Save Time In The Kitchen With These Prepared Meal Delivery Services

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After a long, hectic day, whipping up dinner can feel like a chore. Yes, there are meal delivery kits that make things a bit simpler with pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow steps, but they still require some cooking and clean up. For tasty, nutritious meals that involve basically zero effort on your part, say hello to premade meal delivery services. Just as you'd guess, they send prepared foods to your door. All you have to do is pop them in the microwave or oven for a few minutes.

Even better, today's premade meals come in a variety of options to suit different tastes and dietary restrictions, like gluten-free, vegan, and keto.

Instead of spending your free time scouring the internet, we've done the hard work for you and found the 13 best prepared meal plans on the market. Shop fuss-free, mouthwatering options for a range of foodies below.

How We Picked These Meal Delivery Services

With the sheer number of meal delivery services on the market, we wanted our list to reflect the diversity of offerings. These include meal services that cater to a range of dietary restrictions and preferences (vegan, keto, paleo, etc.) and offer flexibility in the number and frequency of meals you receive. There are meal delivery services that have options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and all of the above, plus companies that allow you to mix premade meals with traditional meal kits for those nights when you have time to actually make a meal. We also consulted our friends at the Good Housekeeping Institute for their top picks. With the help of over 280 home cooks and industry experts, the lab's food and nutrition experts conducted a three-month-long study and tested over 40 prepared meal delivery services. The best premade meal delivery services they chose were selected based on factors like overall satisfaction, food quality, cost, recycling efforts, and availability.

Home Chef

Not a microwave person? Home Chef offers oven-ready meals that require just a little assembly before popping them into the oven. Options include Tuscan-Style Shrimp and Peppers, Steak au Poivre Baked Penne, and Creamy Cheddar Buffalo-Style Chicken Breast.

One reviewer describes Home Chef as “delicious and versatile,” as you can mix and match oven-ready meals with traditional meal kits that you prepare yourself.

How it works: Choose from over 30 meals and 18 extras every week. Select between your desired cooking experience: meal kits, express meal kits, oven-ready, grill-ready, culinary collection, and fast and fresh. You can also use the Customize It feature to personalize meals to your liking.

Starting price: $9.99 per meal.

Delivery area: 98 percent of the U.S. You can enter your zip code during the sign-up process to see if Home Chef delivers to your area.

Good for: Calorie conscious, carb conscious, vegetarian

CookUnity

Sure, many meal delivery services are curated by chefs, but the ones creating the dishes you’ll receive from CookUnity are some you might actually recognize: Hugh Acheson and Esther Choi, to name a couple.

The Good Housekeeping Institute team's testers note that it’s like having a "restaurant-style dining experience" right in your humble abode. Even if luxe meals aren’t your speed, the team says that “foodies will love” them because of the tasty flavors.

The testimonials on the CookUnity homepage sum it up well. One reviewer describes the meals as “delicious, fresh, and the perfect portion,” adding that they “look forward to coming home after a long work day and having restaurant-quality meals [ready] in minutes.”

How it works: Get between four to 16 meals a week. Award-winning chefs create a weekly-changing menu of fresh options that balance great taste with solid nutrition.

Starting price: About $10 per meal.

Delivery area: Enter your zip code here to see if CookUnity delivers to your area.

Good for: Keto, paleo, low calorie, low carbs, gluten-free, dairy-free, low sodium

Factor

Factor brings the flavor and nutrition in each of its fully prepared meals, which you’ll actually want to eat. They’re proud of the fact that they use fresh, never frozen, ingredients and combine chef recipes with advice from dietitians. There are keto, low-carb, low-calorie, and even plant-based options to choose from.

A tester from the Good Housekeeping Institute says that the ingredients are “fresh and flavorful.” They say that microwaving doesn't compromise “the taste or texture” of the meals. Meanwhile, one reviewer says the “flavors and seasonings are outstanding.”

How it works: Factor can either create your order (based on your wants, of course), or you can choose from dozens of pre-set options. The plans include options like keto and vegan, as well as fan-favorite menu items such as turkey chili and chipotle rubbed pork chops. You can choose from six to 18 meals every week. Plus, if you get a subscription, you can have a free consultation with a registered dietitian.

Starting price: $11 per meal.

Delivery area: 48 states (not Alaska and Hawaii)

Good for: Keto, chef's choice, calorie smart, protein-plus, vegan, vegetarian

Farmer’s Fridge

Perfect for office lunches and quick breakfasts, Farmer’s Fridge meals are ready-to-eat and require no prep—you don’t even have to heat them up. Another plus is you don’t need a subscription to try their meals. Just order enough to fill up a box and you’re good to go.

The Good Housekeeping Institute’s experts like the reusable jars and affordable price for the fresh ingredients. Speaking of the food itself, a tester says it doesn't "taste like 'airport food.'” Instead, the salads are “delicious” and “crisp.” *Insert chef’s kiss*

In fact, Farmer’s Fridge earned the Good Housekeeping Institute's Family Travel Award this year for its “fantastic fresh food.”

Their Green Goddess Salad is a customer favorite; one says that the glazed pecans give it “a nice crunch” and the dressing “goes perfectly with the quinoa and greens.”

Starting price: $5.99 per meal.

Delivery area: 40-plus states. Fresh meals are added every week in vending machines across the U.S. In some markets, delivery is available through apps like Instacart and Getir.

How it works: You can score a salad in a vending machine fridge. Just use the touch screen to see what options are available. You can also check out all the offerings (think: sandwiches, yogurts, and more) in advance using an app. Once you’ve scarfed down your food, you can bring back the reusable jars, since the machines have built-in recycling bins.

Good for: Vegetarians, high protein

Fresh n’ Lean

A simple solution to refueling after a grueling workout, Fresh n’ Lean serves up protein-packed meals that are ready to eat—no meal prep required. They bill themselves as the “#1 meal plan for fitness junkies” and offer organic meals that are fresh and nutrient-dense.

The food quality and portion sizes are big high points for the Good Housekeeping Institute testers. They say the food is fresh, plus, there's "great variety with some surprising choices."

Testimonials on the Protein+ page come from professional athletes like Sloane Stephens, a tennis player, who says the meals keep her “full and focused.”

How it works: Choose from plans like protein+, clean keto, Whole30-approved, Paleo, and vegan. Every week, the menu refreshes with different meals to choose from.

Starting price: $7.93 per meal.

Delivery area: 50 states

Good for: Protein, keto, paleo, vegan, Whole30, Mediterranean, low-carb vegan, bulk

Daily Harvest

You may have noticed Daily Harvest’s beautiful smoothies in an Instagram ad (or four), but the service offers so much more than just super delicious fruit- and veggie-packed smoothies. Consider its Harvest Bowls, which can be microwaved or prepared on a stovetop, Harvest Bakes that you pop into the oven (and are big enough to share), flatbreads, soups, chia seed bowls—the list goes on. Bonus: all of its ingredients are sustainably-sourced and entirely vegan.

One customer shares that these meals are not only “convenient and healthy,” but they help them reduce food waste since they’re frozen. They also offer an “excellent way to get good, real whole food” in your system, they say.

How it works: Choose between 9, 14, or 24 items for a weekly or monthly delivery. With a subscription, you can mix and match: choose all smoothies or pick favorites from a variety of categories, including harvest bowls, harvest bakes, flatbreads, grains, soups, forager bowls, bites, lattes, and mylk.

Starting price: $5.99 per meal.

Delivery area: Ships to 95 percent of the continental U.S. Check if you live in a delivery zone by clicking "Get Started" on the Daily Harvest homepage and entering your zip code and email address.

Good for: Plant-based, Whole30, high fiber

BistroMD

BistroMD is one of the best prepared meal delivery services for diabetics or those looking to shed some weight. The brand was founded by a medical doctor and includes a team of dietitians who formulate each of its offerings.

Nutritionists at the Good Housekeeping Institute are impressed by this service because of its quality ingredients, flavors, and variety of options. The kits are all science-backed, with the heart healthy plan in particular including meals that are at or below the American Heart Association's recommendations for calories, sodium, total fat and saturated fat. Testers in the lab also described the taste as "restaurant quality" and found the meals to be satisfying even though they were portion controlled.

And reviewers agree. One recommends these for anyone "seeking a healthy way to reach their nutrition goals." Plus, they say they love the ability to customize the pre-set menu for each plan if desired.

How it works: Choose a preferred plan to meet your needs, such as signature (weight loss), gluten-free, heart-healthy, and vegan. There are 150-plus frozen meals available, and you can order up to seven days’ worth of food every week. You can also customize your plan by using your "my bistroMD" account to choose your favorite entrees. The service's registered dietitians will use this information to build a personalized diet plan to your liking.

Starting price: $10.99 per meal.

Delivery area: 48 states (not Alaska and Hawaii)

Good for: Weight loss, gluten-free, heart health, keto, diabetic, menopause, vegan

Mosaic Foods

Whether you’re vegetarian or simply looking to introduce more plant-based meals into your diet, Mosaic is a standout option. To help curb food waste, Mosaic’s meals go in the freezer (so they last longer and are less likely to end up in the trash bin). Also, for every box sold, Mosaic donates two pounds of nutritious food to New Yorkers in need in partnership with City Harvest. Mosaic also offers bake-and-serve Family Meals that feed four.

Good Housekeeping Institute testers like how these meals are loaded with “hidden veggies.” The experts point out how unique the flavors are, too, adding that the food has “greater diversity and quantity of vegetables than any supermarket frozen foods.”

One reviewer writes that in addition to convenience, affordability, and sustainability, Mosaic also delivers on taste: “These are not your mother’s frozen dinners.”

How it works: You can pick six, 12, or 18 plant-based breakfast, lunch and dinner meals per box. Note: There are filters like wheat free or nut free you can choose from. From there, select your delivery preference: every one to four weeks.

Starting price: $5.99 per meal.

Delivery area: Most major metro areas in the Eastern and Western U.S. You can see if Mosaic ships to your area by going to the brand's homepage, pressing "Get Started," and entering your zip code and email address.

Good for: Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based

Tovala

For meals that cook themselves (wait, what?!), Tovala has you covered. It separates itself from other meal kit services in that it also makes a smart oven that scans your meal and uses heat and steam to prepare it. The oven also works with items you find at the grocery store, like pizza rolls, and has a manual option to steam, bake, broil, toast, and reheat whatever you want.

Testers with the Good Housekeeping Institute are “impressed with the high-quality ingredients” and the option to make homemade meals from the Tovala recipe library.

On Tovala's reviews page, one customer notes that the service is “worth every penny” and has the “best tasting meals” out of any other meal delivery program they’ve tried.

How it works: Choose between four and 16 meals deliveries every week. Also filter your meals based on options like carb conscious, gluten-free, vegetarian, and calorie-smart picks.

Starting price: $9.99 per serving. The Tovala Smart Oven goes for $249.

Delivery area: 48 states (not Alaska and Hawaii)

Good for: Calorie smart, carb conscious, vegetarian, gluten-friendly

Splendid Spoon

Prefer lighter fare? Female-founded, plant-based brand Splendid Spoon specializes in smoothies and soups, as well as grain and noodle bowls, wellness shots, and cold-pressed juices. The Good Housekeeping Institute team's testers note how fresh these frozen meals seem and that the recipes are both “creative and tasty.”

According to one customer, the rice bowls are “full of flavor” and “loaded with goodness.” Even if you aren’t currently on a plant-based diet, the reviewer says these meals are a “must try.”

How it works: You can either sign up for 7, 14, or 21 meals each week. There are over 50 different plant-based smoothies, bowls, and meals available—all of which are free of gluten, dairy, and artificial sweeteners.

Starting price: $9.99 per meal.

Delivery area: 48 states (not Alaska and Hawaii)

Good for: Plant-based

Kencko

Kencko’s “just add water” approach allows them to pack lots of fruits and vegetables into shelf-stable smoothies and bowls, which come in portable packets. The company supplies the reusable bowl and fork to make meals like lentil dhal and minestrone soup.

A customer on its reviews page swoons that Kencko’s food is “very convenient” and “tastes great.” Prices begin at $2.49 per smoothie and $4.99 per meal.

Pete's Real

Offering paleo plates without the prep, Pete’s Paleo serves up a weekly-rotating menu that changes with the seasons and is based on what their farmers are growing and harvesting. Sample meals include BBQ Short Ribs with Cabbage Slaw and Chive Mashed Potatoes, and Mushroom Herb Turkey Burgers with Garlic Yukon Potatoes and Sauteed Spinach. You can customize a variety of meal plans, which change the cost per meal, but most meals start at around $14.

Sakara

If you want to eat like Gwyneth Paltrow, look no further than this health-focused meal plan from Sakara Life. The service says it harnesses the power of food as medicine to provide ready-to-eat meals that are organic, plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, and have no refined sugars.

A Good Housekeeping Institute tester “loved being introduced to new and interesting ingredients.” Lab experts overall find that the meals are “filling and flavorful.”

To sign up, you need to choose at least two meals and how many days a week you want them (two, three, or five). You’ll scroll past a number of testimonials before you get to that step, with Lily Aldridge saying that it’s her “go-to for healthy, clean eating” and “easy for a mom on the go.”

How it works: Choose between their signature organic meal delivery programs (note: you have an option to do a one-week trial program!). Also select how many days you want meals each delivery (two, three, or five days), as well as between three or five meals. Other program offerings including The Metabolism Reset, The Fresh Start Cleanse, The Performance System, and The Gut Health Reboot.

Starting price: Over $100 for the Signature Nutrition Program, but will vary by program, number of meals, and program length.

Delivery area: 49 states not including Hawaii

Good for: Plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO

Sunbasket

Co-founded by a James Beard Award-winning chef, Sunbasket employs a team of chefs and registered dietitians to make tasty meals featuring organic produce. Their “Fresh & Ready” meals are heat-and-eat and ready in under four minutes. They can be mixed in with traditional meal kits if you’re looking for both experiences.

A customer review on the Sunbasket homepage notes that they have been subscribed for more than two years and have been impressed with the “unique deliciousness” of the meals and stellar customer service. Prices begin at $9.99 per serving.

Trifecta Nutrition

Trifecta offers more than just ready-to-eat meals that cater to specialty diets like keto, paleo, and vegan. It also has a team of nutrition experts that offer support and guidance, plus an app that tracks macros.

The “well balanced” portions are a selling point for the Good Housekeeping Institute team, as well as the convenience and healthy meal options. The company's testimonials page is filled with customers who have lost weight, gotten into shape, and even improved gut health with Trifecta.

How it works: Select your desired meal plan, including clean, paleo, Whole30, keto, high protein vegan, or high protein vegetarian. You can choose up to 14 entrees per delivery. The meals last about up to 10 days in the fridge and three months in the freezer.

Starting price: $110.99 per week, but costs vary based on the plan and number of meals.

Delivery area: 50 states

Good for: Clean, paleo, Whole30, keto, high protein vegan, high protein vegetarian

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