The Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services of 2023

• Cost: $82.99 ($13.84 per meal)
• Dietary options: Keto, Dairy free, Paleo, Pescatarian, Vegetarian, Vegan
• Meals per week: 6 or 12
• Testing highlights: Shrimp and cauliflower grits, grass-fed beef taco hash

Snap Kitchen’s portion sizes were large enough that we weren't left feeling hungry after dinner. The meals may have been among the least appetizing to look at, but they were all packed full of flavor and yummy ingredients.

You can select individual meals on your own or browse by categories like gluten-free, low carb, high protein, keto, paleo, and vegetarian.

We did notice that in comparison to other options, the cuts of meat were smaller and shredded. The chopped brisket with barbecue sauce dish was more of a hash, featuring the meat mixed into the dish rather than standing on its own. That being said, it was tasty and really brought that barbecue flavor.

What we didn’t enjoy about Snap Kitchen was the packaging. Each individual meal was kept closed with a giant sticker label that wrapped around both lid and dish, and it was always a sticky mess trying to remove before heating.

But cosmetic aspects aside, this is one plan we’d definitely recommend, especially for those people who are following a specific diet or have certain food restrictions.

• Cost: $97.42 ($13.92 per meal)
• Dietary options: Higher Fiber, Higher Protein, Lower Calorie, Lower Carb, Lower Fat, Lower Sodium, Lower Sugar
• Meals per week: 7, 14, or 21
• Testing highlights: Tuscan white bean and tomato bowl, sweet potato quinoa bowl

Eating soup as a meal isn't usually our go-to, but after trying Splendid Spoon we realized we just hadn’t given the right soups a chance.

Packed with flavor and filling—even if, like Daily Harvest, single containers were supposedly two servings—we looked forward to having a quick, satisfying lunch every day we were testing.

Our personal favorite was the sweet potato quinoa bowl with tahini, chickpeas, and shiitake mushrooms. Not only did it taste great, we had several coworkers ask about what smelled so good.

All of the Splendid Spoon meals are plant-based, and they also offer a number of bottled smoothies, juices, and grainbowls as part of their subscriptions. We appreciated that while plant-based, they still packed a ton of protein from other ingredients, so they were more filling than expected and made for a great lunchtime option. Plus all the packaging is 100% recyclable.

• Cost: $109 ($18 per meal)
• Dietary options: All are vegan, organic, and gluten-free
• Meals per week: 6, 12, or 18
• Testing highlights: Paprika spinach salad with baked tofu and hemp hearts, pasta primavera with cashew "parm."

Another option brimming with veggies, Sprinly delivers fresh, plant-based meals that are fully organic, vegan, and gluten-free.

Each week's menu offers six meals, and they're all curated with the help of nutritionists and doctors to feature plenty of macro and micro nutrients. The meal labels even feature fun facts about nutrition, like which health benefits the ingredients might have for your body.

Although we really loved the convenience of Sprinly's healthy, dietary-friendly meals (and their corresponding sustainable packaging), there were a few details that missed the mark. First, we found that many of these meals aren't very filling.

Most of them center around fresh produce, which means they lack protein and carb content that typically keep us feeling full and satisfied. And with some meals only containing about 300 or 400 calories, that's definitely not enough to keep you going on an active day.

Sprinly's menu variety is also pretty minimal; Taking a look at the weekly offerings, you'll likely notice a few repeating recipes throughout the month (or quasi-repeats, like mac and "cheese" with barbecue jackfruit and mac and "cheese" with broccoli and "bacon," for example).

Even though every meal we tried from Sprinly was tasty, we'd probably get sick of eating the same meals throughout the month. And if you find something you don't like, you might be disappointed to see it back on the menu so often.

If organic, plant-based, or gluten-free meals are some of your top dietary priorities, you might really enjoy subscribing to Sprinly. But if you're someone without dietary restrictions—who prioritizes big portions—you might be better off opting for one of the others on this list.

Read the full Sprinly review

• Cost: $90.31 ($30.10 per meal)
• Dietary options: All meals are gluten-free and plant-based
• Meals per week: 2, 3, or 5 days (with choice of breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner)
• Testing highlights: Equinox salad with stone fruit tahini, Sakara-style pasta Bolognese

Beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle blog Goop, Sakara is a meal delivery service with a focus on “clean eating” that features 100% organic, plant-based ingredients that are gluten- and dairy-free, and have no refined sugars or GMOs. Orders come complete with herbal teas billed as “detoxifying,” and collagen-infused chocolates meant to help your skin.

The two salads were tasty enough, though by the second day after delivery, we found the greens to be more wilted than I’d like. The bolognese held up much better and was definitely the best-tasting of the three.

However, tracking down nutrition information was tricky—the winter sun salad’s label frustratingly only mentioned “sunshine” as a key ingredient. We eventually found it on the website, but it took us emailing a customer service rep to find it. (To their credit, they responded quickly.)

All that said, the price is really what clouded my opinion of Sakara. With tax, it cost $90.31 for the three meals, making those lunches approximately $30 apiece. As good as they were, they weren’t $30 good—you could dine at a nice restaurant every day and still save money.

Also, the box was delivered at 12:27 am. Yes, it was within the 12-6 am delivery window, and I had an email with tracking information, but it was strange nonetheless. We’d be wary of this sitting on a stoop or front porch unattended overnight.

The commitment to organic ingredients was admirable, and we enjoyed the creative ways they pulled them all together. If you have the means and are looking for a full community experience, there could be some solid lunch or dinner options here, but it likely doesn’t make sense for most people.

• Cost: $60 ($15 per meal)
• Dietary options: Keto, Calorie Smart, Vegan & Veggie, Protein Plus
• Meals per week: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18
• Testing highlights: Sun-dried tomato chicken, spicy turkey poblano bowl

Factor bills itself as a simple way to eat healthy, with a rotation of dietician-designed meals prepared by chefs. You can sort the week’s meals by low-carb, plant-based, low-calorie, and even ketogenic for those following a high-fat, low-carb diet.

While we love the fact that these options exist, the meals themselves are less impressive when compared to a few other services on this list. There was nothing wrong with them, per se, they just didn’t wow us.

Sun-dried tomato chicken was easily the stand-out—the chicken was juicy and the sauce was flavorful. So flavorful, in fact, that we were left pining for it when we ate the keto ranch chicken with roasted mushrooms, which was relatively bland.

It was also a bit confusing how some ranch-focused dishes came with the cup of ranch dressing inside the plastic film of the tray, requiring you to cut it out before microwaving. Then, there were no instructions on what the intended use for the ranch was—drizzling or dipping? We wish the instructions had addressed it directly, or perhaps included a picture of what the finished product should look like.

Other than potentially sacrificing some flavor for the health aspects, meals were satisfactory and definitely handy if you want to spend more time at the gym and less time in the kitchen. If we were embarking on a new diet, we would absolutely consider working Factor into our routine. But for everyday meals, there are better options.

Read the full Factor meals review

• Cost: $49.75 for the taster box; $69.75 for future boxes (Prices range starting at $5.99 per item)
• Dietary options: AIP, Low FODMAP, Keto, Paleo, Low sugar, Low calories, High protein
• Meals per week: 9, 14, or 24
• Testing highlights: Chocolate and almond chia bowl, sweet potato and wild rice harvest bowl

In a daily routine, smoothies can seem more aspirational than realistic, especially when you consider the prep work and recipe balancing that comes with every batch. So we were excited to see how Daily Harvest's professionally curated smoothies (and other plant-based menu items) measured up.

In testing, they weren’t as filling as something like an egg scramble—even with cups allegedly containing two servings—but they were a great way to start the day on a healthy note. There’s also no chopping involved—just throw everything into a blender and you’re good to go. It was convenient and required very little cleanup.

The fruits and veggies tasted fresh enough that we were surprised we made something so tasty with a cup we pulled out of the freezer just five minutes prior. (The carrot and cinnamon smoothie with walnuts was a favorite.)

We were especially surprised by the non-smoothie options: chia bowls, oat bowls, even soup. Some didn’t require blending at all, only soaking overnight or heating up on the stovetop.

We sometimes had a hard time getting the frozen ingredients out of the cups, but that may have been more to do with my freezer settings. (Speaking of the freezer, nine cups can take up a good amount of space, so be sure you have room before your delivery arrives.)

Overall, while we did crave some more filling protein from time to time, Daily Harvest made healthy, plant-based accessible—no prep work, minimal cleanup, and the cups are ready for you to carry on the go.

Read the full Daily Harvest review

• Cost: $13 per serving
• Dietary options: All meals are vegan
• Meals per week: 6, 8, or 10
• Testing highlights: Thai tofu nuggets with quinoa red pepper pilaf & ginger butter, and gochujang fried rice with shiitake greens & ginger butter.

Another fully vegan option, Purple Carrot is a full meal kit delivery service that also offers weekly prepared meals that require nothing more than a few minutes in the microwave.

When we tested Purple Carrot, we tried a few premade meals to see how they measured up to the freshly made recipes (which were inventive and full of flavor).

The premade meals were a bit different; they weren't filled with as many fresh and flavorful vegetables as the homemade meals.

And many options on the menu are similar, with a grain base (like quinoa, rice, or farro), protein (usually tofu or beans), and some kind of added vegetable. There are also several pasta options with dairy-free "cheeses."

Overall, there were more bland ingredients in these dishes than the meal kits, and some of them would've benefitted from a sauce or added seasoning. But overall, these are healthy, filling options that are easy to bring to the office or heat up during a busy lunch break at home.

Read the full Purple Carrot review

• Cost: $36.96 ($12.32 per meal)
• Dietary options: N/A
• Meals per week: 2, 3, or 4
• Testing highlights: Cheese guajillo chicken and rice, Calabrian chile meatballs

Blue Apron was one of the first meal kits on the scene, but its Heat & Eat meals could use a little more finessing to be able to compete with other premade meal delivery services on this list.

Taste-wise, the meals were mostly good and they reheated fairly well in the microwave. That said, we had to wonder if the fact that these meals are previously frozen is part of the reason flavors weren’t as punchy as other never-frozen services.

The udon noodle dish had a gritty texture that was off-putting even though the flavors were otherwise on point.

Flavors aside, the packaging was one of the more frustrating aspects of this meal kit. Because meals were frozen upon packaging, the cardboard sleeves for each meal got damp and soggy as the meals thawed. It was unpleasant to handle, and caused some of the printed text (like prep and ingredient info) to peel or wear off.

The plastic film covering each tray also caused issues. Without a pull tab for easy removal—and trust us, we tried all four corners multiple times—we had to use a knife to cut a hole in the top and peel the film back. It was tricky to do without burning our fingers on the steam, and felt more cumbersome than it should’ve.

If you’re already a Blue Apron customer, adding Heat & Eat meals to your existing plan is a way to get dinner on the table in minutes, without any prep work beyond punching buttons on a microwave. But if you’re not yet part of a plan, there are likely other options on this list that you may enjoy more.

Read the full Blue Apron review

• Cost: $9.99/serving
• Dietary options: Gluten-free, Keto friendly, Dairy-free, Soy-free, Vegetarian
• Meals per week: 4-10
• Testing highlights: Creamy mushroom penne with baby spinach and almonds, butter chicken with basmati rice pilaf

When we heard that Sunbasket had gotten into the premade meal game, we knew we had to test them out and see how they measured up to other services on this list. We opted for two vegetarian meals, and two dishes with poultry.

Sunbasket’s Fresh & Ready meals are pre-cooked, so once you pop them in the microwave or oven, you’re only six minutes away from dinner.

Unfortunately, some of the packaging that arrived was not microwave-safe. Instead, we had to transfer things like rice and chicken from plastic packaging to my own bowls, before microwaving with a damp paper towel over top. It was a small step, but one that did add some time to the process, making it feel slightly less instant. And having to wash produce like spinach and add my own salt and pepper also made it feel less premade.

The taste of each meal, however, was tops. Each dish was flavorful, packed with fresh ingredients, and portions were substantial enough for a dinner for two. Considering the per-meal cost was less than just about every other service we’ve tested, it’s also a great value. Overall, if you’re OK with putting in minimal effort to take these mostly-ready meals from your fridge to your tale, Sunbasket is a great bet.

Read the full Sunbasket review

• Cost: Starts at $52.45 ($10.49 per meal)
• Dietary options: Vegan, Mediterranean, Protein+, Keto, Paleo, Whole30
• Meals per week: 5 or 7 days, choice of breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner
• Testing highlights: The Vegan and Mediterranean meal plans

When we tried Fresh N Lean, we were excited by the idea of fresh, vacuum-sealed meals that featured seasonal produce and wholesome ingredients. We tested both the Vegan and Mediterranean plans to get a feel for the overall menu, which boasts over 100 options every week—all of which are gluten-free and sustainably sourced.

We love how much variety is offered by this meal service; whether you're on a Keto, Paleo, Vegan, Whole30, or Mediterranean diet, there are plenty of options each week to keep you on track.

Unfortunately, we found a few downsides during testing. Some meals—especially on the Vegan plan—were under-seasoned or lacking balance in the ingredients (think veggie-heavy with missing protein or carbs). We also struggled with the vacuum-sealed packaging, which offered no helpful perforation, and the heating instructions, which were not specific to each individual meal.

Overall, we think this service might be great for folks who are on a strict diet and prioritize fresh, organic ingredients. But if you value flavor over function, there are certainly better options.

Read the full Fresh N Lean review