Top 5 Meal Kit Delivery Services To Try ASAP
Meal kit delivery services seem to be popping up everywhere! You can find a meal kit delivery service for everything from quick weeknight dinners to detoxing smoothies and soup cleanses. Meal kit delivery services are convenient, delicious and will have you feeling like a health food chef in no time. They save you time, help eliminate food waste and take care of almost all the meal prepping work for you!
Meal prepping is a hot topic these days. By planning ahead and organizing your weekly meals you’ll always have something both healthy and delicious to reach for in your fridge. The only downside is that the prepping can take hours of planning, shopping, and chopping. Thankfully, there are a lot of awesome meal kit delivery services worth trying that do most of the work for you.
With a meal kit delivery service all you do is pick your recipes and portion size and the groceries are delivered to your door perfectly portioned and packaged for you. No more grocery shopping or chopping massive amounts of veggies! We rounded up the best meal kit delivery services worth trying this year. Whether you’re searching for indulgent recipes that use seasonal ingredients or want a convenient service to help you stick to healthier eating habits, we’ve got a meal kit service for you to try.
5.) Hello Fresh
When I asked a few friends to name their favorite meal kit delivery service, Hello Fresh kept coming up. It’s one of the most popular meal kits out there because it features delicious family-friendly recipes and easy-to-follow instructions. Most of the recipes take around 30 minutes to make and you can choose between a vegetarian or classic meal plan that includes sustainably caught fish and meat that’s free of hormones and antibiotics.
How it works: Hello Fresh allows you to customize a plan that fits your lifestyle. You can choose how many meals you want to cook for the week, adjust the portion size, select from a variety of recipes and cancel or change your plan anytime. Each meal kit is delivered weekly with simple recipe cards, pre-portioned ingredients and meats packed in cooling materials so you don’t have to worry about anything spoiling if you can’t unpack right away.
Ingredient Sourcing: All produce is sourced from environmentally-friendly and family-owned farms. While the produce isn’t all organic (to keep prices down), Hello Fresh tries to incorporate organic ingredients when possible. The seafood is wild caught off the cost of Cape Cod and the meats are all hormone- and antibiotic-free.
Recipe to Try: Penne Primavera
Serves: 2 Time: 30 minutes Level: Easy
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion
- 1 lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 oz. of mint
- 6 oz. of penne pasta
- 5 oz. of baby spinach
- 4 oz. of green peas
- 4 oz. of ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp. of olive oil
- 1 tbsp. of butter
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Wash and dry all produce. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Halve onion; peel and dice one half (use the other as you like). Zest 2 tsp. zest from lemon, then cut into quarters. Finely mince garlic. Pick half the mint leaves from stems and finely chop (save the rest for garnish).
- Once water is boiling, add penne to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Scoop out and reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water, then drain penne. Meanwhile, stir together chopped mint, half the lemon zest, 1 tbsp. olive oil and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
- Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, tossing, until softened, 3–5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. olive oil, spinach and garlic to pan. Cook, stirring, until spinach is just wilted, about 1 minute. Stir in peas and mint pesto and cook until peas are warmed through, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.
- While onion cooks, place 1/3 cup pasta cooking water, ricotta and half the parmesan in another small bowl and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Once veggies are done cooking, add drained penne and ricotta mixture to pan. Stir until combined and until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Tip: The sauce should have a loose, creamy consistency. If very stiff or thick, add more pasta cooking water. If watery, let simmer until thickened— no more than 1–2 minutes.
- Divide pasta mixture between bowls, then squeeze a lemon quarter over each. Pick remaining mint leaves from stems and roughly chop, then sprinkle over pasta. Garnish with remaining Parmesan and lemon zest.
4.) Daily Harvest
Daily Harvest is a meal kit delivery service for those dedicated to living their healthiest and most convenient life. If you’ve jumped on the daily juicing and/or smoothie train you know how much room all the produce takes up for a weekly supply! Daily Harvest delivers superfoods super fast, straightto your door in the form of frozen ingredients. They deliver meal kits for smoothies, soups, harvest bowls, super food lattes and even superfood sundaes. Use promo code “threefree” to try out three delicious smoothies before signing up for a plan!
How it works: Choose between any combination of superfood recipes developed by nutritionists and chefs. Select from weekly or monthly plans and adjust the portion size. You’ll receive pre-portioned cups delivered weekly to your door, ready to blend, soak or heat up according to the instructions.
Ingredients: Daily Harvest always delivers their ingredients frozen. Frozen ingredients are cheaper and sometimes more nutritious because the nutrients are frozen at their peak. While 98% of the ingredients delivered are technically organic, Daily Harvest works with what’s called a “transitional organic farm”. Meaning they’re on the long and expensive road to getting certified as organic.
Recipe to try: Blueberry Hemp Booster Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup organic blueberries
- 1/3 cup chopped organic kale
- 1/3 cup organic spinach
- 1 organic fig
- 2 tbsp. of chopped walnuts
- 1 tsp. of chopped ginger
- 1 scoop organic hemp protein powder
- 1/2 cup liquid base: plant-based milk, organic milk, water, etc
Directions
- Choose your liquid base (milk, almond milk, coconut water, water, etc).
- Fill cup to top with liquid and toss it all into a blender.
- Blend and pour everything back into your cup — you’re set!
3.) Plated
In my opinion, Plated delivers some of best recipes. You can choose from a menu of 20 new recipes every week, created by a team of global expert chefs who break the cooking instructions down so thoughtfully even a novice chef won’t be left confused. In less than five minutes a week you can plan your weeklymenu, customize your portions and choose your delivery date. I love using a meal delivery service like Plated that works with expert chefs, because it I’m constantly improving my culinary skills.
How it works: Similar to Hello Fresh, you simply pick your recipes and the number of people you’ll be cooking for. Boxes are delivered weekly in insulated packaging to keep it from spoiling. You can cancel or change your plan at any time and can always adjust your delivery date if something comes up.
Ingredient sourcing: Produce is bought organic when possible, but they’re more focused on sustainable farming practices. All meats are raised hormone- and antibiotic-free. While the seafood isn’t wild caught, Plated does work with sustainable fisheries.
Recipe to try: Beef Bulgogi Nachos
Serves: About 4–5 people Time: 30 minutes Level: Easy
Ingredients
- Tortilla chips
- 2 Asian pears
- 4 scallions, divided
- 1/2 cup kimchi
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 tbsp. light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 3–3 1/2 tsp. Sriracha (depending on your spice preference), divided
- 4 steaks
- 3 oz. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 3 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese,divided
- Canola oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Rinse pears; slice off rounded sides, discarding cores, and cut into 1/4-inch slices. Rinse scallions, trim and discard roots, and thinly slice, keeping whites and light greens separate from dark greens. Roughly chop kimchi. Mince garlic.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, garlic, scallion whites and light greens, and 2 1/2 tsp. Sriracha. Save remaining Sriracha for serving. Pat steaks dry with paper towel, add to marinade, and turn to coat. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 5–6 minutes. Then, remove steaks from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Reserve marinade in bowl for the next step.
- Heat 1 tbsp. canola oil in a large ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add steaks, working in batches and adding oil as needed. Sear until browned and medium rare, 4–5 minutes per side. Transfer steaks to a plate and set aside to rest, 5 minutes. Reserve pan. Meanwhile, transfer reserved marinade to a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until thickened, 3 minutes.
- Once steaks have rested, find the direction of the grain (muscle fibers) and slice across it, rather than parallel, into 1/4-inch slices. Wipe pan from steaks clean, then add tortilla chips in a single layer. Sprinkle over them half of cheddar and half of Monterey Jack. Layer over steak, kimchi, remaining cheddar, and remaining Monterey Jack. Transfer to oven and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, 6–8 minutes.
- Drizzle bulgogi sauce over steak bulgogi nachos. Garnish with pear slices and scallion dark greens and drizzle over remaining Sriracha, if desired. Transfer to serving plates or servefamily-style with a refreshing beverage. Dig in!
2.) Splendid Spoon
Splendid Spoon is a healthy meal delivery service with no cooking required. The Splendid Spoon lifestyle is eating super clean for breakfast and lunch, having whatever you want for dinner and aiming to do a full day cleanse once a week. The Splendid Spoon plan delivers five breakfasts, five lunches, and one day of cleansing meals for the entire week. Everything is delivered pre-made, ready to be heated up or enjoyed cold. I love using this service for seasonal cleanses and when I’m feeling under the weather.
How it works: The Program 2.0 consists of five breakfast smoothies, five lunch bowls, and a one-day soup cleanse all pre-made and delivered to you weekly. You also have the option of choosing between a weekly breakfast, lunch or cleanse program. All plans are suitable for detoxing, elimination and paleo diets.
Ingredient Sourcing: All recipes are plant-based and gluten-free and all ingredients are GMO-free and organic when possible.
Recipe to try: Eggplant Tahini Soup
Serves: 4–6 Time: 45 minutes Level: Easy
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, diced (about 6 cups)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 bell pepper (any color), diced
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 quart water
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tbsp. tahini (see note)
- 1 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Peel of 1 lemon, grated (about 2 tsp.)
Directions
- Sprinkle eggplant with few pinches of salt and toss to coat. Set aside for 20 minutes.
- Place eggplant in a colander, rinse off salt and bitter juices, and pat dry.
- In large pot over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add eggplant, pepper, onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until vegetables are softened and browned. Reduce heat to low and cook for 25 minutes or until mixture becomes very soft. Add some of the water if mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Stir in cumin, salt, tahini and remaining water and simmer for 10 minutes. At the last minute, toss in parsley and lemon peel.
- Using an immersion blender or countertop blender, puree soup until very smooth. Enjoy warm or chilled.
1.) Blue Apron
Blue apron is a meal kit delivery service that’s striving to build a better food system by partnering with farmers to raise the standard quality of ingredients, reduce food waste and regenerate farming land. The meal kit boxes contain pre-portioned, labeled ingredients and easy-to-navigate recipe cards. You’ll find a large variety of interesting recipes from Mexican-Spiced Pork with Citrus Salsa and Collard Green Rice to a fancy Grilled Cheese with Mushrooms and Fontina.
How it works: You can personalize your menu for two people or a family plan and change or cancel anytime. Simply select your recipes and customize your weekly menu. Ingredients are delivered weekly in refrigerated boxes so your food stays fresh even if you aren’t home.
Ingredient Sourcing: Blue Apron features non-GMO seasonal produce; grass-fed, pasture-raised beef; sustainable seafood; and quality meats free of hormones and antibiotics.
Recipe to try: Quick Bucatini with Broccoli and Pecorino Cheese
Serves: 2 Time: 20–30 minutes Level: Easy
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bucatini pasta
- 1/2 pound broccoli
- 2 garlic gloves
- 2 tbsp. mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese
- 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning
Directions:
- Prepare the ingredients: Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Cut off and discard the bottom 1/2-inch of the broccoli stem; roughly chop the broccoli. Peel and roughly chop the garlic.
- Cook the broccoli and pasta: Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water and cook 5 minutes. Add the chopped broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, 3–4 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender when pierced with a fork and the pasta is al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Turn off the heat. Reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water, drain thoroughly and return to the pot.
- Make the sauce: While the pasta cooks, in a medium pan, heat 2 tsp. of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the chopped garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally,30 seconds to 1 minute, or until slightly softened. Add the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and as much of the red pepper flakes as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Cook, stirring frequently, 1–2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined and fragrant. Add 1/2 cup of water (carefully, as the liquid may splatter); season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2–3 minutes, or until thickened. Turn off the heat.
- Finish the pasta: To the pot of cooked pasta and broccoli, add the sauce, butter, quark or mascarpone, and half the reserved cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring vigorously, 1–2 minutes, or until the pasta is coated. (If the sauce seems dry, gradually add the remaining cooking water to achieve your desired consistency.) Turn off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve: Garnish the finished pasta with the pecorino cheese. Enjoy!
In the mood to do your own meal prepping? Try these meal prep tips for beginners.
