Best Meal Delivery for One Person (2026): Top 5 Options

Cooking for one is expensive and wasteful when half your groceries end up in the trash. Meal delivery services solve that, but not all of them work well for a single person, some require ordering for 2 or 4 people, and meal kits often mean cooking more than you can eat in one sitting.

We tested more than 15 meal delivery services specifically from a solo-diner perspective, scoring each on portion sizes, flexibility, price per serving, and how much goes to waste. Here are the five best options for one person in 2026.

Best Meal Delivery for One Person: Scores at a Glance

1. Factor, Best Overall for One Person, Best for: Single Servings, Zero Cooking

Factor is the top pick for solo diners because every meal comes in its own single-serve container. There is no measuring, no splitting, no guessing whether two portions will keep in the fridge, you heat one container and eat. That is exactly what you want when cooking for one.

The minimum plan is 6 meals per week, which works well as a weekday lunch-and-dinner rotation or dinner every night with one day off. Meals take 2 minutes in the microwave. You choose from over 40 options each week across categories like Calorie Smart, Protein Plus, Keto, Flexitarian, and Chef's Choice.

Price per meal ranges from $11.49 (18-meal plan) to $12.49 (6-meal plan), plus $10.99 shipping. The shipping fee hurts more on the smaller plan, factor it in when comparing. A 6-meal plan runs about $85 per week delivered, which works out to roughly $14 per meal including shipping. That is competitive with restaurant delivery for a fully prepared, restaurant-quality meal with no tip required.

One watch-out: Factor requires a minimum 4-5 box commitment before you can cancel, so plan on trying it for about a month before deciding if it is right for you. Read our full Factor review or check the Factor cancellation guide if you want to know exactly how pausing and canceling work.

Worth it for one person? Yes, especially if you hate cooking on weeknights. Factor at $11-13/meal gives you restaurant-quality food in 2 minutes with no grocery shopping or dishes beyond a fork. For a single professional, the time savings alone often justify the cost over cooking from scratch after a long work day. Order 6 meals/week as a baseline, it covers dinner 6 nights and costs less than most restaurant habits.

2. CookUnity, Best Variety for Solo Diners, Best for: Chef-Curated Variety for Solo Diners

CookUnity is the ideal second option for solo diners because it also delivers single-serve, chef-prepared meals, but with a much wider range of culinary styles than Factor. The roster of chefs includes James Beard nominees and former restaurant cooks, so the food ranges from Thai green curry to Italian braised short ribs in ways that Factor does not match.

Plans start at 4 meals per week, which is even more flexible than Factor's 6-meal minimum. Pricing runs $10.29 to $12.99 per meal depending on plan size, with a $10.99 shipping fee. The 4-meal plan costs more per meal, but for someone who only wants a couple of delivered dinners per week, it works well and the lower commitment is appealing.

The one trade-off: CookUnity's meals are generally 400 to 650 calories, which is appropriate for most dinners but can leave larger appetites wanting more. If you tend to eat bigger portions, plan to add a simple side. See our CookUnity review for a breakdown of the best dishes to order each week.

Worth it for one person? Yes, if variety is a priority. CookUnity's rotating catalog of 50+ chef-prepared meals per week means you rarely eat the same thing twice, a major advantage for solo diners who get bored with repetitive meal kit recipes. At $11-15/meal, it's in the same price range as Factor with more culinary variety, though less macro-focused.

3. Home Chef, Best Meal Kit for One, Best for: Single-Person Meal Kits with Flexibility

Home Chef stands out among meal kits because it offers Oven-Ready meals that come in individual oven-safe trays. You are not opening a full kit meant for two and trying to halve everything, just slide the tray in the oven and set a timer. The "Customize It" option also lets you swap proteins across many recipes to match your preferences.

For the standard meal kit path, Home Chef's plans start at 2-serving portions. If you cook for one, that means planned leftovers, which is a perfectly reasonable strategy since Home Chef's food holds well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. The variety is strong, with more than 30 options weekly including family meals, fast and easy, and calorie-conscious categories.

Price per serving starts around $9.99, making Home Chef slightly pricier than EveryPlate but with noticeably better food quality and more menu range. Shipping is $10.99 unless your order exceeds $49. Read the Home Chef review for full details on menu rotation and plan options.

Worth it for one person? Conditionally yes. Home Chef's 2-person plans work well for solo diners who don't mind eating a meal twice (or sharing with a roommate). Their "Oven-Ready" line cuts cooking time to 30 minutes for a full meal, a good compromise between the convenience of Factor and the cost savings of meal kits. Start with their trial offer to test the portion fit.

4. EveryPlate, Best Budget Option for One, Best for: Budget Solo Meal Kits

EveryPlate costs $5.99 per serving, about half the price of Factor, making it the best option if budget is your primary concern. The catch is that the minimum order is a 2-person, 3-recipe plan, so you will always receive two portions of every meal you order.

That is actually workable for most solo diners. Cook both portions, eat one for dinner, refrigerate the other for lunch the next day. You get two meals for about $12 plus a share of the $10.99 shipping fee. That math works out to roughly $7 to $8 per meal delivered, substantially less than takeout, and significantly less than Factor or CookUnity.

The trade-off is quality, EveryPlate uses simpler proteins and fewer premium ingredients than Home Chef or HelloFresh. Recipes are streamlined and take about 30 to 45 minutes to cook, which is a feature for busy weeknights. Check our EveryPlate review to see if the quality level meets your standards, or compare in our affordable meal delivery guide.

Worth it for one person? Absolutely if budget is the priority. EveryPlate at $4.99/serving is the most cost-effective way to eat home-cooked meals as a single person. The recipes are simple (20-30 minute prep), the portions are solid, and the variety is decent. The trade-off is that there's no 1-person plan, you'll always have leftovers, which is either a perk or a minor annoyance depending on your view.

5. Dinnerly, Cheapest Price Per Serving, Best for: Simple Cheap Meals for One

Dinnerly edges out EveryPlate on price at $5.29 per serving, the lowest we have seen from any mainstream meal kit service. Like EveryPlate, the minimum order is a 2-serving plan, so you will be cooking two portions and using the second as lunch or dinner the next day.

Dinnerly keeps costs low by providing digital recipe cards instead of printed inserts, and by using simpler ingredient lists, typically 5 to 6 ingredients per dish instead of 8 to 10. The menus lean toward comfort food classics: tacos, pasta, burgers, and stir-fries. Nothing unexpected, but consistently solid for the price.

If your main priority is getting home-cooked food on the table for as little money as possible, Dinnerly is worth trying. See the Dinnerly review for a realistic assessment of what to expect from the menus and cooking experience.

Worth it for one person? Worth a trial. Dinnerly's 5-ingredient recipes mean minimal prep time, and at $5.49/serving it's among the cheapest major meal kits. The downside for solo diners: recipe cards are digital-only (no paper card in the box), and the weekly selection is narrower than HelloFresh or Home Chef. Best for people who want simple, budget-friendly home cooking without overthinking it.

What to Look for When Ordering Meal Delivery for One Person

When you are shopping for a service as a solo diner, four factors matter more than they would for a household:

Single-serve portions vs. planned leftovers. Prepared meal services (Factor, CookUnity) deliver exact single portions, so nothing goes to waste. Meal kit services deliver by the serving count, most start at 2-person minimums. You will cook both servings, so plan on intentional leftovers for the following day.

Minimum order size. Some services require ordering 4 or more meals per week. If you only want 2 or 3 dinners delivered each week, check the minimum before signing up. Factor requires 6 meals; CookUnity starts at 4. Both let you skip weeks without penalty as long as you cancel before the weekly cutoff.

Skip and cancel flexibility. Even services with weekly minimums generally let you skip several weeks at a time. Set a calendar reminder to skip before the cutoff (usually 5 to 6 days before your delivery date) if you are traveling or just need a break. Our cancel guides cover skip deadlines in detail: Factor, CookUnity, EveryPlate.

True cost per meal. Always divide the full weekly cost (meals plus shipping) by the number of servings you will actually eat. A $5.99/serving EveryPlate plan with $10.99 shipping and 6 servings costs about $7.82 per meal delivered. A $12.49/serving Factor plan with 6 meals and $10.99 shipping costs about $14.32 per meal. Both beat restaurant delivery when you factor in tip and platform fees.

For a broader comparison across more brands, see our best meal delivery services guide or browse individual meals at the meal catalog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get Factor for just one person?

Yes, Factor is one of the best meal delivery services for a single person. You can order as few as 6 meals per week, which works out to roughly one meal per day. Each meal is fully prepared (heat and eat in 2 minutes), individually portioned, and labeled with macros. At around $11-13/meal for a single person, you're looking at $66-78/week for 6 meals, less than most people spend eating out for lunch and dinner.

Does HelloFresh have a plan for one person?

HelloFresh technically starts at 2-person plans, but a single person can order 2-serving meals and eat the second portion as leftovers the next day, which many solo subscribers do intentionally. For 2 meals per week at 2 servings each, that's 4 total servings at around $8.99 each = $35.96/week. Alternatively, EveryPlate offers 2-person plans starting at $4.99/serving, making it a cheaper single-person option.

What's the cheapest meal delivery for one person?

EveryPlate is the most affordable, starting at $4.99/serving. For a single person ordering 3 meals per week (cooking 2 servings, eating leftovers), that's under $30/week. Dinnerly is a close second at $5.49/serving. For prepared meals (no cooking), Factor is the most affordable at $11-13/meal for single portions, still cheaper than most restaurant delivery when you factor in tips and delivery fees.

Can you pause or cancel meal delivery after one week?

Yes, all major services (Factor, HelloFresh, Home Chef, EveryPlate, CookUnity) offer easy pause and skip options in their apps or websites. The key deadline to know: most services require you to skip or cancel by the weekly cutoff (usually 5-7 days before delivery). Factor's cutoff is Wednesday for the following week's delivery. Set a calendar reminder to avoid being charged for weeks you don't want.

Is meal delivery cheaper than groceries for one person?

It depends on your cooking habits. A single person spending $60-80/week on groceries but throwing away 20-30% due to portion size mismatches is effectively paying $70-90/week for food they eat, comparable to EveryPlate or Dinnerly meal kits. Factor's $11-13/meal is almost always more expensive than cooking from scratch, but cheaper than restaurant delivery. The biggest financial win for solo diners is reducing food waste, not necessarily cutting per-meal cost.

What meal delivery has the smallest box size?

Factor has the smallest physical footprint, each meal ships in an individual container, and you can order as few as 6 per week. CookUnity also ships compact individual containers. For meal kits, Dinnerly and EveryPlate offer 2-serving boxes that are the smallest available. HelloFresh and Home Chef minimum order is 2 people x 2 meals = 4 servings, which is more than most single people want to deal with in one delivery.