Meal kit delivery companies offer convenience for busy people looking to fit fresh food into their lifestyle. Every week you get a box of recipes and ingredients to cook up meals in the comfort of home. However, if you’re turning to meal kit delivery companies to get healthy meals delivered, and to lose weight, then some companies are better than others. In this review, I’m going to talk about which meal kit delivery companies provide the best recipes to lose weight.
**This post contains affiliate links. I will receive a small commission if you decide to subscribe to any of these services. However, this is my completely honest review and you are by no means obligated to use my links. If you do thanks so much for supporting my site.
I’m no stranger to meal delivery companies. Every month, for the last 2+ years, I’ve received a box of recipes and ingredients from one of the companies I use. The first company I tried was Hello Fresh and since then have tried 4 others. Even though I’ve been using these companies for a while, it still feels like Christmas when the box of food arrives.
In my experience, I’ve found meal delivery services to be very convenient and a great way to pull myself out of a cooking rut. However, I also think meal kit delivery services can be helpful for someone looking to change their eating habits to healthier ones. So, if you want healthy meals delivered to your door utilizing a meal kit delivery service is a great way to start.
Not all companies are alike, but before I get into which ones I think are best for losing weight let’s first talk about who should and shouldn’t use meal kit delivery companies. Just because I find them useful, and enjoy receiving a box of food, doesn’t mean they’re for everyone.
Who Should Use Meal Kit Delivery Companies
People who like (and need) convenience. All you need to do is go to the website and pick out your recipes. Then, depending on the company, every week a box of 3-5 recipes (and all the ingredients) will show up at your door. You don’t need to meal plan or grocery shop for ingredients. All you need to do is cook! If your lifestyle is hectic, or you’re in a very busy season of life, a meal kit delivery companies can be a godsend.
People who want to learn how to cook, or cook better. If you don’t cook then it can be really overwhelming to start. Using a meal kit delivery company is a great way to learn how to cook recipes. Each company I’ve used walks you through every recipe step by step. Some even have video tutorials on their website to explain cooking techniques further. Since using these services I’ve improved my cooking skills and learned new techniques.
People who want to be introduced to new ingredients. This is one of my favorite reasons for using meal kit delivery services. I get stuck in cooking ruts all the time. I want to try new ingredients, but I always go back to my tried and true favorites – buffalo chicken anyone! Not only has meal kit delivery services taught me new cooking skills but they have opened my eyes to new foods.
People who spend too much on take-out or restaurants. One of the biggest complaints I hear about meal kit delivery services is the cost. Here’s the thing. If you pride yourself on being a coupon cutting queen, and shopping all the stores for THE BEST DEALS, then yes meal kit delivery services will be more expensive. However, if you eat at restaurants or order take-out often then you’ll save money with a meal kit delivery service. Not to mention, you’ll eat healthier. So, it depends on your current situation whether or not meal kit delivery services will be cost effective for you.
People who want healthy meals delivered. If you’re trying to eat healthier, and don’t know where to start or how to cook, then using a meal kit delivery services is a great option. Like I said, all you need to do is pick from a list of recipes and everything will be delivered to your door.
People Who Shouldn’t Use Meal Kit Delivery Services
People who are looking for a deal. I already mentioned this above – but I’ll say it again – if you’re trying to find the best deal on food then using a meal kit delivery service isn’t your best option. These companies are in the business to provide convenience – not in the discount food business. Ultimately, you’re paying for a service.
People who are overly picky about their foods. If you overly inspect every piece of fruit, and/or go through a bunch of packages before deciding on meats, or have issues with any type of flaw, then using a meal kit delivery service might not work for you. In my experience, with all the meal kit delivery services I’ve used, the quality of the food has been great. Here and there I’d get something not perfect but it wasn’t enough to turn my nose up at the company.
People who don’t like to try new foods. One of the things I love about meal kit delivery services is they open my eyes (and palate) to new foods. However, if you’re a picky eater, and don’t like to try new ingredients, then meal kit delivery services won’t work for you. Many do have classic type meals but all the recipes do have some type of twist that separates it from your basic “taco night” or mac n cheese.
People who hate to cook and don’t want to learn how. Meal kit delivery services put together the meal plan, recipes and the ingredients. All you need to do is cook. However, if you truly hate to cook, and have no desire to spend 30 – 40 minutes preparing a recipe then these services won’t work for you.
Now that we got all that out of the way let’s assume you’re someone that meal kit delivery services will work for and you want to use them to eat healthier.
Let me first say this, if you fall under the “order a lot of take-out” or “eat often at restaurants” category then choosing any of these meal kit companies will instantly help you eat healthier. Anytime you cook fresh foods at home, over ordering a pizza, your waistline will thank you.
However, I do think some meal kit delivery services are better than others when trying to eat healthy. Below are all of the meal kit delivery services I’ve tried over the last couple years and which ones I think are best if you’re trying to eat healthier and lose weight.
**note** I know there are MANY other meal kit delivery services than what I have listed here. However, these are the only ones I’ve tried. As I try others I’ll put them on this list with my thoughts.
Healthy Meals Delivered
Hands down, Sun Basket offers the healthiest options. Each week you can choose recipes that are Paleo, Lean & Clean, Soy-free, Dairy-free, Gluten-free, Diabetes-friendly, and/or Vegan. You can mix it up or stick to one eating style. There are 18 recipes each week to choose from so there’s a nice variety and something for everyone’s taste. The nutritional information comes with every recipe so you know can easily stay on track. Calories for most dinners are under 600.
Currently, 99% of the produce Sun Baskets uses is organic, all the protein is hormone and antibiotic free, and seafood meets the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s guidelines of sustainable and wild-caught. Sun Basket takes food quality to heart.
The only concern I have with Sun Basket is their recipes are more on the eclectic side. This doesn’t bother me but if you’re not one to venture out into new cuisines this could be a problem. Although, like I said, Sun Basket has increase the weekly recipes options so it’s likely you’ll find something to enjoy.
So if you’re looking to reduce carbs, truly focus on a healthy eating style, and enjoy different cuisines, then Sun Basket will work great for you.
Here’s a $35 Sun Basket coupon to use on your first box.
If you’d like to learn more about my Sun Basket experience then check out my Sun Basket Review.
Green Chef is another great option to get healthy meals delivered every week. They offer a Paleo, Keto, Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, and Omnivore plan. If you’re looking to reduce carbs then one of these meal plans would work great.
Also, Green Chef provides mostly organic ingredients. When they can’t provide organic, Green Chef makes sure to offer the highest quality ingredients.
The issue with Green Chef is you don’t get to choose your meals each week. You do select ingredients you like and don’t like and then a menu is created off that but what gets sent to you Green Chef chooses.
This might not be an issue if you’re open to new foods but Green Chef, like Sun Basket, offers eclectic meals that the average person might not like. However, if you like trying new foods then Green Chef will most likely work.
Green Chef offer the nutritional information with each meal. Calories for most dinners are under 600 calories.
Here’s a $40 Green Chef coupon to use on your first box.
If you’d like to learn more about my Green Chef experience then read my Green Chef review.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron offers delicious recipes but are hit and miss when it comes to healthy meals delivered. In the beginning of the year they offered Whole30 approved and Mediterranean diet meals recipes but don’t anymore. They do have vegetarian options but many of the meals are carb heavy with rice and pasta.
If Blue Apron consistently offered Whole30 approved meals I’d give them a better approval but they don’t so if you’re trying to stay low-carb or Whole30 compliant then I recommend Sun Basket or Green Chef.
Blue Apron provides the nutritional information. Calories for most dinners are between 500 and 750 calories. You could certainly fit these meals into your daily calories but, again, if you’re trying to eat low-carb these recipes won’t work.
Here’s a $30 coupon code off your first Blue Apron box.
If you’d like to learn more about my Blue Apron experience then check out my Blue Apron review.
Home Chef
Home Chef offers a nice variety of family-friendly recipes but, like Blue Apron, many are higher in carbs and calories – most recipes include white rice or pasta. Of course, I think everything in moderation is fine but if you’re trying to eat healthier you’d want to at least choose whole grains over white. Home Chef doesn’t give that option nor do any of the other meal kit delivery services I’ve tried.
The good news is Home Chef provides the nutritional information with each recipe so you can choose recipe that fall within your limit. Keep in mind many of the recipes are over 600 calories, and I’ve seen some over 800, so if you’re trying to reduce calories this might not be a great option.
Here’s a $30 Home Chef coupon to use on your first box.
If you’d like to learn more about my Home Chef experience then check out my Home Chef Review.
Hello Fresh
Hello Fresh was the first meal kit delivery service I tried. Even though Hello Fresh has delicious recipes I wouldn’t put them at the top of the list if your goal is to get healthy meals delivered. They do offer a nice selection of recipes, along with a few vegetarian, but most of their dishes are very carb heavy. Not just any carbs but white refined carbs. I wish they would at least offer whole grains but for now that’s not the case. Also, calories for most of the recipes range between 600 – 850 calories a serving! That’s a lot, especially if you’re trying to keep calories below 1500 a day. Again, if you’ve been eating pizza, and fast food 5 times a week, then yes Hello Fresh is a step in the right direction. But if you’re looking to reduce refined carbs and/or move to whole grains, and ultimately reduce calories then Hello Fresh won’t work.
Here’s a $30 Hello Fresh coupon to use on your first box.
If you want to learn more about Hello Fresh then check out my Hello Fresh review.
Emeals isn’t a meal kit delivery service but I wanted to throw it into the mix. If your struggle is simply figuring out what you need to eat each week then signing up with Emeals might be the solution.
Emeals is a weekly meal planning service. Each week you get a meal plan sent to your inbox. It includes recipes and a grocery list so all you need to do is shop for the ingredients.
Emeals offers many healthy, weight management, and speciality meal plans.
Here’s a current list.
- Clean Eating
- Quick and Healthy
- Paleo
- Low carb
- Low calorie
- Hearty Healthy
- Gluten-free
- Vegan
You can also find meal plans that use Eatingwell recipes or are specifically for the slow cooker. Keep in mind, you can switch meal plans at any time. So, for example, if you start with a low-calorie meal plan and want to try out vegan you can do that no problem.
I’ve been a Emeals subscriber for about 5 years and have used many of their meal plans. If you struggle putting meal plans together, or don’t know where to start with eating healthy, then using Emeals would be a great option for you. You can sign up for their free 14-day trial to see if it’s a good fit.
One last thing about Emeals. They work with Instacart so, if you want, all your groceries can still be delivered right to your door. This way you still get the same convenience of a meal kit but for a lot less money. Emeals is only $58 a year. Personally, I think that is a steal.
Okay, let’s recap. If you’re specifically looking for a meal kit delivery service to get healthy meals delivered to your door then Sun Basket is my first choice. After that, I’d go with Green Chef. If both of those services are to eclectic then give Blue Apron a try. My advice is to look at the nutritional information prior to choosing recipes. It’s possible to use any of the meal kit delivery services as long as the recipes are within your eating guidelines. But if you’re trying to reduce carbs then Sun Basket or Green Chef are your best options.
Overall, I think turning to a meal kit delivery service is a great way to start the weight loss process. If you don’t know how to cook, or have the time to meal plan, then trying out a one of these services can be just what you need to get started immediately.
I’d love to hear your experience with using meal kit delivery services to have healthy meals delivered and to change to healthier eating habits.
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