You can even switch out the rice for noodles for a change in texture. This recipe is easy and delicious — and, even better, you can swap out some of the vegetables for ones already in your fridge.

If you have tofu, dijon, and something green, you are most of the way there. Get scrambling! Recipe: Tofu Scramble. It only takes 15 minutes to whip up this simple-but-satisfying masterpiece. Plus, the whole recipe only requires one pan.

So not only will cooking be easy, but so will clean up! Recipe: Cheese Tortellini in Creamy Marinara. Craving sushi but don't want to go out? We got you. Even better, the recipe is flexible, so you can swap out the veggies or protein for whatever you happen to have on hand.

Recipe: Sushi Bowl. The recipe calls for a mixture of kidney beans, black beans, and pinto beans, but of course you can swap in whatever canned beans or grains that are already in your kitchen.

Recipe: Vegan 3-Bean Chili. Recipe: Egg Pizza With Scallions. This hearty chickpea masala is the perfect recipe for vegetarians and can be prepared spicy or mild, depending on your taste. The recipe calls for a splash of heavy cream, but you can use coconut milk to keep it vegan.

Recipe: Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala. This easy, kid-friendly dish starts with crescent roll dough on the bottom, then it's loaded with ground beef, cheese, and any of your favorite taco toppings.

Recipe: Taco Pizza. This recipe uses baby kale to stuff the toast cups, but feel free to use spinach or arugula if kale isn't your favorite. Recipe: Bacon and Egg Toast Cups. Feel free to use any hearty veggies you have on hand in place of the beets and radishes.

Brussels sprouts, diced sweet potatoes, and carrots would all work well. Recipe: Baked Eggs With Roasted Vegetables. This creamy mac 'n' cheese is loaded with all kinds of good stuff, like white cheddar, broccoli, and seared chicken. Leave out the chicken. Broccoli isn't your favorite? Feel free to substitute it with whatever vegetables you have on hand.

Recipe: White Cheddar Mac 'n' Cheese With Chicken and Broccoli. This baby is everything you love about caprese and grilled cheese crammed into one delicious sandwich. Serve it with salad or soup, and you've got yourself a dinner that's both fancy and budget-friendly.

Recipe: Caprese Grilled Cheese. This recipe calls for a lot of basic ingredients you'll already have in the pantry. It makes six to eight servings too, so you can enjoy leftovers for lunch all week. Recipe: Chicken Noodle Soup. Dal is a timeless classic — and this version is an ideal starter if you've never made it before.

You only need a handful of ingredients, and the whole thing only takes 20 minutes. The original recipe calls for red split lentils, but if you want to get more creative, add some French lentils, too. Recipe: Dal. Black bean patties are one of the most popular alternatives to meat.

They're also pretty easy to make. Recipe: Black Bean Burgers. Recipe: Tuna Melt. Pair it with any greens you have handy! Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Glazed Chicken. Tangy, spicy kimchi or Korean-style fermented vegetables is another way to add a ton of flavor to a dish for not a lot of money.

Keep a jar stocked in the fridge, then work it into fried rice, noodle bowls, or burgers. Recipe: Minute Kimchi Fried Rice. Recipe: Rice Bowl With Fried Egg And Avocado.

Recipe: Southwest Turkey, Vegetable, and Rice Skillet. This recipe calls for only three ingredients, and you can always add a protein to the mix if you want. Recipe: Creamy Tomato Shells.

Recipe: Chicken Pesto Bowls. Recipe: Zucchini Corn Quesadillas. Recipe: One-Pan Pizza Chicken. Recipe: Super-Fresh Cucumber Tomato Salad. Recipe: One-Pot Caprese Chicken Pasta. Recipe: Vegan Creamy Kale Pasta.

Recipe: Greek Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. Recipe: One-Pot Bacon Broccoli Mac 'n' Cheese. Recipe: Spicy Chipotle Buddha Bowl With Cauliflower Rice. Recipe: Chicken and Mandarin Salad With Simple Sesame Dressing.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Coconut Curry. Recipe: Garlic Butter Capellini Pomodoro With Shrimp. Recipe: Vegetarian Sheet Pan Zucchini Parmesan. Recipe: Vegetable Enchilada Casserole. The recipe calls for both whole wheat spaghetti and zucchini noodles, but you can skip the spaghetti if you want to go fully low-carb.

Recipe: Burst Tomato and Zucchini Spaghetti With Avocado Sauce. Recipe: Amazing Slow Cooker Turkey Tacos. Recipe: P. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

A super-straightforward weeknight dinner that you can serve with grilled chicken if you want some added protein. Recipe: Orzo With Spinach and Roasted Red Peppers. Introducing your new favorite pasta sauce, made with nothing more than egg yolks, Parmesan cheese, and fresh lemon.

Recipe: Pappardelle Al Limone. This recipe calls for tofu, broccoli, and sweet potato, but you can always swap in whatever protein and veggies you like best.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Thai Green Curry. Orzo, sliced sausage, bell pepper, heavy cream, and a handful of spices are all there is to this Cajun-inspired skillet. Recipe: Sausage and Creamy Cajun Orzo Skillet. Grab some chicken broth, rotisserie chicken, canned diced tomatoes, ranch dressing, and canned fiesta corn mix to make this heartwarming chicken soup with a Mexican flair.

Recipe: 5-Ingredient Chicken Tortilla Soup. Have toast for dinner, but make it fancy with this mixture of artichoke hearts, spinach white beans, and basil mashed into a creamy and savory spread. Recipe: White Bean and Artichoke Basil Toasts. Don't let the ingredient list overwhelm you.

All you really need to make these fajitas are portobello mushrooms, peppers, onion, and tortillas. Swap the avocado sauce for store-bought guacamole or diced avocado and you've got a delicious meal.

Recipe: Portobello and Poblano Fajitas. Recipe: Spicy Lentil Nachos With 3-Cheese Sauce. Black beans in chocolate muffins might sound odd, but they get super creamy and batterlike — and it absolutely works.

Recipe: Flourless Black Bean Brownie Muffins. I love Homecooked. The sliders are a family favorite - my kids ask for them daily. And I love baking the cranberry orange scones on the weekends as a special treat with my coffee.

so yummy! Shout out to HomeCooked and Claire- my kids love the dinners and especially the scones! Makes life so much easier on busy nights. We LOVE Homecooked. We love their easy delicious meals, especially the enchiladas. We also had a birthday party that was fantastic! Love it! You have a fantastic business with such good food, such great programming for kids, and the nicest owner and staff!

So glad we finally discovered your business!! I'm hooked on HomeCooked now. I highly recommend! The prices are so reasonable and the food is fresh. Half portions alone feed 3 people! I had my daughter's 8th Birthday Party at HomeCooked and it was fantastic. My daughter and her friends had the greatest time and all the Moms kept complimenting me on the great idea.

The kids made calzones and cupcakes and they also made their own special chef hats. It was a really fun experience for all. I just had my 7 year old son's birthday party at HomeCooked and it was awesome!

The kids were engaged throughout the party and the staff made it effortless for me. HomeCooked is such a refreshing break from the bounce-house birthday parties!

Highly recommend!

With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single meals around $9, Mosaic Foods is the cheapest prepared meal service we've tested. Fresh 1. Sweet Potato And Black Bean Burritos ; 2. Chili Lime Baked Tilapia With Avocado Crema ; 3. Barbecue Beer Can Chicken ; 4. Energy-Boosting Buddha 76 Cheap Dinner Ideas That Don't Skimp on Taste · Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup · Hearty Vegetable Soup with Parsley Gremolata · Slow Cooker Mac

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Discounted home-cooked meals - 72 Cheap Dinner Ideas for Weeknight Meals · Inside-Out Stuffed Cabbage · Teriyaki Chicken Thighs · Easy Tamale Pie with Peppers · Hearty Pasta Fagioli · Cheeseburger With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single meals around $9, Mosaic Foods is the cheapest prepared meal service we've tested. Fresh 1. Sweet Potato And Black Bean Burritos ; 2. Chili Lime Baked Tilapia With Avocado Crema ; 3. Barbecue Beer Can Chicken ; 4. Energy-Boosting Buddha 76 Cheap Dinner Ideas That Don't Skimp on Taste · Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup · Hearty Vegetable Soup with Parsley Gremolata · Slow Cooker Mac

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. CNET rating out of 10 7.

Pros Huge recipe selection More healthy options than other budget services. Cons Some recipes are bland and boring. Regional Availability Continental United States. See at Dinnerly Best cheap meal kits for picky eaters Dinnerly.

png","caption":" ","credits":"Mosaic Foods meal delivery service","imageData":{"id":"1cb0d31acfa-a2ea-2ad6b","filename":"mosaic. Pros Food is some of the best we tried Hearty and filling recipes. Cons Vegan pizzas are just OK. Type Prepared meal. Good for Vegan, vegetarian, paleo, gluten-free, low-calorie.

See at Mosaic Foods Best cheap vegan meals Mosaic Foods. Pros A standard plan includes steak and seafood recipes Recipes are interesting and easy to make. Cons Some produce was a little overripe. Recipes per week Good for Vegetarian, low-calorie, gluten-free, pescetarian.

Most of the time spent is waiting while the sheet pan is in the oven, and there are minimal dishes to clean when it's all said and done. What more could you need? Craving BBQ pulled chicken?

Good news—this slow-cooker recipe makes it easier than ever to create delicious, tender, and extra-flavorful pulled chicken right at home with minimal effort.

Get the Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken recipe. Get the Mexican Chicken Casserole recipe. We've all been there: You're craving homemade pizza , but you want it fast —no time to deal with rolling out finicky pizza dough.

The solution? Grab a loaf of French bread , and get ready for the pizza hack of a lifetime. Get the French Bread Pizza recipe. This is probably THE simplest recipe The chicken falls apart and becomes immensely tender, flavored with the familiar flavors of chunky salsa and taco seasoning , and brightened up with bursts of lime juice.

Serve this over rice, in lettuce cups, as tacos Get the Crockpot Salsa Chicken recipe. Tostadas might just be the perfect meal—these crunchy corn tortillas are easy to buy or make!

AND they can act as a vehicle for whatever toppings you like. Here, that means creamy refried beans and a chile-spiked shredded chicken topping, but feel free to get creative.

Get the Chicken Tostadas recipe. Use your favorite jarred or homemade salsa verde to make this extremely easy and flavorful dish. Everything cooks in the same pot for a mess-free and, most importantly, quick weeknight dinner. It's about to be one of your new favorites.

Juicy pork tenderloin seriously deserves its own spotlight. We keep the seasoning simple here: chili powder, cumin, garlic powder. If you want another flavor profile, the world is your oyster: oregano and Italian seasoning, ranch seasoning, taco seasoning , or even just salt and black pepper will do.

Get the Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin recipe. Is there anything better than a one-skillet meal? It all comes together in just 40 minutes with minimal prep too!

Get the Mexican Beef 'N Rice Skillet recipe. We love a classic lasagna , but it can be a lot of work. This easy skillet version instead tosses the cooked noodles in an oniony marinara sauce, dollops them with pesto , and tops them with ample slices of fresh mozzarella and a shower of grated Parmesan.

Get the Tricolore Skillet Lasagna recipe. Coated in crispy golden brown bread crumbs and drizzled with a luscious mushroom gravy, this vegetarian spin on a meaty classic will delight meat lovers and vegetarians alike. Get the Cabbage Schnitzel recipe. If there's one thing we find magical about Instant Pots, it's how quickly and perfectly they cook chicken and rice.

The rice is the perfect texture and the chicken is wildly tender. Camille Lowder is the digital food producer at Delish, otherwise known as our resident queen of recipe galleries.

She loves anything vegan , foods masquerading as other foods hello, cauliflower , and a well-used Oxford comma. Tequila-Lime Chicken Thighs.

Shrimp Creole. Chicken Katsu. Air Fryer Beef Empanadas. Beef Empanadas. Shrimp Scampi.

Discounted home-cooked meals - 72 Cheap Dinner Ideas for Weeknight Meals · Inside-Out Stuffed Cabbage · Teriyaki Chicken Thighs · Easy Tamale Pie with Peppers · Hearty Pasta Fagioli · Cheeseburger With family meals clocking in at $5 a serving and single meals around $9, Mosaic Foods is the cheapest prepared meal service we've tested. Fresh 1. Sweet Potato And Black Bean Burritos ; 2. Chili Lime Baked Tilapia With Avocado Crema ; 3. Barbecue Beer Can Chicken ; 4. Energy-Boosting Buddha 76 Cheap Dinner Ideas That Don't Skimp on Taste · Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup · Hearty Vegetable Soup with Parsley Gremolata · Slow Cooker Mac

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. Get the White Chicken Chili recipe.

Our simple, flavor-packed cornbread provides the perfect base for our shredded chicken , enchilada sauce, and plenty of melty cheese. If you're looking for the coziest weeknight dinner , this has gotta be next on your list.

Get the Chicken Tamale Pie recipe. Bell peppers are strong enough to hold their shape in the oven, and the flavor is subtle enough to go well with just about anything.

This is our favorite recipe, but the customization options are endless —check out all our stuffed pepper recipes here too. Get the Classic Stuffed Peppers recipe.

From the realms of cheesy pizza and bubbling baked pasta comes a new family favorite: pizza casserole. Loaded with sausage, veggies, and plenty of cheese, this easy weeknight dinner has all of the cheesy, tomato-filled goodness of our favorite take-out pizza, neatly packaged in a 13"-by-9" pan.

Get the Pizza Casserole recipe. Craving homemade enchiladas and being in a hurry aren't really compatible since the classic Mexican dish requires many steps and a fair amount of time.

Enter these chicken enchiladas , a quick take on the dish that comes together in one skillet. Get the Green Chile Chicken Skillet Enchiladas recipe.

A classic nostalgic comfort dish , goulash is the hearty weeknight dinner we'll always crave. The best thing about it? Everything cooks together in one pot —even the pasta!

Get the Goulash recipe. Focusing on only 3 key ingredients, our chicken fajita recipe requires minimal prep and cook time, meaning dinner on the table FAST. Follow our classic recipe for our best-ever version or use it as a jumping-off point to experiment with your favorite proteins, veggies, and toppings.

Get the Chicken Fajitas recipe. This sheet pan dinner works with whatever veggies you already have and requires basically zero effort. Most of the time spent is waiting while the sheet pan is in the oven, and there are minimal dishes to clean when it's all said and done. What more could you need?

Craving BBQ pulled chicken? Good news—this slow-cooker recipe makes it easier than ever to create delicious, tender, and extra-flavorful pulled chicken right at home with minimal effort. Get the Brown Sugar BBQ Chicken recipe.

Get the Mexican Chicken Casserole recipe. We've all been there: You're craving homemade pizza , but you want it fast —no time to deal with rolling out finicky pizza dough.

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.

Comparison of the best cheap meal delivery services. How we test meal delivery services. Each service in this article: is in compliance with U. Department of Agriculture USDA and Food and Drug Administration FDA food safety and manufacturing regulations uses a trusted shipper to handle its food products lists all ingredients, allergens, and nutrition facts on its website or product packaging promotes a healthy approach to well-being does not make unsupported health claims on its website or marketing materials.

How to choose an affordable meal delivery service. Frequently asked questions. Which meal delivery service is cheapest? Is HelloFresh cheap? What is the average price for meal delivery services?

Do meal delivery services actually save you money? The bottom line. How we reviewed this article: History. Nov 28, Written By Rachael Ajmera, MS, RD. Nov 14, Medically Reviewed By Alissa Palladino, MS, RDN, LD, CPT.

Share this article. Read this next. Thinking of Trying a Meal Prep Service? These Black-Owned Companies Have You Covered. By Zahida Sherman. Dinnerly Review: We Tried One of the Most Affordable Meal Kits.

By Kelli McGrane, MS, RD and Rachael Ajmera, MS, RD. How Nutritionists Can Help You Manage Your Health. Medically reviewed by Kathy W. Warwick, R.