In a former life, I edited recipe collections for Chowhound. That meant sifting through hundreds of recipes to separate the middling and mediocre from the great, reliable, interesting and easy-to-execute methods for making any number of meals.
Our Picks
Pros
- Thoughtful recipes you won't find everywhere
- Extremely fresh ingredients
- Not a lot of plastic waste
- We had a lot of fun cooking Marley Spoon meal kits
Cons
- Smaller plans are on the expensive side
- Shipping is $11 per box
Why we picked it:
Pros
- Dozens of recipes that take 30 minutes or less
- Oven-ready "sheetpan" meals require almost no prep
- A wide selection fo recipes every week
- Easy to select recipes for picky eaters
Cons
- Some recipes were a little basic
- Not a good pick for foodies and experienced cooks
- Premium meals cost extra
Why we picked Blue Apron:
Pros
- Steak and seafood options are included in a standard meal plan
- As cheap as $8 per serving if you choose more than two recipes per week
- Good for families
- Recipes are elevated but not fussy
- No subscription required
Cons
- Fewer total recipe options than other services
- Doesn't allow for much customization
- Not good for vegan diets
Pros
- The most affordable meal kit service
- Most recipes were either good or better
- Not a ton of plastic waste
- Super simple recipes that kids can help with
Cons
- No seafood and very few plant-based options
- Recipes are somewhat basic
- Very little customization allowed
Pros
- More than 70 weekly recipes
- Good for keeping to specific diets or eating plans
- Our wellness editor loved the vegan and vegetarian options, more than 15 per week
- Recipe variety is great for families with picky eaters
Cons
- Some recipes are boring and uninspired
- Extra $10 for shipping
Pros
- Interesting and filling vegan recipes
- Fresh and high-quality ingredients
- Great for learning to cook vegan food
- Not a lot of processed meat substitutes
Cons
- No options for meat eaters
- Expensive if you only choose 2-serving meals
- Not good for low-carb eating
Pros
- Had a high hit rate with our testers
- Good value if you order more than 10 meals
- Tons of healthy menu options per week
- Healthy food to serve most diets and nutrition plans
- No cooking required
Cons
- Some meals had tons of sodium
- Expensive if you only choose a few meals per week
Pros
- Nearly all the meals we tested were good or better
- Interesting use of international cuisine and flavors
- Affordable, especially for the family plan
- Lots of healthy whole foods
Cons
- The pizzas were just OK
- Extra $10 for shipping on orders of less than 12 items
Why we picked it:
Pros
- The best service for salad eaters
- At about $12 per salad, it's cheaper than most fast-casual options
- Good variety of classics and more inventive recipes
- Shipping is free on orders over $65
Cons
- Most meals can't be frozen, so you have to eat them within the week
Why we picked it:
Pros
- The highest quality food of any prepared service we tested
- Restaurant-level meals including tender brisket and hearty lasagna
- You can make a one-time order
Cons
- Expensive with some meals costing more than $20
- Some meals, such as the salmon, didn't microwave well
- Must order at least 18 meals
My current gig testing meal kits and prepared meal services for CNET isn't so different. There are more than 30 services to try in 2026, and each has dozens, sometimes hundreds, of recipe options in a given week. Some, as I've learned, develop, curate and assemble these meal kits better than others.
Picking the best from dozens of meal kits requires a lot of testing.
Seven years in and literally hundreds of meal kits made, I know what to look for. With the help of CNET's wellness editor and another who's new to cooking, we've tested nearly three dozen services in the last 6 months alone. In doing so, we've uncovered the best meal kits and prepared meal delivery services for beginners, families with choosy eaters and those seeking elevated recipes to build their skills.
With all that competition, meal kits have become comparatively more affordable and easier to make.
We also analyzed meal kits to find the healthiest meal delivery and the absolute cheapest options -- we even calculated which meal kits offer the best value compared to buying groceries at the store.
According to our group, MealPro had the tastiest prepared meals, but its high cost keeps it from the top spot on our list.
This time, Marley Spoon unseats Blue Apron as the best overall meal kit service. In addition to cook-and-eat meal kits, we also tested prepared meal services -- simply heat and eat -- for those who prefer not to tangle with skillets, knives and cutting boards.
In all, we've tested more than 30 to bring you the 11 best meal kits and meal delivery services.
Best meal kit delivery services
This meal felt more elevated thanks to the caper sauce and Brussels sprouts salad.
Pros
- Thoughtful recipes you won't find everywhere
- Extremely fresh ingredients
- Not a lot of plastic waste
- We had a lot of fun cooking Marley Spoon meal kits
Cons
- Smaller plans are on the expensive side
- Shipping is $11 per box
Why we picked it:
If you want meal kits that are delicious and elevated yet still easy to make to shake up your weekly recipe routine, Marley Spoon deserves a look. The service carries Martha Stewart's stamp of approval and features recipes that appeal to passionate home cooks and seasoned culinary enthusiasts alike.
We've been fans through previous rounds of testing, though the high price used to be a sticking point. That's changed: subscriptions are now on par with other midrange meal kits, starting at $9 per serving, with most plans averaging around $11.
Some meals require more work than others, but express meal options are available if you're looking for an easy weeknight dinner. The weekly menus offer more than 100 recipes to choose from, and you can also filter by dietary preference.
Who is it for:
Marley Spoon is great for anyone who wants a mild challenge when cooking dinner or to expand their recipe repertoire. With meals like homemade ricotta gnocchi and butternut squash and bacon galette, there are sure to be new and exciting recipes for you to explore each week.
Who should avoid it:
If you're a meal kit beginner, this one might not be for you right off the bat. While there are plenty of express recipes to choose from, the "chef series" recipes and more in-depth options are where this brand really stands out. It may be better to try Home Chef or HelloFresh first to get the hang of meal kits, then switch to Marley Spoon when you feel your cooking chops are up to par.
The Piri Piri chicken was a smashing success.
Pros
- Dozens of recipes that take 30 minutes or less
- Oven-ready "sheetpan" meals require almost no prep
- A wide selection fo recipes every week
- Easy to select recipes for picky eaters
Cons
- Some recipes were a little basic
- Not a good pick for foodies and experienced cooks
- Premium meals cost extra
Why we picked it:
Home Chef takes the top spot for overall value. We analyzed meal kit costs, comparing recipes to the cost of the same groceries, and Home Chef came out ahead of the pack. Plus, the brand has made big improvements to its meal kit recipe curation that made us glad we retested it in 2026.
For meal kits that can be made quickly to get dinner on the table with minimal fuss, Home Chef is a winner. While the service doesn't have the most inventive recipes among the services we tried, it had some of the easiest, with a slew of meals ready in under 30 minutes. Home Chef also offers a number of "sheet-pan" or "oven-ready meals"; these recipes often require as little as 5 minutes of active work and have become one of our favorite meal kit trends.
There are also several prepared meal options under Home Chef's offshoot brand Tempo -- we tried six or seven and liked them all. These come ready to eat and can be microwaved, warmed on the stovetop, or cooked in an air fryer.
Who is it for:
Those seeking fast, healthy dinners without the prep. These recipes aren't as high-brow as those from other services on our list, but they were filling, easy to make, and required very little effort. There's also a decent amount of customization available for those with strict diet followers or picky eaters in the house.
Who should avoid it:
Advanced home cooks looking for a challenge may not find it with Home Chef.
The steak in this meal was delicious thanks to the marinade and tender.
Pros
- Steak and seafood options are included in a standard meal plan
- As cheap as $8 per serving if you choose more than two recipes per week
- Good for families
- Recipes are elevated but not fussy
- No subscription required
Cons
- Fewer total recipe options than other services
- Doesn't allow for much customization
- Not good for vegan diets
Why we picked Blue Apron:
Among the dozens of meal kit services we've tested, Blue Apron is the only one that doesn't lock you into a subscription. The food itself is still up to the brand's high standard -- all three editors who tested it ranked Blue Apron in their top three for taste and quality.
We're particularly fond of the family-style, oven-ready meals, which come together in about five minutes and serve four to five people, making them ideal for a busy household or a week's worth of planned dinners. The recipes strike a nice balance: creative enough to feel fresh, but never so complex that they become a chore. Of the more than 15 Blue Apron kits we've cooked through, not a single one has missed the mark.
Since Blue Apron is no longer a subscription service, you can order meals without the commitment. The running menu offers choices ranging from simple pasta dishes to more daring global cuisine, with high-end recipes featuring nice cuts of beef and fresh seafood.
With its new structure, the per-meal costs have increased slightly compared to its previous iteration. Meal kits now range from $9 to $14 per serving for most recipes.
Who is it for:
Blue Apron recipes are thoughtful and elevated, featuring enticing global cuisines. Since there is no subscription commitment, this is the best service for anyone who wants to try meal kits without worrying about canceling if it doesn't work out. This meal kit service is ideal for those with high recipe standards but don't care to do all the planning, shopping and prep.
Who should avoid it:
There are only a few vegan and vegetarian options each week, and the recipes aren't intended to be substituted, so this isn't the best choice for plant-based eaters. It's also more expensive in its latest iteration, so this isn't a good budget meal kit pick. There's no discount for ordering more servings, either.
This simple umami beef bowl with cucumbers and carrots was one of my favorites.
Pros
- The most affordable meal kit service
- Most recipes were either good or better
- Not a ton of plastic waste
- Super simple recipes that kids can help with
Cons
- No seafood and very few plant-based options
- Recipes are somewhat basic
- Very little customization allowed
Why we picked it:
At between $6 to $8 per serving -- even cheaper with a sign-up offer -- and with an emphasis on hearty recipes and generous portion sizes, all three editors who tested it agree that EveryPlate is the best cheap meal kit.Â
EveryPlate keeps overhead costs low -- at times, cheaper than buying groceries yourself -- by offering just a dozen or so meal kit recipes each week. No swaps or substitutions are allowed. These options include a few options for those on vegetarian and other special diets, but you'll find lots of meat and potatoes and other classic comfort meals, including meatloaf, burgers, crispy chicken strips and pasta.
If you're looking to try an easy meal kit service without risking much dough, you can score meals for as little as $2 per serving, with free shipping on your first order.
Who is it for:
Those looking to get dinner on the table quickly and without blowing their budget. EveryPlate's meal kits are simple, quick to make and comforting -- but that doesn't mean they're not also great. We liked nearly all 14 meal kits we made from EveryPlate, and with the lowest price per serving of any subscription, it's a great pick for those trying to keep the family fed for a fair price.
Who should avoid it:
After enough time, the recipes can feel repetitive. EveryPlate doesn't mix it up as much as pricier services and relies on a lot of the same meal bases -- chicken breast, pork chops and ground beef. There are about 15 recipes per week, which is far fewer than those offered by services like HelloFresh and Home Chef. There aren't any seafood options, and there are very few plant-based offerings.
HelloFresh delivers ingredients in brown paper bags with the meat separate.
Pros
- More than 70 weekly recipes
- Good for keeping to specific diets or eating plans
- Our wellness editor loved the vegan and vegetarian options, more than 15 per week
- Recipe variety is great for families with picky eaters
Cons
- Some recipes are boring and uninspired
- Extra $10 for shipping
Why we picked it:
When it comes to convenience, variety, and family-friendly appeal, HelloFresh tops the field. The recipes we tried were reliably solid, and the pricing is reasonable enough to give it the edge over Blue Apron as the best meal kit for families in 2026.
The weekly menu is hundreds of recipes long, with endless combinations to mix and match, and the service allows swaps and substitutions to accommodate even the pickiest eaters at the table. Portions are generous, and there's a genuine range across dietary needs: dozens of keto options, low-calorie picks, and up to 15 plant-based kits for vegan and vegetarian households.
On the affordability front, most plans run around $10 per serving -- fair, though larger orders don't come with much of a discount. The recipes themselves are straightforward and clearly written, making HelloFresh a comfortable starting point for beginner cooks and a reliable staple for everyone else.
Who is it for:
HelloFresh offers the most recipes per week, with over 70 options, of any meal kit service we tried, making it a good option for families and homes with children (or choosy adults). Our vegan editor said HelloFresh had the best plant-based recipes among the services she tested, including Purple Carrot.
Who should avoid it:
These meal kits may challenge more experienced home cooks. We found some of the recipes a bit basic, featuring numerous comfort pasta dishes and simple fare. But if you're feeding a family of four or five, basic may be just what the doctor ordered.
This meal was flavorful and filling, according to our flex editor.
Best vegan meal kits
Purple Carrot
Pros
- Interesting and filling vegan recipes
- Fresh and high-quality ingredients
- Great for learning to cook vegan food
- Not a lot of processed meat substitutes
Cons
- No options for meat eaters
- Expensive if you only choose 2-serving meals
- Not good for low-carb eating
Why we picked it:
For authentic, organic, plant-based cooking, Purple Carrot delivered big with a bounty of interesting recipes and fresh ingredients. Several of us here at CNET have tried Purple Carrot and the inventive meatless meal kits have become a clear staff favorite. A hearty lentil soup and herby cauliflower steak were among our favorites.
Purple Carrot also had some of the freshest produce of any service we tried, with much of it coming from organic farms. There aren't many options for keto dieters but this meal kit subscription is a dream for vegans looking to get dinner on the table with less fuss.
Interestingly, Purple Carrot wasn't our vegan wellness editor's favorite -- she chose HelloFresh -- but others agreed that this service offers the best quality and variety for those avoiding meat in their daily diet.
Who is it for:
This service is ideal for those looking to learn the ropes of vegan cooking. Out of all the vegan meal kits I've tried, Purple Carrot provides the best base for cooking vegan cuisine and its mainstays, such as lentils and grains. There are about eight recipes to choose from each week.
Who should avoid it:
Meal kits are pricey, with plans starting out at $11 per serving. There are also fewer recipes to choose from each week, but that means quality control is far higher than services that offer many recipes in a given menu.
If you try this meal, opt for the oven or stove top instead of the microwave.
Pros
- Had a high hit rate with our testers
- Good value if you order more than 10 meals
- Tons of healthy menu options per week
- Healthy food to serve most diets and nutrition plans
- No cooking required
Cons
- Some meals had tons of sodium
- Expensive if you only choose a few meals per week
Why we picked it:
This prepared meal service focuses on gourmet fare made by chefs with local and national acclaim. While some of our testers found the food too salty, CookUnity was generally at a higher level than the others we tested, with tender meat, fresh veggies and a huge range of gourmet recipes to choose from. It may not have reached the culinary heights of our splurge pick for prepared meals, MealPro, but at about $13 per meal, CookUnity offers better value given the quality.
Food is delivered fresh -- not frozen -- although most of the meals would be easy to freeze and save for later. I liked almost everything I tried, with recipes ranging from very healthy to more comfort-style food. There are plenty of options for vegetarians, too, but remember that the menu varies by location, as it draws on local chefs to create the weekly offerings.
Who is it for:
Those seeking variety and quality in their prepared meals. There are seemingly endless options, and the food is aimed at those with a more refined palate and an adventurous culinary spirit. The best thing about CookUnity is the sheer volume of meal options you can choose from culinary masters of different cultural backgrounds and culinary styles. There's always something different on the Cook Unity menu, though each one is specific to a region, so someone in New York City may not have the same options as someone in Chicago.
Who should avoid it:
Anyone following a low-sodium diet should exercise caution when choosing CookUnity meals. Some contained more than 3,000mg of salt, which is about 170% of the daily recommendation for adults.
Use promo code CNET30 for a 30% discount on your first purchase.
This was one of my favorites and I especially enjoyed the plantains.
Pros
- Nearly all the meals we tested were good or better
- Interesting use of international cuisine and flavors
- Affordable, especially for the family plan
- Lots of healthy whole foods
Cons
- The pizzas were just OK
- Extra $10 for shipping on orders of less than 12 items
Why we picked it:
This plant-based service was one of the best-prepared meal services we tried, and not just among vegan options. Our wellness editor, who eats only plant-based food, found every recipe to be at least good, often great. It's also affordable because family meals start at just $6 a serving, making it one of the better services for feeding a crew. Single-serving meals clock in at about $10 or $12 each.
We sampled more than 15 of Mosaic Food's plant-based prepared meal offerings, which include rice bowls, noodle dishes, flatbreads, oat bowls, and smoothies. Of the food I ate, this vegetarian-prepared meal delivery service had an astoundingly high hit rate. some standouts included the bean and jackfruit chili, tomato olive and feta ragout and a tangy Thai noodle dish.
Most meals arrive fresh but can be frozen and thawed later for a quick lunch or a healthy, meatless dinner.
Who is it for:
Discerning eaters of plant-based food. Mosaic uses global flavors and employs creative use of meat substitutes such as tofu, jackfruit, cauliflower and vegan sausages to create tasty and satisfying vegetarian meals.
Who should avoid it:
There are no meat options and very few low-carb meals. If you're trying to cut calories or carbs, this might not be the best meal service to try.
You can now get two or four servings for certain Tovala meals each week.
Pros
- QR and barcode scanning capabilities, just scan and cook
- Nice selection of interesting meals
- Meals were all tasty
- Easy to use
- Smart oven is cheap, sometimes free during sales
Cons
- Can cook only one meal at a time
- Must buy the oven separately from meals
Why we picked it:
It’s unusual to purchase an entire toaster oven to pair with your meal service, but with Tovala, that's part of the deal. And it's a good deal considering the toaster is dirt-cheap, sometimes free during sales, when you order a few weeks of meals.
When Tovala's custom meals arrive, simply scan the QR codes and pop them in. The oven does the rest, using steam, convection and broil heat to perfectly cook each one.
The meals are flavorful, with decent-sized portions and a nice weekly selection. We like that you can use the toaster oven for other foods as well. The toaster itself is also not bulky and fits nicely on a countertop without taking up much space.
Plus, with the new addition of family-style meals, this is a great option for families of four or fewer. Just keep in mind that you may need to add your own vegetables on the side -- the meals do include some, but the portions are small.
Who is it for:
This service is perfect for those who want fast dinners that still feel homemade without microwave cooking or prep work.
Who should avoid it:
Since there are no vegan meals and limited vegetarian options, this isn’t a great option for plant-based eaters. It’s also not the best choice if you have a large family, since even with the family-style meals, the largest portion serves four.
From left to right, strawberry spinach salad with smoked ham, pesto pasta with grilled chicken and caesar with grilled chicken.
Pros
- The best service for salad eaters
- At about $12 per salad, it's cheaper than most fast-casual options
- Good variety of classics and more inventive recipes
- Shipping is free on orders over $65
Cons
- Most meals can't be frozen, so you have to eat them within the week
Why we picked it:
Gardencup is a subscription-based meal delivery service that delivers ready-to-eat salads, grain bowls, soups, snacks and produce cups in portable, insulated plastic jars. You order six or nine meals to be delivered weekly or bi-weekly and lunch is handled for your busy week. Simply pop the top, shake with the included dressing and toppings, and lunch is served. Salads range from $11 to $14, with most featuring grilled chicken and clocking in at about $12.
Gardencup's salads are fresh and filling, with tender chicken, shrimp and steak over crisp greens and veggies. Classics like chicken Caesar, chicken bacon Cobb and steakhouse wedge are available alongside more inventive salads like the 3-meat Italian and Mexican shrimp with cilantro and lime.
While we didn't try any, there are heartier power cups with grain and pasta bases, such as a pesto pasta chicken bowl and soba noodles with garlic shrimp bowl. These are priced similarly to the salads, with premium proteins costing a bit more. Soups and snacks can be added to any order and range between $5 and $10.
Who is it for:
This is the working person's answer to $18 fast-casual meals or to unhealthier choices that loom in workplace cafeterias and fast-food joints. A delivery of Gardencup means light, healthy meals are never far away and you don't have to scramble to make sure you're fed at lunchtime.
Who should avoid it:
While $12 for a meal salad is cheaper than most restaurant or takeout fare, it's still more expensive than making your lunch at home, so those on a tight budget may choose to assemble their workday lunches from scratch.
The beef barbacoa was perfectly seasoned.
Pros
- The highest quality food of any prepared service we tested
- Restaurant-level meals including tender brisket and hearty lasagna
- You can make a one-time order
Cons
- Expensive with some meals costing more than $20
- Some meals, such as the salmon, didn't microwave well
- Must order at least 18 meals
Why we picked it:
If money is no object, this meal delivery service has the goods. We tested the gourmet prepared meals in our New York office and many of them were of restaurant quality. According to MealPro's website, the meals are cooked daily so they can be delivered as fresh as possible and the proof was in the pudding. From tender brisket ($21.49) and pork carnitas ($16) to a hearty spinach lasagna ($15), this service had our test group clamoring for more.
You can order one box at a time or opt in or out of recurring orders but you have to order either 18 or 21 meals, so plan some space in your freezer. Meals are priced individually and most are between $12 and $20, making it one of the most expensive meal services we tried but also the best in terms of pure taste and quality.
Orders of 21 meals ship free to West Coast states, while shipping to other states varies based on distance from the California fulfillment center.
Who is it for:
If your standards are high, MealPro delivered the best-tasting prepared meals of any service we tried. If the cost isn't an issue, this is a great way to stock your fridge and freezer with high-end meals for those nights you don't want to cook.
Who should avoid it:
This is not a meal service for bargain shoppers. Most meals are about $15 and many of the premium recipes are $20 or more, which is comparable to takeout.
Recent updates
April 2026
Tovala smart oven and its accompanying meals were tested and added as the best scan-to-cook meal delivery service.
Home Chef was retested and recategorized as the best meal kit for overall value in 2026.
Mosaic Foods, Dinnerly, Blue Apron, Marley Spoon, Hungryroot, Tempo and HelloFresh were also retested.
Meal kits and prepared food services compared
| Brand | Service Type | Focus | Good For | Price per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Apron | Meal kit | Overall Value, Variety | Vegetarian, Low-Calorie, Gluten-Free, Pescatarian | $8-$12 |
| Purple Carrot | Meal kits | Vegan, Organic | Vegan, Vegetarian, Paleo, Gluten-Free | $11-$13 |
| Home Chef | Meal Kits | Family-Friendly, Variety, Easy to Execute, Budget-Friendly | Healthy, Family-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Diabetic, Low-Calorie | $8-$12 |
| HelloFresh | Meal kits | Family-Friendly, Variety | Vegetarian, Keto, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Diabetic, Pescatarian | $10-$12 |
| Marley Spoon | Meal Kits | Gourmet, Variety, Healthy | Vegetarian, Keto, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Diabetic, Pescatarian | $9-$12 |
| Green Chef | Meal kits | Organic, Diet-Specific (Keto, Paleo, etc.) | Vegan, Vegetarian, Organic, Gluten-Free, Diabetic, Pescatarian, Mediterranean | $12 |
| MealPro | Prepared meals | Gourmet Cuisine | Healthy, Low-Calorie, Pescatarian, Vegetarian, Whole30 | $14-$22 |
| CookUnity | Prepared meals | Gourmet, Chef-Curated, Variety | Healthy, Gourmet, Low-Calorie, Pescatarian, Vegetarian, Keto, Paleo, Diabetes-Friendly, Gluten-Free, Whole30 | $11-$14 |
| EveryPlate | Meal kits | Cheap, Simple, Comfort Food | , Family-Friendly, Comfort Food, Picky Eaters, Healthy Quick and Easy | $6 |
| Gardencup | Prepared meals | Salads, Bowls, Lunches | Healthy, Light, Vegetarian, Vegan, Low-Calorie, Low-Carb | $11-$14 |
| Mosaic Foods | Prepared meals | Vegetarian, Global Flavors | Vegan, Vegetarian, Healthy, Low-Fat, Families | $6-$12 |
Factors to consider when choosing a meal delivery service
Meal kit vs. prepared meal delivery
Meal kits or prepared meals? It's the first decision you'll have to make. Some services offer both, however.
Your first major choice is between meal kits and prepared meal services. Meal kits arrive with fresh ingredients and recipes, so you'll need to do some cooking -- but they tend to cost less per serving and can sometimes undercut your regular grocery bill. Prepared meals show up fully cooked and ready to heat, making them almost entirely hands-off, though you'll usually pay a bit more for that convenience.
Cost
Our testing editors rated Green Chef meals well but the healthy meal kit service is pricier than most.
After you've chosen between meal kits and meal delivery, you'll want to find a service that fits your budget. There are meal kits with recipes as cheap as $5 per serving, featuring basic menus and no-frills recipes. More expensive services include recipes with more exotic ingredients, high-end cuts of meat and organic produce, but can cost as much as $15 a serving. Here we've outlined all the best cheap meal delivery services.Â
Healthiness
We made sure every ingredient was accounted for before starting a recipe.
Most meal delivery services have healthy options, and some are much healthier than others. If you're keen on eating low-calorie, low-carb, plant-based or pescatarian food, certain meal kits and meal delivery services will be better than others. Our list of the healthiest meal delivery services, curated by our wellness editor, is a good place to find all the most nutritious options.Â
Daily Harvest is one of the healthier meal delivery services we tried.
Number of meals per week
Some meal delivery services offer big value if you order more meals.
Lastly, you'll have to decide exactly how much food you'll want sent to you per week. If you can't imagine yourself cooking more than twice per week, don't order more than two meal kits because they typically won't last more than a week in the fridge. Most meal kit services offer plans as small as two meals per week and as many as six.
Most prepared meals either arrive frozen or can be frozen after unboxing. That means it's less of an issue if you order too many meals on your first go around. However, some fresh food delivery services, including Gardencup, Thistle and Sakara Life, are not meant to be frozen.
Most services allow you to change the number of meals or servings in your plan even after you've started. With nearly every service, the more meals you order per delivery, the cheaper it is per meal.Â
How we tested meal kits: A trio of CNET editors tried every service
Meal kits are judged on several factors as we cook our way through a box of recipes.
All the meal delivery services may look delicious in their website glamour shots, but that's certainly not enough to convince us. To settle on this list of the best meal delivery services, three CNET editors cooked at least three meal kits from every service. Our trio included a meal delivery expert who has been reviewing meal kits for over five years, a vegan editor from our wellness team to evaluate healthiness, and an editor new to cooking to gauge ease of execution for those starting their home cooking journey.
We cooked our way through every meal kit service we could get our hands on.
After completing the meal kits, we compared notes and married our opinions on each to curate this list of the best services for every type of cook and eater. We consider how each meal kit tastes, how easy it is to prepare and the portion size. We also evaluate the website and how easy it is to navigate, along with determining how easy it is to pause, cancel or change your order at any given time.
We followed the recipe cards to the letter.
To learn more, I have an in-depth look at how we test meal kits here at CNET.
How we test prepared meals
The inside of our wellness editor's freezer was packed with Mosaic Foods meals.
In this latest round, to test each prepared meal service, we ordered at least seven meals from each to our New York office and had 10 designated testers try them. We logged their ratings and any hot takes or consensus opinions about the meals in general. I tried at least five from each service on my own and weighted the group results against my own ranking. We chose a range of meals from the various menu and meal plan offerings and took note of the ordering process, recipe variety, portion size, taste and healthiness.
CookUnity's Slow-roasted kalua pulled pork with green beans and garlicky rice was cooked well but was very salty.
We reheated meals according to the instructions. If there were none, we would have heated them the way we would if left to our own devices. Often that meant warming gently in a nonstick skillet or reheating in the office air fryer. Many of the meal delivery services offer a microwave heating option, but we almost always found that it produced worse results than my trusted methods, even if they typically take a few seconds longer.
Other meal delivery services we tested
Some of the services we tried didn't make the cut.
- Sunbasket: Its meals were solid, but the high price keeps it off our 2026 list.
- Factor: This was a previous pick on our best list, but in 2025, we found the meals bland, salty and often dry or overcooked.
- Eat Clean Bro: This healthy prepared meal service offers high-protein meals for the fitness-minded. It wasn't bad, but we preferred other options in this price range.
- Eat Clean: Not to be confused with Eat Clean Bro, this healthy prepared meal service had excellent meals and others that tasted so strange we didn't finish them.
- BistroMD: These meals are intended to promote weight loss, but the cost is high and the flavors aren't good enough to justify the price.
- Daily Harvest: Daily Harvest's smoothies got high marks from our testers and present a good option for breakfasts and light lunches.
- Thistle: This fresh meal delivery service is great for flexitarians who prefer fresh food to frozen, but the per-meal cost keeps it off our list.
- Gobble: This meal kit service sends mostly prepped ingredients to save even more time making dinner.
- Splendid Spoon: This is a good service to try if you want premade smoothies, but be prepared to pay about $10 per smoothie.
- Dinnerly: This meal kit service is one of the cheapest, but the recipes were inconsistent.Â
- Territory Foods: The food was some of the best we tried, and I found the recipes diverse and interesting. Ultimately, the cost -- meals costing $12 to $23 -- kept it out of the top.
- Spoonful of Comfort: This ready-to-eat service is a great gift option to send to someone who is sick. It's chock-full of soups to choose from, and it's so simple to heat them up and enjoy. The meals were simple, but tasty.
- Sakara Life: This fresh food service was tasty and good for a cleanse, but it's also one of the most expensive meal subscriptions we've come across.Â
- Trifecta Nutrition: Trifecta's vegan meals are healthy and tasty, but also very expensive.
- Hungryoot: We really liked this hybrid service, but it leans more toward grocery delivery than meal kit.
- Snap Kitchen: Snap Kitchen has solid prepared meals, mostly under 450 calories. The portions were a bit small, and some meals were underwhelming.
- FlexPro Meals: These frozen keto meals were some of the worst we tried.
- Nutrisystem: Although it's affordable, we disliked most of the meals we tried from this frozen meal subscription.
- Rootberry: This vegan meal delivery service is reliable, but the food is not to the level of others on our list.
- ModifyHealth: This low-FODMAP prepared meal service is designed to help those with GI issues. The meals we tried were tasty and well-prepared, but they're expensive, and this niche service isn't an obvious pick for the average person.
Who are meal kits good for?
Meal kits are best for those seeking truly fresh food.
- Families seeking an easier way to make home-cooked meals. Meal kits help you avoid the nightly debate about what you're going to make for dinner and save a trip to the grocery store if you're missing breadcrumbs or flour.Â
- Those trying to eat healthier. Meal kit services all offer in-depth nutritional information, including carbs, calories, sugar, sodium and protein. Many meal kit services even offer specific diet plans that filter out foods that don't fit a dietary preference or restriction, such as gluten-free, diabetes-friendly, keto or carb-conscious and paleo meals.
- Anyone who wants to learn to cook. With all the ingredients sent along and easy recipe instructions, meal kits are a low-pressure way to learn to cook.
Who is prepared meal delivery good for?
Prepared meals are great for those uninterested in cooking.
- Those looking to save time. Meal delivery is great for anyone who wants easy meals and fewer evenings spent cooking but doesn't want to pony up the dough for expensive takeout.
- Those looking to eat better. Many prepared meal delivery services cater to Whole30, keto, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, and organic eaters and can help you regulate fat, sugar, carbs and calories every week.Â
- Families, in some cases. Certain meal kits with larger serving sizes are good for families. Mosaic Foods, for instance, has family meals that net out to just $6 a person. Meal kit services also have family plans that cost less per serving than buying meal kits for one or two people.
Blue Apron is CNET's best meal kit delivery service.Â
What's new in the meal kit industry right now?
Last summer, Blue Apron announced that for the first time in the company's history you'd be able to order their meals à la carte with no subscription necessary. This was huge since almost every meal kit we've tested requires a subscription. Granted they are usually extremely simple to skip or cancel, but ordering à la carte means never forgetting to pause a subscription.
Meal delivery service FAQ
Are meal delivery services worth it?
If you're looking to cut some of the legwork out of dinner, meal kits and prepared meal services are definitely worth it. The most budget-friendly services cost about the same as buying all the groceries you'd need to make the same meal, with the convenience of having all the ingredients or a box of fully prepared meals sent to your home each week.
What's the difference between meal kits and prepared meal delivery services?
Meal kits provide pre-portioned ingredients and recipes that you cook at home. Prepared meal delivery services send fully cooked meals that only need to be heated.
Are meal kits cheaper than buying groceries?
If you score one of the cheaper, budget-friendly meal kits you can get meals as low as $5-$8 per serving. That's cheaper than eating out or getting restaurant food delivered and is about the same cost as buying the groceries needed to make the same meals. Most meal delivery services run in the $10 to $12 per serving range, while the more premium services, including Green Chef, Sunbasket and Pete's Real Food, cost more like $12 to $16 per serving.Â
In a previous story, we crunched the numbers to find out how much meal kits cost versus buying the same groceries.
What's the most affordable meal delivery service?
EveryPlate and Dinnerly are the most affordable meal kits, with plans that start at $6 or $7 per serving. Blue Apron and HelloFresh are also affordable, with plans as cheap as $8 a serving.Â
The cheapest prepared meal delivery service is Mosaic Foods as it has family meals that cost just $6 per serving.Â
What are the most popular meal delivery services?
In reviews and best lists, Blue Apron and HelloFresh are two of the most popular meal kit services for 2026. Fresh N Lean and Factor are some of the most popular options for prepared meal subscriptions.
What is driving the popularity of meal kits?
If you're wondering why meal kits have become so popular, the answer lies in a 2025 CNET survey. The comprehensive inquiry found that US adults spend approximately $4,300 on restaurant dining and takeout each year. Grocery inflation is also prompting people to seek budget-friendly alternatives. Speaking of which, we did the math and found that meal kits, convenient as they are, can actually save you money over grocery shopping if you choose your service and meals wisely.
