Do you need to subscribe to the meal kit? Most of the time, yes! Usually a subscription is needed to try the meals, however, some companies also have a marketplace that sells items a la carte.

How often do offerings and menus change? Typically, sites will switch up their meal offerings on a weekly basis. Do I have to be a good cook to use a meal kit? Meal kits come in many different skill levels, from simply microwaving to more intensive chopping and cooking.

They can also be a great way to learn how to cook and teach children. Diet: Pay attention to the dietary options each service caters to, from vegetarian and vegan to Keto and paleo.

Household Size: Count the number of people in your family and then account for how much they eat to best calculate how many servings you need to feed everyone.

Some kits detailed above have larger portions, while others are single-serve only. Budget: Meal kits and services have a wide range of prices. Some offer free shipping, while others have a minimum spend, and other specialty or health-related plans may cost more. Time: Think about how long you want to be cooking for each night.

Some meals require 30 or more minutes to cook, not including cleaning up. Check out New York Post Shopping for more content. Contact The Author Name required. Email required. Comment required. Updated Jan.

New York Post Composite. The hard part is just deciding which to try, which is why I tried them all for you first.

Previous 1 of 3. Sophie Cannon. I promise the oven was off for these meal kits! The beauty of trying so many companies was that some were intensive and others, like these, were microwave friendly.

Brand spotlight. Pros: Full-sized ingredients, super fresh produce and large portions Offers a wine subscription box as well, to pair with your cooking creations A bit more in-depth cooking, with great tasting results Perfect for a hungry family or those who want to spend more quality time in the kitchen.

Cons: None to note. push function { if window. definedSlots [] ; } } ; }. This seriously looked straight out of Israel and tasted like it, too.

How did I do? I think the egg Gods were looking down on me, as this was the perfect fried egg for my burger that looked just like the photo. Cons: No options for vegans or other dietary preferences other than vegetarian and pescatarian.

Pros: Delicious and high-quality meals — but what else would we expect from Martha? Perfect for the home cook who likes a balance of easy meals and learning new skills. Also great for home-cooked dinners with easy directions and no need to go grocery shopping. Options for specific diets, including vegetarian and low-carb recipes, in addition to the classic comfort foods.

Cons: Make sure to check your zip code for delivery, as some areas in the Midwest and others are not eligible as of the time of publication.

The steak and potatoes are a classic American meal from a classic American chef. The gravy was the best part, followed by the onion dressing topping the beans.

This was the best thing ever after a holiday gathering, with the ciabatta bread soaking up my drinks from the night before and the lovely comforting eggs and sausage on the inside of the casserole warming me from the inside out. Good on you, Martha. Cons: Everything included except salt, pepper and oil.

Pros: Dinnerly is one of the most affordable meal kits out there, perfect for families and new chefs alike. Vegetarians will rejoice at their meat-free offerings Digital recipe cards are on the site, so no need to keep a paper copy.

Cons: Make sure to check your zip code for delivery, as some areas in the Midwest and others are not eligible as of the time of publication Everything was included except for pantry staples like flour, salt, pepper and eggs, so be sure to check recipes before heading to the store if needed.

I now have a deeper appreciation for fried chicken, after now having made it from scratch. The one-pan gnocchi was super easy and also delicious, something Dinnerly does very well.

Pros: Easy to customize meals and skip weeks. Can order meals for two or four people, with two to six meals per week Easy-to-follow and aesthetically pleasing recipe cards in the box for each meal Accurate estimates for prep and cook time for an easy weekly schedule.

Cons: Make sure to have kitchen staples such as salt, pepper, butter and oil in the house, as they are not included in the box. Pros: Great for those with allergies in the house, as the cards indicate allergens in each basket ingredient Super fresh-tasting fish that comes on ice in the box Each meal takes six steps to complete, usually under about 35 minutes, perfect for quick lunches and dinners.

Pros: Breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts all come frozen and ready to reheat and eat Great option for those on the go and also health-conscious Offers options for different diets, including keto, paleo, plant-based, low-carb, vegetarian, pescatarian and meat-eaters, too.

Cons: Have plenty of freezer space to store meals or order a smaller plan they range from four meals a week all the way up to 18 meals per week.

Cons: Recipe cards are a bit harder to follow than some due to their small size, but easier to store and reuse for later No cook time estimations on the cards, but when timed, even a full steak meal was under 30 minutes, prep to plating.

Cons: A a bit more prep work, but worth the extra chopping time for the taste Everything was included even baking soda and butter except for oil, salt and pepper. Pros: Wide variety of meals for those on a special diet, like Keto, paleo, vegetarian, vegan and more Comes with extras like weight management coaching, diet plans and more on the app or on your account Ability to order from different plans, in order to try different diets Ability to cancel or pause your plan at any time.

Pros: Plant-based to a whole new level: very healthy salads, breakfasts and bowls for super clean eating Unique offerings; not just trying to mimic traditional meals with plants, but creating whole new dishes and flavor profiles Labeled options for every day of the week, three meals a day, takes the planning out of meal prep Offers a detox program as well.

Cons: Sacrifices some flavor for health but replaces with superfoods and a rainbow of nutrients. Pros: Perfect for taking to work or school or having an easy lunch at home, with recyclable packaging and to-go style dressings and condiments. All meals do not contain gluten, dairy, refined sugars, nitrates, chemical preservatives or artificial colors.

Cons: Not the most upscale packaging or gourmet meals, but plenty of actually filling salads, bowls, and even some choices for breakfast, snacks, and desserts. Pros: Plant-based people take note as every meal and smoothie is plant-based Not boring, as there are more than 50 options ranging from soups to bowls to smoothies Great for on-the-go meals and snacks for busy people, post-gym pick-me-ups and no dishes to do after.

Cons: Not a total replacement for every night of the week but pretty close. Pros Great for toddlers and older kids, as they graduate into solid foods Pre-packaged and ready to heat and eat for easy meal times and no cleanup Variety to choose from, including smoothies, snacks and full meals Yummy enough for parents to take a bite, too ; Cut small to prevent choking.

Cons Mighty Bites snacks may be a bit high in sugar for those parents watching sugar intake Meals may need to be plated or hand-fed to avoid them ending up on the floor.

Cons Not ideal for families or if you want leftovers On the more expensive side for some of the meal kits Only order what you can eat via refrigerator; meals taste less fresh when frozen.

Cons: Not a ton of options on the weekly menu, especially for larger plans Some meals have smaller portion sizes. Previous 1 of 5. Meals arrive refrigerated and can then be reheated in the microwave in about three minutes.

After microwaving, the meat remained tender and the meal was well-seasoned and tasted fresh. This take on Kung Pao chicken used a healthier noodle option and seasonings instead of breading or frying. Pros: Great selection of meals, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks and desserts Perfect for on-the-go eaters, busy people who forget to eat but want to be nutritious.

Most meals heat up in the microwave or stovetop in under 10 minutes, others need to be blended and some you can eat frozen ice cream and frozen treats. You can also skip or cancel at any time Menus are super easy to read and have specific details on nutrition, ingredients, protein content and more.

Cons: Mosaic specializes in veggie bowls, soups and oat bowls, so not for those that are looking for other options. But bowls include dishes like pasta and curries, for example, and not just vegetables!

Pay attention to order and shipping minimums. This is the older packaging from , showcasing the classic cook-it-yourself meals and some snacks, too. Pros: Wide array of options for both pre-made and traditional cook meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks Ready-to-eat meals taste fresh, even when microwaved Ample amounts of organic produce and nitrate-free meats in the traditional meal kit; can serve more than the serving size and perfect for hungry families Smaller recipe cards for easy storage, and also found online or on the app for iPhone and Android.

Pros: Plans can include full meals, snacks and sweets — perfect for mindful eating all day A super fun and unique combination of a grocery delivery service with options to choose recipes as well — great to re-stock the fridge and help spark inspiration for meal planning Great for those who like to cook on their own terms but also enjoy a new recipe now and then.

Cons: The recipe card is found on the back of your order receipt and is not too colorful, but it gets the job done. Cons: Some meals do better in the oven or stovetop rather than in the microwave, like eggs, but others can be eaten right from the fridge, like salads and bowls.

For an easy keto breakfast, Fresh Meal Plan has got you covered. As a tip, remove the sauce and the eggs before microwaving for a better texture from the fridge.

Pros Many options for breakfast, lunch and dinner Meals come in plastic take-out-style containers for easy lunch-packing on the go Each item arrives fresh and has the eat-by date printed on the label for easy meal planning. Cons Some areas of the United States are not available for shipping as of Jan.

Thistle also offers snack options for each day, my Monday snack being a well-spiced chickpea dip, crackers and a few grapes. Share this article: Facebook Twitter Flipboard WhatsApp Email Copy. click to copy. Home Chef. Most all diets, vegetarian, carb-conscious, calorie-conscious.

Most all diets, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free. Territory Foods. Most all diets, paleo, Keto, plant-based, vegetarian, vegan, Whole 30, low fat, low carb.

Most all diets, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, vegetarian, added sugar free. Most all diets, low calories, dairy-free, low-carb, vegan, vegetarian.

Most all diets, low calories, dairy-free, low carb, vegan, vegetarian. Number of meals 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 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. Our experts have logged more than 5 years of cooking more than 75 meal kits and tasting more than prepared meals from various services to help land on our list of the best in Meal kits and prepared meal delivery aren't a new concept, but having so many options to sort through is.

To help you find the best fit for a hassle-free dinner, we tested more than two dozen of the top players. We also dove deep into prepared meal delivery subscriptions that require no cooking at all.

In that category, Fresh N Lean was our clear favorite, sending great-tasting premade meals made from healthy ingredients that kept us fueled all week. The best meal kit or meal delivery service ultimately depends on your eating habits, schedule and budget.

To help you find the best service for your money, we tested more than 20 to find the best meal subscriptions in several categories. We also found a few exceptional vegan meal delivery services to satisfy plant-based eaters. For those looking to accomplish health or nutrition goals, we also tested to find the best meal delivery for keeping to a keto , paleo and low-calorie diet.

And if you're wondering if meal kits are worth it, we compared recipes from EveryPlate and Blue Apron to see how they compared with buying the groceries yourself.

Below you'll find the best meal delivery services of , as tested and reviewed by CNET. Why our testers picked Blue Apron : With tasty, premium entrees such as steak and seafood at some of the best prices in the meal kit category, Blue Apron represents the best overall value for any meal delivery service we tried.

Blue Apron is the granddad of meal kit programs in the US and the brand still manages to deliver excellent meals with easy-to-follow recipes all at a fair price.

Weekly menu choices available range from simple pasta dishes to inventive global cuisine, with high-end recipes including those for steak and seafood at no extra cost. Read our full review of Blue Apron here. Why our testers picked Fresh N Lean : With extremely high-quality meals, tons of healthy options and fair pricing, this service was an easy pick for best prepared meal delivery service.

Fresh N Lean ran away from the competition, ticking more boxes than any other with healthy food that is thoughtfully prepared, tastes great, looks appetizing and is fairly affordable depending on the plan you select.

Fresh N Lean has five meal plans to help keep folks on track with their specific nutrition goals including low-carb, vegan, paleo and protein-plus options. The food was all made exceptionally well using simple, whole ingredients. Why our testers picked Pete's Real Food : While it's more expensive than other prepared meal services on our list, the quality of food doesn't get much higher than Pete's.

The cuisine is designed to fuel those following the precise paleo diet, but even those not keeping to the plan should enjoy this grub. Pete's Real Food formerly Pete's Paleo won me over in a week-long taste test of its healthy organic and paleo meals, earning a spot as one of the best healthy, organic meal delivery services.

Pete's meals are all fully prepared and ready to heat and eat. The dozen or so Pete's Real Food meals we've tested were all cooked well: meats were tender, vegetables mostly cooked to proper doneness and all the flavors worked.

If you're in training or keeping to a paleo plan and looking for lots of protein, healthy fats and nutrient-filled carbs such as sweet potatoes and beets, Pete's should hit the spot.

Pete's Real Food formerly Pete's Paleo is an excellent meal service if you're adhering to a paleo or whole foods eating plan. Read our full review of Pete's Real Food here. Why our testers picked CookUnity : This is a prepared meal service aimed at those with refined tastes and an adventurous palate.

The best thing about CookUnity is the sheer volume of meal options you can choose from, all originating from chefs -- some famous and some not -- of different backgrounds and culinary styles.

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 note that the menu will vary depending on where you live since they pull from local chefs to create the weekly offerings. Read our full review of CookUnity here.

Why our testers picked Mosaic Foods : This plant-based service was one of the best prepared meal services we tried, and not just among vegan options.

I sampled more than 10 of Mosaic Food's plant-based prepared meal offerings and the vegetarian prepared meal delivery service had an astoundingly high hit rate.

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. While everything I ate from Mosaic was at least good, some standouts included the bean and jackfruit chili, tomato olive and feta ragout and a tangy Thai noodle dish.

Why our testers picked HelloFresh : HelloFresh combines, convenience, selection and family-friendly options for an all-around excellent meal kit experience. HelloFresh has the most recipes per week of any meal kit service we tried making it a good pick for families and homes with picky eaters.

This meal kit service's portion sizes are generous and there are meals to fir eating plans and diets of all sorts. It's also affordable, especially if you order larger meals.

Ya know, for a family. HelloFresh recipes are mostly fast and easy to follow, even for beginner cooks. Plus, they'll allow you to make substitutions so you can always find a recipe that suits your taste. Factor is a healthy prepared meal service and had some of the best meals I tried in all my testing of prepared meal services, including a zesty pesto salmon and a divine keto cheesecake.

Among the hits, however, were the occasional misses, so you may have to learn the menu over time. Factor puts a focus on healthy meals with plenty of low-carb options, and all the nutritional information is listed on the website before you choose your meals each week. With all the keto and paleo meal options, it's certainly a solid choice for people keeping to either of those plans.

Read our full review of Factor here. Why our testers picked Purple Carrot : For authentic, organic, plant-based cooking, Purple Carrot delivered big with a bounty of interesting recipes and fresh ingredients.

Out of all the vegan meal kits I've tried, Purple Carrot's provided me with the best base for cooking vegan cuisine and its ingredient mainstays such as lentils and grains. There are about eight recipes to choose from each week. I tested a full week's worth of meals and enjoyed all of them.

Read our full Purple Carrot review here. Why our testers picked Green Chef : This meal kit service uses almost all organic meats and produce, and offers interesting and healthy recipes for the discerning home cook. While it may be one of the pricier options, we like Green Chef for its versatility in the different specific diet plans available.

The healthy meal kit service also boasts the most organic ingredients of any meal kit service including produce, meats and fish. Green Chef also offers paleo, keto, pescatarian, vegan and vegetarian meals as well as gluten-free meal kit recipes and meals.

Read our full review of Green Chef here. EveryPlate keeps overhead costs low by offering just eight easy meal kit recipes to choose from weekly, which mostly excludes vegetarians and those on special diets, but the eight available meals are full of variety and flavor otherwise.

You can expect a lot of comfort food from this meal kit service such as meatloaf, burgers and pasta dishes but everything I made was solid. Why our testers picked Home Chef : Home Chef is a meal kit service with a sprawling menu that includes tons of low-carb options.

Even if you're not going full keto, but just want to curb your carb intake, Home Chef offers 15 recipes per week with less than 15 grams of net carbs in each. On balance, Home Chef meal kits weren't the best we tried, but the bulk of meals we made took less than 25 minutes and the portions were more than satisfying.

That, coupled with its slew of easy, healthy low-carb options, makes Home Chef the best meal kit service for keto eaters. The first big decision you'll make is whether you want meal kits, which require some prep and cooking, or a prepared meal service that sends fully cooked meals that are ready to heat and eat.

After you've picked between meal kits or meal delivery, you'll want to find a service within your budget. Here we've outlined all the best cheap meal delivery services for Our list of the healthiest meal delivery services for is a good place to find all the most nutritious options.

Lastly, you'll want to hone in on exactly how much food you'll want sent to you per week. 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 your order per delivery, the cheaper it is per meal. All the meal delivery services may look delicious in their website glamour shots, but that's certainly not enough to convince me.

To settle on this list of the best meal delivery service I tried as many as we could get our hands on, noting everything about them from freshness and flavor to ordering, packaging and delivery.

Testing meal kits for CNET means rolling up our sleeves and cooking at least one week's worth of meals from each service, often more. How each meal kit tastes, how easy it was to prepare and the portion sizes are all considered. 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.

To learn more, we have an in-depth look at how we test meal kits here at CNET. To test each meal delivery service, we tried at least five and sometimes as many as 10 meals from any given service.

Meal kits will demand more of your time and energy but they'll also cost a little less per serving. Prepared meals require almost no time and energy, other than what it takes to actually eat the food, but typically run a few bucks more per serving.

While most meal delivery services have healthy options, 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 for is a good place to find all the most nutritious options. Number of meals per week. With almost every service, the more meals or servings your order per delivery, the cheaper it becomes per meal. But you'll want to hone in on exactly how much food makes sent for your household.

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 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.

Most services allow you to change the number of meals or servings in your plan even after you've started. Our meal delivery experts have logged more than 5 years of cooking more than 75 meal kits and tasting more than prepared meals from various services to help land on our list of the best healthy meal subscriptions in While everything else has got more expensive, meal kit subscriptions seem to be getting cheaper.

The absolute cheapest meal kit is EveryPlate , and with consistently tasty meals -- we've tested it three times now -- that take as little as 20 minutes to cook, it's an easy pick for the best cheap meal service for Read more: Are Some Meal Kits Cheaper Than Buying Groceries? I Did the Math. If you're looking for inexpensive vegan meals by mail or an affordable meal kit service that includes steak and seafood in the standard plan, we have picks for those, too.

The takeaway? Being budget-friendly certainly doesn't mean the food has to suck. If you're looking to eliminate a few weekly tasks -- grocery shopping, meal planning, prep, cooking -- without squeezing your budget, we tested more than 10 top wallet-friendly services to find the best cheap meal delivery for The bottom line : EveryPlate's meal kits were all solid and easy to make.

EveryPlate meal kits are easy to prepare and I loved everything I made in multiple rounds of testing. You won't find a lot of foofy, upscale cuisine or complicated recipes, but you will get a lot of satisfying comfort food, such as hoisin meatloaf with mashed potatoes, cheeseburgers, umami pork chops and sweet potato quesadillas.

I tested EveryPlate and was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked the meals. Having tested all of the leading prepared meal delivery service options, Fresh N Lean ran away from the competition, ticking more boxes than any other.

The food is healthy, thoughtfully prepared, tastes fantastic, looks appetizing and is fairly affordable, depending on the plan you select. Fresh N Lean has five meal plans to help keep folks on track with their specific nutrition goals, including low-carb, vegan, paleo and protein-plus options.

The food I tried was all made exceptionally well, made from simple, whole ingredients. This is the perfect service for families with picky eaters trying to eat well on a budget.

Much like EveryPlate, Dinnerly has a lot of comfort foods such as ravioli with spinach and parmesan sauce, carne asada tacos and chicken pad thai. Dinnerly has an enormous menu of recipes -- typically more than 60 to choose from in a given week.

The bottom line: This plant-based meal delivery service had some of the best, healthy prepared meals of any service we tried.

I sampled about nine of Mosaic Food's plant-based prepared meal offerings and the vegetarian prepared meal delivery service had an astoundingly high hit rate. Mosaic uses bold and interesting global flavors and employs creative use of meat substitutes such as tofu, jackfruit, cauliflower and vegan sausages to create tasty and satisfying vegetarian meals -- even for this omnivore.

There are some vegan meals, but many of them use dairy products, so vegans must choose their Mosaic meals more carefully. The bottom line: Blue Apron is a classic example of a quality meal delivery service. One of the original providers of this service, it also stands out for eco-friendliness.

Blue Apron is one of the original meal kit services and it's also one of the best. In fact, Blue Apron topped our list of best meal delivery services for with a wide range of excellent recipes, all for an affordable price.

It's true, you can order bistro steaks and roasted trout dinners with Blue Apron's standard plan, where many services charge extra for those premium proteins.

In addition to solid meal kits, Blue Apron is the most eco-friendly service of the major players, according to a recent study. The heartier meals are great too, like the cauliflower rice and pesto harvest bowl with cashews and spinach.

You won't need more than a saucepan, toaster or blender to prepare most of the meals, and most can be made in as little as 5 minutes. When I tried Daily Harvest , I loved the interesting smoothie combos such as a chocolate blueberry smoothie with greens, banana and almond butter.

The bottom line : It doesn't get much easier than HelloFresh. This service has tons of cheap meal kit options, more than 50 per week, and allows you to add proteins or extra servings to keep the whole crew fed and happy.

HelloFresh has as many as 25 dinner meal kits per week, so it is nearly impossible not to find something you'll like. HelloFresh also has five or six plant-based recipes a week, making it the best cheap meal kit service for vegetarians.

Over the past few years, we've tested nearly every meal kit delivery and prepared meal delivery service we could get our oven mitts on, and that includes the best budget meal delivery services.

Many of the menu options for the meal delivery services we've listed include nutritious plant-based food or high-protein recipes with lots of veggies and lean meats. To test each cheap meal delivery service, I tried at least four and sometimes as many as 10 meals from any given service.

I always choose a range of meals from the various menu and meal plan offerings. For instance, if a meal subscription service offers vegan or vegetarian meals I was sure to try at least one.

I also mixed up the cuisine types to include pasta, meat dishes, bowls and other various styles offered by the brand. To test the best cheap meal kits, there was another set of standards and protocols to adhere to. Here's more on how we test meal kits at CNET.

I would suggest you can try Blue Apron because this is one of the best meal delivery services at an affordable price in the market jav-way.site › eat › affordable-meal-delivery Discover affordable meal delivery with EveryPlate. Enjoy high-quality ingredients and incredible dinners for less than $5. America's Best Value Meal Kit

Video