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The 11 Best Healthy Meal Delivery Services Of 2023

Lindsay Boyers
Author: Expert reviewer:
Updated on January 3, 2023
Lindsay Boyers
Certified holistic nutrition consultant
By Lindsay Boyers
Certified holistic nutrition consultant
Lindsay Boyers is a nutrition consultant specializing in elimination diets, gut health, and food sensitivities. Lindsay earned a degree in food & nutrition from Framingham State University, and she holds a Certificate in Holistic Nutrition Consulting from the American College of Healthcare Sciences.
Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN
Expert review by
Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN
Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN is a Registered Dietician Nutritionist with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Texas Christian University and a master’s in nutrition interventions, communication, and behavior change from Tufts University. She lives in Newport Beach, California, and enjoys connecting people to the food they eat and how it influences health and wellbeing.
Image by Nicola Harger / Stocksy
January 3, 2023
We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

Sometimes the hardest part of sticking to a healthy eating plan is simply the extra commitment to making your own meals. It's a long process once you factor in the time spent finding nutritious recipes, shopping for ingredients, and actually cooking your meals. Luckily, the best healthy meal delivery services solve this problem by offering well-rounded options suited to a variety of eating plans. 

Rather than spending extra time in the kitchen, these services let you explore robust menus, order what you want, and have it delivered weekly—and the options don't end there. You can find meal kits, premade entrées, and heat-and-eat frozen picks that can be ready in a matter of minutes.

The best healthy meal delivery services of 2023:

Best heart-healthy meal kit
HelloFreshGo to review
Best for weight loss
Blue ApronGo to review
Best for quick meals
Home ChefGo to review

What to look for in healthy meal delivery services.

First things first, the healthiest diet for you depends on your body. With that in mind, we asked registered dietitian and mbg Collective member Jess Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN, to help define what exactly a healthy meal delivery service really looks like on a broader scale.

"It's similar to how I would define 'healthy' for homemade meals," Cording explains. "Meals that provide a nourishing balance of protein, healthy fat, and fiber with lots of vegetables, minimal added sugar, and low to moderate amounts of sodium, with an emphasis on whole and minimally processed food."

Along with searching for well-rounded recipes, Cording recommends keeping an eye out for services that provide sustainably sourced proteins, such as wild fish and organic poultry, or minimally processed plant-based options, such as tofu, beans, and tempeh. She also notes that it's important to have options to filter for personal allergies or restrictions. 

Other green flags for Cording go beyond the recipes to the service themselves—she suggests services that make it easy to pause or cancel your subscription, as well as options that offer easy-to-follow recipes that are ready in 30 minutes or less. 

Of course the red flags are equally important. She tells mbg that it's a "big turnoff" when a brand doesn't make the ingredient lists and nutritional information of its recipes easy to find. 

Another potential issue? She warns against "companies making big health claims about their foods or promising that they will have sweeping health benefits."

How we picked:

Type of service

Some people like to cook, while others want heat-and-eat meals; this list includes both types as well as services that offer both.

Dietary options

"Healthy" is a general term that means different things to different people; we included options that cater to all different types of healthy diets and preferences.

Menu variety

Food boredom is a surefire way to veer off track; we chose healthy meal delivery kits that offer enough menu variety to keep you on your toes.

Price

Healthy eating gets a bad rap for being expensive, but that doesn't have to be the case; all of these healthy meal delivery services come in at a reasonable price point for what you get.

Our picks for the best healthy meal delivery services of 2023:

Best prepared: Trifecta

Save 40% on your first order with code::
MBG40
view on Trifecta

Pros:

  • Organic and high-quality ingredients
  • Meals are delivered weekly

Cons:

  • Expensive
  • Can only choose two meals; the rest are chef’s choice

Dietary Considerations:

PaleoKetoVegetarianVeganClean eating

Type:

Fresh éntree

Max Meals Per Week:

28

Shipping Fee:

$9.99

If you prefer that someone else cooks your meals for you, Trifecta is the healthy prepared meal delivery service you need. Delivered weekly, all meals are pre-cooked and ready-to-heat; you just have to heat them up in the appliance of your choice (air fryer, oven, microwave, or on the stove). The meals come fresh and will last in the refrigerator for 10 days, although you can also store them in the freezer for up to three months.

The meal plans cover most of the basics—clean eating, paleo, keto, vegan, and vegetarian—and everything is gluten-free, GMO-free, and low in saturated fat, sugar, and salt. You can also opt to make some of the meals, like the paleo entrees, Whole30-approved. All meals are prepared by professional chefs with high-quality ingredients, including the oils, that are organic and locally sourced whenever possible. Animal-based proteins are always sourced from farmers who take animal welfare seriously. 

Meals we've tried: 

-Pollo Guisado white meat chicken with tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, and citrus

-Tropical Garlic Shrimp with bell peppers, lemon, and coconut

Sustainability & Quality: Trifecta does what it can to reduce its carbon footprint by eliminating unnecessary steps in the food supply chain and using sustainable packaging whenever possible. All packaging is 100% recyclable, but the company’s goal is to use biodegradable packaging by 2023.

Cost: From $12 per meal

What our editor says:

"If you have weight loss goals, certain dietary preferences, or simply want to take the guesswork out of eating healthier, Trifecta is a great meal delivery option. I enjoyed it even though I love to cook, but these fully prepared meals would be even better for someone who wants to spend a very minimal amount of time in the kitchen." — Carleigh Ferrante, commerce editor

Read our full Trifecta review here.

Best keto: Factor

$276 Off:
MBG276
view on Factor

Pros:

  • Recipes developed by dieticians
  • Meals cooked by chefs

Cons:

  • Can't customize plan for allergens
  • Expensive for fewer meals

Dietary Considerations:

KetoVegetarianVeganLow-calorie

Type:

Fresh éntree

Max Meals Per Week:

18

Shipping Fee:

Free

Factor offers four main meal plans, one of which is designed around the macro-balanced keto diet. All of Factor’s keto meals are roughly broken down like this: 60% of calories from fat, 20% of calories from protein, and 10% or less from carbohydrates. If you need to play around with your specific macros, you can opt for extra proteins on the side or add your own fats at home.

New menus, which are designed with dietitians and cooked by chefs, come out each week. That means each time you replenish your order, you’ll get around 10 new recipes to choose each week.

Example Meal: 

-Chicken piccata with cauliflower mash & roasted broccoli

-Keto chorizo chili

Sustainability & Quality:  You won't find refined sugars, GMOs, or antibiotics in any of Factor's recipes. The company also has a zero-tolerance policy for animal welfare, always prioritizing humanely raised meats. Plus, most packaging is recyclable sans the plastic film that covers the food.

Price: From $11 per serving

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Best heart-healthy meal kit: HelloFresh

22 Free Meals, First Box Ships Free + 3 Surprise Gifts:
MBG22
view on HelloFresh

Pros:

  • 30+ new meals each week
  • Offers family-friendly and quick and easy meals

Cons:

  • Doesn’t accommodate allergens
  • Limited organic ingredients

Dietary Considerations:

VegetarianBeef-freePork-freeSeafood-freeLow-calorie

Type:

Meal kit

Max Meals Per Week:

6

Shipping Fee:

$9.99

“Heart-healthy” can mean various things, so always make sure you check in with your doctor if you have specific concerns. Otherwise, a Mediterranean-style diet consistently comes out on top. HelloFresh offers many types of meals, including Mediterranean and Greek recipes that include heart-healthy, high-quality ingredients. You can filter by most popular or quick and easy meals that are ready in 30 minutes or less.

If Mediterranean isn’t what you’re looking for, you can opt for meat and veggies only, pescetarian or vegetarian plans, or “Fit & Wholesome” meals that focus on lower-calorie, nutrient-dense ingredients. As an added bonus, it’s also one of the most budget-friendly healthy meal service options.

 Example Meal: 

-Chicken gyro couscous bowls

-Creamy lemon salmon

Sustainability & Quality: HelloFresh uses some organic ingredients, but it’s not the company’s focus. When it comes to meat sourcing, a representative from the company visits every meat vendor on site to make sure they’re following animal welfare guidelines. All packaging is recyclable, with the exception of the gel pack contents, which must be thrown out.

Price: From $7 per serving

Best for weight loss: Blue Apron

Pros:

  • Offers low-carb and WW-approved plans
  • Budget-friendly

Cons:

  • Doesn’t cater to a wide range of dietary needs & preferences
  • Limited organic ingredients

Dietary Considerations:

Low-carbVegetarianWW-approved

Type:

Meal kit

Max Meals Per Week:

4

Shipping Fee:

$9.99

Blue Apron was one of the first meal delivery services and the company is still going strong, thanks to its regularly rotating menus of healthy options. The company offers three main plans—Signature, Vegetarian, and Wellness—the latter of which is designed for anyone trying to lose weight or maintain their weight loss.

Each meal in the Wellness plan is designed to support overall health, with options that are low-carb and or Weight Watchers-approved. The WW-approved meals provide additional information on how many points per serving each meal provides. Meals also come with “pro tips” to help you cater them to your lifestyle by recommending swaps to drop fat, calories, and/or sodium.

Example Meal: 

-One-pan chickpea & curry shakshuka

-Za’atar-roasted chicken thighs

Sustainability & Quality: Some of Blue Apron’s ingredients are certified organic, but the company focuses more on sourcing local ingredients from family-run farms. All ingredients are certified GMO-free, and animal-based proteins are sourced from farmers and ranchers with high animal welfare standards. Most packaging is recyclable and Blue Apron encourages composting as many scraps as possible.

Price: from $7.99 per serving

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Editor's pick: Daily Dose

25% off:
MBG25
view on Daily Dose

Pros:

  • Caters to a ton of dietary needs & preferences
  • Fresh, organic ingredients
  • Ready-to-eat

Cons:

  • Packaging is a bit flimsy

Dietary Considerations:

Gluten-freePaleoVegetarianDairy-freeVeganHigh-proteinPlant-based

Type:

Fresh éntree

Max Meals Per Week:

21

Shipping Fee:

FreeVaries

Daily Dose works with health experts to design good-for-you menus using fresh, organic ingredients. The meals are delivered directly to your door, completely ready to eat. The company believes in bio-individuality, meaning what works for one person will not work for everyone. Each week, you can choose from over five different menus, including options for keto, paleo, ketotarian, plant-based, and protein-forward lifestyles. Additional plans come from rotating chefs and health experts and focus on foods with science-backed benefits for things like longevity, weight loss, and beauty. 

These are some of the healthiest ingredients we’ve come across in a meal delivery service, but there’s no sacrificing taste, either. The meal options are fun, change weekly, and taste delicious. The brand works with local farms and purveyors to source the freshest seasonal ingredients, with a close eye on sustainability in the farming methods as well. While the packaging is a bit flimsy, it’s made up for by the fact that it’s 100% zero-waste.

What our editor says:

"I've tried a lot of meal delivery services and Daily Dose remains right at the top of my list. The meals are fresh, inventive, and make me feel good. With the protein-forward menu option, I loved knowing I had a healthy, balanced meal waiting for me at home while marathon training this summer. Most recently, I tried the Younger You menu, crafted by Kara Fitzgerald, and it was some of the most delicious food I've had from a meal delivery service. I'd recommend Daily Dose to anyone who wants to prioritize their health, but doesn't have the time to cook every meal at home. I did have a few issues with broken packaging on delivery, but for the most part the meals arrived in tact, and I love the company's attention to sustainability." — Carleigh Ferrante, commerce editor

Best vegan: Purple Carrot

Pros:

  • Offers meal kits and pre-made meals
  • Most non-produce items are organic

Cons:

  • Limited dietary preferences
  • Can only order up to 4 meals per week

Dietary Considerations:

Gluten-freeLow-calorieSoy-freeHigh-protein

Type:

Meal kitFresh éntree

Max Meals Per Week:

4

Shipping Fee:

Varies

Purple Carrot started with vegan meal kits, but has since evolved into a full-service plant-based meal delivery service. You can choose from vegan meal kits or fresh, pre-cooked meals that you can heat up in about five minutes. There isn’t a lot of available customization for dietary needs, but you can easily identify recipes that are gluten-free, soy-free, high-protein, and lower calorie.

In addition to main éntrees, you can add breakfast items and lunches to your box, as well as plant-based pantry items like chocolate covered oat bites and cauliflower crackers. Menus change weekly, but if you want to plan in advance to ensure you’re getting enough variety in your life, you can view up to six weeks’ worth of menus in advance.

Example Meal: 

-Mafaldine pasta with melted leeks & garlic herb cashew cream

-Gochujang veggie bowls with midnight grains & kimchi mayo

Sustainability & Quality: Most of Purple Carrot’s non-produce items—which includes beans, nut milks, tofu, and vegan cheeses—are organic. Produce is occasionally organic, but not 100% of the time. Most packaging is recyclable, but you may have to search for a location that will accept certain plastics (or double check if they’re curbside recyclable in your area).

Cost: From $11 per serving

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Best organic: Green Chef

$250 Off+ Free Shipping:
MBG250
view on Green Chef

Pros:

  • Certified organic ingredients
  • 6-person serving size

Cons:

  • Pricier

Dietary Considerations:

Gluten-freePaleoKetoMediterraneanVegetarianVeganLow-calorie

Type:

Meal kit

Max Meals Per Week:

4

Shipping Fee:

$9.99

It’s difficult to find a 100% organic meal delivery service, but Green Chef does its best to include as many organic ingredients as possible. All produce is organic and seasonally sourced, eggs are always organic, and animal-based proteins are sourced from farmers who follow strict animal welfare standards. Many of the meals are gluten-free and when choosing your menu, you can easily sort based on your preferences.

Another thing that makes Green Chef stand out is the option to bump meal kits up to six servings per recipe—many other meal kit services cap out at four. No matter which meal plan you choose, you can mix and match from 24 new meals each week.

Example Meal: 

-Middle Eastern-style beef bowls

-Pork meatballs with chipotle aioli

Sustainability & Quality: Green Chef is a certified organic company, which means the company buys certified organic ingredients from suppliers that undergo regular inspections. All packaging is made from recyclable, reusable, and/or compostable materials and most of it is also curbside recyclable when you’re done with it.

Cost: from $11.99 per serving

Best for quick meals: Home Chef

Get 60% off your first 3 boxes:
MBG60
view on Home Chef

Pros:

  • Some meals come take just 10 minutes
  • Can choose 6-person kits

Cons:

  • Limited organic ingredients
  • Doesn’t cater to many dietary restrictions

Dietary Considerations:

Low-carbLow-calorieWhole30

Type:

Meal kit

Max Meals Per Week:

6

Shipping Fee:

$9.99

Home Chef is a meal kit service that’s built around healthy meals that take minimal time to prepare. Many of its recipes can be put together in 20 to 30 minutes, and others come together in as little as 15 minutes. And even though they’re quick meals, they’re still fancy enough to feel (and taste) like you spent a lot of time on them.

While Home Chef doesn’t cater to a ton of general dietary preferences, it does allow you to avoid certain foods, like beef, mushrooms, and/or tree nuts, and you can also filter recipes by additional qualifiers, like vegetarian (although your options are limited). You can also substitute ingredients and proteins to fit your lifestyle. There are meat-free options or organic chicken upgrades.

Example Meal: 

-Seared salmon and pickled ginger scallion sauce

-Mojito lime shrimp tacos

Sustainability & Quality: Home Chef uses limited organic ingredients, but ensures that all suppliers follow high animal welfare standards. Most packaging is recyclable, but you may have to find a location that accepts certain items (like plastic bags).

Price: from $6.99 per serving

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Best meal prep: Fresh n' Lean

Pros:

  • Variety of meal plans
  • Can mix & match for specific dietary preferences

Cons:

  • Minimum spend required
  • Limited bulk breakfast options

Dietary Considerations:

Low-carbPaleoKetoMediterraneanVeganHigh-protein

Type:

Fresh éntree

Max Meals Per Week:

21

Shipping Fee:

Free

If you want some control over your meals, but prefer not to cook, Fresh n’ Lean offers a bulk option that makes meal prepping a cinch (no grocery shopping or cooking required). This à la carte service allows you to pick and choose from pre-cooked proteins, starchy sides, vegetables, and a limited number of breakfast options. 

This is also a great option for feeding a family since packages are bigger than a typical pre-made meal. It works slightly differently than other meal delivery services; instead of choosing a specific number of meals each week, the program requires an $85 minimum spend. 

Example Meal: 

-Seasoned salmon

-Cooked sweet potatoes

Sustainability & Quality: Some ingredients are organic, but everything is GMO-free and proteins are high-quality (grass-fed, free-range, and/or sustainable). Fresh n’ Lean uses recyclable trays and plastic wrap for all its meals. The insulation is biodegradable and environmentally friendly.

Price: from $85 per week for bulk; $9.75 per serving for other plans 

Best for kids: Little Spoon

Pros:

  • Baby food and smoothies are 100% organic
  • Deliveries every 2 weeks

Cons:

  • Big kid plates aren’t 100% organic
  • Not all meals are major allergen-free

Dietary Considerations:

Gluten-freeNut-freeVegetarianDairy-freeEgg-free

Type:

Fresh éntree

Max Meals Per Week:

14

Shipping Fee:

$9

Whether you want to feed babies or big kids, Little Spoon delivers. This child-focused meal delivery service offers baby food, finger foods, and age-appropriate meals for toddlers and bigger kids, as well as on-the-go smoothies. All baby food and smoothies are 100% organic, while the cooked plates are made with organic ingredients whenever possible (and always free of preservatives and artificial ingredients).

Many of the items are free of major allergens and kitchens are allergen-friendly. While some of the bigger kid plates do contain major allergens, they’re always clearly marked. You can also filter by allergens when ordering to avoid any unwanted additions.

Example Meal: 

-Broccoli bikes with sweet potato carrot poppers and green beans

-Sun butter + jelly smoothie

Sustainability & Quality: Little Spoon’s main focus is on high-quality ingredients. All baby food and smoothies are 100% organic and big kid meals are made with organic ingredients. All packaging is BPA-, phthalate-free, and toxin-free and curbside recyclable.

Cost: From $5.99 per meal

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Best meal kit: Sunbasket

Pros:

  • Committed to organic ingredients
  • High animal welfare standards
  • Options for many dietary preferences

Cons:

  • Kitchen is not allergen-free
  • Max of four servings per meal

Dietary Considerations:

Gluten-freeLow-carbPaleoMediterraneanPescetarianVegetarianDairy-free

Type:

Meal kit

Max Meals Per Week:

5

Shipping Fee:

$7.99

Sunbasket doesn’t just offer healthy meals; it’s built around the concept. Most of the ingredients the meal delivery service uses are sourced from local farmers, ranchers, and fisherman and the majority of produce, eggs, milk, and yogurt is organic—the company aims to include at least 99% organic ingredients in these categories. If it has to substitute any non-organic items, you’ll get a notification first from the brand.

The menu changes weekly and you can sort by meal type (breakfast, lunch, proteins, sides, pasta and sauce, or snacks), as well as other specifics like low-calorie, low-carb, Mediterranean, gluten-free, and more. If you decide you’d rather not cook, you can also choose prepared meals instead of meal kits.

Example Meal: 

-Mediterranean turkey meatballs with chard and red pepper-cashew crema

-Roast chicken with harissa-spiced veggies, cauli mash, and almonds

Sustainability & Quality: In addition to prioritizing organic, locally sourced ingredients, Sunbasket sources proteins from purveyors with high animal welfare standards. Fish is wild-caught, chickens are free range, and beef is grass-fed. Sunbasket also uses recyclable materials in its packaging; everything the company uses is either reusable, recyclable, and/or compostable.

Price: From $9.99 per serving

FAQ

What are the benefits of meal delivery kits?

The biggest benefit of meal delivery kits is convenience. Most of the work is done for you already, so you can just follow along with a recipe or pop a pre-made meal into the microwave or oven and have it on your table in as little as five minutes. Meal delivery kits also make it easier to stay on track with healthy eating and/or specific diet plans. Since meals are pre-measured for you, you don’t have to guess about portion sizes or count calories or macros.

Are meal delivery kits worth it?

Meal delivery kits are worth it for many people. While you may have to pay a higher price per serving than you would if you fully prepared the meals yourself, you'll save time grocery shopping, chopping ingredients, and measuring things out. If you order premade meals, you won’t have to do any prep at all. It really comes down to what's worth it to you. And meal delivery kits are surprisingly affordable, especially when you take advantage of first-time sign-up offers and promo codes.

If you have a larger family a meal delivery kit may not be worth it, as many options can't feed more than six people. It's also important to understand your own eating habits; when you're feeding one, a meal kit would be too much food, especially if you dislike leftovers.

Which meal delivery kits are best for weight loss?

There are many meal delivery kits that will work for weight loss; it really depends on the specific weight loss plan you're following. If you're looking for a low-calorie or WW-approved plan, Blue Apron is likely your best bet. If you want to try your hand at keto, Factor offers low-carb meals plus the option for extra proteins to ensure that you feel satisfied.

What we've changed:

Previously, we recommended Freshly as one of the best meal delivery services. The company as since close, so we've removed them from this roundup.

The takeaway.

Thanks to healthy meal delivery services, sticking to your preferred eating plan is easier than ever. You can choose from meal kits or premade meals that are designed around a variety of preferences, including keto, plant-based, and Mediterranean diets. And they don't cost a fortune either: You can get budget-friendly meals starting at just $4.99 per serving but will have to pay closer to $12 per serving for organic meals.

Meet The Experts

Lindsay Boyers is a nutrition consultant specializing in elimination diets, gut health, and food sensitivities. Lindsay earned a degree in food & nutrition from Framingham State University, and she holds a Certificate in Holistic Nutrition Consulting from the American College of Healthcare Sciences.
Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN is a Registered Dietician Nutritionist with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Texas Christian University and a master’s in nutrition interventions, communication, and behavior change from Tufts University. She lives in Newport Beach, California, and enjoys connecting people to the food they eat and how it influences health and wellbeing.