If you're constantly struggling with dinner recipes or feeling overwhelmed by the time it takes to meal prep, it may be time to consider a meal delivery service.
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These services send either pre-made meals or perfectly portioned ingredients with step-by-step recipes directly to your door.
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services → send → door
It can decrease the amount of money you spend on groceries, make meal planning less stressful and help improve your cooking skills — all while catering to dietary needs like pescatarian or gluten-free, experts say.
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I spoke to chefs, nutritionists and recipe developers about what to look for in a meal delivery service to determine the best one for you.
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I also highlighted NBC Selected editor favorites that we’ve tested and reviewed, plus expert-recommended options.
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Below, I included NBC Selected staff-favorite services that we’ve tried and loved.
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The chefs and nutritionists I spoke to gave us their recommendations for the best meal kit delivery services to try across a variety of budgets, tastes and diets.
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I included both meal kit services (which send out individual ingredients) and pre-made meal services.
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CookUnity is an NBC Selected staff favorite.
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Depending on the amount of meals you want each week, you can choose from a range of plans, with subscriptions of anywhere from four to 16 meals.
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The service provides a rotating menu of ready-made options each week, or you can let CookUnity pick them out for you based on your preferences (like your choice of protein) or any dietary restrictions like vegetarian, vegan, low-carb and gluten-free.
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CookUnity → provide → protein
You can also flag any allergies or foods you don’t like, and the service will notify you if they appear in any meals on the menu.
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“I started using CookUnity because I felt like I was spending so much money on groceries but still eating boring food everyday like sandwiches and salads,” says former NBC Selected social commerce editor Sadhana Daruvuri.
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Daruvuri → start → sandwiches
“Now, I can enjoy a variety of delicious meals while still spending about the same amount I’d spent on groceries before.”
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I → enjoy → groceries
NBC Selected senior editor Nikki Brown is also a CookUnity fan and gets four meals delivered each week, so dinner is taken care of most days.
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“I’m sure there will be a time in my life when I am able to cook dinner every night but that’s not the case right now — I’ve tried switching up how I shop, rearranging my kitchen and meal prepping, all in hopes of cutting down on how much I spend on takeout
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nothing worked until I got CookUnity,” she says.
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she → work → CookUnity
Brown loves browsing and picking her meals each week: “It feels like grocery shopping, except I don’t have to push a cart or carry bags,” she says.
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she → love → bags
It’s also a favorite of NBC Selected reporter Zoe Malin: “The convenience is unbeatable — the meals show up at my door at the beginning of the week, and knowing all I need to do to cook dinner is pull the wrapper off a meal and warm it up makes my evenings totally stress-free,” she says.
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However, Malin notes there is some more prep work involved than other services she’s tried.
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“I did have to take out some components of meals before I microwaved them, like a kale salad or coleslaw, which was a bit tricky and caused me to do more dishes — normally, I’d reheat and eat meals out of the same disposable containers they came in,” she says.
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The meals also come in a small reusable bag that you can send back to the company instead of having to break down boxes every week.
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The meals come fresh and have a refrigerated shelf life of about four to seven days.
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meals → come → days
Home Chef’s rotating weekly menu includes more than 30 meals to choose from.
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menu → rotate → meals
You can also select from a variety of menu options catered to your preferences, including 15-minute meal kits, grill- and oven-ready kits and special occasion meals.
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Before ordering, you’ll be prompted to take a quiz that personalizes your menu based on your tastes, serving size and delivery preferences.
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that → order → tastes
When looking at individual menu options, each meal shows the estimated time it takes to make.
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The customizability makes this a standout service for our experts, who emphasize that you can easily choose the amount and type of protein in each meal.
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Ben Leonard, a chef and food educator with more than 15 years of experience, says the service is best for “families, kids or people with any dietary restrictions” due to its variety of meal selections and customizable features.
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service → say → selections
Best with variety
Factor is another favorite of mine that I’ve used regularly and love for its varied meal options, quick and easy prep time and detailed nutritional information cards.
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The service provides a rotating weekly menu of over 30 pre-made meals and caters to a number of dietary needs and preferences, including keto, paleo, low-carb, vegetarian, plant-based and high protein.
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service → provide → keto
You can choose from five plans, ranging from four meals to 18 meals per week.
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Factor also lets you schedule a complimentary consultation with a registered dietitian to answer nutrition questions or determine if a Factor subscription is the right choice for you.
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subscription → let → you
“Factor is incredibly reasonably priced for the quality of health-oriented food they offer,” says Ariane Resnick, a special diet chef and certified nutritionist.
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She especially likes that chefs design the meals but dietitians approve them, and the fact that they don’t cater to just one special diet.
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“I think a lot of people want to try eating plans like keto and vegan, but don’t know where to begin — meal options like this let them explore something new without overcommitting and discover if a diet suits their taste preferences, their individual dietary needs and their budget before diving too deep,” she says.
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Blue Apron recently switched from offering meal delivery plans to a weekly rotating menu that you can order from à la carte without needing a subscription.
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you → switch → subscription
You can also sign up for a Blue Apron+ Membership, which gets you free shipping, unlimited access to meals from cooking, home and travel shows through Tastemade+, and members-only perks.
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You can choose between a monthly and yearly membership.
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If you don't sign up for a membership, the prices for each meal kit or pre-made meal depends on the number of servings you choose.
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…and 108 more, not listed.
The Aporia
