There’s a multitude of meal delivery options available in today’s market. One notable choice is a prepared meal delivery service, where professionally cooked meals are carefully packaged and conveniently delivered to your home. You can enjoy these meals right away or store them in your fridge for later. These offerings often boast delicious and nutritionally balanced options, depending on your personal preferences.

Factor is a meal delivery service known for its fresh, dietitian-designed meals, receiving high praise from subscribers for their exceptional flavors and quality.

Price: starts at $10.99–$13.49 per serving

Shipping: $10.99

Pros

• Utilizes pasture-raised, grass-fed ingredients free of gluten, antibiotics, hormones, soy, and genetically modified organisms.
• Meals are free from refined sugar.
• Offers add-ons like extra protein, snacks, and soups.
• Meals are delivered in recyclable containers.
• Provides options catering to various diets such as keto, vegetarian, and gluten-free.

Cons

• Higher costs compared to similar services might not fit everyone’s budget.
• Limited variety for vegetarians might limit choices.
• Lack of support in developing cooking skills due to the fully prepared meals.
• Certain meals might contain elevated sodium levels, which could impact individual dietary preferences or restrictions.

Factor’s meal selections encompass lunches and dinners, with limited offerings in breakfast, snacks, and drinks. Users can swiftly heat Factor meals in the oven or microwave in just a few minutes. Subscribers, regardless of their weekly meal quantity, have the option to filter their choices based on preferences like veggie, vegan, keto, calorie-smart, and chef’s choice.

Factor offers the flexibility to choose the number of meals per week, ranging from six to 18. Choosing a higher meal quantity results in more discounts on the price. Also, Factor rotates their menus weekly to make sure that customers can have some variety in the meals that they choose from.

Home Chef

Price: Starts at $10 per serving

Shipping Fee: $10.99

Pros

• Effortlessly avoid specific ingredients such as mushrooms, shellfish, and sesame
• Access to Express meal kits that require just 15 minutes to prepare
• Ongoing discounts for nurses, teachers, first responders, and other local heroes

Cons

• No option to specify a particular delivery time window
• Required to provide billing details before viewing meal options

Home Chef is the go-to solution for busy families pressed for time or lacking culinary expertise. It’s a versatile service designed to cater to the picky eater who avoids mushrooms and the partner with an insatiable craving for extra protein.

Home Chef offers its members the flexibility to personalize their meal deliveries by doubling preferred proteins or exchanging meals. The company provides a range of Express, Oven-Ready, and Fast and fresh meals, all meticulously prepped, perfectly portioned, and primed to satisfy your family’s hunger in just 15 minutes.

Fresh and Easy

Price: Starts at $7.99 per serving

Shipping Fee: $8.99

Pros

• Offers oven and grill-friendly dishes
• Diverse selection of healthy meal options
• Free shipping available for the majority of orders

Cons

• Limited variety in meal selections

Fresh and Easy crafts personalized meal kits for effortless preparation and ideal portioning, ensuring you avoid overindulgence. With professionally prepped meals that are both swift and fresh, a well-functioning oven is all you need to savor a healthy, delicious meal fit for royalty within minutes.

Fresh and Easy meals satisfy to your palate from morning to night. Whether you desire grill-ready options or fully prepped bowls of veggies and proteins, your cravings are swiftly met. The menu is tailored to your individual tastes and weight management aspirations. You can explore the Fresh and Easy sample menu on their website for a glimpse of the offerings.

Dinnerly

Price: starts at $4.99 per serving

Shipping Fee: $11.99

Pros

• Outstanding value for money
• Well-balanced menu options
• Simple and easy meal preparation

Cons

• Relies more on ingredients from your pantry compared to other services
• Some might find the dishes too basic

Dinnerly stands out as one of the most cost-effective meal delivery services available. Despite its remarkably low prices, its meal kits are expertly designed and flavorful. Starting at just $4.99 per serving, you can relish delicious meals without straining your budget. Astonishingly, Dinnerly’s menu offers a wider variety compared to pricier competitors, presenting over 100 items to choose from each week.

However, Dinnerly’s budget-friendly approach does come with trade-offs. Certain dishes may appear overly basic, with minimal ingredients, and there might be limited options for specific diets like keto. Moreover, compromises such as completely digital recipe cards are noteworthy, although they might be satisfactory for some.

Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon

Price: Starts at $9 per serving

Shipping Fee: $11.99

Pros

• Only basic pantry staples required to complete the meals at home
• Over 100 recipes offered weekly
• Family-friendly meals catering to various food preferences

Cons

• Meal plans are limited to four people max

Offering fresh, never-frozen ingredients—easily viewed through the website’s Ingredient Hub—and incorporating Martha Stewart’s exclusive spice blends for distinctive flavors, this service eliminates the need for several grocery store runs. It guarantees that the meals served are nutritiously well-balanced yet still delicious.

Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon empowers older kids to actively engage in meal planning and preparation. Each recipe, spanning only six steps, comes with detailed instructions and visual aids through photographs, serving as a platform for life lessons and fostering self-sufficiency.

Tempo

Price: Starts at $11

Shipping Fee: $10.99

Pros

• Personalized meal suggestions catering to individual preferences
• Convenient plastic food containers for easy storage
• Eliminates the need for cleanup

Cons

• Limited variety for vegetarians in the menu options
• Emphasis on protein-rich meals may limit choices for certain dietary preferences
• Small selection of meals offered

Tempo offers a weekly array of 12 single-serving, ready-to-heat meals, each nutrient-dense with ample protein (many dishes providing 30g per serving) and vegetables to keep you feeling satisfied with wholesome nourishment. These delicious meals have a low-calorie count without compromising on the taste, with most servings hitting under 600 calories,

The ingredients used are fresh and of top quality, ensuring that each recipe incorporates at least half a plate of delectable veggies—equivalent to half a cup cooked or a full cup uncooked. The remaining portion is divided between animal or plant-based proteins and starches.

EatClean

Price: Starts at $9.60

Shipping Fee: $9.99

Pros

• Offers a weekly commitment instead of a monthly one
• No prepping or cooking is necessary
• Cost-effective compared to similar services

Cons

• Limited delivery, not available nationwide
• Non-refundable policy for all purchases

Eat Clean operates as a weekly meal delivery service where a chef prepares the meals for you. Instead of receiving a box of ingredients with instructions, all you need to do is warm up your meal in the microwave or oven, and dinner is ready in as little as three minutes.

Eat Clean presents an array of delectable vegan meal options. Among the plant-based menu favorites are the hazelnut pancakes with fresh fruit, the sweet chili tofu with brown rice, and the fettuccini in portobello sauce with broccolini.

Bottomline

Meal kits convenience can be a game-changer, especially for busy working parents who value the significance of shared family mealtimes. These services not only offer diverse meal options but also streamline the preparation process, making it easier for families to come together and enjoy quality meals without the stress of extensive cooking or planning.