We Tested Over 40 Meal Delivery Services to Find the Best Ones for Your Money

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We carefully reviewed this article in April 2023 and replaced Freshly with Fresh N Lean as the former is no longer in business. We continue to stand by the other top-rated picks tested and vetted by our experts.

Convenient and practical, meal delivery services can be a serious weeknight dinner game-changer. They offer culinary inspiration, add new foods to your repertoire and even save you a trip to the grocery store. These services range from guided cooking kits to fully prepared, individually portioned meals and typically offer more cost-effective and healthier options than takeout.

Unlike grocery delivery services, "meal delivery kits are a great way to introduce people to new ingredients and cooking techniques,” says Nicole Papantoniou, director of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab. “They take the stress out of meal prep and food shopping, and they're also a great way to help avoid food waste.” But with the growing number of meal delivery services available, it can be difficult to find the very best option for you and your family.

To find the best meal delivery services, the GH Institute's food and nutrition experts conducted an extensive review of over 40 meal delivery services with more than 280 home chefs just like you. For three months, our testers evaluated each service, including traditional meal kits, semi-prepared options and fully prepared ready-to-eat meals.

Our top picks:

You can learn more about how we evaluate meal delivery services — as well as find our comprehensive guide to the best meal delivery services by diet — at the end of this article. Looking for more options? Check out our top-tested food subscription boxes to have everything from speciality meats and seafood to dessert gift boxes delivered right to your door.

Blue Apron

Blue Apron, one of the first companies to popularize meal delivery kits, was a top performer in our tests. The service provides step-by-step recipes that incorporate new cooking skills and flavors, and most recipes are designed to be ready in 35 minutes or less.

How it works: Choose from a variety of plans to meet your specific culinary needs, including Signature, Vegetarian and Wellness meal kits. For example, the Two-Serving Signature plan offers 14 unique meal options each week perfectly portioned for two people, while the Four-Serving Signature plan features 10 options each week for four individuals, perfect for families and get-togethers. The Vegetarian subscription includes a selection of plant-based dishes with seasonal produce and Wellness meals offer balanced recipes including carb-conscious and WW recommended selections. Premium recipes are also available, which feature specialty proteins like duck, scallops and lamb. For convenience, Blue Apron also sells Heat & Eat options, which are single-serve meals that are ready in five minutes or less, as well as Ready to Cook meals with pre-portioned and pre-chopped ingredients.

Lab lowdown: Our nutrition experts appreciated Blue Apron's high-quality and fresh ingredients, while our testers gave this service rave reviews, noting that they loved the variety and creativity of the recipes. Many said that not only were the meals delicious, the recipe cards offered simple step-by-step instructions. Favorites included truffle and fontina burgers, shrimp and orzo with zucchini, chorizo enchiladas and hot honey-glazed chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans.

"Blue Apron is a solution for busy people who like to explore new recipes and ingredients," said one tester. "It's adventurous without being extreme. The ingredients are perfectly measured, packaged well and fresh." Another noted that the directions were easy to follow and that the "ingredients were consistently fresh" and that the "variety of proteins and spices used was pretty great."

RELATED: Best Weight Loss Meal Delivery Services

EveryPlate

This affordable meal kit service provides restaurant-quality meals for those on a budget. Everything comes pre-portioned, and the menu rotates with new recipes added weekly.

How it works: You can choose from 18 recipes each week, with four different plan options that include:

• Classic Plate: Offers meat, seafood and veggie options

• Veggie Plate: Features plant-forward meals

• Family Plate: Provides family-friendly and kid-approved dinners

• Easy Plate: Designed to be ready in 30 minutes or less with easy cleanup

Lab lowdown: For the price, our experts were impressed with the tastiness and quality of the meals provided. Our testers liked the variety of offerings and freshness of ingredients. Multiple testers remarked on the helpful instructions, which come with pictures that made it easy to prep and plan ahead while cooking. One tester said, "Everything was awesome, from the well-packaged ingredients to the completeness of the recipes provided." Another noted, “I am a decent cook but tend to stay in my lane when it comes to meals. I really enjoyed making these meals and learning new techniques." Favorites included beef banh mi bowls, caramelized mushroom and tomato flatbreads, sriracha pork stir-fry and pork sausage penne.

One drawback of EveryPlate is that the items aren't as carefully packaged as other services, meaning you will have to sort through your box to figure out which ingredient is meant for each recipe. That being said, the box itself and the packaging materials are solid. “UPS was delayed one day, and the EveryPlate box sat on my porch all day in 98º weather," said one tester. "Yet everything was still cold and fresh when I opened it.”

RELATED: Best Affordable Meal Delivery Services

Fresh N Lean

This organic prepared meal delivery service features fresh, fully prepared meals that are ready in three minutes via the microwave and five to seven minutes via stovetop. Meals are freshly prepared in Anaheim, CA then vacuum sealed in a container.

How it works: Begin by selecting one of Fresh N lean's plans, which include Protein+, Keto, Whole 30-Approved, Paleo, Standard Vegan, Mediterranean Diet, Low-Carb Vegan and Bulk. There's the option to build your box à la carte too. The menu is updated weekly and nutritional information for each meal is provided on the company's website. You can also add sweet or savory snacks and proteins, including organic cinnamon maple almonds and grilled salmon.

Lab lowdown: Testers loved the convenience of these fresh-not-frozen prepared meals that simply require heating. Our experts liked that the company caters to a range of different dietary needs and preferences, like high-protein meals, keto offerings, Whole 30 meals and more.

Among our testers, the service received top scores for portion sizes and satiety of meals. "The convenience is amazing," one tester said. "It really doesn't get much easier for those that are short on time but still want to eat a meal that fits into their diet plan." Popular dishes included slow-cooked rosemary thyme beef with root vegetables, chicken teriyaki broccoli bowl and the spinach and cauliflower enchilada with salsa verde.

Dinnerly

This simple and affordable meal delivery service makes weeknight dinners a breeze. All recipes have only six ingredients, five easy steps and require minimal chopping. Plus, they can all be made in 30 minutes or less.

How it works: Choose from over 45 dishes that change weekly; all have limited ingredients, which means less chopping and cleaning for meal prep. Health-conscious options include Low Calorie (650 calories or less per serving), Low Carb (40 grams of carbs or less per serving), Keto-Friendly (20 grams of carbs or less per serving and typically higher in fat and protein) and Nutritious (minimally processed ingredients). They also offer meal filters for kid friendly options, under 30 minute meals, dairy-free recipes and more. The vegetarian offerings are robust as well.

Lab lowdown: Our testers raved about how much easier Dinnerly was to prepare than other meal delivery services they have used in the past; they were also happy with the variety of recipes. Favorites included steak dishes, tacos, stir-frys, noodles and burgers. Testers remarked that the meals were suitable for beginner cooks, and the recipes were also given top marks for flavor and fresh ingredients. “I would recommend this meal subscription because of the following: the variety of meals, portion size, easy-to-follow recipes and most importantly the wonderful taste!" said one tester.

Our Lab experts liked that Dinnerly keeps costs low by cutting down on excess packaging and not printing recipe cards (its recipes are available online). Although some items come loose in the box to minimize packaging materials, one tester said, “I loved the packaging and the freezer bags they used, which kept my food ice-cold even on a hot day."

RELATED: Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Services

Freshly

Freshly delivers fully-prepared, microwave-ready meals that are ready to eat in about three minutes. All meals are single-serve and chef-prepared with a focus on balanced meals. This popular service is also certified as a gluten-free food service by the Gluten Intolerance Group.

How it works: Start by selecting your plan, which can include from four to 12 meals per week. Options include FreshlyFit, Purely Plant, Signature Classics and Proteins & Sides, all of which can be customized to focus on gluten-free, dairy-free, plant-based, calorie-conscious or carb-smart offerings. Meals arrive fresh and can be heated up in the oven or the microwave. New recipes are rotated in weekly in addition to perennial customer favorites, like steak peppercorn and chicken tikka masala.

Lab lowdown: Our experts appreciated that the robust menu of 50+ meals caters to different dietary preferences, including gluten-free, plant-based and carb-conscious. Testers loved the convenience of the meals and how easy they were to prepare in the microwave, with one tester noting that they made for speedy workday lunches. "Great flavor, generous portions, good variety of foods and most of the meals were colorful and inviting," another tester said. "I was always very satisfied after eating." Testers did note that some meals had a short expiration date and therefore had to be eaten quickly, since the Freshly discourages freezing its meals.

RELATED: Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services

Sunbasket

Sunbasket offers ready-to-heat meals as well as traditional meal kits. All offerings are made from high-quality ingredients and organic produce, with every recipe crafted by chefs and registered dietitians.

How it works: Sunbasket offers traditional meal kits with pre-portioned ingredients and recipes that can be made in 40 minutes or less or Fresh & Ready meals which are already prepared and can be heated in as little as four minutes. You can filter both options for specific dietary preferences including paleo, carb-conscious, gluten-free, lean and clean, diabetes-friendly, Mediterranean, vegetarian and pescatarian too.

Lab lowdown: Our experts love that Sunbasket has a plan option for pretty much any preference you might have. We found that the Fresh & Ready meals heated best in the oven, but the microwavable option was handy when needed in a time crunch. We also liked that Sunbasket selects organic produce and responsibly sourced meats and seafood. Both our experts and testers were impressed with Sunbasket’s sustainable packaging and delivery, a major effort for the brand.

Overall, our testers loved the creative and unique recipes, with 100% of testers saying the service encouraged them to try something new that they normally would not have in their recipe repertoire. The breakfast options were also a big hit. “Great quality, sustainable packaging and flavorful meals,” said one tester.

RELATED: Best Healthy Meal Delivery Services

Home Chef

This popular meal delivery service offers a variety of plans and caters to different dietary preferences too. Choose from up to 36 weekly choices and enjoy everything from five-minute meals to more elaborate entrée masterpieces that take 30+ minutes to prepare.

How it works: Start by taking a quiz that assesses your dietary preferences, allergies, level of interest in cooking and delivery preferences to determine which meal plan is best for you and your family. Meal kit options include:

• Classic Meal Kit: Easy recipes with pre-portioned ingredients designed to be ready in about 25-60 minutes

• Culinary Collection: For adventurous home cooks looking to learn new kitchen skills and explore new flavors and ingredients

• 15- Minute Meal Kits: All ingredients are prepped and require only 15 minutes of cooking

• Fast & Fresh: Assemble quickly and heat in the microwave or oven

• Family Meals: Comes with four to 16 servings to feed the whole household

• Oven-Ready Meals: Pre-portioned ingredients in oven-safe trays for minimal cleanup

• Protein Packs: À la carte proteins (boneless chicken breasts, New York strip steak, ground beef, shrimp and salmon filets)

Lab lowdown: Our registered dietitians appreciate that Home Chef offers a wide variety of meal kits and that you can filter for calorie-conscious, carb-conscious and vegetarian options. Our testers gave the service rave reviews, with top scores for portion sizes and satiety of meals, easy-to-follow recipes and freshness of ingredients. Favorites included BBQ brisket and chile cheddar cavatappi, scallop carbonara risotto, shrimp scampi and chicken chile verde tortilla soup.

Testers agreed that the quality of ingredients was better than other services they had tried in the past and they thought this service was especially great for families, since the recipes were especially simple to follow and yielded delicious results. Plus, 100% of testers said the service encouraged them to try a meal or food that they usually wouldn’t have or that was not in their regular rotation.

RELATED: Best Low-Carb Meal Delivery Services

HelloFresh

Founded in 2011, HelloFresh is one of the first meal kit delivery services and offers a wide variety of curated meal plans, making it a popular pick. All ingredients are pre-portioned for each recipe, and there are over 30 menu options to choose from each week.

How it works: Pick your meals depending on your dietary preferences, schedule and household size (two or four people) for delivery on any day you choose. Meal plans include Meat & Veggies, Veggie, Family Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick & Easy and Pescatarian (you can also select a combination of these options, if you and your spouse have different preferences). The menu rotates, with new recipes added weekly. You'll also find 70+ seasonal and convenience grocery items that you can add on to your order when needed.

Lab lowdown: Our experts found the instruction cards easy to follow and packaging proved superior to other services we tested, in terms of both performance and sustainability. Testers gave this service overall top scores for quality, saying that the food tasted great. Popular dishes included cheesy smothered mushroom chicken, beef flautas and firecracker meatballs.

“My partner and I liked the taste and flavor," said one tester. "Every dish had something extra beyond what we would normally make. I thought the food tasted better than what we would get from takeout at a restaurant!” Another tester noted that they'd gladly use this service again because "it was easy to use and motivated me to cook rather than just order something in" and that they "loved not having to think about what meals I wanted to make and then have to buy all the ingredients."

RELATED: 30+ Healthy Sharable Dinner Ideas That Are Perfect for Date Night

Tovala

This meal delivery service offers prepared ingredients that can be prepped in under a minute, then cooked in the brand's signature smart oven. Just pop the food in the 6-in-1 Tovala Smart Oven, scan the QR code and press start. Tovala offers up to 25 meal options every week.

How it works: Purchase the Tovala Starter Kit to simultaneously buy the brand's countertop smart oven and accessories, while also setting up your weekly meal deliveries. The meals are portioned for one and arrive fresh. Mostly pre-prepared, they require one minute or less of prep (for example, adding a prepared sauce to a salmon filet). After scanning a QR code, the oven works its magic, cooking your meal in 20 minutes or less. When choosing meal options, you can filter for carb-conscious meals, gluten-free options, vegetarian offerings and calorie-smart picks.

Lab lowdown: While purchasing the Tovala oven means this meal delivery service has a steep start-up cost, we love that it not only prepares Tovala meals, it can also scan and cook over 1,000 different foods. Plus, you can use the Tovala recipe library to make your own meals from scratch in the WiFi-connected oven, too. While testing this service in the Lab, our pros were amazed by how consistently and perfectly cooked each meal came out.

At-home testers were impressed with the high-quality ingredients and loved that cleanup was a breeze. Favorite dishes included miso-glazed salmon with broccoli, shawarma-spiced chicken thighs with chickpea and caramelized onion brown rice, garlic pepper steak with loaded potato wedges and blackened shrimp tacos with green goddess slaw and mango salad. “The salmon meals were very filling," one tester said. "The oven made it seamless to cook, and it came out perfectly cooked." Take note that the meals are perfectly portioned for one — which is great for singles but not as ideal for feeding families and larger crowds.

BistroMD

Founded in 2005 by a medical doctor, this meal delivery option solely features pre-made meals that are shipped frozen. BistroMD caters to specific dietary lifestyles and preferences too, and you can choose from over 150 meals that are ready to eat in five minutes or less.

How it works: Programs include Signature, designed for weight loss, Gluten-Free, tested to the FDA standard of gluten-free, Heart Healthy, designed by doctors with all meals controlled for sodium and saturated fat, Keto Flex which features low carb offerings, Diabetic with meals under 25 grams of net carbs and lean protein to help regulate blood sugar and Menopause, which is designed by doctors to help with hormone changes.

Lab lowdown: Our nutrition experts appreciated the variety of plans that BistroMD offers, which cater to specific medical conditions and phases of life. The portion-controlled meals take the guesswork out of healthy eating. Testers gave the service top marks for convenience, variety, freshness of ingredients and ease of reheating the meals, noting that they loved that the meals required no prep work. “Good quality of food, interesting variety and good taste," one tester said. "Plus, I actually lost weight."

Purple Carrot

This plant-based meal delivery service features globally inspired recipes. All of the meals are completely vegan and kits come with a weekly recipe booklet that you can keep to re-create your favorites.

How it works: Purple Carrot offers standard meal kits as well as fully prepared meals. For the meal kits, everything is already plant-based, but you can also filter recipes to choose high-protein options, meals under 600 calories, nut-free, gluten-free and soy-free offerings. You'll also have the option to add on additional plant-based grocery items, like vegan cream cheese and crackers with the brand's Plantry offerings.

Lab lowdown: Although many meal delivery services offer vegetarian plans, our nutritionists love that Purple Carrot showcases an array of tasty and nutritious vegan options for those following a plant-based lifestyle. Plus, the service has been clinically proven to help people lose weight and lower LDL cholesterol.

Our testers found the meals inventive and flavorful, and appreciated that all of the offerings were plant-based and didn’t take very long to prepare. "I love how Purple Carrot meals are delicious and nutritious without involving complicated cooking," one tester said. "The meals feel much fancier and more complicated when eating than when cooking. It encouraged me to try new flavors and food combinations I wouldn't have thought of myself." Popular entrees include spinach artichoke grilled cheese with hot pepper mayo and oregano fries, Japanese gnocchi with miso tomato butter and bok choy and smoky portobello tacos with jalapeño cashew sauce and Spanish rice.

RELATED: Best Vegan Meal Delivery Services

Mosaic Foods

This vegan and vegetarian meal delivery service offers hearty plant-powered meals that are flash-frozen before being delivered directly to your doorstep. You'll find everything from veggie bowls and pizzas to smoothies, soups and oat bowls. The brand uses high-quality ingredients, choosing organic and local options when possible.

How it works: Start by selecting your plan, which includes six, 12 or 18 options per box. Then fill your box with a variety of plant-based breakfast, lunch and dinner options. Meal filters include vegetarian, vegan, wheat-free, nut-free and high-protein. Select delivery for every one to four weeks. Note that all meals are delivered frozen.

Lab lowdown: Both testers and experts loved the variety and veggie-forward focus of the meals. Our experts loved that the family meals designed to serve four are very convenient for busy households and packed with hidden veggies that everyone can feel good about eating.

"I found the flavors to be delicious and was surprised at how fresh the food tasted," one tester said. "A lot of the choices also included more vegetables than I'd normally have, which is awesome." Testers also found the flavors super unique and said that they had a "greater diversity and quantity of vegetables than any supermarket frozen foods that I've tried." Favorites included the peanut tofu bowl, coconut chickpea curry and tangy Thai stir fry.

Green Chef

This certified organic company offers a wide variety of healthy meal plans, working with farmers to source sustainable ingredients. With keto, paleo and vegan offerings, this kit has something for all types of health-conscious home cooks.

How it works: You'll be able to order everything you need to create three to four dinners for two to six people each week. All ingredients are pre-measured and the menu rotates weekly with 24 unique recipes to choose from. You'll start by choosing a plan based on your dietary preferences:

• Keto & Paleo: Carb-conscious, high-protein recipes free of gluten, grains, soy and legumes

• Vegetarian: Well-balanced, meatless recipes with a focus on plant-based ingredients

• Fast & Fit: Fresh, convenient and calorie-conscious recipes with keto and veggie options, ready in 25 minutes or less

• Vegan: Recipes with a variety of veggies, plant-based proteins and hearty grains

• Gluten-Free: Wholesome recipes free of gluten and soy

Lab lowdown: Green Chef is a favorite among our nutrition experts since it provides delicious recipes and high-quality organic ingredients. Testers said they loved the portion sizes and that the meals filled them up and had great flavor. “I was so impressed with all the portions and freshness of the products," said one tester. "Every meal were super easy to prepare." Another added, "I felt that the food with this meal delivery service was fresher than other meal delivery services I have used in the past."

Favorite dishes included a Bahārāt-spiced couscous salad, kale-and-bean stuffed peppers, spicy ginger-lime shrimp and bacon bowls, chicken with garlic chard rice and beef tenderloin with brown butter carrots. On the downside, some testers noted that the instructions could be a bit complex and required many pans and bowls, but that the pictures on the recipe cards were very helpful.

READ OUR REVIEW: Is Green Chef Worth It?

Performance Kitchen

Registered dietitians, doctors and chefs collaborate to create over 50 nutritious meals delivered right to your door that meet a variety of personal preferences, dietary restrictions and allergies. The company also offers complimentary nutrition counseling sessions.

How it works: Choose from individual meals by cuisine or diet, as well as affordable bundles. Meal plans include heart health, renal health, diabetes health, anti-inflammatory, immune boost, cancer support, plant-based, low-carb, dairy-free, gluten free and more. The meal delivery is also covered by Medicare/Medicaid, and it offers great options for post-discharge meals.

Lab lowdown: Our registered dietitians loves that all of Performance Kitchen's meals have less than four grams of added sugar and under 600 mg sodium. Our testers appreciated the convenience of the meals and that both oven and microwave options were provided for preparation. “This meal service is super easy to use," a tester said. "The ingredients are fresh, and no artificial ingredients are used. It’s something I can feel good about eating."

CookUnity

If the idea of restaurant-quality meals prepared by award-winning chefs appeals, CookUnity is for you. You'll find a changing menu of hundreds of mains and sides from more than 60 talented chefs, from decadent comfort food to more health conscious fare, delivered directly to your door.

How it works: Select from four, six, eight, 12 or 16 meals per week with over 100+ options in each available market (with over 300 options in New York). Menus are posted two weeks in advance and you can choose your weekly meals or let CookUnity select for you, based on your preferences. You can also filter by diet, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, keto, Mediterranean, paleo, dairy-free and more. The meals arrive fresh and come with expiration dates, as well as instructions on how to heat your dish.

Lab Lowdown: The service received top scores from our testers and Nutrition Lab experts for flavor, portion sizes and overall food quality — in fact, 100% of testers saying that they would recommend the service to a family member or friend. Favorites included the beef bourguignon with buttered egg noodles by Chris Ratel, chicken tikka masala by Andres Mendez, lamb kebab with turmeric hummus by Akhtar Narwab and marinated chicken shawarma over Israeli couscous by Einat Admony.

Our nutritionists also appreciated that the brand provides full nutrition facts panel on each meal, too. "The meals were simple to prepare and absolutely delicious," one tester raved, while another said, "There is so much creativity that went into each meal that you can see and taste!"

Marley Spoon

Martha Stewart's meal delivery service serves up circa 30-minute recipes with fresh ingredients. The kit aims to introduce home cooks to new flavors and ingredients while also teaching new cooking techniques.

How it works: The menu changes weekly, and you can choose from a variety of 45+ meal options and categories include Under 30 Minutes, Kid-Friendly, Dairy-Free, Healthy, Nutritious, No Added Gluten, Low Calorie and more.

Lab lowdown: Our testers liked that Marley Spoon's instructions were well-written and easy to follow, even for new cooking techniques they had not tried before. Even picky eaters enjoyed the meals. Overall, users appreciated how thorough the kits were. "I'm very happy they included the cooking oils I needed," one tester said. "Sometimes we're left to find those on our own with these boxes, so I appreciated the cooking oils being portioned and packaged in the box already." Another noted, "I found this to be a high-quality kit, from the packaging of each individual ingredient to the recipe details to the final product."

Factor

Nutritious, fully prepared meals are delivered fresh to your door and never frozen. The options cater to a variety of diets, and the meals can be conveniently heated in the oven or microwave.

How it works: Choose from 30+ dietitian-designed and chef-crafted meals each week. All subscriptions include one complimentary consultation with a registered dietitian, which is a great perk. Plan options include Chef's Choice, which offers a variety of healthy chef-crafted meals; Keto which offers low-carb, high-fat meals; Calorie Smart which delivers meals at 550 calories or less; and Vegan & Veggie which focuses on veggie-forward, meat-free meals.

Lab lowdown: Testers and experts both loved the variety of meals offered by Factor, the portion sizes and the simplicity of heating. Meals were delivered in great condition and ingredients tasted fresh. "I've always been overwhelmed by which meal delivery service to choose, but I definitely will be ordering Factor for my husband and myself," one tester said. "I really appreciate the quality of the meals and how well-balanced they were."

Territory

Local chefs and restaurants partner with Territory's team of in-house dietitians to create responsibly sourced and nutritious meals that are ready to eat in less than two minutes. Each meal comes with easy-to-follow macronutrient ratios, portion sizing and exact ingredients.

How it works: Filter between different dietary preferences like keto-friendly, paleo, Mediterranean diet, vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, Whole 30, low-fat, low-carb and mixitarian. New menus have a rotating variety of 35-70 choices depending on your location, and their meals never contain gluten, dairy, refined sugars or certain oils. You can opt for a subscription plan that uses Territory's AI to curate a personalized menu for your needs, or place a non-subscription order.

Lab lowdown: Our testers gave this service top scores for portion sizes, satiety of meals, convenience and variety. Our registered dietitians love that although the service caters to different dietary preferences, the meals were still extremely hearty and balanced for those with active lifestyles. “Very satisfying and wholesome meals that are tasty and extremely healthy,” one tester said. “There was decent variety from which to choose, interesting flavors and things I maybe would not normally have tried. They also could not have been easier to reheat and serve,” another tester noted.

Epicured

Epicured was the first low-FODMAP meal delivery service designed for customers with common GI disorders like irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s, colitis, SIBO and celiac. Its Michelin-star chefs team up with physicians and dietitians to create delicious meals that accommodate complex dietary restrictions. All meals are fully prepared and require refrigeration upon arrival.

How it works: This service works on a weekly subscription and all items are chosen à la carte. Epicured offers over 100 menu items ranging from fully prepared bowls, entrées and soups to smoothies and energy bites. Organic ingredients are used whenever possible.

Lab lowdown: Testers were pleasantly surprised by the flavorful meals, even though they were gut-friendly. “We were hesitant about whether a low-FODMAP meal would be bland, but this was surprisingly flavorful and filling,” said one tester. Another tester remarked, “This service was much better than I expected. Learning that it was gluten-free and low-FODMAP had me prepared not to like the texture or flavor. But surprisingly, it was all very good.” Our experts appreciated the meal variety and that registered dietitians ensure each meal meets specific dietary requirements (not an easy task for low-FODMAP restrictions!).

RELATED: Best Gluten-Free Meal Delivery Services

Sakara

This organic meal delivery service offers fresh, ready-to-eat meals as well as wellness support. All items are organic, plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO and refined-sugar-free.

How it works: The set menu rotates weekly and seasonally with new menu options dropping periodically. Choose from a variety of programs including Sakara's Signature Nutrition Program, Metabolism Nutrition System and Level II Detox (which is designed by a doctor). Meal delivery includes up to three meals per day, plus a daily detox or digestive tea and more.

Lab lowdown: Testers loved that the meals in this kit were already prepared — and many of the items were ready to eat, with no need for heating. The plan is designed to offer health-conscious, plant-based options and testers found the meals filling and high-quality. “I did not think that I would enjoy the foods, but they were delicious," a tester said. "Flavorful, satisfying and filling." Another tester noted that “the food was delicious, and I felt full the entire day with the three meals. I didn’t miss eating meat at all."

How we test meal delivery services

At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we test all different types of food products and services. From healthy snacks and supplements to food subscription boxes and meal delivery services, our experts are committed to bringing you the best of the best when it comes to quality, performance, flavor, nutrition and more.

In our most recent study of meal delivery services, we recruited over 280 at-home testers across the nation, while our in-house experts also tested the services in our Labs. All in all, we evaluated over 40 different meal delivery services, ranging from traditional kits that come with pre-measured ingredients and a follow-along recipe card to fully prepared options. We tested the services over the course of three months.

In the end, we made our selections based on expert evaluations and tester feedback in the categories of overall satisfaction, food quality, cost, recycling efforts and availability. Our top picks cater to a wide variety of dietary preferences, including gluten-free, low-carb, high-protein and more. Although taste is subjective, we ultimately chose companies that scored high points overall with testers.

As a result of our testing, we believe the companies spotlighted above deserve recognition for their performance in their categories. That said, this is a fast-growing segment in the food industry and we're likely to see exciting new entrants emerging in the near future. We are currently and constantly testing new offerings in this category to keep readers up-to-date.

What are the benefits of meal delivery subscription plans?

Some meal delivery services can be pricey — and most also involve shipping fees. But it's worth keeping in mind that they also tend to be healthier and less expensive than takeout. There's also the benefit of skipping a trip to the grocery store and not having to spend time coming up with meal ideas and hunting for recipes.

Many meal kits offer assistance with meal prepping, chopping and more, cutting down on prep time. You'll also get the opportunity to learn new cooking techniques and try new foods that may not be in your regular mealtime rotation.

If you'd rather not bust out all your pots and pans every night, prepared meal delivery services can also offer a smart solution. While prepared options do come at a premium, you're ultimately paying for the convenience, which may be worth it for you.

With most services, note that costs per serving tend to go down as you sign up for more meals. Most services also allow you to skip a week and adjust your plan along the way as well. Although many of our picks gravitate towards fresh services, our pros say it's smart to reconsider frozen options too. Frozen meals can avoid waste whereas fresh options can spoil if not eaten immediately.

Comprehensive meal delivery service buying guides

• Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services

• Best Affordable Meal Delivery Services

• Best Healthy Meal Delivery Services

• Best Organic Meal Delivery Services
  

• Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Services

• Best Vegan Meal Delivery Services

• Best Weight Loss Meal Delivery Services

• Best Low-Carb Meal Delivery Services

• Best Keto Meal Delivery Services

• Best Paleo Meal Delivery Services

• Best Gluten-Free Meal Delivery Services

• Best Kids Meal Delivery Services

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

As a dietitian and working mother, registered dietitian and Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab Deputy Director Stefani Sassos is passionate about putting healthy meals on the table for her family without having to spend a ton of time in the kitchen. She personally uses meal delivery services as a way to change up her family's normal dinnertime routine and get introduced to a variety of new foods and unique preparation methods.

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