Eggs, canned black beans, brown rice, leftover vegetables from dinner. Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps. I rely heavily on a well-planned dinner menu because this is where I spend the bulk of my grocery budget plus it ensures I'm not scrambling to find something to serve come 6 p.

I'll plan on three easy recipes plus a night of repurposing the leftovers. Because our evening schedule can be unpredictable, I'll pick up ingredients for a pantry meal that won't go to waste if I end up not cooking one night. Make your own menu or try one of our budget dinner plans.

Lentils, cabbage, beef stew meat, sweet potatoes, eggs, canned salmon, black beans. Easy Vegetarian Chili. Baked Eggs in Tomato Sauce with Kale. Sweet Potatoes with Warm Black Bean Salad. Easy Chicken Fried Rice.

American Goulash. I like to plan snacks and treats based on one or two staples or on ingredients that are already part of the meal plan. Smoothies are the perfect way to use up yogurt, bananas and frozen berries, and my kids love them as after-school snacks.

Lately we've been crazy about salted roasted chickpeas, the best one-ingredient snack you'll ever make. And none of us can turn down a square of dark chocolate with a schmear of peanut butter after dinner.

Apples or any leftover fruit , peanut butter, canned chickpeas. Apple-Peanut Butter Smoothie. Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas. A number of our meals this week incorporate a few pantry staples that I often have on hand. Here's what I'll rely on this week. Note: I did not include these items in my budget, but included approximate cost per serving for reference.

With a bit of planning and creativity, you can feed your family a week's worth of nutritious meals for a little more than what you'd spend at a restaurant for one meal. Use this healthy meal plan on a budget as inspiration to make the most of your grocery budget without sacrificing taste or variety!

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EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines. Reviewed by Dietitian Victoria Seaver, M. Victoria Seaver is a registered dietitian and Associate Editorial Director for EatingWell. She completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics and food science and her masters degree and dietetic internship at the University of Vermont.

Victoria has been a part of the EatingWell. com team since In This Article View All. In This Article. Low-Cost Healthy Meal Planning Tips. What I'm Making This Week. Grocery List for the Week. From the Pantry. Sports Illustrated editorial staff are not involved in the creation of this content.

Learn more here. Struggling to get healthy meals on the dinner table each night? Between planning, shopping and cooking, it can be a really time-consuming task. However, meal delivery services can help you streamline mealtime. These services deliver meal kits consisting of recipes and the ingredients you need to cook them or pre-prepared meals right to your door each week.

They can save time, add some much-needed variety to your meal routine and even give your dinners a healthy makeover. This content is meant to be informative, but should not be taken as medical advice. It is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention or treatment of health problems.

Always speak with your doctor before starting any new supplement or exercise regimen. They top our list because of their unique recipes that feature fresh, healthy ingredients— along with their affordability.

Their Signature for Two plan offers roughly choices each week, but they also offer Vegetarian for Two, Wellness for Two and Signature for Four plans. In addition, they offer add-ons and a wine subscription service that can tailor wine pairings for your meals. Reviewers love the convenience and variety of Blue Apron, but some say that they have occasional issues with delivery or ingredient quality.

Blue Apron is a great fit for two-person households since they offer a wide selection of meals for two. EveryPlate is the least expensive meal kit delivery service available, making it ideal for families on a budget who still value the convenience of a meal kit.

Their menu features roughly simple, family-friendly meals each week for households with no specific dietary needs. Most reviewers are very happy with EveryPlate, although some say that they occasionally receive bad produce in their box. Nutrisystem is a comprehensive weight loss meal delivery service that includes low-calorie meals for an individual.

They offer specific plans for men, women, people with diabetes and people over 55 years old. In addition, they offer a partner plan for couples. Their meals and snacks are either frozen or shelf stable, but require zero prep other than heating—with the exception of smoothies or protein shakes that may need to be mixed with liquid.

However, although they can be very helpful for weight loss according to reviewers, the meals are low in veggies and highly processed. Highly-processed food has been linked to several poor health outcomes, including digestive issues, type 2 diabetes, depression and heart disease.

Additionally, because these meals are for individuals or their partner plan for two , Nutrisystem may not be a good solution for families of three or more. Check out our Nutrisystem Review for more information. Green Chef is a traditional meal kit that specializes in high-quality organic ingredients and caters to specialty diets such as keto , paleo, vegan and gluten-free.

Naturally, this focus on high-quality ingredients means that their prices are higher than other meal kit services. Still, their prices are fair and competitive for what they offer. Reviewers also love Green Chef. Note that occasionally Green Chef may need to substitute some non-organic ingredients in your box, depending on availability.

All of these will be clearly labeled. For more information, check out our in-depth Green Chef review. Purple Carrot is an exclusively plant-based meal kit service that offers both traditional meal kits and ready-to-heat meals, making it a good choice for vegan families and individuals alike.

Overall, the service has great reviews from customers, although many say that some of their produce items regularly arrive in poor condition. They also offer several gluten-free options each week. Still, it may not be a good fit for families with picky eaters because the recipes tend to feature bold, regional flavors.

However, they have a huge catalog of weekly options, including several that require minimal prep. This makes Dinnerly a better fit for families on a budget who also need meals that come together quickly. Some of their recent menu options include No Chop!

Low-Cal Chorizo Tacos and Ready Made! Cheesy Chicken Penne Alfredo. Many reviewers love the variety that Dinnerly provides, but they do say that occasionally produce arrives in bad shape.

Overall, the sheer variety of Dinnerly—along with its low price—makes it a great fit for most families without special dietary needs. They even offer some low-carb and dairy-free meals. HelloFresh is one of the most well-known meal kit delivery services.

They offer a wide variety of meals each week, including crowd-pleasing choices and more unique dishes. For singles, a two-serving plan provides a dinner and one serving worth of leftovers for lunch the next day. It can save a lot of money compared to dining out for lunch and dinner.

Other than occasional shipping issues, reviewers rate HelloFresh highly—with many saying that they cook at home much more since starting their HelloFresh subscription. Meal delivery services are companies that ship prepared meals or meal kits to your doorstep each week.

Best prepared meals: Fresh N Lean Best for breakfasts and lunches: Daily Harvest EveryPlate and Dinnerly are the cheapest meal kits with most plans clocking in at under $6 per serving. HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next

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Budget-conscious meal packages - Biggest sign up savings: Blue Apron Best prepared meals: Fresh N Lean Best for breakfasts and lunches: Daily Harvest EveryPlate and Dinnerly are the cheapest meal kits with most plans clocking in at under $6 per serving. HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next

Epicured offers over menu items ranging from fully prepared bowls, entrées and soups to smoothies and energy bites. The brand uses organic ingredients whenever possible. Lab results: Testers were pleasantly surprised by the flavorful meals, even though they were gut-friendly.

Learning that it was gluten-free and low-FODMAP had me prepared not to like the texture or flavor. But surprisingly, it was all very good. RELATED: Best Gluten-Free Meal Delivery Services. At the Good Housekeeping Institute , our food and nutrition experts test and review all different types of food products and services.

From healthy snacks and supplements to food subscription boxes and meal delivery services, we are committed to bringing you the best of the best when it comes to quality, performance, flavor, nutrition and more.

Our experts have evaluated over 50 different meal delivery services. First, we assess how easy it is to navigate and utilize the service's website. We look for robust menu variety, ample dietary preferences to accommodate different needs, simple instruction cards, accurate cooking times and delicious and inventive recipes.

We also evaluate the quality of ingredients upon arrival and whether or not the kit includes everything you'll need to re-create the provided recipes. We also look for packaging that keeps the food safe and incorporates sustainable features. Other major factors are cost and delivery ranges which we strongly consider in our tests.

We've looked at everything from traditional kits that come with pre-measured ingredients to fully prepared heat-and-eat options.

What we've found is that there is really a service for every level of home cook and practically any dietary need or preference. Whether you love to cook or prefer to stay away from the kitchen, there is a meal delivery option for all different walks of life.

Real-life feedback from home cooks of all levels is an incredibly value component of our evaluation process. Testers comment on how easy the kits were to follow, their thoughts on the variety and quality of recipes, the condition of the food upon arrival, packaging and more.

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 well overall with testers. Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living.

She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family. How to Cook Rice in a Rice Cooker. Dinner Ideas Your Kids Will Love. Skip to Content Product Reviews Life Health Food Beauty.

sign in. Best Flower Delivery V-Day Gifts For Kids V-Day Gifts For Women V-Day Gifts For Men Amazon Valentine's Gifts. Our top picks: 1. Best Overall Meal Delivery Service Blue Apron ORDER AT BLUEAPRON.

ORDER AT BLUEAPRON. Best Organic Meal Delivery Service Green Chef ORDER AT GREENCHEF. ORDER AT GREENCHEF. Best Meal Delivery Service for Beginners Dinnerly ORDER AT DINNERLY.

ORDER AT DINNERLY. Best Prepared Meal Delivery Service Fresh N Lean ORDER AT FRESH N LEAN. ORDER AT FRESH N LEAN. Best Semi-Prepared Meal Delivery Service Sunbasket ORDER AT SUNBASKET.

ORDER AT SUNBASKET. Best Meal Delivery Service for Families Home Chef ORDER AT HOMECHEF. ORDER AT HOMECHEF. Best Chef Crafted Meal Delivery Service CookUnity ORDER AT COOKUNITY. ORDER AT COOKUNITY.

Best Meal Delivery Service for One Tovala ORDER AT TOVALA. ORDER AT TOVALA. Pros Great for all cooking levels Wide variety of plans, including pre-prepped options Fresh ingredients and inventive recipes Seasonal boxes available for special occasions.

Cons Premium options come at an added cost. Plans Two or four servings per meal. Two to five meals per week. Availability Delivery in the contiguous United States. Pros Affordable and delicious meals Most meals can be made in under 30 minutes Good variety of ingredients and recipes. Cons Items don't come as organized as other services.

Plans Two, four or six people. Three to six meals per week. Availability Delivery to the majority of the continental United States. Pros Pre-measured and prepped ingredients save effort and time USDA-certified organic ingredients All meals can be made in 45 minutes or less. Cons Expensive Instructions can sometimes be complex, with many pots and pans.

Three or four meals per week. Packaging Most packaging is recyclable, except when it cannot be for food safety and quality reasons. Green Chef uses ClimaCell, a curbside recyclable insulation.

Availability Delivery to the majority of the continental United States with the exception of Alaska and Hawaii. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. Pros Affordable and easy recipes Over weekly dishes to choose from Meals can be made in 30 minutes or less Large selection of vegetarian offerings.

Cons Recipe cards are digital instead of printed. Plans Two or four people. Two to six meals per week.

Packaging The box and separator inside are SFI certified and can be recycled in any curbside paper recycling bin. Pros Special plans cater to specific dietary preferences Fully prepared meals require no prep or cleanup High sourcing standards Meals are fresh, never frozen.

Cons Expensive. Plans Choose if you want meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and opt for either five or seven days' worth of food. Packaging The cardboard box, plastic trays and seal can all be recycled.

Availability Available nationwide, additional fees for Alaska and Hawaii. Pros Choose from traditional meal kits or quick meals Options for different dietary needs Impressive sustainable packaging.

Cons Not as robust a selection as other services. Packaging All packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable. Availability Ships to most zip codes in the United States, with the exception of AK, HI, MT, ND and parts of NM.

Pros Over 30 menu options to choose from weekly Easy to follow instruction cards with clear pictures Items are well-packaged and organized. Cons Not ideal for larger families. Family Friendly: Quick, easy-to-cook, kid-friendly meals. Quick and Easy: Simple recipes that are ready in a snap. Veggie: Vegetarian meals with meatless proteins.

Fit and Wholesome: Dietitian-approved meals that are around calories each. Pescatarian: Fresh seafood paired with seasonal veggies. Pros Many plan options, including family-friendly kits Filter by calorie-conscious, carb-conscious or vegetarian options Kits also available at Kroger grocery stores.

Cons Some recipes can take a while to prepare. Prep and cooking times range from 30—50 minutes. Protein Packs: À la carte proteins boneless chicken breasts, New York strip steak, ground beef, shrimp and salmon filets You'll also find six weekly recipes in Kroger grocery stores from Home Chef if you'd rather pick up the items yourself.

Plans Plans for two, four or six people. Packaging Packaging is recyclable or reusable and also keeps the food at a safe temperature during its journey in transit. Availability Available nationwide; can also be found at more than 2, Kroger grocery stores. Pros Gourmet prepared meals with exceptional flavor Great selection and variety Filters available for dietary preferences Meals are fresh, never frozen.

Cons Availability limited in certain areas of the country. Plans Choose from four, six, eight, 12 or 16 meals per week. Packaging Fully prepared meals are packaged in industrially compostable trays with recyclable components and delivered in reusable insulated bags or recyclable boxes. Pros Minimal prep required Meals come out perfectly cooked every time Options for different dietary needs.

Cons Purchasing Tovala's smart oven means high start-up cost Can only cook one meal at a time in the oven. Plans Receive anywhere from four to 16 meals a week.

Packaging Insulation is made from recycled plastic bottles and can be recycled curbside. Pros Six steps per recipe Wide variety of meal options Everything comes neatly pre-measured. Cons Some recipes can be more complicated. Packaging The box and the vertical and horizontal dividers inside are SFI certified, which means they're made of paper sourced from sustainably managed forests.

The box can be recycled in any curbside paper recycling bin. ORDER AT FACTOR Pros Innovative and flavorful keto-friendly options Variety of prepared meals to choose from Add-ons include shakes, smoothies, snacks and desserts. Cons Some meals are very high in fat. Plan preferences include: Chef's Choice: Variety of healthy chef-crafted meals.

Mosaic uses bold and interesting global flavors and employs creative use of meat substitutes such as tofu, jackfruit, cauliflower and vegan sausages to create tasty and satisfying vegetarian meals -- even for this omnivore. There are some vegan meals, but many of them use dairy products, so vegans must choose their Mosaic meals more carefully.

The bottom line: Blue Apron is a classic example of a quality meal delivery service. One of the original providers of this service, it also stands out for eco-friendliness.

Blue Apron is one of the original meal kit services and it's also one of the best. In fact, Blue Apron topped our list of best meal delivery services for with a wide range of excellent recipes, all for an affordable price.

It's true, you can order bistro steaks and roasted trout dinners with Blue Apron's standard plan, where many services charge extra for those premium proteins. In addition to solid meal kits, Blue Apron is the most eco-friendly service of the major players, according to a recent study.

The heartier meals are great too, like the cauliflower rice and pesto harvest bowl with cashews and spinach. You won't need more than a saucepan, toaster or blender to prepare most of the meals, and most can be made in as little as 5 minutes.

When I tried Daily Harvest , I loved the interesting smoothie combos such as a chocolate blueberry smoothie with greens, banana and almond butter. The bottom line : It doesn't get much easier than HelloFresh. This service has tons of cheap meal kit options, more than 50 per week, and allows you to add proteins or extra servings to keep the whole crew fed and happy.

HelloFresh has as many as 25 dinner meal kits per week, so it is nearly impossible not to find something you'll like. HelloFresh also has five or six plant-based recipes a week, making it the best cheap meal kit service for vegetarians. Over the past few years, we've tested nearly every meal kit delivery and prepared meal delivery service we could get our oven mitts on, and that includes the best budget meal delivery services.

Many of the menu options for the meal delivery services we've listed include nutritious plant-based food or high-protein recipes with lots of veggies and lean meats. To test each cheap meal delivery service, I tried at least four and sometimes as many as 10 meals from any given service.

I always choose a range of meals from the various menu and meal plan offerings. For instance, if a meal subscription service offers vegan or vegetarian meals I was sure to try at least one.

I also mixed up the cuisine types to include pasta, meat dishes, bowls and other various styles offered by the brand. To test the best cheap meal kits, there was another set of standards and protocols to adhere to. Here's more on how we test meal kits at CNET.

The first big decision you'll make is whether you want meal kits, which require some prep and cooking, or a prepared meal service that sends fully cooked meals ready to heat and eat. Prepared meals require almost no time and energy, other than what it takes to actually eat the food, but typically run a few dollars more per serving.

If you're keen on eating low-calorie, low-carb, plant-based or pescatarian food, certain meal kits and meal delivery services are better than others. Our list of the healthiest meal delivery services for is a good place to find the most nutritious options. With almost every service, the more meals or servings are in your order per delivery, the cheaper it becomes per meal.

Ideally, you'll want to determine exactly how much food makes sense for your household. That means it's less of an issue if you order too many meals on your first go-around.

Services like Daily Harvest and Splendid Spoon have meals for similar prices but are focused more on grain bowls and smoothies and might be better for breakfast or lunch versus dinner. When it comes to meal kits, your options are many, and most services provide weekly recipes that are low on calories but still filling.

HelloFresh has the most recipes per week of any meal kit service, so that might be your best bet for finding consistent meals that keep your diet goals on track.

But all services list the calorie content for each recipe, along with carbs, protein, sugar and sodium. Depending on your weight loss goals, a healthy prepared meal delivery or meal kit service can help.

Fresh N Lean, Pete's Real Food and Daily Harvest all have low-calorie meals to choose from. Some of the services listed here are healthy prepared meal delivery services , sending fully cooked meals -- often frozen or partially frozen -- and ready to eat when you receive them.

Others include health-focused meal kits with premeasured ingredients all boxed up and ready for easy weeknight cooking. There's a stark difference between meal kits and meal delivery, but both make dinnertime easier and can translate into healthier eating choices for you in Plus, we sussed out the best healthy meal services for those on special diets like keto or paleo or for those who wish to eat organic prepared meals and meal kits.

Wellness Nutrition. Written by David Watsky. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement. David lives in Brooklyn where he's spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips.

Since earning a BA in English from Northeastern in Boston, he's toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom.

Right now, he's likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or researching the best way to make bacon. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week. Expertise Kitchen tools, appliances, food science, subscriptions and meal kits.

See full bio. Why You Can Trust CNET. Table of Contents Top. Cheapest Meal Delivery Services of What's the best cheap meal delivery service? Cheapest meal delivery services for Cheapest prepared meal services compared. Weekly menu choices available range from simple pasta dishes to inventive global cuisine, with high-end recipes including those for steak and seafood at no extra cost.

Read our full review of Blue Apron here. Why our testers picked Fresh N Lean : With extremely high-quality meals, tons of healthy options and fair pricing, this service was an easy pick for best prepared meal delivery service. Fresh N Lean ran away from the competition, ticking more boxes than any other with healthy food that is thoughtfully prepared, tastes great, looks appetizing and is fairly affordable depending on the plan you select.

Fresh N Lean has five meal plans to help keep folks on track with their specific nutrition goals including low-carb, vegan, paleo and protein-plus options.

The food was all made exceptionally well using simple, whole ingredients. Why our testers picked Pete's Real Food : While it's more expensive than other prepared meal services on our list, the quality of food doesn't get much higher than Pete's.

The cuisine is designed to fuel those following the precise paleo diet, but even those not keeping to the plan should enjoy this grub. Pete's Real Food formerly Pete's Paleo won me over in a week-long taste test of its healthy organic and paleo meals, earning a spot as one of the best healthy, organic meal delivery services.

Pete's meals are all fully prepared and ready to heat and eat. The dozen or so Pete's Real Food meals we've tested were all cooked well: meats were tender, vegetables mostly cooked to proper doneness and all the flavors worked.

If you're in training or keeping to a paleo plan and looking for lots of protein, healthy fats and nutrient-filled carbs such as sweet potatoes and beets, Pete's should hit the spot. Pete's Real Food formerly Pete's Paleo is an excellent meal service if you're adhering to a paleo or whole foods eating plan.

Read our full review of Pete's Real Food here. Why our testers picked CookUnity : This is a prepared meal service aimed at those with refined tastes and an adventurous palate. The best thing about CookUnity is the sheer volume of meal options you can choose from, all originating from chefs -- some famous and some not -- of different backgrounds and culinary styles.

I liked almost everything I tried, with recipes ranging from very healthy to more comfort-style food. There are plenty of options for vegetarians, too, but note that the menu will vary depending on where you live since they pull from local chefs to create the weekly offerings.

Read our full review of CookUnity here. Why our testers picked Mosaic Foods : This plant-based service was one of the best prepared meal services we tried, and not just among vegan options.

I sampled more than 10 of Mosaic Food's plant-based prepared meal offerings and the vegetarian prepared meal delivery service had an astoundingly high hit rate. Mosaic uses global flavors and employs creative use of meat substitutes such as tofu, jackfruit, cauliflower and vegan sausages to create tasty and satisfying vegetarian meals.

While everything I ate from Mosaic was at least good, some standouts included the bean and jackfruit chili, tomato olive and feta ragout and a tangy Thai noodle dish. Why our testers picked HelloFresh : HelloFresh combines, convenience, selection and family-friendly options for an all-around excellent meal kit experience.

HelloFresh has the most recipes per week of any meal kit service we tried making it a good pick for families and homes with picky eaters. This meal kit service's portion sizes are generous and there are meals to fir eating plans and diets of all sorts.

It's also affordable, especially if you order larger meals. Ya know, for a family. HelloFresh recipes are mostly fast and easy to follow, even for beginner cooks.

Plus, they'll allow you to make substitutions so you can always find a recipe that suits your taste. Factor is a healthy prepared meal service and had some of the best meals I tried in all my testing of prepared meal services, including a zesty pesto salmon and a divine keto cheesecake.

Among the hits, however, were the occasional misses, so you may have to learn the menu over time. Factor puts a focus on healthy meals with plenty of low-carb options, and all the nutritional information is listed on the website before you choose your meals each week.

With all the keto and paleo meal options, it's certainly a solid choice for people keeping to either of those plans. Read our full review of Factor here. Why our testers picked Purple Carrot : For authentic, organic, plant-based cooking, Purple Carrot delivered big with a bounty of interesting recipes and fresh ingredients.

Out of all the vegan meal kits I've tried, Purple Carrot's provided me with the best base for cooking vegan cuisine and its ingredient mainstays such as lentils and grains. There are about eight recipes to choose from each week. I tested a full week's worth of meals and enjoyed all of them.

Read our full Purple Carrot review here. Why our testers picked Green Chef : This meal kit service uses almost all organic meats and produce, and offers interesting and healthy recipes for the discerning home cook.

While it may be one of the pricier options, we like Green Chef for its versatility in the different specific diet plans available. The healthy meal kit service also boasts the most organic ingredients of any meal kit service including produce, meats and fish.

Green Chef also offers paleo, keto, pescatarian, vegan and vegetarian meals as well as gluten-free meal kit recipes and meals. Read our full review of Green Chef here. EveryPlate keeps overhead costs low by offering just eight easy meal kit recipes to choose from weekly, which mostly excludes vegetarians and those on special diets, but the eight available meals are full of variety and flavor otherwise.

You can expect a lot of comfort food from this meal kit service such as meatloaf, burgers and pasta dishes but everything I made was solid. Why our testers picked Home Chef : Home Chef is a meal kit service with a sprawling menu that includes tons of low-carb options.

Even if you're not going full keto, but just want to curb your carb intake, Home Chef offers 15 recipes per week with less than 15 grams of net carbs in each. On balance, Home Chef meal kits weren't the best we tried, but the bulk of meals we made took less than 25 minutes and the portions were more than satisfying.

That, coupled with its slew of easy, healthy low-carb options, makes Home Chef the best meal kit service for keto eaters. The first big decision you'll make is whether you want meal kits, which require some prep and cooking, or a prepared meal service that sends fully cooked meals that are ready to heat and eat.

After you've picked between meal kits or meal delivery, you'll want to find a service within your budget. Here we've outlined all the best cheap meal delivery services for Our list of the healthiest meal delivery services for is a good place to find all the most nutritious options.

Lastly, you'll want to hone in on exactly how much food you'll want sent to you per week. Most services allow you to change the number of meals or servings in your plan even after you've started.

With nearly every service, the more meals your order per delivery, the cheaper it is per meal. All the meal delivery services may look delicious in their website glamour shots, but that's certainly not enough to convince me.

To settle on this list of the best meal delivery service I tried as many as we could get our hands on, noting everything about them from freshness and flavor to ordering, packaging and delivery.

Testing meal kits for CNET means rolling up our sleeves and cooking at least one week's worth of meals from each service, often more. How each meal kit tastes, how easy it was to prepare and the portion sizes are all considered. We also evaluate the website and how easy it is to navigate along with determining how easy it is to pause, cancel or change your order at any given time.

To learn more, we have an in-depth look at how we test meal kits here at CNET. To test each meal delivery service, we tried at least five and sometimes as many as 10 meals from any given service.

I choose a range of meals from the various menu and meal plan offerings and took note of the ordering process, recipe variety and information available. I reheated meals according to the instructions. If there were none, I heated them the way I would if left to my own devices.

Often that meant warming gently in a nonstick skillet or reheating in my air fryer. Many of the meal delivery services offer a microwave heating option, but I almost always found that produced worse results than my trusted methods, even if they typically take a few seconds longer.

Not all meal kits are created equally. Some services are much better depending on your dietary preferences, budget and culinary skill level. If you're looking to cut some of the legwork out of dinner, meal kits and prepared meal services are definitely worth it.

The most budget-friendly services cost about the same as buying all the groceries you'd need to make the same meal, with the convenience of having all the ingredients or a box of fully prepared meals sent to your home each week.

That's definitely cheaper than eating out or getting restaurant food delivered, and about the same cost as buying the groceries needed to make the same meals.

In a previous story, we crunched the numbers to find out how much meal kits cost versus buying the same groceries. In reviews and best lists, Blue Apron and HelloFresh are two of the most popular meal kit services for Fresh N Lean and Factor are some of the most popular options for prepared meal subscriptions.

Wellness Nutrition. Best Meal Delivery Services of We've tested and reviewed more than two dozen meal delivery services. Written by David Watsky. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks.

Budget-conscious meal packages - Biggest sign up savings: Blue Apron Best prepared meals: Fresh N Lean Best for breakfasts and lunches: Daily Harvest EveryPlate and Dinnerly are the cheapest meal kits with most plans clocking in at under $6 per serving. HelloFresh and Home Chef are in the next

Availability: New York, Washington, D. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

Fitness Food Health Love Beauty Life Conditionally Shopping. Video Challenges Workouts Newsletter Signup. Save this story Save this story. Shop at Little Spoon. Availability: Nationwide, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Shop at Dinnerly. Availability: Nationwide, excluding Montana, North Dakota, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Shop at EveryPlate. Availability: Nationwide. Shop at HelloFresh. Shop at Yumble. Shop at Home Chef. Shop at Blue Apron. Shop at Spendid Spoon. Availability: Nationwide, excluding Hawaii and Alaska. Shop at Mosaic Foods. Malia Griggs is a writer and editor who joined SELF's commerce team in Budget Tip: Tougher cuts of meat, like the beef chuck used in this easy beef stew recipe, are affordable options that simply need more cooking time to become tender and juicy—which makes them perfect for the slow cooker.

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Develop and improve services. Use limited data to select content. List of Partners vendors. Healthy Eating Budget Cooking Guide. By Victoria Seaver, M. Victoria Seaver, M. Victoria Seaver is a registered dietitian and Associate Editorial Director for EatingWell. She completed her undergraduate degree in nutrition, dietetics and food science and her masters degree and dietetic internship at the University of Vermont.

Victoria has been a part of the EatingWell. com team since EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines. Money Family Meal Planning Life My Favorites VIP Library Menu. Grocery Haul and Meal Plan Series , Meal Ideas. Extreme Budget Meal Plan.

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