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. 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 ready to heat and eat.

Prepared meals require almost no time and energy, other than what it takes to actually eat the food, but typically run a few dollars more per serving. If you're keen on eating low-calorie, low-carb, plant-based or pescatarian food, certain meal kits and meal delivery services are better than others.

Our list of the healthiest meal delivery services for is a good place to find the most nutritious options. With almost every service, the more meals or servings are in your order per delivery, the cheaper it becomes per meal.

Ideally, you'll want to determine exactly how much food makes sense for your household. That means it's less of an issue if you order too many meals on your first go-around. Services like Daily Harvest and Splendid Spoon have meals for similar prices but are focused more on grain bowls and smoothies and might be better for breakfast or lunch versus dinner.

When it comes to meal kits, your options are many, and most services provide weekly recipes that are low on calories but still filling. HelloFresh has the most recipes per week of any meal kit service, so that might be your best bet for finding consistent meals that keep your diet goals on track.

But all services list the calorie content for each recipe, along with carbs, protein, sugar and sodium. Depending on your weight loss goals, a healthy prepared meal delivery or meal kit service can help.

Fresh N Lean, Pete's Real Food and Daily Harvest all have low-calorie meals to choose from. Some of the services listed here are healthy prepared meal delivery services , sending fully cooked meals -- often frozen or partially frozen -- and ready to eat when you receive them.

Others include health-focused meal kits with premeasured ingredients all boxed up and ready for easy weeknight cooking. There's a stark difference between meal kits and meal delivery, but both make dinnertime easier and can translate into healthier eating choices for you in Plus, we sussed out the best healthy meal services for those on special diets like keto or paleo or for those who wish to eat organic prepared meals and meal kits.

Wellness Nutrition. Written by David Watsky. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement. David lives in Brooklyn where he's spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips.

Since earning a BA in English from Northeastern in Boston, he's toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom. Right now, he's likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or researching the best way to make bacon.

Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week. Expertise Kitchen tools, appliances, food science, subscriptions and meal kits. See full bio. Why You Can Trust CNET. Table of Contents Top.

Cheapest Meal Delivery Services of What's the best cheap meal delivery service? Cheapest meal delivery services for Cheapest prepared meal services compared.

How we test meal kits and meal delivery services. Factors to consider when choosing a meal delivery service. Why you should trust us. Cheap meal delivery FAQs. Back to selection. See at EveryPlate. Best cheap meal kits overall. See at Fresh N' Lean. Best cheap prepared meal delivery overall.

See at Dinnerly. Best cheap meal kits for picky eaters. See at Mosaic Foods. Best cheap vegan meals. See at Blue Apron. Best cheap meal kits that include steak and seafood. See at Daily Harvest. Best cheap meal delivery for breakfast and lunch.

See at HelloFresh. Best cheap meal kits for diet and weight loss. FILTER BY all Meal Kit Prepared Meal. Showing 7 of 7 Results. Editors' choice. Show less. CNET rating out of 10 8. Cons Not as many healthy options No customization allowed.

Type Meal Kit. Good for Healthy, family-friendly, comfort food, picky eaters, quick and easy. Full Review Read full review. See at EveryPlate Best cheap meal kits overall EveryPlate. Show expert take Show less. CNET rating out of 10 9. Pros Food mostly tastes great Good for diets and healthy eating plans.

Cons Expensive if you only order fewer than 10 meals per week. Type Prepared Meal. Meal options per week Good for Keto, paleo, Whole30, gluten-free Mediterranean, vegan, vegetarian, high-protein. See at Fresh N' Lean Best cheap prepared meal delivery overall Fresh N Lean.

Home Chef also lets you customize the type and amount of protein you want in each meal including low-calorie and vegetarian options , which makes it a great option for people who want variety or those with certain dietary restrictions, according to Ben Leonard , chef and culinary manager for GreenPan.

With that said, it may not be the best option for people who are indecisive or picky eaters, says Leonard. Price is based on 20 meals per week.

It lets you choose from over chef-prepared meals based on your dietary needs. Lisa Moskovitz, a registered dietitian and CEO of NY Nutrition Group , recommends this service because it offers various health-conscious plans — you can pick from five different programs: Signature, Gluten-free, Heart Healthy, Diabetic and Menopause.

Sunbasket offers both meal kits and pre-made meals, which consist of high-quality ingredients and organic produce, according to the brand. Each meal indicates whether it accommodates certain dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, soy-free and vegetarian. Price is based on 14 meals per week.

Splendid Spoon offers over 50 healthy ready-made and gluten-free meals and snacks, including smoothies, soups, noodle bowls and dishes. You can choose one of three plans, including a seven-, or meal plan per week and you can add more meals at an additional cost. The service recommends freezing the food upon unpacking, which it says makes the meals last one to three months.

Purple Carrot offers prepared meals as well as meal kits , which are plant-based and include several gluten-free options. You can customize the number of meals you get per week — ranging from six to 10 frozen meals.

Deliveries take place on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays depending on your shipping location, and you can choose to skip a delivery on any given week.

This makes them a great option for those with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth SIBO , irritable bowel syndrome IBS or a generally sensitive stomach, according to Moskovitz.

It presents you with a rotating menu of over 50 prepared foods spanning breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts. Price is based on three meals per day for three days in the brand's Signature Nutrition Program.

On the pricier side, Sakara Life offers a selection of ready-to-eat meals, all of which are gluten-free, organic, dairy-free and plant-based, according to the service.

The Signature Nutrition Program comes with up to three meals per day and your choice of two, three or five days. Other programs include the Metabolism Reset , a one- four- or eight-week program that sends you a specifically curated menu for up to five days per week. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

Mili Godio is an editor at NBC Select who has extensive experience covering meal delivery services, including gluten-free and vegetarian options. For this article, Godio spoke to six experts about what to consider when shopping for a meal delivery service and how to determine the best one for you.

They also shared their favorite meal delivery services to try out. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. SKIP TO CONTENT. CNBC Select. Follow Select. By Mili Godio. SKIP AHEAD Best prepared meal delivery services Selected.

Our top picks. Learn more.

At that price you can just have a grocery store deliver frozen meals for you. For $ per meal you can get pretty good ones. Upvote bigumbrella.site Fresh N Lean is the most popular healthy prepared meal delivery service offering Vegan, Keto, Paleo, and Mediterranean diet meal plans

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Low-cost ready-to-eat meals - Luckily for you, Magic Kitchen has affordable premade meals for everyone. Our affordable food delivery options are limitless. Whether you are trying to improve At that price you can just have a grocery store deliver frozen meals for you. For $ per meal you can get pretty good ones. Upvote bigumbrella.site Fresh N Lean is the most popular healthy prepared meal delivery service offering Vegan, Keto, Paleo, and Mediterranean diet meal plans

Each meal indicates whether it accommodates certain dietary restrictions, including gluten-free, soy-free and vegetarian. Price is based on 14 meals per week.

Splendid Spoon offers over 50 healthy ready-made and gluten-free meals and snacks, including smoothies, soups, noodle bowls and dishes. You can choose one of three plans, including a seven-, or meal plan per week and you can add more meals at an additional cost.

The service recommends freezing the food upon unpacking, which it says makes the meals last one to three months. Purple Carrot offers prepared meals as well as meal kits , which are plant-based and include several gluten-free options.

You can customize the number of meals you get per week — ranging from six to 10 frozen meals. Deliveries take place on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays depending on your shipping location, and you can choose to skip a delivery on any given week.

This makes them a great option for those with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth SIBO , irritable bowel syndrome IBS or a generally sensitive stomach, according to Moskovitz.

It presents you with a rotating menu of over 50 prepared foods spanning breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts. Price is based on three meals per day for three days in the brand's Signature Nutrition Program.

On the pricier side, Sakara Life offers a selection of ready-to-eat meals, all of which are gluten-free, organic, dairy-free and plant-based, according to the service. The Signature Nutrition Program comes with up to three meals per day and your choice of two, three or five days.

Other programs include the Metabolism Reset , a one- four- or eight-week program that sends you a specifically curated menu for up to five days per week. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.

Mili Godio is an editor at NBC Select who has extensive experience covering meal delivery services, including gluten-free and vegetarian options. For this article, Godio spoke to six experts about what to consider when shopping for a meal delivery service and how to determine the best one for you.

They also shared their favorite meal delivery services to try out. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. SKIP TO CONTENT. CNBC Select. It gives us untold joy to know that you depend on us to stay healthy.

com will help you rediscover meal delivery like never before. You don't need a silver spoon to eat good food. Click for review. Toll-free info magickitchen. International Toll-free www. com info magickitchen. Affordable Meals by MagicKitchen. com MagicKitchen. The Magic in our Meals Delivered Mark Twain once said, "Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.

Benefits of Affordable Frozen Meals. No Grocery Store Line-ups. Lots of Dietary Options. Quick and Easy Meal Prep. How it Works.

Trust Pilot. Our Menu of Affordable Meals The meals are delivered to you packed in reusable, recyclable Styrofoam containers filled with dry ice.

A LA CARTE View All A la Carte Main Courses Side Dishes Soups Desserts Family Size 1 Person Meal Bundles Snacks A la Carte Healthy. Dairy Free Gluten Free Low Carbohydrate Low Fat Low Sodium Vegetarian.

COMPLETE MEALS View All Complete Meals Complete Meals. MK Signature. We tried over 25 items…. Whether you're trying to avoid going to the grocery store due to COVID or looking to simplify your busy life, grocery delivery services can be very….

Some meal delivery services fit the Whole30 diet, helping to lessen cooking time with this eating pattern. Here are the 5 best Whole30 meal delivery…. CookUnity is a chef-collective prepared meal delivery service offering restaurant-quality meals.

However, it isn't cheap. We tried CookUnity for one…. We have tested the most popular meal delivery services on the market to help you decide which ones are worth your money.

Learn how we test each…. Part grocery delivery service and part meal kit, Hungryroot offers a convenient way to meal plan during the week. We tried Hungryroot for 1 week to….

Our reviewer didn't love it, but Fresh N Lean has fans. Here we explain how it works, how it compares, and who should try it. A Quiz for Teens Are You a Workaholic? How Well Do You Sleep?

Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Nutrition Evidence Based 11 Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services for , According to Testers and Dietitians.

Medically reviewed by Amy Richter, RD , Nutrition — By Kelli McGrane, MS, RD and Rachael Ajmera, MS, RD — Updated on February 6, On this page Our picks Comparison table Methodology How to choose FAQ Bottom line. How we vet brands and products Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we: Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?

Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence? Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness. Read more about our vetting process. Was this helpful? Share on Pinterest. A quick look at the best prepared meal delivery services. Quick comparison of the best prepared meal delivery services.

Service Healthline score Price per serving Shipping Menu options per week Good for Factor 4. How we test meal delivery services. Share on Pinterest Sprinly delivery box Photo provided by Kelli McGrane, MS, RD.