Many reviewers love the variety that Dinnerly provides, but they do say that occasionally produce arrives in bad shape. Overall, the sheer variety of Dinnerly—along with its low price—makes it a great fit for most families without special dietary needs.

They even offer some low-carb and dairy-free meals. HelloFresh is one of the most well-known meal kit delivery services. They offer a wide variety of meals each week, including crowd-pleasing choices and more unique dishes. For singles, a two-serving plan provides a dinner and one serving worth of leftovers for lunch the next day.

It can save a lot of money compared to dining out for lunch and dinner. Other than occasional shipping issues, reviewers rate HelloFresh highly—with many saying that they cook at home much more since starting their HelloFresh subscription.

Meal delivery services are companies that ship prepared meals or meal kits to your doorstep each week. There are several different meal delivery services to suit nearly all budgets and diet preferences.

Meal delivery services are convenient and they can help you save time and money. They also may help you incorporate healthier meals into your routine and they can add some variety if you find yourself in a cooking rut. By eliminating the need to meal plan and grocery shop, meal delivery services provide convenience and save lots of time.

Even if you choose a meal kit that requires you to prep and cook the ingredients, you may still save a couple of hours each week of planning and shopping.

If you find yourself eating out or ordering out regularly, meal delivery companies could also help you save money. Many meal delivery services also feature well-balanced, nutritious meals that prioritize fresh produce and healthy protein sources.

They can be a good way to introduce your family to healthier meals. Finally, meal kit services often feature large selections of meals from different types of cuisine.

They can add some much-needed variety if your dinners have been feeling stale. There are two different types of meal delivery services: prepared meal delivery and meal kit delivery. Prepared meal delivery services send single-serving meals that are completely cooked. They only require reheating and they may be sent fresh or frozen.

Meal kits, on the other hand, consist of weekly shipments of recipe cards and all the corresponding ingredients to cook those recipes. There are five main factors to consider when choosing the best affordable meal delivery service for your household. For individuals, prepared meals may be more convenient, but meal kits are often a better choice for families.

Families who follow specific diets like gluten-free, vegan or keto will need to choose meal delivery services like Purple Carrot or Green Chef, which are more expensive than some others.

Additionally, if you eat organic that will limit your options as well. Only Green Chef offers exclusively organic meal kits. Finally, you should review the menu before you sign up and make sure that there are plenty of options that you and the other members of your household will enjoy.

When choosing a meal delivery service, what to avoid really comes down to your personal preferences and budget. Fortunately, you can view the menu for all of these services on their websites before signing up.

In fact, I have tested all of the services on this list for myself, in addition to several others. We were able to use my first-hand experiences to help guide our decisions for the best cheap meal delivery. Additionally, we considered price per serving, specialty diets and customer reviews to ensure that we included highly-rated meal kits that offered affordable options for people with many different dietary needs and preferences.

If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process. We updated this article in April to reflect the results of our most recent round of testing.

Meal delivery kits have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years — they help save a trip to the grocery store and encourage the habit of cooking at home instead of relying on fast food and takeout. Many services now offer meals that can be prepped and put on the table in minutes as well as options for family-friendly dishes and all different types of dietary preferences.

But a major drawback for many is the perception that all meal delivery kits are expensive. When it comes to cost comparison, meal delivery services are typically a more affordable and healthier alternative to traditional takeout or dining at a restaurant.

And if you're someone who overbuys at the grocery store and is regularly throwing out spoiled food at the end of the week, kits can even cut down on food waste since everything you need is pre-portioned.

In order to find the best and cheapest meal delivery services, the GH Institute's food and nutrition experts conducted an extensive review of over 40 meal delivery services with more than home chefs just like you. For three months, our testers evaluated each service, including traditional meal kits, semi-prepared options and fully prepared ready-to-eat meals.

The top-performing affordable options kept costs down while still offering high-quality meals and great variety. Read on to learn more about how we evaluate meal delivery services. Following a specific diet? We've included a comprehensive guide to options like gluten-free meal deliveries and vegan meal delivery services at the end of the article.

Pricing typically goes down with the more servings and meals you order, which is why you will see a range for each service. Rated as our best overall cheap meal delivery kit, Dinnerly strikes the perfect balance of affordability and inventive, delicious meals.

The service keeps costs down by opting for digital recipe cards instead of paper and utilizing fewer ingredients per dish which means less chopping and cleaning for you. How it works: You'll begin by building a box for two or four people and selecting from two to six meals per week. You can opt to make the box vegetarian too.

The menu is robust, allowing you to choose from over recipes each week that include family-friendly offerings, vegetarian and vegan fare, reduced-carb options and more. Everything is designed to be prepared in 30 minutes or less with no more than six ingredients.

Lab results: Our experts were very impressed with the variety and quantity of meals that Dinnerly offers, and they appreciate that the brand is able to remain affordable without sacrificing flavor or quality. Testers were really impressed with the abundance of meals to choose from and just how tasty they were.

But testers did note that some items came un-bagged in the box and that even though the recipes require only six fresh ingredients, you'll often need to work in a few basic additional items of your own.

That said, you can see in advance what ingredients they will send and what you'll need to have on hand. Many also noted that they would have preferred printed recipe cards, though Dinnerly does give you the option to print the recipe yourself at home.

You'll also find only basic nutrition information like calories and macronutrients on the recipes. The most inexpensive meal delivery kit out there, EveryPlate was launched by the popular HelloFresh a few years ago as a budget-friendly alternative.

The company is able to keep costs down by using less packaging and simple, accessible ingredients. How it works: Choose from either a two-person or four-person plan with three to six meals per week. Lab results: Even though EveryPlate was the cheapest meal delivery kit we tested, both our experts and testers gave it top scores across the board.

Although the offerings lean more toward the comfort-food side, our dietitians noted that it easy to find the nutrition facts for each meal readily available on the website. More expensive services will package the food in individual bags or containers, but the food from EveryPlate doesn't come particularly well-organized in the box.

This was one of the few complaints from testers, as some of the items were scattered around the box in transit. Some testers also said that certain meals took longer to prepare than the time stated on the recipe cards.

That being said, the meals are great value for the price, and testers loved how easy they were to prepare. I also found the cooking instructions less complicated," a tester commented.

Another said, "I like that EveryPlate has simple directions and comes with everything you need even stock packets to get your meal going. This delivery service has been popular in the meal kit game since and focuses on easy-to-follow recipes.

On its website, HelloFresh shares its own week price comparison study analyzing customers' costs versus the cost of shopping at nationwide grocery stores and found that HelloFresh is significantly cheaper than grocery shopping.

How it works: Choose a plan for two or four people and from two to six meals per week. Upgrades and add-ons are available as well, and there are over weekly menu options.

Lab results: HelloFresh provides a solid meal delivery kit, with everything neatly packed into little bags with separators making the experience feel very organized and seamless.

The packaging in general also proved superior to other services we tested in terms of both performance and sustainability. Our experts like that full nutrition information and entire recipes are available on the site so you can get a preview before you commit to a particular meal. Allergens are listed per meal as well.

Testers appreciated the number of recipes, with one saying, "I liked that it seemed to have a lot of variety of meals to choose from. One tester said, "It allowed me to try new foods, minimize food waste and save time planning meals for the week. Rated as our best overall meal delivery kit , Blue Apron offers high-quality ingredients, inventive recipes and lots of options for different dietary needs, including WW.

How it works: Choose to feed two or four people, and select from two to four meals per week. Their signature chef's faves menu offers a mix of meat, fish and WW-recommended recipes; the vegetarian menu highlights meat-free dishes with seasonal produce and the wellness menu focuses on balanced meals approved by nutritionists and WW-recommended dishes.

Lab results: Everything in the kits came well packaged in little bags to keep things organized. Full nutrition facts labels are available on the site, along with the complete recipes and ingredient lists. Our registered dietitians also loves the variety of WW-recommended meals for those trying to get creative in the kitchen and still manage their dietary goals.

Both our pros and testers agree that the ingredients are fresh and high-quality, with testers giving the service rave reviews and noting that the recipes were creative and full of flavor. The recipe cards offered simple step-by-step instructions, and the meals had substantial portions. The ingredients are perfectly measured, packaged well and fresh.

Home Chef offers boxes that feed up to six people per meal , which is more than other services. They provide plans that include both pre-portioned ingredients with easy-to-follow cooking instructions, as well as low- or no-prep meals for busy families.

How it works: Users begin the process by taking an online quiz to determine which meal plan is the best for them, including answering questions on any dietary preferences and restrictions. Lab results: Our experts love just how many different meal kit options Home Chef offers, whether you're looking to get something on the table fast for the family or want to indulge in a more special premium cooking experience.

And you don't have to order a crazy number of meals to unlock their lowest pricing. Best cheap meal kits for picky eaters. See at Mosaic Foods. Best cheap vegan meals. See at Blue Apron. Best cheap meal kits that include steak and seafood. See at Daily Harvest. Best cheap meal delivery for breakfast and lunch.

See at HelloFresh. Best cheap meal kits for diet and weight loss. FILTER BY all Meal Kit Prepared Meal. Showing 7 of 7 Results.

Editors' choice. Show less. CNET rating out of 10 8. Cons Not as many healthy options No customization allowed. Type Meal Kit. Good for Healthy, family-friendly, comfort food, picky eaters, quick and easy. Full Review Read full review. See at EveryPlate Best cheap meal kits overall EveryPlate.

Show expert take Show less. CNET rating out of 10 9. Pros Food mostly tastes great Good for diets and healthy eating plans. Cons Expensive if you only order fewer than 10 meals per week.

Type Prepared Meal. Meal options per week Good for Keto, paleo, Whole30, gluten-free Mediterranean, vegan, vegetarian, high-protein. See at Fresh N' Lean Best cheap prepared meal delivery overall Fresh N Lean.

CNET rating out of 10 7. Pros Huge recipe selection More healthy options than other budget services. Cons Some recipes are bland and boring. Regional Availability Continental United States.

See at Dinnerly Best cheap meal kits for picky eaters Dinnerly. png","caption":" ","credits":"Mosaic Foods meal delivery service","imageData":{"id":"1cb0d31acfa-a2ea-2ad6b","filename":"mosaic. Pros Food is some of the best we tried Hearty and filling recipes. Cons Vegan pizzas are just OK.

Type Prepared meal. Good for Vegan, vegetarian, paleo, gluten-free, low-calorie. See at Mosaic Foods Best cheap vegan meals Mosaic Foods. Pros A standard plan includes steak and seafood recipes Recipes are interesting and easy to make. Cons Some produce was a little overripe. Recipes per week Good for Vegetarian, low-calorie, gluten-free, pescetarian.

See at Blue Apron Best cheap meal kits that include steak and seafood Blue Apron. Cons Some of the bowls an noodle dishes are just OK Smoothies can be sneakily high in sugar. See at Daily Harvest Best cheap meal delivery for breakfast and lunch Daily Harvest.

Pros Massive selection of recipes Recipes are customizable. Cons The menu can be overwhelming Not every recipe works. Good for Vegan, vegetarian, keto, gluten-free, low-calorie, Whole30, families, picky eaters.

See at HelloFresh Best cheap meal kits for diet and weight loss HelloFresh. Cost After you've picked between meal kits or meal delivery, you'll want to find a service within your budget. Meal kit or prepared meal delivery 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.

Healthiness While most meal delivery services have healthy options, some are much healthier than others. Number of meals per week With almost every service, the more meals or servings are in your order per delivery, the cheaper it becomes per meal.

What is the cheapest meal delivery service? What is the best meal delivery service for weight loss? What's the difference between meal kits and premade meal delivery? The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice.

I would suggest you can try Blue Apron because this is one of the best meal delivery services at an affordable price in the market fair-wind.club › Roundup Blue Apron is our favorite budget-friendly meal delivery service for families. With wellness and veggie (plant-based) options available in

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