better gluten-free
splendid spoon
price per serving: $6.50-$13
splendid spoon is one of the best frozen food delivery services thanks to its extensive menu and tasty combinations of flavors.
all meals are 100% vegan and gluten free. in fact, the service is one of the best for people on a gluten-free diet, as food is prepared in kitchens with strict protocols to control cross-contamination.
splendid spoon also uses 100% non-GMO ingredients and prioritizes organic produce on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen List, which includes fruits and vegetables with the highest pesticide residue content (2).
While it doesn’t offer larger meals with side dishes, the Splendid Spoon is ideal for quick lunches or light dinners, offering soups, noodle bowls, grain bowls, and hearty smoothies.
This is the nutritional information for 1 serving (1/2 container) of the Vegan Meatballs & marinara noodles:
- calories: 230
- protein: 10 grams
- fat: 10 grams
- carbohydrates: 27 grams
splendid spoon’s menu changes weekly with three to five new flavors being added seasonally.
Except for shakes, which are refrigerated, meals arrive completely frozen and can be easily stacked in your refrigerator or freezer.
Defrosted soups, grain bowls, and noodle bowls take just 2-3 minutes to reheat in the microwave, while frozen foods take 2-3 minutes longer.
There are several subscription plans to choose from, depending on the number and type of articles you want to receive each week. You can also purchase a box on demand, which allows you to stock up on items without a subscription.
better vegan
daily harvest
price per serving: $5.99-$8.99
Daily Harvest is a 100% plant-based, gluten-free and preservative-free frozen meal delivery service with over 80 options to choose from including smoothies, oatmeal bowls, chia bowls, lattes, harvest bowls , flatbreads, snacks, and even plant-based ice cream.
All of the company’s items start from a fruit and vegetable base and include other high-quality plant-based foods such as nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes.
daily harvest works directly with farmers and describes its ingredients as carefully selected. currently 95% of ingredients are organic and all items are free of preservatives, additives and fillers.
Unlike other services, you are not sent a set menu every week. instead, customers choose how many and which items they would like to receive weekly or monthly.
Current plans include weekly delivery of 9, 12 or 24 options, or a monthly delivery of 24 items. As a result, daily harvest is a good option if you’re looking to add some plant-based meals to your regular rotation.
Cardboard delivery boxes, cups, insulated dry ice packs and daily harvest bowls are recyclable or compostable. Additionally, as of April 2020, Daily Harvest announced that it is working to make 100% of its packaging recyclable.
While some items, like flatbreads and snacks, are relatively compact and easy to stack in the freezer, others, especially harvest bowls, are a bit more oddly shaped and take up more space.
This is the nutritional information for 1 serving (1 container) of Daily Harvest Sweet Potato + Wild Rice Mince:
- calories: 330
- protein: 11 grams
- fat: 11 grams
- carbohydrates: 51 grams
great for families
mosaic food
price per serving: $4.99-$10.99
Founded with the goal of making plant-based eating easy, Mosaic Foods offers frozen and fully prepared entrees packed with fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
mosaicfoods is based in new york city and sources the majority of its ingredients from farms and distributors located in the hudson valley region of new york. all meals are free of artificial ingredients and preservatives.
In addition to its line of single-serve entrees, the service is notable for being one of the few frozen meal delivery services to offer family-size meals.
Mosaic Family Meals contain at least four types of vegetables, have no added sugar, and can be baked in the containers they arrive in.
with options like buffalo cauliflower pasta bake, BBQ “meatloaf” & mashed sweet potato and baked green enchilada, Mosaic makes it easier than ever to serve up tasty and nutritious plant-based meals for the whole family.
Mosaic family meals are designed to serve 4 adults. Here are the nutritional facts for a serving of baked buffalo cauliflower pasta:
- calories: 380
- protein: 16 grams
- fat: 17 grams
- carbohydrates: 43 grams
Tile Family Meals are fairly compact, so they don’t require a lot of space in the freezer. while most entrees claim to require around 1 hour in the oven, I’ve found that 90 minutes is a more accurate estimate for the meals I’ve tried.
mosaic currently offers two family plans: 8 meals per month, which includes free shipping, or 4 meals per month, which includes a $7.99 delivery fee.
The service also offers a customizable box option that has a minimum of $70, though shipping is free.
best for paleo diets
padding on the go
price per portion: $10.75-$27.75
paleo on the go is a frozen meal delivery service that offers meals suitable for paleo and autoimmune protocol (aip) diets. they also offer some low carb options.
The service prioritizes high-quality ingredients such as grass-fed beef, grass-fed pork, antibiotic- and hormone-free poultry, and mostly organic produce.
plus, all meals are free of gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, seeds, eggs, dairy, legumes, sugar, nightshades, processed additives, and soy.
Paleo On The Go has a set menu that includes breakfasts, entrees, and desserts, and you can easily filter recipes by dietary preference, including paleo, aip, gut and psychological syndrome (gaps), and low carb.
You’ll find options like a grass-fed beef taco kit with salsa verde and taco salad, chicken tikka masala, and stuffed cabbage rolls.
A serving of Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls provides:
- calories: 260
- fat: 8 grams
- protein: 12 grams
- carbohydrates: 33 grams (8 grams of fiber)
note: many paleo on-the-go meals contain 2 or more servings per container.
You can order meals a la carte or use the subscription and savings option on any single meal or meal package to save 5%.
According to the company’s website, the packaging is fully recyclable. the meals themselves arrive frozen and can be easily stacked in a freezer.
$99 minimum order required and shipping price varies by location.
the best to lose weight
diet to go
price per serving: $8.50-$14
Founded in 1991, diet-to-go offers frozen meals designed by registered dietitians and chefs to create healthy and delicious options that can help you lose weight.
All meals are preservative-free, prepared in a USDA-certified kitchen, frozen, and delivered weekly to your door.
Clients receive a set menu that changes weekly. however, you can substitute meal selections once an order is placed. depending on your plan, you can receive 5 or 7 feeding days a week and 2 or 3 meals a day.
Meals arrive fully cooked and can be reheated using a microwave, toaster oven, conventional oven, or steamer. Plus, unlike other services, Diet-To-Go provides all the side dishes and condiments you need for every meal.
When signing up, customers can choose one of four plans.
The Balance Menu, Diabetes Balance Menu and Vegetarian Menu are all nutritionally balanced and calorie controlled.
for example, a serving of shrimp alfredo from the balance menu provides:
- calories: 410
- fat: 13 grams
- carbohydrates: 43 grams
- protein: 26 grams
the fourth plan is the keto-carb30. it’s also calorie controlled and replaces carbs with healthy fats to provide no more than 30 grams of net carbs per day.
best for older adults
magic kitchen
price per portion: $10-$14.50
Frozen food delivery services can be a good option for older adults who have difficulty shopping and cooking.
Also, since appetite often declines with age, having frozen meals available helps remove at least one barrier to getting adequate nutrition.
magic kitchen is the best delivery service for seniors, offering meals designed by registered dietitians. These foods are lower in sodium and meet the unique nutritional needs of this population.
In addition to being low in sodium, Magic Kitchen offers meals for people with certain chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease.
Meals can be ordered a la carte, allowing people to choose exactly how much food they want to order. mains and sides can be ordered on their own or as full meals, which include a main and one or two sides.
Because some seniors may have a hard time remembering to order each week, there is the option to sign up for the senior meal program, which includes meals that are automatically delivered weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly.
magic kitchen also offers the option to order by phone. this can be suitable for people who have difficulties with the internet, as well as those who prefer to avoid it.
meals are delivered frozen in recyclable containers and can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. While most foods can be microwaved, some, like chicken pot pie, require reheating.
When ordering, keep in mind that while most frozen meals for delivery offer individual servings, magic kitchen meals are designed to serve two to four people.
the best for variety
bistromd
price per serving: $10.99-$14.99
If you want to choose from a wide variety of meals, bistromd offers more than 150 options. This frozen meal delivery service specializes in calorie-controlled meals designed to promote weight loss and offers unique plans for menopause, diabetes, heart health, and gluten-free needs.
your meals arrive fully cooked, frozen and ready to reheat. although bistromd chooses which meals you will receive, you can choose substitutions for any meal if it doesn’t sound appetizing.
Their meals also contain no freeze-dried ingredients or the artificial sweetener aspartame, and are hand-cooked in small batches.
Although full nutritional information is available on its packaging, you cannot view it on the website without joining the service.
at bistromd, you can choose the “full program” option for 5 or 7 days, offering breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can also choose only lunches and dinners for 5 or 7 days.
Their extensive menu includes dishes like Pork Tenderloin with Marsala Mushrooms, Blackened Chicken with Creamy Smoked Paprika Sauce, Green Chile Pork with Southwest Sauce, and Mediterranean Quinoa Salad. you can also purchase snacks for an additional fee.
meals ship weekly and shipping is $19.95 per order.
more customizable
foodpro
price per serving: $8.99-$18.99
One of the drawbacks of many food delivery services is that there is no way to customize your meals to suit your preferences. however, mealpro allows you to make a few key adjustments to your meals to fit your needs more precisely.
This frozen meal delivery service offers a variety of meals to choose from each week, along with options to add extra protein to each meal. Some meals also allow you to add or remove carbohydrates, add twice as many vegetables, and add or remove extras and sauces like bacon, guacamole, soy sauce, or barbecue sauce.
This allows you to tailor each meal to your needs and preferences. For example, if you’re on a ketogenic diet, you can order the Atlantic Salmon main course and choose the “Double Carb Free” option to replace the red potatoes with an extra helping of asparagus.
Without adjustments, the Atlantic Salmon Main Course contains:
- calories: 682
- fat: 29 grams
- protein: 69 grams
- carbohydrates: 34 grams (4 grams of fiber)
plus, you can choose to order certain meats, plant-based protein sources, or side dishes by the pound to create your own meals.
You can choose to order 18 or 20 meals per shipment. mealpro does not currently offer a subscription plan. shipping varies depending on the size of your order and your location.