The Best Meal Delivery Services According to Experts (2024)

Home Chef is a flexible meal delivery kit that we crowned the best overall due to its flexibility in plans, versatility in meal type, quality of flavor and ingredients, and great customer service. Home Chef is owned by grocery store Kroger, and you can find some of their meals in the national grocery store chain.

The company provides fresh and easy-to-cook gourmet meals like mustard pretzel-crusted chicken, maple dijon-glazed salmon, and one-pan Korean-style barbecue meatballs.

Our tester, Emily, has used multiple meal delivery services but has been a regular Home Chef user since September 2022 because of its high-quality ingredients and great-tasting meals. “[My husband and I] learned a lot about cooking just from making different recipes,” Emily says in our Home Chef review. “Many of the meals have wonderful sauces that just make the dish absolutely perfect.”

Emily also notes that placing orders is super easy and scored the ordering process a 5 out of 5. “I get email reminders every week to go select my meals. Once logged in, the first page you see is your upcoming menus. Home Chef automatically selects meals for you based on your stated preferences and the types of meals you’ve selected in the past.”

She adds that the company is quick to fix its occasional mistakes. “While I did have a few issues with incorrect meal kits or ingredients, it is super easy to provide feedback, the responses are quick, and credits are immediately applied to the account for your next meal delivery,” she says.

As a dietitian, I’ve recommended Home Chef many times to athletes and clients who express a desire to have healthy, home-cooked meals, but are short on time. This is because Home Chef gives you a range of options, especially if you adopt a diet that requires you to have a pescatarian or vegetarian meal. For that reason, we rated the meal plans and customization options 4 out of 5 stars.

“Home Chef is a good option for those wanting to learn how to build balanced meals and acquire new cooking skills,” adds Perry Nix, R.D., L.D. “Even if you only use the meal kits short-term, you can mimic the recipes using store-bought ingredients.”

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You can either get the full meal kit, which cuts down on prep but will still take you about 30 minutes to prepare, or you can get the Fast & Fresh or Oven Ready meals that just require you to assemble some ingredients in a tray and pop them in an oven or microwave. 

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Hungryroot is one of the best meal kits you can order if you want high-quality ingredients for any type of diet—omnivores, vegans, and those with nut or soy allergies (among many others) can find countless meal options that taste great.

GGR Senior Director of Content and weightlifting coach Kate Meier awarded every meal she tried a 5 out of 5 rating. “Everything is so fresh, and you don’t need to do any seasoning because most foods are prepped already for you with spices. If you wanted more salt or whatever, you could add your own.”

Ordering, on the other hand, requires some patience. Kate says in our Hungryroot review, “The first thing you do is take a quiz where you talk about your goals, dietary restrictions, preferred cuisines, and how much you like (or don’t like) cooking. It’s honestly a little confusing.” 

It’s true, when I’ve tried Hungryroot in the past, as much as they allow filtering, the options can be very overwhelming. However, if you want great-tasting, humanely raised meat and dairy with plenty of organic options for fruits and vegetables, Hungryroot’s variety ranks it among the best meal kit delivery services. 

Registered dietitian Perry Nix warns that people with cholesterol issues or anyone else who’s watching their sodium intake might not be the best fit for Hungryroot.

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Eat Clean’s mission is in the name—a meal delivery service that provides you with meals made with all-natural ingredients and respectable macronutrients, which is why it’s our top choice for people looking for something on the healthier side. Brittany Combs, GGR social media manager and a busy mom of three, says the good news is it doesn’t taste healthy, for the most part.

“Overall the meals were good,” she says. “I loved the sea bass, it was delicious. But the low-carb lasagna was my favorite. It was super cheesy and full of meat.”

She rated the overall meal experience a 3.5 out of 5, saying the vegetables provided with her meals were a little bland. She also noted that any bread products, including her pancakes (OK, it’s not bread but it’s made with flour), all had a “tough” texture.

All meals are shipped frozen and take about two minutes to heat up in the microwave, earning Eat Clean a 5 out of 5 when it comes to ease of preparation. “The only odd note I have is that a lot of times the box the meal is in would curve upwards,” she says.

Brittany says she was satisfied with the portion size, though we do have to clarify she is petite so larger people may not feel quite as satiated. “As long as I ate the whole meal I was sufficiently full,” she says, giving that category a 5 out of 5 as well.

Eat Clean gives you 50 meals to choose from and four meal plan types: traditional (nutritionally-balanced foods made with animal and plant products), plant-based, keto, and paleo. You can choose to receive six, 10, 12, or 14 meals each week and the higher you go, the lower your per-cost meal. Brittany says she was overwhelmed at times with the amount of choices she had.

For those who are trying a specialty diet, such as keto or plant-based, but don’t have the time to plan the meals around their macros, Factor provides microwavable, single-serving meals that make life much easier. If you are an athlete or otherwise have to consume a lot of calories, you don’t have to worry about the portions, either. 

Our tester Amanda Capritto, former GGR senior staff writer and certified sports nutrition coach, gave Factor a nearly perfect score of 4.5 out of 5 when it came to portion sizes. “This is the only meal service I tried that had ample portions! These meals can fill up a triathlete in the middle of a tough training block, so they can fill up just about anyone.”

That said, if you are going for weight loss, be aware that some meals can be more than 800 calories, though there are some as low as 350 calories. “This wide range in calories makes Factor appropriate for those wanting to lose weight and those who just want to eat more nutrient-dense foods without cutting calories.”

As far as taste? We had mixed reviews, to put it simply. “Better than OK, but not great,” Amanda says in our Factor Meals review, “I think my expectations were a little too high due to all the rave about this brand. I can make better food for sure, but the convenience makes the ‘just-decent’ taste more tolerable.” Ultimately, she awarded the meals a 4 out of 5 on taste.

There are a lot of meals to choose from, but Amanda ended up scoring it a 4 out of 5 on variety because she noticed a pattern in the rotating menu. “The meals all have the same format: a protein and a side of veggies and/or grains,” she says. “While you do get to enjoy different flavor profiles, you’ll eventually notice that you’re eating the same kind of meal over and over.”

In short, this is an excellent service for people following a low-carb diet who appreciate generous portions.

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Fuel Meals makes it easy to filter through their gluten-free options every week, of which there are more than two dozen to choose from. You’ll still get a moderate amount of carbs to help fuel your workout, just in the form of rice or potatoes. And if that sounds like classic bodybuilding food to you, it’s because that’s what you’ll get from these prepared meals.

“These meals are made with your typical meal prep foods like rice, chicken, and broccoli,” registered dietitian Perry Nix says in our Fuel Meals review. “If you’re an adventurous eater that likes a lot of variety, this might not be the best option for you.”

The good news is it doesn’t taste like you’re on a diet, with two of our testers scoring it a 4 out of 5 when it came to the overall flavor of the dishes. “They taste totally fine, completely edible, could order and eat again; I just wanted something more,” says GGR’s senior director of content and weightlifting instructor Kate Meier. “I found myself adding adding vegetables to the meal, or adding a sauce or a spice to get more out of it.”

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Since these are prepared meals you just throw in the microwave, the ease of preparation gets an automatic 5 out of 5. The portion sizes, however, may not be the best fit for everyone. Nicole Davis, GGR’s head of content and a certified personal trainer, says she felt full after eating them but Kate felt like she needed more food, resulting in a 4 out of 5 score for the amount of food per dish.

After your first week, the price per meal goes up to around $15, so it’s not for people who are on tight budgets (though you can snag a Fuel Meals discount code). And while we appreciate the gluten- and dairy-free options, there’s not much for people with other dietary restrictions or customs.

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Trifecta is known for having a ton of options and is one of our top picks for prepared meal delivery services due to how well it accommodates special diets like vegan, keto, paleo, GLP-1, and more. And since they’re fully cooked, all you have to do is reheat them in the microwave or air fryer, so it gets a perfect 5 out of 5 in the prep category.

Trifecta also offers bulk meal prep options, such as pre-cooked proteins, carbs, and vegetables.

GGR Senior Director of Content and competitive weightlifter Kate Meier loved how simple placing orders was, rating the process a 4 out of 5. “The chef chooses for you to get you started, but you can remove meals you don’t like and add ones you do.” Kate took off a point because one of her friends who also tried Trifecta didn’t realize you could edit the meals, something we’ve seen mentioned in other customer reviews.

The taste, however, was a controversial topic among some of our testers. Kate and Sarah settled on a 4 out of 5 in the flavor department. “Some of the meals were good, some I took one bite and threw away,” Sarah says. Kate says she didn’t mind the meals, though she notes she eats “pretty plainly” and doesn’t use a lot of spice.

As we explain in our Trifecta Meal Delivery review, the price per serving varies based on how many meals per week you order. You can pick between 7, 10, and 14 entrees and the meal plan that works best for you. During the ordering process, you can also let Trifecta know if there are any common ingredients you want to avoid.

At around $10.99-$14.99 per meal, BistroMD is undoubtedly one of the cheapest meal delivery services we tried, earning a 4 out of 5 on pricing. You’ll also get a discounted rate for your first week, an offer that most companies give new customers, that brings each entree down to around $6.50.

That remains true whether you go for their vegan, diabetic-friendly, keto, or other meal options that fit multiple diets and lifestyles. These are also prepared meals, so you’re also saving time on top of money.

“The suggestion is that you dethaw each meal the night before but I only did that once,” says Lauren Strong, a certified personal trainer and GGR senior staff writer. “Most meals were totally fine if you just threw them in the microwave starting from a totally frozen state.” That earns it a 5 out of 5 for preparation.

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Registered dietitian Perry Nix is a fan of how these meals are constructed from a weight loss perspective. “These meal plans focus on fueling your metabolism, stabilizing your blood sugar, and keeping you full and satisfied, so you can burn more calories and utilize energy efficiently,” she says.

And on taste, Lauren was a fan—for the most part. She settled on a 4 out of 5 rating for that category. “Pretty darn good for these being both health-conscious and frozen,” she says. Some meals had some questionable ingredients, such as a slaw that wouldn’t thaw and “meat that was super stringy and long.

“I honestly questioned what part of the cow it was from because the pieces were so long,” she says.

Her biggest complaint was the portion sizes, which she rated a 3.5 out of 5. “Most meals are under 400 calories, with most being in the mid-300s,” she says. Granted, these meals are designed for people looking to lose weight, though the caloric content still worries our resident dietitian.

“While you could see initial weight loss, you’re more likely to gain the weight back plus some,” Perry says.

Since 2014, Purple Carrot has been providing healthy, plant-based meals to people across the country as the first fully vegan meal delivery service. In their mission, they aim to help people integrate more plants into their diets, which is something registered dietitians everywhere can support.

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Certified nutrition coach and GGR performance editor Anthony O’Reilly is a flexitarian who enjoys plant-based meals, and he says Purple Carrot’s sloppy tofu Joes were one of the best meals he tried while testing meal delivery services. He was also surprised at how much food he received—Anthony is 6 feet, 3 inches tall and trains almost every day, and even he felt full after every meal.

“Actually quite generous for a plant-based meal service,” he says, giving the portion sizes a 4 out of 5 rating. However, if you’re looking for transparent nutritional information, we noted that it’s not as accessible as other services unless you choose their “high protein” meals.

The ease of preparation was simple enough, but Anthony ended up rating it a 3 out of 5 because he felt the recipes weren’t as thorough as they could’ve been. “I always dry-pat my tofu before cooking it, but I didn’t notice that in the recipe,” he says in our Purple Carrot review. “It’s not the biggest thing in the world, but a step like that can easily improve your end product—but that’s not something that many American home cooks know.”

That said, if you have some patience and know how to improvise in the kitchen, Purple Carrot could be a foolproof way to eat more plant-based meals, especially if you’re a busy vegan or vegetarian who is looking for an easier way to meal prep. 

Perry Nix, a registered dietitian, says Purple Carrot is a great option for all types of eaters, though he and Anthony note the variety isn’t the best. “A plant-based diet can help reduce inflammation and decrease your risk of developing a chronic disease,” Nix says.

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What sets ICON Meals apart from similar services is that you can order as much food as you want a la carte. Since there are no restrictions on frequency or quantity, it’s an excellent option for large families or individuals who like to stay stocked with meal prep, especially since the meals are frozen and can be kept on hand for up to six months.

How do these frozen meals taste? Certified personal trainer and GGR performance editor Anthony O’Reilly rated it a 4 out of 5. “Meals like the beef chimichurri with carrots and quash or Cajun seafood pasta were alright, pretty typical of frozen meals in that the flavor wasn’t super present but it wasn’t offensive either,” he says in our ICON Meals review. “My favorite meal was The Titan Breakfast Burrito. I was surprised at how well-spiced it was. It kind of had a Middle Eastern vibe to it.”

Anthony also scored the portion size a 4 out of 5, saying while there was plenty of protein in the meals the actual size of each “dish” wasn’t enough for his 6-foot, 3-inch frame. “The meals are petty good for the average person.”

Anthony appreciates the ease of adding meals a la carte, or adding bulk items such as salmon as a “meal,” and as a result gave the ordering process a 5 out of 5.

Registered dietitian Perry Nix says she likes the customization available through ICON. “Something that makes ICON Meals unique, is that you can create custom meals to suit your dietary needs and preferences,” she says. “This is ideal for anyone trying to hit specific macros each day because you are in control of everything that’s on your plate.”

She warns, however, that there’s little to no information on ingredient sourcing. “That could deter those who prefer to consume ingredients they know are ethically and sustainably sourced,” she says.

One of the most unique features of Sunbasket that makes it one of the best meal delivery services, in my opinion, is the option to choose between meal kits or ready meals. The ready meals can have dinner ready in 5 minutes or less or, if you enjoy cooking, the meal kits take an average of 30 minutes to prepare. Certified sports nutrition coach and former GGR senior staff writer Amanda Capritto says the variety is a 5 out of 5 regardless of which option you pick.

“You could easily use this subscription for several months without getting bored,” she explains in our full Sunbasket review.

Amanda, a competitive triathlete, knocked the service on its portion size, which she rated a 3 out of 5. “So far, the portion sizes have been on the small side,” she says. “The pulled pork slider meal, for example, came with four very small slider buns and I knew it wouldn’t be enough to feed me, who’s actively training for a huge endurance event, and my boyfriend.”

Amanda, unfortunately, also had a bad experience with some not-so-fresh fresh ingredients. “The first meal I tried included a couple of small steaks and the quality was not good,” she reports. “For example, the package of sirloin tips that I got for one of the meal kits was questionable (the vacuum seal was busted and the meat smelled icky upon opening)—enough so that I threw it out and used meat I had in the freezer from grocery shopping.” However, she mentions that there were other meals of excellent quality. 

Sunbasket offers meal options that fit almost any diet, including those for people dealing with allergens or other dietary restrictions, making it worth a try for people who need those options.

“Sunbasket offers a variety of protein sources that you don’t see with some other meal delivery services,” says registered dietitian Perry Nix. “Many meals include protein from seafood like salmon, shrimp, and scallops, which are sources of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.”

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HelloFresh’s website crowns itself as “America’s most popular meal kit.” I have a confession to make: I, a registered dietitian, use HelloFresh for most of my meals. I simply love the variety and the cool recipe cards you can keep and use as repeat meals. It is constantly giving me new ideas for nutritious meals to make when I’m sick of coming up with options on my own. 

But some people had different experiences. GGR team member Ashley rated the service’s ingredient quality a 3.5 out of 5. “Despite the name, I’ve had many experiences where my food from HelloFresh wasn’t as fresh as I’d like,” she says in our HelloFresh review, specifying that the issue mostly happens with fruits and vegetables. “I don’t usually have issues with the meat or dairy products.”

The recipe cards are so easy to follow, they can make a great family-friendly activity to involve your children in, so it’s great for introducing them to making home-cooked meals. Ashley agrees, rating the preparation a 4 out of 5 for the quick prep and cleanup times.

The one thing I don’t like about the recipes is they very often include sour cream and cream sauces. So, I like to substitute with more heart-healthy ingredients like Greek yogurt when appropriate. 

Fellow registered dietitian and mother Perry Nix also loves the convenience and ability to include children in the kitchen, but agrees HelloFresh recipes lack variety for specialty dieters.

“This is a good option for anyone who would rather eat their food hot off the stove instead of reheated in the microwave,” she says.

ModifyHealth is a company that prides itself on using organic produce, which is perfect for those who want to take advantage of the ease that meal kits provide without sacrificing their health values. They also have plans for all types of dietary preferences and restrictions, like low-FODMAP, gluten-free, heart-friendly, and carb-conscious.

“Most of their meals contain a lean source of protein like chicken, fish, or tofu, which is ideal for anyone wanting to eat less saturated fat or reduce their cholesterol,” says registered dietitian Perry Nix.

Both the taste and portion size got high marks, 4.5 and 4, respectively, from tester Nicole Davis, GGR head of content and precision nutrition level 1 coach. “These are frozen meals and I didn’t have high hopes based on the other frozen meal deliveries I had tried,” she says of the taste. “These were the best by far. I tried an assortment of meals from the Mediterranean plan, which is a lot of fish, and I enjoyed all of them.”

Regarding portions, it was fine for her but not filling enough for her husband. “It wouldn’t be enough for a meal for him,” she says.

That’s one concern for Perry, who notes the calories for some of the meals is on the lighter side. “meals with less than 400 calories may not give you the energy your body needs to function optimally,” she says.

The ordering process received a perfect 5 out of 5. “You choose your meal frequency, any ingredients you don’t want included in your meals, then add to cart,” Nicole explains. “I appreciate that the pictures of each meal are easy to make out as well.”

On nights you’re fending for dinner for yourself, Tempo Meals by Home Chef is an excellent option for those needing a single ready-to-eat meal. We also found Tempo Meals to be one of the best-tasting meal delivery services we’ve tested, with GGR product tester Anthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC, rating the meal delivery a 4.5 out of 5 on taste.

“There was a ton of flavor, and even the microwaveable tamales were pretty tasty,” Anthony adds. “Everything is well-seasoned; nothing was tough to chew after microwaving either—like you can get with some premade meals.” 

He did dock a half-point, though, simply because he wishes the price could have been matched the quality better. He rates the quality a 4 out of 5, as the ingredients and food was fresh, but not certified organic or anything similar. 

Pricewise, the meals can cost as high as $13.48 per meal, but ordering 16 or more meals each week can drop the price below $11 per meal—Anthony rates the price per meal a middle-of-the-road 3 out of 5. We recommend this to single people who are on the move a lot because the best price is in bulk, meaning you’ll need these quick meals a lot throughout the week.

There’s plenty of variety in the meals you can choose from, earning a 5 out of 5. However, people looking for a specific meal plan may want to try another meal service, as Tempo is fairly limited in its options, only offering high-protein, low-calorie, and fiber-rich meal options.

If weight loss is your goal, Diet-To-Go is a convenient meal delivery service made for people by improving their diet with healthy ingredients packed into calorie-conscious meals. Perry Nix, R.D., L.D., also mentions that these meals are great for short-term weight loss, although the limited calories in these meals (usually between 300 and 500 calories) may not be sustainable for a long-term diet.

Certified personal trainer and nutrition coach Lindsay Scheele of Garage Gym Reviews Everything has tried out Diet-To-Go and rates the portion size a 3.5 out of 5, as some meals were filling and others not so much. “I had a keto meal of chicken and pureed veggies and could hardly finish it, but another meal of mushroom ravioli was very small, with only two ravioli,” Lindsay says.

While there’s a decent variety of meal plans to suit different dietary needs and restrictions, there are little means to customize the meals you receive, earning it a 3 out of 5. “You pick your meal plan and number of meals, and they’ll send you meals that fit that plan,” Lindsay explains. That said, she does add that there’s tons of variety to the meals available, rating the meal variety a 5 out of 5.

You can choose between 10, 15, or 21 meals each week, and the more meals you order, the more you save, with 21 meals coming to under $10 a meal. Check out our Diet-To-Go Meal Plans review to see if this is the right fit for you and your health and fitness goals.