A review of the best organic and healthy meal delivery services, including cost per meal, pros & cons, and unique details of each one.
Let’s face it. As much as we want to eat healthy, we don’t always have time to plan, shop, prep and cook all the healthy meals we imagine ourselves eating.
Lots of things get in the way. Commitments to work, kids, sports and other events is one kind of obstacle. Plus, we don’t always have the interest and motivation to do everything necessary to pull off those healthy meals.
Sure, we can stock up on healthy and organic groceries, but we don’t necessarily know how to transform them into a meal that our family wants to eat. At least not every.single.night.of.the.week.
Something’s gotta give. We need a backup plan. And that’s where healthy meal delivery services come in.
Benefits of Healthy Meal Delivery Services
Because I am a capable and mostly enthusiastic cook, I used to think that meal delivery services just weren’t for someone like me. Now that I’ve tried a couple, I have changed my tune.
For me, a meal kit delivery is a welcome break from planning and a backup plan for when I’m extra busy. Plus it’s a fun way to try new recipes, without having to dig around for them myself.
For someone else, the primary benefit might be avoiding weekend meal prep, the comfort of knowing a meal plan is in place, or simply learning how to cook healthy food in the first place.
Here’s who could benefit from a healthy meal kit subscription:
- Busy families who need help getting a healthy meal on the table
- Newer cooks who want to get more comfortable making recipes
- Anyone who wants to eat healthy, without all the shopping and planning
- People who want to try new recipes the easy way
- Those who would rather cook than get takeout, but need some inspiration
Best Healthy Meal Delivery Services
I may receive commissions from purchases made through links in this article including Amazon Affiliates. Full Disclosure
Meal delivery plans are everywhere these days, but because readers of this blog are interested in eating healthy, organic food whenever possible, I am focusing on the best healthy meal delivery plans I’ve either tried personally or seen highly recommended. By healthy I mean, a focus on organic as much as possible, along with fresh produce and sustainably sourced meats, and other healthy ingredients.
Note: the types of meal delivery services I’m covering here are mostly meal prep kits – where cooking is actually involved. The one exception is Splendid Spoon (see below), where all meals are ready to eat.
For the most part, a meal kit delivery service involves a box of vegetables, meat and other healthy ingredients and maybe some prepared sauces, along with an easy-to-follow recipe. Customers choose the plan that fits their lifestyle and dietary requirements best and can pick meals from an assortment listed on the website. Most of these subscription services are very flexible and allow you to skip weeks and alter choices easily.
Here are my top recommendations for healthy meal delivery services:
Sun Basket
Sun Basket delivers chef-crafted, dietitian approved meals using organic produce and clean ingredients.
Sun Basket Review:
Best for: People who like to cook and prefer organic, but don’t want to plan or shop
Meals covered: Primarily dinner, but have lunch and breakfast options too
Pros: Lots of variety, with many unique and ethnically inspired meals to choose from. All produce is USDA certified organic.
Cons: Meals can involve a fair amount of prep time, so look for the Speedy meals (20 minutes or less) if you are time constrained.
Good to know: Sun Basket offers meals for many dietary restrictions including vegetarian, carb-conscious, diabetes-friendly, gluten-free and more.
Try it: Sichuan glass-noodle stir-fry (the whole family loved this!)
Cost per meal: $11 to 13 per serving for dinner
Shipping: Free for first delivery, $7.99 after that
Order Sun Basket (Get Free Shipping + 4 free gifts)
Hungry Root
Hungry Root sends you nutritious ingredients and ready-to-eat foods, plus recipes and ideas for what to do with them.
Hungry Root Review:
Best for: People who want their fridge stocked with healthy food + some cooking inspiration
Meals covered: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Pros: Most lunches and dinners can be make in 10 minutes or less. Ingredients are pre-prepped and sauces are ready to use. Some branded ready-to-eat foods like granola, snacks and cookies are available.
Cons: Not much of a focus on organic, although some items are organic and most are non-GMO
Good to know: Hungry Root is a cross between a meal delivery service and a grocery delivery service.
Cost per meal: Starts at $60 per week for 3 meals + snacks
Shipping: Ground shipping is free
Splendid Spoon
Splendid Spoon creates flavorful, nutrient-dense, plant-based smoothies, soups and grain bowls, designed to create healthy routines for breakfast and lunch.
Splendid Spoon Review:
Best for: People who need to grab and go
Meals covered: Breakfast and lunch
Pros: The grain bowls are perfect for a quick, healthy lunch. Smoothies are filling, with added protein. All meals are vegan, gluten-free and GMO-free.
Cons: Personally, I didn’t love all the smoothies I tried (but I did like some, including the Dragon Fruit Smoothie!)
Good to know: All products are ready to eat – no cooking required.
Try this: Kabocha Congee – a savory rice pudding as a meal – surprisingly delicious!
Cost per meal: $7 to $13 per meal
Shipping: Free
Order Splendid Spoon (Get $10 off your first purchase)
Green Chef
Green Chef delivers restaurant-quality meals, based on organic ingredients, that are quick and easy to cook. No meal planning, recipe hunting, or grocery shopping required.
Green Chef Review:
Best for: Families who want quick, organic meals
Meals covered: Dinner
Pros: All ingredients come pre-measured, perfectly portioned, and mostly prepped. Family plan includes 2 dinners for a family of four.
Cons: Many meals are a bit more traditional (chili, cheeseburgers, lemon chicken) – which could be a pro or con, depending on your family.
Good to know: Almost all ingredients are USDA certified organic (some things like salt can not be certified organic)
Cost per meal: $9.99 to $12.99 per meal
Shipping: $7.99
Smoothie Box
Smoothie Box delivers affordable, healthy smoothies made from thoughtfully sourced, organic fruits, vegetables and seeds.
Smoothie Box review:
Best for: People who want a healthy breakfast without much effort
Meals covered: Breakfast (or a snack)
Pros: Smoothies have no added sugar and come pre-portioned in individual packs (mix in your blender with liquid of choice). All ingredients are organic, except mandarin oranges.
Cons: Only 4 flavors available
Good to know: Smoothie mix is dairy-free, gluten-free and soy-free. Collagen peptides are available for purchase as an add-on.
Cost per meal: $5 per serving with subscription
Shipping: Free
Order Smoothie Box (Mindful Momma readers get $15 off when you use my link!)
Hello Fresh
Hello Fresh makes easy-to-follow, chef-created meals, using healthy ingredients, with a goal to help customers get more fruits & veggies in their meals.
Hello Fresh Review:
Best for: Anyone looking to eat healthy without spending all day planning and prepping
Meals covered: Dinner
Pros: Lots of variety – 20 recipes to choose from each week. Plans include family-friendly, vegetarian and low-calorie options.
Cons: Not much focus on organic, although meat and fish is sourced sustainably.
Good to know: Recipes range from Level 1 (easy) to Level 3 (more adventurous ingredients and cooking techniques)
Cost per meal: $7.49 and up
Shipping: $7.99
What healthy meal delivery services have you tried? What’s your favorite?
Albertina Geller says
Hey Micaela,
To what location do these services deliver?