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The best meal delivery services are convenient for families and households wanting to save time on grocery shopping or by having oven-ready meals with minimal preparation time. Also, these services can provide high-quality ingredients along with options for those with specific dietary needs or restrictions. 

Still, some of these services can be expensive. For those needing budget-friendly choices, we’re here to give you our picks for the cheapest meal delivery services. 

We’ve tested over 40 meal delivery services and counting to provide you with our expert opinions as certified personal trainers and nutrition coaches. Along with this, we’ve talked to registered dietitian, Perry Nix, RD, on her thoughts on these meal delivery services. Read on to see our favorite affordable meal delivery services.

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.

The 9 Cheapest Meal Delivery Services

Best Overall Meal Delivery on a Budget: Dinnerly

Good for: People looking for an inexpensive meal kit service with quality ingredients

Best Overall

Dinnerly

GGR Score: 4 starstarstarstarstar

Product Highlights

  • Meal delivery kit with fresh ingredients
  • Over 100 recipes to choose from
  • Flexible subscription
  • Prices start around $11 per meal

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Fresh ingredients
  • Recipe cards for easy preparation
  • Edit, pause, or cancel subscription at any time
  • Ability to choose your delivery day of the week

Cons

  • Fresh ingredients need to be cooked within 4 days of delivery
  • Meal selection only after signing up and entering payment information

Bottom Line

Skip the food shopping and the chopping—Dinnerly is a meal kit service that sends you fresh ingredients right to your door with most of the food preparation already done. You’ll need to sign up and provide credit card information before browsing the menu and making your selection. Meals start around $11, but the more meals in your weekly subscription, you’ll receive a slight price break.

Our pick for best overall cheapest meal delivery service goes to Dinnerly. Depending on the number of meals you order, meal kits can cost as little as $4.99 per serving, but will only be $8.04 at most—not including shipping. Additionally, Dinnerly provides a market where you can purchase premade meals and food groceries, as well. 

There’s a good amount of variety according to our tester, GGR senior editor Nicole Davis, CPT, PN1-NC, who tried it for two weeks. Within that time frame, meals rotated to new selections already.

Woman making turkey taquitos from Dinnerly

The meal kits were a hit for Nicole, who tried the turkey taquitos and pastrami-crusted steak with an everything bagel potato; they were both delicious to her. Still, the premade meals weren’t her favorite, with her saying, “This tasted like a Lean Cuisine to be honest. It has better ingredient quality and definitely less sodium than a TV dinner, but with very similar taste vibes.”

Our expert dietitian Perry Nix, RD, likes that Dinnerly provides affordable meals to avoid going out to eat, which improves our diet as well as saving money. However, the ingredients aren’t organic, which may deter some people. 

She clarifies, “Most of the fruits and vegetables delivered by Dinnerly are conventional, which may be a dealbreaker for those who prefer eating organic foods. While organic farming may be better for the environment, organic food isn’t more nutrient-dense than conventionally grown food.” So if this isn’t a dealbreaker, many people will enjoy this affordable meal service.

Price per servingStarts at $4.99 per serving
Type (meal kit or prepared)Meal kits, prepared meals
Meals per weekUp to 6
Delivery area Most of the contiguous U.S.

Best Organic Meal Delivery on a Budget: Fresh N’ Lean

Good for: Those wanting an inexpensive prepared meal delivery with organic ingredients

Best Organic

Fresh N Lean

GGR Score: 4.6 starstarstarstarstar

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.

All of the ingredients used in Fresh N’ Lean’s prepared meal delivery service are GMO-free and often organic. In addition, meals cost as little as $8.49, making this our pick for the best organic cheap meal delivery service.

Kate Meier, GGR’s head of content and a certified personal trainer plus weightlifting coach, seriously enjoyed these meals. “The meals sounded good,” she says, “But once I nuked them, I didn’t think by the looks of them that they would taste good. I was surprised!” All meals were juicy and moist, she notes, and steaks were even cooked to a nice medium temperature.

What stood out to dietitian Perry Nix was the protein amounts provided in each prepared meal. Of the various meal plans, there is a Protein+ plan, which “contains a whopping 36 grams of protein on average,” Perry says, “which falls well within the recommended 20-40 grams of protein per meal needed to maximize muscle protein synthesis.” They also provide a vegan meal plan packed with lentils, quinoa, beans, and tofu to provide adequate protein and fiber.

Woman Eating Fresh And Lean Meal

Because these are prepared meals for one, Fresh N’ Lean may not be the best meal service for couples or families. Additionally, the one issue Kate ran into was that it was a hassle to cancel her meal subscription. She actually had to call customer service…who does that anymore? However, if you’re ordering for one, this is a solid option with high-quality ingredients, proteins, and veggies.

Price per servingStarts at $8.49
Type (meal kit or prepared)Prepared meals
Meals per week5 to 21
Delivery area Nationwide

Best Meal Delivery on a Budget for Weight Loss: Diet-To-Go

Good for: People needing a meal plan for weight loss that won’t break the bank

Best for Weight Loss

Diet-To-Go

GGR Score: 4 starstarstarstarstar

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.

If you’re serious about losing weight, you can rest assured that Diet-To-Go can help with weight loss. While this is one of the pricier meal services on our list, you can still get meals for under $10, depending on which bundle you choose. If you’re looking for a deal, this is probably better for someone wanting lots of weekly meals to get the best price. Customers can choose between 10 and 21 weekly healthy meals geared toward weight loss.

This prepared meal service is convenient for those looking to improve their diet but don’t have the time to cook meals. You can eat meals after just microwaving them for a few minutes. Meal plans include options for specific diets, like keto, mediterranean, plant-based, or low carb diets.

RELATED: Best Weight Loss Programs

These meals can promote weight loss for a short time, but shouldn’t be used long-term. Dietitian Perry Nix explains, “Most Diet-to-Go meals contain between 300-500 calories, which isn’t enough to sustain healthy, long-term weight loss. Unfortunately, eating too few calories for a prolonged time can actually damage your metabolism and make it harder to lose weight.” So while this is a great option for weight loss, you shouldn’t exclusively have these meals for longer than a couple months.

Price per servingStarts at $9.19
Type (meal kit or prepared)Prepared meals
Meals per week10 to 21
Delivery area Contiguous U.S.

Best Meal Kits on a Budget: HelloFresh

Good for: Consumers looking for meal kits with good variety

Best Meal Kits

HelloFresh

GGR Score: 4.1 starstarstarstarstar

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.

If you’ve ever heard of a meal kit delivery service before, it was probably our pick for the best inexpensive meal kit, HelloFresh. Constantly promoted on social media by ads and influencers, this meal delivery service will deliver meals that are $8.99 per serving, but what’s really enticing is the promotional discount with your first box, dropping the price to as low as $3.99 a serving. 

Meal kits include ingredients and recipe cards, and you prep and cook your meals for two people or four.

Our product tester, Ashley Little, has used HelloFresh for several years, and enjoys the ease of ordering and customizing your weekly meals. “If you don’t select meals, HelloFresh will automatically pick some for you,” she says in our HelloFresh review. “It’s very easy to swap meals, add extra meals, swap proteins with meals, and add on additional products such as snacks, protein, and desserts.”

Hello Fresh Spaghetti Meal

There is quite a bit of customization, an aspect that appealed to dietitian Perry Nix, RD, as well, particularly for family-friendly options. “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.”

Ashley does note that sometimes the fresh ingredients aren’t as fresh as she’d like them to be, particularly with some of the veggies. Also, while HelloFresh offers a pescatarian option, there aren’t any other meal plans that cater to specific dietary needs. Still, with its low price and discounts, this meal service is worth a shot.

Price per servingStarts at $8.99
Type (meal kit or prepared)Meal kits
Meals per week4 to 24
Delivery area Contiguous U.S.

Best Meal Delivery on a Budget for Variety: Hungryroot

Good for: Meal kits that have variety up to par with grocery shopping

Best Variety

Hungryroot

GGR Score: 4.4 starstarstarstarstar

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.

If you’re looking for variety and customization in your meal plans, look no further than Hungryroot. This feels less like a meal service and more like grocery shopping, according to GGR head of content and certified personal trainer Kate Meier, who tested out Hungryroot. After filling out a questionnaire, you’re able to completely customize your cart and meals, and it all ends up costing around $10 a meal.

The ease of prep was fantastic for a meal kit service, according to Kate. “I set a timer for the meals I cooked…The first one only had me prepping for about 10 minutes, then was maybe 12 minutes to bake. But it was so easy—not a lot of chopping, because everything is prepackaged and ready to throw in a skillet.” 

Woman making chicken burrito bowls from Hungryroot

There is an abundance of variety with Hungryroot, particularly for those with dietary restrictions. Perry Nix, RD, says, “They include groceries and recipes made without common food allergens like soy, nuts, shellfish, and eggs, which is hard to find in other meal service plans.” Along with this, they have quite a few vegetarian and vegan options available, too.

While Hungryroot tries to be your one stop for meals and groceries, Perry does note that you’ll have to grab some essentials from the store, like milk and eggs. Also, Kate was a bit overwhelmed by the initial quiz at the start—asking lots of questions before you even get to see the meal options. Nevertheless, this is a solid service that provides high-quality ingredients for a relatively inexpensive price.

Price per servingAbout $10
Type (meal kit or prepared)Meal kits
Meals per week16
Delivery area Contiguous U.S.

Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery on a Budget: Mosaic Foods

Good for: Those looking for inexpensive plant-based prepared meals

Best Plant-Based

Mosaic

GGR Score: 4.4 starstarstarstarstar

Product Highlights

  • Plant-based meal service
  • Frozen meals and smoothies
  • Schedule deliveries every 1-4 weeks

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Sustainability-sourced, plant-based meals
  • Vegetarian and vegan options
  • Many nut-free and gluten-free options

Cons

  • Additional shipping fees for each delivery
  • Subscription model
  • Not all meals have a high-protein content

Bottom Line

Mosaic is a frozen meal delivery service that offers plant-based options for vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike. Once you sign up, you’ll have access to pick your meals and view pricing. While all meals are meat-free, you’ll find a variety of nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and vegan options as well. Mosaic has a wide selection of frozen veggie bowls, family meals, pizzas, smoothies, soups, and oat bowls.

With prices starting at $8.49 for a single serving, Mosaic Foods is our pick for the best plant-based meal delivery for budget-conscious consumers. Certified personal trainer and staff writer Lauren Strong tried Mosaic and found these plant-based meals to be very good, saying, “I felt apprehensive because everything is plant-based and I just assumed it would be very ‘crunchy-granola’ but the reality is these were really filling and tasty.”

Woman with a tangy Thai stir fry from Mosaic Foods

Dishes vary from smoothies to pizzas and flatbreads, and even soups and oat bowls. Family-friendly meals were also available, which dietitian Perry Nix, RD, enjoyed. She says about their family meals that they’re “made with four or more vegetables to maximize taste, texture, and nutrients. Vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals that promote immune health, improve vision, and support strong bones and a healthy metabolism.”

While these meals were filling for Lauren, she notes that they aren’t high-protein meals, being plant-based. “Smoothies had under 10 grams of protein, while most other meals averaged 15 grams per serving.” If you’re looking for a protein-focused meal plan, you won’t find it with Mosaic; however, for tasty meals rich with plant-based nutrients, Mosaic is a great choice. Make sure to check if they deliver to you though, as their delivery is limited to certain parts of the U.S.

RELATED: Plant-Based Protein Powder Benefits

Price per serving$8.49 to $11.99
Type (meal kit or prepared)Prepared meals
Meals per week6, 12, or 18
Delivery area Most major metro areas in the Eastern and Western U.S.

Best Meal Delivery on a Budget for Families: Blue Apron

Good for: Families needing meal kits with options for all family members

Best for Families

Blue Apron

GGR Score: 4 starstarstarstarstar

Product Highlights

  • Meal kit delivery and online market
  • Cook dinner in 25-50 minutes 
  • Over 70 weekly staples to choose from
  • New menus every week

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Responsibly sourced produce and protein
  • Option to skip a week
  • Recyclable packaging
  • Wide variety of menu options

Cons

  • Subscription only delivery plans
  • Not ideal for weight loss

Bottom Line

Blue Apron is a meal kit delivery service that sends you everything you need for a fun, tasty meal right to your door. You’ll find all the ingredients you need and instructions on how to cook each meal. While there are many meal plans to choose from (including veggie, family-friendly, and wellness) this might not be the best option if you’re looking for a meal delivery service specific to weight loss.

Blue Apron is our favorite budget-friendly meal delivery service for families. With wellness and veggie (plant-based) options available in their preferences, Blue Apron also provides family-friendly options for kid-friendly meals, as well as a fast and easy quick prep option. Plus, meals can be bundled for as low as $7.99 a serving.

RELATED: Blue Apron Vs HelloFresh Vs Home Chef

Our tester, Sarah Carlton, enjoys the meal kits overall, although some meals shine brighter than others. “In my most recent box,” she adds, “Whole Grain Romesco Pasta was alright but wasn’t wow-ing. On the other hand, the Salmon was packed with flavor and so good.”

Woman eating a meal from Blue Apron

The quality of the ingredients impressed Perry Nix, RD. Our expert dietitian remarks, “Blue Apron uses non-GMO ingredients, hormone-free meats, and sustainably sourced seafood. These ingredient standards support the environment, farmers, and animal welfare.” In addition, the meals are balanced with protein, carbs, and vegetables in each meal.

A fault that Perry notes is that Blue Apron is fairly limited when it comes to dietary preferences. “There’s no gluten-free, keto, or vegan plan. There’s also no diabetic, heart healthy, or weight loss plan,” she says, although she does remark that some meals could fit into these dietary needs.

RELATED: Best Meal Delivery for Weight Loss

Price per servingStarts at $7.99
Type (meal kit or prepared)Meal kits
Meals per week4 to 20
Delivery area Continental U.S.

Best Prepared Meal Delivery on a Budget: Clean Eatz

Good for: Inexpensive prepared meal delivery with quality ingredients

Best Prepared Meals

Clean Eatz

GGR Score: 4 starstarstarstarstar

Product Highlights

  • Budget-conscious frozen meals
  • Healthy meals all under 600 calories
  • Variety of meal plans including high protein, keto, gluten free
  • Order meals in increments of 6

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Budget-friendly price point
  • Flash frozen to preserve freshness
  • Order as little as 6 meals at a time
  • No subscriptions

Cons

  • No customizations to menu or meals
  • Meals only last up to 6 months in freezer

Bottom Line

Clean Eatz is a meal delivery service that won’t break the bank or over-complicate your health and wellness goals—including weight loss and adding muscle size. There are no subscriptions, you can order at the frequency to like. Meals are reasonably priced at $7.99 and you can order in increments of six meals at a time. There is a $5 shipping charge for orders under $85.

Our favorite prepared meal delivery on a budget is Clean Eatz. With a few exceptions, meals are $7.99 apiece, and ordering off the website is pretty easy, although Chloe Ekberg, our tester and GGR’s senior strategist, noted that the customizations were limited after you picked your meal plan.

Clean Eatz allows you to pick six meals from their meal plans—including keto, high-protein, and gluten-free plans—and then a quantity of these six-meal packs. Chloe remarks, “Lots of options for the type of plan you want to choose but less options for customization once you choose the plan.” With that said, Chloe found the meals provided to be delicious and made with high-quality, fresh ingredients.

Clean Eatz packaging

Expert dietitian Perry Nix believes this may be a good meal service to go with for people looking to build muscle, saying, “Most Clean Eatz meals contain between 20 and 40 grams of protein, which is the recommended amount per meal to maximize muscle protein synthesis.” If you’re looking for an affordable way to meet your protein needs, this may be one way to get some more high-protein foods into your diet.

Only being able to choose six meals at a time with limited variety might not be what some are looking for; still, with a decent amount of protein in each meal and delicious ingredients, Clean Eatz provides good value at a pretty low price.

Price per serving$7.99
Type (meal kit or prepared)Prepared meals
Meals per week6 at a time
Delivery area Nationwide

Best Meal Delivery on a Budget for Kids: Little Spoon

Good for: Those looking for a meal delivery service for children of varying ages

Best for Kids

Little Spoon

GGR Score: 4 starstarstarstarstar

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.

For the picky eaters in your household, we suggest Little Spoon. Providing meals for all age ranges, from infants to toddlers to young kids, Little Spoon exposes kids to a variety of flavors and ingredients at a young age. Plus, meals cost as low as $5.83, depending on how many meals you get each week.

Dietitian Perry Nix, RD, speaks on the importance of diversifying the foods a child is exposed to early on. She says, “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.” She also notes that the meals are non-GMO and organic, certified by the USDA.

Senior editor and certified nutrition coach Nicole Davis tested out these meals directly with the source: her two oldest children. The kids, being moderately picky in their foods, had mixed reactions to some meals. “Chicken and dumplings was the favorite by far…they also liked the broccoli bites and pizza pocket…With the rest of the meals they took one bite and didn’t want anymore, which was a waste.”

Nicole's Daughter Enjoying Little Spoons Meal

Whether or not Little Spoon is right for you and your children will mostly depend on how your children like it. However, with organic ingredients that are non-GMO, this is a great meal service for kids. You can read our in-depth thoughts in our Little Spoon review.

Price per servingStarting at $5.83
Type (meal kit or prepared)Prepared meals
Meals per week4, 6, 9, or 12
Delivery area Continental U.S.

Other Cheap Meal Delivery Services We Researched

There are many options when it comes to meal delivery services, and still quite a few if you’re trying to find one to fit your budget. Not every meal service we tried made our top picks; here are a few honorable mentions we tested:

  • EveryPlate: With meals as low as $4.99 per serving, we have to mention EveryPlate. GGR editor and certified nutrition coach Erin Chancer enjoyed EveryPlate in her experience, although occasionally produce arrived past its prime, and packaged chicken went bad if left for the end of the week.
  • Home Chef: Our product tester Emily Chidester enjoyed the meal kits provided by Home Chef, however the normal prices after a first-time discount are a bit more than the ones on this list. Meals are over $10 a serving.
  • Marley Spoon: With a good initial discount and discounts for bulk orders, Marley Spoon can be an inexpensive option for meal delivery services. Still, GGR performance editor, certified nutrition coach, and personal trainer Anthony O’Reilly was unimpressed with the service, as he had multiple issues with the quality of ingredients, as well as portion sizes.
  • Nurture Life: This service for kids meals is rather inexpensive, ranging from $6.49 to $7.49, depending on how many meals you want. However, GGR social media manager Brittany Combs found the quality of ingredients and meals a little inconsistent.

How We Picked and Tested the Cheapest Meal Delivery Services

Obviously, one of the biggest factors we accounted for on these meal delivery services was the price that these meal services brought to the table (pun intended). Because you’re buying multiple meals for the week, we accounted for the price per serving, which will vary depending on the number of meals you order. 

For the most part, we tried to keep this cost low, and didn’t account for specials for first-time buyers. Most meals we picked had options under $10 a meal, although prices also tend to be a little higher for prepared meals over meal kits.

A few of the other variables we looked at were:

  • Ordering: When ordering online, how easy is the process? We accounted for how our options were laid out, and the ease of customization for our meal order.
  • Taste: This is subjective, but we looked at our own experience with the flavor of these meals, along with customer reviews online to determine a score here.
  • Ease of preparation: Depending on the service, there can be a variety of times needed to prepare these meals. Some are fully prepared and just need to be microwaved, while others require you to prepare and cook these meals.
  • Portion size and ingredients: We made sure meals felt filling enough and that the ingredients were high-quality and nutritious.
  • Variety and customization: We looked at the variety of options available each week, as well as the ability to customize meal plans and orders. The best meal delivery services tend to have a good variety and allow some customization to your order.
  • Sustainability: What sustainable efforts are being made by the company? We accounted for recyclable packaging, as well as sustainable farming practices and sourcing foods locally.

Benefits of Cheap Meal Delivery Services

There are more benefits to an inexpensive meal service besides the money. You can still have many of the benefits of meal services while staying on budget.

Saves Money

Finding a meal delivery service that fits in your budget will help you save money. You buy just the meals you need at affordable prices, and can save on the cost of a grocery run in many cases.

Saves Time

Meal prep for the week can take up a lot of time, which is a huge perk of meal delivery services. Meal kits provide just the right amount of ingredients for your meals, with many ingredients prepared already, so it minimizes the time needed to prepare and cook meals. Additionally, prepared meals can just be put in an oven or microwave to heat up, virtually eliminating prep time completely.

Great for Special Diets

Many meal services provide plans and options for people with specific dietary restrictions or needs. If you’re looking for dairy-free or gluten-free options, many services provide options, or specify which meals adhere to those needs. Also, anyone following keto, low-carb, paleo, vegan, or pescatarian diets will often find options through meal delivery services. This takes out a lot of the hassle of having to find the right meals for your exact needs.

Reduces Food Waste

Often at the grocery store, you may have to purchase more food than you want or need for the week, like purchasing a bag of onions when you only need one. Many meal delivery companies provide only the needed amount of produce, meat, and ingredients for recipes, so you won’t waste any ingredients. Plus, many meal services source their ingredients sustainably through local organic farmers, which also impacts the environment in a positive way.

Buying Guide for Cheap Meal Delivery Services

We’ve already discussed many things to look for in meal delivery services, especially if you’re looking to save money. With trying to be frugal with your money, here are some things to look out for:

  • Decide between meal kits or prepared meals. While prepared meals can be more convenient with less preparation, meal kits will often be a little cheaper per serving.
  • Be on the lookout for any meal plans you may want to consider, whether it be low-calorie, carb-conscious meals, or something else.
  • Remember that many meal services become cheaper per serving the more meals you purchase. If it makes sense for your budget and your household, try to take advantage of those bulk discounts.
  • Many affordable meal kits and prepared meal delivery services have additional discounts for your first order. If you’re new to the meal service, use these sales and promo codes.
  • Although meal services are convenient, the wrong one can get monotonous. Try to find a meal service that provides a bit of variety in their weekly menu.

Cheapest Meal Delivery Services: FAQs

What is the most economical home meal delivery service?

Many meal delivery services offer a first-time discount, which can vary depending on the company. These discounts can be substantial, although prices may jump back up after a bit of use. Here are a few of our best picks for meal services that offer consistently inexpensive meal options:

Best Overall Meal Delivery on a Budget: Dinnerly
Best Organic Meal Delivery on a Budget: Fresh N’ Lean
Best Meal Delivery on a Budget for Weight Loss: Diet-to-Go
Best Meal Kits on a Budget: HelloFresh
Best Meal Delivery on a Budget for Variety: Hungryroot
Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery on a Budget: Mosaic Foods
Best Meal Delivery on a Budget for Families: Blue Apron
Best Prepared Meals Meal Delivery on a Budget: Clean Eatz
Best Meal Delivery on a Budget for Kids: Little Spoon

Are meal delivery services worth it for one person?

Many meal delivery services have smaller minimums and meal plans to cater for just one person. Even with a smaller meal plan, there are inexpensive options, and the time saved from grocery shopping or preparing meals might be worth it, even if you’re cooking for one.

How much is HelloFresh per week?

The cost of HelloFresh varies depending on the number of meal portions you order each week. Regular prices range from $8.99 to $12.49 per serving, although they offer a discount for first-time buyers that can reduce the cost to under $4 per serving.

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.

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