Prepared meal delivery services are a boon for anyone who doesn’t have the time, inclination, or skills to cook but wants to eat healthily. They fill the niche for fast, ready-to-heat meals that are as nutritious as something you’d cook from scratch at home.
Some of these services are designed for vegans, serious carnivores, or folks trying to lose weight, while others offer more gourmet options. We evaluated them all to find out which companies offered the best value, services, and selection in their lineup of prepared meals.
The 7 Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services of 2024
Best Overall: CookUnity
Why You Should Try It
CookUnity’s extensive menu of diverse and flavorful chef-crafted meals makes for a prepared meal experience that’s just as good as any high-end restaurant—or better.
Pros and Cons
Cons
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Single servings only
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No customization options
Overview
Looking for a prepared meal experience that rivals the best restaurants out there? Enter CookUnity, with its extensive menu of globally-inspired, small-batch dishes from award-winning chefs, including Esther Choi, Akhtar Nawab, and Pierre Thiam. You can order up to 16 meals every week, with options ranging from paella to japchae to chicken adobo. Additionally, you can filter the menu through multiple dietary preferences, including vegan, keto, paleo, gluten-free, and low sodium. To top it all off, CookUnity’s meals arrive in compostable and recyclable packaging, adding an eco-friendly touch to this top-quality service.
Learn More: Read Our CookUnity Review.
Pricing and Plans
- 16 meals a week: $11.09 per meal
- 12 meals a week: $11.19 per meal
- 8 meals a week: $11.69 per meal
- 6 meals a week: $12.29 per meal
- 4 meals a week: $13.59 per meal
Meals We Tried
- Coconut lime hanger steak
- Carnitas street tacos
- Butternut squash ravioli
- Chili roasted shrimp
Best Budget-Friendly: Daily Harvest
Daily Harvest
Why You Should Try It
Featuring a variety of plant-based menu items with volume-based discounts, Daily Harvest proves that nutritious food doesn’t have to be expensive.
Pros and Cons
Pros
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Plant-based, gluten-free menu
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Organic ingredients used whenever possible
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Volume-based discounts
Overview
Daily Harvest’s extensive menu features over 100 plant-based meal options in frozen, ready-to-heat form. Choose from a variety of foods, including grain bowls, flatbreads, soups, snacks, alt-milks, smoothies, and dairy-free frozen treats. All of Daily Harvest’s foods are vegan and gluten-free, and the company focuses on using organic ingredients with no refined sugars, GMOs, fillers, or artificial additives.
Learn More: Read Our Daily Harvest Review.
Pricing and Plans
Daily Harvest used to feature a volume-based ordering system; the more you buy, the more you’ll save. However, the brand recently switched to allowing customers the ability to purchase as many items as they would like, as long as orders total above $50. Here’s a breakdown of the pricing system:
Per-Item Pricing
- Forager Bowls: $6.79
- Mylk & Bites: $7.99
- Smoothies & Soups: $8.49
- Scoops: $8.99
- Harvest Bowls & Flatbreads: $9.79
Meals We Tried
- Mint and cacao smoothie
- Mango papaya smoothie
- Hazelnut and chocolate bites
- Tomatillo and pepper flatbread
- Portobello and pesto flatbread
- Sweet potato and wild rice hash
- Brussels sprouts and tahini harvest bowl
- Spinach and shiitake grits
- Tomato and zucchini minestrone soup
Modify Health
Use code SPRUCE15 at checkout for 15% off your order. Code applies to new customers only.
Why You Should Try It
An ideal choice for those with gluten sensitivities, ModifyHealth teams up with dietitians to curate personalized meal plans that are entirely gluten-free.
Pros and Cons
Pros
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Dietitian support available
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Meals include organic, non-GMO ingredients
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Free shipping
Overview
ModifyHealth is a dietitian-backed meal service designed for those who suffer from various gastroenterological conditions, including IBS and celiac disease. All meals are gluten-free and low in sodium, and organic ingredients are used whenever possible. ModifyHealth features both low-FODMAP and Mediterranean meal plans with breakfast, lunch, and dinner options available. You can opt to simply select meals for delivery every week, or you can sign up for the full meal program, which includes dietitian support and educational materials.
Pricing and Plans
- Breakfasts start at $9.95 a serving
- Entrees start at $12.95 a serving
- Food program packages start at $399 fee for 6 weeks
Meals We Tried
- Greek chicken and rice
- Longevity stew with black-eyed peas and kale
- Shrimp chimichurri with black beans and rice
- Lemon thyme chicken with tahini cauliflower and za’atar quinoa
- Blackened salmon with quinoa, broccoli, and red bell pepper
- Roasted pistachio salmon with white beans and kale
Best for Kids: Nurture Life
Nurture Life
Why You Should Try It
Nurture Life’s menu of nutritious, zero-prep kids’ meals, snacks, and smoothies will delight even the pickiest eaters.
Pros and Cons
Overview
Got some picky eaters at the table and want to incorporate vegetables into their meals in creative ways? If so, Nurture Life is the perfect choice. The company’s menu features a selection of kids’ meals, smoothies, and snacks made with organic ingredients, and vegetables are included on every plate (sometimes in hidden ways, like the white mac and cheese made with cauliflower, for example). Nurture Life also offers Finger Foods, which are specifically designed for babies and toddlers who are developing their pincer grasp.
Pricing and Plans
- 6 items per week: $7.49 per serving
- 9 items per week: $6.93 per serving
- 12 items per week: $6.66 per serving
- 15 items per week: $6.49 per serving
Meals We Tried
- White mac and cheese
- Chicken and mac
- Beef taco pockets
- Tortellini Bolognese
- Chicken dumplings
- Pesto and cheese ravioli
Best Allergy-Friendly: The Good Kitchen
The Good Kitchen
Why You Should Try It
The Good Kitchen’s entire menu is gluten-, peanut-, and soy-free, and the company takes «extreme precautions» to ensure its food is safe for those with specific allergies.
Pros and Cons
Pros
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Menu caters to multiple dietary preferences
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Convenient filter to weed out various allergens
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Sustainable sourcing standards
Overview
Featuring a menu that’s entirely gluten-free, peanut-free, and soy-free, The Good Kitchen is a great choice for those who suffer from food allergies. The company uses responsibly-sourced ingredients to craft flavorful heat-and-eat meals that fit into a variety of diets, including keto, paleo, and Whole30. Its online menu includes a filter for multiple allergens, so you can avoid any meals that may be unsafe. Additionally, The Good Kitchen clearly labels each meal with a detailed list of ingredients, and the website states that “extreme precautions and sanitation practices are taken, under strict inspection and testing by the USDA.”
Learn More: Read Our Review of The Good Kitchen.
Pricing and Plans
The Good Kitchen’s volume-based price system means that the meals get cheaper the more you order. Due to local costs and the complexity of a given menu item, the prices of our meals vary..
Meals We Tried
- Beef shepherd’s pie
- Bison and beef sloppy joe with potato leek gratin
- Chicken satay with cilantro rice and broccoli
- Chili lime chicken with fajita vegetables and cilantro cauliflower rice
- Miso glazed wild boar meatballs and hibachi zucchini
- Tomato, asparagus, and spinach frittata with Yukon potato hash
Best Keto-Friendly: Factor
Factor
Why You Should Try It
Factor has a lineup of nutrient-dense, responsibly sourced meals with some specifically geared toward active people on high-protein diets.
Pros and Cons
Pros
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Rotating weekly menu
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Variety of add-on items, including smoothies, juice, and snacks
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Complimentary consultation with registered dietitian
Overview
Factor’s fresh, protein-rich single-serving meals are made for active folks, with a special focus on keto-friendly foods. The menu rotates weekly, with over two dozen meals made for a variety of meal preferences, including Keto, Calorie Smart, and Vegan. There are also various add-ons available, like juices, wellness shots, smoothies, breakfast items, and extra proteins like cooked salmon filets and chicken breasts. Subscribers get a complimentary 20-minute consultation with a registered dietitian or can pay extra for a wellness coaching package.
Learn More: Read Our Factor Review.
Meals We Tried
- Mango salsa salmon with coconut rice and black beans
- Creamy parmesan chicken with broccoli and tomatoes
- Vegetable ratatouille with mascarpone polenta
- Smoked tofu almond stir-fry with edamame succotash
Best Plant-Based: Mosaic
Mosaic Foods
Why You Should Try It
Mosaic’s selection of flavorful vegan and vegetarian frozen meals, complete with 100% recyclable packaging, make it our top option for plant-based meal delivery.
Pros and Cons
Pros
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Both vegan and vegetarian options
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Packaging is 100% recyclable
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Family-sized meals available
Overview
If you’re looking for hearty and flavorful plant-based food with a lengthy shelf life, Mosaic is an ideal choice. Mosaic’s menu features a variety of plant-based offerings, like grain bowls, pastas, soups, pizzas, smoothies, and even family-style casseroles. Meals arrive frozen, and many of them will last up to three months in the freezer. Additionally, the packaging is 100% recyclable. In terms of flavor, Mosaic is a home run, with one of our testers mentioning that Mosaic has the best plant-based frozen food they’ve tasted.
Pricing and Plans
Mosaic’s pricing depends on what you order, with volume-based discounts on orders of 12 or more items. Meals are priced as follows:
Per-Item Pricing
- Smoothies: $7.99
- Pizzas: $11.99
- Veggie bowls: $9.99
- Soups: $8.99
- Oat bowls: $5.99
- Mosaic+ chef-crafted meals: $11.99
- Family meals (4 servings): $19.95
Volume Discounts
- 12 items: $10 savings
- 18 items: $20 savings
Meals We Tried
- Spicy dan dan noodles
- Buffalo cauliflower pasta bake (family size)
- Mac and greens
- Pozole verde
- Veggie kebab platter
- Coconut chickpea curry
