Best Meal Delivery Service for Families (2026): Making Family Dinners More Manageable

Whether cooking for yourself or your whole household, HelloFresh has a plan that can meet your nutrition demands. Each week, you’ll choose from more than 30 recipes to design a family meal delivery that serves your household well.

To start, you’ll answer a few questions about what you need in a meal plan. Here, you can request family-friendly meals or what HelloFresh calls “kid-tested recipes.” You can also customize how many meals and servings you’d like delivered every week. You can order two to six weekly meals with two or four servings each.

So, what can you expect in your meal kit? HelloFresh meal kits come with step-by-step instructions and all the pre-measured, high-quality ingredients you need for each meal. Each wholesome recipe should take no more than six steps and can be ready in about 30 minutes. Talk about HelloFresh setting you up for success!

Our testers rated HelloFresh 4.13 out of 5 overall with deductions stemming from the price per meal and the occasional not-so-fresh ingredients. At around $11 per meal (depending on how many meals you order), it earns a 3.5 out of 5 for its price point. Registered dietitian and regular GGR contributor Perry Nix, RD, LD, shares her perspective on HelloFresh:

“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. Also, since you cook these meals at home, the kids can help prepare their meals, which inspires them to taste new foods.”

GGR’s SEO Director Ashley Little, who has used HelloFresh for years, says, “There are around 5-8 meals that I consider my favorites that I like to choose when they are in the rotation, but I’m regularly able to expand my palate and try something new, especially with the seasonal options they include,” when rating HelloFresh a 4 out of 5 for variety. She adds that some ingredients weren’t very fresh upon delivery (3.5 out of 5 for the category) but appreciated that most meals only dirty one or two dishes, making cleanup easy!

For more, check out our in-depth HelloFresh Review.

Whether you’re navigating baby-led weaning or trying to introduce new foods to your rapidly growing toddler, Little Spoon might be your MVP. Little Spoon is a comprehensive meal delivery service that caters to your kids—from the baby days to the big kid years.

Certified nutrition coach, personal trainer, and GGR editorial team member Nicole Davis gave Little Spoon a 4 out of 5 rating, with deductions coming from shipping times (2.5 out of 5) and lack of customization options (3 out of 5). Little Spoon focuses on flavors kids crave with ingredients parents can feel good about. The toddler and kids meals have hidden veggies and preservative-free ingredients to offer balanced nutrition without the junk. And when it comes to protein sources, Little Spoon relies on antibiotic- and hormone-free proteins. Meals can be stored in your refrigerator for up to 14 days and in your freezer for up to three months.

But the best part about Little Spoon meal deliveries, perhaps, is how it helps parents introduce new foods to their kids. “My favorite part about Little Spoon is the diversity in ingredients that babies and kids are offered through their meals. It’s helpful to expose your child to many flavors and foods to diversify their palate early on. As they grow, they’ll be more likely to try new foods, which makes meal times a lot easier for the whole family,” says Perry Nix, RD, LD, and mom of two.

Impressions were mixed in regards to taste with Nicole’s children, who she describes as being “moderately picky” eaters, so Nicole rates the taste a 3 out of 5. “Chicken and dumplings were the favorite by far. My kids were fighting over who got the last bite,” she says. “Other meals, they took a bite and didn’t want anymore,” she adds. Smoothie pouches were also mostly a miss with her kids, as they only liked one of the four flavors tried: Strawberry Banana.

You can order four to 12 meals weekly, but orders are placed two weeks at a time. Little Spoon meals and snacks may cost anywhere between $2.82 to $7.50 each, depending on the stage of meals and the size of your order. Costs may be more expensive than traditional grocery shopping, but that doesn’t account for the added convenience of prepared meals and the high-quality ingredients used. Plus, Little Spoon meals come ready to heat and eat—a major pro when you’re trying to keep up in those toddler years!

For more, check out our in-depth Little Spoon reviews.

With so many meal delivery services focused on serving the adult population, Nurture Life is like a breath of fresh air for parents. Nurture Life is a kid-friendly meal delivery service that caters to younger and older children, offering meals, finger foods, snacks, and smoothies.

Designing your meal plan is simple. Nurture Life offers various plan sizes ranging from 6-16 items, and it even fills your cart with suggested meals and snacks. Not a fan of the suggested options? No problem. Your order is completely customizable, so you can add and delete meals according to your kids’ preferences.

“Ordering is definitely easy! Just a few clicks of a button, and you’re good to go. They do make it easy to skip a week, and canceling was also simple. There is no app, but their website is mobile friendly, and I didn’t have any issues with it,” says GGR tester, Brittany Combs. She gave Nurture Life a 5 out of 5 for ordering.

Nurture Life also makes it easy to understand the nutritional content of its meals. We all want to know that we’re feeding our kids, so the breakdown of nutrition highlights is definitely an added bonus. 

In addition to the nutrition facts, Nurture Life shares quick facts about the meals (when applicable) with terms like a good source of calcium, a good source of iron, hidden veggies, and an excellent source of protein, so you can make informed decisions about your order.

Brittany rated Nurture Life a 2.5 out of 5 for taste, with the primary issue relating to the hidden veggies that can be tough to get past picky eaters. “They nailed the hidden veggies on some—all three of my kids liked the spaghetti and meatballs, mac ‘n’ cheese and fruit smoothies, even after noticing that it tasted different,” Brittany adds. “Other meals, they would take a few bites and say it was good, but would then fight me on finishing it and ask for other food, later, which was disappointing.”

Meals cost $7.49 each, but the price decreases the more you order. The food is shipped fresh but can be stored in the freezer for up to 90 days. The kids meals are meant to serve ages 1 to 12, so you might need to combine the meals with other macronutrient sources to meet the needs of your active teenager.

RELATED: Nurture Life Coupon Code

If it seems like your budget is giving you the side-eye these days, I feel you. It can be hard to keep up with today’s rising grocery costs, especially when the kids are growing as fast as they are. Thankfully, you don’t have to sacrifice nutrition or the convenience of delivered meals to stay on budget. Dinnerly is looking out for you with their budget-friendly meal kit for families.

RELATED: Cheapest Meal Delivery Service

Dinnerly’s meal prices start at $7.99 and go up to $8.99 per serving, depending on the size of your order, earning a 4.5 out of 5 for its price. The more you order, the cheaper your meals. There aren’t set meal plans, so you’re responsible for picking all your weekly dishes. Each week, you choose from over 100 recipes, including family-friendly, fast, low-carb, vegan, and vegetarian meals, and then Dinnerly ships the necessary ingredients straight to your door.

And the best part? Your dinner recipes should take, at most, five steps to prepare. Our Dinnerly tester was Nicole Davis, CPT, PN1-NC, and mom of three, who confirms the simplicity of each recipe:

“For the meals you cook, so far it’s fairly easy—I’ve made 3 to date. Prep takes 5 to 10 minutes, then about 20 minutes of cooking time, so 30 minutes total. This is about the max I like to spend in the kitchen making dinner during the week.” 

However, Nicole notes that Dinnerly doesn’t send the recipe card with the food items (possibly to keep costs low). You’ll need access to the website to pull the recipe when it’s time to cook, so she rated this service a 3 out of 5. 

“All in all, this is one of the more affordable meal kit services, by far,” says Nicole. For more, check out our Dinnerly review.

Magic Kitchen’s mission is to provide nutritious and delicious meals for individuals and families with specific dietary needs. Choose from dialysis, low-carb, low-sodium, low-fat, and diabetes-friendly options, among others, and rest assured that your meals are designed by dietitians and prepared by top-notch chefs.

Magic Kitchen meals arrive frozen and microwave- or oven-ready, meaning you can have a home-cooked dinner in minutes. Talk about easy meals. Plus, your prepared meal delivery order is completely customizable. You can order as much or as little as you want—either get through the week or stock your freezer full to have meals on hand as needed. Prices vary between meals, depending on the type of meal and number of servings you order.

If ordering off the a la carte menu, you can choose family-style meal deliveries where multiple servings of the same recipe are delivered. Examples of family meals include Roasted Turkey Breast, Beef Lasagna, Chicken Pot Pie, and Beef Shepherd’s Pie.

Our meal tester, Stephanie Lehner, gave Magic Kitchen a 3 out of 5 rating for taste (she found some meals bland) and a 4 out of 5 for ease of preparation. “Most meals did not require much work. I either put them in the oven or microwave. Some required more time than what was stated on the package. The few that I made in the microwave were extremely quick and easy to prepare,” says Stephanie.

She went on to say, “The cleanup was minimal! At most, I had to clean the dishes or a cookie tray if I placed the packages on the tray to be heated in the oven.” Anyone who has cleaned up after a big family meal knows that’s a SCORE!

Check out our Magic Kitchen review for an in-depth look at this meal delivery service.

The best meal kits prioritize efficiency and ease for their customers, and Gobble understands the assignment. Gobble delivers chef-prepped meal kits that get your meals ready and on the table in 15 minutes or less.

Start by choosing your meals from Gobble’s diverse weekly menu, including low-carb, pescatarian, and vegetarian options. Then, Gobble chefs get to work preparing your fresh ingredients. When your meals arrive at your door, there’s no measuring, chopping, or dirty dishes required in your meal prep! And since meals can be prepared quickly, busy families have more time to spend together.

Servings cost between $11.99 and $16.99, depending on how many meals are included in your order. You can order two to five meals per week with two or four servings of each meal. Gobble offers globally-inspired flavors and family-friendly recipes, such as Pesto Lasagna Rolls with Broccolini and Grape Tomatoes and Grilled Filet Mignon Kebabs with Saffron Rice. Plus, meals can be prepared dairy-free, nut-free, and wheat-free by withholding certain ingredients from your recipes.

Tester Lauren Strong, certified personal trainer (CPT), gave Gobble a rating of 3.5 out of 5 based on meal plan customization availability, as well as a 4 out of 5 for variety, calling out Gobble’s “big menu selection [that] looks like it constantly changes.”

Perry Nix, RD, LD, adds, “Gobble is great for busy families who prefer not to eat frozen dinners. The menu is extremely diverse, with everything from global cuisine to classic comfort food. Meals include protein, carbs, and vegetables to provide you with the nutrients and energy you need to feel good.”

For more, read our in-depth Gobble reviews.

If you have picky eaters at home, you might be searching for a meal kit you can customize in order to prepare meals your kids will actually eat. (We’ll get through this picky stage, fellow parents!) If that sounds like your house, Hungryroot might be your answer.

Hungryroot isn’t a traditional meal kit delivery service. Instead, it puts a fun twist on your everyday grocery shopping by providing personalized recommendations and accompanying recipes. It saves you time and gives you freedom to prepare your own meals.

To get started, Hungryroot asks you to take a quick quiz, giving them an idea of how many people you’re feeding, your family’s dietary preferences, and your health goals. Then, Hungryroot works its magic and creates a grocery plan that fits your needs! Groceries and related recipes are automatically added to your cart, but you can change your order and adjust your recipes as needed—grocery shopping with the click of a button.

Choose from more than 300 kid-friendly recipes that include premium proteins, fresh fruits and veggies, healthy snacks, and even delicious sweets. Hungryroot offers groceries for grain bowls, pasta, stir-fries, burgers, smoothies, and more.

Weekly plans vary in price, depending on how much food you order. However, plans start at $65 per delivery, comparable to today’s typical grocery bills. GGR editorial team member Kate Meier, NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, put Hungryroot’s subscription to the test, ordering four lunch and dinner servings. One of the main perks she highlighted? “It’s completely customizable. You create your own food profile with likes/dislikes, preferences, allergies, etc.,” she says. That, alone, was enough for Kate to give Hungryroot a 5 out of 5 for customization.

As for ingredient quality, Kate gives this service a 4.5 out of 5, adding, “Everything is high-quality—humanely raised meat and dairy, a lot of organic fruit/vegetables/grains. I did have some things, like a bell pepper mix, that weren’t organic. However, in terms of quality, everything is so fresh and crisp.” 

Sounds like groceries you can feel good about feeding your family. For more, read our full Hungryroot review.

Purple Carrot specializes in vegan meals, offering customers meal kits and pre-cooked meal options. Whether you like to make your meals from scratch or heat up healthy meals in the microwave, Purple Carrot has something for the whole family.

You can order two to four meals per week with two or four servings included. Purple Carrot offers many different meals, but you may need to be strategic about choosing family-friendly options. For example, Peanut Pad Thai Noodles and Charred Corn Salad sound delicious, but they may not be top picks for the kids.

Prices start at $11 and go up to $13.25 per serving, comparable to the average takeout meal. Purple Carrot does not accommodate many dietary restrictions outside of gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free. However, you can filter the meal options for high-protein and low-calorie options.

Anthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC, put this plant-based meal delivery to the test and reported back with positive results:

“I only went with the meal kit (the stuff you make at home). The ingredients were fresh, and I thought everything tasted really good! My favorite was the sloppy Joe (with tofu instead of meat). Considering this was a plant-based meal service, I was quite happy with how everything came out” He rated Purple Carrot a 5 out of 5 for taste.

Portion sizes get a 4 out of 5, which Anthony adds, “Portions were pretty good, quite generous for a plant-based meal, actually. I always felt full after a meal.”

Last, but not least, you can order plant-based add-on grocery items through their “Plantry” section. So, if foods like vegan cream cheese, crab cakes, or bacon strike your fancy, you can easily include them in your shipment.

Check out our in-depth Purple Carrot review.

Green Chef is a nutritious meal delivery service that caters to many different lifestyle preferences and dietary needs, including gluten-free, plant-based, keto, and Mediterranean. But what caught our eye when researching family meal services was the abundance of organic options Green Chef has to offer.

Green Chef is the first meal kit company to be certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers, and those standards carry into their products. Green Chef recipes include sources of organic produce, eggs, beef, chicken, and wild-caught seafood. And all ingredients go through extensive screening to meet their high-quality standards.

RELATED: Best Organic Meal Delivery

Setting up your subscription is easy—so easy our testers gave ordering a 4 out of 5. GGR editorial team member Nicole Davis, CPT, PN1-NC, docked a point because “you have to pay first before you can pick meals, which is a bit weird.”

Choose a delivery plan that fits your lifestyle preferences and dietary needs. Then, order chef-curated meals from their list of more than 80 weekly menu options and wait for them to arrive at your door. Green Chef recipes are delivered with pre-portioned ingredients, meaning there’s no measuring while your kids scream, “MOM, MOM, MOM!” or, “DAD, DAD, DAD!” 

Where Green Chef falters on the scorecard is the price per meal, ease of preparation, and portion size, all receiving 3 out of 5. Nicole states:

“The meals take about 30 minutes to cook, which is the most I’d want to spend cooking during the week. They do require multiple pieces of equipment, but it lists what you need on the recipe card.”

Depending on your family’s needs, you can order two to six servings of two to four meals per week. Prices range from $11.99 to $13.49 per serving, but remember, Green Chef prioritizes organic ingredients.

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

Cooking with kids can be tricky, but some of the best memories are made in the kitchen. If you like to cook with your family, EveryPlate might have the setup for you. EveryPlate recipes typically have only six steps and require about 30 minutes of cooking time, meaning it’s realistic to get your kids involved in the process.

To get started, decide the number of meals and servings you want delivered weekly. Then, choose from 26 chef-curated recipes, such as the Crispy Southwest Chicken Sandwich, Caramelized Zucchini Linguini, and Pork Loaded Sweet Potatoes. Next, EveryPlate does the grocery shopping for you, sending you all the ingredients you need to be a home chef.

Perry Nix, RD, LD, uses EveryPlate meal delivery for her family and says, “I was tired of meal planning and making the same meals over and over again. I’m now cooking with new ingredients I wouldn’t typically buy at the store, and my family enjoys the variation in meals.”

GGR product tester and certified nutrition coach (CNC) Erin Chancer rates EveryPlate a 4 out of 5 for taste and variety, but notes, “You will have a fair amount of cleanup from your used pots, pans, and cutting boards.” So, be ready to put your kids on dish duty after dinner. She rates the prep time and cleanup a 2 out of 5.

Prices are about $5.99 per meal, which seems to not change from the number of weekly meals and servings you order. Of note—to keep costs low, EveryPlate does not cater to special diets. You can learn more in our in-depth EveryPlate review.