Best Meal Delivery Services for Fitness

Fitness meal delivery service near me? The answer to that could be the best meal kit delivery service for fitness meals reviewed in this article. Meal kit delivery boxes have gained momentum over the past few years. All of them claim to be “healthy,” but only a few of them really are.

You simply just want to pick the healthiest option to meet your fitness and dietary goals. So if you’re a bodybuilder, athlete, gym enthusiast, or even a fitness-minded person, you can just about now stop worrying about being unable to cook.

You’re told everything you need to understand and do in the kitchen with meal kits. And this cooking process is simplified and quick. Meal deliveries mean no grocery store visits, cutting, chopping, slicing, etc., and no brainstorming about what to cook.

Furthermore, suppose there’s a specific diet you’re following, such as keto, paleo, clean, low-calorie, high-protein, plant-based, or any other. In that case, a meal delivery service can be just the motivation you need to stick to that diet. These meal kit delivery companies also have healthy snacks and desserts, for crying out loud! What more could you ask for, right?

So allow me to dive deeper into the best meal delivery service concept. And then you can make a well-informed decision.

Choosing Healthy Meal Delivery Services

1. Meal Plans with Variety Are Better

Nobody wants their options to be limited, especially regarding food. A wide variety of recipes to choose from is more like it!

On that note, I’d like to mention that plenty of meal kits provide you with a vast, diverse menu. Just because you want to build muscle or shed weight shouldn’t equal eating boring baked or roasted chicken and steamed broccoli with unseasoned rice!

You’ll find that keeping pace with your diet plan becomes much more achievable when you enjoy your meals. At the same time, these meals meet your macronutrient and calorie needs. Plus, that’s flavorful, delicious food prepared in the quickest time possible!

Go for a weekly menu, so you know you’ll get new dishes to select from every new week. That means new ways to stick to your diet without spending extra time in the kitchen. That’s how people can live healthier lives even with their busy schedules.

2. Take Into Account Your Specific Nutrient Needs

For example, searching for the best meal delivery service for weight loss or one of the best healthy meal delivery services. Your fitness goals can accommodate any sort of preference; the point is to pick a meal kit service that fits those goals.

Remember that not every meal delivery is the same. Some are more geared toward athletic individuals, hence more suitable for them. These meals contain macronutrients that you, a highly active person, absolutely need to keep up with your physical activity. On the other hand, meal kits promote weight shedding, i.e. low-calorie or low-carb meals.

For instance, to maintain fitness-related goals, you have to consume a protein-dense diet. That would help with the following:

• Muscle mass increase
• Reducing hunger levels
• Promoting weight loss
• Boosting metabolism
• Strengthening bones

Then you have those who want their lunches and dinners to be calorie-limited, low-carb, etc. It all depends on what your body size is, along with your fitness regime and goals. Your macronutrient needs are based on various factors you must consider when choosing healthy fitness meals.

3. Consider Your Dietary Restrictions and Food Allergies

Do you have to adhere to a special diet pattern? Do you have any food-related restrictions because of allergies, gut sensitivity, etc.? If yes, look for a meal kit delivery service that accommodates dietary restrictions. You don’t want to mess with food allergies or your digestive system while achieving and/or maintaining an ideal nutrition-rich diet plan.

There should be a way where you can accomplish your fitness goals while also avoiding allergy-triggering food items like dairy, gluten, nuts, and the like.

The truth about meal kits, at least the services I’ve discussed in this post, is that their menus can be filtered in one way or another. These companies clearly mention the names of ingredients that could be potential allergens.

For instance, if you go to the HelloFresh menu and click on the recipe, you’ll see that these guys have revealed their list of allergens. Add to that their disclaimer – “Produced in a facility that processes milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybean.”

Specialty diets are also a part of the menu for all top meal kit delivery services. They cater to specific diet patterns such as Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean, Fast & Fit, and more on the Green Chef weekly menu. These kinds of menu choices allow you to pick meal plans that are more suitable, appropriate, and healthier for you.

4. Check the Portion Size and Serving Size Options

Meal kits can be single-serve or cater to a family of 2 or 4 members. Meal delivery services also give you as many as 6-8 servings per meal. This indeed is the best meal delivery service for families. However, you can choose fewer servings for every meal if you live alone or with a partner.

Then there’s the matter of the portion size per serving. Even when you’re spending only $8-$10 for a single meal, you want the portion size to be filling. Because if it’s not, you’re more likely to eat unhealthy foods to make up for it.

Also, keep in mind that you need a kid-friendly or family-friendly menu when meal planning for the entire family. Such as Blue Apron’s menu that features “Signature for Four.” Or the kid-friendly chocolate sandwich cookies, pina colada cupcakes, and more such yummy treats as add-ons on the wide-ranging Marley Spoon menu.

The upside to picking a meal kit delivery offering family meals is that these recipes get ready in less than 30-40 minutes. On top of that, they’re the best, even for picky eaters!

5. Factor In the Cost of Weekly Meal Kits

On average, how much do meal kits cost? What’s the cheapest meal delivery service for fitness meals? It actually depends on which service you choose. The price per serving can be as little as $5, or it can have a “premium” price tag of $18-$20. Typically, most meal kit plans cost $10 or less per serving. To be honest, the price range is as diverse as the menu.

You need to keep in mind that even if some of these meal options are not very affordable, they’re certainly a lot more cost-effective than regular takeout food.

Moreover, meal delivery services often give you special discounts, particularly if you’re a first-time customer. For example, promotional offers like $90 off and free shipping on your first order on Sunbasket.

These meal kit companies also allow you to skip an order or order, adjust your meal plans, and even cancel the subscription if that’s what you want. You can pause your subscription as well. That means you get enough flexibility and cost-saving compared to junk food, fast food, takeout food, etc. More affordable and healthier meals!

What Is the Upside to Choosing Meal Kits for Fitness?

Biggest Advantage – Great for Muscle Building, Weight Loss, and Diet Plans!

When browsing the menu of meal kit delivery services, you’re sure to come across diet plans. For instance, on the Home Chef menu, you have options like Calorie-conscious, < 30min, and Carb-conscious. Others such as Sunbasket include Paleo, Vegan, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Gluten-Free, and more.

These food-based companies provide the nutritional information needed to track what and how much you’re consuming. This is essential when you’re on the fitness journey of bodybuilding, weight loss, or simply just making way for muscle recovery after a high-intensity or strenuous workout. For that, a high-protein and/or high-calorie diet is a must.

As for those aiming to shed extra pounds, the correct approach here would be high-protein, low-carb, low-calorie meals.

You can easily choose these tailored meal plans based on your dietary needs and preferences. The services, no doubt, meet nutrient demands, thus allowing you to maintain a healthy, well-balanced, and diet-specific lifestyle.

Other Benefits of the Best Fitness Meal Delivery Service

• Meal planning/prepping is already done for you, even for the most complex recipes.
• In-depth nutritional values include protein, carbs, sodium, fats, sugar, dietary fiber, and calories.
• Specific meal plans are available that fit dietary preferences like keto, paleo, diabetes-friendly, gluten-free, low-carb, high-protein, plant-based, vegan, and lots more.
• It’s such a convenient approach for beginners and busy or lazy people who want to eat clean and healthy. More often than not, meal kits come with recipe cards that offer easy-to-follow, clear-cut instructions.
• It works for fussy eaters, too, because of the wide menu variety.

Some meal delivery services feature meal kits and prepared (oven-ready or microwaveable) meals on their menu. Hence, plenty of options to pick from for picky eaters.

• Meal kits incorporate pre-portioned, fresh ingredients. This means you don’t end up overeating. At the same time, it leads to no food wastage.
• You can consume fitness meals packed with new, unique ingredients with healthy meal delivery services. It allows you to expand your palette horizon with more global-inspired dishes and classic or traditional recipes.
• No doubt, you save money as well. A meal delivery service is more cost-effective than ordering takeout. That’s the truth about meal kits!

Best Fitness Meal Delivery Service – Irresistible Fitness Meals!

It’s great when you decide to live an active lifestyle through any means possible. For example, increasing the intensity or frequency of your daily workout sessions. Or simply just making sure you’re getting enough physical exercise done daily. You also have to focus on your diet when that’s the case.

Meals that provide your body with the three major macronutrients – carbohydrates, protein, and fats – are well-rounded. Thus, perfect for achieving and maintaining fitness goals. Hence, the growth and popularity of top meal kit delivery services that feature a menu comprised of high protein, low carb recipes/dishes.

Protein is the primary macronutrient your body needs if you’re a fitness-oriented person or just someone who has a very active lifestyle. To improve physical energy, you have to increase your daily protein consumption. Protein has proven to do a lot for the body, including building muscle, satiating hunger, supporting tissue health, and more.

However, that doesn’t mean carbs and fats (read healthy fats, please!) are to be neglected. Together, these three macronutrients are crucial and even necessary irrespective of whether you eat meat, are a non-meat eater, or even vegan. That’s where meal delivery services take center stage because they offer meal plans based on different diets.

How about you get to know them better to make a more informed decision for your fitness regime and overall health?

1. HelloFresh

On the HelloFresh menu, every single item is healthy, easy to prepare, and also very enjoyable. Their meal kits are most likely to appease all kinds of palettes, even those of picky or fussy eaters. I also found HelloFresh’s affordable pricing range very attractive (I shall get into that later). I mean, only $8 per serving is super-affordable!

Needless to say, you don’t need to shop for any groceries, measure them, prep them, and stuff like that. Of course, just a little bit of quick mixing, chopping, prepping and then cooking. But that’s after you pick your HelloFresh meals. Speaking of which…

• Meat & Veggies meal plan

Consider this to be HelloFresh’s standard meal plan. It consists of a host of different recipes that cater to various dietary preferences.

• Family Friendly meal plan

As the name suggests, you’ll get family-friendly, i.e. kid-friendly dishes that are super easy and fast to prepare.

• Quick & Easy meal plan

How do you like the idea of cooking meals in less than just 30 minutes? Perfect for you if you don’t have enough time on your hands to spend long hours cooking in the kitchen. On the other hand, some of us are simply not interested even though we may have the time. Therefore, what better than quick and easy meal kits!

• Veggie meal plan

This part of the menu is all about a plant-based diet. The meals are all vegetarian, that’s for sure. However, not every recipe here is going to be vegan.

• Calorie Smart meal plan

No doubt, a flexible meal plan that includes dishes that have an optimal count of calories per serving, along with a macronutrient-focused profile that matches the lifestyle of athletes, gym enthusiasts, and the like.

The meal kits under “Calorie Smart” are below 650 calories, and some even less.

• Pescatarian

Being on a pescatarian diet has its own share of health benefits. So if your daily diet is seafood-based, then HelloFresh’s pescatarian-friendly meals are foolproof. For example, this Premium Pick – Old Bay Panko-Crusted Salmon with Mashed Potatoes & Green Bean Salad. It’s loaded with 37 grams of protein and takes only 30 minutes to spruce up!

Moving on, after you pick your choice of meal plan depending on your diet, you must select how many servings per meal you would like. Your options here are 2 and 4 servings per meal.

How many meal kits per week are available on HelloFresh? Your options include 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 meals. So you can choose as few as just two meals per week or as many as 6 HelloFresh meals delivered to you every week.

You can breathe a sigh of relief in knowing that all of these options are subject to modification. You’re free to adjust your weekly meal plans.

As for what the meals of HelloFresh are like, I can say for certain that everything seems the most approachable and easiest. Aside from a few “gourmet” or “premium” recipes, the whole weekly menu consists of recipes that take no more than 30 minutes to cook.

Those who enjoy traditional or classic dishes such as meatballs, sun-dried tomato spaghetti, tacos, steakhouse-style pork chops, meatloaves, etc., are certainly in for a treat. At the same time, little more non-conventional recipes are also a part of the menu – Cherry Balsamic Sirloin with Herby Roasted Potatoes & Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

On top of that, vegetarians and vegans also get enough options to choose from. However, these options may be comparatively more limited than the meat-based meal kits. Nonetheless, plant-based dishes are always on the menu: Thai Coconut Curry Tofu, Spiced Chickpea Fritters, Spicy Tunisian Bulgur Bowls, and lots more.

I think it’s also worth mentioning that almost every HelloFresh recipe is family-friendly. Family-friendly meals, by default, are kid-friendly meals, which means even fussy eaters will have no complaints.

What about preparing these HelloFresh meals? In most scenarios, the dishes are very simple and quick to cook. You don’t have to be an experienced cook or anything of the sort; just basic technical skills are required, such as chopping, boiling water, frying meat in a pan on the stovetop, and basic tasks like that.

Honestly, even preparing a little more complex recipe such as Meatloaves with Creamy Mushroom Sauce is effortless, even though it demands some chopping and mixing.

HelloFresh ensures that clear, printed instructions are provided with every meal kit. Although I do feel that beginners might feel the lack of more detailed directions and explanations. For instance, the type of frying pan to use, when to place the fish in the pan, etc.

In all, the whole process is easy and made even more straightforward with the help of the useful, intuitive HelloFresh app. It gives you cooking instructions, nutritional information, and the most convenient way to place/change weekly orders.

I think what’s so different and “unique” about HelloFresh is their wide-ranging menu that features so many palette-pleasing meals. These work for the pickiest of eaters in every family. Around 30 recipes to pick from every week – now that’s creative!

Thus, HelloFresh is the most suitable for large families. All thanks to its large menu!

There may be a limited choice for vegetarians and vegans. However, meat eaters who wish to add a few plant-based meals into their weekly diet will appreciate the veg menu. To be honest, so will vegetarians/vegans learning to cook plant-focused dishes. This way, you can easily incorporate more plant-based recipes into your weekly meal routine.

2 Best Fitness Meals from HelloFresh Menu

Shrimp & Sun-Dried Tomato Spaghetti

If you want a carb-based meal since carbs help with muscle recovery after endurance or resistance training, then this Shrimp & Sun-Dried Tomato Spaghetti dish fits the bill just right.

Juicy tomatoes with fresh parsley, crunchy toasted almonds, and a delightful sprinkle of Parmesan cheese are bound to make mealtime post-workout an even more rewarding experience.

• Protein: 37 g
• Fats: 28 g
• Carbs: 87 g
• Calories: 770 kcal
• Cooking time: 20 minutes

Mushroom & Mozzarella Hoagies

Considering the nutritional value of mushrooms, you can’t deny or undermine their exceptional antioxidant capacity, which helps minimize inflammation and improve muscle recovery after a workout. Also, mushrooms are protein-rich, which perfectly fits into fitness-focused diet plans.

So that’s what you’re dealing with here – this is a classic veggie-based sandwich loaded with meaty mushrooms. The sautéed, caramelized, and crispy mushrooms have a bold, savoryflavor. All of that steak-like spicy character is packed into toasted baguettes and paired with peppers, onions, and creamy Dijon mayo.

• Protein: 22 g
• Fats: 48 g
• Carbs: 115 g
• Calories: 980 kcal
• Cooking time: 35 minutes

3 Best Features of HelloFresh

i. High-Quality Ingredients, Fresh Produce

Compared to supermarket ingredients, all the ingredients a part of every HelloFresh meal kit are equally excellent in terms of quality. The natural produce is fresh, while the quality of the meat options like chicken and fish is also first-rate.

The company uses some name-brand ingredients, such as Clovis mustard, Colavita white wine vinegar, Old Bay seasoning, and more.

What you see in the pictures of the recipes on HelloFresh is what you get, more or less. This means the photos aren’t misleading or anything of the sort. The size, quality, etc., of ingredients, live up to expectations.

Even when that’s not the case (for example, if the size of the potatoes or fish fillets is smaller than what’s shown in the pictures), the discrepancies do not affect the delicious, diverse flavor or taste of the food.

You might also be glad to know that some of their ingredients are organic. As for the meat, the sources are hormone-free, and seafood is sustainably sourced. Overall, the ingredients are completely fresh!

ii. HelloFresh Saves You Time

On the How It Works page of HelloFresh, they’ve made it a point to mention:

• Simplicity: Step-by-step cooking instructions for a hassle-free cooking experience.
• Stress-free: Fewer visits to the grocery store, weekly meals are already planned, and cooking is done with the least effort spent on cleanup.

After going through almost every meal kit on their weekly menu, I found that most take no more than 30-40 minutes to prepare. Some are done in just 20 minutes too! And if you’re a little slower than normal in the kitchen, you may take only an additional 10-15 minutes.

Since the meals are pre-portioned, meats well-trimmed, and everything is already prepped, you just have to cook. Think of how much time you’ll be saving! No need to make a grocery list, no supermarket trips, etc.

Even during cooking, you only need standard utensils, dishes, pans, pots, dishes, and measuring cups. Nothing special or extra!

On top of that, you get simple-to-understand recipe cards. These feature a list of ingredients, cooking tips and tricks, and step-by-step instructions with photos. Ideal for beginner-level at-home chefs!

Along with time, even food wastage is saved, by the way. Consider that a bonus benefit!

iii. Access to HelloFresh Market

The meal delivery service added pantry items in the summer of 2021, so HelloFresh is also a grocery delivery service now.

Through this HelloFresh Market, you can add snacks, beverages, side dishes, breakfast meals, and fresh produce to your weekly orders. These add-ons are sourced from a group of vendors and brands. Some include Annie’s Homegrown, Pillsbury, Sargento, and more.

How Much Does HelloFresh Cost?

The cost of a single serving on Hellofresh is between $8 and $11. If you choose the largest meal plan, meaning more servings per meal and more meals per week, you can get the price per serving to reduce. So that would be 5 recipes, 4 servings each.

The most preferred meal plan of HelloFresh consists of 3 meals per week for 2 people. The cost here is $8.99 per serving, bringing your weekly order to $55 + shipping fee.

The shipping charges are $8.99 (standard price) per box. But new customers of HelloFresh often get free shipping plus some discount on the first order or several more.

Comparatively speaking, HelloFresh’s cost of $8-$9 per serving makes it a budget-friendly option among those who want to stay fit and eat healthy.

There surely are more expensive meal delivery services out there, which is why HelloFresh has quite a few “premium” and “gourmet” offerings too. You can mix it up (including standard and premium dishes) when customizing your weekly meal plan!

HelloFresh Packaging, Shipping, and Delivery

Your HelloFresh meal kits will be delivered in brown paper bags in a cardboard box. The boxes and bags and also the cardboard separators are all recyclable. The entire thing is carefully packaged, and excessive waste has also been avoided.

Plastic is a part of meal kit packaging, unfortunately. Nevertheless, meal delivery services that use the least amount of plastic should be prioritized. Thankfully, HelloFresh is one of them; they give you great tips for recycling their boxes and packaging in different ways.

The insulation liners can also be recycled, and even ice packs are more environment-friendly.

Moving on to shipping and delivery, your HelloFresh weekly meals are neatly and thoughtfully packaged. Every ingredient is contained inside those brown paper bags, and so are insulated coolers to keep all the ingredients fresh.

Needless to say, meats are packed separately (with ice packs) below the bags and divided from all the other food using cardboard separators. The recipe cards are stored outside the insulation so they remain dry.

Deliveries are done on your chosen day during the sign-up process after you enter the zip code. You can change your weekly delivery date through your Account Settings. HelloFresh delivers across the US, but Alaska and Hawaii are not on that list.

You can easily edit your deliveries/orders through the HelloFresh website or the app. The latter, unhesitatingly, allows you to make adjustments more conveniently and quickly. You just have to ensure that you make those changes or even cancellations before the clock strikes midnight 5 days before your selected delivery day.

2. Blue Apron

Given the popularity of meal kits, Blue Apron’s meal plans are a mixture of healthy, balanced, and weight loss-friendly dishes for solo eaters, couples, and large families.

Their menu is simple to understand, with five categories you can pick from for your weekly meal selections. Before I introduce you to these different menu categories, let’s draw a picture of how fast and user-friendly the meal selection process of Blue Apron is.

You can order meals for couples with their Signature 2 servings per meal or go for something larger with 4 servings per meal recommended for families.

You are forced to select multiple portions of single-serve meals into your weekly cart for several similar meal delivery services. And you end up with more wasteful plastic packaging and a crowded refrigerator after unpacking every meal.

Thankfully, with Blue Apron, you don’t have to worry about such a mess. With two or four servings, you can save more space in your fridge or freezer despite ordering for larger servings. Plus, Blue Apron decreases the cost per serving if you order more than four recipes each week, with two or four servings per recipe.

You have no idea how much money you’ll save weekly by increasing your meal order from two to four recipes!

Once you select the size of your meal plan, you can add extra food items like breakfast, garlic bread, a la carte proteins, or sweet dishes to spruce up your weekly diet. These add-ons are completely healthy and fitness-friendly, made from homemade and preservative-free ingredients.

Even sweet dishes have natural sweeteners like coconut, dates, and pistachios that you can add to your breakfast or eat as a dessert after a fulfilling meal.

On Blue Apron’s menu, these are the varied categories you’ll come across:

• Signature

The Signature category is a mixture of everything savory, health-conscious, diabetes-friendly, weight loss friendly, vegetarian, and non-vegetarian. Under this diet, you’ll get the chance to get burgers, pasta dishes, tacos, salads, rice bowls, enchiladas, pan-seared fish or chicken, and other mouthwatering recipes.

Some of these recipes come with different labels such as Premium, Craft, Heat & Eat, Wellness, Chef Favorites, Family Friendly, and Vegetarian.

You can turn to any one of these recipes if you don’t know what specific diet category you want to follow. Plus, most of the Signature dishes are health-conscious, so you don’t have to worry about consuming too many calories, carbs, or fats in your weekly diet.

Blue Apron uses lean proteins, leafy greens, healthy grains, and low-sodium seasonings to ensure that every dish is nourishing and appetizing.

If you’re not a fan of eating meat every day of the week, including lean proteins like chicken or fatty fish, you can substitute select recipes with Blue Apron’s vegetarian recipes like the Mushroom Tempura & Avocado Rice Bowl.

Or, if you’d like to turn the same vegetarian recipe into something meaty, you can swap the mushrooms with two 5.5-ounce Flank Steaks. Blue Apron will deliver all the correct ingredients in the meal kit.

• Vegetarian

Blue Apron offers five to seven recipes each week that are 100% plant-based, packed with proteins and fewer carbs. Meat-free dishes have a terrible reputation for being very carb heavy and repetitive. Blue Apron keeps things interesting with the help of seasonal veggies and fruits to bring you delicious and meat-inspired recipes.

For adventurous eaters, the Vegetarian meal plan is not a bad idea at all. However, do not confuse the Vegetarian meal plan for a Vegan meal plan. Some of these recipes might have egg or a dairy product, they are only meat and fish free.

• Wellness

The Wellness category has holistic and low-carb recipes curated with the help of professional dieticians and nutritionists. It is also the healthiest menu on Blue Apron for fitness enthusiasts, diabetics, and weight watchers.

Don’t be mistaken, though, because none of these recipes are boring or too plain. Though the options are limited, all the recipes are delicious and nutritious to behold. You can pick from chicken, seafood, and vegetarian.

Each recipe has more dietary information to help those who want to follow a specific diet plan. You will see the labels: carb conscious, 600 calories or less, Weight Watchers, and Vegetarian.

There’s also an exclusive feature for swapping the veg proteins with chicken or fish. You can make a vegetarian dish non-vegetarian by substituting only the veg proteins with chicken or fish. The rest of the ingredients are the same, so there isn’t any change in flavor.

For example, with their Honey-Chipotle Chicken recipe, you can pick either Boneless Chicken Breast Pieces or Pork Chips as your source of protein. Both these meat options are antibiotic-free, boneless, and certified sustainable.

Plus, they are both a part of the Wellness category, so you don’t have to worry about increasing your fat or carb intake by selecting pork instead of chicken.

• Signature for Four

Getting started with Blue Apron’s Signature for Four category is the same as the Signature meal plan, but with two more servings per meal. These recipes are family-friendly, with four servings per recipe.

Great for family gatherings, parties, get-togethers, and even picnics. You get a variety of meals to choose from, twelve to fourteen meals in total. The average cooking time for four is between 35 and 60 minutes.

Plus, some of the meals are Heat & Eat, which means they take only 5 or 10 minutes to microwave and serve.

• Add-Ons

An interesting weekly option is to include some appetizers, breakfast items, sweet dishes, and extra proteins in your weekly cart. It’s the easiest thing to do and one of the best features of Blue Apron.

From the current week’s menu, you have Peach Overnight Oats, Scrambled Egg & Tomatillo Tacos, Chocolate Coconut Custard, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and a few others. Proteins, also known as A La Carte Proteins on Blue Apron, are chicken, pork, and steaks. You can select the serving size for 2 or 4 based on what you want each week.

2 Best Fitness Meals from Blue Apron Menu

Roasted Cauliflower & Lentil Salad

Lentils are surprisingly heart-friendly and fitness-friendly. The salad has more calories without the unnecessary carbs and fats. It’s a great vegetarian recipe for a post-workout meal because it’s got more proteins, thanks to the two soft-boiled eggs and heart lentils that improve the wholesomeness of the dish.

You can switch to the seafood version of the same recipe with 10 ounces of shrimp, which gives you a dose of antioxidant-rich omega-3s.

• Protein: 29 g
• Fats: 48 g
• Carbs: 51 g
• Calories: 730 kcal 
• Cooking time: 40 minutes

Mushroom Tempura & Avocado Rice Bowl

Something satisfying, special, and nutritious can help boost recovery after an intense cardio session. This recipe has a few interesting and energy-boosting ingredients starting with avocado, mushrooms, and light but flavorful sushi rice.

It’s a Japanese-inspired dish that’s incredibly simple to make, and it’s a colorful combination of spicy marinated carrots, tempura, and creamy avocado.

Again, you can make this recipe with steak and mushrooms instead of just mushrooms for a protein boost. With the steaks, the calorie count increases to 970 calories per serving, and you consume a whopping 46 grams of protein in one meal!

• Protein: 13 g
• Fats: 12 g
• Carbs: 135g
• Calories: 720 kcal 
• Cooking time: 25 minutes 

3 Best Features of Blue Apron

i. Quick, Easy Meal Preparation

Blue Apron’s meals are one of the easiest to make, even though they are meal kits. A meal kit is meant to take away the hassle of shopping for ingredients and deciding how many of those ingredients to use in the recipe. It arrives with preportioned ingredients, all packed and ready to cook.

If you order a meal kit for a pasta dish, you will receive uncooked pasta, pasta sauce, herbs, some veggies, and the instructions you need to follow. The portion size of all the above-mentioned ingredients is measured according to the serving size you select, which means no leftovers or excess wastage of food.

Blue Apron’s recipes are curated by nutritionists and professional cooks. Most of the food preparation is done by them, so even if you don’t have plenty of cooking experience in the kitchen, these recipes are fairly beginner-friendly to follow.

You can expect to spend anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes cooking a dish with the help of Blue Apron’s meal kits. Faster recipes are mostly vegetarian, while beef takes a relatively long time to cook, even longer than chicken or seafood.

ii. Incredibly Diet-Friendly

All Blue Apron meals cater to one dietary need, while there are plenty that caters to all at once!

Fitness-wise, you couldn’t have asked for a better meal delivery service. There is something for everyone. Low carb meals, high protein, plant-focused, meat-free, low calorie, and other Wellness recipes are suitable for building stamina and immunity.

Blue Apron prioritizes health and nutrition with different dietary tags such as Diabetes-Friendly, Carb Conscious, Vegetarian, 600 Calories or Less, and Signature series.

You can also quickly check the nutritional value of each recipe on their menu before subscribing to the service. It’s a great feature to turn to when you want to find out if the meal service is fitness-focused or not.

Speaking of macronutrients, I discovered that the average calorie count of Blue Apron’s recipes is balanced with lean proteins, lots of vegetables, and sufficient carbohydrates required for building stamina and boosting muscle recovery.

If you’re looking for a balanced approach to healthy eating and reaching fitness goals, I see Blue Apron as a wholly satisfying and trustworthy choice for most people.

iii. Sustainable Ingredients

Starting with vegetables and fruits, Blue Apron ensures that most of the ingredients are organic and sourced from local farmers following sustainable farming policies.

Blue Apron also includes seasonal fruits and vegetables as a part of their weekly rotating diet plan. You should expect some exciting recipes inspired by seasons, including items in their breakfast and dessert menu.

Animal proteins like chicken, beef, and pork come from local, sustainable farms and distributors. The meat is antibiotic-free, non-GMO, and free of harmful hormones or byproducts. The meat is completely grass-fed and wholesome.

The same applies to the seafood which is sustainably caught, following animal welfare policy protocols.       

How Much Does Blue Apron Cost?

You can select as many dietary preferences as you want when calculating the cost of Blue Apron. Their pricing menu includes a variety of preferences for you to pick from:

• Chef Favorites: Recipes that are curated and chosen by the Test Kitchen.
• Wellness: Recipes nutritionist-approved to meet certain dietary needs such as low in fat, lean proteins, and lots of antioxidants from veggies and fruits.
• Family-Friendly: Family-friendly Recipes have a higher serving count than the previous preferences. Here, you will also find ideal and recommended recipes for children. Ideal for large families, choosing some family-friendly recipes is a great way to include wholesome recipes that an adult or a child will love in equal measure.
• Fast & Easy: Some recipes are meal kits with premeasured and packed ingredients that you can cook in less than 30 minutes. Plus, you can select premade meals packed precooked, and you only have to microwave for 5 minutes and serve hot and fresh.

Regardless of your preference, the following are the prices you pay for every meal plan depending on the number of servings you order.

For 2 servings each:

For 4 servings each:

Unfortunately, there are shipping charges on every order, no matter how large an order you place, which is $9.99 per order.

Blue Apron Packaging, Shipping, and Delivery

A quick word about Blue Apron’s packaging…

Since they use separate containers for packing every ingredient of a particular recipe, plastic and other packaging materials are used more than a premade meal service.

With that in mind, Blue Apron tries to minimize plastic usage by increasing the use of more sustainable and recyclable plastic wrappers and boxes. Even the ice packs and cooler bags that Blue Apron uses are recyclable. Ensure you drain the gel in the sink before recycling the plastic wrapper of the cold packs.

If you want more information about Blue Apron’s recycling practices, you can read their special How to Recycle page on their website. Blue Apron lists down all the recyclable packaging section by section, highlighting how to get rid of them conscientiously after the meal kit arrives at your doorstep.

You can access the recipe selection process and your account settings via the website or Blue Apron’s phone app. If you’re a gadget nut, you can refer to the app to follow the cooking instructions of the recipes you’ve added to your cart. Or each meal kit has a recipe card inside that you can use if you don’t want to keep looking at your phone for the instructions.

Similarly, the average consensus is that Blue Apron has a streamlined and consistent delivery service. It delivers to all zip codes. In terms of flexibility, Blue Apron lets you skip deliveries at the press of a button. You can skip weeks of deliveries easily, pause your subscription, add or remove meals from active, upcoming orders, and change your delivery address.

For each order you place, the cutoff or deadline will be displayed right next to it on the Account settings. Make sure you keep tabs on that before making any last-minute changes to your order! If you’re stuck somewhere, Blue Apron encourages customers to contact customer care and get a reply asap.

3. Sunbasket

Some meal kit delivery services are a one-size-fits-all package, offering a combination of healthy and delicious meals from vegetarian, pescatarian, gluten-free, soy-free, and other diet preferences. Sunbasket, lucky for you, isn’t one of them!

Sunbasket has an extensive menu suitable for most lifestyles, including those who want high protein, keto, paleo, low calories, soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, diabetes-friendly, and such meals.

Plus, Sunbasket features different menu categories besides dietary options, so you can pick from different dinners, breakfast items, lunches, pastas and sauces, protein bundles, and snacks.

It’s meal planning done right for someone who likes to follow through and stay consistent with their dieting goals. Looking for different meals to stay on track with fitness is not a very difficult task, especially not if you pick Sunbasket as your food chaperon.

All you have to do to get started is pick a meal, and Sunbasket delivers the ingredients for those meals to you that take only minutes to cook and eat. All the ingredients are fresh and USDA organic, so you have guaranteed quality and hygiene, especially fresh produce that usually comes with a shorter shelf life.

Speaking of picking meals that take only minutes to cook, Sunbasket features two different types of meal plans.

First, you have the Meal Kit that delivers premeasured and organized ingredients that you have to cook following the recipe instructions that Sunbasket provides you with. I would highly recommend this meal option if you’re someone who craves more control in their meals. This option is for you if you’re fussy about what you put in your food.

Second, Sunbasket also features Fresh & Ready meals that take two to three minutes to heat and serve. Fresh & Ready meals are already cooked and then packed with the help of ice packs to keep the freshly prepared meal fresh and tasty.

For a quick meal fix, especially during weeknights with a jam-packed schedule, some Fresh & Ready meals in your fridge are a great backup.

For a meal delivery service, Sunbasket is quite efficient. You can select from different dietary lifestyles, experiment with a few diets at once, or try each diet plan for a week and see how you feel about it. There are no limits or restrictions as far as meal selection goes. You can select meals from different diet plans for a single week’s box.

The price differs mostly by the portion size and premium meat option, not by the diet you select. Here’s a quick breakdown of each meal plan, keeping in mind that you want a good meal plan for fitness.

• Less than 600 calories

Sometimes fitness meals to eat a light meal with lean and clean nutrients like grilled recipes and veggies. Sunbasket ensures that none of your calorie-friendly recipes tastes or feels dull or repetitive.

You have both Meal Kits and Fresh & Ready meals under this category. Some recipes are labeled “Top-Rated” and boast many other dietary characteristics such as Lean & Clean, Mediterranean, Gluten Free, No Sugar, Soy Free, etc. Plus, you have so many different meal options starting from vegetarian, chicken, shrimp, steak, pork, tuna, turkey, and plant-based sources of proteins.

I counted over 20 recipes in just this one category! You can also select breakfast, proteins, and snacks with fewer than 600 calories.

• Paleo

A Paleo diet focuses on a protein-rich palate with some carb-heavy restrictions such as grains, dairy, gluten, soy, and corn. On Sunbasket’s paleo-friendly meal plan, you have different cuisines, like the classic pan-seared chicken, beef, and shrimp recipes, followed by Mediterranean, Greek, and Caribbean-inspired cuisines.

I counted around eight recipes that are so diverse and packed with nutritious ingredients that are lean and clean, diabetes-friendly, dairy-free, gluten-free, and carb conscious. While there may be restrictions regarding what the recipe is made with, you won’t find anything lacking flavor-wise!

• Diabetes-Friendly

I’m sure you’re wondering what a diabetes-friendly diet looks like. Well, the meals available to you in this category come pre-approved by the American Diabetes Association, which means they tick some really healthy boxes.

ADA breaks down the essentials into three portions on a plate: nonstarchy vegetables, clean carbohydrate superfoods, and protein foods. The ideal diabetes-friendly meal consists of lots of fruits and veggies, plant-based protein or lean proteins, and no sugar or processed foods. And yes, healthy fats commonly found in fish reduce inflammation and boost heart health.

Meal portioning according to these guidelines may be challenging, especially for beginners. That’s why Sunbasket’s diabetes-friendly meal plan is here to save the day. It includes lots of healthy, diabetes-friendly choices such as nonstarchy veggies, the best choices for protein-rich foods, and healthy fats.

Beans, lentils, brown rice, avocado, nuts and seeds, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, green beans, bok choy, etc. These are all ingredients that stabilize blood sugar and improve heart health.

Considering the health benefits of this, I don’t see why a fitness enthusiast wouldn’t benefit from such a protein-rich and nutritious diet plan.

• Carb Conscious

Meals with less than 35 grams of carbs and more proteins are considered a great option for weight loss. For fitness purposes, it may not be wise to include many carb-conscious meals as you require healthy carbs for muscle recovery after an intense workout.

Sunbasket’s Carb Conscious meal plan is very structured and ideal for health-conscious eaters. The meals contain around 400 to 500 calories and at least 10 grams of protein. Loaded with healthy and good fats from nuts and seeds, avocado, and olives, the meals are easy to make and taste delicious, even for a beginner!

Sunbasket also offers different types of meals with slightly varying portions and ingredients.

Dinners & Lunches

Meal kits and Fresh & Ready meals serve up to two people in a single meal kit. The meal kits come with premeasured, precut, and sometimes precooked ingredients that you simply have to put together on a pan. The Fresh & Ready meals are already cooked and need only to be microwaved for a few minutes before eating.

These meals cater to various fitness-related categories such as paleo, carb-conscious, high protein, low calories, lean & clean, etc.

The Lunch menu is lighter than the Dinner menu since it’s considered healthier to eat a light lunch with some lean and clean proteins and fewer carbs. A simple sandwich, a noodle bowl, or soup are the options that Sunbasket puts in front of you. Even some fast food-inspired recipes are completely healthy and appetizing to eat, such as pizza, garlic bread, empanadas, or deli food.

Breakfast

Heat and Eat food items such as egg bites, sausages, pies, yogurt, oatmeal, muesli, juices, health bars, and coffee are included in Sunbasket’s breakfast category.

Everything is made from scratch, without artificial sugars and preservatives, and more importantly, it is great for maintaining health. I would recommend protein smoothies in different flavors like matcha, cacao, and even their healthy yet delicious green juices for fitness freaks!

Really, no matter what you select from their breakfast menu, it won’t be considered a “cheat meal” because all the breakfast items are packed with healthy nutrients and are diet-friendly to consume. They are prepared with organic ingredients, and you’ll find many dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian, sugar-free, and soy-free options.

Proteins

An extra protein serving like seafood, chicken, beef, and plant-based proteins. Sunbasket features different varieties of seafood and cuts seasonings of chicken and turkey, beef and lamb, and a few interesting plant-based options as well. I counted over 50 different protein options for anyone looking to boost the protein content in their lunch or dinner meals.

Pasta & Sauce

Vegetarian, sugar-free, and non-GMO alternatives for different types of pasta, like ravioli, gnocchi, and tortellini, are included in this category. It’s surprising how original and unique the food items are. The pasta is made with plant-based dough like potatoes, butternut squash, mushrooms, and plant-based cheese.

To complement these appetizing choices, you can select their in-house pasta sauces like basil pesto, marinara sauce, and rose sauce. All are made with sugarless, vegetarian, and organic ingredients.

Snacks

Ever heard of cauliflower chips? Well, Sunbasket’s got ‘em and lots more. You can pick from a wide variety of binge-worthy options for crackers and chips, cheese, quick bites, delicious bars, and sweet treats.

Satisfying portions, for sure, but all are homemade with no added sugar, fewer calories, and affordable pricing. Even on a diet, sometimes you’d want to snack while watching a film, or at a party, so it’s possible to do so with these add-ons without ruining your diet goals.

2 Best Fitness Meals from Sunbasket Menu

Five-Spice Black Bean with Cremini Tacos with Guacamole and Crunchy Slaw

Beans are one of the best things you can eat for fitness. It helps build stamina and healthy bones, improves digestion, and is high in protein and fiber. The recipe has protein-rich mushrooms, shredded carrots, and corn tortillas tossed in a dressing of dairy-free butter and red peppers.

• Protein: 14 g
• Fats: 23 g
• Carbs: 62 g
• Calories: 490 kcal 
• Cooking time: 20-35 minutes

Cashew-Lime Glazed Chicken with Bok Choy and Orange Salsa

Glazed chicken of any kind is healthy and wholesome. The recipe has bok choy and orange salsa, which is one of a kind. The cashew-lime dressing is full of healthy fats, cashew goodness and immune-boosting lemon. You can have a light lunch or dinner, it’s a satisfying meal.

• Protein: 35 g
• Fats: 21 g
• Carbs: 19 g
• Calories: 390 kcal 
• Cooking time: 20 minutes

3 Best Features of Sunbasket

i. Ease of Preparation

One of the best things about Sunbasket is that the recipes are very quick to prep and cook. The longest a recipe could possibly take you is 35 minutes tops. Most of the meals at Sunbasket are prepared in 20 minutes or less. Be it a pan-seared dish or something a little bit more complicated like tacos, the recipe will be ready to eat in less than 30 minutes.

The microwave-ready meals mean you have to heat them in a microwave and eat them. This means cooking takes less than just 5 minutes. The add-ons like breakfast and lunch meals are either microwave-friendly or do not need to be cooked at all!

This is a testament to how easy every recipe is to prepare. The meal kits come with small booklets with printed cooking instructions and other information such as the serving size, ingredients, and what you’ll need to cook the recipe.

ii. Nutrient-Focused Meals

If you’re looking to eat healthy meals without too many diet options to pick from, something that’s well-rounded, balanced, and most importantly, nutrient-focused, then Sunbasket is the pick for you. Sunbasket takes away all the meal planning for you, so you can pick the meals that catch your attention, which will be served in the form of meal kits by Sunbasket.

Sunbasket also features many other food options such as healthy snacks, breakfast, light lunch meals such as noodle bowls, and healthy pizza. Plus snacks like juices, coffee, protein smoothies, and desserts. A nice bonus is the extra cooked proteins you can add to your meal if fitness to you means increasing your weekly protein intake for muscle and stamina.

Sunbasket has a very user-friendly interface that lets you select and navigate different meals and menus easily without feeling lost.

iii. Responsive Customer Service

Sunbasket is known for its responsive and flexible customer service – expect a reply-back via text or email within only 60 minutes! This is relatively uncommon for a meal delivery service with such a huge customer base. If you have a complaint or query, it will be resolved within that time frame.

Another impressive thing about Sunbasket is that they offer different avenues of contact, you can email, text, call, chat with a bot, or access their self-service system for refunds or cancellations. When you plan to stay on with a meal subscription for the long run, it’s good to have these helpful features to avoid any major inconvenience.

How Much Does Sunbasket Cost?

The meal pricing at Sunbasket varies according to a bunch of factors. For starters, let me just say that their meal kits are priced differently than the Fresh & Ready meals and add-ons. You pay extra for add-ons, which will get added to the final bill amount before you pay.

On the one hand, the meals range between $11.40 and $18 per serving. The price varies according to serving size and the number of meals you select for each week. The serving sizes start from 2 people up to 4 for the meal kits.

The starting cost per serving of their Fresh & Ready meals is $9.99 onwards. Again, the cost varies depending on the number of meals you select for each week. Every Fresh & Ready meal is single-serve only. While the meal kits come in a meal kit for 2 or 4 people or serving.

Like many similar meal delivery services, the more you order, the less you eventually pay each week on the final bill amount.

For example, if you order 4 dinner meals for 4 people, you pay significantly less for 16 servings. But if you order the minimum 2 dinner meals for 2 people, which is 4 servings in total, you pay a higher price per serving on the final bill. For more savings, increase the number of meals each week to get the most out of your meal subscription.

Sunbasket charges a shipping fee of around $7.99 per order to answer your final question. These charges apply to all orders. Sunbasket does give first-timers free shipping on their first order – that’s a bonus!

Sunbasket Packaging, Shipping, and Delivery

To complement everything Sunbasket offers, they also encourage better use and recycling of plastics. The packaging materials are recycled and can be stored separately for curbside pickup after unpacking.

Insulation materials like ice packs, paper liners, and denim are either recyclable, compostable or reclaimed. Make sure you read about their recycling practices to make the most of your time and effort after a meal box arrives.

Sunbasket uses boxes, paper insulation, denim insulation, ice packs, jars, plastic liners, fiber trays and sleeves, and paper bags. There is information on how to reuse and recycle each packaging material for better eco-friendly sustainability.

Once you select a meal plan that’s perfect for you, you can go ahead and place an order. Sunbasket will deliver based on your personal schedule. You can pick a day from Sunday through Thursday, there might be some alterations depending on where you live.

According to Sunbasket’s FAQs, they ship to most zip codes in the U.S., excluding areas such as AK, HI, MT, ND, and NM. You can contact customer service if you live in any of these areas for better clarification.

After placing an order, meal customizations are allowed but before the cutoff time, which is at noon PST every Wednesday. If your order to scheduled to arrive on Monday, make sure to edit parts of your order on the preceding Wednesday.

It’s highly unlike that your edits will apply 1-2 days before delivery. It’s important to leave a few days gap before delivery to make edits to your order.

What kind of changes can you make, though?

Well, you can skip a week, forward your meal box to another location in case you’re out of town, cancel your subscription, and modify your weekly plan. Logging in to your account and clicking the Edit Meal Plan option is very simple and quick to navigate.

4. Marley Spoon

Every Marley Spoon meal kit is a reminder of how the brand has a long-term partnership with none other than the iconic Martha Stewart. All meals have that unique Martha-level flavor, quality, and also presentation.

The first and most important thing to talk about is the user experience of Marley Spoon. You start by selecting the number of meals per week and then the number of servings per meal. After that, dial in any dietary preferences or restrictions you might have and your choice of proteins.

The Marley Spoon menu is usually a custodian of about 40 new recipes weekly. And, of course, even the variety of the recipes is multifarious. This includes both easy, quick dishes and a little more complicated and enjoyable meals.

The weekly menu will feature colorful and hearty salads, mouthwatering burgers, pork, chicken, steak, and even kid-friendly recipes such as this veggie, 20-minute Cheesy Vegetarian Chilaquiles.

All of this is just from one weekly menu, whereas the upcoming week or weeks (yes, you get a preview of upcoming weeks) offer Easy Prep Sheet Pan Parmesan Ranch Chicken, Pecan-Crusted Salmon, Pan-Roasted Pork Cutlets & Potatoes, and more.

Every weekly menu also includes special breakfast and dessert recipes, such as Sausage, Egg & Cheese Sandwich (meat-based) and Overnight Oats (veggie-based). As for a fun dessert option, that would be this Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake. Apart from smoothie bowls, oat bars, macarons, biscuits, and more.

Lean proteins too a part of the menu, of course. In my opinion, enough seafood-based dishes are on the menu. These are all easy and quick to prepare, and they’re oozing enticing flavors.

Speaking of which, the cooking process doesn’t involve putting in much effort, even with nothing being premade in this case. Rest assured, you get all the whole fresh ingredients!

Only a basic understanding of cooking skills is required for the job. Everything comes together very quickly and neatly as a result of mostly smooth cooking. Thus, you end up creating delicious weekday lunches, even when you have to do some chopping.

Marley Spoon gives you five categories to choose from every week:

• Health & Diet
• Vegetarian & Vegan
• Meat & Fish
• Under 30 Minutes
• Family-Friendly

You can build your meal kit box around these kinds of dishes. Whatever you pick, Marley Spoon sends well-curated ingredients in chilled recipe boxes to make both cooking and eating a merry experience for fitness enthusiasts.

2 Best Fitness Meals from Marley Spoon Menu

Chicken Milanese with Cucumber-Arugula Salad

Thin yet juicy chicken cutlets that you have only lightly to fry are just what you need when on a low-carb diet. It’s a one-pot meal, and it’s healthy and kid-friendly!

• Protein: 49 g
• Fats: 48 g
• Carbs: 40 g
• Calories: 790 kcal
• Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

Mushroom Bourguignon with Mashed Potatoes

Let’s just take a second here to talk about how potatoes fit perfectly into just about any sort of diet. Low-fat, low-calorie potatoes are definitely more nutrient-rich in comparison to rice. So mashed potatoes with this plant substitute of the classic French dish – beef bourguignon – is a vibrant, healthy, and truly appetizing meal.

The plant substitute being mushrooms cooked (or rather simmered) with tomatoes, tamari, and fresh, woodsy rosemary. It’s a low-calorie, kid-friendly, and highly nutritious recipe.

• Protein: 13 g
• Fats: 27 g
• Carbs: 70 g
• Calories: 560 kcal
• Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

3 Best Features of Marley Spoon

i. High-End, Gourmet Dishes

If you’re wondering what are Marley Spoon meals like, the whole meal delivery concept here revolves around fitness meals that are simple and quick to prepare. This holds in the case of the high-end, gourmet recipes too.

Marley Spoon’s menu is more taste-driven rather than being calorie-driven. Although there are plenty of low-calorie options on the menu, there’s no disappointment lurking in the background. It’s just that on Marley Spoon, you find more comfort food plus super-flavorful and exceptionally delicious dishes.

Menu tags such as one pot meal, kid-friendly, vegetarian, no added gluten, etc., are helpful if you consider sorting the different meals into a specific diet plan. More than 45 recipes are a lot to select from, right? With sufficient plant-based and seafood-based recipes too!

Moreover, you know Marley Spoon prioritizes premium quality because the brand uses only recognizable name-brand ingredients. The list includes Canto’s canned tomatoes, BelGioioso’s parmesan cheese, and more.

On top of that, grocery and other food items are available every week if you’re planning some meals outside your Marley Spoon meal kits.

ii. Super Simple Meal Preparation

To be honest, it’s a mix of both quick, easy meals and a little more complicated ones. However, the great news is that you can decide which recipes you wish to add to your weekly order. The cooking time for each meal is already mentioned, which you can use to your advantage during the selection process.

Nonetheless, I would like to point out that the process is fairly smooth even when you’re preparing a dish with many steps or instructions. Beginners will not find it challenging to keep up with the entire Marley Spoon cooking experience. On the contrary, the detailed instructions are so clear and easy to follow that you’ll gain some valuable cooking experience.

Overall, meal kits are well organized and properly labeled to make cooking extremely simple and fast.

iii. Best for Foodies

It’s one of the best healthy meal delivery services for food lovers!

There are many new, interesting recipes on every week’s menu. These are both approachable and gourmet. You get to use new, exotic ingredients in our kitchen and also polish your cooking skills.

One thing that stood out when I was browsing through the Marley Spoon menu is that way too many meals of theirs are kid-friendly. Isn’t that amazing if you’re a parent looking for the best meal delivery service for families?

To add to that, there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options too. That’s the most fitting for those who don’t eat meat or don’t want to eat meat all days of the week.

Another characteristic that separates Marley Spoon from the crowd is that this particular meal delivery service doesn’t cater to any fad diets. The Marley Spoon menu, as I already mentioned once before, is more culinary-based rather than adhering to specific dietary patterns.

Needless to say, healthy, fitness meals are included, but ones that you can genuinely enjoy and maybe even keep coming back to for more.

Straight to the point – if you appreciate great food (classic dishes or otherwise), you’re most likely to choose Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon.

How Much Does Marley Spoon Cost?

It may be the cheapest meal delivery service or the most affordable meal kit delivery service for families. You’ll soon see how and why, just look at the price chart below.

So you see how the price drops as you add more meals and servings to your weekly order?

As for the shipping cost, it’s a flat $8.99 per meal box.

Marley Spoon Packaging, Shipping, and Delivery

Smart packaging is the most appropriate way to describe the packaging method adopted by Marley Spoon. The large cardboard meal box, thermal liners inside it, and also the ice packs (containing non-hazardous, non-toxic substances) are all recyclable. Ice packs just need to be unloaded and rinsed.

The ingredients, however, are wrapped in plastic, vacuum-sealed, obviously. Fresh vegetables and fruits are delivered in paper bags. Each recipe’s ingredients are packaged separately, so you have multiple paper bags divided for every meal.

To my relief, most of the packaging materials are non-plastic – only meat comes wrapped in plastic, but even this plastic is recyclable (at select locations, check out Marley Spoon’s Recycling page for more information).

When subscribing to Marley Spoon, you can pick any delivery day of your choice based on your convenience. And if you wish to change this delivery date, you must at least 7 days before the scheduled delivery.

Marley Spoon deliveries are from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Doesn’t suit your schedule? Worry not, because Marley Spoon’s meal kits/boxes arrive in solid condition with all ingredients inside properly chilled. This means your delivery can sit at your door for long hours harmlessly.

Thankfully, the website is highly intuitive, making adjusting, changing, and even canceling your order or orders easy-breezy. You can skip a week or several weeks and also cancel your Marley Spoon subscription. Only make sure to perform these actions 5-7 days before the scheduled delivery date.

5. Green Chef

Green Chef is one of the best meal delivery services you’ll come across. It may not be the most all-inclusive meal service like Sunbasket, but it is quite user-friendly and uncomplicated to use.

Green Chef’s weekly menu offers a bunch of delicious recipes with different dietary options. Although you cannot filter the dishes according to those diets, you can only see which plans each recipe belongs to on their respective recipe card.

For example, their Lemon Pepper Turkey Lettuce Wraps are Keto, Gluten Free, and Mediterranean. Once you click on the recipe card, you can view other important details about the recipe, such as the nutritional values, ingredients, and allergy information.   

In this manner, you can pay attention to dietary preferences and the nutritional values of the recipes that catch your attention. Making it a perfect choice for health and fitness enthusiasts.

Each recipe card tells you everything you need to know immediately, so you don’t need to click through to the recipe page unless you want to. It displays the main ingredients, cooking time, and various diets of each dish.

Speaking of which, these are the common diet plans on Green Chef’s radar:

• Gluten-Free

Majority of Green Chef’s dishes are gluten-free. A gluten-free diet may not necessarily benefit a fitness enthusiast, but if you have celiac disease or are allergic to gluten, this is the meal plan for you.

Lots of people even complain of indigestion, stomach ache, constipation, nausea, etc., due to gluten intolerance, which explains why a gluten-free diet is essential to avoid those symptoms.

Generally speaking, a gluten-free diet can have plenty of health benefits even for the average eater. It contributes to better energy levels, no bloating, fewer headaches caused by food intolerances, excellent bone health, and better digestion of foods.

If you eliminate gluten from your diet, you eliminate bread, cereals, chips, most pantry sauces, drinks, and salad dressings. For a home cook, this would mean buying only gluten-free foods, which in today’s day and age is expensive.

Green Chef makes it simpler because it makes all the dishes gluten-free. Easy to prepare and delicious vegetarian, pescatarian recipes and rich in lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, and beef.

• Vegan

Contrary to popular belief, healthy grains and plant-based proteins can meet all nutrient requirements. You can switch to a vegetarian diet plan that is completely plant-based without missing out. The recipes are delicious, nutritious, and never repetitive.

• Fast & Fit

Low-calorie dishes that take less than 25 minutes to prepare. The current week’s menu shows that most of these recipes are also keto or plant-based. Some quick-to-cook protein and seafood options include Moroccan-Spiced Shrimp and Spicy Beef & Broccoli Noodle Bowl.

• Keto & Paleo

On a keto and paleo diet, carbs are kept to a minimum, while proteins and healthy fats take up most of the palate. Green Chef includes lots of healthy fats and lean proteins such as nuts and seeds, non-starchy veggies, lentils, and beans. Foods like gluten, grains, soy, and legumes are excluded.

• Mediterranean:

Similar to Paleo and Keto, a Mediterranean diet focuses more on healthy nuts and seeds, fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish for a wholesome and satisfying diet. The meals are simple, well-textured, and very flavorful, but many people consider the limited meat options as a drawback as it reduces the protein value of each meal.

However, it’s a good meal to indulge in every once in a while. Green Chef does offer 3 different dishes that are Mediterranean, and one of them has Turkey as the main protein source. The other two are vegetarian.

Based on these meal selections, Green Chef works very smoothly and intuitively. You can pick a mix of dishes from different diet categories. The dishes are accompanied by proper pictures, nutritional information, ingredients list, and cooking instructions, so you’re never in the dark about the meals you select every week.

Plus, the menu changes weekly, so you won’t eat the same dish twice!

Green Chef offers 20 plus weekly recipes, giving you plenty of meals to select from. The ingredients are certified organic and gluten-free with comfortable portions.

Regarding meal options, you can select as little as 2 servings per meal or up to 6 servings per meal. There is a minimum order of 6 to 24 servings on the final bill order. Pricing for each meal plan I’ll get to in a few minutes.

Compared to other meal deliveries, the various dietary restrictions for health and fitness eaters are a boon for Green Chef. A big advantage for people who want to skip too much meat or gluten or grains or dairy from their diet. Green Chef takes on a balanced approach to healthy eating with as many as 20+ recipes suitable for various diets.

Thankfully, Green Chef allows you to be flexible when it comes to choosing different meals. The meals are all lunch or dinner-based with quick prep time and cooking time. Customers loved how you can order 2 servings per meal minimum, which means an entire day’s meal plan is sorted out without making any extra effort.

Beginner-friendly recipes have a quick cooking time of about 25-35 minutes, while slightly complicated recipes may take as long as 45 minutes to cook. All the ingredients are packed separately. You have to remember that Green Chef does not always deliver common pantry items like cooking oil or salt and pepper, so you have to have those in before you start cooking the meals.

Overall, Green Chef is a simple, top-rated meal delivery service for fitness enthusiasts. If you’re seeking flavorful and not very complex recipes, the organic and healthful diet plans of Green Chef should suit you.

The cooking instructions for which are very streamlined and easy to follow. Plus, you will cook for at least two servings at a time. That means you have to cook these recipes just once for an entire day’s meal.

2 Best Fitness Meals from Green Chef Menu

Chimichurri Beef & Summer Veggie Salad

The recipe hits two birds with one stone because it has protein-rich beef for muscle building and hearty, antioxidant-rich veggiesto boost muscle recovery. I love the combination of tomatoes, red kale, and squash paired with beef, making the dish 100% nutritious and satisfying.

• Protein: 36 g
• Fats: 61 g
• Carbs: 40 g
• Calories: 850 kcal 
• Cooking time: 30 minutes

Pecan-Crusted Sockeye Salmon

Salmon is good for building muscle and losing fat. It is also a good source of protein that keeps you full for longer without actually adding more carbs or fats to your meal. Paired with roasted carrots, creamy kale, and shallots, it’s a tender and appetizing meal. It’s a unique blend of omega-3s from the salmon and antioxidants from heart-healthy veggies.

• Protein: 40 g
• Fats: 47 g
• Carbs: 27 g
• Calories: 660 kcal 
• Cooking time: 30 minutes

3 Best Features of Green Chef

i. Many Dietary Filters

Green Chef caters to a wide variety of people, all within the spectrum of tracking macros in what they eat and including more nutritious meals into their weekly that are also delicious. The best part about switching to Green Chef is that they include all organic and high-quality ingredients as a part of the diet plans.

People not only crave more variety in their meals but also have a few dietary restrictions to keep in mind to meet certain fitness goals, such as building muscle with protein and avoiding processed foods, carb-heavy grains, and dairy.

ii. Quick Meal Selection & Cooking

The meal selection process is one of the best on Green Chef. It couldn’t have been simpler, starting with how you choose a meal plan. You can pick a variety of recipes with different diet categories such as Fast & Fit, Gluten Free, Keto, Paleo, and so on. There are plenty of plant-focused and vegan choices too.

The meals are delivered in easy to unpack and temperature-appropriate packaging with ice packs and insulation. Each meal kit has a printed card with all the important details, including serving size, cooking time, nutrients, ingredients, and step-by-step instructions. Everything aside from the recipe card is recyclable, which most people will appreciate.

If you follow the steps carefully, the recipes are so quick and straightforward to make. You might come across a few ingredients, such as vegetables, that need to be chopped, but it’s not a big deal considering that you do not have to create a recipe from scratch!

iii. Fresh & Nutritious Ingredients

Green Chef uses superior and high-quality ingredients, including meat. Their menu combines classic cuisines and some you would consider experimental, ranging from Thai, Mediterranean, Caribbean, and so on. You have plenty of exciting choices to add to your weekly plan.

Plus, these are meals that aren’t high in fats or carbs. They’re also nutritionally balanced, making them a perfect pick for fitness geeks. None of the dishes has artificial preservatives, sweeteners, sugars, or high sodium. Whole foods, homemade sauces, and dressings make Green Chef a real, home-inspired meal delivery service.

How Much Does Green Chef Cost?

Essentially, Green Chef offers different box sizes with slightly varying prices. The box size depends on two important factors:

• Number of servings per meal
• Number of meals per week

Based on these factors, you can either pay less or more weekly. I would also like to clarify that the Meal Types or preferences do not influence the cost of the box. The prices apply to each and every one of the diet options on Green Chef’s menu.

Even if you choose two meal types out of six, the ones you select will be shown first, and you’ll still have the option to select meals from the four diet plans you didn’t select as your personal preference.

A quick recap: what are these meal types I’m referring to?

• Keto + Paleo
• Vegetarian
• Mediterranean
• Fast & Fit
• Vegan
• Gluten-Free

Simple enough to understand, right? Let’s move on.

For 2 servings per meal

For 4 servings per meal

For 6 servings per meal

As you can see, the highest you pay per serving on Green Chef is $13.49, which is their minimum order amount per serving.

And the lowest, most affordable cost per serving is $11.99 per serving for 16 to 24 meals in total each week.

There is a shipping fee on all orders, regardless of the box size, which is $9.99 on every order. We’ll get to the shipping information in the next section.

Green Chef Packaging, Shipping, and Delivery

Since Green Chef is a meal kit delivery service, it packs all the ingredients separately. Including fruits and vegetables, seasonings, spices, herbs, meat, and sauces. All the meals come equipped with ice packs to maintain the optimal temperature for storage. Especially when you order seafood, chicken, or meat, it always comes packed alongside recyclable ice packs.

Green Chef uses a lot of plastic packaging for a meal kit service, but all of them are recyclable. You can recycle them from the smallest packaging item, sauce packets, seasoning packets, and the bigger plastic containers. Some are reusable and/or compostable too.

The boxes and containers are sent along with food stickers that you must remove before recycling the plastic. For some, this may be a slightly time-consuming process, but it’s undoubtedly not inconvenient, considering how easy they are to peel off without scrubbing.

Green Chef is one of those unique meal delivery services that come with a large delivery window. You get to pick the day of delivery and not the other way around, which is common for most meal kit delivery services.

You can choose from Monday through Saturday and select the delivery time. There’s a 12-hour window from morning to late evening for a comfortable delivery right to your doorstep.

According to their FAQs, they deliver to all parts of the continental United States, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and Louisiana. Though some parts of Louisiana are available for delivery, once you enter your zip code, you’ll know for sure.

Delivery and customization-wise, Green Chef is quite flexible. You can skip multiple weeks at a time, change meals before the cutoff time, or cancel your subscription via the app or website.

The cutoff time on most orders is at 9 pm, at least 7 days before the scheduled delivery date, so if your order is supposed to arrive on Friday, you can make changes to your order on the preceding Friday until 9 pm at night.

6. Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot is different in that it is an entirely plant-based meal delivery service, which means all of the meals on the menu fit into a vegan/vegetarian diet plan.

As I’m sure you’re wondering: Is switching to a plant-based diet good for fitness?

Well, the answer depends as much on the science behind plant-based diets as on you and your athletic performance. While it’s true you don’t need to eat just meat to get your protein, plant-based sources provide plenty of nutrients to fuel your workout and keep you healthy, there are a few things you should keep in mind before switching.

While on a plant-based diet, you have to thrive on specific goals and ensure that you meet them without breaking your back. Here is where the beauty of meal delivery services like Purple Carrot comes in handy as they provide wholesome and nutritious plant-based meals that understand your macronutrient and caloric needs as an athlete or fitness enthusiast.

Dieticians agree that plant-based diets are taking the ropes, people are switching from dairy and meat to plant to eat more healthily and high-quality produce.

When it comes to choosing Purple Carrot for a plant-forward meal delivery service for fitness, here’s what you’ll get.

• Dinner: Offering 2 or 4 servings of all plant-based dinner meals with jackfruit, mushroom, chickpeas, black bean, tofu, and eggplant as some of the main sources of protein cooked up in appetizing new ways.

The meals are calorie conscious and carb friendly, catering to different diets such as soy-free, nut-free, gluten-free, high protein, and 600 or fewer calories.

• Breakfasts: Purple Carrot has only two different breakfast options: Chia Pudding and Tempeh and Kale Chorizo Scramble. Both are very simple to cook, calorie-conscious, and allergy friendly. What stands out about their Breakfast menu is that you have to buy a minimum of 4 servings at a time, but it’s incredibly cheap.
• Lunches: Just like Breakfast, Purple Carrot’s menu has two different lunch options that are light and wholesome to eat. The Coconut Ginger Congee is high in proteins and low in calories, while the Pesto White Bean Melt is soy free and low in calories.
• Plantry: Snack items like Almond Milk Chocolate Bar, Cauliflower Crackers, Oat Bites, plant-based Black Bean Burger patty, and Avo Aioli garnishing sauce. These are all interesting plant-based and vegan options for a light binge diet whenever you feel like it.

As you can see, Purple Carrot offers great meal plans for different appetites. It is a straightforward and classic meal delivery with quick and easy recipes that require minimal prep and cooking. It feels nice to know that Purple Carrot has a weekly rotating menu, so you’ll have new recipes to select weekly.

The meals are a good mix of proteins, fiber, healthy fats, and other immune-boosting nutrients. Plus, despite being a completely plant-based service, theirs is not one of those meal plans that serve only sandwiches and salads with chunks of tofu.

It seems like the menu is very crafty and colorful, with new cuisines like burgers, noodles, soups, pasta, fritters, steaks, and fried rice recipes. Some of them are meat-inspired but without the meat so you get all plant-based nutrition without the oft-repeated vegetarian palate.

The recipes are also a part of something greater, more fitness and health-focused, for you. They come with different dietary labels for better transparency. You can view each recipe’s ingredients list and nutrition label even before signing up.

The various diet categories are self-explanatory and help you select recipes that align with your fitness goals. Plus, it’s a huge advantage for people with allergies and food intolerance. The categories are:

• High Protein
• Soy Free
• Nut Free
• Gluten-Free
• Quick and Easy
• Less than 600 Calories
• Chef’s Choice

These diet labels apply to all the menu categories: Dinner, Lunch, Breakfast, and Pantry.

On a different note, people looking for something more time-efficient and convenient, every once in a while can also opt for Purple Carrot’s pre-cooked meals. These are ready-to-eat meal boxes with a single serving. The meals heat up in less than 3 minutes in a microwave. You can also use a stovetop or an oven to heat them based on what you prefer.

The meals are quite impressive, even in this category, and come with dietary labels such as gluten-free and less than 600 calories. Recipes like Saffron Rice Bowl, Peanut Noodles, Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl, and Chilled Farro Antipasto are some of their more nutritious options.

Being 100% vegan and health conscious, Purple Carrot is a simple and direct meal delivery service. It may not allow as many customizations as other picks, like swapping ingredients or upgrading to premium options, or even filtering the menu based on specific diets like keto, paleo, high protein, low carb, etc., but as a plant-focused alternative, it’s a great choice.

Everything from sauces to curries and spice is vegetarian and vegan. They even make their own plant-based butter and cheese for certain recipes.

The add-ons like breakfast and snacks are not very expensive though you need to buy them in 2 or more servings, which may not be the ideal choice for a solo eater. For couples and large families, it’s no problem at all.

2 Fitness Meals from Purple Carrot Menu

Plantain Fritters with Black Bean Salad 

Black beans are one of the best meat-free protein-rich foods you can eat on a plant-based diet. It provides fiber, along with low carbs and low calories. Paired with plantain, another great fiber source, this one is a low-calorie, gluten-free, and high-protein meal.

• Protein: 22g
• Fats: 11g
• Carbs: 75g
• Calories: 490kcal 
• Cooking time: 35 minutes

Hoisin Tofu Steaks

Another gluten-free, low-calorie, and high-protein meal is Tofu, which is suitable for fiber and protein. Tofu is a good source of iron and calcium and is also essential for building stamina and boosting bone and muscle recovery. Paired with this is a light but powerful, immune-boosting spinach poppy seed salad.

• Protein: 29 g
• Fats: 24 g
• Carbs: 6 9g
• Calories: 580kcal 
• Cooking time: 35 minutes

3 Best Features of Purple Carrot

i. 100% Vegan & Beginner-Friendly

Being healthy and fit can be as simple as following a wholly plant-based diet to avoid dairy, meat, and other processed foods. For that and much more, Purple Carrot is a sensible choice. Their meal kits are great for vegans and vegetarians looking for nutritious plant-focused recipes.

Purple Carrot even allows some learning curve in that you understand how different ingredients taste well together, such as lentils, white beans, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and healthy nuts and seeds.

It’s a beginner-friendly service that encourages better eating habits and creates new, exciting, meat-inspired, and appetizing recipes.

ii. Superior Ingredient Quality & Freshness

The ingredient quality of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, grains, legumes, herbs, and spices is 100% organic, non-GMO, and fresh. Purple Carrot ensures that all the ingredients, including non-product staples like plant-based milk, tofu, tempeh, and beans, are organic and do not contain harmful chemicals or preservatives.

When healthy eating is a priority, considering the quality and freshness of ingredients should be a priority too. Purple Carrot checks all those boxes with organic and GMO-free ingredients down to the smallest pantry item, like spices.

iii. Nutritionally-Balanced Meals

The nutritional value and diet-friendliness of Purple Carrot meet healthy expectations. Not only are the dinner meals vegan, but the snack and breakfast items are also, making it an attractive choice for health-conscious eaters.

Moving forward, Purple Carrot also has certain diet labels for people with allergies to nuts, soy, and gluten. Plus, more health-focused labels for weight loss, athletic performance, and wellness. They also offer a balanced palate of low-calorie and high-protein meals each week. At the same time,useful information about the meals and what diet they’re suitable for make meal selection on Purple Carrot simpler and quicker.

The average nutritional ratio of Purple Carrot’s recipes is not more than 500 calories per meal, a moderate amount of fat, enough carbs for building stamina, and more proteins as well. I did not find a recipe with high sodium content or too many carbs in a single serving.

How Much Does Purple Carrot Cost?

The meal pricing plan of Purple Carrot is simpler than ever to understand. The purple carrot cost varies depending on how many meals and servings you chose.

Purple Carrot’s meal plans are easy to customize based on the type of meal you select: Meat Kits and Prepared Meals.

The next step is selecting the number of dinners and servings you require. The prices change according to the meal box size. Minimum order on Purple Carrot consists of 2 dinners per week with 2 servings each, where the cost per serving is $10.99.  On the other hand, the largest order is 3 dinners per week with 4 servings each. And the price of this meal plan is $8.99 per serving.

You can also add smaller food items such as Breakfast or light Lunches, to your meal box that cost from $4.49 to $8.99 per serving.

One of the best things about Purple Carrot is the free shipping! You don’t have to pay shipping even on the minimum order, which is a huge relief for most people.

Prepared Meals are slightly more expensive than Meal Kits, ranging from about $13 to $15 per serving. These are fully cooked and packed and are delivered to you in single-serve containers only that are microwave-friendly.

Here’s something you should know before subscribing to Purple Carrot. They do have a first-timer discount going on. Ideally, without such a discount, you would pay $80 weekly with 6 servings in total each week. After the discount, you pay $59.50 as a first-timer. The offer applies only to the first order you place.

For other meal plans, you receive an average $18 to $20 discount on the first order if you add more meals or servings.

Purple Carrot Packaging, Shipping, and Delivery

The meals are packed with the help of plastic, paper, and other minor packaging materials. Each container has a proper label with the ingredient name and instructions on how to cook it to create the recipe.

Once the meal kits arrive, you can store them in the refrigerator without taking out the wrapper. It is only when you take a meal kit out for cooking is when you can unpack all the containers.

With the help of paper liners, ice packs, the trays, meals are organized to prevent leaks or spills inside the main box. The last thing you need to worry about is improper or clumsy packaging because Purple Carrot is very meticulous about using recyclable and eco-friendly packaging materials for their weekly boxes.

Purple Carrot serves all parts of the continental United States, not Alaska and Hawaii. If you wish to check yours, just enter the zip code to check delivery availability for your address.

There may not be an option to select the day of delivery due. Still, Purple Carrot delivers every Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

Skipping a week of delivery is allowed, but only when you edit the order before the cutoff time, which is noon EST every Tuesday before the upcoming week’s delivery. Go to your account settings and click on the Skip option to make the changes immediately.

Having said that, Purple Carrot is also okay with you making other kinds of changes to your order before the cutoff time. Changing dinner meals, adding new meals, and removing current meals are possible right from your account settings.

Every order has a deadline time that lets you know the cutoff time for every upcoming order. All the details regarding that order will be displayed, including the names of all the dinner meals you’ve chosen, plus add-ons.

Lastly, when you want to change your delivery address or leave some special delivery instructions, you can do so through your Account settings.

Go to the Delivery Addresses section and select Edit to change your delivery address immediately. If you do this before the next delivery cutoff time, it will automatically reflect in your order.

7. Everyplate

The difference between Everyplate and Green Chef, for example, is that Everyplate puts together more affordable meals, while Green Chef is considered to be the more premium and gourmet option.

Both feature preportioned and pre-prepped meal kits, but Everyplate is more inexpensive. The meal palate is simple and perfect for someone who is a bit more finicky about their meals. Everyplate offers classic and nutritious meals that will keep you full for longer and meet various diet needs.

Once you sign up on Everyplate, which takes minutes to do, meal selection is a breeze. Pick from their weekly meal plans from 3, 4, or 5 meals per week with two or four servings each.

Unlike other meal deliveries, Everyplate charges a fixed price per serving, which means the cost per serving will not reduce even when you increase the number of meals. Everyplate changes its menu weekly with over 10 new recipes, including some substitute proteins and side dishes.

The meals are both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, with options like pork, beef, seafood, and steak, including the classic chicken. Some premium meals like seafood or steak cost a few extra dollars per serving, but you will be notified about the price increase as soon as you add the meal to your cart.

While selecting a proper meal plan, Everyplate does a few meal preferences. Rest assured, you can change your meal preference at any time, the entire week’s menu will be available to you once, including the menus for the upcoming two weeks.

• ClassicPlate: A balanced combination of meat, seafood, and vegetarian meal options. All are dinner meals with ingredients, nutrition, and cooking instructions just a click away.
• VeggiePlate: Uncomplicated plant-focused meals at an affordable price range. All the meals are satisfying and high in protein, and no, not all of the VeggiePlate recipes are salads!
• FamilyPlate: Family-friendly meals are recipes that aren’t too experimental and something that children would love to eat. If you have a fussy eater in your family, this is the meal plan you should select to avoid leftovers.
• EasyPlate: The average cooking time of an Everyplate recipe is from 30 to 45 minutes. If time is a priority for you, you can filter out recipes that take longer than 30 minutes to cook. EasyPlate recipes are quick and easy to prepare, taking less than 30 minutes from kit to plate.

When selecting different meals based on their nutritional value, Everyplate is not very fitness-friendly. It does not accommodate diet plans like low calorie, high protein, and low carbs, the weekly menu is basic and has a single menu you can navigate.

You can see some dietary information about certain recipes, but they are broad in that they may not directly correspond to a fitness focus diet plan.

For example, you’ll know…

• which recipe is a customer favorite.
• which cooks in 30 minutes or less.
• which requires minimal prepping.
• which is veggie.
• which contains premium meats like steak, shrimp, or salmon.

To find the healthiest ones, you will have to read about the nutritional label of the meals that catch your attention. Everyplate doesn’t specify which of their meals are low in sugar, high in proteins, carb conscious, and have fewer calories.

The reason why Everyplate works are because it’s an affordable meal kit delivery service. It doesn’t cater to specific diet trends like other services, which automatically affects the price per serving. With Everyplate, when you pay as little as $5 per serving, you cannot expect a lot of dietary customizations to go along with such a low cost.

Having said that, the low cost should not take away from the fact that Everyplate serves fresh and high-quality meal kits. Overall, the meals are very satisfying and nutritious. Ingredients are stored fresh and packed with proper insulation and ice packs to ensure longer shelf life.

It’s a solid choice for someone who doesn’t feel like spending a huge sum each month on food but craves enjoyable and relatively healthy meals.

2 Fitness Meals from Everyplate Menu

Feta-Stuffed Salmon Salad

Salmon for dinner, after a good workout, is one of the best things to eat. It’s low in fats, super healthy, and helps muscle recovery and stamina. The salad is packed with proteins and antioxidants from the spinach and tomato salad dressed up with almonds and herby Greek vinaigrette.

• Protein: 38 g
• Fats: 13 g
• Carbs: 20 g
• Calories: 790 kcal 
• Cooking time: 30 minutes

Sweet Umami Beef Bowls

Beef paired with many different vegetables and soft and fluffy jasmine rice is a power-packed and carb-friendly meal. Ideal for heavy-lifters and athletes to build muscle and strength.

The recipe pairs juicy beef with shredded carrots, pickled cucumbers, and wasabi on a soft, steamy rice bed. A satisfying meal that you can cook in less than 30 minutes.

• Protein: 28 g
• Fats: 13 g
• Carbs: 90 g
• Calories: 810 kcal 
• Cooking time: Less than 30 minutes

3 Best Features of Everyplate

i. The Cheapest Meal Delivery Ever

You won’t find a more budget-friendly option than Everyplate. Their meals are super affordable, and the menu is simple, with some meal preferences. The starting price of a meal is around $5 per serving, some meals cost more when they have premium meat options like shrimp or steak.

The cost per serving is the same for all, which is a fantastic upside. Taste-wise, the price complements the quality for anyone looking for a tasty and convenient meal delivery service for a start.

If you’re still in the dark about how meal delivery services work, it’s a great place to start.

ii. Different Recipes, Colorful Palate

Despite being super affordable, you’ll see a wide variety of ingredients on Everyplate’s palate. Their current week’s menu boasts interesting cuisines paired in a variety of different ways. Such as flatbread with roasted zucchini, a hummus sandwich, smoked burgers, sweet potato soup, butter steak, tacos, and sloppy joes.

Some of the main courses come with side dishes like pickled cucumber, garlic bread, wedges, roasted broccoli, dips, and other sauces—definitely a more flexible and crave-worthy palate for foodies. I don’t see how anyone would get bored of these weekly recipes, and the fact that Everyplate changes its menu weekly is a huge advantage.

iii. Beginner-Friendly Meal Service

Out of all the meal kits I’ve tried and compared, Everyplate is one of the easiest. Even a seemingly complicated recipe like steak does not take longer than 35 minutes to cook.

Everyplate provides you with an easy-to-understand recipe card in every meal kit. It has all the important details of the recipe, and the cooking instructions are written down. What you’ll need to get started, what’s in the box, some tips to improve the recipe, and step-by-step instructions.

Sometimes the meal kit may not provide you with basic cooking oil, salt, and pepper, so make sure your kitchen has those pantry staples handy before cooking a meal.

If you don’t fancy gourmet cooking, Everyplate is far simpler and quicker and doesn’t require any expert cooking skills to get the most out of it.

How Much Does Everyplate Cost?

Perhaps the only time Everyplate alters its price per serving is when you order for 2 people. The cost per serving starts from $5.29 to $5.89 per serving.

For the rest of the meal plans for 4 people with 3, 4, or 5 meals each week is a flat rate of $4.99 per serving.

In addition, the shipping fee is $9.99 on every order, no matter how many servings are in order. Here’s the breakdown of the pricing.

Everyplate Packaging, Shipping, and Delivery

All of the packagings that Everyplate uses is 100% curbside recyclable. You may have to remove all the stickers and labels on the containers and packets before you keep them out for curbside pickup.

The use of trays and separators keeps all the packed ingredients safe and leakproof. The boxes do not get squished or punctured at all. Gel ice packs are a part of the package too, which you can then empty out before recycling the plastic packets that hold the ice.

For box liners, you must first take off the plastic film and discard the cotton filling before recycling the liners. All this is simple and easy to do once you get the hang of it, which usually happens the first time.

The delivery time is between 8 am to 8 pm, so there is a long 12-hour window for convenient delivery. The meal kits are packed so that the ingredients stay fresh inside for 48 hours, so even if you’re not at home when your order gets delivered, the meal box can sit outside for a few hours without spoiling.

All wet and dry ingredients are packed with ice packs, insulation, and box liners, so the ingredients stay firm and cool for a long time without leaking or smelling bad.

Speaking of delivery, Everyplate delivers to most areas of the continental United States. You can enter your zip code to know right away if they will deliver to you. However, you cannot choose the delivery time or day as it may vary depending on your delivery location.

Everyplate, like most other meal delivery services, lets you edit your upcoming orders by changing meals, changing delivery days, or skipping meals. As long as you do this 5 days before the actual date of delivery, you should be fine!

8. Home Chef

The meals offered by Home Chef are affordable and customizable, which is the perfect combination for fitness enthusiasts. You don’t end up paying a lot each week, certainly not more than you’d pay for takeout. Plus, you don’t have to do all the meal planning yourself, which takes up a lot of time when you want to be careful about what you eat.

Home Chef’s meals are easier to prepare, but most meal kits also come with different flexible modifications for ingredients, making home cooking more finely tuned to your personal needs.

Regarding dietary preferences, Home Chef features three categories: calorie conscious, 30 minutes or less, and carb conscious.

Selecting meals from either one of these or all the categories is a breeze. You can even read more about each recipe, like the allergen content, ingredients, and nutritional values.

Sometimes, Home Chef will let you pick which ingredients you’d like to filter out, like peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, poultry, or fish. Making it an allergy-friendly meal service for people with food intolerance.

Home Chef’s menu, however, also offers different types of meals:

i. Meal Kits

Meal kits include pre portioned and some pre-prepped ingredients along with cooking instructions. The ingredients are packed separately, and you need to chop and prep on your own with Home Chef’s ingredients. Based on the recipes you select each week, the ingredients are sent according to the recipe in each meal kit.

ii. Easy Prep Meal Kits

Easy Prep Meals are meal kits that take less than 15 minutes to prepare. I would recommend this for large families or if you’re on a time crunch and need something quick and healthy to eat for the rest of the week. Select a few oven-ready recipes with various customizations that you can simply heat and eat at a moment’s notice.

iii. Bundle and Save 

Bundles come in pairs, which means you can pick two different meal options in a single bundle. It saves money and pairs veggie options with protein-rich substitutes. Such as a salad with 2 chicken breasts, pizza with salad, salad with bread or soup, cheesecake with cake, or breakfast egg bite with a mocha latte.

All these food items are either packed or ready to cook. That means they won’t take longer than 5 – 10 to serve. You don’t have to make them from scratch, not how the meal kits should be prepared at home.

iv. Extra

Extras, or snack items, are another special category on Home Chef’s menu. You have some Breakfast items like egg bites, oatmeal bites, beverages like coffee or a fruit smoothie, and desserts like chocolate-coated strawberries, cheesecake, and lemon butter cake are also included.

Extra a la carte proteins like boneless chicken breast, steak strips, sausage, shrimp, and protein packs consisting of chicken breasts and ground beef complement the menu. For fitness geeks, protein is a huge part of their daily diet plan.

With Home Chef, you can add a protein boost to every meal without paying for an entire new serving. It’s a huge advantage if you want an extra serving of protein in your daily meals.

When a meal delivery service is this meticulous about the variety of menu options, you’re bound to fall in with the options you see. Note that Home Chef changes the menu weekly, with new recipes for meal kits, sacks, dessert, and breakfast. Plus, you can view the next few menus almost an entire month in advance for a finicky eater.

Now, let’s talk a bit about Home Chef’s “Customize It” feature and what it means for someone more fitness oriented.

When you pick a meal with this Customize It option, you can switch gears and select from a list of meat options with the same recipe.

For example, Home Chef’s Teriyaki Chicken Thighs can be cooked with Sirloin Steaks or Sliced Pork or Steak Strips instead of Chicken Thighs. The ingredients for the sauce, the smoked almonds, and all other ingredients are the same, only the meat protein gets switched.

Similarly, a vegetarian meal like Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Cream can be made with meats like shrimp, chicken breasts, pork sausages, or no protein at all if you like.

Home Chef has around 12 such meal kits with the “Customize It” bonus. It’s not only restricted to the Meal Kits, as you can also customize specific recipes in the Easy Prep Meal Kits category. There are 7 such meals where you can swap the protein for something else.

It’s a mixed bag of different diet tags and ease of preparation. Ingredients-wise even Home Chef is a versatile pick. It has something for everyone, meals that are fitness-friendly, vegetarian, low in calories, high in proteins, carb-conscious, and family-friendly.

If you’re not too specific about your fitness goals and want something flexible and easy to understand, Home Chef is a convenient and dependable choice for most people.

2 Fitness Meals from Home Chef Menu

Stuffed Chicken Parmesan

The recipe has a “FitMenCook” tag, which means it’s a healthy and fitness-friendly meal kit for most people. The classic chicken breast is served with bell peppers, mushroom seasoning, and zucchini. Even though it is an expert-level meal kit, the prep and cook time is less than 35 minutes.

• Protein: 48 g
• Fats: 27 g
• Carbs: 19 g
• Calories: 530 kcal 
• Cooking time: Less than 35 minutes

Smoky Chipotle Chicken Tacos 

The recipe is yet another “FitMenCook” dish for health-conscious eaters. It has richly seasoned chicken breasts with a guacamole and salsa dressing paired with loads of veggies and chipotle seasoning. The recipe is low in calories but still very satisfying and filling—ideal for a post-workout dinner meal.

• Protein: 41 g
• Fats: 28 g
• Carbs: 58 g
• Calories: 640 kcal 
• Cooking time: 10-15 minutes

3 Best Features of Home Chef

i. Lots of Different Meal Options

Home Chef is more than just a meal kit delivery service. It has all kinds of meal plans for you to take advantage of – snacks, desserts, protein bundles, salads, beverages, and quick meal kits.

There are so many size options as well, you can order singles for yourself or two servings each meal for couples. There are family-sized portions of meals as well, serving up to 8 servings per meal.

It’s not only the main course meals you’re ordering, you can double up on the protein if that’s your fitness priority or add side dishes like chopped salad, garlic bread, and soup to make a meal more appetizing. Beverages like coffee and fruit juices are healthy and preservative-free.

Their Breakfast and Dessert recipes are precooked and packed, so you don’t have to waste too much on prepping. Just unpack the food item, heat it if you have to, and eat.

ii. Protein-Focused Meal Planning

Home Chef lets you add, swap, and bulk up the proteins in your weekly diet in just a few simple steps. Starting with the ‘Customize It’ feature, you can change the protein of select meals from chicken to meat to fish.

Then you can increase the protein content of most of your meals by adding an extra protein serving without paying an entire meal’s worth.

If you go down to their Extras menu, you’ll see a few protein items you can purchase separately on top of the meal kits. These are the items labeled Protein on their menu…

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
• Skin-On Salmon Fillets
• Sirloin Steak
• Steak Strips
• Ground Beef
• Essential Protein Pack: 10 chicken breasts and ground beef
• Classic Protein Pack: 6 sirloin steaks, steak strips
• Premium Protein Pack: 4 sirloin steaks, 6 salmon fillets, 6 chicken breasts

Great for singles, couples, and families with a larger-than-life protein appetite. Home Chef recommends a proper way of seasoning and cooking the meat without making any mistakes, which you can pair with any of your weekly meals.

iii. Very Quick & Easy to Prepare

Home Chef provides you with every single ingredient you need. The meal kits come equipped with recipe cards with step-by-step word and photo instructions to make the cooking process simpler and faster. You can also refer to the cooking instructions on their website but having the recipe card handy made things easier.

Home Chef’s recipes are tasty and straightforward for someone who doesn’t cook a lot. You will end up eating many recipes you would normally not eat on your own but like a lot.

There are also plenty of precooked meal options on Home Chef’s menu that take less than 15 minutes to serve.

One impressive thing that stood out for amateur cooks is that Home Chef’s cooking instructions are very time-sensitive and practical.

If you’re making a pasta dish, for example, you will be able to effortlessly make garlic bread while also cooking the pasta sauce on the stove at the same time. Minimize prep time and effort without compromising the dish’s flavor, freshness, and texture.

I know for a fact that this is something that amateur or lazy cooks will appreciate because it saves you time in meal prepping. The menu divides meals based on their cooking time, but you can also read about the skill level of each recipe by going to the recipe’s page, where all the ingredients and nutrition facts are listed.

All the recipes take anywhere between 15 to 45 minutes to prep and cook, depending on the type of dish, meat, and serving size you select.

How Much Does Home Chef Cost?

On the Home Chef menu, the price seen the most is $9 per serving of a meal. This cost can go as high as $18 per serving. Or it could reduce further to $6.99 per serving. What does this mean? Simply put, the price range is wide and open, leaving the decision in your hands.

Of course, the more expensive meal kits feature premium cuts of beef, seafood, etc. The more affordable meals are mainly easy lunches, entrée salads, and the like.

A typical weekly order of 3 meals, 4 servings each, comes to around $120.

As should be expected from such a renowned fitness meal delivery service as Home Chef, their menu extends to accommodate raw meat protein packs as well. Chicken, steak, beef, and salmon are your options here, and the price range is between $60 and $75.

The shipping cost applies at checkout based on which meal plan is selected. Otherwise, the shipping fee is $10, but that can be free if your order exceeds $45. Also, if you’re a new Home Chef member, look forward to some amazing discount offers.

Home Chef Packaging, Shipping, and Delivery

Are we dealing with recyclable plastic packaging in the case of Home Chef? Fortunately, the answer is yes.

You get a cardboard meal box, which is partially recyclable, with fully recyclable insulated liners, which themselves are made using recycled denim and cotton.

As for the ice packs that keep all the ingredients fresh, Home Chef has mentioned here that you can easily rinse them off and then reuse them. After it’s cut open and its contents emptied, the film is just as recyclable as the plastic bags that store all the ingredients and meals.

Expect the protein part of your meal kits to be packed in plastic and also vacuum-sealed to preserve freshness. As for the pre-portioned ingredients, these are individually wrapped in plastic bags and then grouped (meal-wise) in resealable plastic bags. Each plastic bag has a handle and is appropriately labeled.

If your town/city accepts plastic bags or allows curbside recycling, then you can recycle almost all of Home Chef’s packaging materials instead of just discarding it all into the trash bin. Even recipe cards are curbside recyclable!

Delivers are made to all US states except for Hawaii and Alaska.

You can make changes to your order hassle-free as long as these adjustments are made before noon CT on Friday. So that’s the Friday which comes before the delivery date or week. Once the deadline is crossed, you must get in touch with Home Chef’s customer support team and hash it out with them.

Difference Between Meal Kits and Homemade Meals for Fitness

The thing about meal delivery services is that their meal kits are a load of nutritionally balanced dishes. These meals ensure you stick to your diet, regardless of your fitness or health goals. And irrespective of whether you’re a meat eater, vegetarian, or vegan!

The best meal kit delivery services are transparent about what goes in their food and provide you with nutritional information. Plus, there are meal plans that cater to specific dietary patterns. This way, your body gets the nutrients it needs without you having to put in all the effort.

On the other hand, when it comes to cooking your meals at home from scratch, all effort has to be applied. This involves the following:

1. Meal planning – where you decide what recipe or recipes you will prepare.
2. Heading to the supermarket or grocery store to buy the required ingredients.

• Next is prepping those ingredients in your kitchen, such as cutting, chopping, slicing, etc.

1. Then comes the cooking bit, which can be a little tricky if you’re a kitchen noob!

So how about you eliminate steps i to iii and just do the iv? On top of that, cooking becomes so much easier with simple instructions and also some effective tips and tricks. This is the kind of experience you have in store for you if you opt for meal kits over home-cooked meals.

But the meal delivery route has to be chosen very carefully. You need to consider several factors. Does the protein come from real sources and whole foods? This is very important because you don’t want to ruin your fitness journey by consuming highly processed ingredients.

Your body deserves a fitness meal delivery service that’s all about meals with a well-balanced macronutrient level. For example, meals with complex carbohydrates should be given priority.

Allow me to break it down, so you can clearly understand why fitness-focused individuals are beginning to truly appreciate the convenience offered by the best healthy meal delivery services.

I. Meal Kits Keep Tight Macronutrient Control, Home Prepared Meals Don’t

Keeping a check on the macronutrients you consume daily becomes a more realistic or attainable goal when the nutritional values are already mapped out for you. Meal planning centered around high protein, low carb, low calories, etc., is one of the most popular reasons for the success of meal kits. All recipes come with their nutrition content information!

As a matter of fact, there are options even for those who strictly monitor all that they’re consuming. You can create your own weekly plan using these meal delivery services that offer fitness meals to fit into your macro diet.

II. Meal Kits Are Better Than Home-Cooked Meals for Building Muscle

There’s the best high-protein meal delivery service, which means bodybuilding meals are delivered to your door. Such meal plans/kits include higher levels of muscle-boosting protein.

Protein, as most of us already know, builds muscle and also satiates hunger. It keeps you full for a longer time, which is why a high-protein diet is highly recommended for weight loss as well.

Furthermore, it feels like a blessing in disguise when meal kit delivery services give you the option to double the protein portion in their meals. Also, the meals are well-balanced in terms of nutritional value/ratio.

About 5 ounces of protein with 7 ounces of veggies, for instance, in a single-serve meal, is perfect for those wanting to bulk up.

Compared to homemade meals, where you are unsure of your daily diet’s lean protein levels, meal kits save you time and effort. Why bother doing it yourself when the work is already done for you?

III. Meal Kits Are Approved by Dieticians/Nutritionists, Home Meals Aren’t

The variety of meal plans offered by top meal kit services is an excellent fitness supplement. Let’s take the Sunbasket menu as a great example here – it’s got a menu that includes Paleo, Mediterranean, Diabetes-Friendly, and more such tailored options that can be seamlessly infused into your fitness-oriented routine.

The Sunbasket menu and recipes, both meal kits and oven-ready meals, are more credible because they’re all dietician-approved. They don’t stray away from USDA dietary guidelines, which says a lot about the food’s quality. And also about its ability to provide your body with the required, important nutrients that help you stay on course with your fitness goals.

Now, how about those meals you cook at home from scratch? Certainly, they’re not approved by any nutritionist or dietician and agreed that some of us make it a point to eat clean, which makes us opt for healthier dishes. But a responsibility like this takes time, effort, and commitment, thus, it’s often neglected.

Enter healthy meal delivery services with their customizable meal kits that are super supportive of workout routines!

IV. Many Meals Kits Have Organic Produce, Home Prepared Meals May or May Not

Green Chef is a certified organic company, did you know that? All natural produce of Green Chef is certified organic, which is amazing if your eating habits and lifestyle are more fitness-focused.

Incorporating more organic ingredients into your daily diet is a great idea as “organic” automatically translates into fresher food without any preservatives.

Needless to say, you can’t expect to experience the same with home-cooked meals, not all the time at least. It’s just more convenient to let someone else take charge here, especially if most days of the week are spent meeting deadlines and goals and just living a busy life.

On top of that, fitness meals are made of ingredients that are free of hormones and antibiotics (I mean the meat sources here), GMOs, and the like. In most cases, you can also rely on these dishes to be soy, dairy, and gluten-free.

Likewise, you also get to know what food allergens are included in the recipes, if any. In that case, you can eliminate them or switch them with their allergy-friendly substitutes.

V. Meals Kits Can Be 100% Plant-Based, Homemade Meals May or May Not

On Purple Carrot, vegetarians and vegans can actually get incredibly delicious plant-based meals, which are also wonderfully satisfying as far as quenching hunger, appetite, cravings, etc., is concerned.

On the Meal Kits category of the Purple Carrot menu, you’ll find lunches, dinners, and breakfasts. The meals are nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free, high-protein, low-calorie, and much more than you’d expect. So that’s enough proof to dismiss or scoff at the idea that a plant-based diet is bland. It can be tricky if you choose home cooking!

Nothing you prepare at home will taste like this yummy Kale and Tempeh Chorizo Scramble breakfast recipe on Purple Carrot – the delicious balance of textures and flavors is unparalleled, with cheddar and sweet peppers.

The Verdict

Are meal delivery services worth it? It all comes down to this particular question, no matter your health or fitness goals. I can say that the best meal delivery services simplify the transition from hardly ever cooking at home to rarely skipping eating at home.

Most of us know how overwhelming it can be to prepare nutritious, well-balanced meals from scratch. At such times, a meal delivery service can be super helpful. This choice seems even more reasonable because the top services only use high-quality, fresh ingredients and avoid adding preservatives, additives, artificial sweeteners, and the like.

In fact, fitness meals are soy-free, gluten-free, and some even dairy-free. They control your daily sodium intake, calorie consumption, etc. In the end, it all depends on your desired fitness goal. For example, you need to follow a high-protein diet to increase muscle mass. Or, to boost physical health in general, it’s a combination of high protein and fiber, along with more healthy fats and less sugar.

Such meal plans offered by delivery services consist of a macronutrient-specific profile. In contrast, others cater to those on a keto, paleo, Mediterranean, pescatarian, etc., diet.

And finally, the price range is generously wide, just like the menu range. Once again, how much your weekly order costs are based on how many meals and servings you add. This means more meals per week and more servings per meal reduce the bill amount.

Hence, those new to the fitness world or those strict about fitness will find relief and lots of delicious character in the best fitness meal delivery service.

You can’t possibly balance everything in life – work, family, exercise routine, and then have to fuel your body as well. Allow meal kit delivery to eliminate the extra effort and guesswork when it comes to eating the right kind and portion of meals!