The 7 best meal kit delivery service for seniors for 2024

Cost: $60 - $106 for two servings per week of 3-5 meals | Meals arrive: Prepped and ready to cook | Menu options: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, snacks, prepared meals, wine, and extra proteins | Dietary Considerations: carb-conscious, 600 calories or less, vegan and vegetarian, high-protein, wellness, family-friendly, and fast and easy | Covered by Medicaid or Medicare Advantage: No

For those looking for fresh, wholesome meals they can cook for two or more people (and skip a few trips to the grocery), look no further than Blue Apron. It is a personal favorite of mine and a meal delivery service I have subscribed to for a few years. It was a life-saver during the pandemic being able to feed my family breakfast, lunch, dinner and even healthy snacks and desserts for what I considered the same amount of money I’d spend at the grocery store, if not less. Skipping the food shopping led to skipping the junk food and extras I didn’t need but bought anyway. Most of all, Blue Apron took the guesswork out of planning, purchasing and lugging home all the ingredients needed to prepare healthy, flavorful meals for my family.

Each week, you'll choose from 80+ menu options, add-ons like breakfast and lunch, prepared frozen meals, salads and even charcuterie boards. Everything you need for each meal comes in the meal kit (including butter and sesame oil for Asian dishes). Another feature I love is the ability to customize the meals with preferred proteins, including swapping red meat for fish or shrimp. It's easy to skip a week if you are going on vacation or cancel via the app or website. Some great introductory offers are also available, so look for those when signing up!

Cost: $7.99 - $8.99 per meal | Meals arrive: Prepared | Menu options: Breakfast, lunch and dinner | Dietary Considerations: General diets, diabetic, vegetarian, low-sodium, gluten-free, renal-friendly, cancer support, pureed meals | Covered by Medicaid or Medicare Advantage: Yes

Who would have thought that even in your Golden years, “mom’s meals” would still be your mainstay for nourishment? And just like the meals your mom may have made, these are freshly prepared for you. If you’re a Medicaid or Medicare recipient, they could be free, too! Each meal comes fully prepared, fresh (not frozen), and designed to last up to two weeks in the refrigerator or can be frozen for a later date.

Another feature of Mom’s meals is the attention to dietary needs, which is not always common in meal delivery kits. In addition to the general health, diabetic, heart-healthy and low-sodium meal options, there are also pureed options, cancer support kits, meals catered to dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), and meals designed for those with chronic kidney disease.

And last but most certainly not least, if you’re a Medicaid or Medicare recipient, contact your health plan to see if you are eligible to receive a home-delivered meals benefit. Or contact your Area Agency on Aging to see if you qualify for government-funded programs that will cover the service’s cost.

Cost: $90-$220 per week | Meals arrive: Prepared | Menu options: Breakfast, lunch and dinner | Dietary Considerations: Heart-healthy, plant-based, low-calorie, diabetic, vegan, KETO | Covered by Medicaid or Medicare Advantage: No

BistroMD will provide some of the lowest effort options, with their fully prepared frozen meals designed by doctors and dieticians. There are low-calorie diets, heart-healthy meals, gluten-free options, plant-based meals or diabetic-friendly dinners. There are also programs designed specifically for men's and women's needs, including those who may be dealing with menopause symptoms regularly.

Each week, you’ll make your selections from the 150+ options or you can let the meals be selected based on your dietary preferences. Meal plans start as low as $150 for five days of lunches and dinners, or you can opt for the full program, which includes daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, a total of 21 meals a week, for $220. There are more options to choose from that may better fit your lifestyle and budget, and the option to skip a week whenever you need to, and you can cancel anytime.  

Currently, there is a special where you can get 40% off your first order and free shipping, so that’s a week of three meals a day for $131 delivered to your door. 

Cost: $10 per meal without payment assistance | Meals arrive: Frozen | Menu options: Breakfast, lunch and dinner | Dietary Considerations: Diabetes-friendly, heart-healthy, renal-friendly, cancer support, gluten-restricted | Covered by Medicaid or Medicare Advantage: Yes

Since 1997, Homestyle Direct has stayed true to its vision of “providing delicious, healthy, homestyle meal options to vulnerable populations facing food insecurity and health challenges.” There are about 40-50 meal options to choose from per season - Fall/winter 2024 runs from September 1, 2023, through February 29, 2024, and offers a total of 44 menu options. The meals include breakfast, lunch, and dinner options and can be categorized by cancer-support, diabetes-friendly, gluten-restricted, heart-healthy, and renal-friendly kits. The delivery schedule is every other week, compared to the rest of the services on this list that offer the option to get weekly deliveries and the meals come frozen with instructions on how best to thaw and reheat those needing it.  

While the options are certainly not as robust as most meal delivery services on this list, you still have plenty of options, including the possibility of completely free meals. Individual caseworkers are available to help you sign up for its services by getting you the best financial aid and support possible.

Cost: $8 - $15 per meal | Meals arrive: Prepared | Menu options: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, shakes | Dietary Considerations: Heart-healthy, diabetic-friendly, Dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, low-fat, low-sodium, vegetarian, Mediterranean, menopause | Covered by Medicaid or Medicare Advantage: No

Silver Cuisine, a branch of BistorMD, offers doctor and dietician-designed meals geared specifically toward the 50+ plus crowd and unlike the typical weekly meal delivery service, Silver Cuisine is based on a pay-as-you-go plan. There are no contracts or subscriptions to worry about keeping up with or canceling. It's as easy as ordering the meals you want for a week or two, and when you’re finished eating those meals, place a new order. The dietary considerations for seniors are also something to rave about. There are heart-healthy and Mediterranean options and meals for people with diabetes and those dealing with dreaded menopause. Meals include a cheese omelet with turkey sausage, Chicken Pad Thai, Moroccan lentil and sweet potato stew, Merlot chicken meatballs with orzo pasta, cheesecakes, and protein shakes.

While these meals can get pricy, with some seafood options costing $18 per serving, there is a section for meal options on sale that helps to offset some of the pricier picks. Free shipping is available for orders over $99 and AARP members get 25% off and free shipping on their first order with 10% off plus free shipping on all following orders.

Cost: $7 - $13 per serving | Meals arrive: Frozen| Menu options: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts | Dietary Considerations: Dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, low-fat, low-sodium, vegetarian | Covered by Medicaid or Medicare Advantage: Yes

Magic Kitchen is one of the most unique meal delivery services I have ever come across, and it meets customers where they are in life. If you have a busy, active lifestyle that keeps you on the go and the last thing you want to do is cook dinners after a busy day, there are single-serving heat-and-eat a la carte meals easy as 1, 2, 3. There are sides or meals specifically packaged for two or four people, all with or without desserts so you can choose your meals based on your plans that week. And since there are no contracts, you can order meals for one week and then not again for a month with no fee or penalty.

If you have mobility limitations, opt for the bundled meals in sets of 8 or 15, which include nutritionally balanced meals like beef sew, Chicken Marsala, Braised Beef Bourgogne, mushroom soup, potato soup, and cranberry orange muffins that come in one delivery that can be easily stocked in your refrigerator and freezer and eaten on your own schedule. There are also economically-priced trial packs, such as a 15-meal bundle that offers low-sodium, diabetic-friendly, portion-controlled meals, or a renal trial pack with 12 lunch/dinner meals and three breakfasts, or a dialysis trial pack that also contains 12 lunch/dinner meals and three breakfasts.

With no contracts to worry about, you can order meals as you need them. Another bonus is the ability to have the meals covered by your healthcare provider, Meals on Wheels, Medicare, or Medicaid. For pay-as-you-go out-of-pocket meals, the costs are between $7 and $13 + plus shipping.

Cost: $11 -$12 per meal | Meals arrive: Freshly prepared | Menu options: Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks | Dietary Considerations: Protein+, Vegan (standard and loa-carb), Whole30, KETO, Paleo, Mediterranean, Vegetarian

Fresh N Lean is a meal delivery service that will tick many boxes. It will include organic ingredients, sustainably sourced proteins, dietician and doctor-approved meals, eco-friendly packaging, and over 100 organic menu items to choose from each week. The Tuscan vermicelli noodle bowl, Greek lemon garlic chicken quinoa bowl with feta, and Basa with Mediterranean vegetable medley caught my eye immediately. In addition to the lunch and dinner options, you also have the option to add on breakfast and snacks that are gluten-free, soy-free and dairy-free. We'd choose the organic chocolate drizzled macaroons or smokey BBQ almonds first. 

Meals arrive freshly prepared with locally sourced organic ingredients that are never frozen and ready to heat and eat. Deliveries are weekly, but you can easily skip a week or cancel anytime.