All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Finding the cheapest meal delivery service isn’t always as straightforward as it should be. That’s because the low prices that keep popping up in your feed or on those giant mailers are usually based on some, er, fuzzy calculations.
For starters, those per-serving costs are typically introductory offers that expire after a few weeks or months. Or they might be based on a minimum weekly order that’s far more food than your household would actually consume, and most tack on an additional shipping cost. Also, how do they determine what counts as a portion size? Your six-foot-tall, athletic husband and a company’s consulting dietitian might have very different opinions on that subject. And let us not forget that time is money; if an entrée requires too much prep time, this particular home-cooked meal model might not be worth it for you in the end.
So if you found your way here in an attempt to figure out whether that seemingly affordable meal kit is actually, well, affordable, you’ve come to the right place. It’s literally my job to try these things and report back. And I’m not alone. Bon Appétit’s editors, writers, and recipe developers also test meal kits, and we have plenty of notes. Receipts too.
The cheapest meal delivery services
- Lowest price per serving: EveryPlate, $5.99/serving
- Best for intermediate cooks: Dinnerly, $7.99/serving
- Best for families: HomeChef, $7.99–$9.99/serving
- Best selection: Hello Fresh, $9.99/serving
- Best for snackers and grazers: Hungryroot, $9–$11/serving
While it’s true that advertised meal kit pricing is often deliberately opaque, it’s still entirely possible to get delicious meals, organic produce, and even kid-friendly snacks at or below grocery store prices. Even some luxe and wellness-focused options are competitively priced.
It’s also worth noting that, even if they end up being a bit more than the grocery store, meal kits and prepared meal delivery services will still be cheaper than takeout, even after the introductory offer has expired. They also cater to a variety of dietary needs and restrictions to make meal planning around those factors simpler. Many are very generous with substitutions too. So if you’re on a specific diet or you want more options for quick-and-healthy meals at home—and you don’t want to blow your entire food budget on a pricey kit—keep reading to learn more about the cheapest meal delivery services Bon Appétit editors actually recommend.
Lowest price per serving: EveryPlate
Pros:
- Affordable pricing
- Quick-and-easy recipes
Cons:
- Somewhat limited options
- Does not cater to specific dietary restrictions
Like most meal delivery services, the default order is two servings of any given meal, and if you’re looking for single-servings,
