Best Food Subscription Boxes (2024): 10 Top Picks for Less Time at the Grocery Store

From wine subscriptions to the best meal kits to coffee subscriptions, there’s a monthly food box for all taste buds and dietary preferences. Heck, with the available options today, you could probably get away with never going to the grocery store if you don’t want to. (Don’t tempt me with a good time.)

Since these services are a dime a dozen, it can quickly become overwhelming to choose one. That’s where we come in. Consider us your trusted friends who have tried all of the best meal delivery services and can provide you with honest recommendations as consumers—because that’s exactly who we are. 

Our product testers personally ordered and used more than 40 meal delivery services, judging them against a rigorous testing methodology that covers every aspect of a monthly food subscription:

• Taste and quality: Was the food good? Did it arrive (and stay) fresh? 
• Dietary needs: Does the service offer specific meal plans for allergies or diet types? 
• Ordering and shipping: Was it easy to create an account, and did the box arrive on time? 
• Packaging: Was everything intact? Was the food still chilled? 
• Customer service: How easy (or not) was it to cancel? Did support reps help when we needed it? 
• And much more 

We also consulted with registered dietitian Perry Nix for expert input on the services we tested. In our guide to the best food subscription boxes, you’ll learn about 10 top picks based on our firsthand experiences and expert insight. 

Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider.

Best Food Subscription Boxes in 2024

• Best Food Subscription Box Overall: Home Chef
• Best Food Subscription Box for Healthy Snacks: Hungryroot
• Best Food Subscription Box for Weight Loss: Diet-to-Go
• Best Food Subscription Box on a Budget: EveryPlate
• Best Organic Food Subscription Box: Green Chef
• Best Food Subscription Box for Prepared Meals: Fresh N Lean
• Best Vegan Food Subscription Box: Purple Carrot
• Best Food Subscription Box for Smoothies and Soups: Daily Harvest
• Best Food Subscription Box for Kids: Little Spoon
• Best Food Subscription Box for Families: HelloFresh

Best Food Subscription Box Overall: Home Chef

Good for: Everything from plant-based meals to pescatarian delights 

Best Overall

Home Chef

GGR Score: 4.1

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Product Highlights

• Can choose from meal kits, pre-made meals, or grill-ready ingredients
• Recipes can accommodate two, four or six people, and you can get up to six meals per week
• No specific meal plans, but you can narrow down your choices
• Menu changes weekly, with up to 30 meals to choose from
• Requires a subscription, but you can cancel or skip a week anytime

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Menu changes weekly to prevent food boredom
• Options for meal kits or pre-made meals
• Can skip a week if you don’t need a delivery
• Can accommodate larger groups and families (many meal delivery services cap out at four servings per recipe)
• Reasonably priced

Cons

• Doesn’t accommodate a lot of dietary restrictions
• Options can be limited if you’re on a specific diet
• Requires a subscription (that you can skip or cancel, but you have to remember)

Bottom Line

Home Chef is a meal delivery service that gives you options between meal kits, heat-and-eat meals, and grill-ready selections. It does require a subscription, but you can cancel any time or skip a week if you don’t want a shipment.

Home Chef is one of the most highly rated meal delivery services across the board. It scored a perfect 5 out of 5 for taste, with our tester Emily Chidester remarking that of the many meal delivery services she’s tried, Home Chef is “by far the best.” 

RELATED: Blue Apron vs Hello Fresh vs Home Chef

“My husband and I love these meals, frequently getting more than the three we typically order because they are so easy to make and are delicious,” she says. “They send you the recipes [on cards], so we’ve definitely made some of the meals on our own without the meal kits because we love them so much. Many of the meals have wonderful sauces that just make the dish absolutely perfect. We’ve learned a lot about cooking just from making different recipes.”

As you might expect, the wonderful complexity of these meals means prep and cleanup aren’t easy. Emily rated Home Chef with just 2 out of 5 points for ease of preparation because most meals require multiple dishes to cook, mix, and chop up ingredients. Still, it’s a small price to pay if culinary excellence is important to you.

Registered dietitian Perry Nix says, “Eating home-cooked meals, whether using food from a meal kit or the grocery store, is linked to improved diet quality. Home Chef is a good option for those wanting to learn how to build balanced meals and acquire new cooking skills. Even if you only use the meal kits short-term, you can mimic the recipes using store bought ingredients.”

The main downside to this service is that it doesn’t offer allergy-friendly meal plans or specific diet tracks, such as keto or paleo. If you’re an omnivore without any dietary restrictions, Home Chef could be your perfect match, but those with allergies or sensitivities may want to look at other options. 

RELATED: Best Keto Meal Delivery Service

Best Food Subscription Box for Healthy Snacks: Hungryroot

Good for: A meal delivery service that doubles as a snack subscription

Best for Snacks

Hungryroot

GGR Score: 4.4

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Product Highlights

• Grocery delivery meets meal kit
• Meal delivery service that sends you ingredients based on recipes you like
• Many recipes only take 10 minutes to prepare
• Starts at $70 per box

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Simple and quick
• Caters to many styles of eating
• Can add on groceries to your order

Cons

• You do have to cook
• Have to meet plan minimum each week (though you can adjust your minimum on a weekly basis)

Bottom Line

Hungryroot offers a unique take on meal delivery, in that you find a recipe you like, and the company will send you all of the ingredients to make it. There are many options for types of food to choose from, and you can even order extra groceries that you might need as well. You do have to cook though, so if that's not interesting to you, this won't be the right plan.

Hungryroot is a two-fer if I’ve ever seen one. This service provides both meal kit delivery and grocery delivery, potentially saving you hours of time week after week. Admittedly, GGR head of content and certified personal trainer Kate Meier found this a bit confusing during ordering, although she ended up loving Hungryroot in the end. 

“The first thing you do is take a quiz, and you get to pick a free gift,” Kate says. “You talk about your goals, dietary restrictions, and how much you like (or don’t like) cooking. You choose what style of cuisine you like (Thai, Mexican, Italian, Chinese, etc.) and flavors you dislike.” 

Then, Kate says you pick generic meals that look ideal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks (like “tacos” or “eggs”) and how often you want them to send you those meals. “You then check out, and after you pay, it takes you to your cart, where you can see what they are going to send you, and you have six days to edit it,” she explains. 

Groceries are available in categories, including: Bread & Bakery, Snacks, Sweets, Pantry, Beverage, Ready-to-Eat, Dairy & Eggs, Grains & Pasta, Meat & Seafood, Plant-Based Proteins, Sauces & Condiments, and Product.

Hungryroot’s minimum order price is $65, which you can fulfill entirely via snacks, sweets, and pantry items if you wish. This makes it a great option for people looking for a service to easily restock their cupboards with healthy treats and go-to items. 

And if you want to add meal kits, you can do that, too. In fact, we recommend it. Kate rated Hungryroot with 5 out of 5 points for taste: “Everything is so fresh, and you don’t need to do any seasoning because most foods are prepared already for you with spices,” she remarks. “For example, one meal I received was for a chicken burrito bowl, and the chicken was already marinated in the spices, so I could just throw it in the skillet.”

RELATED: 10 High-Protein Meal Delivery Options

Best Food Subscription Box for Weight Loss: Diet-to-Go

Good for: Easy meals from low-carb, diabetes-friendly, Mediterranean, or vegetarian tracks

Best for Weight Loss

Diet-To-Go

GGR Score: 4.1

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Product Highlights

• Meal delivery service with 5 diet plans
• Ready to heat chef-prepared meals
• Mediterranean diet and low-carb options
• Choose up to 21 meals per week
• Customized meal plans available
• New meals every 5 weeks

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Appeals to a variety of diets
• Meals are ready to eat in 3 minutes
• Can order all 21 meals for the week
• Meal plans are curated for you, but you have the option to customize it

Cons

• Very limited customization
• Doesn’t offer any organic options
• Calories are very low on the standard plan

Bottom Line

Diet-To-Go accommodates a number of dietary preferences and restrictions, but the menu doesn’t have as much variety as some of the other programs. These are heat-and-eat meals, so they’re ready to eat in three minutes.

Losing weight is a really hard thing to do, and it’s made even tougher when you don’t have a lot of time to shop, prep for, and cook healthy meals at home (not to mention the cleanup). Plus, if you’re just getting started, you may not even know where to begin to build a healthy, balanced plate. 

Diet-to-Go makes weight loss easier with individually packed, single-serving meals that you can heat in the microwave. And these aren’t your average TV dinners from the frozen aisle at your grocery store: Diet-to-Go meals are cooked by real chefs before being packaged and sent off. It’s one of the best meal delivery services for weight loss in our book. 

Our tester, GGR video reviewer Lindsay Scheele, admits that she found the taste of the meals to be “super hit or miss,” rating Diet-to-Go at 3 out of 5 points for taste. “Some meals were amazing and perfectly seasoned, others were really bland and fell short,” she says. 

Lindsay mentions that the portions were often too small for her as an active person, too, although she wasn’t surprised given it’s a diet plan. She gave Diet-to-Go 3.5 out of 5 points for portions.

What Diet-to-Go may lack in flavor, it certainly makes up for in convenience. Lindsay says it’s super easy to prepare the meals; you just have to microwave them or pop them in the oven. That said, they do arrive frozen, so some planning ahead is necessary to dethaw and ensure they cook well in the microwave. 

Registered dietitian Perry Nix gives Diet-to-Go high remarks, too. “Diet-to-Go aims to simplify weight loss by delivering calorie-controlled, pre-made meals to your doorstep,” she says. “They take the effort out of eating healthy by eliminating prep time, cook time, and cleanup.” 

RELATED: Best Weight Loss Supplements

Best Food Subscription Box on a Budget: EveryPlate

Good for: Nutritionally balanced meals for reasonable prices

Best on a Budget

EveryPlate

GGR Score: 4.1

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Product Highlights

• Meal kit delivery service with five menu plans to choose from
• Kits included pre-portioned ingredients and recipe cards
• Approximately 26 recipes to choose from each week
• Recipes serve two or four people
• Can opt for three to six recipes per week

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Low price per serving
• Can mix and match from all meal plans
• New menus drop weekly
• Most meals take less than 30 minutes to prepare

Cons

• Doesn’t cater to any specialized diets
• No substitution options
• Not a lot of focus on ingredient quality

Bottom Line

EveryPlate is a low-cost meal kit delivery service that offers new meals weekly. If you don’t have dietary restrictions or need to follow a specialized diet, it could be a good option for you.

You’re not alone if you think grocery prices are out of hand these days. Luckily, there are still some companies out there trying to help consumers who feel in over their heads, and one of those is EveryPlate. 

“EveryPlate is one of the most affordable meal kits available,” says registered dietitian Perry Nix. 
In today’s financial climate, groceries are expensive, and EveryPlate could help you save money on food.” The price per meal starts at an impressive $4.99 (although it can get pricier if you don’t order a lot of meals at once).  

RELATED: Cheapest Meal Delivery Services

On top of the affordable price tag, the food is actually good. Perry, who uses EveryPlate herself, says, “Most ingredients are delivered fresh in their whole-food form with some pre-made sauces and seasonings. I find that the fresh ingredients really improve the aroma and taste of the meals.” Perry says that EveryPlate also helps her cook with new ingredients and expand her palate, which is often tough to do on one’s own.

Erin Chancer, GGR editor and certified nutrition coach, also enjoyed EveryPlate meals, giving the company 4 out of 5 points for taste. She mentions that the seasoning is sometimes minimal—just salt and pepper—but some meals come with seasonings that don’t seem to have a store equivalent, which can be fun. 

Erin was less impressed with the variety, saying, “The meals update weekly but do repeat, so if you use EveryPlate for several months, the variety may become stale. I used the service for over 6 months and did start to become bored with the meals being offered.” Still, she gave EveryPlate 4 out of 5 stars in this category since there are 26 meals to choose from each week with available add-ons to spice things up. 

Best Organic Food Subscription Box: Green Chef

Good for: A nutrient-dense lineup of fully organic ingredients 

Best Organic

Green Chef

GGR Score: 3.92

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Product Highlights

• Certified organic meal kit delivery service
• Meal kits can feed two, four, or six people
• New menus drop weekly; you can choose from 32 meals each week
• Add-ons, like prepared breakfasts and salads, available for an extra charge
• Delivers almost everywhere in the continental U.S.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Offers several specialized diet plans
• Can mix and match meal plans
• New meals drop weekly
• Most ingredients are organic and high-quality

Cons

• On the expensive side (but ingredients are organic)
• Shipping fee

Bottom Line

If you want high-quality and/or organic ingredients, Green Chef is a good option that can feed two to six people per recipe. There are several specialized diets to choose from, and you can mix and match from weekly menus to suit your needs.

Whether you only care about organic produce or you want everything from your sauces to your seasonings to be organic, Green Chef has you covered. This is the only meal delivery service we tried that is completely USDA Certified Organic, which registered dietitian Perry Nix says is unique.

“In addition to being certified organic, Green Chef’s paleo and keto meal plans are also certified gluten-free,” Perry said after reviewing the company’s offerings. “This means they’re safe for people with celiac disease and anyone with gluten sensitivities.” 

However, she adds, “Green Chef doesn’t offer meals tailored to support heart health or diabetes, which many other meal services provide.”

GGR senior editor and certified personal trainer Nicole Davis tried Green Chef and was happy with the service overall, giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars for taste and the same for ingredient quality. She tried four dinners and the breakfast bundle, which included oatmeal, egg white bites, muffins, and two recipes to make (French toast and breakfast sandwiches). 

Green Chef didn’t score quite as high for ease of preparation, earning 3 out of 5 points because the meals all take about a half hour to cook, which Nicole says is the most she’d want to spend making dinner on a weeknight. “You will have used multiple pots, pans, and other pieces of small kitchen equipment, so there is definitely cleanup involved,” she adds.

Nicole wasn’t impressed with the portion sizes, finding them a bit small and rating Green Chef 3-out-of-5 in this category. However, she appreciates the three different meal plans offered (Balanced Living, Keto+Paleo, and Plant-Powered) and points out that everything was packaged in a neat, organized way and arrived on time. 

Learn more about the company in our Green Chef review, and read our guide to the best organic meal delivery for other options.

Best Food Subscription Box for Prepared Meals: Fresh N Lean

Good for: Wellness-oriented, pre-made meals you can heat in the microwave

Best Prepared Meals

Fresh N Lean

GGR Score: 4.1

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Product Highlights

• Meal delivery featuring 7 different meal plans
• Gluten-free options
• Non-GMO, no artificial ingredients
• Paleo, Keto, high protein, and vegan plans
• A la carte options with a $85 minimum

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Free shipping in the Contiguous U.S.
• Low minimum of meals
• Over 100 meals to choose from

Cons

• Very little customization when choosing meal plans
• Meals can be pricey

Bottom Line

Fresh N Lean is a prepared meal delivery service that has a variety of meal plans to choose from. From those plans, you can choose how many meals you’d like weekly, and notify anyone of food preferences. In addition, you can select exact meals from their A la carte section.

Fresh N Lean is a prepared meal delivery service that our tester, GGR head of content and certified personal trainer Kate Meier, really loved. She was “SHOCKED”—yes, in all caps—at the quality of the meals considering they are microwave-ready meals. 

“The meals sounded good, but once I nuked them, I didn’t think by the looks of them that they would taste good,” she says. “I was surprised!”

Some of Kate’s favorites include Paleo Red Pepper Chicken With Sweet Potatoes (“Whatever sauce is on there is perfection, and everything was juicy and moist,” she says) and Paleo Bearnaise Grass Fed Steak with Roasted Sweet Potatoes (“The steak was cooked medium and was perfect,” she remarks).  

As you might imagine from her remarks, Kate awarded Fresh N Lean 5 out of 5 possible points in the taste category. She also gave Fresh N Lean 5 points for ingredient quality, noting that nothing feels overly processed, steaks are grass-fed, and all ingredients are non-GMO.

Kate’s only complaint with this service is that it isn’t easy to cancel the subscription. “It says you can do it online, but there was nowhere for me to do this,” she says. “I had to directly contact customer support, which is annoying. You can skip meals easily, but not loving the failure to allow someone to easily cancel a subscription.

Perry Nix, RD, LD, says she likes that Fresh N Lean offers a protein-oriented plan. “Each Protein+ meal contains a whopping 36 grams of protein on average, which falls well within the recommended 20 to 40 grams of protein per meal needed to maximize muscle protein synthesis,” she says. 

A downfall, Perry points out, is that Fresh N Lean only offers single-serving meals, so it’s not a good option for families trying to feed multiple people. 

RELATED: Best Paleo Meal Delivery

Best Vegan Food Subscription Box: Purple Carrot

Good for: Vegan meals and add-ons like juices, bagels, and donuts 

Best Vegan

Purple Carrot

GGR Score: 4

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Product Highlights

• Vegan meal kits and prepared meals
• Breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and pantry items available
• Boxes ship weekly
• Quick prep options (meals that take less than 25 minutes)
• Most non-produce items are organic

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Has meal kits and prepared meals
• Can choose from the whole menu
• All meals and snacks are available
• Menus change weekly

Cons

• Can’t mix and match meal types
• No option for add-on proteins
• Maxes out at 4 meals per week
• Limited meal choices

Bottom Line

Purple Carrot offers vegan meal kits and prepared meals. There are no specific meal plans, but you can choose from the full menu, which includes breakfasts, lunches, dinners and “plantry” items—add-on products like brownie bites and salad dressing. You can’t mix and match meal types, though.

Despite what carnivore diet enthusiasts may have you think, vegan diets are not as boring or devoid of protein as they are often portrayed to be. In fact, registered dietitian Perry Nix says her first impression of Purple Carrot is that it “strives to make plant-based eating accessible and enjoyable.” 

Our product tester, GGR performance editor and certified nutrition coach Anthony O’Reilly, would say that Purple Carrot is not just striving, but actually doing this. “The ingredients were fresh and I thought everything tasted really good! My favorite was the sloppy Joe with tofu instead of meat,” Anthony says. “Considering this was a plant-based meal service, I was quite happy with how everything came out and the portions were quite good.”

In the end, he rated Purple Carrot 5-out-of-5 in the taste category. Coming from an omnivore who does not shy away from cheese or steak, this is significant! It’s no surprise that Purple Carrot ended up on our guide to the best plant-based meal delivery.

Anthony expressed that most meals were very simple and easy to make, though he thought the instructions on the recipe cards could have been more detailed for beginner cooks. Because of this and the fact that most meals require some chopping and the use of multiple pieces of cookware, Anthony gave Purple Carrot 3 out of 5 stars for ease of preparation.

Perry likes Purple Carrot as an option for those who follow a strict vegan diet as well as people who are just interested in exploring more plant-based options. “Whether you’re eating less meat or eliminating it completely, Purple Carrot has recipes to support your dietary preferences. The company uses seasonal ingredients so you can add new foods into your rotation without ever getting bored.”

One big bonus: “A plant-based diet can help reduce inflammation and decrease your risk of developing a chronic disease,” Perry says.

Best Food Subscription Box for Smoothies and Soups: Daily Harvest

Good for: Frozen goodies from smoothies and soups to grain bowls and veggie flatbreads

Best for Smoothies and Soups

Daily Harvest

GGR Score: 3.8

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Product Highlights

• Frozen plant-based meal delivery service 
• Smoothies, grain bowls, flatreads, and soups
• Plant-based milk options available
• Recyclable packaging

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Frozen, nutrient-dense food
• High fiber content
• Free shipping
• Ability to skip a week and modify delivery schedule
• Manage your account on the iOS app or website

Cons

• Will not satisfy high-protein diets
• Some meal are under 300 calories

Bottom Line

Daily Harvest is a plant-based frozen meal delivery service that will provide you wholesome, nutrient-dense meals and snacks. The menu is made up of low-calorie smoothies, grain bowls, flatbreads, and soups. If you’re looking for a meal delivery service that supports high-protein diets, this is not the subscription plan for you.

I’ve used Daily Harvest twice: Once in 2018, when the service offered smoothie cups and smoothie cups alone, and again in 2024 as part of meal delivery testing for GGR. I was interested to see how the brand had progressed, whether anything had changed with the smoothies, and if the new offerings were any good. 

I’m pleased to report that the smoothies are just as good as they were five years ago, and just as convenient. I love smoothies, but I never make them, because peeling and chopping fruit, storing the leftovers, and making a juicy mess of my kitchen just seems too daunting. Daily Harvest makes smoothies too easy—seriously. Just dump the contents of the cup into your blender, press a button or two, and voila, there’s your smoothie. 

The soups are also easy to make and yummy, although I did spice them up with hot sauce or add ingredients like sour cream for texture. I tried some of the oat bowls, too. I’m a fan of the mulberry dragon fruit oat bowl; it’s nice to have some more unique flavor profiles at my fingertips (I can’t say I know how to make any oat bowls other than a basic banana cinnamon one,so I welcomed the variety). 

I was not nearly as impressed with the other offerings; I found most of them bland, particularly the grain dishes. I would 100% recommend Daily Harvest for smoothies, soups, and oats, but not for full meals.

Registered dietitian Perry Nix agrees. “Although packed with nutrients, most of their smoothies and bowls lack a sufficient amount of protein or calories,” Perry says. “Consider them snacks rather than meals, or you may find yourself feeling hungry again quickly.”

For that reason, I gave Daily Harvest 3 out of 5 stars for portion sizes. But as long as you go into it with your expectations set correctly, you won’t be disappointed. 

RELATED: Splendid Spoon Reviews

Best Food Subscription Box for Kids: Little Spoon

Good for: Busy parents who need quick, healthy meals that their little ones will eat 

Best for Kids

Little Spoon

GGR Score: 4

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Product Highlights

• Kid-specific meal delivery service
• Options for babies and toddlers 
• Fresh meals store up to 14 days in refrigerator, 3 months in freezer
• All meals are nut-free
• Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free options

Pros & Cons

Pros

• All meals are nut-free
• Limited amount of added salt and sugar
• Suitable for a variety of dietary needs

Cons

• Limited menu
• Subscription plans only
• Shipping is not included

Bottom Line

Busy parents will rejoice in picker-eater approved menu items with hidden vegetables and wholesome ingredients from Little Spoon, a kid-specific meal delivery service. Little Spoon has meal options for babies who are not yet eating solid foods, little ones moving to bite-size pieces, toddlers eating finger foods, and smoothies for on-the-go snacks. Subscription plans offer biweekly delivery cadence that can be skipped, paused, or canceled at any time.

Little Spoon is a unique meal delivery service catering to parents who need or want help providing their children with healthy, minimally processed meals that even picky eaters will like. Because who doesn’t need a little help sometimes? 

GGR senior editor and certified personal trainer Nicole Davis, mom of three girls, tried Little Spoon and really appreciated the convenience of the service. Her daughters are admittedly picky, she says, and had mixed reactions to the Little Spoon meals. 

“The meals are healthy and well-balanced, and it’s not much easier than popping one in a microwave, especially on days when you’re super busy,” she says. “Of the 12 meals we got the girls only really ate four of them, though—they didn’t care for the taste of the others.”

“If my kids had devoured these meals, I’d definitely order again,” Nicole said. She gave Little Spoon 3 out of 5 points for taste based on their feelings toward the food.

For portion, Nicole rated Little Spoon with 4.5 out of 5 stars, saying, “I think this is somewhat objective just because I find kids’ appetites to be wildly variable. Some days you can’t believe they’re asking for more food and other days they barely seem to eat anything. That being said, I  think the serving sizes are just fine. If they both liked something, like the chicken and dumplings for instance, they could eat the entire portion without trying very hard.”

Perry Nix, RD, LD, says her favorite part about Little Spoon is the diversity in ingredients. “It’s helpful to expose your child to many flavors and foods to diversify their palate early on,” she says. “As they grow, they’ll be more likely to try new foods, which makes meal times a lot easier for the whole family.”

Learn more about Nicole’s experience in our Little Spoon review.

Best Food Subscription Box for Families: HelloFresh 

Good for: Family-friendly make-at-home meals with recipe cards

Best for Families

HelloFresh

GGR Score: 4.13

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Product Highlights

• Meal service that delivers ingredients and recipes
• 6 different plans available, including vegan and pescatarian options
• Can swap out different proteins and sides
• Can purchase between 2 and 6 meals, in portions to feed 2 or 4 people
• 40 weekly recipes to choose from
• Sourced from U.S. farmers

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Saves on meal-prepping
• Can swap out ingredients
• Chef-curated recipes
• Sourced from U.S. farmers
• 6 meal plans to choose from

Cons

• Customer reviews complain about ingredient inconsistencies
• Some reviews claim meal portions are small

Bottom Line

HelloFresh is a subscription meal delivery service that provides ingredients and recipes for weekly meals. They provide six different plans, including plant-based, pescatarian, and quick and easy meals. Additionally, 40 different recipes are available each week, and proteins and sides can be swapped out as needed. The subscription is flexible, as you can skip a week, pause, or cancel your account at any time.

HelloFresh is one of the most popular meal delivery services available. They’re well-known for their meal kits with recipe cards and large, rotating menu. 

According to Perry Nix, RD, LD, HelloFresh’s Family Friendly meal track can be a huge help for busy families. “I really like that HelloFresh offers family-friendly meal choices. As a mom of two young children it can be difficult to find nutritious meals that everyone will eat,” she says. “Also, since you cook these meals at home, the kids can help prepare their meals, which inspires them to taste new foods.”

The Family Friendly plan allows you to get up to 4 meals with 6 servings each (24 servings of food per week), and as few as 2 meals with 2 servings per week. The first box always ships free. 

Ashley Little, director of SEO for fitness at GGR, has used HelloFresh for years, which is a testament to her satisfaction with the service.

“I’m almost always satisfied with my meals,” Ashley says, adding that most meals are quite simple to make, with prep time usually taking five to 10 minutes and cook time typically taking 20 to 45 minutes depending on the complexity of the meal. Ashley gave HelloFresh 4.5 out of 5 stars for taste, noting that she sometimes has to add her own seasoning, and 4 out of 5 stars for ease of preparation due to the quick prep and cook times. 

Ashley also says that the portion sizes are sufficient to fill her up, and sometimes she can’t finish a whole serving, which can make great leftovers for lunch the following day. She did note some problems with ingredient freshness, namely veggies, that went bad before she could use them. For the most part, though, all ingredients were fresh, leading her to give HelloFresh 3.5 out of 5 stars for ingredient quality. 

You can learn the ins and outs of this service in our HelloFresh review, and check out our guide to HelloFresh alternatives for additional options. 

Other Food Subscription Boxes We Tried

Blue Apron: This popular meal delivery service is a great option for foodies looking for yummy new recipes. In our Blue Apron review, learn more about their commitment to high-quality ingredient sourcing and sustainable agriculture.

Sunbasket: Sunbasket is a mostly organic meal subscription service with a range of healthy meals. I had some issues with ingredient quality for a couple of the meals, but overall, I’d recommend it. 

ButcherBox: I’ve been using ButcherBox on-and-off for the better part of a year, and for the most part, I dig it. If you’re looking for high-quality, humanely raised, grass-fed meats, definitely add this to your list of subscription options.

Marley Spoon: This box may be a product of the world-renowned Martha Stewart, but our product tester wasn’t impressed with the quality or flavor of the meals. 

How We Picked and Tested the Best Food Subscription Boxes

Our longtime readers know that GGR is serious about product testing and recommendations. If you’re new here, hi! Here’s a glimpse at how we rate meal delivery services. 

Ordering

We start judging each service from step one. If it’s not easy to sign up, create a box, and set up a subscription, points are lost. We take note of whether the service allows you to look at the meal plans and recipes before signing up—we’re not fans of being forced into a subscription.

Pricing

Over the course of several weeks, we spent hours researching meal delivery services and analyzing pricing to gain an understanding of what prices to expect—and what prices are a steal or simply too high. 

For meal delivery services, this is how we rate pricing: 

• To get a 1, $16 or more per meal 
• To get a 2, $14-16 per meal 
• To get a 3, $10-14 per meal
• To get a 4, $8-10 per meal
• To get a 5, less than $8 per meal

Shipping and Packaging

The shipping and unboxing experiences are important, especially for those of us that live in apartment or condo buildings where we don’t have complete control over what happens with our packages. Mine, for instance, undergo a sorting process and it can take time for the building to notify me that my packages have been delivered. 

And for me, recycling isn’t as easy as dumping unwanted items into a bin in my front yard, so I paid extra attention to how easy (or not) it was to sort, dispose, and recycle packaging. 

We also took note of how the food was kept cold, and if there were any issues like busted ice packs or leakage from food packages. 

Taste and Quality 

Obviously, the taste of the food and the quality of ingredients are of high importance. We know that taste is subjective and what is good to one person may not please another, but we were able to make calls about whether a service would be good for picky eaters, adventurous eaters, or kids. We paid attention to how fresh the ingredients were upon arrival and at the time of cooking, too.

Customization and Variety

The best meal delivery services can accommodate multiple dietary needs, or specialize in a specific dietary restriction or diet with a wide range of meal options, such as dairy-free. Gluten-free, paleo, vegan, keto, or non-GMO. As we tested the services, we paid special attention to the filtering options on the website and how easy or difficult it was to find meals for certain needs.

Benefits of Food Subscription Boxes

If you haven’t said “yes” to a food subscription box yet, these benefits may convince you. 

Convenience

It doesn’t get much more convenient than a box of fresh ingredients or snacks to satisfy a sweet tooth arriving at your door! A monthly subscription is a great way to take a load off. 

New Foods to Try

Subscribing to a food box, whether for full meals or charcuterie and wine, can broaden your culinary horizons and expose you to new, tasty foods. 

Improve Cooking Skills

If you choose a meal kit subscription, your cooking skills might improve as you learn how to work with new ingredients or methods. 

Less Grocery Shopping

If you despise grocery shopping, let a food subscription service do the work for you. Some services can cover almost all of your needs, while others may still require trips to the store but make them less comprehensive. 

Best Food Subscription Boxes FAQs

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.

Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1, CSNC

Amanda is a content writer and journalist with extensive experience in the health, fitness, lifestyle, and nutrition niches. Before joining Garage Gym Reviews, she worked as an independent writer for various brands and outlets.Her work has appeared in national and global digital publications, including Health.com and Shape.com (Meredith Corporation), CNET (Red Ventures, formerly ViacomCBS), LIVESTRONG (Leaf Group), Verywell Fit and The Balance (DotDash), SlickDeals (Goldman Sachs/Hearst), Health Journal, and more.Now, Amanda brings her expertise in fitness to the GGR team by testing equipment and writing authentic, honest reviews on everything you might need to stock your home gym.

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