I love a lavish restaurant meal or a decadent dinner party spread. But when I’m cooking at home for myself, I gravitate toward meals that make me feel good. I guess you could call them “healthy”—a word that means different things to different people, but to me, it suggests something balanced, packed with vegetables and protein, and doesn’t leave me bloated or in need of a nap.
The problem? Cooking that kind of food is easier said than done—especially on a weeknight. The solution? Meal kits.
The best healthy meal delivery services
- Best variety: Sunbasket
- Best prepared healthy meal delivery service: Factor
- Best for plant-based eaters: Purple Carrot
- Best organic healthy meal kit: Green Chef
- Best for wellness heads: Sakara
- Best for salad lovers: Gardencup
Meal delivery services are the ticket to easy, feel-good food because they take the guesswork out of both planning and cooking. But not all of them live up to their “healthy” promises without sacrificing flavor or variety. That’s why we’ve rounded up the best healthy meal delivery services, based on years of hands-on testing. Scroll down for our top picks—or read more about how we tested these kits, plus a registered dietitian’s take on what to look for when shopping for meal kits with healthy eating in mind.
The healthy meal kit with the most variety: Sunbasket
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good variety of recipe options
- Meals feel fresh and produce-forward
Cons:
- Organic ingredients may be substituted with non-organic
- Price can add up, depending on your selections
Tester: Alaina Chou
What we loved: Sunbasket follows the blueprint of most kit-style meal delivery services (think Blue Apron or HelloFresh), but there are a few things that set it apart when I tested it for three weeks. For one, the brand prioritizes using organic produce whenever possible. But my favorite thing about Sunbasket—and why I’m recommending it here—is the variety of meals it offers. While some companies offer over 100 meals every week, Sunbasket keeps a tight list of 15–20 or so (plus some additional add-ons and ready-to-eat options). But don’t let that number fool you—it’s impossible to be bored flipping through the weekly menu offerings. You’ll find everything from Afghan-Style Butternut Squash Stew or Mexican Street Tacos with Tomatillo Chicken, Salsa, and Lime Yogurt to Dukkah Pork Chops and Kale Salad with "Everything" Ranch Dressing.
I appreciated how easy it was to filter recipes by dietary restriction (i.e. Paleo, Gluten-Free, etc.), nutrition (i.e. High Protein, Low Added Sugar, etc.), excluded ingredients (dairy-free, soy-free, etc.), and cook time—a plus if you have specific goals in mind, be they upping your protein or saving time.
The meals themselves were easy to make, relatively produce-heavy, and quite tasty. Portion sizes were generally plenty big, and I liked that the service got me cooking dishes and using specific ingredients that weren’t previously in my repertoire.
What we’d leave: In testing, I found that recipes tended to take 5–15 minutes longer to make than the stated times. But my main callout with Sunbasket is that they reserve the right to swap ingredients that were intended to be organic for non-organic subs based on availability, which did happen to me on multiple occasions. As someone who isn’t married to eating organic produce only, I didn’t really mind this, but it’s something to be aware of—especially given you’re paying the same price regardless.
Sunbasket also offers heat-and-eat meals, but the one I tried—a chicken and dumplings riff with gnocchi—was a bit of a miss.
Click here to read our full review of Sunbasket
The best prepared healthy meal delivery service: Factor
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Easy and fast to prepare
- Meals feel balanced
- Generally tasty
Cons:
- Sides can feel repetitive
- Some dishes are less successful than others
- Portion sizes might feel small for some
Tester: Alaina Chou and Gunsel Pehlivan
What we loved: Factor offers entirely pre-made, heat-and-eat meals that require just a short trip to the microwave. The brand positions its meals as nutritious, dietitian-approved, and “designed to support your wellness goals.”
I tested the service for two weeks and was pleasantly surprised. The dishes were well-seasoned and flavorful for microwave meals, and as someone who is trying to prioritize protein in her diet at the moment, I appreciated how easy Factor made it to do just that. Because the meals are completely pre-made and labeled with nutritional information, they’re a great option for anyone with hyper-specific macro goals or dietary preferences in mind.
Some favorites from my two weeks of testing were the Green Chile Chicken and Homestyle Turkey and Gravy. Video director Gunsel Pehlivan enjoyed the Cavatelli with Pork Ragu and Chimichurri Chicken. “I was pleasantly surprised at how moist the chicken breast was and how balanced the flavors were in almost all of the mains,” writes Pehlivan.
The meals tend to follow a protein plus vegetable plus starch format, which, while a bit repetitive after weeks of testing, meant they all felt balanced. Vegetable portions in particular felt generous—not always a given in the world of meal delivery services.
What we’d leave: While Factor meals are well executed for microwave meals, they are still, at the end of the day, microwave meals. After two weeks of eating six meals a week, I was ready for something homecooked. With that in mind, this would be a great service to mix in with a few nights of actual cooking.
Pehlivan and I also both found that some of the vegetable sides were both repetitive and a bit waterlogged after their trips to the microwave—though not egregiously so.
Click here to read our full review of Factor
The best healthy meal delivery service for plant-based eaters: Purple Carrot
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Healthy meals that are quick, easy, and genuinely delicious
- Costs significantly less than regular takeout
- Offers a range of difficulty levels, including fully prepared options
Cons:
- Requires you to read the recipe carefully
- Entirely vegan menu may not appeal to all eaters
Tester: Carina Finn and Adam Campbell-Schmitt
What we loved: Purple Carrot is an entirely plant-based meal delivery service that offers both meal kits and ready-to-eat meals. Over the past few years, multiple BA contributors have tested the service for several weeks. Every tester came to the same conclusion: This is an excellent meal delivery service for vegans and non-vegans alike. “My experience with Purple Carrot was easily one of the better meal kits I’ve tried, vegan or not,” writes Adam Campbell-Schmitt.
Most meals are a mix of fresh produce and packaged ingredients—think vegan cheeses, pre-cooked grains, and pre-made sauces. Everything is pre-portioned for its respective recipe, which makes prep and cooking extremely seamless.
“I never missed the meat in a Purple Carrot meal. I even found myself getting legitimately excited about my ‘healthy dinner at home’ nights, especially since I didn’t have to grocery shop,” writes Carina Finn. Campbell-Schmitt notes the variety of textures and colors in each meal, as well as the fact that spicy meals are actually spicy—a rare occurrence in the meal kit world. “Whether you’re vegan or not, the Purple Carrot menu won’t leave you bored. I found that one of the best reasons to use Purple Carrot is because everything is big on flavor,” he writes. Finn shared a similar sentiment: “By and large, I found all of the meals to be really well-seasoned, which was a nice change from some other meal kits.”
What we’d leave: Priced at $11–$13.25 depending on your plan, Purple Carrot is on the pricier end of the meal kit spectrum. It’s also not the most beginner-friendly kit. “For example, you will receive a whole russet potato or block of tofu in the kit, but the ingredient list will label it as something like ‘thinly sliced potatoes’ or ‘diced tofu,’” writes Campbell-Schmitt.
Click here to read our full review of Purple Carrot
The best organic healthy meal kit: Green Chef
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Simple recipes with tasty results
- Easy-to-follow instructions with step-by-step photos
- High-quality meat, seafood, and produce
- Vegetarian meals are creative and satisfying (lots of beans, nuts, seeds, dairy and higher protein veggies, and offered some (but not a lot) of tofu or tempeh options)
Cons:
- Produce options can feel repetitive and out of season
- Would have liked to see more “Protein Packed” vegetarian or vegan meals, and some more tofu or tempeh options
Tester: Brittany Loggins and Kelsey Jane Youngman
What we loved: Green Chef is the first CCOF-certified organic meal kit delivery service, which means they’re committed to sourcing organic fresh produce and eggs, as well as providing organic beef, chicken, and wild-caught seafood as an option. While the company acknowledges that they reserve the right to replace a given ingredient with a high-quality conventional option if the organic option doesn’t meet their quality standards, this did not happen during contributor Brittany Loggins’s testing.
Both Loggins and senior service editor Kelsey Jane Youngman praised Green Chef for its generally tasty meals. Youngman loved the Italian Turkey Stuffed Squash Boats, while Loggins highlighted the chicken with lemon crema. Youngman also appreciated the ease of cooking thanks to premade sauces, stocks, and herb blends—and precut vegetables. “I am confident that a beginner cook could easily follow the instructions and make a delicious meal,” she writes.
Green Chef also offers a free one-on-one nutrition coaching session with your first box. While neither of our testers took advantage of this, it’s a great option to have for people with specific health goals.
What we’d leave: Loggins notes that the recipe offerings tended to be pretty formulaic, consisting of a protein, a veggie, and a carb or a starch. “It's a tried-and-true combo, but I was missing a sense of discovery and innovation with the recipes,” she writes. Youngman felt a few of the recipes didn’t quite work, like a Spiced Salmon with Mango Salsa in which the ratio of purple sweet potatoes to black beans and bell peppers felt off, and the addition of Cotija cheese with the fish wasn’t to Youngman’s taste.
Click here to read our full review of Green Chef
The best healthy meal delivery service for wellness heads: Sakara
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Healthy, nourishing meals
- Appealing to vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free eaters
- Curated menu means all the planning is taken care of for you
Cons:
- Premium price point might not fit into a lot of people’s budgets
- Most breakfast options skew sweet, which may not suit savory fans
Tester: Emma Laperruque, Carina Finn, and Alaina Chou
What we loved: Sakara is a wellness-focused meal delivery and supplement brand with two nutrition program offerings: their Signature Nutrition Program and their Level II Detox. Meals are entirely plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free. They’re also an aesthetically-minded wellness head’s dream: think rainbow-hued salads, veggie-laden soups, and protein-rich breakfast parfaits crowned with granola.
We’ve extensively tested both of Sakara’s nutrition programs and think the Signature Program is the way to go if you’re looking for something to subscribe to long-term. Both associate director of cooking Emma Laperruque and contributor Carina Finn praised Sakara's balanced, thoughtfully-designed meals. The salads in particular were a highlight for Laperruque: “They’re generously portioned, so you have enough fuel to power you through the afternoon, and they’re thoughtfully designed with a range of textures and colors. Just about every dressing I wished I had a full bottle of to keep in the fridge for future meals.”
“As someone who puts condiments on my condiments, I expected to feel the need to doctor things up to make them taste better, but everything was already packed with flavor. The dishes ranged from Indian-ish (‘clarity curry’ soup with naan) to Mexican-ish (a lavender ‘cheez' quesadilla with broccoli pesto), and there was enough range that I didn’t get bored,” writes Finn.
What we’d leave: This is not necessarily a negative, but breakfasts tend to be sweet—something to be aware of if you’re a savory breakfast person. But the main downside to Sakara is the price. “At $140–$465 per week (per person!) depending on your plan, it’s the priciest option on this list. But if you’re someone who prioritizes wellness and sees food as a source of nourishment and healing, you’ll like what you get. It’s also a great option for people who are gluten-free or vegan,” writes Laperruque.
Click here to read our full review of Sakara
The best healthy meal delivery service for salad lovers: Gardencup
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Fresh ingredients
- Meat options come with generous amounts of protein
- Super convenient for on-the-go lunches
Cons:
- Vegetarian/vegan salads don’t feel as substantial
- Hard to mix thoroughly without transferring to a bowl
Tester: Wilder Davies
What we loved: Gardencup specializes in salads and bowls packaged in plastic jars (or cups, as the brand name suggests). Their offerings are nostalgic (think Caesar, Cobb, Southwest chicken, and wedge salads), travel-friendly, and ultra convenient—just open the jar, add your dressing, shake, and eat (or transfer to a bowl if you prefer).
Commerce writer Wilder Davies appreciated that the salads didn’t skimp on the meat. The salads he tried averaged around 30 grams of protein, “which left me feeling full by the time I finished eating,” he writes. For even more protein, the brand’s Powercups—with a grain or noodle base—range from 30 to 46 grams per serving.
While many pre-made salads wilt quickly in the fridge, Davies found his Gardencups stayed relatively fresh through day five. Crunchy toppings are packaged separately, so there’s no need to worry about sogginess.
What we’d leave: Davies notes that the vegetarian offerings didn’t feel as substantial to him, so those who don’t eat meat may want to look elsewhere. He also found that the cups were often so full, it was difficult to fully mix the salad with the dressing by shaking alone.
Click here to read our full review of Gardencup
How we tested these meal delivery services
We continually test and retest meal delivery services throughout the year to ensure we’re getting multiple perspectives on each brand, and that we’re always keeping up to date with the latest quality levels and menu offerings. Each time we test, we try to subscribe to multiple weeks of the service to get a true sense for how well it integrates into our lives, and how sustainable it is to eat for an extended period of time. We evaluate food delivery services based on the following criteria:
How does the kit fare in an unboxing test?
We take note of how each delivery is packed, making sure everything arrives adequately cold and that ingredients are packaged securely. We also pay attention to how the ingredients are divided up: Are they separated by recipe, or all thrown together in a single bag? We appreciated when the ingredients were packed according to their corresponding recipes, as this made it easier to grab them all in one go when it came time to cook.
Do the recipes work?
We cook each meal according to the provided instructions, and evaluate whether those instructions are clear and accurate.
Do the meals taste good?
This is arguably the most important metric! We taste every meal and take notes on the seasoning, how well proteins and veggies are cooked, and how well the components work together.
How balanced are the meals?
For this healthy meal delivery services review in particular, we paid close attention to how balanced each meal was. We wanted to see an adequate amount of vegetables, sufficient grams of protein, and a mix of protein, carbs, and fats that kept us full and made us feel good.
Who is this meal kit right for?
Different meal kits are designed to meet different needs, so while we assess them compared to each other, we also keep in mind whether they’re serving the particular user they’re targeted for. A meal kit designed to be ultra fast and family-friendly should include kid-friendly options and speedy cook times, while a meal kit designed to introduce you to new flavors and techniques should have a menu that reflects that.
We also note the degree to which each meal kit caters to different dietary needs and preferences. Whether you’re pescatarian or carb-conscious, it’s helpful to have clear labeling and filters when you go to select your meals.
How does the price compare to grocery store prices, takeout, and the cost of other meal kits?
Meal kits are, on average, going to be pricier than getting groceries yourself. That’s because you’re paying a premium for the convenience they afford—not only do they save you a trip to the store, but they also spare you the hassle of meal planning and meal prepping. But when testing, we consider the price of each meal kit and whether it feels merited based on the quality of the service.
What to look for in a healthy meal delivery service
The word “healthy” can mean a lot of things, so we spoke with registered dietitian-nutritionist Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, LD, CLEC, about what to look out for when selecting a meal delivery service. The number one thing she recommends being aware of is sodium content. “A lot of [meal kits] tick a lot of boxes, but they'll include some sauces or some ingredients that are surprisingly high in sodium,” she warns. This can be particularly true in the case of premade meals, where the meals come pre-seasoned and also might contain extra sodium as a form of preservative.
Another thing to keep an eye out for? How much produce do the meals include? “When I'm choosing [a meal kit], I like to look at whether they’re adding some broccoli just to add some color and say ‘we add the broccoli,’ or if they’re adding enough broccoli to be considered a full serving of vegetables,” says Manaker. While that full serving size will depend on the vegetable at hand, Manaker says it should be around a half cup of cooked vegetables.