When it’s time for a meal and I’m feeling lazy, I always opt to call for a delivery. I mean, who doesn’t want delicious, hot food on the table in minutes without having to lift a finger?

Meal delivery services have become increasingly popular in recent years, as people look for convenient and affordable ways to eat healthy meals. These services offer a variety of meal plans and options to choose from. And with many meal delivery services now offering student discounts, it is a great option for budget-minded students as well.

Check out some of the cheapest meal delivery services available with only one call away:

Pros

• You can choose to swap out ingredients you don’t like.
• Comes in big servings.
• Offers meal kits and meals that can be made quickly or are ready to cook.

Cons

• Does not have as many different meals to choose from as other meal kit brands.
• You have to spend at least $49.95 each week to use the service.
• The packaging of meal kits is not eco-friendly.
• Limited meals. Does not offer meals for people with gluten-free, keto, or vegan diets.

Home Chef offers a wider variety of meal customization options than other brands, including ready-to-eat meals and ready-to-cook meals. It offers a wide variety of meal kits and oven-ready meals that are low in calories and carbohydrates, specifically.

You may modify your food by swapping or upgrading ingredients and even have add-ons on your meal order. This can only be done on Fridays at noon. Note that customizing your order may have an additional fee.

Meal kits come with step-by-step recipe cards that are easy to follow, even for beginner cooks. The cards typically include a list of ingredients, instructions on how to prepare and cook the food, and photos to help you along the way.

One of the cons of Home Chef is that it does not have a wide variety of meal kits that cater to specific diets, such as those that are keto, allergen-free, or vegan.

Based on a customer’s taste profile, Home Chef recommends meals from its weekly list of up to 30 options. If you’re looking for the best meal delivery service for meal customization, Home Chef is the one for you.

Pricing

Home Chef’s pricing depends on your plan type. For example, if you have a plan for 2 meals for 2 people, the serving could cost $6. In addition to the cost of the meal kits, there is also a $10.99 shipping fee. The total price for a week’s worth of meals is estimated based on the different prices per serving, but the actual price will vary depending on the recipes you choose. You can also save more if you purchase the weekly plan.

The Home Chef website sometimes offers voucher codes that can be used to save money on meal kits and oven-ready meals.

Pros

• Dinnerly has a wide selection of meals to choose from, with over 100 recipes available each week.
• Dinnerly’s low cost per meal is made even more affordable by introductory offers that can reduce costs to around $2 per serving.
• Recipes are quick and easy to make, especially for beginners.
• More healthy meals to choose from than other meal kit delivery services.

Cons

• Not many options are available for people who follow specific dietary patterns.
• No fully cooked meals are available.
• Does not provide physical recipe cards, so customers must view and download recipes online.
• Some recipes are lacking in flavor.
• It is difficult to find menus for specific diets on their website.

Dinnerly is a meal delivery service that offers a wide variety of meal kits as well as kid-friendly meals at affordable prices. This makes it a great option for families with picky eaters on a budget. Dinnerly’s meals are easy to prepare, so parents can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with their families.

It provides fewer ingredients per recipe than other meal delivery companies, which helps it to keep costs low. Dinnerly’s recipes are designed to be simple and easy to prepare, using common ingredients that most people already have on hand.

In addition to its meal kits, Dinnerly also has a marketplace where customers can order groceries. This is a convenient way for customers to purchase all of the ingredients they need for their meals in one place.

Dinnerly offers a variety of dietary options, including low-calorie, low-carb, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan meals. These options are clearly labeled on the menu, so you can easily find meals that fit your needs.

A downside of Dinnerly is that recipe cards are only digitally available so people with limited access to technology may have difficulty browsing them.

If you’re planning to eat with your family or if you are a picky eater, we recommend ordering from Dinnerly.

Pricing

Dinnerly is one of the cheapest meal delivery services out here. Its meal kits start at only $4.99 per serving and with a shipping fee of $11.99. New Dinnerly customers can order 24 meals for $1.99 each, and students can enjoy a huge discount on their first order for about 50%, with no shipping fee.

Pros

• Wide selection of over 100 unique recipes to choose from each week.
• Offers options for people with a variety of dietary restrictions, including low-carb, low-calorie, vegan, and vegetarian diets.
• Meals are made with a variety of unique spice blends.
• Provides customers with the option to add extras to their order for an extra cost.
• The company is committed to sustainability and environmental protection.
• The meals are created by a professional chef, Martha Stewart.

Cons

• Not as many options are available for certain dietary restrictions, including paleo and vegan diets.
• May not be a good option for people who follow a strict organic diet.
• Does not offer pre-cooked meals. Only provides ingredients.
• Customers have complained about the quality of the meals.

Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon is a subscription service that delivers pre-portioned ingredients and recipes for delicious, chef-designed meals that you can cook at home in no time. Each week, you can choose from over 100 different recipes, including vegetarian, vegan, and low-carb options. The meals are easy to prepare, even for beginner cooks, and most dishes take only 30 minutes or less to cook. Although some of the meals require a bit of preparation, such as chopping vegetables or cooking meat, others come ready to heat and eat.

The meal delivery service sources its ingredients from trusted suppliers who are committed to sustainable and ethical farming practices. This means that you can be sure that your meals are made with the freshest, highest-quality ingredients available.

If you want to customize your meals to your liking and add more protein to your diet, Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon offer a variety of a la carte proteins that you can add to your order for an additional cost. Other add-ons that you can have include desserts and coffee kits.

The service is also committed to sustainability, and this is reflected in its packaging. All of the packaging materials used can be recycled, reused, or composted. This means that customers can easily dispose of their packaging in a sustainable way, without contributing to landfill waste.

Pricing

A serving from Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon costs about $8.69, with a shipping fee of $11.99. New Marley Spoon customers can save a lot of money on their first four weeks of service. They can get 64% off their total price and free shipping on their first order. A $20 off is also granted on their next three orders.

Conclusion

Meal delivery services may not be cheaper than grocery shopping in stores, especially if you are a savvy shopper. However, they offer several conveniences that can be worth the extra cost, such as saving time on meal planning, grocery shopping, and learning new recipes. Additionally, there are a number of hidden costs to consider, such as delivery fees, service fees, and ingredient markups.

Despite the hidden costs, meal delivery services can still be a convenient and enjoyable option for people who are short on time or who are looking to learn new recipes. However, it is important to be aware of these costs before signing up for a service.