Finding the best meal kit delivery service, with the best recipes and ingredients, at the best price, that delivers to your doorstep feels impossible! There are many meal kit companies in the US out there and each one claims it’s the best of its kind. To help you find the right service, we’ve reviewed a variety of meal kit options and inspected the plans offered, costs, meal choices, and other features.
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Meal Delivery Kits USA — In-Depth guide
For those who have little extra time on their hand, a meal delivery service could be a terrific idea. This is true for the USA, as well as other parts of the world. Rather than spend valuable time looking at recipes and then heading out to shop for sometimes elusive ingredients, a meal kit delivery service will do the work for you and you won’t have to compensate over quality and nutritional value.
US meal kits arrive at your door, perfectly portioned and with all the ingredients you need to knock up that special meal. You cut out all the time you would have spent shopping and travelling to shops for ingredients.
The global consumer research platform Pisplay has found that 48% of US Americans have tried meal kits at least once in 2020. Meal kits are a meal box subscription delivery service which you sign up for and can browse and choose different recipes, based on your dietary needs and ingredients you want to include.
Please note – some companies will send you a partially cooked meal that you just need to warm up while others will send the ingredients so that you can cook yourself – our focus is on the best meal kits rather than meal prep delivery (i.e. you have to cook the meal kit prior to eating, but it comes with a recipe and shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes per meal even for the the most novice cook.
Why you should trust meal kit delivery
For any meal kit company to make money and stay in the US market — their products need to be of the highest standard. The food industry is particularly stringent in standards and that means that the majority of meal kit delivery companies in the USA supply high quality meals. The industry leaders being HelloFresh and Home Chef operate internationally and delivery food to millions of people each year with glowing reviews. In fact, HelloFresh is such a large corporation that it’s surprising how pristine its reputation has been and how positive were its client reviews. The same is true for regional meal kit delivery operations in the USA; those that we have reviewed aren’t necessarily the best meal kits in the USA but the quality has always been satisfying and customers generally enjoy the service which has been climbing in popularity with each passing year and particularly between 2020 and 2021.
What are meal kits, and how does their delivery process function?
A meal kit delivery service is a subscription-based program where a specialized food company accepts meal orders and delivers pre-portioned meals to its customers. Sometimes, these meals may be partially prepared, or the ingredients and recipes are delivered straight to the customer’s doorstep for them to cook. It’s important not to confuse a meal kit delivery service with convenience foods that most supermarkets provide. Convenience foods are fully prepared and cooked prior to delivery. Meal kits, on the other hand, are perfectly portioned using only the ingredients you select in the quantities you require. The box’s ingredients come with precise instructions on how to prepare your meal, giving you less to stress about and more free time.
The majority of meal kit options are subscription-based, meaning you need to sign up to receive them on a weekly basis or longer if you prefer. Usually, you can start or stop your subscription whenever you want. All you need to do is set up an account, choose the meals you want, and place your order to begin on your selected day. Meal kits are delivered on a pre-agreed date, complete with detailed instructions on storage, cooking, and serving.
How to choose meal delivery kits
Because there are so many meal delivery services available you will find that whatever type of meal you need, there will be a company that can send it. Once you have decided what you want you simply complete a form and your service will start.
Some things to consider before choosing your meal delivery kit:
- Price: there are many companies who provide services and in all price ranges. Ask for a menu from them and you will find that the prices vary for each type of meal.
- Type of ingredients: you decide what you like, what you don’t really like and what you absolutely refuse to eat. Also bear in mind any allergies you may have such as to shellfish or nuts.
- Portion size: choose a company that takes into account the portion size you need. Not everyone needs to be on a 600 calorie per meal diet, very active people may need more.
Are Meal Delivery Kits Safe/Fresh?
When you order a meal kit today, you can rest assured that only the best and highest quality ingredients have been used. Kitchens are routinely checked, and hygiene standards must be met for a company to stay in business, as per requirements by local governments. Any instructions that come with your meal kit will have been tried and tested to ensure that the meal comes out the way you expect. Hence we believe meal kits in the US are safe, fresh and recommended.
Are Meal Delivery Kits Healthy?
Meal kit delivery services are a convenient way to cook at home. Are they healthy? Yes, they are as you are the person who decides what ingredients are used. You choose the calorie count for each meal and you also select the amount. Compared to eating out at restaurants, meal delivery kits are far healthier as less sodium and fat is used. However, if you are an avid cook who likes to cook from scratch, then your own home-cooked meals may be healthier.
What is important to remember is that meal delivery kits are primarily designed for people who cannot get out to shop, do not have time to shop or simply prefer them to being in the kitchen.
What are the benefits/disadvantages of ordering meal kits?
Benefits of meal delivery service
- Perfect portions: many people do not have a good idea of how large or small their portion of food should be. A meal delivery kit means that you always get the correct portion.
- Healthy meals: often people on a time frame resort to less than healthy meals, simply because they are pushed for time to prepare a healthy dinner. A meal delivery service means that a healthy meal kit is delivered, with no extra ingredients to buy, and ready to cook.
- Less waste: when a meal calls for a half an onion, you will receive a half an onion. You will not be faced with throwing the other half away because you have no need for it. Every ingredient you need comes with the meal of the day or is factored into the following day’s meal. No wastage of food that you cannot use after opening a can.
- Time saved: meal delivery services are a great help to people who simply do not have time to spend in the kitchen or shopping for ingredients. Even though you still need to cook the meal, you never need to stand in line at the supermarket.
Disadvantages of meal kit delivery
- Meal size: while the ‘average person’ may need only between 600-700 calories per meal, a very active person may need more calories. Often meal delivery kits may not supply enough calories per serving.
- Boredom: some people may become bored with having a kit to cook from instead of being able to have a ‘spur of the moment’ meal. When this happens, they do not have the ingredients in the house or do not want to cook what has been delivered.
- Cost: if people shop sensibly it is still possible that the meal delivery kit will cost more than making the same meal from scratch. Additionally, when cooking from scratch we know what the quality of ingredients we use is, and where we got them from.
- Environmental issues: many meal kits are extensively packed when they are delivered to prevent damage. The general waste which is created may not be a bonus for people who think about the environment.
Are Meal Kits expensive?
If you order a meal delivery kit for two people you can expect to pay around $60 per week. This works out at about $9 per serving. This is certainly less than buying take-away food for two people every day, but it does work out more than the average home-cooked meal.
If you eat out every day, then a meal delivery kit will work out to be about $7 less per meal than a restaurant which makes them a good deal for a busy couple. Often meal delivery services offer discounts for orders of more than one week and for large families, so at this point they do become a better deal than cooking at home.
Do meal kits have all kinds of foods?
Meal kit delivery services offer several different types of food. Many organizations offer options such as:
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Gluten free
- Pescatarian
- Omnivore
- Keto
- Paleo
- Hormone-free
- Diabetic friendly
If you need a special meal kit then you may have to shop around to find a company that can provide it, but they are out there and with a little research you will find a company supply your needs.
Why are Meal delivery kits so popular?
Meal delivery kits are so popular because people like convenience. More than that, they are willing to pay for that service. A meal kit will arrive at your door with all the right ingredients and herbs/spices that you need for your meal. No shopping or meal planning, you simply unpack and start to cook. For single people they are a great way of getting a variety of meals instead of having to eat leftovers for three nights.
Meal delivery services also save time, there is no shopping involved, no standing in line to get the piece of meat you want and no substituting veggies because the greengrocer has no fresh tomatoes. All you need is delivered. Another advantage is that a meal delivery plan allows you to stick to a diet. Once you have worked out the number of calories you need, the meal kit will provide them – no more or no less, so no over-eating.
Can you choose ingredients and kits size?
Most companies will offer you the option of choosing the ingredients you like and omitting the ones you don’t like. This is great for people with allergies of any type. When you place your first order, you will be asked to complete a form asking which foods you refuse to eat (for any reason) and those you enjoy. You will be asked to state any allergies such as nuts, and any foods that you simply do not enjoy eating. Your questionnaire will also ask you what number of calories you are looking for per meal. It stands to reason that sedate people require lower calorie meals than extremely active people.
Why are there so many meal kit providers?
In the USA the meal kit market in 2021 reached $12.73 billion. This amount is expected to further increase in the future. Basically, this is a lucrative business to be in and for this reason there are so many meal kit delivery services in the world. Potentially every single person in the world is a future customer of a meal kit delivery service. Meal kits are popular all over the world. You can find meal kits in the USA, Canada, UK as well as in Europe. In fact, most countries now have some type of meal kit delivery service.
What are the costs of Meal Delivery Kits?
The amount you can expect to pay for a meal delivery kit varies with each meal and the requirements. Special diets such as vegan and diabetic friendly will cost more than a standard meal delivery plan. You can expect to pay a little more for Paleo plan meals, while vegetarian options may cost slightly less.
In general, you should budget for around $9.99 per meal for standard meals. Meal kits for larger groups such as dinner parties will be discounted by most services and you can expect to pay around $99 for a meal for four people (dinner party). Be sure to factor in delivery charges which can range from $10 to free if the order is over $49.
Are meal kits available in the USA?
Yes, they are. There are several excellent firms that offer meal kits in the US which we have reviewed here. These companies boast a large selection of menus and most will deliver an entire week. US meal delivery services have wide variety of menus that included such foods as Easy-prep, vegetarian, low-carb options, and organic, as well as standard menus.
Several companies deliver everywhere in the USA, even to remote areas. The price per meals are about $9.99 per person for two people and several companies offer discounts for four people or more. With over two million Americans ordering meal delivery kits every month this is fast becoming a very popular way or eating in the United States.
FAQs
What are the best meal delivery kits?
Meal packages remove all the uncertainty from preparing. Given that none of its weekly dishes contain meat or byproducts of animals, Purple Carrot is the finest meal kit for vegans or vegetarians. To maintain your dietary objectives, there are low-calorie, ketogenic, and paleo meal packages. Meal kits are boxes that are delivered to your house and contain premeasured ingredients to complete meals. From there, you can create some of the most delicious (and frequently simplest) dinners. You may get meal kits as frequently as you like for as low as $5 per dish. The greatest meal kits will eliminate a large portion of the preparation and planning effort. Additionally, a meal kit delivery service might assist you in avoiding the daily argument over what to do for dinner.
How to get free meal delivery kits?
Pioneers in the meal box sector like Blue Apron and Hello Fresh came on the scene in 2012. By offering free meal kit trials, we evaluated several meal kit service providers and compiled the top candidates. Utilize free trials to the fullest before purchasing meal kits to pay for your meals.