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Meal delivery services solve both problems. They remove the cognitive load, which for many of us is half the battle, and the good ones turn into something you look forward to.
Over the past few years, between private-chef work, writing commerce reviews, and simply trying to keep myself fed through periods of burnout, I’ve tested more meal delivery services than I can count. Some were forgettable. Some were brilliant. A few were so good they made me question why I ever insisted on doing everything myself.
The range of services available today is what surprised me the most during this process. Yes, there are meal kits designed for beginners, but there are also kits with instructional levels more suited to higher levels of experience. You can now find prepared meals made by award-winning chefs, and vegan comfort food can actually rival non-vegan versions.
Whether you want to lose decision fatigue, cook more at home, or eliminate that 5 p.m. panic-scan of your fridge, the right service will change your entire week.
Click to skip to our list of winners, or jump directly to a meal delivery service review:
Purple Carrot | Home Chef | Green Chef | HelloFresh | EveryPlate | Thistle | Daily Harvest | ButcherBox
The category of “meal delivery service” has exploded so impressively in recent years that it now encompasses several different formats.
Meal kits (like HelloFresh or Blue Apron) send pre-portioned ingredients with a step-by-step recipe. You still cook; they just eliminate the planning, shopping, and measuring. These are great for building confidence in the kitchen or getting out of a recipe rut.
Prepared meal services (like Factor and CookUnity) send fully cooked meals that you heat and eat. They’re ideal if you want convenience without sacrificing nutrition or flavor. Many are designed by chefs or dietitians, and some focus on specific goals, such as counting macros, plant-based eating or fitness performance.
Hybrid and specialty services (like Purple Carrot, Daily Harvest, or Thistle) focus on specific dietary styles, cuisines, or nutritional philosophies more than any one meal delivery format. These can be vegan, plant-forward, high-protein, or functional-food focused. They can also offer meal kits, prepared meals, prepared single dishes, and even grocery or pantry items.
No matter which format you choose, the core promise is the same: meals at home in less time with fewer decisions…and far fewer “DoorDash again?” moments.
Purple Carrot is my personal favorite…and I’m not even vegan (anymore). If you want to eat more vegetables but refuse to be bored in the process, this is the brand I would recommend every time. It understands vegetables better than many professional chefs I’ve worked with. Instead of trying to mimic meat or replace dairy, Purple Carrot leans into the beauty of plant-based cooking: layered textures, bold spices, and sauces that actually serve the dish rather than cover it up.
The West African Peanut Stew was the best stew I’ve ever made from a kit. It was silky, spicy, rich, and filling in that “hug in a bowl” way — oh, and it took all of 15 minutes to make. And it wasn’t because everything was pre-made, but because Purple Carrot finds inspiration in real homecooking from deeply cultural cuisines around the world. After all, the best kitchen hacks are the ones your great-grandmother probably came up with as solutions during tough times.
West African Peanut Stew (left) and Mujadara-Style Farro (right) New York Post The Pesto Cavatappi introduced a new way of prepping pasta to me, with bright herbs and toasted nuts added separately. The textural experience was unbelievable. And the Dan Dan Noodles? Deeply savory, slightly reverent, supremely comforting. Purple Carrot was the one brand where every single tested meal impressed me equally.
Pesto Cavatappi and a Juiced! Lean & Clean Green Juice New York Post The recipes are vibrant, flavor-forward, and rooted in real culinary know-how. What is more, Purple Carrot doesn’t coddle you; it teaches you. And honestly, that’s probably why it stands out to me the most. I walked away after every meal a better cook.
Some of the new-to-me products Purple Carrot had for me to try! New York Post And it’s not just the meal kits. Purple Carrot has quietly built one of the most expansive plant-based delivery ecosystems I’ve seen so far. In one delivery, I stocked my fridge with meal kits and prepared dishes, loaded my pantry with snacks and breakfast essentials, and even got to try new things like Pistachio Milk, which immediately became a new obsession.
Type: Meal kit | Cost per serving: $11–$13 | Best for: Vegetarians, vegans, and flavor hunters
Home Chef feels like the bridge between “I want a meal kit” and “I’d like to actually learn something while cooking dinner.” The recipes are structured in a way that nudges you into better habits, from proper seasoning to good searing and thoughtful pan sauces. And since they recently partnered with Gordon Ramsay, the dishes have even sharper edges: deeper flavor, more technique, more confidence.
Everything arrives in shockingly good condition, with cold packs that haven’t given up (even after waiting hours for me in the Texas sun) and produce that looks like it was harvested the same day. The recipes are doable on a weeknight but still interesting enough to make you feel creative. Oh, and the portion sizes are actually for adults. You’re not left wondering if you should eat a yogurt afterward just to feel something.
Gordon Ramsay’s Fiery Gochujang Chicken Stir-fry New York Post Gordon Ramsay’s Fiery Gochujang Chicken Stir-fry wasn’t the first Home Chef meal I made, but it was my first foray into the brand’s partnership with the renowned chef. Frankly, I was curious to see if the partnership was decorative or the real deal.
I split the two-person meal kit into three slightly smaller portions as a snack for my family, and it immediately became something we had to have again. It was genuinely fiery, deliciously sticky, and wonderfully balanced — exactly the kind of flavor-forward dish that feels like takeout without the associated regret.
Creamed Spinach Smothered Chicken with Mashed Parsnips New York Post I also tried the Sheet Pan Herby Salmon, a classic Home Chef dish. It was simple, aromatic, and (the best part) extremely hard to mess up, even if you’re distracted or cooking at 9 p.m. The Creamed Spinach Chicken was a total sleeper hit — rich but not heavy, straightforward but absolutely not boring. All three meals told me the same thing: this brand has figured out how to feed the masses without leaning on cliches.
Type: Meal kit | Cost per serving: $9–$12 | Best for: Food lovers who want to cook without stress
HelloFresh is the gateway drug of meal kits, and many people stick with it because it’s dependable, approachable, and highly weeknight-friendly. The recipes are streamlined but flavorful, the packaging is intuitive, and even if you’ve never diced an onion in your life, you’ll get through a HelloFresh meal without a shred of existential dread. It’s the most “everyday life”-friendly service on this list.
The brand excels at variety without doing too much. From Mediterranean bowls one week to cozy skillet pastas the next, and maybe a fun taco situation in between, HelloFresh doesn’t leave you bored. Their pantry-based flavor hacks (paprika, stock concentrates, Dijon, cream cheese) make fast meals taste developed, and as someone who cooks and tests products constantly, I appreciate any service that respects its users’ time.
The unboxing of my HelloFresh box. HelloFresh The Creamy Chicken Sausage & Tortellini Soup was an instant keeper for me. It was cozy, filling, and exactly the kind of thing I never think to make for myself but always want once it’s in front of me. The chicken sausage added depth without heaviness, and the tortellini cooked perfectly in the broth, which I respect deeply because bad pasta texture isn’t anyone’s thing. There were other HelloFresh meals floating around my testing rotation, but this one was a star: quick, comforting, and surprisingly elegant.
Creamy Chicken Sausage & Tortellini Soup New York Post Example meals
Type: Meal kit | Cost per serving: $9 | Best for: Busy people who still want/need to cook dinner
EveryPlate is the budget-friendly option in the meal kit world. It’s there when you need simple, hearty, weeknight-proof meals that won’t make your bank account flinch. But affordable does not mean boring here. The brand delivers reliable comfort food, easy prep steps, and large, satisfying portions built for real household appetites.
EveryPlate menus I recommend it constantly to families because it cuts out the noise, with non-complicated steps, no specialty ingredients, and no “wait, what even is this?” pantry items.
Pecan-Crusted Salmon Over Sweet Potato Risotto The Pecan-Crusted Salmon Over Sweet Potato Risotto surprised me. The salmon was well-trimmed, the pecan crust toasted beautifully, and the sweet potato risotto felt like something you’d get at a restaurant that still uses candlelight. EveryPlate isn’t trying to win Michelin stars, but the meal showed me that the brand can punch well above its price point when it wants to.
Type: Meal kit | Cost per serving: $4.99–$6.50 | Best for: Families and budget-conscious cooks
Green Chef is the meal kit for people who want cleaner eating but refuse to give up flavor. It was the first meal kit to get certified organic, and the emphasis on whole ingredients, produce quality, and well-balanced meals is obvious from the moment you open the box. Everything feels premium — down to the pre-prepped veggies that save you time without compromising texture.
The process of creating Cajun Steak & Shrimp Over Dirty Rice New York Post Their menus lean global, fresh, bright, and protein-forward. If EveryPlate is comfort food and HelloFresh is the weeknight workhorse, Green Chef is the wellness-inspired meal kit that genuinely tastes like something you’d order at a nice cafe.
