There are days when five o’clock comes around and the idea of going home to feed yourself, let alone a family full of hungry mouths, seems like just one task too many for the day. Preparing meals is a task that’s time consuming and labor intensive. Or it was, until the invention of meal kit delivery services.
Instead of worrying about what to eat, these handy services allow you to outsource meal preparation to varying degrees, choose a weekly menu and provide an immense number of additional benefits. Not only does this process save time, relieve stress and ensure you and your family are eating well, it also opens up meal types and recipe choices you may never otherwise consider.
Many people claim meal kit home delivery is the future. After you’ve tried it, we think you’ll find it hard to disagree. Below, we’ve reviewed our six favorite meal kit delivery companies. The options include meal plans for everyone, whether you have a giant family, you’re vegetarian, trying to lose weight or sticking to a paleo diet. There’s also an online butcher who delivers fresh, high-quality meat to ensure you’re only eating the best.
If meal times are causing you to stress out, perhaps it’s time to let someone else worry about feeding you and your family.
1. Plated
BEST FOR FAMILIES
What makes Plated a perfect choice for families is its flexibility. The no-strings-attached commitment allows you to adjust and change your plan on a week-to-week basis, letting you tailor it to your crazy schedule. If your children are visiting friends or you fancy a midweek family night out, it’s no problem. The mix-and-match menu includes an impressive 20 recipes to choose from every week, so there’s always something for even the pickiest eater. All of these meals can be combined with desserts as well. Example dishes include Vietnamese grilled chicken, smoked salmon tartines and Indian butter chicken thighs.
2. Hello Fresh
BEST FOR VEGETARIANS
If you’re a vegetarian, you’ll no doubt have experienced the toils of finding delicious meal options you can actually eat, let alone enjoy. With Hello Fresh, you’ll receive a range of meal options designed specifically for vegetarians. The site allows you to choose between three meal plan options – Calorie Smart, Classic and Family – with dishes like penne rustica with a kick, truffled mushroom flatbreads and ginger soy chicken and bell pepper. Each plan allows you to decide what you would like to eat when. Plus, orders can skip a week or be canceled without any long term commitment required.
Image courtesy of Hello Fresh
3. Blue Apron
BEST FOR PEOPLE ON A DIET
By teaming up with Weight Watchers, Blue Apron is able to offer customers a range of easy-to-cook recipes ideal for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The delicious Freestyle meals include recipes like creamy lemon shrimp & orzo, spiced chicken salad and sweet-chilli glazed salad to be enjoyed in a guilt-free environment. The flexible plan options allow you to change menus each week, depending on who’s eating and what they want. The low level of commitment also means it’s easy to skip weeks if you’re eating out or away on vacation.
Image courtesy of Blue Apron
4. Freshly
BEST FOR SINGLES
Eating alone? Freshly is definitely the choice for you. Freshly deliver one person meals of one serving for one sitting. Each meal arrives preprepared and generally only requires a few minutes in your microwave. This is an ideal choice for people with a busy lifestyle or anyone who generally struggles to find time in the day to cook but still wants to eat delicious food. There are also meal options for every diet, including meals under 500 calories, paleo-friendly meals, vegetarian dishes and dairy-free options. Whatever you want, you can get it with Freshly.
Image courtesy of Freshly
5. Sun Basket
BEST FOR PALEO
If your top priority is 100% organic produce with antibiotic and hormone-free meat, organic eggs and responsible, wild-caught seafood, it’s definitely worth looking at what Sun Basket has to offer. This meal delivery kit offers a range of dietitian-approved meal plans, including paleo, lean & clean, vegetarian and Mediterranean. These delicious yet health conscious programs make eating healthy simple and delicious. Plus, the included flexibility in the meal plans allows you to choose recipes from across the full range, no matter which plan you’ve chosen.
Image courtesy of Sun Basket
6. Rastelli’s
BEST FOR MEAT LOVERS
With plans like “The Beef Plan,” “The Chicken & Beef Plan,” “The Salmon & Shrimp Plan” and “The Steak Plan,” it’s pretty obvious why Rastelli’s is the best option for meat lovers. This online butcher has over 40 years of experience. Rastelli’s delivery plans are available with a subscription or as one-off purchases and can be customized to suit your family’s needs. All the supplied meats are responsibly raised and free from antibiotics, steroids and hormones.
Image courtesy of Rastelli’s
Sarah Morlock
