Thanks to meal delivery services like Hungryroot, convenience in the kitchen has now become possible. No more cooking for long periods of time or even shopping for groceries at the grocery store – Hungryroot offers recipes and grocery items just for you!

Now what if you’re not so fond of the Hungryroot menu, its pricing breakdown, the way it packs and delivers the meal boxes, or any other such complaints you may have?

While it’s very hard not to like almost everything about Hungryroot, especially its 3,000+ recipes and grocery items to choose from, if you’d rather go with any other meal delivery service like Hungryroot, this article has got you covered!

Whether your diet is gluten-free, vegetarian, or vegan, there are other companies you can pick that also accommodate dietary options. Some of them even feature meal kits and allow you to do grocery shopping online, just like Hungryroot.

What Is Hungryroot?

Hungryroot is a meal kit delivery service that offers culinary freedom for every American that needs it the most. It’s also a grocery delivery service, which sets it apart in the market. Both meal kits and grocery items tailor to unique, specific tastes and dietary preferences. With Hungryroot, a wide range of packaged goods is delivered right to your doorstep.

What’s so special about Hungryroot is that the company doesn’t just give you meal kit options but also an array of grocery items where each item provides creative, delicious recipe suggestions for different types of healthy meals in the day.

During the sign-up process, you have to enter information regarding your eating habits, food preferences, and any other diet-related needs. This is done by providing you with a detailed questionnaire that tries its best to find out what you like and dislike. This is great for plant-based enthusiasts as they get a huge selection of just plant-based meals and ingredients. So, you choose what kind of groceries you want to order for your meals, be they lunch, dinner, breakfast, snacks, or all.

After that, you have to fill in your delivery address and enter your payment details. Hungryroot gives you a well-curated list of grocery items as well as meal kit ideas that are in sync with your palate. That implies that you get easy-to-prepare meal kits and standalone grocery items.

It’s important to also mention that packets of sauces and seasonings are sent to you. And if any of these ends up as leftovers, you can easily use them for any other creative dishes you wish to fix for yourself and/or your family. Almost every Hungryroot recipe feeds not just one person; thus, there are multiple servings per meal.

So, think about Hungryroot as the nonconventional meal kit delivery service that opens the door wide and clear for culinary liberation in the kitchen. Hungryroot is good for those who prefer a wide-ranging menu that includes complex dishes but should also be convenient to prepare. That is the Hungyroot experience indeed – fit for beginners and seasoned at-home chefs.

In addition, Hungryroot has snacks and foods on its list of groceries that suit a vast array of dietary preferences. Also, part of the scene is the fun and easy option of swapping items. So, if you prefer one ingredient over the other, you can just do the swapping bit.

This is how swapping grocery items works. Each food has its own credit value, so when you eliminate any one particular item, its credits can be used for purchasing any other item on the list. The list contains fresh produce, dairy products, snacks, and meat.

What if something on that list has a higher credit value? In that case, you will need to remove some items to free up the required number of credits, or you could simply just pay for the difference. There are replacement items suggested by Hungryroot for such scenarios, be it for an entire recipe or bread alone.

In short, you’re free to swap/cancel whole recipes and gain credits for new ones or for a la carte grocery items. Thanks to this type of customization, Hungryroot has become a very flexible meal delivery service that also lets you do grocery shopping online.

Hungryroot Pricing

The smallest meal plan has 6 servings of lunch and/or dinner recipes. So, that’s 3 meals of 2 servings each. Add to that snacks, desserts, and prepared breakfast recipes. The cost here comes up to $65. If you add any extra servings, the total price increases by $10.

The more servings of lunches/dinners, the lower the cost per serving. So, here is the Hungryroot pricing breakdown:

• 3 recipes, 6 servings in total = $9.99 per serving
• 4 recipes, 8 servings in total = $8.99 per serving
• 5 recipes, 10 servings in total = $8.75 per serving
• 6 recipes, 12 servings in total = $8.49 per serving
• 7 recipes, 14 servings in total = $8.49 per serving
• 8 recipes, 16 servings in total = $8.49 per serving

About shipping, the price of that is $6.99 if your weekly meal box cost is below $70. Above that price mark, shipping is free.

Hungryroot Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Delivers groceries and meal kits.
• Specialty diets are accommodated.
• Customizable recipes where swapping food items is possible.
• Very flavorful, nutritious, and fresh ingredients.
• Best for a wide menu variety and for vegetarians and vegans.
• Free shipping when the total bill is over $70.
• Plenty of menu tags and filters.

Cons:

• Complicated credit-based system.
• Pretty basic recipes.
• Grocery items are slightly more expensive.
• Plastic material used in excess for packaging.

Hungryroot Meal Options

Hungryroot is all in when it comes to finding out everything about your diet preferences. Based on what you like and dislike, it provides you with a large selection of groceries and meal kits. Each week, there is a huge number of options to choose from – and across various categories too.

Here are a few Hungryroot groceries:

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

Here are a few Hungryroot recipes:

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

Meal plans can be customized, and there’s a credit-based system on Hungryroot for both groceries and meal kits. Meat-based options have higher credits than their plant-based counterparts. Likewise, complex dishes and food items are more expensive than the simpler things across both menus.

What is really remarkable about Hungryroot is that it only has whole and nutritious ingredients – no artificial sweeteners and no artificial preservatives!

• The delicious, creamy base of Creamy Shrimp Artichoke Veggie Noodles topped with baby spinach.
• Curried Grilled Chicken + Broccoli Rice Bowl. Who knew broccoli would taste so good?
• Black Bean Brownie Batter – now talk about fudgy, dense, and intense-flavored brownies that taste way better than regular ones!

Hungryroot Alternative #1 – HelloFresh

HelloFresh is a meal-kit delivery service that packs and sends all fresh and high-quality ingredients needed to make lunch/dinner in less than no time. The ingredients packed are all preportioned and ready to cook, so there’s no need at all for you to do the shopping for ingredients or measure them as per the serving size.

Their meal kits do require some prep work such as chopping, mixing, and cooking. You can select different meal plans directly from their menu or get inspired to try out new recipes every week with the help of their recipe cookbook menu.

Meal plan customization is flexible, and the menu features more than 40 different meal recipes, all of which are beginner-friendly and delicious.

The first thing you do is plan out your meal box by selecting your meal preferences and plan size. Based on your delivery location, you’ll have a pre-set delivery date. The delivery time slot is between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

The majority of HelloFresh’s recipes take less than 30 minutes to whip up, some taking as little as 20 minutes to prep and cook.

Compared to other alternatives, HelloFresh packs meals using environmentally friendly paper bags which encourages minimal waste. You will also find recyclable ice packs and cooler bags, making the packaging recyclable and efficient wherever possible.

HelloFresh Pricing

HelloFresh charges per serving, which is customizable depending on the number of meals and servings you order per meal box, starting from $12.49 per serving for 4 total servings and going down to $8.99 per serving for 24 total servings.

However, HelloFresh does charge a flat $10 shipping fee, regardless of the size of your order.

To put things into perspective, let’s imagine that for a family of 4 people, one would have to pay $113.88 per week for 3 days’ worth of meal recipes. This brings the meal count up to 12 total servings per week.

With HelloFresh, the trick is to order more to save more money. Compared to others, it’s a budget-friendly meal kit alternative with some premium nutritionist-approved gourmet options like tuna, salmon, and ribeye.

HelloFresh Pros

• The menu includes many high-protein, low-calorie, and low-carb diets.
• A good balance of vegetarian and nonvegetarian recipes.
• Impressive meal prep time between 20 and 30 minutes per meal kit.
• The meal recipes are dietician-approved and beginner-friendly.
• The Fit & Wholesome meal plan is good for weight loss.
• Some of the preportioned ingredients are organic produce.
• The cookbook features hundreds of diet-friendly meal recipes.
• Sustainable and minimal packaging.
• Customers can easily skip weeks, pause subscriptions, and make edits.

HelloFresh Cons

• Flat $10 shipping fee on all orders.
• Not a gluten-free or allergy-friendly service.
• Does not accommodate strict diets like keto, paleo, AIP, or vegan.
• Some meal kit recipes require effort in cooking.

HelloFresh Meal Options

For families seeking an affordable meal kit delivery service, HelloFresh is reliable and surpasses all expectations. Their meal kits take 20 to 30 minutes from prepping to eating. It’s the ideal choice for someone who wants to streamline their weekly meal planning from start to finish.

It also has a customizable vegetarian menu with plenty of plant-forward recipes per week. Other meal preferences include Meat & Veggies, Family Friendly, Fit & Wholesome, Quick & Easy, and Pescatarian. You can mix and match all these exciting meal options.

HelloFresh’s most satisfying feature is the fact that they include abundant recipes that are crowd-pleasing and diverse. Their menu does not use preservatives, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and artificial ingredients. All their ingredients are high quality, fresh, and GMO-free.

Under each meal kit recipe, you’ll also notice various labels such as the following:

• Seasonal
• Calorie Smart
• Spicy
• Easy Cleanup
• Easy Prep
• Quick
• Carb Smart
• Protein Smart
• Mediterranean
• New
• Premium Picks

Meal recipes that you wouldn’t have imagined cooking at home can be incorporated into your daily diet with HelloFresh.

For example, for vegetarians, their Black Bean & Blue Corn Crunch Burritos and Edamame & Cauliflower Fritters are tempting plant-forward meals with fewer carbs, higher proteins, and balanced calories.

The Spicy Korean Fried Chicken and Creamy Lemon-Herb Organic Chicken are tempting options for chicken lovers. Meat lovers can also find plenty of flavorful dishes like the classic Beef Tenderloin & Balsamic Steak Sauce or something more world-inspired like the Moo Shu Beef Bowl that is quick to cook.

Hungryroot Alternative #2 – Marley Spoon

All recipes on the Marley Spoon menu every week are created by food expert Martha Stewart. With Marley Spoon, each meal kit box contains all the ingredients required for preparing the dish.

You get as many as over 40 meals to select from every week – all meals are flavor-packed while also accommodating various diet plans and preferences like vegan, vegetarian, low calorie, low carb, dairy-free, and also kid-friendly.

Your weekly meal box will arrive at your doorstep neatly packaged with ice packs and insulation inside that keep the ingredients fresh. The nonperishables are stored in paper bags, along with vegetables and fruits. All of this is curbside-recyclable in case you’re worried about sustainability.

The one thing that makes Martha Stewart’s Marley Spoon one of the top meal kit delivery services is that they don’t encourage fad diets.

Marley Spoon is the most suitable for foodies who want to prepare new, interesting recipes that are also approachable. Many of the meals are kid-friendly, which means Marley Spoon is a great choice for families as well.

Marley Spoon Pricing

As it is with other meal delivery companies, the more meals you add to your weekly order, the cheaper the price per serving becomes. This means Marley Spoon is an affordable meal kit delivery service for families. The shipping cost, however, is an additional $9.99 per box.

Here’s the breakdown of Marley Spoon pricing:

	2 servings/meal	4 servings/meal
2 meals per week	$12.99 per serving	$10.49 per serving
3 meals per week	$10.99 per serving	$9.49 per serving
4 meals per week	$10.49 per serving	$8.99 per serving
5 meals per week	$9.99 per serving	$8.99 per serving
6 meals per week	$9.49 per serving	$8.69 per serving

 

Marley Spoon Pros

• Wholesome, flavorful meals and a wide-ranging menu.
• Generous portion sizes and over 40–50 options per week.
• Recipes designed by Martha Stewart.
• Diet labels are provided to help you find the most suitable meals.
• A very affordable meal delivery service for families.
• Very little plastic is used for packaging, and it’s recyclable.

Marley Spoon Cons

• Some meals demand more time and effort.
• Lack of prepared or premade dishes.
• The shipping fee is extra.
• No special diet-specific meal plans.

Marley Spoon Meal Options

Marley Spoon offers a long list of meal options every week that include a wide variety of cuisines and proteins. The Marley Spoon menu consists of complicated dishes and also easy and quick recipes – comforting foods as well as more global-inspired flavors.

On the one hand, there are meals like Classic Beef Stroganoff and Grilled Pesto Chicken. On the other, you can try unique recipes such as Italian-Style Cheeseburger and Chicken & Pepper Taquitos.

Each week’s menu also presents a diversity of breakfast and dessert specials, for instance, Sausage & Potato Breakfast Bake, Giant Iced Oatmeal Cookie, Apple Galette, Kouign Amann Chocolate Bread Pudding, and so much more you have no idea!

When browsing the Marley Spoon menu, you’ll see how each meal has diet tags/labels listed below the picture of the recipe. Here are the ones included:

• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• No Added Gluten
• Kid Friendly
• Dairy Free
• Under 30 Minutes
• Fish
• Meat
• Healthy
• Nutritious
• Seafood
• One Pot Meal
• Low-Calorie
• Poultry
• Climatarian
• Low Carb
• Optional Spice
• Special

There are vegetarian and vegan options too, by the way, that taste equally delicious, for instance, Classic Bean & Cheese Enchiladas, Vegan Khao Soi, Crispy Spinach Curry Rolls, and Fast! Vegan Chili & Jasmine Rice.

The seafood recipes also look extremely pleasant and delicious plus they’re not that expensive to add to your weekly order – Orange Ginger Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli & Seared Shrimp.

Hungryroot Alternative #3 – EveryPlate

If you consider meal kit delivery services like Hungryroot and HelloFresh to be the most affordable out there, EveryPlate will blow your socks off. They offer meal kits between $5 and $8 per serving.

The sign-up and meal selection process is quick and simple. You have to choose either a two- or four-serving meal plan and decide how many meal recipes you want to eat each week from 3 to 6 recipes per week.

EveryPlate gives you two ways to select meals from their menu that accommodate different diets like Meat & Veggie, Veggie, Family Faves, Quick & Easy, and Nutrish& Delish. Either you let EveryPlate pick the best recipes for you, or you can manually pick the recipes yourself.

Meal options are balanced and premium, mostly home-cooked and flavorful recipes that take less than 25–30 minutes to cook. Every ingredient is packed individually with ice packs that keep them fresh during transit.

All the ingredients are packed in an organized fashion with clear labels and an informative recipe card for step-by-step cooking instructions. You might notice some excessive plastic packaging, which is a common customer complaint with EveryPlate.

Having said that, EveryPlate uses all eco-friendly and recyclable packaging materials, including insulated liners, ice packs, and plastic wrapping.

EveryPlate Pricing

Selecting the meal plans of EveryPlate is the simplest thing ever. EveryPlate appears to be one of the most economical meal kit delivery services. They feature some premium options that do not cost a fortune, some not higher than $8 per serving.

The shipping for each box is extra, which costs $9 per order. But considering how inexpensive the per-serving price is, the shipping fee shouldn’t feel like a lot.

	2 servings each	4 servings each
3 meals	$7.49 per serving	$5.99 per serving
4 meals	$6.99 per serving	$5.49 per serving
5 meals	$6.49 per serving	$4.99 per serving
6 meals	$5.99 per serving	$4.99 per serving

 

EveryPlate Pros

• Balanced and nutritious meal options for everyone.
• The ingredients are fresh and properly packed.
• Some gourmet meal options are available.
• Inexpensive meal prices with plenty of room for customization.
• Homemade and classic recipes that are easy to cook.
• You can easily order extra proteins.
• Add-ons include salads, garlic bread, and breakfast items.

EveryPlate Cons

• Limited variety of dietary foods.
• Not allergen-free or organic.
• Some of the recipes may seem repetitive.
• Not suited for keto, paleo, or vegan diets.

EveryPlate Meal Options

The quality and freshness of ingredients in EveryPlate’s meal kits are worth considering even though the meal kit prices are so low. Meat options cost more than vegetarian meal plans, but the difference is not more than $2–$3 per serving.

Another convenient feature of EveryPlate is that their meals take less than 30 minutes to make. Some recipes may require advanced cooking skills, but even those are easy to follow with the help of their recipe cards and step-by-step cooking instructions.

If you’re interested in adding more comfort foods to your diet, EveryPlate is a fine choice. Their meals are healthy in a conventional manner with preservative-free, GMO-free, and additive-free ingredients, though they offer a limited variety of vegetarian recipes.

Comfort recipes include the Lemony Chickpea & Feta Bowl and Broccoli Cheddar Tortelloni Soup. Meal options with premium ingredients include dishes like the Sizzling Beef & Broccoli Ramen Stir-Fry and the Baja Shrimp Tacos.

Their menu also features various add-ons like breakfast, lunches, salads, and most importantly, a la carte proteins, making it simpler to choose your favorites before placing an order.

It’s worth repeating that EveryPlate is big on “comfort” foods and recipes. They do not accommodate strict dietary preferences like vegan, keto, paleo, low calorie, low carb, etc. Their meal options are better suited for those who need quick and easy meal kits to cook but are still delicious and home-inspired.

Hungryroot Alternative #4 – CookUnity

You select your meal plan and delivery day on CookUnity and then enter your dietary preferences. You have to create an account first to view the complete menu, which can be a little disappointing if you want to check out the options before making any commitments.

The questionnaire about your diet and fitness goals that you need to fill out during sign up takes into consideration demands such as lighter meals, muscle gain, and the like. There are vegan and vegetarian options as well, which are best for meat-free meals.

CookUnity has designed fully cooked meals that don’t require any cooking skills. Proper instructions are provided with the meals, and everything is accurately explained, even the quick-heating instructions.

CookUnity is worth a try if you want to eat meals that are restaurant-quality and crafted by super-talented chefs. It’s also worth a shot if dietary restrictions and preferences are a part of mealtime. They have quick, delicious meals that are more enjoyable to consume even on a busy workday.

CookUnity Pricing

You can order between 4 and 16 meals per week. Delivery is free, and new customers receive a 40% discount on their first order.

Here’s how the pricing works with CookUnity:

• 4 meals per week = $12.69 per serving
• 6 meals per week = $11.39 per serving
• 8 meals per week = $10.89 per serving
• 12 meals per week = $10.49 per serving
• 16 meals per week = $10.39 per serving

Cooky Unity Pros

• Creatively prepared restaurant-quality meals.
• Accommodates many dietary preferences like paleo, keto, vegan, etc.
• Tasty flavors and a diverse menu.
• Meals are very quick and convenient to prepare.
• Sustainable packaging and easy account management.

CookUnity Cons

• Serving size is on the smaller side.
• No meal customization is possible.
• Limited delivery locations.
• Cost per serving is high.

CookUnity Meal Options

Meal options differ from one location to another since not all CookUnity chefs are in the same place; they’re located all across America. But what’s fixed is that each meal has just a single serving. Also, every week’s menu is different, with upcoming menus as well.

The CookUnity menu includes entrees, of course, but also sweets, breakfasts, and cold-pressed juices. The meals are already prepared, so you just have to heat the dish in the microwave, oven, or on your stovetop.

Furthermore, you come to know everything that is a part of every meal, including common allergens. The menu has over 30 options each week – low carb, low sodium, low calorie, dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, keto, vegetarian, vegan, poultry meat, and seafood (filters on the menu).

The East Coast menu features Shrimp and Thai Basil Fried Rice and Sweet Potato Coconut Curry (meat-free). The West Coast menu features Braised Short Ribs and Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Baked Tofu (meat-free). The Midwest menu features Fabio’s Classic Meatballs with Parmesan Polenta and Al Pastor Burrito (meat-free). And finally, the Texas menu includes Garlic Hanger Steak and Yam, Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry (meat-free).

Why Pick Alternatives Over Hungryroot?

For a hands-on cooking experience: If you want to have some control over what you add to your recipes, HelloFresh may be the best option for you. They offer meal kits that are fast and effortless to prepare in a wide variety of flavors and diets.

Meal preparation is beginner-friendly, allowing new cooks to understand the basics of cooking without it taking up too much of their time.

For a customizable menu: Marley Spoon lets you switch proteins on select recipes. You can swap proteins easily without changing the flavor. This leads to more flexibility when it comes to customizing the menu to suit your dietary and food preferences.

Swappable proteins include chicken, beef, plant-based meats, turkey, and seafood.

For affordable meal prices: If your first and utmost priority is saving costs, then EveryPlate is the choice for you. It’s an inexpensive alternative to Hungryroot with family-friendly and easy-to-cook meal kit recipes. Its meal plans start from $5 per serving to $7.49 per serving.

Meal variety and add-ons are superb with over 20 different meal recipes and a la carte proteins that you can easily add to your weekly order for only $2 or $3 extra.

For chef-cooked meals & seasonal ingredients: CookUnity is a location-specific meal delivery service that serves chef-prepared meals at a premium price. What you’re paying for is not only convenience but superior flavors and gourmet ingredients.

Reasons for Choosing a Service Like Hungryroot

1. It Encourages a Diet-Friendly Lifestyle

Meal delivery services like Hungryroot support a healthy and nutrition-focused diet and lifestyle. It is not about following unrealistic “fad” diets but incorporating more nutrient-dense ingredients in a flavorful and satisfying manner.

You don’t have to force yourself to eat dry salads if you want to eat healthily. It doesn’t have to be that way. Hungryroot is better suited for people who want to eat healthy without sacrificing taste.

Vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, pescatarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and shellfish-free options are available to you, so you can mix and match based on your specific dietary needs and preferences.

Hungryroot breaks down each recipe and gives you two ways of going about the meal selection process. You can either opt for groceries or recipes. If you have specific ingredients that you want to eat more of, the former is your go-to option. But for simplified recipes in a wide variety of flavors, Hungryroot groups together the best ingredients to make restaurant-inspired recipes.

2. It Makes Cooking at Home Easy and Fun

Meals like Hungryroot aim to save cooking time in the kitchen by cutting the prep work by half. So typically, a meal that takes around 45 minutes to cook will take not more than 15 minutes from start to finish.

It’s a simple formula for unpacking the ingredients and following the step-by-step instructions printed on the recipe card. Some chopping and preparation may be required, but it’s very minimal. All you need to do is add all the ingredients together that have already been pre-portioned.

Final Verdict

There is no doubt that Hungryroot is a fine choice for most people. But it’s always nice to have options, right?

Better than takeout food, there are plenty of meal delivery services that are better suited for beginner cooks, dieters, and picky eaters. All of these eliminate the daunting job of grocery shopping and simplify meal prepping, which can be just as time-consuming for some people.