We get it, dinnertime during the week can be crazy and stressful for parents. That’s probably why meal kit delivery services have exploded in popularity over the last few years. They deliver fresh, wholesome ingredients so you can make a home cooked meal for your family with less stress. But this convenience comes at a price.
So, we’ve tried all of the major ones that deliver nationally (or at least all of them to date!) to help you figure out which one is the best fit for your family, if the cost is worth it to you in the first place. If you’ve been curious about these services, but don’t know where to start, read on. I also include a tip that might help make these services more manageable on a budget.
Updated for 2024
Related: 15 (truly) 30-minute meals to save dinner on frazzled back-to-school nights.
Meal kit delivery services for families: A few quick notes
Before we jump into the meal kit details, I want to note that, for me, the services that actually prep ingredients — they deliver what I need already chopped and diced — are the better value for your dollar, provided you’re really going to eat exactly what they send you on that date. But others cater to specific diets or are designed just for kids. It all just depends on your needs and wants.
That said, waste is one of our biggest concerns with all of these services (so many individually wrapped items!) so sometimes the boxes with fresh, un-prepped ingredients are best.
Of course, you can recycle or reuse the packaging for school lunches or your own meal prep. You can also check with your service to see if they’ll allow you to return containers after use. All that said, you may also want to weigh in the fact that you may be avoiding some food waste because you’re purchasing only what you need for dinner. As in, no more half-bunches of cilantro or partial jars of yogurt starting to go bad in the fridge.
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Blue Apron
Blue Apron has become the standard bearer for dinner kit delivery, with ads running on nearly every podcast I listen to. Each meal comes with pre-portioned ingredients, recipe cards, and even how-to videos to help you up your cooking game.
Kristen did a thorough review of Blue Apron, with notes on everything from whether or not the meals were easy for her to cook and what her four kids thought of the dinners, so I didn’t give them a try this time. I did look at their family plan meals, though, and found that they looked healthy and appealing — mostly. Some of the dinners gave me pause’ while the Sweet Corn and Ricotta Cannelloni looks delicious, there’s no way my picky eaters would touch it.
Also, if you’re following a particular diet, you may have a hard time with Blue Apron. Currently none of the family meal options will work with my Paleo lifestyle. On the other hand, you can add wine to your order. So . . . ($8.99 per serving for family plan)
Marley Spoon
Marley Spoon from Martha Stewart is the meal delivery service created by a Martha Stewart alum who did such a fantastic job of putting her meals together, that Martha herself signed on as a partner. And, if you ask me, this service lives up to the Martha Stewart reputation.
The recipe cards are beautifully printed on card stock and the ingredients are fresh and totally delicious. You get to pick from a choice of recipes every week — which do include vegetarian and gluten-free options, and even new “picky” options if you’re cooking for kids — but note that nothing comes pre-cut or prepped. On one hand that keeps the ingredients fresher longer, but does take more work than meal kits that arrive with pre-cut ingredients.
It seems to me that this service is all about reliable, gourmet recipes for people who enjoy cooking, but don’t have as much time to plan or shop. ($9.99/portion per meal and up, serving 2 or 4 people)
Related: The best grocery store coupon apps to save time and money.
Dinnerly
If you simply hate to plan meals and shop at the grocery, then Dinnerly is an affordable meal-delivery service option. You choose from 100+ recipes a week and then they send you.. literally a box of groceries — that’s it. You have to go online for the recipes (though that does cut back on waste), and nothing is prepped for you.
The meals have gotten increasingly more interesting over the years, including Grass-Fed Ground Beef Tacos, Veggie Tempura Pancakes, and Souvlaki Pork Cutlets with Garlic Cream, but still a lot of basics in there. (They also specify options for low-carb, low-calorie, gluten-free, vegetarian.) And it is handy that the veggies are guaranteed fresh for 4 days, should ordering in for pizza suddenly become more appealing than what’s in the box on one particular night.
Note: They’ve added the Dinnerly Market, which lets you stock up on prepared meals and pantry/fridge staples.
If your child has a typical kids’ palate, they’ll be totally happy with these meals. And it’s way cheaper than most other services. Plus, the lack of extra packaging cuts down on unnecessary waste. ($4.99 per person)
Related: 6 DIY freezer meals that save us on busy back-to-school nights.
Hello Fresh
After going paleo last month, I was excited to find there were plenty of meals for me to choose from at Hello Fresh. These are simple recipes with healthy ingredients, making it easy to eat better at home. That said, this doesn’t feel like the diet-option of meal delivery services. My whole family loved the food, and I was able to feed my family of 6 with two 2-person meals.
This service was one of my favorites, because they do the majority of the prep work for you, making dinner super quick on busy nights. Their options range from comfort food like meatloaf to family-favorites like turkey burritos, and they even offer a complete vegetarian menu. The meals we ate were so yummy, I’ve added the recipe cards to my regular cookbook rotation so that I can make them even if Hello Fresh doesn’t deliver the ingredients. ($8.74 per serving for family plan)
Home Chef
This top-rated meal kit delivery service is both affordable, customizable, and convenient. Each week, choose from over 35 meals and 18 “extras.” You can take a fun quiz up front to find the right plan, where you can indicate your favorite kinds of foods, and whether you want to try new foods, eat fresher (non-processed) meals, or just save time. (Hello!) Lots of customers love that you can customize your boxes with a handy online tool, and that everything is pre-portioned to make prep a snap. You can also skip a delivery if you don’t need a box on week.
Overalll, you’re choosing from Greatest Hits (like Sirloin Steak and Bacon), Easy-Prep Meals (Mustard-Pretzel Crusted Chicken Breast), Fresh-Start Meals (Salmon and Lemon-Chive Crrema), and Family-Friendly Meals — which is obviously subjective. Depends whether your kids will eat Korean Style BBQ Meatballs (yes!) or One-Pot Sausage and Kale Pasta e Fagioli (probably not).
However that “Customize It’ tool really makes it a good choice for families. So you can get what you want, and maybe cook a variation for the kids without too much effort. ($7.99/serving and up)
Sun Basket
Sun Basket focuses on providing families with organic and sustainable ingredients, and they have meal options for paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, and something they call “lean and clean.” If your default dinner on a busy weeknight is pizza or tacos, this might really turn your family’s health around.
That said, the meals are still very family friendly, with options like steak and veggies, North Carolina pulled pork sliders, and even more international flavors like falafel burgers and rice bowls. Kid- and adult-friendly, for the win! Each kit comes with menu cards, but you do have to do some of the prep work yourself when it comes time to cook. ($9.99 per serving for family menu meals)
Factor 75
Factor 75 is the meal kit delivery service for adults who really want to to maximize nutrition and freshness in every meal, with a health diet in mind — which mayyyybe you’re cooking for yourself after you whip up some nugs for the kids. They really highlight their strict standards for ingredients, and meals created by registered dietitians, with lots of testimonials about weight loss and health.
Each week you choose from among 35 meals across 6 preferences like calorie smart, protein plus, keto, flexitarian, and vegan/veggie. It’s nice that all the meals are good in the fridge for a full 7 days. They’ve also got plenty of “add-ons” like prepared breakfasts, smoothie packs, juices…think WW upselling basically. But the basic prices are pretty great considering there is pretty much always a big discount for new customers. Right now, we found code TR-EB01.
Bottom line: Not really a family meal kit service, but if you’re looking for a little nudge back into healthier eating habits, this can be a good transition. ($6.50-7.75/serving for 2 servings with discount; choose from 6 through 18 meals per week, plus the extras.)
Rosemary Chicken, Bacon, and Avocado Salad from How Sweet Eats
DIY meal kits: A money saving idea
If you can afford any of the services above and they sound good, by all means, go for it. The convenience is obviously worth it to many or these businesses wouldn’t be booming. But I do have a money saving ideas: put together DIY meal kits.
For the last three weeks, I’ve planned and shopped for my family’s meals on Saturday, and spent Sunday afternoon doing all of the chopping, slicing and dicing, and blending up dressings and marinades. I pack everything in reusable containers in the fridge with Post-It notes attached. Then, when it’s time to cook I just grab-and-go.
We did the math and it turns out that we spent $2 per person per meal (there are six of us) for the week, and we ate dishes like the Thai Meatball Lettuce Wraps romf The Garlic Diaries and Rosemary Chicken, Bacon, and Avocado Salad from How Sweet Eats (pictured). No Hamburger Helper in sight. ($2 per meal, or whatever you want to spend)
