11 Best Meal Kits and Prepared Meal Services in 2026, Tested and Ranked

Why we picked it:

When it comes to convenience, variety, and family-friendly appeal, HelloFresh tops the field. The recipes we tried were reliably solid, and the pricing is reasonable enough to give it the edge over Blue Apron and Marley Spoon as the best meal kit overall in 2026. Our vegan editor loved the plant-based selections even more than Purple Carrot.

The weekly menu is hundreds of recipes long, with endless combinations to mix and match, and the service allows swaps and substitutions to accommodate even the pickiest eaters at the table. Portions are generous, and there’s a genuine range across dietary needs: dozens of keto options, low-calorie picks, and up to 15 plant-based kits for vegan and vegetarian households.

On the affordability front, most plans run around $10 per serving — fair, though larger orders don’t come with much of a discount. The recipes themselves are straightforward and clearly written, making HelloFresh a comfortable starting point for beginner cooks and a reliable staple for everyone else.

Who is it for:

HelloFresh offers the most recipes per week, with over 70 options, of any meal kit service we tried, making it a good option for families and homes with children (or choosy adults). Our vegan editor said HelloFresh had the best plant-based recipes among the services she tested.

Who should avoid it:

These meal kits may challenge more experienced home cooks. We found some of the recipes a bit basic, featuring numerous comfort pasta dishes and simple fare. But if you’re feeding a family of four or five, basic may be just what the doctor ordered.

Why we picked it:

This prepared-meal service focuses on gourmet fare prepared by chefs with local and national acclaim. While some of our testers found the food too salty, CookUnity was generally at a higher level than the others we tested, with tender meat, fresh veggies and a huge range of gourmet recipes to choose from. It may not have reached the culinary heights of our splurge pick for prepared meals, MealPro, but at about $13 per meal, CookUnity offers better value given the quality.

Food is delivered fresh — not frozen — although most meals are easy to freeze and save for later. I liked almost everything I tried, with recipes ranging from very healthy to more comfort-style food. There are plenty of options for vegetarians, too, but remember that the menu varies by location, as it draws on local chefs to create the weekly offerings.

Who is it for:

Those seeking variety and quality in their prepared meals. There are seemingly endless options, and the food is aimed at those with a more refined palate and an adventurous culinary spirit. The best thing about CookUnity is the sheer volume of meal options you can choose from culinary masters of different cultural backgrounds and culinary styles. There’s always something different on the CookUnity menu, though each one is specific to a region, so someone in New York City may not have the same options as someone in Chicago.

Who should avoid it:

Anyone following a low-sodium diet should exercise caution when choosing CookUnity meals. Some contained more than 3,000mg of salt, which is about 170% of the daily recommendation for adults.

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Why we picked it:

At between $6 to $8 per serving — even cheaper with a sign-up offer — and with an emphasis on hearty recipes and generous portion sizes, all three editors who tested it agree that EveryPlate is the best cheap meal kit. 

EveryPlate keeps overhead costs low — at times, cheaper than buying groceries yourself — by offering just a dozen or so meal kit recipes each week. No swaps or substitutions are allowed. These options include a few options for those on vegetarian and other special diets, but you’ll find lots of meat and potatoes and other classic comfort meals, including meatloaf, burgers, crispy chicken strips and pasta.

If you’re looking to try an easy meal kit service without risking much dough, you can score meals for as little as $2 per serving, with free shipping on your first order.

Who is it for:

Those looking to get dinner on the table quickly and without blowing their budget. EveryPlate’s meal kits are simple, quick to make and comforting — but that doesn’t mean they’re not also great. We liked nearly all 14 meal kits we made from EveryPlate, and with the lowest price per serving of any subscription service, it’s a great pick for those trying to keep the family fed at a fair price.

Who should avoid it:

After enough time, the recipes can feel repetitive. EveryPlate doesn’t mix it up as much as pricier services and relies on a lot of the same meal bases — chicken breast, pork chops and ground beef. There are about 15 recipes per week, which is far fewer than those offered by services like HelloFresh and Home Chef. There aren’t any seafood options, and there are very few plant-based offerings.

Why we picked it:

Home Chef takes the top spot for overall value. We analyzed meal kit costs, comparing recipes to the cost of the same groceries, and Home Chef came out ahead of the pack. Plus, the brand has made significant improvements to its meal kit recipe curation, which made us glad we retested it in 2026.

For meal kits that can be made quickly to get dinner on the table with minimal fuss, Home Chef is a winner. While the service doesn’t have the most inventive recipes among the services we tried, it had some of the easiest, with a slew of meals ready in under 30 minutes. Home Chef also offers a number of “sheet-pan” or “oven-ready meals”; these recipes often require as little as 5 minutes of active work and have become one of our favorite meal kit trends.

There are also several prepared-meal options under Home Chef’s offshoot brand, Tempo — we tried six or seven and liked them all. These come ready to eat and can be microwaved, warmed on the stovetop, or cooked in an air fryer.

Who is it for:

Those seeking fast, healthy dinners without the prep. These recipes aren’t as high-brow as those from other services on our list, but they were filling, easy to make, and required very little effort. There’s also a decent amount of customization available for those with strict diet followers or picky eaters in the house.

Who should avoid it:

Advanced home cooks looking for a challenge may not find it with Home Chef.

Why we picked it: For each meal delivery service tested by CNET with GLP-1 offerings, Senior Wellness Editor Anna Gragert reviewed the menus and counted the number of available GLP-1-specific meals. With its prepared, dietitian-designed meals geared toward weight loss, BistroMD unsurprisingly came out on top with at least 150 breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks for GLP-1 users. The company also offers GLP-1 medication in addition to meals.

According to BistroMD’s GLP-1 program for supporting weight loss, maintaining muscle and minimizing GLP-1 side effects, it can be paired with any BistroMD program that suits your tastes. This means that GLP-1 users can choose from all of BistroMD’s 150+ meals offered per week, the most out of any other CNET-tested meal delivery service.

On average, per meal, the BistroMD program focuses on 25g to 30g of protein, 20g to 25g of net carbohydrates, 5g of fiber, 8g to 12g of fat, and 500mg of sodium. When he tested the service in 2023, Managing Editor David Watsky found that the meals were generally healthy, good for portion control and that the meat dishes were mostly cooked well.

Who is it for: BistroMD is best for anyone aiming to lose weight, such as those taking GLP-1 medication, as the brand’s meals are designed by dietitians for this purpose. Since the meals are prepared and frozen, they are also great for those who prefer to save time in the kitchen and avoid cooking. 

Who should avoid it: Priced at $11-15 per serving, BistroMD falls in the midrange of meal delivery service pricing. Plus, shipping is $20. As a result, it may not be in the budget for some. If you like cooking your own meals and aren’t a fan of frozen food, you may want to try a meal kit service with GLP-1 offerings, such as Marley Spoon ($9 to $13 per serving), which offers 21 to 29 “GLP-1 support” meals per week. For fresh, cooked-to-order meals, try Territory Foods ($15 to $21 per serving), which, as of June 3, has 31 GLP-1 menu options.

Why we picked it:

This plant-based meal service was one of the best-prepared we tried, and not just among vegan options. Our wellness editor, who eats only plant-based food, found every recipe to be at least good, often great. It’s also affordable, with family meals starting at just $6 per serving, making it one of the better services for feeding a crew. Single-serving meals clock in at about $10 or $12 each.

We sampled more than 15 of Mosaic Food’s plant-based prepared-meal offerings, including rice bowls, noodle dishes, flatbreads, oat bowls, and smoothies. Of the food I ate, this vegetarian-prepared meal delivery service had an astoundingly high hit rate. Some standouts included the bean and jackfruit chili, tomato, olive, and feta ragout, and a tangy Thai noodle dish.

Most meals arrive fresh but can be frozen and thawed later for a quick lunch or a healthy, meatless dinner.

Who is it for:

Discerning eaters of plant-based food. Mosaic uses global flavors and employs creative use of meat substitutes such as tofu, jackfruit, cauliflower and vegan sausages to create tasty and satisfying vegetarian meals.

Who should avoid it:

There are no meat options and very few low-carb meals. If you’re trying to cut calories or carbs, this might not be the best meal service to try.

Editor’s note: Marley Spoon customers started filing complaints about missing ingredients and other fulfillment issues starting in August 2026, including one of our own meal kit testers. When asked for comment, a rep for the brand said, “Marley Spoon is in the middle of an operational transition, and our customers have been experiencing issues with boxes as a result….We expect these issues to improve as we progress with the transition, and we’ll keep our customers updated along the way.” CNET will continue to monitor the situation and update our picks accordingly.

Why we picked it:

If you want meal kits that feel elevated but are still easy to put together, Marley Spoon deserves a look. The service carries Martha Stewart’s stamp of approval and features recipes that appeal to passionate home cooks and seasoned culinary enthusiasts alike.

We’ve been fans through previous rounds of testing, though the high price used to be a sticking point. That’s changed: subscriptions are now on par with other midrange meal kits, starting at $9 per serving, with most plans averaging around $11.

Some meals require more work than others, but express meal options are available if you’re looking for an easy weeknight dinner. The weekly menus offer more than 100 recipes to choose from, and you can also filter by dietary preference.

Who is it for:

Marley Spoon is great for anyone who wants a mild challenge when cooking dinner or to expand their recipe repertoire. With meals like homemade ricotta gnocchi and butternut squash and bacon galette, there are sure to be new and exciting recipes for you to explore every week.

Who should avoid it:

If you’re a meal kit beginner, this one might not be for you right off the bat. While there are plenty of express recipes to choose from, the “chef series” recipes and more in-depth options are where this brand really stands out. It may be better to try Home Chef or HelloFresh first to get the hang of meal kits, then switch to Marley Spoon when you feel your cooking chops are up to par.

Why we picked it:

For authentic, organic, plant-based cooking, Purple Carrot delivered in a big way, with a bounty of interesting recipes and fresh ingredients. Several of us here at CNET have tried Purple Carrot and the inventive meatless meal kits have become a clear staff favorite. A hearty lentil soup and herby cauliflower steak were among our favorites.

Purple Carrot also had some of the freshest produce of any service we tried, with much of it coming from organic farms. There aren’t many options for keto dieters but this meal kit subscription is a dream for vegans looking to get dinner on the table with less fuss.

Interestingly, Purple Carrot wasn’t our vegan wellness editor’s favorite — she chose HelloFresh — but others agreed that this service offers the best quality and variety for those avoiding meat in their daily diet.

Who is it for:

This service is ideal for those looking to learn the ropes of vegan cooking. Of all the vegan meal kits I’ve tried, Purple Carrot provides the best base for cooking vegan cuisine, with its mainstays such as lentils and grains. There are about eight recipes to choose from each week.

Who should avoid it:

Meal kits are pricey, with plans starting out at $11 per serving. There are also fewer recipes to choose from each week, but that means quality control is far higher than services that offer many recipes in a given menu.

Editor’s note: Blue Apron customers started filing complaints about missing ingredients and other fulfillment issues starting in August 2026. When asked for comment, a rep told CNET, “We know many Blue Apron customers have experienced missed items and canceled orders during our transition to a new fulfillment partner. For now, we’re temporarily focusing our menu on what we’re confident we can deliver, adding quality checks before boxes ship, and making progress with our partners to fix what’s broken.” CNET will continue to monitor the situation and update our picks accordingly.

Why we picked Blue Apron:

Among the dozens of meal kit services we’ve tested, Blue Apron is the only one that doesn’t lock you into a subscription. The food itself is still up to the brand’s high standard — all three editors who tested it ranked Blue Apron in their top three for taste and quality.

We’re particularly fond of the family-style, oven-ready meals, which come together in about five minutes and serve four to five people, making them ideal for a busy household or a week’s worth of planned dinners. The recipes strike a nice balance: creative enough to feel fresh, but never so complex that they become a chore. Of the more than 15 Blue Apron kits we’ve cooked through, not a single one has missed the mark.

Since Blue Apron is no longer a subscription service, you can order meals without the commitment. The running menu offers choices ranging from simple pasta dishes to more daring global cuisine, with high-end recipes featuring nice cuts of beef and fresh seafood.

With its new structure, the per-meal costs have increased slightly compared to its previous iteration. Meal kits now range from $9 to $14 per serving for most recipes.

Who is it for:

Blue Apron recipes are thoughtful and elevated, featuring enticing global cuisines. Since there is no subscription commitment, this is the best service for anyone who wants to try meal kits without worrying about canceling if it doesn’t work out. This meal kit service is ideal for those with high recipe standards but don’t care to do all the planning, shopping and prep.

Who should avoid it:

There are only a few vegan and vegetarian options each week, and the recipes aren’t intended to be substituted, so this isn’t the best choice for plant-based eaters. It’s also more expensive in its latest iteration, so this isn’t a good budget meal kit pick. There’s no discount for ordering more servings, either.

Why we picked it:
It’s unusual to purchase an entire toaster oven to pair with your meal service, but with Tovala, that’s part of the deal. And it’s a good deal considering the toaster is dirt-cheap, sometimes free during sales, when you order a few weeks of meals.

When Tovala’s custom meals arrive, simply scan the QR codes and pop them in. The oven does the rest, using steam, convection and broil heat to perfectly cook each one.

The meals are flavorful, with decent-sized portions and a nice weekly selection. We like that you can use the toaster oven for other foods as well. The toaster itself is also not bulky and fits nicely on a countertop without taking up much space.

Plus, with the new addition of family-style meals, this is a great option for families of four or fewer. Just keep in mind that you may need to add your own vegetables on the side — the meals do include some, but the portions are small.

Who is it for:
This service is perfect for those who want fast dinners that still feel homemade without microwave cooking or prep work.

Who should avoid it:
Since there are no vegan meals and limited vegetarian options, this isn’t a great option for plant-based eaters. It’s also not the best choice if you have a large family, since even with the family-style meals, the largest portion serves four.

Why we picked it:

Gardencup is a subscription-based meal delivery service that delivers ready-to-eat salads, grain bowls, soups, snacks and produce cups in portable, insulated plastic jars. You order six or nine meals to be delivered weekly or bi-weekly and lunch is handled for your busy week. Simply pop the top, shake with the included dressing and toppings, and lunch is served. Salads range from $11 to $14, with most featuring grilled chicken and clocking in at about $12.

Gardencup’s salads are fresh and filling, with tender chicken, shrimp and steak over crisp greens and veggies. Classics like chicken Caesar, chicken bacon Cobb and steakhouse wedge are available alongside more inventive salads like the 3-meat Italian and Mexican shrimp with cilantro and lime.

While we didn’t try any, there are heartier power cups with grain and pasta bases, such as a pesto pasta chicken bowl and soba noodles with garlic shrimp bowl. These are priced similarly to the salads, with premium proteins costing a bit more. Soups and snacks can be added to any order and range between $5 and $10.

Who is it for:

This is the working person’s answer to $18 fast-casual meals or to unhealthier choices that loom in workplace cafeterias and fast-food joints. A delivery of Gardencup means light, healthy meals are never far away and you don’t have to scramble to make sure you’re fed at lunchtime.

Who should avoid it:

While $12 for a meal salad is cheaper than most restaurant or takeout fare, it’s still more expensive than making your lunch at home, so those on a tight budget may choose to assemble their workday lunches from scratch.