This story has been updated. A previous version included Chef’d, which suspended operations in July.
Home-delivered meal kits are all the rage right now with more than a dozen companies offering diverse menus and pricing options.
Even Amazon is dabbling in the meal kit service industry with help from AllRecipes.com. AmazonFresh offers customers the option to find a recipe they want to make and add the related ingredients to their shopping cart. This option, however, is only available for the most popular recipes.
Walmart in March also announced it would be selling its own affordable pre-proportioned meal kits with recipes developed by its Culinary and Innovation Center.
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But even with the variety of meal kit options available, finding the right service for you can be a (delicious) challenge, but a challenge nonetheless. To help, we’ve put together a comparative list of 10 popular meal kits, their pricing, popularity and perks.
Reviews were collected by Consumer Reports and online Yelp customer reviews.
Blue Apron: The classic, safe bet
Credit: Blue Apron
Credit: Blue Apron
Pricing:
$59.94: three meals for two people ($9.99 per meal per person)
$69.92: two meals for four people ($8.74 per meal per person)
Reviews: This is the most well-known meal-kit delivery option, making it the safest bet for first-timers. The portions are quite large and boxes include high-quality ingredients packaged meticulously.
HelloFresh: Simple meals with kid-friendly options
Pricing:
Classic plan
$59.94 ($9.99 per serving): three meals for two
$79.92 (9.99 per serving): four meals for two
$99.90 (9.99 per serving): five meals for two
$119.88 ($9.99 per serving): three meals for four
Veggie plan
$59.94 ($9.99 per serving): three meals for two, six total servings
Family plan
$69.92 ($8.74 per serving): two meals for four people
$104.88 ($8.74 per serving): three meals for four people
Shipping: free
Reviews: This service is lauded for its simple, but tasty low-calorie meals and thorough nutritional information. Lower than average calories, fat and sodium content.
PeachDish: Atlanta-based Southern comfort
Pricing:
Standard: $50 ($12.50 per serving): two meals for two, four total servings
Mimum cart requirement of $45 for any individual shipment.
Shipping: free for subscribers to most states, but $15 state fee per shipments in AZ, CA, CO, IA, ID, KS, ME, MN, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, UT, WA and WY. Non-subscribers will pay $12 guest fee per shipment to all states and an additional $15 for the states previously mentioned.
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Reviews: Peach Dish offers Southern cooking delivered to your front door. Service does not offer menu plans for special dietary needs such as gluten-free, paleo, weight loss, low-calorie etc., but at least one gluten-free dish is offered each week, two vegetarian dishes in the seasonal menu and two veggie dishes among the changing weekly recipes. Company also offers a subscription service for discounted shipping.
Plated: Popular for its tasty dishes, but pricy
Pricing:
$55.75 meal ($11.95 per serving) for two meals twice a week
$67.65 meal ($9.95 per serving) for three meals twice a week
$79.60 meal ($9.95 per serving) for four meals twice a week
Shipping free for plans over $60; $7.99 for under $60
Reviews: Delicious food, but tougher to navigate instructions compared to some others, according to Observer.com. Also offered: adding up to 12 servings per dish to feed a big crowd. Higher than average fat and sodium content.
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Purple Carrot: Lots of vegan options, but choices are preset
Credit: Purple Carrot
Credit: Purple Carrot
Pricing:
$72 ($12 per serving): three meals for two, six total servings
Performance meal: $78 ($13 per serving): three meals for two, six total servings
Shipping: free
Reviews: The company caters exclusively to vegan diets and those with a knack for creative meal options. However, there are no meal choice options; everyone receives the same three meals per week. Recipe cards come with a newsletter based on the boxed items. Higher than average fat and sodium content.
Veestro: Protein, juice, weight-loss packs available
Pricing:
A la carte option includes a variety of items to choose from such as breakfast, entrees, soups, desserts, juice and more. Minimum purchase of $35 required.
A la carte options start at $10 per meal. Meal packs start at $8 per meal. Juice cleanses start at $6 per juice.
$209-$349 weight-loss plans: three choice options of 18-42 meals.
$99 starter pack ($8 and up per meal): 12 Veestro-picked meals and one juice
$229-$549 21 day kickstart pack ($8 and up per meal): Choose 1-3 healthy meals per day for 21 days
$229 protein power pack ($9 and up per meal): 24 plant-based protein meals
$229 gluten-free feast ($9 and up per meal): 25 gluten-free meals
$229 meatless Monday ($9 and up per meal): 24 meals
$219 lunchbox pack ($9 and up per meal): 20 meals and five juices
$520-$988 wedding prep ($9 and up per meal): lunch and dinner for 30 days
$259- kosher pack ($9 and up per meal): 28 meals
$119-$189 juice cleanse pack: 3- or 5-day juice cleanse pack with 18 or 30 organic fruit and vegetable juices
Reviews: Veestro is unique in that it offers a variety of items and plans at a wide range of price points and dietary needs. Reviewers have raved about the weight-loss plans and diversity in gluten-free choice options.
Green Chef: Fancy organic meals
Pricing:
2-person plans contain six meals per box
Family plans contain eight meals per box
Vegetarian: $10.49 per meal/serving; $71.94 per box, including shipping
Omnivore: $11.99 per meal/serving; $80.94 per box, including shipping
Vegan: $11.99 per meal/serving; $80.94 per box, including shipping
Carnivore: $13.49 per meal/serving; $89.94 per box, including shipping
Gluten-free: $13.49 per meal/serving; $89.94 per box, including shipping
Paleo: $14.99 per meal/serving; $98.94 per box, including shipping
Keto: $14.99 per meal/serving; $98.94 per box, including shipping
Family Omnivore: $11.99 per meal/serving; $104.92 per box, including shipping
Family Carnivore: $12.99 per meal/serving; $112.92 per box, including shipping
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Reviews: If you want to make fancy organic meals or have some diet restrictions, Green Chef offers some easy options with huge portions. Compared to other services, Green Chef meals are known to be lower in fat. Packaging is also recyclable or compostable.
Sun Basket: For the health nuts
Pricing:
Classic menu: $11.99 per serving; 3 recipes per week
Family menu: $10.99 per serving; 2-4 recipes per week
Reviews: More meal options than average meal-kit service. Healthy, tasty meals but no vegan option. Packaging is eco-friendly. Highest-rated by PCMag.com.
Home Chef: Fresh ingredients, simple recipes
Pricing: varies by dish
$9.95 per serving on meals; meals offered in pairs of 2-6 servings; premium dishes sold at market price
$4.95 per serving on smoothies and fruit selections
Delivery free on orders over $45; $10 for less than $45
Reviews: Easy-to-follow recipes with 13 weekly choices. Lower than average calorie, carbohydrates. Flexible subscription plan to change delivery dates, adjust number of meals, etc.
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