The Best Meal Delivery For Weight Loss, Tested and Picked By Experts

Losing weight isn’t easy. There’s a lot that goes into meal planning, prep, and cooking, and if you’re short on time, it can get overwhelming pretty quickly. We’ve previously evaluated the best weight loss programs that can provide more focused guidance (as well as support from nutritionists), but if you prefer to do things more independently, meal delivery services can be a good middle ground. The best weight loss meal delivery services offer healthy meals that you can easily work into your day, such as meal kits or prepared meals, offering pre-portioned servings or ingredients often with calorie-controlled options.

The weight loss industry is a murky one, with many companies making outlandish claims and unrealistic promises to rope you into signing up for whatever they’re offering. That’s why our team at GGR, which includes certified nutrition coaches and certified personal trainers, has tested over 40 meal delivery services to help you make the best decision based on your dietary needs and these important factors:

• Cost: What is the average cost per meal?
• Ease of preparation: Is it pre-made or is there more prep work?
• Ingredient quality: Is the produce fresh? How are the ingredients sourced?
• Calorie count: Are the meals suitable for a weight loss diet?
• Variety: Are there several meals to choose from? Do they offer meals for certain diets?
• Taste: Are the meals flavorful on their own or do they need extras?

I’m a certified nutritionist, and used my knowledge to round up some meal delivery services that may help you lose weight in a healthy way. I also spoke with registered dietitians Jessie Carpenter, MA, MS, RD, LD, and Perry Nix, MS, RD, LD, for additional guidance. 

RELATED: Macros for Weight Loss

10 Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss 

• Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss Overall: Diet-To-Go
• Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss for Meal Prep: Fuel Meals
• Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: Purple Carrot
• Best Prepared Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: Trifecta
• Best Budget Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: EveryPlate
• Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss for Families: Home Chef
• Best Keto-Friendly Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: Factor
• Best Organic Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: Green Chef
• Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss for Beginners: Freshology
• Best Gluten-Free Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: Epicured
• Best Meal Delivery Service for Weight Loss with Variety: ICON Meals

Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss Overall: Diet-To-Go

Good for: Anyone looking for portion-controlled, prepared meals

Best Overall

Diet-To-Go

GGR Score: 4

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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.

Diet-To-Go is a meal delivery service that’s specifically tailored to weight loss. It can accommodate several types of specialized diets, like low-calorie, diabetes-friendly, carb-conscious, vegetarian, and Mediterranean, so you can choose the one that works best for you. All meals are prepared in advance with fresh ingredients—they’re cooked for you and arrive ready to heat. Because of this, you can make small customizations to each plan, like eliminating seafood from your menu, but there’s not a lot of control over ingredients otherwise.

Meals are on a five-week rotation. While new entrees aren’t regularly added like some of the other programs, this still helps with variety so you’re less likely to get bored. The entire five-week meal plan is curated for you, but you can make swaps and substitutions if you don’t like what’s on the menu.

Lindsay Scheele, GGR lead product tester, rated Diet-to-Go a 5 out of 5 for their meal variety, saying she appreciated the amount of global cuisines and exotic flavors as well as vegetarian and keto options available.

RELATED: Best Low-Carb Meal Delivery

You can opt for two to three meals per day for five or seven days per week, depending on whether you want all your meals covered for you or want to cook some on your own to up the calories a bit.

“Not all Diet-to-Go plans include breakfast, and there are no snack options, so it’s still important to learn how to identify and cook healthful foods without depending on a pre-made meal,” says Perry. 

One item of note: all meals are portion-controlled and only supply about 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day, so while it may result in quick weight loss, it can also cause the metabolism to slow and hunger to increase, according to Perry Nix, MS, RD, LD.

Lindsay adds, “Some meals had a large portion and others were really small, for example one meal was basically and entire chicken with purred veggies and I couldn’t finish it and there was a mushroom ravioli (which was very good) but had super small portion with only two ravioli.” For that reason, Diet-to-Go earns a 3.5 out of 5 in this category.

Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss for Meal Prep: Fuel Meals

Good for: Those who want all meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—covered

Best for Meal Prep

Fuel Meals

GGR Score: 3.9

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Product Highlights

• Meal prep meal delivery service
• Can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner delivered
• Meals start at $13.91
• Weekly or bi-weekly delivery

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Can order breakfast, lunch, and dinner options
• Meals are fresh

Cons

• No customizations of the meals available
• Calories may be too low for some
• Expensive

Bottom Line

Fuel Meals offers two dedicated meals plans—muscle gain and weight loss—catered to both men and women. You can choose to have all daily meals delivered, or stick to just lunch and dinner, on a weekly or bi-weekly delivery cadence. One downside is that there's no customization of the meals.

Unlike other meal delivery services that focus mostly on entrees, Fuel Meals has your meal prep covered for the whole week. The company has two dedicated meal plans—a muscle gain meal plan and a weight loss plan that focuses on portion-controlled lower-calorie meals with plenty of lean protein. There are male and female versions of each plan. The female plan provides about 1,500 calories per day, while the male plan supplies 1,750.

The meals are also so easy to prepare that they got a 5 out of 5 from Kate Meier, CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, and GGR Head of Content. “Just nuke ’em, then throw away the container,” she says.

You can choose from eight to 28 meals per box, and sign up for weekly or biweekly delivery. You can also opt into or out of breakfast, so you can have all daily meals covered, or stick to lunch and dinner options.

When you sign up for the weight loss plan, Fuel Meals automatically populates your cart for you based on the quantity of meals you chose, but you can make substitutions based on your preferences. All meals list macros to make designing your meal plan easier, and are tagged with additional qualifiers like gluten-free and dairy-free. 

The downside of Fuel Meals is that “While there is a decent selection, there aren’t many options for dietary restrictions. There are dairy-free and gluten-free options you can filter to, but no nut-free, no vegan, etc.,” says Kate Meier, CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, and GGR Head of Content, when giving the service a 3 out of 5 for variety. 

There also isn’t an option to customize the meals either, so you’re locked into how the meals are made. That being said, if you’re not on a specific meal plan and want things to be as easy as possible, Fuel Meals is a good choice.

Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: Purple Carrot

Good for: Those who want plant-based and/or gluten-free options

Best Vegetarian

Purple Carrot

GGR Score: 3.75

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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.

Purple Carrot is a 100% vegan meal delivery service that has meal kits and prepared meals that are ready in less than five minutes. When signing up, you choose how many meals you want, and then you’ll get access to the full menu. There are breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, as well as “Plantry” items—plant-based foods and snacks like sausage crumble, salad dressing, and egg scrambles.

Anthony O’Reilly, GGR performance editor and certified nutrition coach (CNC), says his favorite recipe was the “Sloppy Joe” made with extra firm tofu (see image above) and adds, “Considering this was a plant-based meal service, I was quite happy with how everything came out, and the portions were quite good.” So good, that he rated Purple Carrot a 4 out of 5 for their portion sizes.

Even if you aren’t a full-time vegan or vegetarian, you could see benefits from using Purple Carrot. “Vegetarianism isn’t for everyone, but eating just a few plant-based meals per week could have a substantial impact on your weight, health, and even the planet,” says Perry Nix MS, RD, LD.

RELATED: Best Vegan Protein Powder

You can mix and match from all the items on the menu. However, if you opt for the meal kit option, you can only choose from the meal kits. You can’t put meal kits and prepared meals in one box. That being said, you can switch it up from week to week if you want some variety.

You can’t customize meals, but there are several gluten-free options, as well as some nut- and soy-free choices. The nutritional information for each meal is listed on the website, so if you’re trying to avoid specific ingredients, you can look through meals that way. Most of the non-produce items, like beans, nut milks, and tofu, are organic, but other than that, the company prioritizes ingredient quality as best it can, getting a 5 out of 5 from Anthony.

The downside to Purple Carrot is that you can only get four meals per week. However, you can choose from two to four servings per meal, so if you’re the only one eating, you can stretch meals out that way.

Best Prepared Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: Trifecta

Good for: Those who don’t want to do any cooking

Best Prepared

Trifecta

GGR Score: 3.75

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Product Highlights

• Meal plans or bulk meal options available
• All food is pre-made and arrives fresh (but you can freeze it)
• Six different menu plans, including clean, Whole30, paleo, keto, high-protein vegan, and high-protein vegetarian
• Meals are delivered weekly, but you can cancel anytime
• High-quality ingredients, with a focus on organic, locally sourced, and sustainable ingredients whenever possible

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Several types of meal plans available
• Can also choose a bulk meal prep option
• Can get breakfasts as well as entrees
• The company prioritizes high-quality ingredients
• Some customization available

Cons

• Expensive, but ingredients are high-quality
• Limited personalization available

Bottom Line

Trifecta combines convenience with healthy eating. While all meals are pre-cooked and pre-portioned, the ingredients are high-quality and preservative-free.

Trifecta makes healthy eating easier by offering two main options: prepared meals and bulk meal prep options. Each meal plan includes up to 21 meals per week, but you can get as few as five if you don’t want to fill out your entire week.

There are six meal plans to choose from: Keto, Paleo, Whole30, High-Protein Vegan, High-Protein Vegetarian, and a general Clean program. 

As for the quality of these premade meals, Kate Meier— a certified personal trainer, competitive weightlifter, and GGR Head of Content— says, “I give [Trifecta] a 4 out of 5. A lot of the ingredients are organic or come from sustainable sources. The ingredients are really fresh and really healthy options. You can freeze them for up to three months, or you have to eat them within five days. They are also vacuum-packed, which I really like.”

However, as Perry Nix MS, RD, LD, says, there are downsides to opting for prepared meals. “Learning to cook nutritious meals at home is essential for sustainable weight loss. Relying on food delivery programs like Trifecta to provide nourishing meals is only a short-term solution and doesn’t help you develop the true behavior changes needed for long-term weight loss.” 

We also had some testers that weren’t big fans of the meals, such as certified personal trainer Anthony O’Reilly who said it was good for the “food is fuel” crowd.

RELATED: High-Protein Foods for Weight Loss

Trifecta does offer a meal prep program as well, and rather than pre-made meals, you can choose from a la carte cooked bulk items. There are different proteins, carbohydrate, and vegetable options, like chicken breast, grass-fed burgers, sweet potato, and broccoli. These foods also arrive fully cooked, but you can mix and match them to put together your own meals.

While you can’t totally customize your meals, you can make a handful of small requests, like removing specific proteins or fish from your meal plan. Shipments go out weekly, but you can cancel at any time. Trifecta also offers a money-back guarantee on your first order. If you don’t like the food, you can request a refund for up to seven meals.

Our testers had a pretty positive experience with Trifecta. The reviewers on Trustpilot, not so much. The service has a rating of 1.7 out of 5, with users citing issues with meal quality and customer service. So, that may be something to consider.

Want to learn more? Check out our full Trifecta meal delivery review.

Best Budget Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: EveryPlate

Good for: Those who are on a stricter budget and don’t need a specialized diet plan

Best Budget

EveryPlate

GGR Score: 4

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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.

Some meal kits can be cost-prohibitive, but EveryPlate’s main goal is to make meal delivery accessible to more people. The meals start at $4.99 per serving, and each recipe serves two or four, depending on which box size you choose. In addition to choosing the serving size, you can also opt for three to six recipes per week. 

New menus drop weekly, and you can choose from 26 to 30 new meals every week. Erin Chancer, GGR senior editor and certified nutrition coach, gives Everyplate a 4.5 out of 5 for how easy they make it to select, customize, and order your weekly meals. There are five plans to choose from—Nutrish and Delish, Quick and Easy, Family Faves, Veggie, and Meat and Veggie—but you can mix and match menus in each box from as many as you want.

“EveryPlate’s Nutrish & Delish menu offers meal kits with 650 calories each, which is much more sustainable than other companies offering meals with less than 400 calories,” says Perry Nix, MS, RD, LD. “With this program, you’ll learn to cook, eat healthier, and manage your calorie intake without feeling deprived, and you’ll be more likely to maintain your weight loss long-term.”

After deciding on your meals, you’ll get a box with pre-portioned ingredients and a recipe card to help you prepare the meal at home without a lot of fuss. Many of the meals come together in 30 minutes, including cooking time. When choosing your meals, you can see the estimated time commitment so you’ll know what to expect (and can avoid meals that take more than 30 minutes, if you want to).

However, Erin had this to say about the meal prep process: “[EveryPlate’s] estimations weren’t true to my experience. I spent much more time prepping everything before starting to cook, I’d say 60+ min. I chose not to follow exact directions and wait until fully prepped to begin cooking.” Because of the difficulty and time commitment needed, Erin rated EveryPlate a 2 out of 5 for ease of preparation, but agreed that this is the best meal delivery option for the price.

There aren’t any specialized diet options, rather than the categories mentioned above, but you can occasionally make small substitutions if you want to switch out the veggie side or main protein. Also, since this is a meal kit, you can omit ingredients from the recipe when you’re cooking it if you need to avoid a specific food.

Read our EveryPlate meal kit delivery review to learn more about our experience with this service.

Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss for Families: Home Chef

Good for: Families and those who need six servings per meal

Best for Families

Home Chef

GGR Score: 4.25

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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 offers low-carb, low-calorie, and plant-based meal kits, as well as some quick prep meals that are ready to go right in the oven. Unlike some of the other companies, there aren’t specific meal plans or programs. 

When signing up, you can opt for two to six recipes per week, and choose enough ingredients for two, four, or six people, which makes it a good option for families. Many meal kit companies cap out at four servings per recipe. Boxes are delivered weekly—you’re billed when your order ships—but you can cancel or skip a week anytime.

GGR product tester Emily Chidester rated the portion sizes 5 out of 5, saying, “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. They send you the recipes, so we’ve definitely made some of the meals on our own without the meal kits, too, 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.”

When you sign up, you’ll get access to the full menu, which includes about 36 main meals and various extras, like goat cheese or smoothies. When browsing, you can narrow it down by ingredients and prep time, and also sort by some specifics like low-calorie and carb-conscious.

RELATED: Best Protein Powder for Weight Loss

The menus change each week to help prevent food boredom and keep you on track. Because there aren’t specific meal plans, you may not find as much variety as you would with more targeted programs. However, you can eliminate some ingredients to help customize the meals to your needs a little bit.

“Using Home Chef meal kits may help you improve your diet, but long-term weight loss is dependent upon changing multiple lifestyle factors,” Perry Nix MS, RD, LD, adds. “In addition to cooking healthy meals at home, you’ll want to implement healthy sleep, movement, and stress management habits.”

Best Keto-Friendly Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: Factor

Good for: Anyone following a keto diet, or looking for more specialized diet options

Best Keto-Friendly

Factor75

GGR Score: 4

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Product Highlights

• Heat-and-eat meals that are delivered weekly
• Five menu plans, including calorie-controlled and keto
• Can mix and match from different menu plans for more variety
• New menus drop weekly
• Can order up to 18 meals per week

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Not restricted to one specific diet plan
• Meals arrive fresh and ready to heat
• Offers options for different dietary preferences
• Can cancel or skip a delivery anytime

Cons

• No options for customization
• No personalized plans for weight loss

Bottom Line

Factor75 is a heat-and-eat delivery service that works well for those on specialized diets. Boxes are delivered weekly, and you can mix and match from different menu plans to maximize your menu variety.

If you’re looking for keto meals, Factor is the heat-and-eat meal delivery service for you. There’s a dedicated keto plan that offers six to 18 meals per week. There are also vegan meals and veggie options, plus high-protein and low-calorie choices. 

There are about 35 delicious meals to choose from each week. Since the menu isn’t entirely keto, you might have to repeat some meals if you sign up for the largest plan, but you can also mix and match from the entire menu if you’re not strictly low-carb.

RELATED: Best Keto Meal Delivery Service

Amanda Capritto, CPT, CNC, CES, CF-L1, and GGR staff writer, says, “The steaks actually were pink in the middle even after microwaving and didn’t turn into shoe leather, so shoutout to Factor for that. I did season most of the meals for extra flavor.” She was also very impressed by the portion sizes, saying, “This is the only meal service I tried that had ample portions! These meals can fill up a triathlete in the middle of a tough training block, so they can fill up just about anyone. Some of these are quite high in calories for one meal (750-800), just something to be cognizant of depending on your goals.” Amanda rates Factor a 4.5 out of 5 for their portions.

When your meals arrive, you throw them in the microwave or the oven and they’ll be ready in minutes without any prep work (or much cleanup). In addition to heat-and-eat entrees, you can also add premade smoothies, sides, and snacks to your box if you want to supplement your meals during the week.

Because these meals range in calories from 350 to 900 and focus on protein, complex carbs, and veggies, someone wanting to lose weight may prefer a little more guidance in the nutrition department, says Perry Nix, MS, RD LD, and this is where their nutrition coaching program may be beneficial. With your subscription, you can sign up for a 20-minute virtual session with a nutrition coach who can help you design your meal plan.

Factor is a recurring subscription and boxes are delivered weekly. But you can edit your order, skip a shipment, and/or cancel at any time. 

Lastly, while she loves the convenience of these microwave-ready meals, Amanda rates Factor a 2 out of 5 for sustainability due to the abundance of plastic containers.

For more, check out our in-depth Factor Meals Review.

Best Organic Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: Green Chef

Good for: Anyone looking for high-quality ingredients with minimal additives

Best Organic

Green Chef

GGR Score: 4

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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.

Green Chef is one of the only certified organic meal delivery companies, making it one of the best healthy meal delivery services. All produce and eggs are organic and sourced from reputable suppliers, while proteins are raised with high animal welfare standards. You can also upgrade to organic beef or chicken and wild-caught seafood. If organic ingredients aren’t available for some reason, Green Chef will let you know before swapping anything out. This is a meal kit delivery service, so you’ll get a box full of ingredients each week, plus a recipe card to help you put your meals together. 

GGR performance editor and certified nutrition coach (CNC) Anthony O’Reilly has tried Green Chef, as well as other meal delivery services like Home Chef and HelloFresh, and says it’s on par with the best of them in terms of taste and quality. “I think my one qualm with Green Chef is there aren’t as many options as HelloFresh or Home Chef. The portions are a bit too small for my taste as well, but I understand their target audience isn’t people who are 6 feet, 3 inches tall and exercise for a living.”

Nicole Davis, GGR senior editor and certified personal trainer (CPT)—who is not 6 feet, 3 inches tall—agrees with Anthony, saying, “I’m not impressed with the portion size—this is the only service I tried in which I felt this way. I could easily eat one and some of another.” For portion size, Nicole rated Green Chef a 3 out of 5.

There are seven meal plans to choose from, most of which are catered to a very specific type of diet. You can choose from high-protein meals, keto, vegan, vegetarian, Mediterranean diet, gluten-free, and Fast and Fit, which includes low-calorie recipes that are ready in 25 minutes or less. 

Regardless of which meal plan(s) you choose, you’ll get access to the whole menu each week. New menus drop weekly, and you’ll have 32 options to choose from. Green Chef’s keto and paleo meal plans contain 600 to 800 calories per serving, which may make being in a calorie deficit for weight loss more difficult, Perry says. That said, you’ll likely feel full between meals and may snack less throughout the day. 

Each recipe can serve two, four, or six people (you’ll choose your preference at sign up) and you can opt for two or four meals weekly. The price starts at $11.99 per serving, but depends on how many meals (and servings) you choose. You can also throw add-ons, like chopped salads and ready-to-eat breakfasts, into your weekly box for an extra fee. The packaging is also eco-friendly and recyclable.

For more, check out our in-depth Green Chef Review.

Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss for Beginners: Freshology

Good for: Anyone who’s new to meal planning and needs a little more structure

Best for Beginners

Freshology

GGR Score: 3.5

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Product Highlights

• Five dietary plans to choose from
• Five-week menu rotation
• Meals arrive cooked and ready to heat
• Can choose up to 21 meals per week
• Customizable meal plan

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Appeals to a wide variety of diets
• Meals plans can be curated for you (or you can customize if you prefer)
• Meals are ready in less than three minutes
• Can order all 21 meals for the week

Cons

• Expensive ($20) delivery fee
• Calories are low on some of the plans
• Not a lot of customization options

Bottom Line

Freshology can accommodate a number of dietary preferences, but it doesn’t offer a lot of customization within each meal plan. All meals arrive cooked and ready to eat, so it’s a good option for those on a specific diet with limited time.

Freshology (part of Diet-to-Go) is a meal delivery service that focuses on five specific types of diets: low-calorie, low-calorie diabetes-friendly, low-carb/keto, Mediterranean, and vegetarian. When signing up, you choose your plan, then opt for delivery five or seven days per week. From there, you can choose two daily meals (this excludes breakfast) or three meals a day. 

All meals arrive cooked and ready to eat. If you live close to the brand’s facilities, the meals arrive fresh; if you live further away, meals are flash frozen to preserve freshness. You can heat them up in the microwave within three minutes, or cook them in the oven if you prefer.

To add some variety and help prevent food boredom, the menus for each plan are on a five-week rotation. In other words, your meal plan will repeat every five weeks, but you can swap meals and make substitutions at any time. Ingredients and nutrition facts are listed for each meal to help you narrow down your choices if you have dietary restrictions. You can also change your plan at any time during your subscription, so if you want to try several of the diet plans, you have that option.

Freshology’s Balance menu is available in 1200- and 1600 calorie-per-day options, which is likely too little for most active adults, says Perry Nix, MS, RD, LD. “However, this plan and the Vegetarian meal plan adhere to the guidelines of the American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society, and USDA for cholesterol, sodium, and fat, making them heart-healthy options for those wanting to manage their blood pressure and limit cholesterol intake while on a weight loss journey.”

The price starts at just under $10 per meal, but fluctuates depending on your commitment—if you opt-in for the full 21 meals per week, you’ll get a better per-meal price. Read our Freshology meal delivery service review for an in-depth look at this service.

Best Gluten-Free Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: Epicured

Good for: Those who don’t mind spending a little more for gluten-free foods

Best Gluten-Free

Epicured

GGR Score: 3

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Product Highlights

• Low-FODMAP and gluten-free meals
• A la carte and curated menus available
• Meals arrive pre-cooked and fresh
• Menus are updated monthly
• Low-fat, low-carb, low-calorie, and high-protein meals

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Lots of meals to choose from
• Meals are never frozen
• Suitable for restrictive diets
• All meals are gluten-free
• A la carte or curated meal plans available

Cons

• Menus are updated, but don’t change completely
• On the expensive side
• Meals only last four days

Bottom Line

Epicured focuses on gluten-free and low FODMAP options that are also allergy-friendly (you can filter by major allergens like dairy, eggs, fish, and nuts). Everything arrives fresh and ready to heat. Meals are on the more expensive side, but that’s typical of more specialized dietary options.

Many meal delivery services offer some gluten-free options, but Epicured’s entire menu is safe for those with gluten intolerance (or anyone avoiding gluten for personal reasons). All equipment, surfaces, and tools are cleaned and sanitized before and after each use, and tested for gluten by a registered dietitian. 

There are more than 50 meals to choose from, and you can plan up to four weeks at once; you can also sign up for a single week if you prefer to try a smaller quantity before you commit. You can sort meals by a number of dietary preferences and restrictions, like extra sensitive, GERD-friendly, pescatarian, dairy-free, egg-free, and fish-free. You can also filter by nutritional needs, like low-fat, low-sodium, low-sugar, and high-protein.

RELATED: Best Gluten-Free Meal Delivery

“They had a good variety, but not the most that I’ve seen on other food delivery sites,” says Lindsay Scheele, GGR lead product tester. There are full entrees like pulled BBQ chicken, as well as lighter fare like soups and turkey chili, and other sides and snacks.

A low-FODMAP (short-chain sugar carbohydrates) diet, characteristic of Epicured’s meals, is very restrictive and generally not recommended long-term, Perry Nix MS, RD, LD, says. “When someone follows a low-FODMAP diet, they’re typically advised to slowly reintroduce eliminated foods to determine which sugars are responsible for their uncomfortable digestive symptoms. If you needed to pause or discontinue your Epicured meal service, it would be extremely difficult to maintain a low-FODMAP diet.”

Food arrives fully cooked and chilled to preserve freshness. They last three to five days in the refrigerator, but you can freeze them to increase their shelf-life. There’s no limit to the number of meals you can order each week—you just add whatever you want to your box and you’ll pay per meal.

The meals average around $15, which is higher than some of the other options, but these are specialized and made with nourishing ingredients that are designed to promote gut health. In other words, a slightly higher cost isn’t surprising.

As for the taste, “There were some real hits and real misses, the mac and cheese and brownies were incredible. Everything else lacked a little in flavor,” says Lindsay. She ended up giving Epicured a 2.5 out of 5 in this category.

Best Meal Delivery Service for Weight Loss with Variety: ICON Meals

Good for: People who want a variety of weight-loss meals to choose from on a weekly basis

ICON Meals

ICON Meals

GGR Score: 4.5

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Product Highlights

• Fresh, ready-to-eat meal delivery 
• Vacuum-sealed for freshness
• Build custom meals or chose from menu
• One-time purchases and subscription plans available

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Fresh, vacuum-sealed meals
• 35 signature meals always available
• Stays fresh up to 5 days (or freeze up to 6 months)
• 15% off for military personnel and first responders

Cons

• Limited vegetarian options
• No vegan options

Bottom Line

When you use ICON Meals, you’ll not only be able to choose from a one-time purchase or a subscription, you’ll also have the ability to customize meals or select meals from the main menu. There are 35 signature dishes that you can choose from anytime or browse the rotating weekly menu. Meals start at $12 and the minimum order needs to be at least 8 meals. Subscription meal delivery boxes come with either 12 or 24 meals and meal delivery frequency can be set anywhere from 1 to 4 weeks.

ICON Meals boasts a vast collection of pre-made frozen meals that fall into three main meal plan categories: Lose Weight, Build Muscle, and Eat Clean. You can even go a step further by filtering your choices by diet—such as Keto, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian. ICON’s Lose Weight section includes low-calorie meals like diced chicken, rice, and green beans, a bunless bacon cheeseburger, and salmon and veggies. I’m also happy to report that these low-cal frozen meals appear to have much less sodium than their store-bought counterparts. 

GGR staff writer, certified personal trainer (CPT), and nutrition coach (CNC) Anthony O’Reilly took ICON for a spin and reported that it was his top pick out of all meal delivery services he tested, rating it a 4.5 out of 5 overall.

“My favorite [ICON] meal was the Titan Breakfast Burrito. I could order five of these a week and be more than happy. All you have to do is microwave everything, so it’s easy. The other meals, like the Beef Chimichurri with Carrots and Squash or Cajun Seafood Pasta, were alright, pretty typical of frozen meals in that the flavor wasn’t super present, but it wasn’t offensive either. Overall, there was a wide variety of items, and I could see many people taking advantage of ICON Meals,” Anthony says. 

Perry Nix, MS, RD, LD, adds, “Something that makes ICON Meals unique is that you can create custom meals to suit your dietary needs and preferences. This is ideal for anyone trying to hit specific macros each day because you are in control of everything that’s on your plate.” 

Anthony also spoke highly of how easy it was to navigate the site and select your weekly meals, rating the ordering experience a 5 out of 5. You can choose between 12 and 24 meals per week and opt for the subscription service to set up your delivery schedule. Don’t want to make that kind of commitment until you’re fully satisfied with your meals? No problem. You can order without a subscription as long as you hit ICON’s eight-meal minimum. 

Other Meal Delivery Services for Weight Loss We Researched

There are plenty of other meal delivery services for weight loss out there. Here are a few more we have researched or tried. 

Sunbasket: We love Sunbasket—the company offers healthy food that’s made with organic ingredients, and you can choose from meal kits or prepared meals. Ultimately, it didn’t make the list because it’s not designed for weight loss, specifically. There is an option to filter to meals that have fewer than 600 calories, but there’s not a lot of dietary customization beyond that.

Blue Apron: Blue Apron offers a wellness meal delivery program that includes registered dietitian-designed meals and entrees that are Weight Watchers-approved. It’s a good option if you need a little less guidance—we just think the others on our list have broader appeal, specifically as it relates to weight loss.

BistroMD: BistroMD has a lot to offer—doctor-designed programs, over 150 balanced meals and entrees to choose from, and plenty of customization options. But at the end of the day, heating and eating frozen meals day after day can start to feel boring. The other options on our list not only have constantly changing menu options, most of them also allow you to cook and get more involved in the process.

How We Picked and Tested the Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to weight loss. While there are some general best practices—limit portions, move more, drink water, and get enough sleep—there are different ways you can achieve your weight loss goals—macros for weight loss, anyone? We kept all of this in mind when choosing the best meal delivery services for weight loss.

High-Quality Ingredients

Instead of getting stuck on specific diets, we chose companies that prioritize nutrient-dense whole foods, and allow you to make your own decisions beyond that. We tried to include something for everyone—that meant considering different dietary preferences, like keto, low-fat, Mediterranean, low-calorie, vegan/vegetarian, etc, as well as different types of meals.

Ease of Preparation

We included services that offer both meal kits and prepared meals to give you options. We also considered how many weekly meals these services offered. Some of them can send 21 meals to cover you for breakfast, lunch, and dinner each day of the week. Others offer a handful of meals that can save you time during the week and supplement the weight loss plan you’re already on.

Branding

When narrowing things down, we also considered how the company was positioning itself. “Marketing can make a lot of things sound amazing, but they don’t provide realistic results,” says Jessie Carpenter, MA, MS, RD, LD. 

Was the company making outlandish claims that can be problematic, or was it being responsible about how it approached weight loss (and the messaging behind it)? We eliminated any companies that we thought were sending out the wrong messages.

Customer Reviews

We also looked at user reviews and overall feedback to ensure the companies that made our list had good reputations and no major complaints.

Benefits of Signing Up for Meal Delivery for Weight Loss

Time constraints are one of the biggest roadblocks to weight loss. You might have good intentions, but the thought of meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking may be enough to stop you before you even start.

Meal delivery programs help eliminate most of these steps so it’s easier for you to focus on your weight loss goals—not everything it takes to get there. You just have to do some research to figure out which one seems like the best fit for you. From there, most of the work is done for you.

Some benefits of signing up for a meal delivery weight loss program include:

• Convenience
• More variety/introduction to new foods
• Less overwhelming
• Time saved

“Overall, the benefits would be harnessing healthy habits to lose weight, fueling one’s body for work and play, and increasing your nutrition knowledge,” says Jessie.

Buying Guide: What to Look for in Meal Delivery for Weight Loss

Just like your journey to a healthy weight is individual, so is choosing a meal delivery service. When picking a program, Jessie recommends researching each program of interest and listing out pros, cons, and any differences. Some things you may want to consider include meal options, types of meals you get (prepared versus meal kits), customization options, and the quantity and frequency of delivery. Of course, you’ll also want to think about your budget.

Meal Options

While all the meal delivery services on our list offer nutritious meals, they’re not all suitable for every type of diet. When choosing a meal delivery service, make sure it can accommodate the specific dietary approach you’re following. See if you can view sample menus, and use filters to narrow it down by your dietary needs and preferences to see how much variety there is, and if it’s enough for you.

Type of Meal

Meal delivery services typically offer two types of meals: meal kits and prepared meals. Meal kits include boxes of portion-controlled ingredients that you put together when you’re ready to cook. Prepared meals come fully cooked and ready to heat. You just put them in the microwave or oven—no prep or cooking required. Some services offer both types of meals, but you typically can’t mix and match them in one box.

When choosing a service, decide which type of meal you prefer. If choosing prepared meals, you also want to think about whether the meal arrives fresh or frozen. This is largely a personal preference, but if you don’t like frozen entrees, you’ll want to make sure you’re avoiding companies that rely on them.

Nutritional Information

Prioritize meal delivery services that provide the full nutritional information for each of their meals or recipes or macronutrient breakdowns. A few of these services even have this info available on the website so you can make informed decisions when selecting your meals for the week. Understanding your calorie intake is a huge step toward healthy weight loss.

Customization

Customization runs the gamut. Some meal delivery services allow you to remove or substitute an ingredient or two. Others are fully customizable, allowing you to make major changes like swapping out the types of protein or requesting removal of certain ingredients from your entire meal plan. 

If you’re on a stricter diet plan or have food allergies, you’ll want to choose a service that gives you more control over the ingredients. At the very least, you want to make sure you can filter the menu by your preferences so you can get a quick view of the meals that are suitable for you.

Quantity and Frequency

Some meal delivery services set you up for the whole week: You can sign up for 21 meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) plus snacks and you’re all set. Others cap out at four or six meals per week. When choosing one, you’ll want to think about what you’re comfortable with here. Do you need a stricter program that supplies all meals for you, or are you able to supplement a six-per-week delivery service by making healthy meals of your own?

Best Meal Delivery Services for Weight Loss: 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.

Lindsay Boyers, CN

Lindsay Boyers is a functional nutritionist, writer, and editor with over a decade of experience in online media. She's written 14 books and hundreds of articles on fitness, wellness, nutrition, and lifestyle. Lindsay holds certifications in holistic nutrition, functional nutrition, and professional food safety, as well as a B.S. in food in nutrition.

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