These Are The 6 Very Best Meal Kits Out There, According To Real-Life People

It’s totally okay if you don’t have time for dinner. Having time for dinner is HARD. Working all day long and the endless commute home makes the thought of going grocery shopping, putting recipes together, and cooking actual hell. (Not to mention the million other things you need to get done in a day.) And cooking is supposed to be fun and stress-relieving! Not something you dread doing! Luckily, there’s a solution that’s somewhere in between frozen meals and a fancy, homemade meal: meal kits. Meal kits are time and life-savers.

You’ve probably been targeted by a meal kit ad before — they’re everywhere. There are a lot of different kinds, and they all claim to be “the best” and the “yummiest” out there…but really, which one is ACTUALLY the best and yummiest? I was personally on a mission, since I’m over dinner stressing me out every night.

Here’s what I wanted to know.

Which meal kit is the cheapest?

Which meal kit has the most to offer if you follow a certain diet?

Which meal kit has the most experimental recipes?

This was my process: First, I asked my co-workers which meal kits they liked best, because the realest way to find out if something is actually good is to ask human beings. Then, I took those options and I vetted them, based on reviews on Trusted Pilot. I finally got down to 6 meal kits that are truly the best out there, based on real people’s opinions.

1. Hello Fresh

Hello Fresh is probably the most talked-about meal kit — either you’ve heard about it from a friend or an advertisement on your Facebook page. That’s why it’s considered “America’s most popular meal kit” (according to its site, at least).

Overview:

• Hello Fresh’s meal kits are more sophisticated, but not overly complicated
• You get 3 different types of plans: classic, veggie, and family
• Servings start at $6.99 each
• There are 15 recipe options, which include 3 vegetarian options
• Along with each meal, Hello Fresh includes the cook time, so you can even choose your weekly meals based on how quickly you can whip it up.
• Shipping is $6.99

Here’s an example of what the meals look like:

Here’s what the people really think about Hello Fresh:

On the options…

On the flavor…

On how easy it is to the meals…

On the cost…

The general consensus:

This is the meal kit you want to go with if you have a more flexible budget (but still want to be frugal-ish), any possible dietary restrictions and want options. Check it out here for $80 off!

2. Green Chef

Another meal kit for those on a healthy journey, Green Chef’s site slogan is “The #1 Meal Kit For Eating Well.”

Overview:

• Each serving costs between $11.99-14.99
• The meal kit caters to specific diets, such as keto, paleo, omnivore, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and pescatarian
• Each meal only takes 30 minutes or less to cook
• All ingredients are organic. The ingredients are all organic. The site specifically states, “Organic ingredients in each box have no GMOs, toxic pesticides, irradiation, sewage sludge, antibiotics, growth hormones, or steroids,”
• The packaging is earth-friendly
• Shipping costs $6.99

Here’s a sample of their menu (this particular one is all vegetarian):

Here are real opinions about Green Chef:

The general consensus:

Green Chef definitely rivals Sun Basket, and arguably has even better, more innovative ingredients. If you’re looking for a flavorful, fun, healthy dinner, Green Chef is a great option. It does have a higher price point, though. Check it out here for $75 off!

3. EveryPlate

If you, like me, are looking for a dinner solution that makes your checking account happy, tastes good, and provides a fair amount of options, EveryPlate is your meal kit BFF.

Overview:

• Servings are $4.99 each
• You get 5 meals to choose from every week
• Think comfort food with a twist of adventure
• Not the best meal plan if you’re vegetarian or vegan (you only get one option)
• One of their menu options is “premium” which will cost you $3 more for that meal (you do get more expensive ingredients, like steak)
• Ingredients are simple and fresh
• EveryPlate uses less packaging than its competitors
• It costs $8.99 for shipping

For a limited time, you can get your first 18 meals for just $3.33 each! 

Here’s a sample of what you get to pick out:

Here’s what real-life people have to say about EveryPlate (via Trusted Pilot):

On the price…

On portion sizes and delivery…

On the price and portion sizes…

On how perfect this meal kit is when you’re tired AF when you get home from work and need a convenient way to make a delicious dinner…

On health issue-friendliness…

The general consensus:

This is the best meal kit if you’re looking for a yummy, affordable option and prefer comfort food for dinner. Hooray!

4. Sun Basket

Enter Sun Basket, a meal kit that is specifically curated for people who specifically want to eat healthier, or follow a diet (such as paleo, gluten-free, and vegan), but want to do it in a more convenient way. Sun Basket’s slogan, after all, is “Healthy cooking made easy,” which is exactly how I want my healthy cooking done.

Overview:

• Servings are $11.99 each
• Menu is versatile and also includes several different “5-minute” salad options (as well as snacks, like Greek feta dip with Jilz sea salt cracked pepper crackers!)
• There are 22 recipes to choose from each week
• Ingredients are fresh and organic
• You can choose meals based on how long or short it takes to make them, as well as diet, calorie count, and amount of sugar for diabetes-friendly foods
• Shipping is $5.99

Here’s an example of part of one of Sun Basket’s weekly menus:

And now, here’s how people really feel about Sun Basket:

On how accommodating the meal kit is for certain diets…

On its customer service…

On its ingredients…

The general consensus:

You should pick Sun Basket if you are looking for a meal kit that offers a lot of options for people with specific diets, and if you have a higher budget for meals (it’s definitely not cheap). Check it out here.

5. Home Chef

Home Chef, like Hello Fresh, offers a little bit of everything, and it has tons of variety.

Overview:

• Servings are $9.95 each (and delivery is free for orders over $40)
• Aside from dinner, this meal kit offers breakfast (same price as dinner), smoothies ($4.95/serving), and a fruit basket ($4.95)
• The menu is versatile and offers a little bit of everything
• You have 16 recipe options per week
• The app lets you know how long each meal will take to prepare and if it contains any allergens like milk or nuts
• Home Chef tries to source locally as much as possible

Click here for an exclusive So Yummy deal: You get 30% off your first order!

Here’s an example of what a menu looks like:

Here’s what reviewers think about Home Chef:

On the quality of the ingredients…

On customer loyalty…

On the quality and convenience…

On its convenience and accommodations…

The general consensus:

Home Chef is similar to Hello Fresh, and while it’s on the pricey side, reviews have said that they’ve actually saved money on groceries because the portion sizes from Home Chef meal kit are so generous and they’re able to share their plates. It offers tons of variety and you’re able to customize, but if you have a specific diet, the app isn’t quite as user- friendly (they do indicate if the meal contains meat, nuts, dairy, etc., but they don’t have separate sections for specific diets). Customers especially love how fresh the ingredients are with Home Chef. Check it out here.

6. Plated

If you’re a ~foodie~ and scoff at the idea of a meal kit, well, this meal kit is the one for you. It has the most recipes that look and taste like they’d be served at a trendy restaurant.

Overview:

• Each serving is between $9.95-$11.99
• Ingredients are more playful and artisanal, and you’ll learn new ways to cook food you maybe haven’t tried before (or haven’t cooked before)
• Plated offers diet-specific recipes like low-cal, low-carb, and vegetarian. It also indicates which recipes are stovetop-only and what the most “popular” recipes are, which could potentially make selection easier if you’re bad about too many choices.
• You have 20 choices for dinner and two for dessert
• Shipping is free for plans for $60, but if under, it’s $10
• All of their poultry is raised without antibiotics, their beef is free of hormones, their fish sustainably caught, and their produce is organic.
• Ingredients are seasonal, which is better for the earth, our farmers, and our tastebuds

Here’s a sample of their menu:

And here’s how people feel about Plated:

Review continued…

The general consensus:

Plated is the meal kit to subscribe to if you’re looking for recipes that feel more like fancy takeout, want sustainable ingredients, and are willing to pay more. Check it out here.

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