Daily Harvest vs Hungryroot – Which of one is better?

Last Updated : February 23, 2024

daily-harvest-vs-hungryroot

Nutrition is surely getting its due importance now as more of us humans are starting to care about our health and taking steps to become fitter. After all, how and what your lifestyle is greatly and directly impacts your health. This means changing your current lifestyle – from eating takeout to homemade-style, nutritious meals – is a big step.

In much the same way, switching to a vegan-based lifestyle is also a huge move. With that in place, are there any good vegan or plant-based meal delivery services? No doubt, plenty of options are available, but not all of them will offer appealing, flavorful, colorful, and filling meals, especially “vegan” meals – except for companies like Daily Harvest and Hungryroot!

Both adhere to a vegan diet and also accommodate other equally important dietary needs and preferences. However, the tricky part is choosing between the two. Since both are top-rated and unique in their own way, which one is the most suitable for you?

Let’s spill the beans! Allow me to take you through the ultimate Daily Harvest and Hungryroot comparison.

Plant-Based Meal Delivery Services Make Eating Vegetarian Food a Breeze!

Are “frozen” vegetarian meals really worth spending money on? The answer may or may not be yes. But when the plant-based meals are literally coming from the best meal delivery services such as Daily Harvest and Hungryroot, it’s certainly yes all the way through! Frozen meals or meal kits – these services just perfectly accommodate a vegan diet plan.

With that in mind, plant-based meal delivery and regular meal delivery are pretty much the same. It’s only that in this case, Daily Harvest sends already-cooked frozen meals, and Hungryroot has meal kits and grocery items. With the former, you only need to reheat it in the microwave, oven, or stovetop.

Mind you, premade meals are no less delicious or nutritious than meal kits. In fact, prepared meals are even more convenient, more so for a vegan-only lifestyle. Either way, you get to choose from a wide variety – a menu that consists of all kinds of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and more. These ingredients are all real and fresh – no two ways about that.

With premade meals, just throw them in your microwave or oven, and they’re ready to be served. It’s definitely perfect for you if you have a family.

Meal kits, on the other hand, do require some effort. But even with meal kits, since ingredients are already and properly prepped and portioned, you only have to do the cooking bit – no meal planning, prepping, or even too much cleaning up to do post-cooking!

The goal is to find a plant-based meal delivery service that is just as good as other well-known meal deliveries containing meat on their menus. The vegan-only menus should also feature family-friendly meals, hearty veggie bowls, soups, breakfast bowls, smoothies, and more.

How to Test Plant-Based Meal Delivery

Be it the meal kit or already-cooked frozen food, the meal delivery service must send you meals that are put together using fresh ingredients. Cauliflower, leafy greens, Brussels sprouts, green beans, etc. – all should be able to hold up for a few days without wilting, spoiling, etc.

Veggie-loaded or plant-based meals ought not to become soggy, which is usually the case with the frozen variety. This is where ingredient freshness and quality come into the picture. Even how the meals are packed determines their freshness. This means everything, frozen or not, must be kept fresh with ice packs, dry ice, etc. during shipping.

Here are the top 3 factors you should keep in mind:

  • Does the vegan meal delivery service provide single-serve portions? The menu has to offer variety, no doubt, but also single-serve heat-and-eat meals in case you happen to be a bachelor, bachelorette, or couple.
  • Does the menu feature family-friendly meals? This is the most suitable for adults living with children. Kids can be picky or fussy, hence the need for greater meal variety, which includes both traditional, familiar dishes and new ingredients and flavors.
  • Are healthy smoothies and snacks also included? The whole meal delivery experience gets even better and more appealing when the service has your snack cravings covered as well. Breakfast smoothies have also become quite popular, and the same can be said about oat bowls.

Potential Setbacks

There are only two that I’ve come across so far:

  • Meal delivery services, especially plant-based ones, can be a little expensive.
  • Some of the ingredients don’t hold up (or heat up) well.

Daily Harvest vs Hungryroot – How Much Is the Cost?

Daily Harvest’s meal subscription plans are very unique in that they feature 3 different box sizes. You can choose which box you want based on the number of items you wish to add to your weekly cart.

The items include everything displayed on Daily Harvest’s menu including the smoothies, Harvest bowls, Harvest bakes, flatbreads, ice cream, etc.

Unlike most other meal kit delivery services, Daily Harvest packs single-serve meals only, allowing you to select as many different meals as you want.

Some meal kit services let you select 2 servings per meal at a time. That’s their minimum order, but with Daily Harvest, that’s not the case. Daily Harvest’s meals are pre-prepped in a way that you simply have to combine all the ingredients, plus they’re all packed in single-serve containers.

Here are the different sizes and the discount you’ll get on each:

  • Small with 9 items – $5 off
  • Medium with 14 items – $10 off
  • Large with 24 items – $25 off

Based on this pricing, the more items you order every time, the higher the discount you get on the full order.

The great news is that Daily Harvest is also offering first-time customers a flat $25 off on the first box. Regardless of the size of your order, you will receive up to $25 off the first order.

Having said that, Daily Harvest features multiple categories on its menu. Each type of meal, from smoothies to scoops, comes with a different price. Once you add all the items you want to your weekly cart, based on the number of items, you will receive a discount on the full order.

Here are the prices of each specific type of meal that Daily Harvest offers:

  • Smoothies – $8.49 per serving
  • Harvest Bowls – $9.79 per serving
  • Harvest Bakes – $11.99 per serving
  • Flatbreads – $9.79 per serving
  • Soups – $8.49 per serving
  • Forager Bowls – $6.79 per serving
  • Scoops – $8.99 per pint
  • Bites – $7.99 per 7 bites
  • Lattes – $5.99 per 2 lattes
  • Mylk – $7.99 per 8 servings

Also, you’d be pleased to know that Daily Harvest does not charge a separate shipping fee. It’s already included in the cost mentioned above.

Hungryroot is more affordable in comparison with Daily Harvest, though it does not offer quite as many different types of meals like smoothies and ice creams as Daily Harvest. It’s a meal-oriented meal kit service with a separate recipes menu and a groceries menu for easy browsing.

Simply put, Hungryroot delivers individual grocery items that you can easily group for recipes. Hungryroot’s recipe menu compartmentalizes delicious and nutritious recipes to save you the trouble of meal planning.

The ingredients needed for the recipes that you’ve selected will be delivered to you in separate meal kit boxes that can easily be unpacked and cooked.

Unlike Daily Harvest, Hungryroot’s price varies based on the number of servings and meals you select per week. On top of that, it also charges a shipping fee of $6.99 on every order, mostly on orders below $70. Shipping is free on orders over $70.

Discount-wise, Hungryroot offers a 30% discount on the first order along with a gift of your choosing.

Here’s the breakdown of all the meal kits you can order on Hungryroot:

  • For 2 servings per meal
Number of recipes Per serving cost Total number of servings Weekly cost
3 recipes per week $11.39 per serving 6 servings $68.34
4 recipes per week $11.39 per serving 8 servings $91.12
5 recipes per week $10.89 per serving 10 servings $108.9
6 recipes per week $10.29 per serving 12 servings $12.48
7 recipes per week $9.29 per serving 14 servings $130.06
8 recipes per week $9.69 per serving 16 servings $155.04
  • For 4 servings per meal
Number of recipes Per serving cost Total number of servings Weekly cost
2 recipes per week $10.29 per serving 8 servings $82.32
3 recipes per week $9.69 per serving 12 servings $116.28
4 recipes per week $9.69 per serving 16 servings $155.04

Outside of the meal kits, Hungryroot also delivers smaller items like breakfasts, snacks, sweets, fruits, and a la carte items that are not included in the meal kit pricing. Once you add all the meal kits and items you want, the additional costs will get added automatically based on what you’ve added.

Daily Harvest vs Hungryroot – Which Is Better for Weight Loss?

What leads to effective weight loss? Is it a high-protein diet, a low-calorie diet, or both?

Daily Harvest and Hungryroot have come up with unique ways to support weight loss and weight management. Let’s understand them both first before comparing their weight loss-friendly meal plans.

Daily Harvest serves carefully designed meals, drinks, smoothies, and desserts for maximum nutrition and a plant-focused diet. All the foods that Daily Harvest serves are plant-based, incorporating different types of fruits and vegetables into the daily diet. The meals are backed by nutrition facts and ingredients so you can evaluate the healthiest option for you.

In my research for what makes a better weight loss diet, I found different effective methods that aid weight loss: eating more protein, limiting the intake of carbs, and eliminating unhealthy fats and sugars from meals. Even cutting 300 calories from your daily intake can help with weight loss, inflammation, and high cholesterol levels.

All things considered, Daily Harvest lets you manage your daily diet and nutrition accurately and responsibly.

Some of Daily Harvest’s entrees contain fewer than 400 calories per serving, which is good for a calorie-deficit diet plan.

The best sellers on Daily Harvest’s menu are smoothies that contain rich fruits and healthy nuts and seeds. These help with increasing strength and stamina and are overall immune-boosting for workouts and post-workout recovery.

Daily Harvest’s Forager Bowls, Soups, Flatbreads, Harvest Bowls, and Harvest Bakes are all plant-based and low in calories that aid weight loss by boosting the nutrition of every meal while keeping the calorie count to a minimum.

However, I did notice that majority of Daily Harvest’s meals are significantly lower in proteins than usual. Only a few meals had more than 20g of protein per serving. So, Daily Harvest may not be ideal for you if you want to approach weight loss through a high-protein diet plan.

Moving on to Hungryroot, it has multiple filters for low-calorie, plant-based, pescatarian, and omnivore diets. You can search for specific meal kits and grocery ingredients based on your preferences. It’s more personalized than Daily Harvest’s menu and meal plans.

All the meals are healthy and include whole and unprocessed ingredients. Hungryroot even features a separate category of meals under 500 calories per serving.

The best part about Hungryroot’s interface is that you can select as many filters as you want, and you will be presented with hundreds of food options. You won’t run out of options, which is something that may happen with Daily Harvest as they have a relatively restricted menu.

The nutrition info and ingredients are mentioned for every meal kit on Hungryroot’s menu. If you have a specific nutrition target to keep up with, Hungryroot is the ideal choice for you.

They have plenty of high-protein, low-carb, and low-calorie meals. Instead of high-carb ingredients, Hungryroot uses plant-based alternatives such as cauliflower rice, beet noodles, lentil pasta, etc. So, it’s very nutrient-focused and wholesome.

However, Hungryroot does not feature a separate weight loss meal plan. You can mix and match meal kits that fit your daily requirements, but you’ll need to do that manually. There is no customizable filter that lets you pick meals that are good for weight loss.

Daily Harvest vs Hungryroot – What’s the Meal Selection Process Like?

With Daily Harvest, it’s simple. You can opt for weekly or monthly deliveries of pre-prepped and pre-assembled servings of meals and snacks. This includes desserts that are frozen and are supposed to be kept that way even after delivery.

To prepare frozen meals, you can either blend, microwave, bake, or pan-fry them to serve hot and ready to eat.

Compared to Hungryroot, Daily Harvest is more of a prepared meal delivery service than a meal kit subscription. There’s little prep to be done with Daily Harvest’s meals, but the meal “kit” mostly comes with pre-assembled ingredients. You have to combine all the whole ingredients for baking or warming up. That’s it.

The first step you need to take to get started with Daily Harvest is to choose from 9 to 24 items on the first order. Once you select the meal plan, you can begin adding new meals to the box. It can be a combination of foods such as flatbreads, harvest bowls, soups, harvest bakes, and add-ons like ice cream, coffee, smoothies, and protein bites.

All the nutrition information including the ingredients and preparation instructions is available for each item you select. Daily Harvest also provides you with user reviews and ratings for every item so you know which meal is more popular.

There are some diet filters on Daily Harvest’s menu such as low sugar, keto, and paleo. Plus, you can filter the menu according to flavor or ingredient preference.

For example, if you don’t like garlic, you can exclude garlic from the menu through the filter option. Similarly, to only show meals with a specific ingredient like coconut, greens, or oats, you can set that up as well.

Here are all your filter options on Daily Harvest’s menu:

By ingredient:

  • Avocado
  • Banana
  • Berries
  • Caffeine
  • Chocolate
  • Cilantro
  • Coconut
  • Cucumber
  • Garlic
  • Greens
  • Nuts
  • Oats
  • Onion
  • Spice

By Dietary Needs:

  • AIP Diet –Autoimmune Protocol diet eliminates foods that cause inflammation such as grains, dairy, canned fruits, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, and vegetable oils.
  • FODMAP Diet- A FODMAP diet allows low-carb foods by eliminating carbs that are difficult to digest for some people. Dairy-based foods, cereal, bread, beans and lentils, and specific fruits and veggies have to be avoided.
  • Keto
  • Paleo
  • Less than 10g fat
  • Less than 15g carbs
  • Less than 15g of sugar
  • Less than 250 calories
  • Less than 500mg sodium
  • More than 10g of protein
  • More than 6g of fiber

Moving on to Hungryroot, it is a sophisticated and streamlined meal kit delivery service that is quite unlike anything I’ve ever come across. It works just like a grocery store with different menus for different food items. Plus, it features a recipe menu that groups ingredients together by recipe for you to pick your weekly groceries faster.

The Recipes menu includes the following:

  • Main + Sides
  • Grain Bowls
  • Pasta
  • Tacos
  • Stir-Fries
  • Salads
  • Wraps
  • Sandwiches
  • Burgers
  • Bakes
  • Flatbreads
  • Soup + Stews
  • Roast + Ready
  • Veggie Bowls

The Groceries menu includes the following:

  • Produce
  • Sauces + Condiments
  • Meat + Seafood
  • Plant-Based Proteins
  • Grains + Pastas
  • Bread + Bakery
  • Snacks
  • Dairy + Eggs
  • Sweets
  • Pantry
  • Beverages
  • Ready To Eat

As you might have guessed already, the abundance of options is unlimited. You have hundreds and hundreds of recipes to pick from. Once you select one, the ingredients to make that recipe will automatically get added to your cart. This takes care of meal planning with a click of a button.

It’s easy to add or remove ingredients that you don’t want while editing the order during checkout. Even though the groceries are arranged according to recipe, you can easily modify your order before paying for it. Meal customization and swapping are 100% accurate and accessible.

Hungryroot recommends over 4,500 recipes, which include main course meals, breakfast, snacks, and desserts.

For a personal touch, you can even take a quick quiz, and based on your answers, Hungryroot will recommend hundreds of meal kit recipes. Every recipe on their menu is backed by nutrition info and an ingredients list, so you know exactly what the ingredient is made of and how healthy it is.

As for dietary needs and filters, Hungryroot offers the same filter categories for both the grocery and recipe menus. There are a few differences between both menus.

For example, the recipes menu also includes extra filters such as cooking time, nutrition, and serving size. The groceries menu features special categories such as organic, newest additions, and breakfast that are missing from the recipe menu.

Here are the filters you can apply while navigating the menus:

By Serving Size:

  • 2 servings
  • 4 servings

By Type of Protein:

  • Beef + Bison
  • Poultry
  • Pork
  • Fresh fish
  • Lamb
  • Smoked fish
  • Tofu + Tempeh
  • Beans + Lentils
  • “Meat” alternatives
  • Shellfish

By Spice Level:

  • No Heat
  • Mild
  • Medium
  • Hot

By Cook Time:

  • 5 Minutes or less
  • 10 Minutes or less

By Nutrition:

  • 500 Calories or Less

By Dietary Needs:

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Pescatarian
  • Dairy-Free
  • Gluten-Free
  • Soy-Free
  • Tree Nut-Free
  • Peanut-Free
  • Egg-Free
  • Shellfish-Free

Daily Harvest vs Hungryroot – Can I Swap Meals or Ingredients Easily?

Before you pay for the final order, you can easily add or remove meals from the Daily Harvest’s cart. As I already mentioned, Daily Harvest lets you filter the meals according to ingredients and dietary needs. This means you get to exclude or include ingredients based on your preferences.

But when it comes to swapping or substituting ingredients from a specific meal, that’s not a problem. You can’t use the ingredient once the meal box arrives, but you cannot stop Daily Harvest from sending you that ingredient.

For example, you order the Dragon Fruit + Lime smoothie from Daily Harvest’s menu, but you don’t want the lemon peel in your smoothie. There is no option to exclude that ingredient from the smoothie. It will arrive along with the rest of the smoothie’s ingredients.

To put your mind at ease, you can physically remove the lemon peel before blending all the ingredients in a blender.

Daily Harvest lists down all the ingredients and nutrition info of their meals and drinks. The meals come very close to prepared meals, but there is some level of prep involved, which allows you to remove ingredients as you wish.

Moving on to Hungryroot, you can easily modify an order by swapping ingredients and/or meals before placing a final order. Once you select and delete a specific item from the cart, you will receive credit points that you can later use to add items for free. You can even use the credit points to add exclusive treats like sweets, fruits, proteins, and snacks.

Based on the quiz you take as you fill out your food preferences, allergies, etc., Hungryroot will also suggest replacements for specific ingredients. If you don’t eat gluten, you can swap gluten ingredients with gluten-free options with a click of a button.

Hungryroot will recommend plant-based alternatives to meat, dairy, and tons of other food items. Grain-free alternatives to pasta, rice, and bread are also included.

If you’ve already paid for a week’s box and you want to modify the order, you will receive credits for swapping out ingredients that you can use to purchase their substitutes.

Best of all, there will be tons of personally recommended options for you based on what you’ve selected in the past – Hungryroot remembers it all.

Hungryroot is one of those meal subscriptions that learns your food preferences and adapts its menu according to that. It will recommend recipes and groceries based on what you like and eliminate foods that you don’t.

Daily Harvest vs Hungryroot – How Long Do the Meals Take to Cook at Home?

The cooking process of Daily Harvest is faster than Hungryroot and takes not more than 10 minutes to prepare. If you’re pressed for time and want to eat healthy meals at the same time, Daily Harvest meals require the least amount of prep.

Even though the meals are frozen, you don’t need to thaw them before cooking. Baked meals need to be transferred to a baking dish and kept in a microwave oven for 15-20 minutes. Other meals like forager bowls need to be reheated, which shouldn’t take you more than 5-7 minutes per serving.

Compared to Hungryroot, the portion size of Daily Harvest’s meals is small. This may work in your favor if you’re on a diet, but as a full-blown meal, it is not very satisfying. The only upside to this is that because of the small portion size, the meal heats up relatively quickly.

Other food items like smoothies contain frozen chunks of fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods that you need to take out of the freezer for about 5 minutes before blending with any plant-based milk or water.

The cooking process of Hungryroot is fast and simple. It supports beginner-level and intermediate cooking. Each meal recipe does not contain more than 6-7 ingredients that are partially prepped and packed beforehand. In some cases, the meals are already cooked and packed, so only reheating is necessary.

I found that the average cooking time is somewhere between 5 and 25 minutes per meal kit. The entire process is minimal and requires the least amount of prep work.

The most basic cookware is necessary like a skillet, a baking dish, a bowl, a pot, and a cooking pan. Some meal kits don’t even require a stovetop and can be cooked in a standard microwave in less than 10 minutes, which is great news for people on a busy schedule.

Daily Harvest vs Hungryroot Recipes

Hungryroot uses completely organic, GMO-free ingredients. Daily Harvest also adds only organic ingredients, and this is why the two meal delivery services rank so high. In addition to that, Hungryroot’s poultry and meat are all free of hormones and antibiotics.

The best produce is a part of both subscription-based food services. Local produce, seasonal ingredients, and top-notch quality are a very natural part of the process.

With that said, it’s time to view the nutritional breakdown of some of Daily Harvest and Hungryroot’s menu items.

Daily Harvest

They have quite a few categories, so I’m going to break it down further and list the macronutrient profile based on the type of meal.

1. Harvest Bowls

Kalamata + Artichoke Fonio Harvest Bowl Quinoa + Makrut Lime Harvest Bowl
340 calories per serving 350 calories per serving
10 grams of protein 12 grams of protein
37 grams of carbohydrates 37 grams of carbohydrates
7 grams of dietary fiber 9 grams of dietary fiber
18 grams of total fat 17 grams of total fat

2. Forager Bowls

Strawberry + Goji Berry Oat Bowl Cinnamon + Banana Oat Bowl
280 calories per serving 380 calories per serving
8 grams of protein 9 grams of protein
48 grams of carbohydrates 63 grams of carbohydrates
10 grams of dietary fiber 10 grams of dietary fiber
7 grams of total fat 12 grams of total fat

3. Harvest Bakes

Red Cabbage + Buckwheat Donburi Harvest Bake Cremini + Paprika RopaVieja Harvest Bake
670 calories per serving 540 calories per serving
16 grams of protein 17 grams of protein
88 grams of carbohydrates 67 grams of carbohydrates
16 grams of dietary fiber 9 grams of dietary fiber
28 grams of total fat 24 grams of total fat

4. Soups

Tomato + Zucchini Minestrone Soup Lentil + Mesquite Chili Soup
210 calories per serving 280 calories per serving
9 grams of protein 14 grams of protein
29 grams of carbohydrates 52 grams of carbohydrates
8 grams of dietary fiber 13 grams of dietary fiber
8 grams of total fat 2.5 grams of total fat

5. Flatbreads

Bell Pepper + Cilantro Flatbread Pineapple + Smoked Paprika Flatbread
370 calories per serving 360 calories per serving
6 grams of protein 5 grams of protein
46 grams of carbohydrates 58 grams of carbohydrates
8 grams of dietary fiber 6 grams of dietary fiber
20 grams of total fat 13 grams of total fat

6. Smoothies

Strawberry + Cashew Smoothie Chocolate + Blueberry Smoothie
260 calories per serving 280 calories per serving
10 grams of protein 9 grams of protein
36 grams of carbohydrates 52 grams of carbohydrates
7 grams of dietary fiber 12 grams of dietary fiber
11 grams of total fat 9 grams of total fat

7. Bites

Raspberry + Fig Bites (7 per cup) Coconut + Lemon Bites (7 per cup)
100 calories per serving 130 calories per serving
2 grams of protein 1 gram of protein
10 grams of carbohydrates 10 grams of carbohydrates
2 grams of dietary fiber 2 grams of dietary fiber
6 grams of total fat 10 grams of total fat

8. Scoops

Cinnamon + Cocoa, Chili-Spiced Churro Oat Scoop (3 servings per container) Strawberry + Rich, Rippled Berry Compote Coconut Scoop (3 servings per container)
220 calories per serving 250 calories per serving
2 grams of protein 2 grams of protein
38 grams of carbohydrates 31 grams of carbohydrates
3 grams of dietary fiber 3 grams of dietary fiber
12 grams of total fat 15 grams of total fat

9. Lattes

Ginger + Turmeric Latte (2 single-serve pods) Coffee + Almond Latte (2 single-serve pods)
45 calories per serving 90 calories per serving
1 gram of protein 4 grams of protein
4 grams of carbohydrates 5 grams of carbohydrates
1 gram of dietary fiber 1 gram of dietary fiber
3.5 grams of total fat 6 grams of total fat

Hungryroot

These guys also have multiple kinds of meals, such as grain bowls, veggie bowls, mains with sides, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, soups, bakes, flatbreads, and more. So, in this scenario, I will discuss the nutrient profile of meals using another approach.

i. Plant-Based Meals

Spicy Vindaloo Chickpea Rice Bowl Tofu + Rainbow Veggie Split Pea Dal
Number of servings 2 servings 2 servings
Prep time 20 minutes 13 minutes
Calories per serving 770 kcal 780 kcal
Protein per serving 21 g 28 g
Carbs per serving 108 g 92 g
Fiber per serving 14 g 18 g
Total fat per serving 15 g 21 g
Sugar per serving 8 g 15 g

ii. Chicken-Based Meals

Sweet ‘n Gingery Chicken + Broccoli Stir-Fry Rainbow Chicken Tacos
Number of servings 2 servings 2 servings
Prep time 14 minutes 15 minutes
Calories per serving 580 kcal 440 kcal
Protein per serving 29 g 26 g
Carbs per serving 69 g 40 g
Fiber per serving 3 g 9 g
Total fat per serving 13 g 18 g
Sugar per serving 6 g 5 g

iii. Beef-Based Meals

Creamy Grass-Fed Meatball Alfredo Linguine Zesty Bison + Avocado Lettuce Wrap
Number of servings 2 servings 2 servings
Prep time 13 minutes 8 minutes
Calories per serving 670 kcal 490 kcal
Protein per serving 29 g 37 g
Carbs per serving 47 g 10 g
Fiber per serving 6 g 6 g
Total fat per serving 29 g 28 g
Sugar per serving 6 g 1 g

iv. Pork-Based Meals

Honey Dijon Roast Pork + Harvest Veggies Grilled Pork Chops with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Number of servings 2 servings 2 servings
Prep time 23 minutes 30 minutes
Calories per serving 770 kcal 410 kcal
Protein per serving 33 g 27 g
Carbs per serving 55 g 36 g
Fiber per serving 11 g 4 g
Total fat per serving 35 g 10 g
Sugar per serving 21 g 5 g

v. Fish-Based Meals

Roasted Salmon + Asparagus Over Rice Zesty Salmon Rainbow Bowl
Number of servings 2 servings 2 servings
Prep time 13 minutes 8 minutes
Calories per serving 730 kcal 540 kcal
Protein per serving 36 g 21 g
Carbs per serving 66 g 60 g
Fiber per serving 3 g 6 g
Total fat per serving 29 g 24 g
Sugar per serving 8 g 5.5 g

Daily Harvest vs Hungryroot – Are the Ingredients Organic and Fresh?

The recipes crafted by Daily Harvest can last up to 3 whole months in the freezer after unpacking. Contrary to popular belief that frozen food isn’t healthy, Daily Harvest uses the highest-quality ingredients without preservatives, fillers, or additives in its meals.

The meals are not flash-frozen but are stored with dry ice during transit to keep them from thawing and deteriorating.

The menu you see at Daily Harvest is carefully designed by their in-house nutritionists and chefs. Some meals like soups, forager bowls, and harvest bowls require reheating, which should take you a couple of minutes to do so.

Other items like flatbreads need to be properly reheated in an oven or toaster to bring back the crispy texture of the bread. Even items such as this can last in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Smoothies, protein bites, and ice creams are supposed to be stored in the freezer. The smoothie kits include chunks of fruits and vegetables that you have to blend right away after taking them out of the freezer along with some plant-based milk or plain water.

The reason why Daily Harvest’s food is healthy and nutritious, even though it is frozen, is that the meals are frozen at peak ripeness, even the in-house spices, sauces, and fresh herbs.

Though the variety is not quite as diverse as that of Hungryroot’s menu, Daily Harvest does offer more than 100 food items in total. Unfortunately, the recipes don’t change every week, so there may be a chance of repetition after a few weeks of consistent ordering.

The quality of the ingredients, however, is plant-based and made entirely of fresh produce including legumes, seeds, pulses, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. It is a vegan and plant-forward meal delivery service for serious vegetarians and diet enthusiasts.

Hungryroot is everything you need it to be. It is vegan, gluten-free, vegetarian, soy-free, dairy-free, omnivore, pescatarian, and so much more. Because it has meal customization, you can include or exclude specific ingredients from your diet.

And because Hungryroot features thousands of recipes and ingredients, you don’t have to repeat any recipe twice unless you want to. Hungryroot is a mix-and-match breed of meal subscription service, allowing you to select from different types of cuisines, diets, and other healthy filters such as protein, spice level, and nutrition.

The majority of its ingredients are vegan and plant-based except for the nonvegetarian meals with poultry, beef, or fish. The meat is organic, sourced from local farms, and is GMO-free, hormone-free, and humanely raised.

Hungryroot has something called the “Root Standard” according to which all the ingredients are thoroughly checked and vetted. The food is free of artificial chemicals, colors, sweeteners, preservatives, GMOs, and other unhealthy oils and syrups.

The biggest takeaway from this is that all the meals are certified organic by Hungryroot, so you have nothing to worry about.

The meal kits are packed with ice packs and lots of insulation to keep them cold. Once the box arrives at your door, you simply have to store the meal kits in the refrigerator or freezer. Every ingredient has a label with the proper storage instructions printed on the packet, so you know exactly what to do once you unpack the box.

Where Do They Deliver and How Fast Is the Delivery?

Daily Harvest offers tons of customization for meal planning and ordering. You can opt for weekly or monthly delivery. Even if you select weekly for one delivery and you want to opt-out of that plan, you can easily do so 8 weeks in advance.

Daily Harvest delivers through multiple delivery apps like DoorDash, Seamless, GrubHub, and UberEats. However, it’s not available in all continental United States, only to 38 states. To know whether those 38 states include your location, you can quickly enter your zip code and check.

The meals are packed with dry ice and delivered in 1-2 days, which is also the expected delivery time. The dry ice keeps those meals frozen for up to 2 days even after the order is shipped. So, the delivery time is very fast and consistent for all weekly and monthly deliveries.

To make any last-minute changes to your order, do it before midnight every Sunday for the following week.

Hungryroot, on the other hand, delivers to all 48 continental United States. Customers are allowed to pick their scheduled delivery day based on the available slots. Enter your zip code, and you’ll know immediately how soon the delivery will take place.

With regard to customization, it’s fairly straightforward and quick. You can pick up your meal deliveries one week in advance. You can skip delivery and pause your membership after an active order has been processed.

You can also opt for weekend deliveries easily under the order settings. Just make sure you make changes to an order before the cutoff time, which takes place at noon EST time every Thursday.

Are They Safe for Allergies and Food Intolerances?

Daily Harvest is good and bad for people with allergies. Let me explain.

Even though all the meals by Daily Harvest are plant-based and vegan, plus they also prepare all their meals without any peanuts, gluten, gums, fillers, and artificial chemicals, the meals are processed in a facility that processes nuts, seeds, soy, gluten, and dairy.

If you don’t like eating ingredients like gluten, dairy, and nuts, then subscribing to Daily Harvest is not a bad idea. However, if you have a severe allergy problem to any one of these ingredients, then there is a risk of cross-contamination, which means you need to stay away from such meals to avoid suffering a flare-up.

I did find it odd that a service that doesn’t use gluten, nuts, or dairy should continue to process foods in the same facility. But that’s the gist and it’s better to stay away from this type of meal delivery if your allergy is very severe and if you’re intolerant to a specific type of food.

With Hungryroot, it’s not clear whether they process all their ingredients in the same facility, but they do feature a special ingredient filter that lets you include or exclude specific ingredients that happen to also be common food allergens, such as dairy-, gluten-, tree nut-, peanut-, egg-, and shellfish-free.

Some of the meals and groceries are labeled “allergen-free,” and this might indicate that they have been processed and packed in a separate facility reserved for allergies. But please keep in mind that Hungryroot does not clarify this in their FAQs, so it’s best to do your research before adding meal kits to your cart.

Hungryroot is a better allergy-friendly meal subscription than Daily Harvest because it has a filter for all major food allergens including gluten, which is the most common allergen of them all.

Is the Packaging Recyclable?

Daily Harvest offers its Recycling Guide to show you how to unpack and get rid of the packaging material in every box. Daily Harvest uses different materials like plastic, paper, and aluminum to pack its meals.

Paper bowls, cups, and boxes are made with recycled paper and it’s 100% recyclable. The paper pods and bowls are compostable too. Paper liners, lids, boxes, and trays are recyclable for curbside pickup, and some of the paper material is also made with renewable plant waste.

Plastic-based items like trays, seals, lids, and wrappers are also recyclable. The packaging is labeled to quicken the process of recycling so you know which plastic is supposed to be kept aside for curbside pickup and which plastic you have to drop off at a proper recycling facility.

When you care about the environment, you must take a few steps on your own to ensure nothing goes to waste. Make sure you read about recycling centers in your area and read their policies regarding the recycling of materials like plastic, paper, and aluminum.

Daily Harvest is one of the handfuls of meal subscription services that uses aluminum in its packaging. Aluminum seals and baked dishes are 100% recyclable. Simply rinse them after use and keep them aside along with the other paper and plastic packaging for curbside pickup.

Hungryroot has similar protocols in place for its packaging and eco-friendliness. The boxes, liners, insulation wrappers, and seals are all recyclable. Hungryroot packs the chilled items and non-chilled items in the same box but places them separately to keep them fresh.

To know more about how the meal box is recyclable, you have to enter your zip code to search for the most relevant packaging instructions. The nearest recycling center and other helpful resources will be presented to you after you enter your zip code.

Ice packs have non-toxic fillers that you can drain in the sink. They are wrapped in a labeled plastic packet that you can recycle after emptying the contents of the pack. All the paper materials are recyclable including the cardboard boxes.

Hungryroot uses Enviro Ice in its ice packs that can also be used to water your plants, so it’s 100% non-toxic and eco-friendly. Hungryroot ensures that nothing goes to waste, and all the packaging is organized in a manner that reduces carbon footprint and minimizes clutter during unpacking.

Daily Harvest Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
Most of the food items are under 400 calories. Not many dietary filters are available.
Most Harvest Meals take less than 10 minutes to prep and cook. The portion size is too small.
Incredibly healthy and palate-broadening meal delivery service. The menu is the same every week.
All plant-based and vegan ingredients with certified organic produce. It is a relatively expensive meal delivery service.
Efficient and eco-friendly delivery and packaging. Some people may not like the concept of frozen meals.
The food can remain fresh in the freezer for more than 6 months. No meal customization is available for skipping an ingredient.
Fruit- and vegetable-dense meals are diet and health enthusiasts.
Ideal for quick preparation and minimal cleanup.
No shipping fee on any order.
Exciting new discounts for different box sizes.
The meals are naturally dairy-free, nut-free, and gluten-free.

Hungryroot Pros and Cons

Pros Cons
One of the best diet-friendly meal subscription services. Hundreds of meal recipes and groceries may confuse or overwhelm you.
It features a separate recipe and groceries menu. Most of the meals are very simple.
Tons of diet filters with protein substitutions. The nutrition facts seem very inconsistent and vague for some groceries.
All the meals are quick and easy to cook.
Beginner-friendly meal kits with swappable ingredients.
It is less expensive than takeout food.
Each meal is packed with nutrients and is very filling per serving.
No processed ingredients or GMOs or unhealthy fats and artificial sugar.
Great alternative for vegetarians and vegans with hundreds of different meal options,
The packaging is eco-friendly and minimal.
You can opt-out of specific ingredients easily.

Final Verdict

The main takeaway of this article is that both Daily Harvest and Hungryroot are healthy, fast, and easy meal subscription services.

But in my mind, I automatically favor one over the other based on my personal preferences and dietary needs. Daily Harvest and Hungryroot have lots of similarities when you think about the quality of ingredients, taste, ease of preparation, and health, but which one do you favor the most?

Hungryroot works best for people who crave many options during meal selection. Hungryroot’s meals are satisfying and filling, and they take away the hassle of grocery shopping.

Daily Harvest works best for healthy eating since it is a plant-based and vegan meal delivery service. Their meals are varied too, and you can select so many different types of cuisines such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert.

You also have smoothies, power bowls, baked items, ice creams, and additional add-ons like coffee and plant milk. If it’s fit for those of you who want to eat less but focus more on nutrition and weight loss, Daily Harvest is a solid choice.