The Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services Available in 2021
Prepared meal delivery services are convenient, with most services providing meals that just need to be reheated and relished – so you can save time on prep and cleaning up. Yet, as not all prepared meal services are the same, our expert foodies have ordered, tasted, assessed, and ranked the top prepared meal delivery services of 2021. On this page, we will present you with our verdict and more.

Prepared meal delivery services are perfect for anyone who doesn’t have the motivation, skills or time to prepare and cook meals, but still seeks a nutritious meal. You may be tempted to order fast food, get takeout from restaurants, or reach for the prepared foods available at the supermarkets when you are not in the mood to cook, however, these options make it difficult to ensure that you are eating a healthy balanced meal. Prepared meal delivery services offer ready-to-heat meals that are as healthy as something you would make yourself at home.
The variety of companies providing prepared meals delivered to your home appears to grow year by year. Even meal service providers that focus on meal kits are starting to branch out into the prepared meal arena. Also, it looks like there is a service for any dietary need and want. Some are made for vegans, others are for people looking to lose weight and then there are those for the carnivores. To make your selection easier, we have evaluated all of the top prepared meal delivery services to find out which service offers the best selection, value, and service.
The 5 Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services of 2021
If you don’t have time to read the complete review, check out this helpful list of the 5 best prepared meal delivery services:
- Best for Athletes
- Already prepared
- Meals options for five or seven days per week
- Shipping cost is free
- Ships throughout the U.S.A.
Paleo
Athletes & Fitness
Keto
Vegetarian
Vegan
Clean Meal
Trifecta Nutrition is a great option for athletes who don’t have the time or inclination to prep and cook meals.
Beef Patty, Sweet Potato, Mixed Vegetables Meal Classics Meal
- Prep & Cook Time 0 min
-
Difficulty Level
-
Spice Level
Meal Overview
This meal comes with a 4oz grass-fed beef patty, 4oz of sweet potato, and 4oz of mixed vegetables. The foods come in the same container but are not mixed together. This meal is completely Paleo friendly. The mixed vegetables are a blend of broccoli, carrots, and zucchini

In Your Box
- Grass Fed Beef
- Organic Sweet Potato
- Organic Zucchini
- Organic Carrot
- Organic Broccoli
- Garlic
- Onion
- Parsley
- Black Pepper
Nutrition (Per Serving)
- 310 Calories
- 33g Protein
- 27g Carbs
- 8g Fat
- Customizable menu without any commitment
- 3-5 minutes of heating
- Special diets available
- Dietician-developed meals
- Meals for kids and seniors
Paleo
Kids Meal
Seniors Meals
Low fat
Keto
Low Sodium
Low Carb
Diabetic
Top Chef Meals is a fantastic choice if you’re on the lookout for the best Atkins meal delivery plans in the US. TCM does not have any subscription model, and you can order standalone or recurring meals from its platform. On top of that, they have a vast menu full of delicious and healthy dishes.
Crab Cakes Seafood Prime Choice
- Prep & Cook Time 0 min
-
Difficulty Level
-
Spice Level
Meal Overview
Made with wild caught hand picked lump crab meat, our twin 2oz crabcakes (4oz total) are perfectly seared on the stove and finished in the oven before being flash frozen direct to you. Served with lemon garnish.

In Your Box
- crabmeat
- egg
- mayonnaise
- gluten free bread crumbs
- chives
- lemon juice
- lemon zest
- dijon mustard
- dry mustard
- parsley
- pepper
- old bay seasoning
- extra virgin oil
Nutrition (Per Serving)
- 469 Calories
- 12g Fat
- 1261mg Sodium
- 63g Carbs
- 27g Protein
- 38 breakfast choices
- Cooking time: under six minutes
- FedEx shipping: $19.95
- Cost: $9.00 per serving
- Customized options: standard, diabetic, heart-healthy, gluten-free, and menopause
- Diets for unique individual profiles
Weight Loss
Heart-Healthy
Diabetic
Home Bistro provides already-prepared meals; all you have to do is pop them into the microwave or oven for a few minutes, and they’re ready to eat. Their meals are developed and prepared by a Certified Executive Chef, so you know that you’re getting quality ingredients.
- 4-18 meals per week
- Prep and cook time vary
- Healthy meals prepared by chefs, never frozen
- Chef-prepared meals
Healthy
Paleo
Athletes & Fitness
Keto
Plant Based
Dairy Free
Whether cooking for yourself or your household, we have a flexible plan to match your lifestyle. Need to cancel, change meals, or skip a week? Not a problem.
Chicken a la Vodka Classic Italian-American cuisine
- Prep & Cook Time 0 min
-
Difficulty Level
-
Spice Level
Meal Overview
Chicken a la Vodka recipe for the main dish, chicken breast is marinated in olive oil, garlic, basil and Italian herbs, then topped with freshly melted mozzarella cheese. It comes served on a bed of low-carb zucchini noodles. On the side, broccoli adds a dose of greens to complete this well-rounded dish! It’s an ideal meal option for the keto diet.

In Your Box
- Antibiotic-free chicken breast
- Organic Brocolli
- Zuchinni
- Mozzarela
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Olive Oil
- Unsalted Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Heavy Cream
- Garlic Onions
- Parmesan Cheese
- Basil
- Sea Salt
- Italian Seasoning
- Dried Parsley
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Thyme
- Black Pepper
Nutrition (Per Serving)
- 800 Calories
- 58g Fat
- 230mg Cholesterol
- 870mg Sodium
- 19g Carbohydrate
- 55g Protein
The factors we use to rank top prepared meal service provides
We have assembled our list of top prepared meal delivery services based on the following criteria:
Number of Weekly Meal Options – How much does each prepared meal serving cost? Is a subscription required?
Prep & Cook Time– How long does it take until you can eat your prepared meal?
Shipping Options and Cost – How much do you need to pay for shipping costs? What are the sizes of the prepared meal portions?
Meal Variety and Meal Types– How many selections do you have to choose from?
Cost – How much does each prepared meal serving cost? Is a subscription required?
Note: High quality meats are, for example, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, cage-free eggs, and sustainably sourced seafood. As such, raising or harvesting meat is deemed to be more ethical than conventional farming, and grass-fed beef and cage-free eggs may have better nutrient profiles than their traditional equivalents.
How do Prepared Meals & Meal Kits Work?
A meal kit comes with all the ingredients you need to cook healthy meals to meet your specific dietary needs. On the other hand, prepared meal services deliver dishes to your door that are ready to heat and eat upon arrival.
It is important to know what to expect when you order ready-made (prepared) meals. To begin with, they are likely to come in plastic black trays and are designed to be reheated in the microwave. Prepared meals delivered to your door can still make for a tasty treat, however, many people have noted that they can be less visually attractive than freshly cooked meals. They may also lack crunch and texture.
The best delivery meals are those that feature nutritional information that aligns with your lifestyle aims. Good meal providers should also deliver at a time that suits you and must offer you the level of flexibility you need. Consider all these factors before you choose a meal delivery provider.
Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services for 2021
1. Trifecta Nutrition
Recommended for athletes, Trifecta Nutrition delivers fully prepared meals custom-made to fit various diets, with a rotating menu of vegetarian, paleo, keto, and vegan options. While different athletes have different nutritional needs, these meals provide the right fuel for exercise and recovery.
All Trifecta Nutrition meals contain lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and vegetables. The company also uses organically sourced and imperishable ingredients to ensure quality.
Avg. Meal Price | About $13 |
---|---|
Prep & Cook Time | Already prepared |
Shipping Cost | Free |
Shipping Regions | Throughout the U.S.A. |
Sample Meals |
|
The Bottom Line
Trifecta Nutrition is excellent for athletes who don’t have the time for prepping and cooking.
2. Top Chef Meals
Top Chef Meals are ready-prepared meals made fresh to order with your choice of entree, side, and vegetable dish. Situated in Elmsford, NY, they only use locally sourced ingredients.
Their dieticians guarantee that there are no artificial ingredients, preservatives, GMOs, trans fats, or high fructose corn syrup in their meals.
Avg. Meal Price | About $12.49 |
---|---|
Prep & Cook Time | Pre-cooked |
Shipping Cost | Free |
Shipping Regions | Entire U.S.A. |
Sample Meals |
|
The Bottom Line
Top Chef Meals has a wide variety of mouthwatering precooked meals from which to choose.
3. BistroMD
bistroMD is a ready-made meal delivery service created to promote weight loss. Their menu features many low-calorie options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
They also boast a massive menu with over 150 entrées, letting you mix and match your favorite dishes. So you can devise a custom meal plan for each week.
Avg. Meal Price | Approximately $12 |
---|---|
Prep & Cook Time | Already prepared |
Shipping Cost | Flat fee of $19.95 |
Shipping Regions | Throughout the contiguous United States |
Sample Meals |
|
The Bottom Line
bistroMD is suitable for those intending to lose weight and who can afford the extra cost.
4. Real Eats
Real Eats offers healthy and convenient meals that come fully prepared. This company has a good variety of dairy-free, plant-based, and gluten-free meals on its menu, along with snacks, soups, smoothies, and drinks.
They structure their recipes around high-quality ingredients free of binders, fillers, preservatives, and GMOs. These ingredients are also locally sourced, when possible.
Avg. Meal Price | Just over $10 |
---|---|
Prep & Cook Time | Already prepared |
Shipping Cost | Free |
Shipping Regions | Most of the East Coast of the U.S.A and several other U.S. states |
Sample Meals |
|
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for the cheapest prepared meal delivery service, and you fall within Real Eats’s delivery space, this is a good option.
5. Factor75
Factor meals arrive fully prepared and only need to be warmed up. They feature over 20 meals each week designed by dieticians and also offer a variety of paleo-friendly dishes.
Before placing your order, you can screen the weekly menu to check which recipes are suitable for ketogenic, paleo, low carb, low calorie, or vegetarian diets. Factor guarantees the use of fresh ingredients, and all meals are free of antibiotics, hormones, refined sugars, and GMOs.
Avg. Meal Price | Around $12.30 |
---|---|
Prep & Cook Time | Already prepared |
Shipping Cost | Free |
Shipping Regions | Contiguous United States |
Sample Meals |
|
The Bottom Line
Like us, if you’re always too tied up to cook, Factor is a reasonable and affordable choice.
6. Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon
You can get the best prepared meal delivery meal kits (pre-portioned ingredients for Martha Stewart’s best recipes) delivered straight to your door. Each week, you can choose from a variety of recipes.
Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon invite you to try out new cuisines and original flavors. They make use of trusted suppliers and quality ingredients for delicious, healthy meals.
Avg. Meal Price | As low as $5.99/serving |
---|---|
Prep & Cook Time | 30 minutes |
Shipping Cost | $8.99 |
Shipping Regions | Most of the contiguous US states |
Sample Meals |
|
The Bottom Line
Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon is a simple but solid family friendly option.
7. Dinnerly
Dinnerly focuses on making evenings easier for home cooks, so they offer ingredients and recipe cards for home-cooked meals at a reasonable cost. They keep things basic using fresh ingredients and digital recipe cards. Each of their meals contains different tags so that you can easily search for meals based on your dietary requirements.
Avg. Meal Price | As low as $4.69/serving |
---|---|
Prep & Cook Time | 20 minutes |
Shipping Cost | $8.99 |
Shipping Regions | Most of the contiguous U.S. states from 3 different centers: New Jersey, Texas, and California |
Sample Meals |
|
The Bottom Line
Dinnerly provides a simple and efficient service. Their boxes come in insulated packaging, which keeps the ingredients fresh.
8. Blue Apron
Blue Apron offers meals for specific dietary requirements with an excellent assortment of ingredients. Their meals arrive fresh and come with accompanying recipes made by qualified chefs.
Once you have signed up, ordering is pretty simple. You select your plan based on required serving numbers and dietary needs. Programs come with a wide choice of servings per week. After your plan is set up, you can select your meals.
Avg. Meal Price | From $6.24/serving |
---|---|
Prep & Cook Time | 20 to 65 minutes |
Shipping Cost | $7.99 for two recipes a week Free for three recipes a week and family plan |
Shipping Regions | The contiguous United States |
Sample Meals |
|
The Bottom Line
Blue Apron helps users gain more confidence in the kitchen. While some dishes are reasonably quick to make, the more difficult ones often take time.
9. HelloFresh
HelloFresh is committed to bringing you a reliable and quick food delivery service. They have an easy-to-navigate app that you can access anywhere, anytime. To start, download the HelloFresh app and log in using Facebook.
They do their best to cater to various dietary needs provided you specify your dietary requirements.
Avg. Meal Price | From $7.49 |
---|---|
Prep & Cook Time | 30 to 35 minutes |
Shipping Cost | $6.99 |
Shipping Regions | All of U.S.A. - except Hawaii and Alaska |
Sample Meals |
|
The Bottom Line
HelloFresh is easily one of the most environmentally conscious and eco-friendly food delivery kits on offer.
10. EveryPlate
If you want fresh, healthy, and proper food cooked with high-quality ingredients at an affordable price, you might want to give EveryPlate a chance.
Avg. Meal Price | $4.99 |
---|---|
Prep & Cook Time | 30 Minutes |
Shipping Cost | $8.99/week |
Shipping Regions | All of U.S.A. - except Hawaii and Alaska |
Sample Meals |
|
The Bottom Line
While EveryPlate doesn’t offer many options or cater to specific diets, it does deliver fresh and healthy food on a budget, which is what most people need.
How to Choose the Best Prepared Meal Delivery Service
This article has covered both already prepared meals and already prepared meal kits. When choosing a company that provides these services, you need to consider the following:
Fresh Ingredients: While all suppliers covered in this article typically use fresh ingredients, you should make sure that the ingredients are as advertised when delivered. Any deviation from standard should be returned and brought to management’s attention.
Meal Variety: More established best prepared meal delivery service companies will have a greater variety of meals.
Pricing: The pricing of meals discussed in this article is daily consistent. Be wary of prepared meal delivery service providers who seem too inexpensive.
Subscription Flexibility: Most subscription services allow you to cancel at any time or skip as many boxes as you wish. Should you encounter a prepared meal delivery service that shows little or no flexibility, please look twice.
Customer Service: You should bring any poor customer service to the attention of management without delay.
Summary
Eating a nutritious and healthy lunch or dinner isn’t simple when you don’t have the energy, know-how, or time to cook. When life gets hectic, it’s easy to look for unhealthy meal choices like takeout. Prepared meal delivery services provide a great alternative to fast food, giving you ready-to-heat meals that you can eat right away with minimal effort.
When assessing prepared meal delivery companies, our expert foodies considered convenience and nutrition to bring you a list of only the best prepared meal delivery providers. Now all you need to do is select the meal provider that is best for you and sit back and feast.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Is the Cheapest Best Prepared Meal Delivery?
We have found Dinnerly to be the cheapest best prepared meal delivery, closely followed by EveryPlate.
Do These Companies Offer Frozen Meal Delivery?
Some of these companies deliver frozen meals that are precooked, so they only need to be warmed in a microwave or oven.
Do Best Prepared Meal Delivery Meal Services Allow Customizations?
The simple answer is yes. Many do.
References
https://www.cnet.com/health/nutrition/best-keto-meal-delivery/
https://www.themealkitreview.com/keto-low-carb-meal-kits/
https://www.themealkitcomparison.com/keto-meal-kits/
https://www.mealdeliveryexperts.com/best-keto-meal-delivery-services/
https://www.deliveryrank.com/blog/best-keto-meal-delivery
https://www.thespruceeats.com/best-keto-meal-delivery-services-4766831
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/g25671596/keto-meal-delivery/
https://www.cnet.com/health/nutrition/best-meal-kit-delivery-service/
https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/every-meal-kit-delivery-service-in-america-article
https://www.blueapron.com/pages/sample-recipes
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-prepared-meal-delivery-service#A-quick-look-at-the-best-prepared-meal-delivery-services
https://www.self.com/gallery/10-healthy-meal-delivery-services
https://www.lancastergeneralhealth.org/health-hub-home/2020/march/what-athletes-should-eat-back-to-the-basic-food-groups