The Best Weight Loss Meal Delivery

How We Chose the Best Meal Delivery Service

Meal delivery services take a lot of meal planning and grocery shopping off the table, making them a great option for those with busy schedules and anyone looking to take their cooking up a notch. These services come in a variety of formats, with some offering recipes and pre-portioned ingredient bundles, and others dishing out fully prepared meals you simply heat and eat. But even with all the different types available, there are a few key characteristics the best meal delivery services have in common. For instance, the best meal delivery services offer an expansive selection of meals made with high quality ingredients, and convenient home delivery on a shipping cadence that works for you—all at a price you can afford. Read on for a more in-depth look at what makes the meal delivery services on our list stand out from all the rest.

Our Criteria

Here’s what we looked for when compiling our list of the best meal delivery services on the market today:

Premium Ingredients

One of the main differentiators between meal kit delivery services is the quality of their ingredients. The services on our list prioritize premium ingredients—from the produce to the proteins, to the accompanying sauces and condiments. They offer fruits and veggies that have been picked at the peak of freshness, with many offering organic or non-GMO options. Many of our chosen meal delivery services provide antibiotic- and hormone-free meat and seafood sourced from the best farms and fisheries, and provide traceability information so you always know where your proteins are coming from. And many of these companies offer satisfaction guarantees—if your ingredients or meals aren’t up to your standards, the company will replace them or refund you.

Large Meal Selection

The meal delivery services on our list offer a wide variety of meals and flavor profiles to suit different taste preferences. They accommodate various dietary restrictions like vegetarian or dairy-free, and offer meal plans that exclude common allergies like nuts and gluten. They also have options for those with specific health goals—low sodium meal plans to support heart health, low sugar plans for those with diabetes, low carb or keto plans, and even meal plans designed for weight loss. They also offer meals for home chefs of every culinary skill level, and a variety of different meal configurations, with options for individuals and groups or families.

Customizable Menus

The best meal delivery services take into account that no two palates are alike, and allow you to build your own menu to ensure you’re only paying for meals you’ll love. Some even enable you to swap out proteins or specific ingredients within individual meals so you get exactly what you’re craving.

Generous Portion Sizes

If you’re going to pay to have premium quality meals or ingredients delivered to your door, you want to be sure you feel satisfied and satiated once you’ve eaten them. The meal delivery services on our list are all known for their impressive portion sizes. In fact, with many of the services, customers report having enough food left to share—or enjoy at another meal.

Delivery Flexibility

The best meal delivery services offer customers a choice of delivery frequencies, allowing you to have shipments delivered weekly, biweekly, monthly and more. Many also offer you a choice of delivery days or time ranges. And, if you need to pause, skip or delay a shipment, the best meal delivery services allow for that, too, penalty-free.

Reasonably Priced

The price you’ll pay for a meal delivery service depends not only on the company you select, but also on the meal plan, servings and delivery frequency you choose. But the services that made our list are very reasonably priced for what you’re getting, and many are less expensive than takeout. Many offer generous discounts off your first order, and retention incentives for customers, which make them even more affordable.

Environmentally Friendly

The top meal delivery services employ eco-friendly practices and prioritize sustainability. The services that made our list use recyclable packaging when possible and work hard to minimize  both food and material waste.

Positive Customer Reviews

Real customers can speak to the quality, flavor and freshness of the food included, plus the ease of preparation, the delivery speed and the overall customer experience. The meal delivery services on our list have all accrued an impressive collection of positive customer reviews on third party sites like Google, Yelp and Trustpilot. Many are accredited and highly ranked on the Better Business Bureau site and, compared to other services like them, have very few customer complaints.