Best Meal Kit Delivery Services for Busy People (Based on Real Testing!)

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Wondering what the best meal delivery service is for your budget, taste, or special diet? We’ve put in the legwork to find out!

Meal delivery kits are more popular than ever, and it’s easy to see why! With pre-measured ingredients and ready-to-follow recipes, you get more family time and less prep!

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the options, we’ve rounded up the best kits for your taste and budget! (Psst! Most are team-tested and packed with exclusive discounts!)

Here are our top picks for the best meal kit delivery service:

  1. Everyplatemost affordable
  2. Home Chefbest for families 
  3. HelloFresh – best overall 
  4. Factorbest keto
  5. Purple Carrotbest vegan
  6. Gobble best under 15 minutes
  7. Green Chefbest organic
  8. Blue Apronmost healthy 
  9. Martha Stewart X Marley Spoonbest tasting

1. EveryPlate offers one of the most affordable meal kit services with delicious, no-frills meals.

everyplate box with food out

EveryPlate – as low as $1.99 shipped per serving in a 4-person box with 5 recipes.


How to save: New EveryPlate customers can enjoy $1.99 meals in their first box as part of their Big Spring Sale! Note that this promo should automatically apply. If not, use code HIP199W at checkout.

Here’s what makes it great:

  • Updated on a weekly basis with a total of 26 chef-inspired meals to choose from.
  • Meal options are ready in under 30 minutes
  • Boxes vary from 2 to 4-person sizes with 3- 6 recipes per box
  • Cuts costs by using less packaging
  • Skip weeks or cancel anytime!

2. Cooking for the fam? Home Chef is known for its customizable meals, family-sized portions, and kid-friendly recipe options.

woman and daughter holding up plate of food

Home Chef – as low as $6.99 shipped per serving in a 2-person box with 3 recipes.


How to save: New Home Chef customers can score 30% + free shipping on their 1st box when you click through this exclusive link.

Here’s what makes it great:

  • Choose from 30+ meals and 18+ extras each week
  • Substitute items like different meats, add sides
  • Skip weeks and cancel anytime
  • Biggest size meal delivery boxes with a 2 up to 6-person option with 2 to 6 recipes in each box.
  • Ranked #1 in customer satisfaction!
  • Home Chef is owned by the supermarket chain, Kroger, and has in-store meal kits & deals too!

3. When you need dinner in a flash, you can’t go wrong with HelloFresh. 

woman holding hello fresh box and recipe cards

HelloFresh– as low as $4.49 shipped per serving in a 2-person box with 3 recipes.


How to save: New HelloFresh customers can score 10 free meals + free shipping on their 1st box AND a free snack item for life when you sign up for any size meal box!

Here’s what makes it great:

  • The most 5-star meal kit reviews!
  • Picky eater-approved
  • Over 100+ meal options per week
  • Boxes range from 2 or 4-person sizes with 2 to 6 recipes per box.

4. Stay on track with your keto goals! Factor offers the best low-carb meal delivery around.

pasta and veggies in front of factor box

Factor meals – as low as $5.75 per meal in your first box with 14+ meals.


How to save: New customers can save up $130 off across their first SIX boxes + your 1st box ships free! Note that if the discount does not automatically apply use code HIP130FREE to score the savings.

Here’s what makes it great:

  • Heat & eat, easily microwaveable meals
  • Weekly deliveries
  • Choose to receive 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18 meals in your box
  • Skip weeks and cancel anytime!

5. Purple Carrot stands out as the ultimate vegan meal kit service.

hand holding fork with cooked potatoes and vegetables on it

Purple Carrot – as low as $11 shipped per serving in a 2-person box with 4 recipes.


How to save: New Purple Carrot customers can score 50% off their first box + free shipping when you click through this exclusive link. Note that this promo should automatically apply. If not, use code NEWYEAR25FB at checkout.

Here’s what makes it great:

  • Make tasty, healthy, vegan or vegetarian meals and snacks full of nutritious veggies and fruits.
  • Choose either 2 or 4 servings per box with 2 or 4 recipes in each
  • Every meal is centered around plants, and each box contains a variety of fresh veggies, fruits, and herbs
  • Each recipe is packed full of nutrients and vitamins, and so full of amazing flavors!

6. Want fast and flavorful? Gobble delivers 15-minute meals that don’t disappoint.

hand holding a plate of food by a Gobble box

Gobble – as low as $6 shipped per serving in a 2-person box with 3 recipes.


How to save: Score your first TWO Gobble Boxes of 6 meals each for just $36 a piece! And your first box ships FREE!

Here’s what makes it great:

  • Promise tasty & nutritious meals in just 15 minutes!
  • No chopping required (like so many other meal delivery kits)
  • Skip weeks and cancel anytime!

7. As the only certified organic meal delivery service, Green Chef sets the standard.

Green Chef –  as low as $6 shipped per serving in a 2-person box with 3 recipes.


How to save: new GreenChef customers can score FREE dessert for two months + 50% off your 1st box – no promo code needed!

Here’s what makes it great:

  • Ingredients are free of GMOs, toxic pesticides, irradiation, sewage sludge, antibiotics, growth hormones, or steroids
  • Beat outrageous prices on organic foods at the grocery store
  • Great for those with specific dietary needs
  • Choose 4 or 6-person box sizes with 2 to 4 recipes in each box.

 


8. Blue Apron offers the healthiest meal kit service, including Weight Watchers-friendly choices.

Woman holding Blue Apron Recipe Cards for a Baked Chicken Recipe

Blue Apron – As low as $4.99 shipped per meal in your first box 2-person box with 3 meals.


How to save: new Blue Apron customers score $180 off across 5 orders + your first box ships for FREE when you click through this exclusive link and click ‘Redeem Offer’.

Here’s what makes it great:

  • Known for putting more exciting meals on the table
  • Great for those who love to cook new foods
  • Partner with Weight Watchers for even more healthy options!
  • Choose 2 or 4-serving boxes with 2-5 recipes per week.

9. Enjoy chef-quality meals with Martha Stewart X Marley Spoon!

Martha Marley Spoon ingredients

Martha Stewart X Marley Spoon – As low as $4.99 shipped per meal in your first 2-person box with 3 recipes


How to save: New customers can score up to $250 off their first 8 meal kits + free shipping on your 1st box when you click on the ‘Get $250 off’ button.

Here’s what makes it great:

  • Over 100+ chef-designed recipes each week!
  • Known for gourmet cooking made easy
  • Known for having larger portions
  • Recipe cards also include pro tips from Martha herself,
  • Great for those who want to improve their cooking skills.
  • Choose 2-person or 4-person size box with 2 to 6 meals per box

little girl in front of a plate of food and a home chef recipe card

Still wondering, are meal delivery services worth it? Check out this onlineparison:

Home Chef vs HelloFresh

These two meal delivery kits are nearly identical– in fact, you may have even gotten them confused once or twice! The biggest difference is that Home Chef offers serving sizes up to 6 people which is pretty rare across meal deliveries, but HelloFresh has a lower cost per serving overall.


Blue Apron vs HelloFresh

The biggest difference between these two popular meal services is that Blue Apron not only promises to deliver delicious meals, but in a way that also teaches you something new in the kitchen. On the other hand, HelloFresh is all about de-stressing in the kitchen. Note that Blue Apron is also known to have excessive amounts of plastic packaging. 🥴


Green Chef vs HelloFresh

If you have any sort of dietary restrictions, including low carb and vegetarian, Green Chef is going to be the better option. However, the cost per serving is much higher than HelloFresh. HelloFresh can also be customized with add-ons, substitutes, and more.


woman holding two Home Chef meal bags

And these fabulous team testimonials might help too! 

As a full-time working mom of three under 6yo, the idea of just cooking mindlessly is SUCH a good value to me! NOT going through the ‘what to cook debate’ ❌, NOT spending extra time measuring out the ingredients ❌, basically just dump, *sometimes cut, and go– it’s almost soothing to cook! 😂 Plus, I ALWAYS let the little ones jump in and they love it, and I love it (what can they really learn just running through the drive-thru). Give yourself a cooking break, even just once, when the first-time offer is SO LOW– I’m positive you’ll appreciate it! – Chelsey, Hip Sidekick


Still the best I’ve found. I’ve tried almost all of the services like this and Blue Apron has always been consistent with their food quality and rotating choices of excellent recipes. Everything we’ve made from them has turned out incredible. 


I recently gave Purple Carrot a try and couldn’t have loved my vegan meal kits more – and that’s onlineing from someone who isn’t even vegan! I love flavorful, healthy, and most importantly easy dishes to whip up during the week and Purple Carrot was just that and then some! 🙌🏻 My meals were all so different, so delicious, and so unique too!

In fact, I didn’t even find myself missing meat at all and each meal left me feeling energized and full. There were even two nights where I had leftovers for lunch the next day – I couldn’t believe it! 😯 – Sara, Hip Sidekick


I’ve ordered from Home Chef many times and every single meal has been amazing! I really love their Oven Ready meals that require little to no work – they’re perfect for busy nights when my kids have practice and I’m short on time. They really make it easy to serve my family a delicious meal without spending a lot of time in the kitchen. – Lina, Hip Sidekick


We want to know – which one is your favorite? 🌮🥗🥦🍅 Share with us in the onlinements below!

These make-ahead freezer meals are a dinnertime lifesaver, too!


About the writer:

Chelsey is a writer & photographer with both a Bachelor's and Master's Degree from Arizona State University. She holds 3+ years blogging experience not only for Hip2Save, but various other publications in the health, lifestyle, and education field.


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