Gobble Alternatives – Upgrade Mealtime with Other Best Meal Delivery Services

Last Updated : December 22, 2023

Gobble-Alternatives

It is because of meal kit delivery services like Gobble and so many others that you don’t have to go to the grocery store or cook again. The meal kits that Gobble offers are easy to keep track of, and the recipes are quick and effortless to make. The ease and simplicity of meal kits make up for the fact that they do cost more than grocery shopping.

If you don’t mind paying a little extra for the convenience of ordering and cooking meal kits, you’ll most likely find plenty more benefits to reap from Gobble’s alternatives as well. All come packed with flavorful and nutritious ingredients, some offering more than just meal kits for you to savor.

Why Choose Gobble?

Gobble offers meal kits but most of the prep work is already done by Gobble’s chefs. The vegetables are preportioned and cut. Marinades, sauces, spice blends, etc. are all combined and packed. All it takes to cook a Gobble meal is a stove and 15 minutes to spare.

The three meal plans that diversify Gobble’s weekly menu are the following:

  • Classic
  • Lean & Clean
  • Vegetarian

The majority of Gobble’s meals boast more proteins and fewer unhealthy carbs and fats. The calories are balanced and meet most dietary requirements, but if you want to eat meals that are diet-conscious, the Lean & Clean meal plan is perfect.

Overall, Gobblemenu options are a combination of homemade-inspired meals and some global cuisines like Thai, Indian, Japanese, Italian, etc. The number of meals per week is limited to 20–25 meal kit recipes with some breakfast, snack, dessert, and appetizer items.

Gobble’s menu also features the “Personalize this Meal” option that lets you select a different protein option for the same meal kit recipe.

The meal selection process is simple and quick. Every meal kit is backed by nutrition info, allergen information, an ingredients list, and preparation steps.

The packaging materials that Gobble uses are helpful and minimal. The meal kits are organized using large recipe cards that you can save for later use as well. On the recipe card, you’ll find additional information like what you need to cook the meal, cooking instructions with pictures, and interesting tips to make the meal taste even better.

Even though they use mostly plastic, the majority of plastic packaging is recyclable. Dry ingredients are stored separately but in the same cardboard box as wet ingredients. Insulation, gel ice packs, and cardboard dividers are used to eliminate mishaps during transit.

Gobble Meal Prices

Ordering your first meal kit box with Gobble is incredibly simple. The sign-up process takes minutes, and selecting meals that cater to your dietary preferences is more fun than it is laborious.

The meal plan pricing is the same for all diet categories. Additional items like breakfast, salads, soup, snacks, and desserts cost less than their dinner kits.

First-time subscribers will receive the first 6 meals for a discounted rate of $36, which only encourages you to subscribe to this fantastic meal kit delivery service sooner.

The meals start from $12 per serving, and this, for some people, maybe too excessive in terms of price, but considering how fast and easy the meal kits are to prepare and also how they are super healthy, the per-serving cost is worth considering.

After the first delivery, where the shipping is free, you have to pay $7–$9 per box.

The meal plans are divided according to the number of meal kit recipes and not by the number of servings per meal, which is what conventional meal kit companies do.

You can select from 2, 3, 4, or 5 different meal kit recipes weekly, and their pricing starts from $11.99 to $16.99 per serving. The higher number of servings you order per week, the less you pay for the meal kit box.

The Good of Gobble

  • Nearly all the ingredients are preportioned and pre-prepped.
  • Ideal for beginners with no prior cooking experience.
  • The recipes require minimum effort and time.
  • Healthy and high-quality ingredients.
  • Some gluten-free and plant-based meal kit recipes.
  • Swappable proteins on select meals.
  • A versatile blend of healthy and delicious cuisines.
  • You can skip a week or cancel orders at any time.
  • Durable packaging with recipe cards and other helpful tips.

The Bad of Gobble

  • Meals after the first week are slightly expensive.
  • Limited availability in some parts of the USA.
  • Not a lot of menu variety per week.
  • Not allergy-friendly.

Gobble Nutrition and Meal Variety

Before diving into the specifics of Gobble’s menu and dietary preferences, Gobble conveniently mentions all the allergen information of each meal kit recipe both on the recipe page on their website and the recipe card that arrives with every meal kit box.

Gobble gives you the option to mix and match meals from different meal plans. So, if you’re enjoying a meal like the Persian Chicken Koobideh with Herbed Rice & Tzatziki Sauce in one day, in the same week, you can also enjoy a completely different meal like the Fresh Thai Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing, which is low in calories and carbs.

Even the leafy greens that Gobble provides are of high quality and quite fresh, with no preservatives, GMOs, or additives. Some of the ingredients are organic based on availability, but the meat is subject to availability if you want to eat organic and antibiotic-free meat alternatives.

Other than the Classic meal choice, Gobble offers the Vegetarian and Lean & Clean meal plans that are more diet-focused. They contain lean proteins and omega-3-rich fats, offering a balance of carbs and calories for people on a diet.

Some of the vegetarian meals and all the Lean & Clean meals have fewer than 600 calories such as the Seared Chicken with Sugar Snap Peas, Sherry Vinaigrette & Goat Cheese.

Gobble also does a great job of including add-ons like salads, sides, soups, breakfasts, and desserts. Nearly all of the recipes are precooked and packed, excluding the dessert, which features cookie dough and cake dough instead of the actual dish. But, again, Gobble lists down the necessary preparatory steps for each of their recipes.

Gobble Alternative #1 – Home Chef

While Gobble may win with its faster prep time, Home Chef, another healthy meal kit delivery service, wins with its affordable pricing and meal customization.

Home Chef offers a variety of meal plans and diet categories. There is a similarity between Gobble’s menu variety and that of Home Chef. Both encourage a healthier lifestyle with fresh, premium, and nutritious meals with worldly flavors.

Home Chef is incredibly homemaker-friendly, so you won’t waste a minute when it comes down to meal prep and cooking. The meal preparation process complements the sign-up process, which is just as simple to understand.

Choose 2, 4, or 6 servings and as many meal recipes as you want. If you’re new to the world of meal kits and can’t decide which meal to select, Home Chef does it for you as well.

Feel free to modify meal kits in the “View Customize It Options” feature where you can swap proteins easily from vegetarian to non-vegetarian sources of protein and vice versa.

The meal kits are packed in an organized manner with plastic seal bags containing wet or dry ingredients. All seal bags have the right labels on them, and the ingredients are packed, stored, and grouped by recipe to avoid any confusion.

Home Chef Prices

Home Chef is more affordable than Gobble with its variety of diet preferences and meal kits. They serve basic but healthy meal kits and premium ingredients that cost a little more than their typical meal kits.

Meal kit pricing ranges from $9 to $18 per serving. And they charge no shipping fee on orders above $45. Smaller food items, like breakfast, entrée, and salads, cost $7 per serving with a la carte options such as chicken breast, filet mignon, shrimp, salmon, etc. that cost a bit extra per portion size.

Home Chef Pros

  • Personalized meal kit options with a few premade meals.
  • Low-calorie and low-carb diet filters are included.
  • Customize meals by swapping proteins easily.
  • Cheaper meal kit prices with flexible options.
  • Option to purchase extras like protein packs, salads, desserts, and breakfast.
  • Best for fast meals and meal variety.
  • 30+ meal choices with bundles and add-ons.
  • Large meal kits for families are included.
  • Varied cooking times from 15 to 60 minutes per meal kit.

Home Chef Cons

  • Some meals take longer than 45 minutes to cook.
  • Not allergy-friendly.
  • Not a lot of vegetarian options.
  • Lots of plastic packaging is used.

Home Chef Meal Options

The diet categories on Home Chef’s menu include calorie-conscious, carb-conscious, and vegetarian meals. Also, they have a filter that lets you pick meal kits that take less than 30 minutes to whip up.

Allergy information is provided on every meal recipe card, letting you know which meal has what common allergen like milk, eggs, wheat, fish, sesame, soy, shellfish, etc. Once you click on the recipe you like, the nutrition facts and the entire ingredients list are available for further assessment.

Home Chef also categorizes its meals in other ways too, labeling the meals by difficulty level, prep and cook time, spice level, and expiry date.

The sheer volume of meal kits provided by Home Chef is proof of how versatile and convenient the service is for singles, couples, and families. The meal kits are divided into the following varieties:

  • Meal Kits
  • Culinary Collection
  • Family Meal
  • Easy Prep Meal Kits
  • Express Plus
  • Fast & Fresh Plus
  • Fast & Fresh Family
  • Oven-Ready Plus
  • Oven-Ready Family
  • Bundle
  • Breakfast
  • Beverages
  • Snacks
  • Soup
  • Desserts
  • Proteins

Gobble Alternative #2 – Blue Apron

Cheaper still, Blue Apron is a tough competitor to Gobble as both meal kit delivery services were two of the first meal kits to be up and running in the country. What Blue Apron offers is affordability and dietary comfort.

Blue Apron’s dietary preferences include Balanced, Vegetarian, Weight Watchers-approved, Carb-conscious, and Diabetes Friendly. Their menu also includes diet-friendly add-ons like breakfast, heat-and-eat meals, desserts, and proteins.

Blue Apron is a meal kit delivery service that serves 2-serving meal kits per recipe. You can opt for their Signature for Four preference if you want more servings per meal recipe that you can prepare quickly and efficiently.

Complementing such a diverse menu, Blue Apron also offers wine pairings to go with their meal kits. You can either let Blue Apron select the best wines on your behalf or select them yourself. The Market includes kitchen tools, food bundles, pantry items, and chef-recommended meal kits.

Their meal kits take the hassle out of home cooking by including every preportioned ingredient except for salt, pepper, and cooking oil, which every kitchen, by default, has already.

Blue Apron is a subscription-based service, which means you can modify and place orders every week, on a day of your choice, except on Sundays, and the meal kits will be delivered to you conveniently.

For whatever reason, you can’t select the recipes on your own, then Blue Apron will choose meals for you based on the diet preferences you select.

Unboxing and preparing the meal kits for the first time are quick and straightforward to do. Blue Apron’s delivery is prompt, and the ingredients are well-packed and stored with cold packs to ensure freshness.

Although there is a lot of plastic packaging, this is common with meal kits, and it’s worth mentioning that most of it is recyclable. The recipe cards in each meal kit are accurate and include additional information about the recipe such as nutrition facts, allergy information, and tips on how to make the recipe even better.

Blue Apron Prices

Whether you choose a specific diet preference or not, the pricing of your order will be based on the number of meals you select, which can range from 4 to 16 meals per week.

2 servings per meal 4 servings per meal
2 meals per week $11.99 per serving $9.49 per serving
3 meals per week $9.99 per serving $8.49 per serving
4 meals per week $9.49 per serving $7.99 per serving

Shipping fee is separate, $9.99 per order, which you have to pay regardless of where you live in the United States. If you order more meals, your weekly expenses will drastically decrease. This allows you to think ahead and cut back on costs, which feels very rewarding.

Blue Apron Pros

  • Lots of family-friendly meal options.
  • More affordable than Gobble with larger serving sizes.
  • Good for people following a balanced diet.
  • Carb-conscious and weight loss-friendly meals included.
  • Meal kits use non-GMO, seasonal, and fresh ingredients.
  • Accommodates both non-vegetarian and vegetarian preferences.
  • You can purchase kitchen tools, wine, and food bundles.

Blue Apron Cons

  • Not ideal for food allergies or intolerances.
  • No gluten-free, vegan, paleo, or keto diets.
  • Extra shipping fee applies on all orders.

Blue Apron Meal Options

Although Blue Apron’s menu lacks options for specialized diets like paleo and keto, the meals are still healthy and nutritious, approved by nutritionists.

The Signature meal plan includes a mix of everything including vegetarian and meat recipes. Some of these recipes have additional tags or labels on them like Family Friendly, Fast & Easy, Chef Favorites, Ready to Cook, Make It Vegetarian, and more.

The Vegetarian meal plan lets you explore the best seasonal produce with only plant-based ingredients, no meat. It must be pointed out that Blue Apron’s vegetarian menu is not as abundant as the Signature menu, which may not bode well with vegetarians.

The Wellness category includes recipes that are designed to promote holistic health. The meals are diabetic-friendly, weight loss-friendly, and carb-conscious.

As far as diet goes, Blue Apron is good for a balanced and wholesome lifestyle. It’s not the ideal choice for vegans or for those following restrictive diets like keto, paleo, Mediterranean, etc.

Blue Apron’s additional offerings like snacks, healthy breakfasts, and a la carte proteins replenish your diet a bit further. They are portioned with proper nutritional information to meet a balanced diet and lifestyle.

Gobble Alternative #3 – Hungryroot

Hungryroot has very successfully managed to distinguish itself from traditional meal kit delivery services by adding grocery items as well to its menu. Their meal kits are more customizable because of the inclusion of groceries – it’s a more flexible approach to the concept of meal planning. The groceries themselves feature recipe suggestions!

Whatever your dietary preferences and eating habits, Hungryroot takes them into account when you’re signing up. What you like and what you don’t like, which includes diet restrictions, allergies, etc., Hungroot has a robust menu even for plant-based eaters.

Based on your preferences, they recommend recipes and groceries. The options presented to you will also consist of standalone food items such as wraps, sandwiches, and the like for a light lunch/dinner. You can get lunch, dinner, breakfast, snacks, groceries, or all of it.

Hungryroot Prices

Order per week Cost
6 servings $10 per serving
8 servings $9 per serving
10 servings $8.75 per serving
12 servings $8.49 per serving

The smallest weekly meal plan includes 3 meals of 2 servings each, so that’s around $70 total (free shipping when the bill amount is $70 or higher).

Hungryroot Pros

  • Meal kits accommodate specialty diets and food restrictions/allergies.
  • Offers the convenience of buying groceries too.
  • Many vegetarian and vegan options.
  • Very big on meal customization.
  • Highly nutritious and veggie-focused meals.

Hungryroot Cons

  • Pricing is a confusing credit-based system.

Hungryroot Meal Options

The different dietary patterns that Hungryroot supports are the following:

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

There is a wide range of food items that fits almost every diet. For instance, Hungryroot has many keto-friendly recipes and groceries for someone on a strict keto diet plan. You can also select the option of never receiving a single non-keto-friendly ingredient.

On the menu, you can filter the recipes by protein as well:

  • Smoked fish
  • Lamb
  • Pork
  • Poultry
  • Beef + bison
  • Fresh fish
  • Shellfish
  • Beans + lentils
  • Tofu + tempeh
  • Meat alternatives

Pick 2 or 4 servings per lunch/dinner recipe. You can get only 6 servings per week or 16 servings; it’s all in your hands.

The best part about Hungryroot is that their groceries also have vegan, plant-based, and whole-grain versions. That means chickpea pasta instead of refined grains and cashew-based sauces instead of dairy-based ingredients.

Gobble Alternative #4 – Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon

Marley Spoon is a great meal delivery service with a menu that includes various cuisines. The weekly rotating menu consists of American comfort foods as well as recipes with a Mediterranean and Mexican twist. All of these dishes are crafted by world-acclaimed chef and TV personality Martha Stewart.

The service seems like the best choice for everyone who likes to cook delicious meals at home. These are family-friendly recipes that will not cost you much, unlike takeout or fast food.

Each Martha & Marley Spoon box includes all ingredients required for cooking the meals you select from every week’s menu. They come with their own instruction cards, which are very simple to follow. You can rest assured knowing that each dish curated by Martha Stewart is flavor-focused. And these are from different categories like vegan, low carb, low calorie, no added gluten, dairy-free, kid-friendly, and more.

It’s a truly luxurious meal experience, but also affordable. The ingredients arrive fresh and prepped; everything is high-quality and in good condition (e.g., the chicken is antibiotic-free). So, if you want fresh and preportioned ingredients delivered to you, you can choose Martha Stewart – it’s excellent for families, couples, and individuals.

Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon Prices

While the shipping cost remains the same, the per-serving cost reduces the more meals you order per week. Marley Spoon can be labeled as a more affordable meal kit subscription service despite its impressively vast menu, premium meals, and international cuisines.

The premium options are naturally a little more expensive than the standard or regular meals. So, you can add 1–2 of these to your weekly box to make mealtime a little more enjoyable.

Whatever the case, Marley Spoon meal pricing is certainly lower in comparison to eating out, even when you include the separate, flat $11.99 shipping fee.

  • 2 meals, 2 servings each – $12.99 per serving = $51.96 per week
  • 3 meals, 2 servings each – $10.99 per serving = $65.94 per week
  • 4 meals, 2 servings each – $10.49 per serving = $83.92 per week
  • 5 meals, 2 servings each – $9.99 per serving = $99.99 per week
  • 6 meals, 2 servings each – $9.49 per serving = $113.88 per week
  • 2 meals, 4 servings each – $10.49 per serving = $83.92 per week
  • 3 meals, 4 servings each – $9.49 per serving = $113.88 per week
  • 4 meals, 4 servings each – $8.99 per serving = $143.84 per week
  • 5 meals, 4 servings each – $8.99 per serving = $179.80 per week
  • 6 meals, 4 servings each – $8.69 per serving = $208.56 per week

Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon Pros

  • Wholesome, flavorful meals with generous portions
  • Fresh, high-quality ingredients
  • Low-carb, low-calorie, gluten-free, and vegan options
  • 100% carbon-neutral packaging

Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon Cons

  • Some recipes require basic cooking skills.
  • Shipping is not free.
  • No meal customizations.

Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon Meal Options

You cannot customize Marley Spoon meals, but they have tried to compensate for that by offering a huge selection every week. Not only that, but there are add-ons available too, such as pantry staples and protein variety packs.

When you’re selecting your meals for the week, you can look at the entire macronutrient breakdown of every recipe because nutrition is as important and necessary as menu variety!

Speaking of variety, the Marley Spoon menu has nutrition and diet-related attributes like low carb, low calorie, dairy free, no added gluten, vegetarian, poultry, meat, seafood, etc.

There are also One Pot Meals, Kid Friendly Meals, and Under 30 Minute Meals to accommodate other personal preferences.

Creamy coconut-based sauces, deeply comforting and satisfying white rice-based recipes, baked items, and the most appetizing vegetarian meals as well – it’s all a part of the Marley Spoon experience.

The Perks of Choosing These Alternatives Over Gobble

For slightly cheaper meal kits: Home Chef’s meals are more affordable and excel at meal variety than Gobble. Home Chef’s meal kits cost $9 per serving up to $18 for premium cuts of meat and seafood. Gobble, on the other hand, starts from $12 per serving up to $17 for meat recipes.

For family meals: Blue Apron has many meal kit options that would satisfy large groups and families, including plenty of kid-friendly and nutritious meals.

For more variety and dietary preferences: Hungryroot is all about recipes and groceries that adhere to diet restrictions. You have a menu that accommodates food allergies and dietary preferences plus the list of meals goes on and on across various categories such as mains + sides, flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches, wraps, tacos, soups, bakes, and more.

For crowd-pleasing family-friendly meals: The menu of Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon mainly features traditional American recipes that are family- and kid-friendly. One means you have the option of choosing 4 servings per meal, and the other means that there’s always something for picky little eaters.

Why Choose Meal Delivery Services Like Gobble?

Meal kit delivery services are a neat concept where you select your meals from a wide-ranging menu. You pick the number of meals you want per week and the number of servings per meal. Your meal box is delivered with all the ingredients kept fresh inside. The ingredients are preportioned and prepped for you, so only the cooking part is left to do.

Premade meals are also a part of some meal delivery services, also known as prepared meals. They’re even better if you don’t want to cook at all but, at the same time, you want to also eat home-cooked meals.

How meal services work is they create an extensive menu that consists of a variety of cuisines and recipes to choose from. Based on your dietary and taste preferences, you add meals to your weekly order.

Some services will let you customize the meals, which means you can swap one ingredient for another (e.g., meat-based protein for plant-based protein or vice versa). It’s all a matter of what you like/dislike and your health and fitness goals. So, it’s a huge benefit when you come to know that the meal delivery service caters to special diets like vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, keto, paleo, etc.

A meal delivery service like Gobble, and even Home Chef, Blue Apron, Hungryroot, and Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, make it so much easier to not only find but also put up with healthy meals since they’re so satisfyingly yummy as well.

Here are all of the obvious advantages of choosing meal delivery services in a nutshell:

  • They encourage healthier eating habits.
  • They deliver premeasured ingredients, thus less food waste.
  • Their meals, for the most part, are curated by expert chefs and certified nutritionists.
  • They provide you with an opportunity to learn to cook new foods.
  • They help you achieve fitness and health goals, such as weight loss.

Final Verdict

Different meal kits come with unique and versatile features focused on providing ease in the kitchen, especially if you’re preparing a meal for people. In the case of Gobble, it’s a dependable and great meal delivery service for busy individuals and families. But if you want more options, these alternatives emphasize on flexibility when it comes down to simplifying meal prep in the kitchen.