Meal Kit For Weight Loss

Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by

Being overweight can take the joy out of our lives. With the abundance of foods on offer at every street corner, it is no surprise that weight gain is something that many people are struggling with. Thankfully, there are numerous ways in which we as individuals can overcome this problem. Eating well is one of the best methods that not only assists with weight loss but also with improving our overall health and well-being.

Here’s the scenario, you have another disastrous night of binge eating and you wake up in a pool of regret and disgust. You immediately start panicking about gaining weight and getting flabby arms. This is because your last attempt to lose weight was a complete failure. You joined the gym, but never went. You bought the book on how to lose weight, but never read it. And the diet book is still on the shelf after buying it years ago. After all, if you want to take control of your weight, then this is the way to go. Here is why: I’m going to talk about Meal Kit For Weight Loss, make sure you read this article.

Meal Kit For Weight Loss

You’re not alone in your struggles with eating enough veggies and lean protein to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. The world is filled with quick and enticing snacks that are packed full of empty calories, and they can be tough to resist. But keeping your fridge stocked with tasty and nutritious premade meals, like the ones you get with these healthy meal delivery services, makes it a lot easier to avoid the junk.

harissa jackfruit over rice
Mosaic Foods has some of the best vegan and vegetarian meals we’ve tried.Mosaic Foods

There are several dozen prepared food services and meal kits in 2022 and most of them offer some healthy options. But we can do better than just that, right? You’ll want the best tasting healthy meal subscription and that’s where we come in. Whether it’s meal delivery to keep keto, low-carb, diabetic-friendly or plant-based, I’ve sampled some of the leading services to find the best healthy meal subscriptions and meal kits for 2022.

sunbasket fresh and-ready meals
Sunbasket has both healthy meal kits and prepared meals for your busy week.Sunbasket

Beyond keeping your body-conscious goals intact, healthy meal delivery services are possibly the simplest way to give you some extra time during the busy week by cutting out two daily duties: food shopping and planning meal prep. There are niche meal services suited to nearly every eating plan: from paleo- and keto-friendly prepared meals to strictly organic to the entirely plant-based meals of vegan and vegetarian food. Many can be customized as per your dietary needs. 

Fresh n' Lean meals
Having healthy meals on hand will save you from spontaneous junk food cravings. David Watsky/CNET

Since your diet is tied so closely to health, I’m always scanning new healthy eating hacks and cooking shortcuts. The best food delivery services offer wholesome premade dinners or ready-to-cook healthy meal kits, which can save you from your pasta and fast-food cravings, even if just for a few nights each week. These kits can make mealtime a pleasure by eliminating the grunt work and helping home chefs learn new cooking techniques and recipes. Finding the right healthy meal kit delivery service can really soften the edges and add some welcome flavor to your daily cooking routine.

Some of the services listed here are healthy prepared meal delivery service, sending fully cooked meals — often frozen or partially frozen — and ready to eat when you receive them. Others include health-focused meal kits with premeasured ingredients all boxed up and ready for easy weeknight cooking. There’s a stark difference between meal kits and meal delivery, but both make dinnertime easier and can translate into healthier eating choices for you in 2022. Plus, we sussed out the best healthy meal services for those on special diets like keto or paleo or for those who wish to eat organic prepared meals and meal kits.

hungryroot box of groceries
Hungryroot is a hybrid meal kit and grocery delivery service with expansive options for vegans and vegetarians. Hungryroot

Healthy meal kits

While Blue Apron may have been the first big player in the meal kit delivery sector, specialized kits and delivery services tailored with menu options and recipe plans and meal options for organic, low carb and keto, paleo vegetarian and vegan lifestyles followed close behind. Meal kit delivery startups such as Green Chef, Sunbasket and Purple Carrot offer vegetarian-friendly sustainable and organic meal kits with fresh preportioned ingredients for healthy home-cooked food. These healthy meal delivery services differ in offerings and target audiences, but all can be tailored to keep delicious meal kits coming week after week, even for a picky eater on a special diet.

purple carrot meals
Purple Carrot is the one and only fully plant-based meal kit service.Purple Carrot

Healthy prepared meal delivery services

Healthy prepared meal delivery companies such as Veestro, Freshly, Splendid Spoon and Trifecta have taken things a step further, delivering delicious and fully premade healthy food including frozen meals (or sometimes partially frozen), fresh salads, grain bowls, breakfast items and more on a weekly or monthly basis. Healthy prepared meal delivery services can take the guesswork out of breakfast, lunch and dinner, which is key when you’re short on time, limiting trips to the store. These ready-to-eat nutritious meal services help people — even those with a special dietary preference or specific dietary restrictions such as food allergies — stay on track with a good diet and healthy eating habits thanks to some inventive menu options and extensive nutritional information transparency.

I’ve personally tested every meal kit and prepared meal service on this list (and many more) for at least a week before making my recommendations. I also did a dive into the specific meal plan offerings and menus as they relate to health and diet as well as the various plans and pricing details to help you find the best healthy meal delivery services for your tastes and budget. 

These products and services are independently chosen by our editors and periodically updated. 

The 9 Best Weight Loss Meal Delivery Services of 2022

Purple Carrot, a weight loss meal delivery service
Design by Jackie Cruz

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. 

A quick look at Healthline’s picks for the best meal delivery services

Meal delivery services have become increasingly popular among health-conscious consumers and those following specific diets.

In addition to being simple and convenient, many meal delivery services can:

Here are the top 9 weight loss meal delivery services.

How we chose these meal delivery services

Healthline’s picks of the best meal delivery services for weight loss

Best overall

Trifecta Nutrition

Trifecta Nutrition box and meal

Trifecta Nutrition is a meal delivery service that claims to be scientifically backed and makes it easy to follow certain dietary plans. Trifecta has keto, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, Whole30, and “clean” meal plans.

Trifecta Nutrition offers a rotating menu of fully prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner options that can be heated, plated, and enjoyed with little to no effort.

All meals are made using organic ingredients and sustainably sourced seafood and grass-fed meat. Meals are prepared in a gluten-free kitchen.

Meals are also macro-balanced, meaning Trifecta aims to help you hit protein, carb, and fat content goals by making sure each meal is balanced with lean proteins, complex carbs, and vegetables.

Most meals are also featured on popular nutrition apps so you can easily track your intake. Trifecta also has its own app that can help you track your meals, workouts, and more.

Meals on the sample menu at the time of this writing include:

They also offer a variety of a la carte proteins, carbs, veggies, and snacks to streamline meal prep, including:

Each week, you can order 5–14 entrees, either with or without breakfast. Though you cannot select specific meals from a meal plan, you can exclude up to two ingredients per week, such as shellfish, mushrooms, turkey, or chicken.

All plans are low in calories and high in protein, with around 350–500 calories per serving and 20–40 grams of protein in each meal.

Trifecta aims to have meals delivered on Saturdays to allow you to meal prep for the upcoming week.

The packaging is mostly recyclable, and you can find detailed instructions for recycling online.

Pros

Cons

Best value

EveryPlate

EveryPlate Balsamic Tomato and Zucchini Risotto

With plans starting at just $4.99 per serving, EveryPlate is one of the most budget-friendly meal kit companies on the market.

They feature a rotating menu with 17 recipes to choose from each week, including a variety of vegetarian, family-friendly, and no-fuss meals.

You can select between 3–5 meals per week, which include either 2 or 4 servings each.

Some examples of recipes on their weekly menu include:

Nutritional information is available online for each recipe and many meals are also available on popular food tracking apps.

Potential allergens are also clearly labeled for each recipe. However, note that the service may not be suitable for those with severe food allergies due to the risk of cross-contamination.

According to EveryPlate, meals are also made using high quality ingredients, though there is limited information available on how ingredients are sourced.

Most packaging is fully recyclable.

Pros

Cons

Best vegan and vegetarian

Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot box and ingredients

Studies show that people who follow a vegetarian diet tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than non-vegetarians. Additionally, other research suggests that switching to a vegetarian diet may aid weight loss (1Trusted Source, 2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

Purple Carrot is a strictly plant-based meal delivery service that offers nutrient-rich vegan prepared meals and meal kits to help promote weight loss and overall health.

The prepared meal plans include 6–10 single-serve meals per week, while the meal kit plans include a 2-serving option with either 3 or 4 meals per week or a 4-serving option with 2 or 3 meals per week.

For both the meal kit and prepared meal plans, you can customize your meals or choose specific meal preferences like High Protein, Gluten-Free, or Quick & Easy. You can even customize your order to include a mixture of both prepared meals and meal kits.

You’re able to pick the meals you want from the weekly menu and add up to 3 extras to any 2-serving plan or 1 extra to any 4-serving plan. Extras include breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

Purple Carrot offers a wide variety of meal options, including dishes such as:

Meals are delivered on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of each week, depending on your location, and weekly boxes can be skipped or canceled in your account settings.

Orders are delivered in packaging that is mostly recyclable, with detailed information on how to recycle each component available online.

Each weekly meal kit box contains premeasured ingredients, complete with recipes and nutritional information for each meal.

Just keep in mind that the Purple Carrot meal kit option requires basic cooking skills and can be more labor-intensive than its prepared meal option, so this option may not be a great fit for everyone.

Pros

Cons

Best doctor-designed

BistroMD

bistroMD-1

BistroMD is a doctor-designed meal delivery service geared toward weight loss.

It allows you to customize your weekly meal plan by selecting from 150 meals, each of which can be reheated and enjoyed.

In addition to the standard meal plan, Men’s, Women’s, Signature, Heart-Healthy, Gluten-Free, Keto, Diabetes, and Menopause weight loss plans are available.

It’s important to note that the meals are very low in calories, with some meals coming in at under 300 calories. Their meal plans are based on 1,200 calories a day for females and 1,400 calories a day for males, which is extremely low.

Snacks are all available as add-ons and contain roughly 150 calories each.

All plans are high in protein, which has been shown to help reduce body weight, fat mass, and appetite (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).

Some of the meals offered by BistroMD include:

In addition to providing detailed nutrition information for each item on their menu, most meals are also available on online fitness apps.

BistroMD says that they follow a strict shipping schedule, so shipping dates for your meals aren’t able to be customized, but you are given tracking information so you’ll know in advance when to expect your meals.

This service also includes the option for email support from a registered dietitian in addition to free webinars and articles.

Most packaging is recyclable and step-by-step instructions for how to recycle each component can be found on their website.

Pros

Cons

Best with dietitian support

Factor

Factor meal

Factor is a meal subscription service that delivers nutrient-rich, fully prepared meals straight to your door and offers individual support from a registered dietitian, which can help foster health-promoting eating habits to support long-term weight loss (8Trusted Source).

Each subscription includes a 20-minute consultation with a registered dietitian, while monthly coaching packages are available for an additional fee.

Each week, you can select from a new menu that includes the following options: Chef’s Choice, Keto, Calorie Smart, and Vegan + Vegetarian. You can choose between 4, 6, 8, 12, or 18 meals per week.

Their Calorie Smart option includes meals that are under 550 calories each to help customers stay within their calorie deficit goals.

However, meals may contain anywhere from 350–900 calories per serving, so if you’re looking to maintain a calorie deficit, you may want to pay close attention to the nutrition labels of other individual meals.

Factor meals are also free of refined sugars, genetically modified ingredients, hormones, and antibiotics.

Some of the dishes currently on their menu at the time of publication include:

Detailed nutrition information is available for each item and some meals can also be found on popular nutrition tracking apps, such as MyFitnessPal.

The exact date that meals are delivered depends on your zip code, but the cutoff date to order menu items is by end of day Wednesday to ensure chefs have enough time to prepare your meals.

Shipping is available throughout the contiguous United States and orders are delivered in packaging that is mostly recyclable.

As Factor is one of the highest price options on the market, it may be more difficult to follow long-term compared with other eating plans.

Pros

Cons

Best meal kit

Blue Apron

Blue Apron meal

Blue Apron is a popular service that provides nutritious meals that are made with sustainably sourced ingredients, earning it our pick as the best meal kit company on the market.

There are several plans available with 2 or 4 servings each, including vegetarian options featuring seasonal produce.

Each weekly box includes preportioned ingredients and simple recipes so you can prepare fresh and healthy meals at home.

Some of the recipes you may be able to choose from include:

Blue Apron is one of the few delivery services that allows you to choose your own delivery day, and you’re allowed to change your delivery day anytime by going to your account settings.

Additionally, Blue Apron offers “Heat and Eat” meals that include pre-made, microwavable meals for customers who don’t have the time to cook. Unlike other meal delivery services Blue Apron also offers appliances such as knives and aprons along with “pantry staples,” which include a variety of spices.

Those looking to lose weight can use Blue Apron as part of WW (Weight Watchers), a weight loss program that uses a points system.

According to a study that WW funded involving 1,267 people, following a WW diet for 1 year was more effective for weight loss than using self-help materials and brief nutrition counseling sessions.

That said, Blue Apron isn’t as customizable as other meal delivery services and may not be a good fit for those with food sensitivities or specific dietary restrictions.

Over 85% of packaging is recyclable, and in-depth recycling instructions can be found online.

Pros

Cons

Best for prepared meals

Freshly

Freshly meal

Freshly is a meal delivery service that delivers convenient, prepackaged, nutritious, and ready-to-eat meals.

They offer nutritionally balanced meals prepared using minimally processed, high quality ingredients.

Several plans are available including Signature, Plant, and Freshly Fit. These include low calorie, low carb, plant-based, and gluten-, dairy-, and peanut-free options.

Their Freshly Fit plan specifically offers calorie-portioned, single-serving prepared meals that range between 240 and 480 calories. Many of these meals are relatively low carb, high protein meals.

The plans also vary based on how many meals you’d like, ranging from 4–12 meals per week. Most of the meals offered are single-serving, with a few “multi-serve” options like grilled chicken or gluten-free mac and cheese.

A few of the popular menu items that they offer include:

You can also pick the delivery date that’s more convenient for you, and weekly packages can be skipped or canceled in your account settings.

While some of their meals may contain major food allergens, they’re prepared in a gluten-free-certified facility, and chefs must keep allergen-containing ingredients separated, covered, and labeled.

However, cross-contamination can still happen. Therefore, people with severe allergies should verify with their healthcare professional first to see if their meals would be a good fit.

Meals are delivered in packaging that is recyclable, biodegradable, or reusable.

Pros

Cons

Best organic

Sunbasket

Sunbasket meal

Sunbasket is a meal plan delivery system that offers both meal kits with preportioned ingredients and easy recipes or prepared meals to just heat and eat. It’s also USDA-certified organic and focuses on using responsibly raised meats and sustainably sourced seafood, which is why it’s our top choice as the best organic meal delivery service.

While consuming organic foods may reduce the risk of chronic disease and adult overweight and obesity, these observations may be due to other factors. So, more research is needed to confirm whether organic food confers more health benefits than conventional options (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).

If you prefer to eat organic, Sunbasket offers a variety of nutritious dinner options, and the meals can make great lunches, too. It also has a market section featuring nutrient-rich breakfast, lunch, and snack products.

It has multiple weekly menu options, including paleo, vegetarian, pescatarian, low carb, low calorie, Mediterranean, gluten-free, and diabetes-friendly. Meals include detailed nutrition information and some can also be found on nutrition tracking apps.

Sunbasket plans also vary based on how many people you need to feed. Its Fresh & Ready prepared meal plans serve one, while its meal kits can serve 2–4 people, making it a good option for couples and families.

A few examples of items on their menu include:

You can also easily skip or cancel your weekly deliveries as long as you make your changes before their weekly cutoff on Wednesdays.

Orders are delivered using mostly reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging materials.

Pros

Cons

Best for special diets

Territory Foods

Territory Foods Mojo Beef with Peppers and Onions

Territory Foods offers a wide range of chef-prepared meals for a variety of different eating patterns, making it a great choice for those following certain specialty diets.

You can filter their rotating weekly menu to find meals that are suitable for vegan, vegetarian, low carb, Mediterranean, Whole30, keto, and paleo diets.

Territory Foods chefs work in independent kitchens around the country and use locally sourced ingredients as well as humanely-raised poultry, grass-fed beef, and sustainably-sourced seafood.

Meals are available in two portion sizes, including standard and “boost” serving sizes. All meals are free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. Details on the nutritional content of each meal are available online, along with a breakdown of the macronutrient ratios in each serving.

Some examples of meals on their menu include:

You can order 4–12 meals per delivery and meals are delivered once or twice per week. You can also select additional side dishes, which usually contain 3–4 servings each.

Meal containers are compostable and the rest of the packaging is recyclable to help minimize your environmental impact.

Pros

Cons

How do these meal delivery services compare?

Take a look at how these meal deliveries for weight loss compare:

Price per servingShippingSubscriptionIngredient qualitySpecialty diets
Trifecta Nutrition$12.85+ per serving$9.99 for contiguous United States;
$49.99 for Alaska and Hawaii		5–14 entrees per delivery, with or without breakfast, delivered weekly•organic produce
•sustainably sourced seafood
•grass-fed meat		•keto
•vegan
•vegetarian
•paleo
•Whole30
EveryPlate$4.99+ per serving$9.99 for majority of continental United States3–5 meals per week with 2 or 4 servings, delivered weekly•conventional meat and produce•vegetarian
Purple CarrotMeal kits: $11+ per serving
Prepared meals: $12.99+ per serving		$8.00 for contiguous United States2-4 meal kits per week with 2 or 4 servings each, 6-10 prepared, single-serve meals, delivered weekly•organic non-produce
•some conventional produce		•vegan
•vegetarian
•gluten-free
BistroMD$10.99+ per serving$19.95 for contiguous United States2 or 3 meals per day for 5 or 7 days per week, delivered weekly•some organic produce
•environmentally responsible seafood
•hormone-free beef and chicken		•gluten-free
•heart-healthy
•keto
•diabetes-friendly
Factor$11+ per serving$9.99 for contiguous United States4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 18 meals, delivered weekly•free of GMOs, hormones, antibiotics, and refined sugar•keto
•low calorie
•vegan
•vegetarian
Blue Apron$8.00+ per serving$9.99 for contiguous United States2 or 4 servings for 2–4 meals per week, delivered weekly•some organic produce
•sustainably sourced seafood
•pasture-raised eggs
•hormone- and antibiotic-free meat		•vegetarian
•low calorie
•diabetes-friendly
Freshly$8.99+ per serving$9.99–$11.99 for contiguous United States4–12 meals per week, delivered weekly•free of processed sugar and artificial ingredients•vegetarian
•low calorie
•gluten-free
•low carb
•dairy-free
SunbasketPrepared meals: $9.99+ per serving
Meal kits: $11.49+ per serving		$9.99 for most of contiguous United States4–10 single-serving meals per week or 2–5 meals per week with 2 or 4 servings each•organic produce
•sustainably sourced seafood
•responsibly raised meat		•paleo
•gluten-free
•vegetarian
•pescatarian
•Mediterranean
•diabetes-friendly
Territory Foods$13.95+ per serving$7.95–$8.95 per delivery for most of contiguous United States4–12 meals per delivery, delivered once or twice per week•humanely raised poultry
•sustainably sourced seafood
•grass-fed or grass-fed and grain-finished beef		•paleo
•Whole30
•Mediterranean
•keto
•low calorie
•low carb
•vegan
•vegetarian
•gluten-free

How to choose a meal delivery service for weight loss

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