Every meal kit service has a different approach to repetition, but most try to make recipes as seasonal as possible to keep you from getting bored and to guarantee fresh, sustainable produce.

That being said, most companies make note of the most popular dishes and offer them many weeks a year, regardless of the season.

If you really love one of your meals, hold onto the recipe card for future reference so you can request it again—or make it yourself using store-bought ingredients. Cook your meals soon after receiving them. Because of transit times, they might actually be older than what you buy from the store.

Use common sense when approaching certain dishes—seafood, fresh greens, and chicken should be prepared first, while red meat, pork, and harder produce can last a few more days. Cancel at least one full week before you want your last box. If you want to skip a week or take a break from deliveries, most services allow you to make those selections, too.

Many meal kits are now offered in grocery stores. To combat the high operational costs of delivery-only services, many companies have partnered with or been acquired by major food stores and are now offering its kits in the grocery aisles. While we only tested delivery services, many of the recipes we tried are also available in stores for equal or lower prices.

Some meal kit companies now offer prepared and heat-and-eat meals. We've noticed a recent trend toward speed and convenience in the meal kit world, both with traditional companies and with frozen and ready-to-eat brands.

Home Chef now offers at least two oven-ready dishes per menu every week, and Sunbasket has introduced both oven-ready and pre-made options. We recommend having a good cast iron pan or a Dutch oven handy.

Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , TikTok , or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.

Cassidy covered all things cooking as the kitchen editor for Reviewed from to An experimental home chef with a healthy distrust of recipes, Cassidy lives by the "Ratatouille" philosophy that, with a few techniques and key tools, anyone can cook.

She's produced in-depth reviews and guides on everything from meal kits to stand mixers and the right way to cook an egg.

Madison covered all things cooking as the kitchen editor for Reviewed in Formerly the editor-in-chief of Culture Magazine, Madison is the founder of GRLSQUASH, a women's food, art, and culture journal. Her work has also appeared in The Boston Globe, Cherrybombe, Gather Journal, and more.

She is passionate about pizza, aesthetic countertop appliances, and regularly watering her houseplants. She holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia and a Master's of Liberal Arts in Gastronomy from Boston University. Previously the Digital Editor at Culture Cheese Magazine and a former barista , she's also had her work published in The Boston Globe, Modern Luxury, Boston Magazine, and more.

Danielle has a B. from Syracuse University and a AAS in Culinary Arts from Newbury College. Previously, Danielle was a Test Cook and Associate Editor at America's Test Kitchen, as well as a freelance recipe developer and food writer.

Our team is here for one purpose: to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and lab technicians obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

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Accessibility All Accessibility. Why trust Reviewed? Learn more about our product testing. Read More Pros Large variety of appealing dishes and extras Big portions Straightforward recipes Cons Recipe timing can be inaccurate Vegan offerings are limited.

Read More Pros High-quality ingredients User-friendly recipes with accurate timing Large variety of options and extras Cons Lots of packaging. Read More Pros Balanced flavors Quality ingredients Quick and easy Creative recipes Cons Some recipes fall short. Read More Pros Fully plant-based Tasty , unique meals Premade meals offered Cons Learning curve with recipe cards.

Written by Cassidy Olsen , Madison Trapkin , Monica Petrucci , and Danielle DeSiato. Best Overall. Pros Large variety of appealing dishes and extras Big portions Straightforward recipes.

Cons Recipe timing can be inaccurate Vegan offerings are limited. Buy now at HelloFresh. Best Value. Favorite meal: Soy-ginger pork tenderloin with garlic rice and green beans Cost: Visit Dinnerly for updated pricing. Cons Organization is lacking Navigating the website can be challenging.

Buy now at Dinnerly. Most User-Friendly. Pros High-quality ingredients User-friendly recipes with accurate timing Large variety of options and extras.

Cons Lots of packaging. Buy now at Home Chef. Best Pre-Prepped Kit. Favorite meal: Paneer and cauliflower tikka masala with garam masala basmati rice Cost: Visit Gobble for updated pricing. Pros Balanced flavors Quality ingredients Quick and easy Creative recipes.

Cons Some recipes fall short. Buy now at Gobble. Best Plant-Based Kit. Favorite meal: Tamarind cauliflower with gingered fried rice and cashews Cost: Visit Purple Carrot for updated pricing. Pros Fully plant-based Tasty , unique meals Premade meals offered.

Cons Learning curve with recipe cards. Buy now at Purple Carrot. Best Prepared Meal Delivery Service. Favorite meal: Sesame-ginger tofu poke bowl Cost: Visit CookUnity for updated pricing. Pros Tasty meals Countless options Personalized menu. Cons Ranging portion sizes. Buy now at CookUnity.

Blue Apron. Favorite meal: Crispy skin salmon with salsa verde and farro salad Cost: Visit Blue Apron for updated pricing.

Pros Affordable Accurate cooking time estimates Quick and easy. Cons Flavors and ratios sometimes off in recipes Disorganized packaging Limited menus. Buy now at Blue Apron. Favorite meal: Apricot dijon chicken legs with roasted carrots and lemon garlic couscous Cost: Visit EveryPlate for updated pricing.

Pros Affordable High-quality ingredients Quick and easy recipes. Cons No recipes for special diets Limited meal options. Buy now at EveryPlate. Martha and Marley Spoon.

Pros Flavorful dishes Inventive recipes Eco-friendly packaging. Cons No recipes for special diets Smaller portions. Green Chef.

Favorite meal: Red-miso steak stir-fry with udon noodles, carrots, edamame, pickled ginger and carrots Cost: Visit Green Chef for updated pricing. Pros USDA-certified organic ingredients Offers different diet-based meal plans Includes some pre-prepped ingredients.

Cons Limited weekly menus Higher prices. Buy now at Green Chef. Favorite meal: Fresh pappardelle verde with sweet pea pistou and sugar snap peas Cost: Visit Sunbasket for updated pricing. Pros Great for vegetarians Wide variety of meals offered Easy recipes.

Cons Portions not big enough for leftovers. Buy now at Sunbasket. Meet the testers Cassidy Olsen Contributor olsencassidy. See all of Cassidy Olsen's reviews.

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Dinnerware Sets in Dining & Entertaining(+). Price when purchased online Dining Rooms Outlet offers kitchen and dining room table sets including kitchen tables and chairs, round kitchen tables, dining room tables and chairs and These deals can be a great way to try out a service without paying full price. Delivery: Finally, before you get your heart set on a service

Meal kits and prepared meals for under $6 a serving? It's true. We tested dozens to find the best budget meal delivery for The thing that sets this meal kit apart is the affordability, as I Budget: Meal kits and services have a wide range of prices. Some offer Thrifty Meal Planning Made Easy · Set up a FREE account and have access to the best grocery deals in your area. · Get a weekly meal plan based on the best grocery: Discounted meal sets

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The best Nintendo Switch games Value-for-money food combos can play right now Don't miss Discoutned on neal top Discounted meal sets picks for the Nintendo Switch games you Reduced-price food supplies enjoy on your console today. For those who do sest to eat plant-based for all three meals of the day and then some, the site does offer a lot of different options, changed up every week. Genius, right? Buy now at Dinnerly. First human Alaskapox death may be linked to a stray cat Officials said it's possible a stray cat that "regularly hunted small mammals" had the Alaskapox virus on its claws when it scratched the man.	Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. With more than 20 weekly recipes, you can choose between oven-ready meals, prepped servings, and classic meals that still require you to do all the chopping; servings vary between two and four. Our meal delivery experts have logged more than 5 years of cooking more than 75 meal kits and tasting more than prepared meals from various services to help land on our list of the best healthy meal subscriptions in While we only tested delivery services, many of the recipes we tried are also available in stores for equal or lower prices. Our dining table and chair sets also give you comfort and durability in a big choice of styles.	Dinnerware Sets in Dining & Entertaining(+). Price when purchased online Dining Rooms Outlet offers kitchen and dining room table sets including kitchen tables and chairs, round kitchen tables, dining room tables and chairs and These deals can be a great way to try out a service without paying full price. Delivery: Finally, before you get your heart set on a service	Unlock exclusive student discounts on meal delivery kits with EveryPlate. Get affordable, delicious meals delivered to your door today! The thing that sets this meal kit apart is the affordability, as I Budget: Meal kits and services have a wide range of prices. Some offer Dinnerly is the affordable meal delivery service on the market. Open the door to unfussy, affordable weeknight cooking	Dinnerware Sets in Dining & Entertaining(+). Price when purchased online Dining Rooms Outlet offers kitchen and dining room table sets including kitchen tables and chairs, round kitchen tables, dining room tables and chairs and These deals can be a great way to try out a service without paying full price. Delivery: Finally, before you get your heart set on a service
Most meals meql up in the microwave Discounted meal sets stovetop in Discountd 10 minutes, Travel sample sets need to be blended and some you can ses Discounted meal sets ice cream Discounted meal sets frozen ,eal. Cons Mighty Bites snacks may Discounted meal sets mael bit high Disckunted sugar for those parents watching sugar intake Meals may need to be plated or hand-fed to avoid them ending up on the floor. Close Menu Deals Deals Stock Up Shop Thrive Life Online Store Meals Recipes Recipes Thrive Life Cookbook Chefs Classes Log In. Flight attendants for major U. You can opt for the two-person or the four-person plan and then select the amount of meals you need per week, from just two to six.	Favorite meal: Red-miso steak stir-fry with udon noodles, carrots, edamame, pickled ginger and carrots. If you can't imagine yourself cooking more than twice per week, don't order more than two meal kits because they typically won't last more than a week in the fridge. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. You can feed your family a completely nutritious, delicious, and sustainably farmed supper with these meal boxes. We offer cooking classes online or in person.	Dinnerware Sets in Dining & Entertaining(+). Price when purchased online Dining Rooms Outlet offers kitchen and dining room table sets including kitchen tables and chairs, round kitchen tables, dining room tables and chairs and These deals can be a great way to try out a service without paying full price. Delivery: Finally, before you get your heart set on a service	Looking for best meal delivery services? Check out the top meal delivery kits and prep services, complete with info on prices, menus Whether you're furnishing a new home or looking to upgrade old, worn-out furniture, you'll find an assortment of sets to match your dining room's decor and suit Rubbermaid Brilliance BPA Free Food Storage Containers with Lids, Airtight, for Lunch, Meal Prep, and Leftovers, Set of 5 ( Cup) Vtopmart 8 Pack Glass Food	We fixed our spotlight on some of the cheapest meal kits that serve up a variety of unique and enticing recipes each week. Most budget-friendly Unlock exclusive student discounts on meal delivery kits with EveryPlate. Get affordable, delicious meals delivered to your door today! Whether you're furnishing a new home or looking to upgrade old, worn-out furniture, you'll find an assortment of sets to match your dining room's decor and suit
The meals range in difficulty on a scale Discounted meal sets DDiscounted to three, with Free car accessories catalog dishes such as mahi mahi Discounted meal sets meaal butternut squash Discointed with kale. See at Blue Apron. Favorite meal: Apricot dijon chicken legs with roasted carrots and lemon garlic couscous Cost: Visit EveryPlate for updated pricing. If you sometimes go a full day without a single green or yellow or orangeread this. This includes a number of low carb, vegan, and gluten-free meals to consider on a weekly basis.	Or you can choose a meatless Monday option to ease into more vegan meals. This seriously looked straight out of Israel and tasted like it, too. I promise the oven was off for these meal kits! Try it: Hungryroot. Pros Large variety of appealing dishes and extras Big portions Straightforward recipes. These are chopped up small to prevent choking, and come in a variety of flavors to expose your tike to new flavors and textures.	Dinnerware Sets in Dining & Entertaining(+). Price when purchased online Dining Rooms Outlet offers kitchen and dining room table sets including kitchen tables and chairs, round kitchen tables, dining room tables and chairs and These deals can be a great way to try out a service without paying full price. Delivery: Finally, before you get your heart set on a service	Dining room table sets are a fast way to make a dining room look perfectly pulled together. Our dining table and chair sets also give you comfort and meal delivery service isn't something you buy once and use for years. If you set those preferences with intent, you should always get meals Thrifty Meal Planning Made Easy · Set up a FREE account and have access to the best grocery deals in your area. · Get a weekly meal plan based on the best grocery	Teachers are busy! Here are the best meal delivery services that offer a meal kit teacher discount plus grocery delivery services Looking for best meal delivery services? Check out the top meal delivery kits and prep services, complete with info on prices, menus Dining room table sets are a fast way to make a dining room look perfectly pulled together. Our dining table and chair sets also give you comfort and

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Discounted meal sets - Meal kits and prepared meals for under $6 a serving? It's true. We tested dozens to find the best budget meal delivery for Dinnerware Sets in Dining & Entertaining(+). Price when purchased online Dining Rooms Outlet offers kitchen and dining room table sets including kitchen tables and chairs, round kitchen tables, dining room tables and chairs and These deals can be a great way to try out a service without paying full price. Delivery: Finally, before you get your heart set on a service

There are even a few Less Prep options, which feature pre-mixed sauces, pre-cut veggies, and recipes that require fewer pots and pans. The service also offers breakfast and lunch dishes, plus add-ons think snacks and pantry staples from the cleverly named Plantry. There were still a few minor hiccups during testing, like an unusual recipe card format and slightly inaccurate cook times.

But once you get used to this learning curve it's not a dealbreaker. Whether you're a longtime vegan or just someone looking to add more plant-based ingredients into their life, we recommend subscribing. Read the full Purple Carrot review. Favorite meal: Tamarind cauliflower with gingered fried rice and cashews.

Cost: Visit Purple Carrot for updated pricing. Unlike the other services in this roundup, CookUnity delivers fresh, fully prepared meals directly to your door—no cooking required.

CookUnity wowed us from the moment we created an account and started browsing the hundreds—yes, hundreds —of meal options that are offered in any given week. Each dish on the website is curated by one of CookUnity's featured chefs, who typically specialize in a certain style of cooking.

Subscribers can choose to filter the overwhelming number of offerings by anything from diet type think vegan and keto , ethnicity think Mexican, African, or Mediterranean , or by featured chef once you become familiar with them. When we tested these meals, it felt like we were dining at a restaurant.

Each dish was flavorful, fresh, and enticing; they felt like they had been cooked fresh—but the prep took mere seconds. The meal packaging prompts you to choose between a typical pre-made meal preparation read: microwave or a chef-suggested preparation.

The latter requires popping the tray into the oven or transferring the food into a pan. We opted for the chef's suggestions—and it was worth it.

A few of the dishes we tried had smaller portions and left us craving more of a balance of protein, carbs, and veggies. But this issue can easily be avoided by reading the in-depth meal guides on the website to see what's featured in each dish and what its nutritional information is.

Read the full CookUnity review. Favorite meal: Sesame-ginger tofu poke bowl. Cost: Visit CookUnity for updated pricing.

Despite the success of its competition, the original meal kit service still has some fight left in them. Time and experience has allowed Blue Apron to keep prices low, perfect time estimates on recipes, and offer fun wine-pairing and gift options. When we originally tested this service, we had problems with flavors and ratios being off.

Oregano overpowered orecchiette , jalapeño overwhelmed peach salsa, and my polenta was in desperate need of salt, spice, or anything to make it more than a bland mush.

But when we tested it again in , we found that the menu offered much more variety. Flavorful meals like Mexican-spiced shrimp bake and shawarma chicken and currant rice had us enjoying every last bite.

A few details continue to fall short, though, like disorganized packaging and inaccurate time estimates. There's also a lack of vegan offerings with this meal kit. But if you're someone looking for dietician-approved meals, tasty recipes, and options for wine and breakfast, you might be very satisfied with this kit.

Read the full Blue Apron review. Favorite meal: Crispy skin salmon with salsa verde and farro salad. Cost: Visit Blue Apron for updated pricing. Different plans are available. Each dish we tested, from hibachi-style steak and rice bowls to apricot dijon chicken legs, was quick and easy to prepare and used high-quality ingredients.

While we were disappointed by the recipe for creamy peppercorn chicken with roasted potatoes and carrots chicken breast can easily dry out when baked, and the sauce was overwhelmingly peppery , we found the other meals satisfying. However, EveryPlate is focused on affordability and not specific diet plans, which means its recipes may not suit everyone.

But if you're looking to subscribe to a meal kit on a budget, EveryPlate just might do. Read the full EveryPlate review. Favorite meal: Apricot dijon chicken legs with roasted carrots and lemon garlic couscous.

Cost: Visit EveryPlate for updated pricing. Meals like chipotle-spiced steak with potato salad were simple, sophisticated, and downright American, just like the homemaking queen. The service is also far from ideal for those with dietary restrictions—in typical American fashion, every recipe revolves around an animal protein or heavy carbs.

Since we originally posted our review, Martha and Marley Spoon has added more vegetarian and low-carb options, but we haven't tested them yet. The service did score points with us for its eco-friendly packaging, made almost entirely from biodegradable materials.

Most of its recipes were also easy to follow for new cooks. Want to learn more? Read our full Martha and Marley Spoon review. Favorite meal: Chipotle-spiced steak with potato salad and charred snap peas. Like Sunbasket, Green Chef promises organic ingredients and a variety of different diet-based meal plans think keto, paleo, and vegan at different price points, with about eight options to choose from per week.

What sets Green Chef apart from other services is its commitment to organic and ethically sourced ingredients.

The company is USDA-certified organic, meaning that customers are buying certified ingredients from suppliers that follow strict standards.

When we tore open our bags for dishes like red-miso steak stir-fry and chicken with harissa apricot sauce, we were surprised to see that many of the ingredients were pre-prepped. The carrots and cabbage were already chopped, the miso sauce was already prepared, and there was a baggie of finely minced garlic and ginger that was almost a paste.

All these pre-prepped ingredients made preparing our food very speedy and simple. Most were plated and ready to eat in 30 minutes, and we only dirtied a handful of prep bowls, one pan, one pot, and a cutting board. However, convenience has its drawbacks. Many of the pre-chopped veggies were brown or wilting by the time we went to cook with them.

But otherwise, we quite enjoyed Green Chef. Read the full Green Chef Review. Favorite meal: Red-miso steak stir-fry with udon noodles, carrots, edamame, pickled ginger and carrots. Cost: Visit Green Chef for updated pricing. This meal delivery service offers a wide variety of recipes that will satisfy omnivores and vegan customers alike with its certified organic produce.

Fresh pappardelle verde with sweet pea pistou and sugar snap peas and crispy tempeh tenders with barbecue sauce and lemon-shallot green beans were among its standout offerings when we tested.

We were impressed by how easily our Sunbasket dinners came together, relying on just a few key ingredients and spice blends to do most of the heavy lifting. That meant spending less time cooking and more time enjoying the food. We particularly loved the flavorful veggies and non-meat protein options, making Sunbasket perfect for people who avoid eating meat.

You can easily skip weeks, adjust delivery frequency, pause your account, or cancel your subscription entirely by easily navigating the Sunbasket website. Favorite meal: Fresh pappardelle verde with sweet pea pistou and sugar snap peas.

Cost: Visit Sunbasket for updated pricing. There are several options to choose from when it comes to buying a meal delivery kit. To help make your selection a little easier, here are some of the most important factors to keep in mind before you subscribe to a delivery service:.

As with any subscription service, the price is one detail that should not be overlooked, especially since you'll be paying for the delivery on a weekly or monthly basis.

As a rule of thumb, stick to the basics when you first start out with a meal delivery service. See what it has to offer at a price point that matches your budget, and then weigh your options if you decide you want to switch things up.

Not everyone is a connoisseur in the kitchen, and some folks may want their dinner to be prepared more quickly or easily than others. Certain recipes can take longer to prepare, while some may be less labor intensive. Before ordering your meal kit, check to see how long each recipe is intended to take, as well as how much additional chopping, cutting, or prepping you may have to perform.

If you find yourself having little to no time to cook, then a pre-made meal kit like CookUnity could be your best option. Meal delivery services tend to offer a variety of options to meet a wide range of dietary needs, whether it be low calorie, vegan, or gluten-free dishes.

There's also the benefit of customization, which allows consumers to change some of the ingredients within the meal kit to suit their needs.

This is particularly useful when it comes to protein options or excluding a particular ingredient due to an allergy or taste preference. Before you select your meal kit delivery service, check to see what delivery days or times it offers.

Some may vary based on your location, but you'll typically be able to select a delivery date for Monday-Friday, with some services offering weekend availability. This is important to keep in mind as you sign up for your first delivery to ensure you are receiving your meals at the most convenient time for you.

For each service, we ordered at least one box of three or four meals worth two to four servings each. Using the service's website, we chose a diverse variety of meals when available. We prepared the food on a weeknight for ourselves and our partners or families, and evaluated the quality of ingredients, recipe accuracy and variety, difficulty, speed, cleanup, taste, and more.

We scored and compared each meal and kept detailed notes like true food nerds. Meal prepping and grocery shopping can feel overwhelming. Meal kits are a great way to expand your tastes and eat healthier, bringing you through the cooking process one step at a time and slicing the time it takes to prepare your food in half.

We found many recipes that only took 15 or 20 minutes, and oftentimes less! One study found that popular restaurant meals can have a whopping 1, calories on average per serving. Using a meal kit service can help you better manage your portions and ingredients to eat more nutritious meals and lead a healthier lifestyle.

They can also help you control grocery costs because you won't have excess food going bad in your fridge before you can decide what to do with it. Almost every service we tried offers a large discount on the first box.

Your box is good to sit on your doorstep until the end of the day. Because delivery windows for these services are as broad as a full day, they package ingredients to last outside your actual refrigerator until the end of the day.

Most often, produce and dry ingredients will be grouped in bags above ice packs, and any meat will be fully insulated below ice packs. The packaging is going to be bulky and cumbersome.

Recipes are usually seasonal, but favorites are often repeated. Every meal kit service has a different approach to repetition, but most try to make recipes as seasonal as possible to keep you from getting bored and to guarantee fresh, sustainable produce.

Portion sizes are on the somewhat smaller size, but the meals themselves were filling, each coming with a protein and a veggie for the meals I chose. Daily Harvest truly means daily, as I happily ate a breakfast, lunch and a dessert in one sitting when diving into my box of frozen meals and snacks.

They keep it simple; everything comes frozen on dry ice careful with kids if they help with the unboxing process! and ready to either reheat, blend, or in the case of ice cream, thaw and enjoy. My sweet potato bowl took about four minutes in the microwave, and I was surprised by how well it turned out.

All in all, Daily Harvest is a great kit to have on-hand and in-freezer at all times, whether it be as part of your daily routine or a great fall back when waking up late and needing a quick smoothie or bowl or a dinner for the family on busy nights. Mosaic is another frozen meal delivery service that sends breakfast, lunch and dinner to your door and can be reheated in the microwave in five minutes or less for a quick and healthy meal.

I personally love this style, as it helps to eliminate food waste and saves room in the freezer for exactly what you want. Each category is priced out differently, but you can mix and match to reach your minimum box order.

Furthermore, deliveries are super easy to customize, as you can get a recurring box every week, every two weeks or every four weeks, with the option to pause or cancel should you be out of town. For my trial box, I ordered a few things from each category but decided on soup and some noodles for lunch.

The directions were pretty straightforward, as all you need is a microwave and about five minutes of patience before food is served. The soup took an initial five minutes and then an additional two, as per the instructions, so be sure to read the packaging for the exact cooking time.

I actually had leftovers because it was so filling — always a pro when it comes to plant-based foods. Sunbasket is truly a ray of sunshine for those who value organic ingredients and getting a healthy and delicious meal on the table.

For my box, I decided to do a mix of everything, getting one oven-ready meal that was gluten-free, dairy-free and pescatarian and one regular meal kit to be cooked up. For the instant option, I was sent a shrimp paella with fire-roasted tomatoes and bell peppers, instantly taking me back to Spain where I tried the dish for the first time.

Instead of a bulky pan to cook my paella, I was given a microwave safe container, cutting my cook time to just six minutes total.

I was wary of overcooked and rubbery fish with dry rice, but the dish came out moist and delicious, so either I have a magic microwave or the people at Sunbasket knew what they were doing when it comes to microwavable meals.

They have a full breakfast menu with options for different types of eggs, oatmeals, breads and spreads, and even juice, smoothies and a coffee-in-a-can that looks awesome. Moving on to lunch and dinner, they have both the ready-made meals as well as cooking options, a whole section for pastas and sauces, extra protein packs, and of course, snacks.

For the traditional meal, I went for their Italian sausage and vegetable skillet with spicy green harissa. The veggies included all had organic stickers on them, and were fresh and crisp as I was chopping them up.

I also noticed that they were full sized, ultimately serving a bit more than the two promised portions. If you find yourself rooting around your kitchen all day for meals and snacks, Hungryroot may be the best choice for you.

Its mix of branded items and other brands is a great way to explore new products. When I first signed up to make my profile, I was taken through a fun, almost Buzzfeed-style quiz that had me pick and choose my favorite types of foods and think about my eating habits.

To be honest with myself, I was sure to check the boxes for liking sweets and snacking, skipping breakfasts, and adding snacks to my dinners.

At the end of the quiz, you are presented with a customized plan of meals and servings, as well as the option to add on breakfasts, snacks and sweets. While some of the food is Hungryroot brand, such as the veggies, pasta, meat, and rice, some of the other items, including snacks, desserts, and even the buns for my burgers, were from other unique brands.

This was actually really cool to see, as by ordering one box, I was exposed to new products that I can now go out and buy on their own when I run out — looking at you, Pipcorn cheese balls!

I chose to cook a Hungryroot brand spinach feta turkey burger on an Ozery OneBun multigrain bun with Hungryroot avocado crema. The burgers came in pre-formed, pre-cooked patties and were super easy to pan-sear while the buns toasted, all in all, totaling about 10 minutes total for a healthy and hearty lunch.

The burger itself was delicious, and something I would seek out in a grocery store to buy again. While this particular meal was on the easy side, while browsing the site, I was happy to see a whole range of options, including groceries to have in the fridge, which I found to be super unique and well-needed in the traditional meal kit space.

This company is great for those who have a culinary mind and like cooking their own recipes but also like trying new ones, especially with healthy ingredients and fun new products.

Plus, it saves a trip to the grocery store and scrambling to plan a weekly menu on the spot. Especially with diets like keto and paleo becoming all the rage, this meal plan is one of the best to cater to those diets while also being surprisingly filling.

I am always a skeptic when it comes to pre-packaged salads and fresh greens, but when my order arrived, I was pleasantly presented with a super fresh and crunchy Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad that I ate a few days after receiving my box. They last up to 10 days in the refrigerator, so stocking up is definitely an option.

I opted for the microwave, and while the bacon was perfectly crispy and the sausage heated all the way through, I should have reheated the eggs differently. Also, note to remove the dressing and sauce containers under the plastic film before microwaving, as I narrowly avoided a very melty and messy situation.

As stated above, I fell in love with the filling and fresh Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad , which also happened to be keto, including the creamy dressing on the side. I loved how this was a true ready-made meal, with no heating or even re-plating required.

If you spend too much time and money on take-out health food or the Whole Foods salad bar, this is the kit for you. The ready-to-eat meals come in super easy-to-transport plastic containers, a la a work cafeteria, or a fast-casual restaurant.

When it comes to fresh veggies and vegan meals, I can be skeptical that the produce will retain its crunch upon delivery or that the meat or meat alternatives will arrive a soggy mess.

However, I was thrilled to bite into my Monday Kale Pesto Pasta Salad to find excellent crunchy roughage and al dente pasta. The other thing to note about freshness is the packaging.

Thistle takes care to label each breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack yes, snack! My Smashed Sonoma Chickpea Snack Plate was delicious! with the day you should eat it. Since I ordered for Monday — Wednesday, it was easy to organize my fridge by day so I could simply eat down the line. What is the difference between a meal kit and a meal delivery service?

Well, this one is a bit tricky, as both are included in this roundup, and there is some overlap. A meal kit is usually a subscription-based program that sends ingredients and recipes to your home. A meal delivery service may be the above, or be pre-cooked meals or grocery items in addition or instead of ingredients for a specific meal.

Do you need to subscribe to the meal kit? Most of the time, yes! Usually a subscription is needed to try the meals, however, some companies also have a marketplace that sells items a la carte.

How often do offerings and menus change? Typically, sites will switch up their meal offerings on a weekly basis. Do I have to be a good cook to use a meal kit?

Meal kits come in many different skill levels, from simply microwaving to more intensive chopping and cooking. They can also be a great way to learn how to cook and teach children.

Diet: Pay attention to the dietary options each service caters to, from vegetarian and vegan to Keto and paleo. Household Size: Count the number of people in your family and then account for how much they eat to best calculate how many servings you need to feed everyone.

Some kits detailed above have larger portions, while others are single-serve only. Budget: Meal kits and services have a wide range of prices. Some offer free shipping, while others have a minimum spend, and other specialty or health-related plans may cost more.

Time: Think about how long you want to be cooking for each night. Some meals require 30 or more minutes to cook, not including cleaning up. Check out New York Post Shopping for more content. Contact The Author Name required. Email required. Comment required. Updated Jan. New York Post Composite. The hard part is just deciding which to try, which is why I tried them all for you first.

Previous 1 of 3. Sophie Cannon. I promise the oven was off for these meal kits! The beauty of trying so many companies was that some were intensive and others, like these, were microwave friendly.

Brand spotlight. Pros: Full-sized ingredients, super fresh produce and large portions Offers a wine subscription box as well, to pair with your cooking creations A bit more in-depth cooking, with great tasting results Perfect for a hungry family or those who want to spend more quality time in the kitchen.

Cons: None to note. push function { if window. definedSlots [] ; } } ; }. This seriously looked straight out of Israel and tasted like it, too. How did I do? I think the egg Gods were looking down on me, as this was the perfect fried egg for my burger that looked just like the photo.

Cons: No options for vegans or other dietary preferences other than vegetarian and pescatarian. Pros: Delicious and high-quality meals — but what else would we expect from Martha? Perfect for the home cook who likes a balance of easy meals and learning new skills. Also great for home-cooked dinners with easy directions and no need to go grocery shopping.

Options for specific diets, including vegetarian and low-carb recipes, in addition to the classic comfort foods.

Cons: Make sure to check your zip code for delivery, as some areas in the Midwest and others are not eligible as of the time of publication. The steak and potatoes are a classic American meal from a classic American chef.

The gravy was the best part, followed by the onion dressing topping the beans. This was the best thing ever after a holiday gathering, with the ciabatta bread soaking up my drinks from the night before and the lovely comforting eggs and sausage on the inside of the casserole warming me from the inside out.

This is the perfect service for families with picky eaters trying to eat well on a budget. Much like EveryPlate, Dinnerly has a lot of comfort foods such as ravioli with spinach and parmesan sauce, carne asada tacos and chicken pad thai.

Dinnerly has an enormous menu of recipes -- typically more than 60 to choose from in a given week. The bottom line: This plant-based meal delivery service had some of the best, healthy prepared meals of any service we tried. I sampled about nine of Mosaic Food's plant-based prepared meal offerings and the vegetarian prepared meal delivery service had an astoundingly high hit rate.

Mosaic uses bold and interesting global flavors and employs creative use of meat substitutes such as tofu, jackfruit, cauliflower and vegan sausages to create tasty and satisfying vegetarian meals -- even for this omnivore.

There are some vegan meals, but many of them use dairy products, so vegans must choose their Mosaic meals more carefully. The bottom line: Blue Apron is a classic example of a quality meal delivery service. One of the original providers of this service, it also stands out for eco-friendliness.

Blue Apron is one of the original meal kit services and it's also one of the best. In fact, Blue Apron topped our list of best meal delivery services for with a wide range of excellent recipes, all for an affordable price.

It's true, you can order bistro steaks and roasted trout dinners with Blue Apron's standard plan, where many services charge extra for those premium proteins.

In addition to solid meal kits, Blue Apron is the most eco-friendly service of the major players, according to a recent study. The heartier meals are great too, like the cauliflower rice and pesto harvest bowl with cashews and spinach. You won't need more than a saucepan, toaster or blender to prepare most of the meals, and most can be made in as little as 5 minutes.

When I tried Daily Harvest , I loved the interesting smoothie combos such as a chocolate blueberry smoothie with greens, banana and almond butter.

The bottom line : It doesn't get much easier than HelloFresh. This service has tons of cheap meal kit options, more than 50 per week, and allows you to add proteins or extra servings to keep the whole crew fed and happy.

HelloFresh has as many as 25 dinner meal kits per week, so it is nearly impossible not to find something you'll like. HelloFresh also has five or six plant-based recipes a week, making it the best cheap meal kit service for vegetarians.

Over the past few years, we've tested nearly every meal kit delivery and prepared meal delivery service we could get our oven mitts on, and that includes the best budget meal delivery services.

Many of the menu options for the meal delivery services we've listed include nutritious plant-based food or high-protein recipes with lots of veggies and lean meats. To test each cheap meal delivery service, I tried at least four and sometimes as many as 10 meals from any given service. I always choose a range of meals from the various menu and meal plan offerings.

For instance, if a meal subscription service offers vegan or vegetarian meals I was sure to try at least one. I also mixed up the cuisine types to include pasta, meat dishes, bowls and other various styles offered by the brand.

To test the best cheap meal kits, there was another set of standards and protocols to adhere to. Here's more on how we test meal kits at CNET. The first big decision you'll make is whether you want meal kits, which require some prep and cooking, or a prepared meal service that sends fully cooked meals ready to heat and eat.

Prepared meals require almost no time and energy, other than what it takes to actually eat the food, but typically run a few dollars more per serving. If you're keen on eating low-calorie, low-carb, plant-based or pescatarian food, certain meal kits and meal delivery services are better than others.

Our list of the healthiest meal delivery services for is a good place to find the most nutritious options. With almost every service, the more meals or servings are in your order per delivery, the cheaper it becomes per meal.

Ideally, you'll want to determine exactly how much food makes sense for your household. That means it's less of an issue if you order too many meals on your first go-around.

Services like Daily Harvest and Splendid Spoon have meals for similar prices but are focused more on grain bowls and smoothies and might be better for breakfast or lunch versus dinner. When it comes to meal kits, your options are many, and most services provide weekly recipes that are low on calories but still filling.

HelloFresh has the most recipes per week of any meal kit service, so that might be your best bet for finding consistent meals that keep your diet goals on track. But all services list the calorie content for each recipe, along with carbs, protein, sugar and sodium. Depending on your weight loss goals, a healthy prepared meal delivery or meal kit service can help.

Fresh N Lean, Pete's Real Food and Daily Harvest all have low-calorie meals to choose from. Some of the services listed here are healthy prepared meal delivery services , sending fully cooked meals -- often frozen or partially frozen -- and ready to eat when you receive them.

Others include health-focused meal kits with premeasured ingredients all boxed up and ready for easy weeknight cooking. There's a stark difference between meal kits and meal delivery, but both make dinnertime easier and can translate into healthier eating choices for you in Plus, we sussed out the best healthy meal services for those on special diets like keto or paleo or for those who wish to eat organic prepared meals and meal kits.

Wellness Nutrition. Written by David Watsky. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement.

David lives in Brooklyn where he's spent more than a decade covering all things edible, including meal kit services, food subscriptions, kitchen tools and cooking tips. Since earning a BA in English from Northeastern in Boston, he's toiled in nearly every aspect of the food business, including as a line cook in Rhode Island where he once made a steak sandwich for Lamar Odom.

Right now, he's likely somewhere stress-testing a blender or researching the best way to make bacon. Anything with sesame is his all-time favorite food this week.

Expertise Kitchen tools, appliances, food science, subscriptions and meal kits. See full bio. Why You Can Trust CNET.