Since Declan was born I have reduced my home responsibilities to the bare minimum. Grocery shopping and meal preparation quickly came off the to-do list in an effort to simplify my day and reduce opportunities for unnecessary stress and anxiety. So, our solution has been to eat out, basically every day. My psychiatrist “encouraged” me to start eating healthier and he suggested a meal delivery service. So, in an effort to comply and eat healthier food at home more often, we decided to enroll in a meal delivery service.
I was surprised and overwhelmed to learn that there are quite a few more to choose from than Blue Apron and Hello Fresh. So, what I thought would be a rather quick decision, became one of researching which meal plans would be best for us, who recycles, and which companies use non-GMO foods. So I figured I would share what I’ve learned.
The Lay of the Land
There are about a dozen different companies to choose from that each have their own strengths. I have only outlined the companies that deliver meals ready to prepare, not ready to eat.
Blue Apron
- You have the option to choose a 2 person (2-3 per week) or family meal plan (2-4 per week). Simple recipes with pre-measured responsibly-sourced ingredients. $7.49/serving.
Hello Fresh
- There are 3 plans: classic (3-5 per week), veggie, or family (2-3 per week) feeding either 2 or 4 people. There are vegetarian, gluten-free, nut-free, and vegan options. Up to 15 recipe choices per week. Strong reputation. Simple, 6 step recipes that take 30 minutes to prepare. Flexible subscription model. Committed to responsibly-sourced ingredients that come pre-measured and recyclable packaging. Free shipping. $8.74-9.99/serving.
Green Chef
- Offers a 2 or 4 person meal plan and considers dietary restrictions by offering a vegetarian, omnivore, vegan, gluten-free, keto, carnivore, and paleo meal plans. All meals take about 30 minutes to make. You can choose weekly, biweekly, or monthly deliveries. No minimum commitment so you can cancel or change your subscription at any time. Freshly sourced, organic, non-GMO ingredients. You have to pay for shipping. Unlike other companies, you choose a meal plan, but don’t select specific recipes. $10.99-12.99/serving
Martha & Marley Spoon
- You have access to the over 18,000 Martha Stewart recipes. Ingredients are pre-measured and always the highest quality. Recipes are never more than 6 steps. Choose between 10 recipes each week. Specialty diets include gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, low-calorie, and low-carb. Tries to reduce environmental impact by being mindful and packaging and recycling. Offers a 2 or 4 person box (2-4 meals per week). $8.70-9.50/serving
Sun Basket
- They only send the cleanest, organic ingredients. Simple-to-make recipes. Offer a classic plan that serves 2-4 and a family plan that serves 4. There are a wide variety of dietary options- paleo, gluten free, vegetarian, vegan, Mediterranean, pescatarian, diabetes friendly, diet friendly, and 15 minute meals. Environmentally conscious company. You can cancel your subscription at any time. Doesn’t deliver to some states. $9.99-11.99/serving
Plated
- Choose from 20 recipes each week. Meal plans for 2, 3, or 4 people. Considered one of the most flexible services. Strong emphasis on quality ingredients. Meal options include family-friendly, meat, seafood, vegetarian, dessert, low-calorie, low-carb, and gluten-free. $9.95-11.99/meal
Home Chef
- Has you set up a taste profile to match the best recipes for you that can be cooked in 30 minutes or less. The company offers 2, 4, or 6 serving options. Choose from 18 meal options each week. Smoothie and fruit baskets are available. Free shipping on orders over $45. Doesn’t deliver everywhere and has limited options for vegans. $7.99-9.95/serving
Ultimately we chose to go with Martha and Marley Spoon because of the thousands of recipe choices available. Hopefully we like it!
References
Redbook. The Best Food Delivery Services to Simplify Your Weeknights.
Top10bestmealdelivery.com. Top 10 Meal Delivery.
Finding the Right Preschool for You and Your Family
Hormones and PPD: My Journey Continues…
One Step Forward, Three Steps Back
Safe
We just got a few coupons to try several of these so your blog post couldn’t have come at a better time! You should do a follow-up with some of the recipes you picked and show the finished product to all of us hungry friends out there 🙂
Rachel, I really enjoyed this article. I have one question that maybe you know the answer to. On the Martha and my only choice you can order only two meals can you get one of the meals to be gluten-free and one not to be gluten-free? I hope that makes sense. Thanks I really enjoyed this.
Joann Cotellesse
I believe you can. When you select your meals for the week it will generate meal choices for you to choose from. But you can also search for meals through the website or app. Select the filter gluten-free to narrow your search and see if there is a meal you like. I haven’t selected one of those meals yet but my understanding is you can swap one of those recipes in for your meal order.
Yes, you would be able to order one meal gluten-free and the other not. Each week you are given a choice of about 10 meals to choose from depending on which package you choose. It lists all the particulars for each meal, ie gluten-free, kid-friendly, or vegan. As long as you aren’t picky it would be fine, but there would probably be weeks where there is only 1 gluten-free meal choice. But if that doesn’t bother you, then it’s worth trying.