Final Verdict
When it comes to choosing the best of the best in the meal kit marketplace, nothing really can beat out the best flavor and food experience, which is what we got from Blue Apron. Everything about Blue Apron was craveable, from the menu selections to unpacking the top-tier ingredients when they arrived, to cooking up food at home that you could easily see in a restaurant. It was exciting and delicious, and it was the kit we just kept wanting more of.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How Much Do Meal Delivery Services Cost?Cost can vary greatly across meal delivery services, including basic per serving prices, upgrades, add-ons, and shipping costs. It’s fairly standard across the industry to offer discounts to new customers, and we’ve also seen that ordering more food generally equates to a lower cost per serving. Full meals may cost as low as under $5 per serving and can range as high as above $20 per serving.
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Are Meal Delivery Services Worth It?Meal kits make a lot of sense for folks who want to take the guesswork out of what they eat each week. Whether you’re in a food rut and want someone else to help with the menu planning or you want to embrace a particular style of eating without walking in circles around the grocery store, we think these meal kit services can help. It may take a few tries to find the right company, and it may not be the solution to 100% of your meals, but we definitely think they’re worth a shot.
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Which Meal Delivery Service Is Best for Me?When looking to narrow the field and select a meal kit, it can be difficult to know where to start. We recommend using the following categories to guide you to the right kit.
- Time Commitment: It’s helpful to know if you want something heat-and-eat, or whether you’re willing to spend a little time in the kitchen so you can select from kits or prepared options.
- Budget: Meal kits can get expensive in a hurry, so it’s good to have a handle on your budget as you get started in your search.
- Dietary Needs: If you have specific dietary needs, certain kits will naturally be a better fit than others. If your needs are of a medical nature, we recommend looking for a specialized kit that and uses licensed health professionals as a part of the menu development process.
- Meals You Need Covered: Most kits are designed to handle dinner, but if you want support with other meals like breakfast or just groceries in general, there are kits that fit those options as well.
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Do Meal Delivery Services Require a Subscription?Most meal delivery services run as a subscription-style offering, with a few exceptions in the prepared meal category from companies that do a la carte meals. For example, Veestro offers both a one-time purchase or a recurring order. However, for most services, there is so much built-in flexibility to skip a week or cancel altogether that they can be tried once and canceled or skipped, as long as you do so by the deadline.
Methodology
In order to find the best meal kit delivery services, we tasked five of our registered dietitian experts with evaluating 27 different companies from start to finish. We ordered, cooked, and tasted each one, all while gathering information about the service. We collected over 50 separate data points on each company in categories surrounding nutrition, sustainability, flexibility, and of course, flavor, and we even reached out to customer service to get a feel for the real customer experience.
Our experts crafted thoughtfully-written reviews, and with the help of our data analysis team, we analyzed all of the information gathered and arrived at our final scores. All pieces have been fact-checked and subjected to a medical review board for content accuracy.
Important
Verywell Fit does not provide medical advice, so before signing up for any of our meal delivery recommendations, it’s best to consult with a healthcare professional to make sure it’s a service that fits your dietary wants and/or requirements.