Green Chef delivers to every state in the U. except Alaska, Hawaii and Louisiana. Discounts: Green Chef offers discounts to those who support and serve the community , including first responders, medical providers, nurses, teachers, military, and veterans.

HelloFresh HelloFresh allows customers to choose from more than 50 weekly menu items, including low-calorie, vegetarian and kid-approved! In the box, customers can expect to find pre-measured ingredients and recipe cards.

These easy meals are meant to be prepped, cooked and served in about 30 minutes. HelloFresh makes it easy to adjust your weekly order by offering flexibility — add extra meals, change your delivery date , skip a week or cancel anytime.

Create less food waste by receiving perfectly portioned ingredients. And, no long trips to the grocery store! Discounts : HelloFresh has a Hero Discount Program , where the company shows appreciation to nurses, hospital employees, medical providers and military by offering 50 percent off your first box, free shipping, and an additional 10 percent off all boxes over the next year!

Blue Apron Blue Apron meal kits give customers peace of mind by providing chef-approved recipes yes, they have chefs who perfect their creations in a test kitchen built from high-quality ingredients.

Similarly to the previous two meal kit companies, Blue Apron offers weekly meals that are customizable based on dietary needs and preferences.

A unique perk of this company is that they offer WW - recommended options previously known as Weight Watchers. Home Chef According to its website, Home Chef has the highest rate of customer satisfaction among leading meal kit companies! BistroMD is a meal prep service that specializes in weight loss.

A few of their advertised meals are Peanut Butter Crepes with Strawberry Compote, Chipotle Pineapple Smoked Pork Street Tacos, and Grilled Salmon with Lemon Dijon Dressing. If you're looking to incorporate a healthy eating routine but you're not trying to break the bank, this one could be for you.

If you're someone who is almost constantly run-out-the-door busy or you just really like smoothies and soup, Daily Harvest was made for you. All smoothies arrive ready to blend, and all soups arrive ready to heat.

Specializing in "global meal kits," this company strives to make cooking an adventure. They also aim to reduce the stress of planning dinner as much as possible by creating meals that all have a two-month shelf life.

Say goodbye to the anxiety of cooking before your food expires. Each meal kit provided by Takeout Kit feeds three to four people. Meals include Thai Crab Curry with Jasmine Rice, Spanish Paella with Chorizo and Artichokes, and Argentine Empanadas and Sofrito.

A huge focus of Blue Apron is to make sure their customers have a wonderful, engaged cooking experience. Blue Apron's menu changes weekly, which ensures that clients never get bored of the same meal choices. At the moment, some of their meals include Fontina Stuffed Pork Chops with Potatoes, Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Creamy Fettuccine, and Kung Pao Broccoli.

The goal of Hello Fresh is essentially to provide "skinny" healthier and cleaner meals to their customers. This meal prep service also rotates their menu, featuring 10 new recipes each week. Hello Fresh carries three plans: the classic plan, the veggie plan, and the family plan.

While you can choose three to five recipes from the 10 available, there is no a la cart ordering. Hello Fresh's menu at the moment includes Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops, Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken, and Kale Chip Quinoa Bowl. GreenChef is another meal prep service that offers a diverse range of kits: vegetarian, vegan, omnivore, carnivore, gluten-free, and paleo.

If you aren't committed to a strict diet, trying the different plans with your significant other or roommates could be a fun and new way to spend time with people closest to you. Like many other services, GreenChef changes their menu weekly.

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View CBS News In. CBS News App Open. Chrome Safari Continue. Be the first to know. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Healthy meal options including nutritious recipes under calories. Free shipping and big discounts off your first box for first-time customers.

Extra services like premium meals that, while enticing, can ultimately lead to high costs. Budget-friendliness dips if you order less than 10 meals per week, making this best for large families or meal planning pros. Fully prepared meals can be ready within minutes.

Little to no customization for individual meals. Dinner options are limited compared to other meal kits.

Pre-portioned and packaged ingredients can increase the amount of plastic waste in the environment. All companies featured except for Mom's Meals demonstrate a commitment to limiting package waste by providing recyclable packaging materials and reusable ice packs. Budget and shipping costs were also considered, with the lowest budgets per serving a major factor.

Though Mom's Meals has higher shipping fees and may not focus on plastic waste reduction like other meal delivery services, it serves a niche audience that other services do not, making it a valuable option for those living with health conditions that need specifics diet to thrive.

A meal delivery service is a subscription-based service that delivers a box of fresh ingredients with pre-portioned amounts for your preselected recipes. Cook-from-a-kit boxes, or meal-kit delivery services, are substitutes for grocery shopping, meal planning, and searching for recipes.

Also: The best meal kit delivery services. Some meal delivery services provide ready-to-eat meals that can be heated in the microwave or oven or thawed and enjoyed, like smoothies and bowls. You can also find Home Chef meals at your local Kroger grocery.

When you use a meal delivery service, the service sources ingredients and sends them to you prepackaged and ready to cook. You can use the provider's website to select the meals you want.

Many places rotate menus, allowing you to try new dishes every week while enjoying your favorites. Alternatively, you can use a meal delivery service that prepares meals, so all you have to do at home is heat them up.

Once you select your meal choices, the delivery service packages ingredients and ships them to your door. You can refrigerate or freeze the ingredients until you're ready to prepare the meal.

Or, in the case of Home Chef, you can stop by your local Kroger for a quick dinner. Right now, Dinnerly is the cheapest meal delivery service. However, keep in mind each service offers different dietary menus.

Therefore, you want to prioritize your needs first, as it can often be worth the extra dollar or two per serving if you have specific dietary requirements.

Many meal delivery services are available, and it may be worth considering alternatives, depending on your budget and dietary preferences. Here are a few more choices:. Why you can trust ZDNET : ZDNET independently tests and researches products to bring you our best recommendations and advice.

When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Our process. Home Health Nutrition. The best meal delivery services offer healthy, pre-portioned meals and ingredients to make cooking your next meal hassle-free. meal kit for every kind of cook and non-cook.

Written by Mandy Sleight, Contributor April 20, at a. PT Reviewed by Elyse Betters Picaro ; Emery Wright ; Sean Jackson and Taylor Clemons. Dinnerly Best cheap meal delivery service overall. View now View at Dinnerly. EveryPlate Best value meal delivery service.

View now View at EveryPlate. Daily Harvest Best cheap meal delivery service for organic and plant-based diets. Daily Harvest. View now View at Daily Harvest. Home Chef Best cheap meal delivery service for customization.

Home Chef. View now View at Home Chef. Mom's Meals Best cheap meal delivery service for diet-dependent health conditions. Mom's Meals. View now View at Mom's Meals. Pros Wide range of dietary preferences Six fresh ingredients per recipe Market feature for individual add-ons Six meals per week option 28 recipe options per week.

Cons Doesn't include printed recipe cards Market features cost extra No vegetarian options for the 6-meal weekly plan. More Details. Also: Get the most out of your groceries: How to prevent food waste Dinnerly creates a recipe meal plan menu each week so you can order your favorites.

View now at Dinnerly View now at Google Play View now at Apple App Store. more buying choices. Pros Shop by meal preferences Easy and quick meal assembly Family-friendly options. Cons It doesn't cater to special diets like Keto, gluten-free, or low-carb Five meals per week limit Limited weekly menu.

View now at EveryPlate View now at Google Play View now at Apple App Store. Pros Variety of options Bulk discount pricing Free shipping. Cons Slightly expensive Not family-friendly Some items might not be sufficient enough for a meal.

View now at Daily Harvest View now at Google Play View now at Apple App Store. Pros Highly customizable A la carte items for breakfast, snacks, desserts, etc. Available to buy at Kroger.

Also: The best electric smokers You can search for meal recipes based on your cooking preference, such as oven-ready, microwaveable, grill-ready, culinary, and minute meal kits for those days you just need a quick dinner.

View now at Home Chef View now at Google Play View now at Apple App Store. Pros Caters to health conditions Auto-ship not required No cooking required--just heat and enjoy.

Cons Paleo and Keto diets not included Limited meal options High shipping fee. View now at Mom's Meals. What is the best cheapest meal delivery service? Which is the right best cheap meal delivery service for you? Choose this cheap meal delivery service… If you want or are… Dinnerly Simple and easy recipes with just a few ingredients and a wide variety of dietary preferences.

EveryPlate Kid-friendly meals and eco-friendly packaging with easy assembly for busy parents. Daily Harvest A single person who wants simple and fast plant-based meals and snacks with free shipping.

Home Chef To spend a bit more money and time on customizable meals. Mom's Meals An older adult, a caregiver, or an individual with dietary needs specific to a health condition.

How did we choose these best cheap meal delivery services? To choose the best cheap meal delivery services, I compared several factors, including: Dietary preferences Budget Shipping costs Packaging Amount of menu options Prep and cook time Types of meals available Discounts and promotions Since everyone has different needs, I chose meal delivery services that meet a variety of dietary preferences.

What is a meal delivery service? Also: The best meal kit delivery services Some meal delivery services provide ready-to-eat meals that can be heated in the microwave or oven or thawed and enjoyed, like smoothies and bowls. How does a meal delivery service work? What is the cheapest meal delivery service?

Are there alternative meal delivery services worth considering? ZDNET Recommends. Show Comments. Log In to Comment Community Guidelines.

All smoothies arrive ready to blend, and all soups arrive ready to heat. Specializing in "global meal kits," this company strives to make cooking an adventure. They also aim to reduce the stress of planning dinner as much as possible by creating meals that all have a two-month shelf life.

Say goodbye to the anxiety of cooking before your food expires. Each meal kit provided by Takeout Kit feeds three to four people. Meals include Thai Crab Curry with Jasmine Rice, Spanish Paella with Chorizo and Artichokes, and Argentine Empanadas and Sofrito.

A huge focus of Blue Apron is to make sure their customers have a wonderful, engaged cooking experience. Blue Apron's menu changes weekly, which ensures that clients never get bored of the same meal choices. At the moment, some of their meals include Fontina Stuffed Pork Chops with Potatoes, Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Creamy Fettuccine, and Kung Pao Broccoli.

The goal of Hello Fresh is essentially to provide "skinny" healthier and cleaner meals to their customers. This meal prep service also rotates their menu, featuring 10 new recipes each week. Hello Fresh carries three plans: the classic plan, the veggie plan, and the family plan.

While you can choose three to five recipes from the 10 available, there is no a la cart ordering. Hello Fresh's menu at the moment includes Creamy Mushroom Pork Chops, Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken, and Kale Chip Quinoa Bowl.

GreenChef is another meal prep service that offers a diverse range of kits: vegetarian, vegan, omnivore, carnivore, gluten-free, and paleo. If you aren't committed to a strict diet, trying the different plans with your significant other or roommates could be a fun and new way to spend time with people closest to you.

Like many other services, GreenChef changes their menu weekly. Current meals include: Blackened Shrimp Salad, Maple BBQ Chicken, and Spaghetti Squash Pasta.

If you can afford to order kits from meal prep services every week, it could be a great stress reliever and time saver for you. Even if you can't afford to order weekly, it's still a fun idea for a once a month splurge to have weekly dinner dates with your friends or significant other.

In any case, the next time you're considering switching from the grocery store to a meal prep service, this guide will be a staple in discovering the right match for you. Happy cooking, friends. News Fast Food Celebrity Trending.

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except Alaska, Hawaii and Louisiana. Discounts: Green Chef offers discounts to those who support and serve the community , including first responders, medical providers, nurses, teachers, military, and veterans.

HelloFresh HelloFresh allows customers to choose from more than 50 weekly menu items, including low-calorie, vegetarian and kid-approved! In the box, customers can expect to find pre-measured ingredients and recipe cards.

These easy meals are meant to be prepped, cooked and served in about 30 minutes. HelloFresh makes it easy to adjust your weekly order by offering flexibility — add extra meals, change your delivery date , skip a week or cancel anytime.

Create less food waste by receiving perfectly portioned ingredients. And, no long trips to the grocery store! Discounts : HelloFresh has a Hero Discount Program , where the company shows appreciation to nurses, hospital employees, medical providers and military by offering 50 percent off your first box, free shipping, and an additional 10 percent off all boxes over the next year!

Blue Apron Blue Apron meal kits give customers peace of mind by providing chef-approved recipes yes, they have chefs who perfect their creations in a test kitchen built from high-quality ingredients.

Similarly to the previous two meal kit companies, Blue Apron offers weekly meals that are customizable based on dietary needs and preferences.

A unique perk of this company is that they offer WW - recommended options previously known as Weight Watchers.

Home Chef According to its website, Home Chef has the highest rate of customer satisfaction among leading meal kit companies!

Home Chef offers up to 30 weekly meal choices, with options to customize the protein sources for each meal. Home Chef saves its customers time by creating the recipes and portioning the ingredients.

Want to get a taste of Home Chef before signing up for a subscription? Now you can! Home Chef offer s products in Kroger - owned grocery stores across the count r y. Discounts: Home Chef supports healthcare workers, first responders and teachers by offering additional discounts through ID.

Nurses can get 50 percent off their first box, plus an additional 10 percent off all future boxes! Factor Meals Factor Meals is a little different than the previous four meal kit companies. You can opt to make the box vegetarian too. The menu is robust, allowing you to choose from over recipes each week that include family-friendly offerings, vegetarian and vegan fare, reduced-carb options and more.

Everything is designed to be prepared in 30 minutes or less with no more than six ingredients. Lab results: Our experts were very impressed with the variety and quantity of meals that Dinnerly offers, and they appreciate that the brand is able to remain affordable without sacrificing flavor or quality.

Testers were really impressed with the abundance of meals to choose from and just how tasty they were. But testers did note that some items came un-bagged in the box and that even though the recipes require only six fresh ingredients, you'll often need to work in a few basic additional items of your own.

That said, you can see in advance what ingredients they will send and what you'll need to have on hand. Many also noted that they would have preferred printed recipe cards, though Dinnerly does give you the option to print the recipe yourself at home.

You'll also find only basic nutrition information like calories and macronutrients on the recipes. The most inexpensive meal delivery kit out there, EveryPlate was launched by the popular HelloFresh a few years ago as a budget-friendly alternative.

The company is able to keep costs down by using less packaging and simple, accessible ingredients. How it works: Choose from either a two-person or four-person plan with three to six meals per week. Lab results: Even though EveryPlate was the cheapest meal delivery kit we tested, both our experts and testers gave it top scores across the board.

Although the offerings lean more toward the comfort-food side, our dietitians noted that it easy to find the nutrition facts for each meal readily available on the website. More expensive services will package the food in individual bags or containers, but the food from EveryPlate doesn't come particularly well-organized in the box.

This was one of the few complaints from testers, as some of the items were scattered around the box in transit. Some testers also said that certain meals took longer to prepare than the time stated on the recipe cards. That being said, the meals are great value for the price, and testers loved how easy they were to prepare.

I also found the cooking instructions less complicated," a tester commented. Another said, "I like that EveryPlate has simple directions and comes with everything you need even stock packets to get your meal going. This delivery service has been popular in the meal kit game since and focuses on easy-to-follow recipes.

On its website, HelloFresh shares its own week price comparison study analyzing customers' costs versus the cost of shopping at nationwide grocery stores and found that HelloFresh is significantly cheaper than grocery shopping.

How it works: Choose a plan for two or four people and from two to six meals per week. Upgrades and add-ons are available as well, and there are over weekly menu options. Lab results: HelloFresh provides a solid meal delivery kit, with everything neatly packed into little bags with separators making the experience feel very organized and seamless.

The packaging in general also proved superior to other services we tested in terms of both performance and sustainability. Our experts like that full nutrition information and entire recipes are available on the site so you can get a preview before you commit to a particular meal. Allergens are listed per meal as well.

Testers appreciated the number of recipes, with one saying, "I liked that it seemed to have a lot of variety of meals to choose from. One tester said, "It allowed me to try new foods, minimize food waste and save time planning meals for the week.

Rated as our best overall meal delivery kit , Blue Apron offers high-quality ingredients, inventive recipes and lots of options for different dietary needs, including WW. How it works: Choose to feed two or four people, and select from two to four meals per week.

Their signature chef's faves menu offers a mix of meat, fish and WW-recommended recipes; the vegetarian menu highlights meat-free dishes with seasonal produce and the wellness menu focuses on balanced meals approved by nutritionists and WW-recommended dishes.

Lab results: Everything in the kits came well packaged in little bags to keep things organized. Full nutrition facts labels are available on the site, along with the complete recipes and ingredient lists. Our registered dietitians also loves the variety of WW-recommended meals for those trying to get creative in the kitchen and still manage their dietary goals.

Both our pros and testers agree that the ingredients are fresh and high-quality, with testers giving the service rave reviews and noting that the recipes were creative and full of flavor.

The recipe cards offered simple step-by-step instructions, and the meals had substantial portions. The ingredients are perfectly measured, packaged well and fresh.

Home Chef offers boxes that feed up to six people per meal , which is more than other services. They provide plans that include both pre-portioned ingredients with easy-to-follow cooking instructions, as well as low- or no-prep meals for busy families. How it works: Users begin the process by taking an online quiz to determine which meal plan is the best for them, including answering questions on any dietary preferences and restrictions.

Lab results: Our experts love just how many different meal kit options Home Chef offers, whether you're looking to get something on the table fast for the family or want to indulge in a more special premium cooking experience.

And you don't have to order a crazy number of meals to unlock their lowest pricing. While it may not be the lowest-cost meal delivery kit on the list, it's definitely less than other big names out there, and the quality is top-notch.

You can check to see what items you'll need to have on hand for each meal and also get full nutrition facts readily available for every recipe on their website, but our registered dietitians do point out that the sodium content is very high on some of the meals.

Great taste! I was very pleased," a tester said. Another commented, "It's always hard to find new dinner ideas; these are a perfect variety to keep everyone in your family happy and full. Those looking for more plant-based fare will appreciate the hearty vegetarian offerings from Mosaic.

You'll find everything from veggies 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 you'll get more savings the more you order.

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 what you'd like or have Mosaic build a box for you based on customer favorites.

You'll then determine how often you'd like to receive deliveries, ranging from weekly to monthly. All of the meals are delivered frozen with free shipping on 12 and 18 item boxes. Testers were impressed with how tasty the veggie-forward meals were, with one saying, "Delicious!

So flavorful for frozen meals. We were impressed. Made eating plant-based so easy. At the Good Housekeeping Institute , we test all 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 more than 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. For each service, we tried a total of 15 or more meals across our experts and testers.

We are currently and constantly testing new offerings in this category to keep readers up-to-date. 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. When finding the best meal delivery service to fit into your lifestyle and budget, there are a few key things to consider:.

There are also options that fall in between: Food is partially prepped and requires minimal extra work to get a balanced meal on the table quickly. You'll want to take a look at the plans the different services offer and keep in mind that while some services may start at a low price that is for a large order.

You'll typically be able to check the price ahead of ordering, so you can see how much it will cost for your specific needs and servings per week. If you are cooking for more than four people, check to make sure the service will accommodate your family, as some services only serve a max of four people per meal.

Frozen meals can avoid waste whereas fresh options can spoil if not eaten immediately. Most services allow you to skip a week and adjust your plan along the way, which can be a strategy to help keep costs down if you can't use the food quickly.

Some options, like Dinnerly, have robust vegetarian menus, for example, whereas other services may offer only a handful of vegetarian meals to choose from each week.

Certain services will let you customize further and swap out proteins, which can be beneficial. Most services will give you a discount on the first box and additional discounts if you are a first responder or in the military.

And if you know a friend or family member who is using the service, you may both get a discount for the referral. 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 too.

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. These types of melas are typically comparable with the cost of takeout but have one standard shipping fee since the meals come together. This article was originally written by registered dietitian Amy Fischer.