Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services

Best Overall: CookUnity

Key Specs

• Starting Price: $11.09 per serving
• Delivery Area: 47 states
• Products Arrive: Fresh

Why You Should Try It

Our testers agreed that variety is key to avoiding boredom; in addition, it's important that your prepared meals are consistent in terms of quality. CookUnity received some of the best ratings for prepared meals because of the company's variety of meals and excellent customer service.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Focus on recyclable packaging
• Website makes it easy to choose meals
• Great ratings from testers on variety and taste of meals

Cons

• Not as much information on nutrition standards.

Overview

CookUnity was founded with the goal of bringing chef-designed meals into your home. The company delivers on that promise with a huge range of meal options, each designed by specific chefs. It's one of the only services that not only delivers chef-crafted meals but gives you a bio of the chef who made your meal. CookUnity's global cuisine will give you access to flavorful prepared meals like chicken shawarma, beef bibimbap, and Malabar shrimp.

Pricing and Plans

CookUnity uses a basic per-meal pricing structure. Prices start at $13.49 per meal, but the cost goes down the more meals you order per week. At 16 meals per week, the price is $10.49 per meal.

Meals we Tried

• Coconut lime hanger steak
• Carnitas street tacos
• Butternut squash ravioli
• Chili roasted shrimp

Best Vegetarian: ModifyHealth

Key Specs

• Starting Price: $12.95 per serving
• Delivery Area: 48 states
• Products Arrive: Fresh

Why You Should Try It

Many prepared meal services focus on proteins like chicken or beef as the centerpiece of a meal. ModifyHealth delivers excellent prepared meals with great reviewer scores for flavor in addition to offering excellent vegetarian options.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Excellent nutritional breakdowns
• Responsive customer service
• Received high scores in flavor from our testers

Cons

• Packaging includes many marketing brochures that seem wasteful
• Can't mix and match meal plans

Overview

ModifyHealth was founded in 2018 after the founder, GB Pratt, noticed issues with his family's health that were solved by dietary changes. The company's meals are crafted to promote health through balanced nutrition and are designed for individuals with chronic health conditions like IBS and celiac disease. The service allows you to choose from diet options such as Mediterranean or low FODMAP and has excellent vegetarian options that our testers highly rated.

Pricing and Plans

While you can get some discounts for signing up or for setting up a subscription, the ModifyHealth basic pricing structure is really straightforward: The company charges $9.95 for breakfast meals and $12.95 for entrées.

Meals We Tried

• Longevity stew with black-eyed peas and kale

Best for Seniors: MagicKitchen.com

Key Specs

• Starting Price: $10 per serving
• Delivery Area: 48 states
• Products Arrive: Frozen

Why You Should Try It

If you have ever acted as a caregiver for a loved one who is older, you know it can be very difficult to make sure they are getting healthy meals. Magic Kitchen is a wonderful option for seniors who need nutritious, no-prep meals delivered right to their door.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Allows flexible, à la carte ordering
• Covers many dietary categories, including one dedicated to seniors
• Straightforward and easy meals

Cons

• Not the most sustainable packaging
• Some of the flavors were a bit bland, mostly due to dietary restraints (low sodium, etc.)

Pricing and Plans

Magic Kitchen has very straightforward pricing. You can order meals à la carte or in bundles. Depending on the meal ordered, the price ranges from about $10 to $15 for some complex meals like beef bourguignon. Ordering a bundle of meals will save a few dollars

Overview

Magic Kitchen was founded with the goal of providing healthy, ready-to-eat meals to those who might not be able to make their own meals due to illness or age. The company's catalog of meals is very expansive and divided nicely by dietary restriction. Specifically, Magic Kitchen's senior meals are its most popular options and include many delicious entrées like baked tilapia, basil chicken, and balsamic glazed chicken.

Meals We Tried

• Vegetable caponata with orzo and spinach
• Beef and broccoli over noodles and vegetable blend
• Balsamic glazed chicken with roasted potatoes and green beans
• Chili with beans with carrots and broccoli florets

Best Gluten-Free: Epicured

Key Specs

• Starting Price: $10.29 per serving
• Delivery Area: 48 states
• Products Arrive: Fresh

Why You Should Try It

If you have gluten allergies and sensitivities, it's important to have a company that offers nutritionally balanced meals with a transparent list of ingredients. Epicured is one of the few prepared meal delivery services that works with dieticians to make sure its prepared meals are safe for individuals with gluten allergies or sensitivities.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Dietician-designed meal plans
• Low FODMAP meals
• Helpful customer service

Cons

• Limited to four or fewer servings

Overview

Epicured founders Richard Bennett and Renee Cherkezian, RN, started their company with the notion that food is medicine. While many meal plans focused on other issues, Epicured wanted to provide healthy, gourmet meals that meet very specific dietary needs for customers so they can focus on their health at home. Each recipe and meal that Epicured sends out is guaranteed to be low-FODMAP and gluten free. Menu options for meals include upscale dishes like sesame crusted grilled salmon, as well as lighter options like vegetarian rice noodles. Epicured's meals heat up in minutes, and our testers enjoyed the unique combinations of flavors.

Pricing and Plans

Epicured allows you to purchase bundles or à la carte items. Pricing can vary considerably based on what you order. The lowest price per serving is $10.29; some pricing examples for Epicured's bundles are as follows:

• Chef's Favorites: $110.21
• Fiber-Fueled Bundle: $131.14
• Brunch Bundle: $143.21

Meals We Tried

• Vietnamese rice noodles (vegetarian)
• Pad thai with chicken
• Sesame crusted grilled salmon
• Pulled BBQ chicken

Best Splurge: Sakara Life

Key Specs

• Starting Price: $28 per serving
• Delivery Area: 48 states
• Products Arrive: Fresh

Why You Should Try It

If you can splurge on higher-cost food delivery, Sakara Life offers meals that put nutrition and the environment first. The founders consider Sakara Life a wellness company, not just a meal delivery service.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Fresh and flavorful meals
• Plant-based and organic
• Offers supplements and snacks as add-ons

Cons

• Most expensive delivery option
• Few customizations and can't choose delivery dates

Overview

Sakara Life was founded with the goal of providing wellness and nutrition through delicious, plant-based foods, many of which don't even require cooking. In addition to its meals, the company offers supplements, teas, and snacks, along with a variety of focused meal plans. Sakara Life's emphasis on sustainability is very apparent in its messaging and, while more expensive than some services, the company boasts good reviews from current clients.

Pricing and Plans

Sakara Life sells most of its meals in kits, although you can buy some à la carte as well. The kits are theme based, with selections like The Gut Health Reboot ($595) or The Morning Ritual collection ($60).

Meals We Tried

• Southwest Sunset soup, chipotle corn muffin
• High Vibe honeydew salad, mint chlorophyll quinoa, kombucha vinaigrette
• Moo shu veggie wraps with tamarind sauce
• Prosperity pad thai, kelp noodles, creamy sesame dressing

Best Allergy-Friendly: The Good Kitchen

Key Specs

• Starting Price: $11.50 per serving
• Delivery Area: 50 states
• Products Arrive: Fresh

Why You Should Try It

Choosing a meal delivery service when you have food allergies can be tricky. The Good Kitchen gets our pick in this category as it does a wonderful job of indexing its meals based on a variety of common allergens and diets, so it's easy to select what works for you.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Good info on sustainability
• Meals categorized by diet and allergens
• User-friendly website

Cons

• Some testers reported a poor experience with calling customer service

Overview

The founder of Good Kitchen started the company with the ethos that what we put in our bodies is meant to nourish us in ways that go beyond simply satisfying hunger. That motto goes into the company's sourcing and crafting of recipes to help deliver healthy and diet-friendly meals to consumers. The Good Kitchen differentiates itself on its sourcing and puts it front and center on its site and recipes. Meals arrive ready to heat and eat, and there are many mouthwatering options like mojo pork, blackened chicken, and venison chili colorado.

Pricing and Plans

Pricing for The Good Kitchen is on a box model where you select the number of meals you want in your box, and the price per meal is adjusted accordingly. A six-meal box will cost $90, while a 12-meal box will cost $163. Once you have selected the number of meals you would like, you can select any meals from the list to customize your box before shipping.

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 veg and cilantro cauliflower rice
• Miso glazed wild boar meatballs and hibachi zucchini
• Tomato, asparagus, and spinach frittata with Yukon potato hash

Best Variety: Freshly

Key Specs

• Starting Price: $9.58 per serving
• Delivery Area: 48 states
• Products Arrive: Fresh

Why You Should Try It

When it comes to prepared meals, Freshly is one of the larger companies that offer meals that arrive ready to eat, and the company works hard to craft a wide variety of meals that ensure you won't get bored eating the same meals on repeat.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Very easy preparation instructions

• Excellent mix of prepared meal options
• Price per serving comparable to takeout

Cons

• Meals are precooked so sometimes not as fresh
• The main way to reheat meals is to microwave them

Overview

Freshly was created to help solve the main problem families have during dinnertime: Sometimes, you just don't have the time to cook or the energy to meal plan. Freshly's answer comes in the form of fully cooked, prepared meals that are quick to reheat. You can order based on a variety of dietary preferences, including carb-conscious "Freshly Fit" and vegan- and vegetarian-friendly "Purely Plant" options. Some of these meals are intended to be full main meals, while others are more of a side dish (like mac and cheese and mashed potatoes).

Pricing and Plans

Freshly has many plan options depending on what you are looking for, with customers able to choose from four to 12 meals per week. Shipping is $9.99 per order; as you purchase more meals, the cost goes down.

• 4 meals per week: $12.50 per serving
• 5 meals per week: $12.40 per serving
• 6 meals per week: $11.33 per serving
• 7 meals per week: $10.71 per serving
• 8 meals per week: $10.37 per serving
• 9 meals per week: $10.22 per serving
• 10 meals per week: $10.00 per serving
• 11 meals per week: $9.81 per serving
• 12 meals per week: $9.58 per serving

Meals We Tried

• Asian style chicken and noodles
• Steak peppercorn
• Thai green curry
• Pork chile colorado