection with Easy-to-Follow Instructions
HelloFresh is one of the most well-known meal delivery services, offering a wide selection of recipes and easy-to-follow instructions. The service offers both meal kits and ready-made meals.
How It Works
HelloFresh offers new ready-made meals that simply need to be heated quickly, as well as prep-and-bake dishes that require quick preparation and then oven cooking. Your subscription is easy to cancel directly from your account, without needing to speak with a representative.
What We Like
The instruction cards are easy to follow, and the packaging is superior to other services in terms of both performance and sustainability. You can also add grocery items as needed. They offer some quick and impressive meals, such as Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Lo Mein, which can be prepared in 15 minutes. Additionally, they provide pescatarian and vegetarian options, including Zucchini Pomodoro Penne Bake. Their app is surprisingly easy to navigate when selecting meals each week. Testers gave this service top overall scores for quality, saying that the food tasted great.
Take Note
Some meals can feel a bit basic or repetitive if you're looking for more gourmet or adventurous fare. Plus, occasional ingredient substitutions occur without prior notice. The service used to offer only smaller meal plans, but now you can order kits for up to six people, making it a great choice for most families.
Features at a Glance
- Type: Standard meal kit, prepared meals, and oven-ready meals
- Cost: \$10.99-\$12.49 per serving + \$10.99 shipping fee
- Availability: Delivery across the continental US
Home Chef: Customizable and Family-Friendly
Home Chef offers traditional kits, premade meals, and semi-prepared options, with customizable proteins and family-friendly meals available at affordable prices. Kits are also available at Kroger grocery stores.
How It Works
Home Chef offers a wide range of meal types, including classic kits, express kits that take 30 minutes or less, oven-ready meals that you assemble and pop in the oven, and fully microwavable options. Classic meal kits are the standard offering of pre-portioned ingredients paired with step-by-step recipe cards; express meals are a quicker, sub-30-minute take on the classic, with built-in shortcuts like pre-cooked rice; oven-ready options come with ingredients ready to be assembled in an included tray before popped right into the oven for easy cooking; and fast-and-fresh meals are fully microwavable.
What We Like
Home Chef is highly customizable: You can adjust the protein option in many recipes (or add a protein to vegetarian options), in addition to changing the weekly number of meals you get and portions for each meal in your order. For weeks when you’re super busy, you can take advantage of add-ons like lunches, desserts, breakfasts, and even La Colombe latte cans.
Take Note
Some recipes can take a while to prepare. After a few weeks, recipes can give a déjà vu vibe, with ingredients and formats feeling similar to weeks past. With 36-plus total recipes available each week, you shouldn’t have to eat the same(ish) meal too often.
Hungryroot: A Grocery Service with Meal Suggestions
Hungryroot isn’t technically a meal delivery service; it’s more of a high-end grocery delivery service that comes with suggestions for how to easily combine its items into quick-and-easy meals.
How It Works
The service operates on a credit system, where each item has a credit value instead of a price. The number of credits you get each week depends on the meal plan you choose (how many dinners, breakfasts, snacks, etc., per box).
What We Like
Hungryroot has plenty of options for your dietary restrictions (dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, tree-nut-free, peanut-free, egg-free, shellfish-free, vegan meals, vegetarian meals, pescatarian meals, high-protein and paleo options, diabetes-friendly meals, etc.) and dietary preferences. Even if you don’t end up making the suggested recipes, you’ll still be stocking your kitchen with a variety of prepared foods, packaged staples, nutritious snacks, produce, and fresh meat (if you choose-there are plenty of meatless options too).
Take Note
If you love the ritual of chopping and prepping, this may not be the meal kit for you. But if you’re more of a snacker and you have a hard time getting yourself to the grocery store, you’ll probably love it.
Marley Spoon: Martha Stewart-Inspired Cooking
Marley Spoon stands out for its partnership with Martha Stewart, offering recipes from her archives designed to be prepped in under 30 minutes. The quality of ingredients should match fairly closely with what you’d find at the grocery store, and the recipes regularly riff on standard comfort foods in fun, tasty ways, like Mediterranean nachos that feature dill, feta, and olives.
How It Works
The ordering process is straightforward: Select a dietary preference if you have one (options include Gluten-Free-Friendly, Low Calorie, Picky Eater Approved, Quick & Easy, and Vegetarian) or opt for Everyday Variety. Then you’ll choose your servings and cadence (they offer two or four serving plans, with anywhere from two to six meals per week) before selecting your first week’s recipes from a rotating weekly menu of close to 100.
What We Like
Cooking from this box actually feels like cooking. Vegetables come whole, not pre-chopped; a recipe might have you searing a steak or roasting a couple of chicken thighs. What’s more, my boxes introduced me to new techniques and clever recipe riffs (like chicken parm made simpler with meatballs instead of cutlets), the order of operations always made logical sense, and the ingredients were consistently well thought-out (i.e., if a recipe uses cilantro leaves as garnish, chances are it’ll have you use the stems elsewhere in the dish).
Take Note
While Marley Spoon does offer some heat-and-eat options that can be a good add if you’re in the market for an easy office lunch, that’s not necessarily where this service excels-which is why I’d reserve my recommendation for people who are actually interested in cooking, but want to make the process of doing so easier and more attainable.
CookUnity: Chef-Crafted, Ready-to-Heat Meals
CookUnity reimagines what ready-made meals can be. Recipes come from big names like J.J. Johnson and Pierre Thiam, and one of our testers compared the quality of the food in every delivery favorably to a favorite takeout spot than the freezer section at the grocery store. Texture on most of the dishes we tried, while not the same as the fresh version would be, satisfied our testers, with bouncy noodles, tender cod, and crisp zucchini among surprising standouts we didn’t expect to ship and reheat well.
How It Works
You just select your dietary preferences (choose between Paleo, Vegetarian, Keto, Vegan, Mediterranean, Pescatarian, or “I eat everything), your go-to proteins, and whether there are any foods to avoid. Then you pick your plan (the amount of meals you want to receive) and select your meals from a menu of professionally made options.
What We Like
Each meal comes with an entrée, side, and occasional garnish. I was especially impressed with the quality of the meat. Oftentimes I feel frozen meats can be a little stringy or tough once cooked, but each bite of these dishes tasted fresh and delicious. With over 350 options to choose from in a given week, you'll certainly never be bored.
Take Note
Premade meals are never going to compare in freshness or flavor to what you can get from a meal kit that requires actual prep. Sauces sometimes lose their optimal consistency because of temperature fluctuations.
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