These Meal Kits May Be Cheap, but They Still Performed Well in Our Tests (2024)

Rated as our best overall cheap meal delivery kit, Dinnerly strikes the perfect balance of affordability and inventive, delicious meals. The service keeps costs down by opting for digital recipe cards instead of paper and utilizing fewer ingredients per dish (which means less chopping and cleaning for you). The packaging is simple, but the meals are top-notch and start at $4.99 per portion.

How it works: You'll begin by building a box for two or four people and selecting from two to six meals per week. You can opt to make the box vegetarian too. The menu is robust, allowing you to choose from over 100 recipes each week that include family-friendly offerings, vegetarian and vegan fare, reduced-carb options and more. Everything is designed to be prepared in 30 minutes or less with no more than six ingredients. There is a flat shipping fee of $11.99 per order.

Lab results: Our experts were very impressed with the variety and quantity of meals that Dinnerly offers, and they appreciate that the brand is able to remain affordable without sacrificing flavor or quality. Testers were really impressed with the abundance of meals to choose from and just how tasty they were. "My family and I really enjoyed the meals!" said one tester. "We were all very satisfied — the meals were filling, tasted good and were out of the realm of what we would normally choose."

The recipes were “easy to follow and delicious” according to another tester, and they allowed for some to get out of their comfort zone and experiment with dishes they would normally not prepare themselves like Ground Pork Bank Mi, Za'atar Crushed Fish and Indian Veggie Masala.

But testers did note that some items came un-bagged in the box and that even though the recipes require only six fresh ingredients, you'll often need to work in a few basic additional items of your own. "It seemed like we also had to provide a lot of ingredients from our own pantry," a tester commented. That said, you can see in advance what ingredients they will send and what you'll need to have on hand. Many also noted that they would have preferred printed recipe cards, though Dinnerly does give you the option to print the recipe yourself at home. You'll also find only basic nutrition information like calories and macronutrients on the recipes.

The most inexpensive meal delivery kit out there, EveryPlate was launched by the popular HelloFresh a few years ago as a budget-friendly alternative. Servings start at $4.99 and only go up to $7.49 maximum, so you don't have to worry about breaking the bank if you are only ordering for two people. The company is able to keep costs down by using less packaging and simple, accessible ingredients.

How it works: Choose from either a two-person or four-person plan with three to six meals per week. A menu of 26+ recipes rotates weekly, and you'll begin by choosing your meal plan preference of Meat & Veggie, Veggie, Family Faves, Quick and Easy or Nutrish & Delish. Add-ons like sides and desserts are also available, and there is a flat shipping fee of $10.99 per order.

Lab results: Even though EveryPlate was the cheapest meal delivery kit we tested, both our experts and testers gave it top scores across the board. When it comes down to pricing, our experts point out that even if you order only three meals for two people (the smallest amount you can get from the service in a shipment), the price still comes out to less than $8 a serving, which is lower the vast majority of other meal delivery services on the market. Although the offerings lean more toward the comfort-food side, our dietitians noted that it easy to find the nutrition facts for each meal readily available on the website.

More expensive services will package the food in individual bags or containers, but the food from EveryPlate doesn't come particularly well-organized in the box. This was one of the few complaints from testers, as some of the items were scattered around the box in transit. Some testers also said that certain meals took longer to prepare than the time stated on the recipe cards. That being said, the meals are great value for the price, and testers loved how easy they were to prepare. "I felt like the serving sizes in this kit were more generous than others. I also found the cooking instructions less complicated," a tester commented. Another said, "I like that EveryPlate has simple directions and comes with everything you need (even stock packets) to get your meal going." And unlike Dinnerly, EveryPlate does include printed instruction cards with step-by-step pictures to follow along.

This delivery service has been popular in the meal kit game since 2011 and focuses on easy-to-follow recipes. HelloFresh did launch our Best Value pick, EveryPlate, a few years ago, but the flagship brand still provides an incredible meal delivery kit at a fairly reasonable price: as low as $8.99 per serving. On its website, HelloFresh shares its own 10-week price comparison study analyzing customers' costs versus the cost of shopping at nationwide grocery stores and found that HelloFresh is significantly cheaper than grocery shopping.

How it works: Choose a plan for two or four people and from two to six meals per week. You'll have the opportunity to also select your meal plan preference from one of six options which include Meat & Veggies (the most popular), Veggie, Family Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick & Easy and Pescatarian. Upgrades and add-ons are available as well, and there are over 100 weekly menu options.A flat shipping fee of $10.99 is added to every order.

Lab results: HelloFresh provides a solid meal delivery kit, with everything neatly packed into little bags with separators making the experience feel very organized and seamless. The packaging in general also proved superior to other services we tested in terms of both performance and sustainability. Our experts like that full nutrition information and entire recipes are available on the site so you can get a preview before you commit to a particular meal. Allergens are listed per meal as well.

Testers appreciated the number of recipes, with one saying, "I liked that it seemed to have a lot of variety of meals to choose from." Portion sizes were rated well, and testers loved how easy the recipes were to make with clear pictures for each step — perfect for beginner cooks who are looking to get more comfortable in the kitchen. One tester said, "It allowed me to try new foods, minimize food waste and save time planning meals for the week." Another reported that HelloFresh was "a great way to experience fancy recipes without needing to know new techniques."

Rated as our best overall meal delivery kit, Blue Apron offers high-quality ingredients, inventive recipes and lots of options for different dietary needs, including WW. But the service is also quite affordable, coming in as low as $7.99 per serving.

How it works: Choose to feed two or four people, and select from two to four meals per week. Pick from over 70 weekly menu options and specify preferences for your plan including: Chef Favorites, Wellness, Family Friendly, Fast & Easy and Veggies. Their signature chef's faves menu offers a mix of meat, fish and WW-recommended recipes; the vegetarian menu highlights meat-free dishes with seasonal produce and the wellness menu focuses on balanced meals approved by nutritionists and WW-recommended dishes. There is a flat shipping fee of $9.99 per order, which is something to note but is less than other services.

Lab results: Everything in the kits came well packaged in little bags to keep things organized. Full nutrition facts labels are available on the site, along with the complete recipes and ingredient lists. Our registered dietitians also loves the variety of WW-recommended meals for those trying to get creative in the kitchen and still manage their dietary goals. Everything is packaged well, but only 85% of the packaging is recyclable by weight, though the brand does have detailed instructions on how to properly recycle the materials on its website.

Both our pros and testers agree that the ingredients are fresh and high-quality, with testers giving the service rave reviews and noting that the recipes were creative and full of flavor. The recipe cards offered simple step-by-step instructions, and the meals had substantial portions. "Blue Apron is a solution for busy people who like to explore new recipes and ingredients," said one tester. "It's adventurous without being extreme. The ingredients are perfectly measured, packaged well and fresh." Another said, "It'd be great for anyone struggling to find dinner ideas and anyone feeling overwhelmed with grocery shopping and cooking."

Home Chef offers boxes that feed up to six people per meal, which is more than other services. And while other services require you to order a ton of meals to unlock their lowest pricing, you'll have to order only two meals for a family of four to get their lowest cost per serving of $9.99. They provide plans that include both pre-portioned ingredients with easy-to-follow cooking instructions, as well as low- or no-prep meals for busy families.

How it works: Users begin the process by taking an online quiz to determine which meal plan is the best for them, including answering questions on any dietary preferences and restrictions. There are over 30 weekly meal options to choose from plus 18 extras, and users can subscribe to deliveries online (note there is a $10.99 shipping per delivery) or purchase kits at Kroger grocery stores nationwide. There are a variety of options to choose from: Meal Kits (easy recipes with pre-portioned ingredients to be made in about 30 minutes), Express Meal Kits (15 minutes), Oven Ready, Grill Ready, Culinary Collection and Fast & Fresh (just need to be heated in the oven or microwave).

Lab results: Our experts love just how many different meal kit options Home Chef offers, whether you're looking to get something on the table fast for the family or want to indulge in a more special premium cooking experience. And you don't have to order a crazy number of meals to unlock their lowest pricing. While it may not be the lowest-cost meal delivery kit on the list, it's definitely less than other big names out there, and the quality is top-notch. You can check to see what items you'll need to have on hand for each meal and also get full nutrition facts readily available for every recipe on their website, but our registered dietitians do point out that the sodium content is very high on some of the meals.

Not only did 100% of testers say this service encouraged them to try dishes they would not normally prepare themselves, but they were also very impressed with the quality and freshness of the ingredients and just how easy and quick the meals were to make. "The flavor and the ingredients were all top quality, and it was easy to cook the meals. Great taste! I was very pleased," a tester said. Another commented, "It's always hard to find new dinner ideas; these are a perfect variety to keep everyone in your family happy and full."

Those looking for more plant-based fare will appreciate the hearty vegetarian offerings from Mosaic. You'll find everything from veggies and pizzas to smoothies, soups and oat bowls. The brand uses high-quality ingredients, choosing organic and local options when possible.

How it works: Start by selecting your plan, which includes six, 12 or 18 options per box (you'll get more savings the more you order). Then fill your box with a variety of plant-based breakfast, lunch and dinner options. Meal filters include vegetarian, vegan, wheat-free, nut-free and high-protein. Select what you'd like or have Mosaic build a box for you based on customer favorites. You'll then determine how often you'd like to receive deliveries, ranging from weekly to monthly. Their new Mosaic+ meals are crafted with some of the top chefs and restaurants in NYC for high-quality plant-based meals. All of the meals are delivered frozen with free shipping on 12 and 18 item boxes.

Lab results: Full nutrition facts, ingredients and heating/preparation instructions are available for each item, which our nutritionists really appreciated, noting specifically how impressed they were with the wholesome ingredient lists. The family meals average about $4.99 per serving, which is a great budget-friendly solution for busy weeknights.

Testers were impressed with how tasty the veggie-forward meals were, with one saying, "Delicious! So flavorful for frozen meals. We were impressed. Made eating plant-based so easy." Another tester said, "I found the flavors to be delicious and was surprised at how fresh the food tasted." Testers also appreciated that the service had options for meals at any time of day. "The meal kits I've tried in the past were dinner-focused, so I've never tried one that had lunch or breakfast items," one tester commented. "It was really exciting to have a fresh, nutrient-packed smoothie and oats bowl waiting for me in the morning."

At the Good Housekeeping Institute, we test all types of food products and services, from healthy snacks and supplements to food subscription boxes and meal delivery services. Our experts are committed to bringing you the best of the best when it comes to quality, performance, flavor, nutrition and more.

In our most recent study of meal delivery services, we recruited more than 280 at-home testers across the nation, while our in-house experts also tested the services in our Labs. All in all, we evaluated over 40 different meal delivery services, ranging from traditional kits that come with pre-measured ingredients and a follow-along recipe card to fully prepared options.

We tested the services over the course of three months. For each service, we tried a total of 15 or more meals across our experts and testers. We are currently and constantly testing new offerings in this category to keep readers up-to-date. In the end, we made our selections based on expert evaluations and tester feedback in the categories of overall satisfaction, food quality, cost, recycling efforts and availability.

Our top picks cater to a wide variety of dietary preferences, including gluten-free, low-carb, high-protein and more. Although taste is subjective, we ultimately chose companies that scored high points overall with testers.

When finding the best meal delivery service to fit into your lifestyle and budget, there are a few key things to consider:

✔️ Service type: Are you looking for a traditional meal kit where you follow a recipe and cook all of the food yourself, or do you need meals that are fully prepared and can be simply heated up or even eaten straight from the container? There are also options that fall in between: Food is partially prepped and requires minimal extra work to get a balanced meal on the table quickly.

✔️ Servings: Are you cooking for a large family, or do you prefer a meal for two people? You'll want to take a look at the plans the different services offer and keep in mind that while some services may start at a low price that is for a large order. You'll typically be able to check the price ahead of ordering, so you can see how much it will cost for your specific needs and servings per week. If you are cooking for more than four people, check to make sure the service will accommodate your family, as some services only serve a max of four people per meal.

✔️ Fresh or frozen: Although many of our picks gravitate towards fresh services, our pros say it's smart to reconsider frozen options too. Frozen meals can avoid waste whereas fresh options can spoil if not eaten immediately. Most services allow you to skip a week and adjust your plan along the way, which can be a strategy to help keep costs down if you can't use the food quickly.

✔️ Dietary preferences: If you have any special dietary preferences and restrictions, you'll want to keep this in mind and make sure that the service you choose offers enough variety to meet your individual needs. Some options, like Dinnerly, have robust vegetarian menus, for example, whereas other services may offer only a handful of vegetarian meals to choose from each week. Certain services will let you customize further and swap out proteins, which can be beneficial.

✔️ Additional discounts: With most services, note that costs per serving tend to go down as you sign up for more meals or servings. Most services will give you a discount on the first box and additional discounts if you are a first responder or in the military. And if you know a friend or family member who is using the service, you may both get a discount for the referral.

Some meal delivery services can be pricey — and most also involve shipping fees. But it's worth keeping in mind that they also tend to be healthier and less expensive than takeout. There's also the benefit of skipping a trip to the grocery store and not having to spend time coming up with meal ideas and hunting for recipes. Many meal kits offer assistance with meal prepping, chopping and more, cutting down on prep time too. You'll also get the opportunity to learn new cooking techniques and try new foods that may not be in your regular mealtime rotation.

If you'd rather not bust out all your pots and pans every night, prepared meal delivery services can also offer a smart solution. While prepared options do come at a premium, you're ultimately paying for the convenience, which may be worth it for you. These types of melas are typically comparable with the cost of takeout but have one standard shipping fee since the meals come together.

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