Although taste is subjective, we ultimately chose companies that scored high points overall with testers. When finding the best meal delivery service to fit into your lifestyle and budget, there are a few key things to consider:. There are also options that fall in between: Food is partially prepped and requires minimal extra work to get a balanced meal on the table quickly.

You'll want to take a look at the plans the different services offer and keep in mind that while some services may start at a low price that is for a large order. You'll typically be able to check the price ahead of ordering, so you can see how much it will cost for your specific needs and servings per week.

If you are cooking for more than four people, check to make sure the service will accommodate your family, as some services only serve a max of four people per meal.

Frozen meals can avoid waste whereas fresh options can spoil if not eaten immediately. Most services allow you to skip a week and adjust your plan along the way, which can be a strategy to help keep costs down if you can't use the food quickly.

Some options, like Dinnerly, have robust vegetarian menus, for example, whereas other services may offer only a handful of vegetarian meals to choose from each week.

Certain services will let you customize further and swap out proteins, which can be beneficial. Most services will give you a discount on the first box and additional discounts if you are a first responder or in the military.

And if you know a friend or family member who is using the service, you may both get a discount for the referral. Some meal delivery services can be pricey — and most also involve shipping fees. But it's worth keeping in mind that they also tend to be healthier and less expensive than takeout.

There's also the benefit of skipping a trip to the grocery store and not having to spend time coming up with meal ideas and hunting for recipes. Many meal kits offer assistance with meal prepping, chopping and more , cutting down on prep time too.

You'll also get the opportunity to learn new cooking techniques and try new foods that may not be in your regular mealtime rotation. If you'd rather not bust out all your pots and pans every night, prepared meal delivery services can also offer a smart solution.

While prepared options do come at a premium, you're ultimately paying for the convenience, which may be worth it for you. These types of melas are typically comparable with the cost of takeout but have one standard shipping fee since the meals come together.

This article was originally written by registered dietitian Amy Fischer. It was most recently updated by registered dietitian and Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Director Stefani Sassos. As a dietitian and working mother, Stefani is passionate about putting balanced meals on the table for her family without having to spend a ton of time or money at the grocery store.

She personally uses meal delivery services as a way to change up her family's normal dinnertime routine and to get introduced to a variety of new foods and unique preparation methods.

Stefani is dedicated to providing readers with evidence-based content to encourage informed food choices and healthy living. She is an avid CrossFitter and a passionate home cook who loves spending time with her big fit Greek family. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Miami University of Ohio and a master's degree in clinical nutrition from NYU.

Prior to Good Housekeeping , she worked at one of the largest teaching hospitals in New York City as a cardiac transplant dietitian. She has authored numerous chapters in clinical nutrition textbooks and has also worked in PR and marketing for food company start-ups.

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sign in. Best Flower Delivery V-Day Gifts For Kids V-Day Gifts For Women V-Day Gifts For Men Amazon Valentine's Gifts. Our top picks: 1. Best Overall Cheap Meal Delivery Service Dinnerly Shop at dinnerly.

Shop at dinnerly. Best Value Cheapest Meal Delivery Service EveryPlate Shop at everyplate. Shop at everyplate. Best Cheap Meal Delivery Service for Beginners Hello Fresh Hello Fresh Shop at HelloFresh.

Shop at HelloFresh. Best Cheap Meal Delivery Service for Wellness Blue Apron Blue Apron Shop at blueapron. Shop at blueapron. Best Cheap Meal Delivery Service for Families Home Chef Shop at Home Chef.

Shop at Home Chef. Best Plant-Based Cheap Meal Delivery Service Mosaic Foods Mosaic Foods Shop at mosaicfoods. Shop at mosaicfoods. Plans Two or four people and two to six meals per week. Packaging The box, separator and thermal liner are all curbside recyclable.

The bottles and containers can be disposed in plastic recycling bins. Availability Delivery throughout the contiguous United States. Pros Lowest cost meal kit per serving Lots of comfort food options Add-ons like sides and desserts also available Includes recipe cards with step-by-step pictures Kit includes everything you'll need to create the meal.

Plans Two or four people and three to six meals per week. Availability Delivery to the vast majority of the continental USA. Pros Large weekly menu selection Easy-to-follow recipe cards with clear pictures Full recipes and nutrition information available on their website Solid and well-organized packaging.

The dining credit received from this promotion may be used beginning February 21st, , and it expires at the end of the business day on March 31st, No promo code is required — simply order through the offer in the app!

That means you can get your daily coffee fix for a lot less for a whole month with this Rewards Member exclusive offer! Note this offer excludes Nitro Cold Brew, Cold Brew, and Espresso coffee beverages. Limit 1 per reward member per day.

These nachos are topped with refried beans, nacho cheese sauce, seasoned beef, sour cream, and diced tomatoes. Sound good? All you need to do is sign up and your reward will be posted to your account within 24 hours!

Note that prices may vary in AK and HI. This offer is valid through February 16th and can only be redeemed on orders placed online. Your offer will be valid for two weeks. Note that offers must be redeemed in the app or through the website for pickup orders, and redeemed in-store through the app for dine-in orders at participating locations.

They are not valid for delivery and can vary by account. To score the deal, place your order online or through the app and use promo code 99CRAZY at checkout. Keep in mind that there is a limit of 5 Take Homes per entrée when dining restaurant, and a limit of 1 per entrée with To Go online orders.

Remember, Take Home entrées do not include soup, salad, or breadsticks. Feb 10, AM MST. Feb 09, PM MST. Good Luck. Feb 09, AM MST. Feb 08, PM MST. Feb 08, AM MST. Feb 07, PM MST. Feb 06, AM MST. Get Ready. Feb 04, PM MST. Feb 03, AM MST.

Feb 02, PM MST. Feb 02, AM MST. Feb 01, PM MST. Jan 31, AM MST. you'll definitely want to download the restaurant apps below. These restaurants may be cheap, but the food is still really good.

Auntie Anne's - Get a FREE pretzel! We love this cheap restaurant promo!

The meal has to be right around $5. 2. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget. It's not about the most food you can get Meal kits and prepared meals for under $6 a serving? It's true. We tested dozens to find the best budget meal delivery for Looking for food deals near you? Look no further. We've rounded up all the current restaurant specials, including free food, weekday food

Budget meal offers - 15 of the Best Family Meal Deals to Order on Busy Nights that Won't Bust Your Budget · 1. Panda Express Family Meal · 3. Pizza Hut Big Dinner Box The meal has to be right around $5. 2. We're looking for the best food the joint offers on a budget. It's not about the most food you can get Meal kits and prepared meals for under $6 a serving? It's true. We tested dozens to find the best budget meal delivery for Looking for food deals near you? Look no further. We've rounded up all the current restaurant specials, including free food, weekday food

Enjoy free boneless wings on Thursdays with any boneless wing purchase! These family meal deals include entrées such as lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmesan, chicken Marsala and more. Get free chips and homemade queso when you sign up for the eClub!

Choose from Big Mouth Bite mini burgers, the Santa Fe salad, fajitas and more! Cracker Barrel : Order online for family meal baskets that include two sides and biscuits. Pricing varies by location. Pick up a bucket meal for the family; pricing varies by location. See more details here.

These meals feed people. Olive Garden: The classic Italian eatery offers family meals, appetizers, and bundles serving up to 12 people.

They even have a lasagna bundle that serves up to 12! Note that soup, salad and breadsticks are extra. Panera : Panera offers Breakfast feasts, sandwich feasts, pizza meals and soup deals for your whole family!

Popeyes : You can order 5 different family meals from Popeyes, from only chicken to all the trimmings! Red Lobster : If you need a seafood fix, Red Lobster is offering Family Meal Packs for 4 people. Choose from several options that include sides and tasty Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

Red Robin : With this meal deal, you can customize four to six gourmet burgers. Yukon Kettle Chips or Steak Fries included. All meal deals include crinkle fries and Texas Toast. Get the best deals delivered to your inbox daily!

Read our full Factor review here. Dinnerly is one of the cheapest meal delivery services even without a discount code. Read our full Dinnerly review. Gobble is quite similar to the other services, except that many items come already chopped, peeled, marinated and so on -- which can save you some prep time.

The two meals I received, Yankee pot roast and cacio e pepe, were terrific. That's about as cheap as you'll find high-end meal kits anywhere. For more, read our Gobble review. Blue Apron is still the best meal kit service after more than 10 years in the business.

Read our full Blue Apron review here. Snake River Farms specializes in impossibly rich and tender Wagyu beef -- the expensive stuff with fat marbling as far as the eye can see. We love Snake River Farms, but that meat isn't cheap. That's why we're pouncing on this deal.

Of all the prepared meal services I've tried, CookUnity was right up there in the top two or three with a massive selection and a high overall hit rate. Many of the menu offerings have been created by restaurant chefs and cooking personalities such as Einat Admony Taïm, Balaboosta , John DeLucie Waverly Inn, Lumaca and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Read our CookUnity review. This signup offer is for one the best meal healthy delivery services we've tried. Want to see how much I liked it? Read our Fresh N Lean review. Good Chop has the chops -- pork, specifically -- along with excellent cuts of beef, organic chicken and a range of seafood options.

You can try it for much cheaper than that. You can pause or cancel your Good Chop subscription at any time. Green Chef has some of the best healthy meal kits we've tried, using largely organic produce and ethically raised meats.

Green Chef is a little more per serving than other meal kits, but you'll taste it in the final dish. Full review of Green Chef here. Another of our favorite healthy delivery services is ModifyHealth. The company is a great option for those with digestive issues and offers dozens of healthy meals for those keeping to a low-FODMAP, gluten-free, low-carb or heart-friendly diet.

And the meals are ready to go so you can just heat them and eat them right away, prep-free. Read the full review here. Other popular prepared meal services such as CookUnity and Fresh N Lean are ready to send premade, ready-to-eat dinners to your doorstep, at per-serving prices that are far cheaper than takeout.

I've tried most of them and they're all pretty solid, with differences to consider depending on your budget, diet, taste and kitchen skill level. You can check out CNET's roundups of the best meal kit delivery services and best healthy food delivery services for a more detailed taste.

Remember, nearly all of these meal kit companies let you pause or cancel anytime, so the risk and commitment when signing up for a meal kit service is minimal.

Whether you're looking for ways to eat healthily, learn to cook new recipes or just make fewer trips to the grocery store this summer, a healthy , versatile and budget-friendly meal delivery deal can help you do it on the cheap. These offers were valid at the time of publication, but they can end at any time and may be restricted by geography and other cookie-based conditions in your browser.

If you don't see a deal populate, try in a new window or private browser. In the meantime, if you've already tried one or more of these, tell me which ones and what you liked or didn't like.

My advice: Take advantage of each and every one of these offers making sure to pause or cancel after, unless you want to continue. You can see which service you like best and get super cheap takeout-style meals for weeks at a time. Virtually all of the services we tried allow you to pause or cancel any time just in case you don't love it, so there's almost no risk after the deal is up.

Although you may have to unsubscribe from their email blasts. Most brands just want you to try out the meals and see if you dig them and those brands are willing to make it very easy and cheap to do that.

To make things easier, we already tried the top meal kits and meal delivery services so you'll know exactly what to expect and you can pick the best food delivery deal for you and your tastes. Meal Delivery.

Dieting Program Guides. Vitamin and Supplement Guides. Why You Can Trust CNET. Best Online Meal Delivery Deals for February Don't foolishly pay full price for meal kits. 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. David Watsky.

See at Daily Harvest. Daily Harvest. See at EveryPlate. See at Purple Carrot. Purple Carrot. See at HelloFresh. Get 18 free meals and free breakfast for life. See at Butcherbox. ButcherBox meat delivery. Free steak tips, chicken or ground beef for. See at Factor Factor prepared meals.

See at Dinnerly. See at Gobble.

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