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Meal delivery services have become increasingly popular among health-conscious consumers and those following specific diets.
In addition to being simple and convenient, many meal delivery services can:
Here are the top 9 weight loss meal delivery services.
Trifecta Nutrition is a meal delivery service that claims to be scientifically backed and makes it easy to follow certain dietary plans. Trifecta has keto, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, Whole30, and “clean” meal plans.
Trifecta Nutrition offers a rotating menu of fully prepared breakfast, lunch, and dinner options that can be heated, plated, and enjoyed with little to no effort.
All meals are made using organic ingredients and sustainably sourced seafood and grass-fed meat. Meals are prepared in a gluten-free kitchen.
Meals are also macro-balanced, meaning Trifecta aims to help you hit protein, carb, and fat content goals by making sure each meal is balanced with lean proteins, complex carbs, and vegetables.
Most meals are also featured on popular nutrition apps so you can easily track your intake. Trifecta also has its own app that can help you track your meals, workouts, and more.
Meals on the sample menu at the time of this writing include:
They also offer a variety of a la carte proteins, carbs, veggies, and snacks to streamline meal prep, including:
Each week, you can order 5–14 entrees, either with or without breakfast. Though you cannot select specific meals from a meal plan, you can exclude up to two ingredients per week, such as shellfish, mushrooms, turkey, or chicken.
All plans are low in calories and high in protein, with around 350–500 calories per serving and 20–40 grams of protein in each meal.
Trifecta aims to have meals delivered on Saturdays to allow you to meal prep for the upcoming week.
The packaging is mostly recyclable, and you can find detailed instructions for recycling online.
With plans starting at just $4.99 per serving, EveryPlate is one of the most budget-friendly meal kit companies on the market.
They feature a rotating menu with 17 recipes to choose from each week, including a variety of vegetarian, family-friendly, and no-fuss meals.
You can select between 3–5 meals per week, which include either 2 or 4 servings each.
Some examples of recipes on their weekly menu include:
Nutritional information is available online for each recipe and many meals are also available on popular food tracking apps.
Potential allergens are also clearly labeled for each recipe. However, note that the service may not be suitable for those with severe food allergies due to the risk of cross-contamination.
According to EveryPlate, meals are also made using high quality ingredients, though there is limited information available on how ingredients are sourced.
Most packaging is fully recyclable.
Studies show that people who follow a vegetarian diet tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than non-vegetarians. Additionally, other research suggests that switching to a vegetarian diet may aid weight loss (
Purple Carrot is a strictly plant-based meal delivery service that offers nutrient-rich vegan prepared meals and meal kits to help promote weight loss and overall health.
The prepared meal plans include 6–10 single-serve meals per week, while the meal kit plans include a 2-serving option with either 3 or 4 meals per week or a 4-serving option with 2 or 3 meals per week.
For both the meal kit and prepared meal plans, you can customize your meals or choose specific meal preferences like High Protein, Gluten-Free, or Quick & Easy. You can even customize your order to include a mixture of both prepared meals and meal kits.
You’re able to pick the meals you want from the weekly menu and add up to 3 extras to any 2-serving plan or 1 extra to any 4-serving plan. Extras include breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
Purple Carrot offers a wide variety of meal options, including dishes such as:
Meals are delivered on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of each week, depending on your location, and weekly boxes can be skipped or canceled in your account settings.
Orders are delivered in packaging that is mostly recyclable, with detailed information on how to recycle each component available online.
Each weekly meal kit box contains premeasured ingredients, complete with recipes and nutritional information for each meal.
Just keep in mind that the Purple Carrot meal kit option requires basic cooking skills and can be more labor-intensive than its prepared meal option, so this option may not be a great fit for everyone.
BistroMD is a doctor-designed meal delivery service geared toward weight loss.
It allows you to customize your weekly meal plan by selecting from 150 meals, each of which can be reheated and enjoyed.
In addition to the standard meal plan, Men’s, Women’s, Signature, Heart-Healthy, Gluten-Free, Keto, Diabetes, and Menopause weight loss plans are available.
It’s important to note that the meals are very low in calories, with some meals coming in at under 300 calories. Their meal plans are based on 1,200 calories a day for females and 1,400 calories a day for males, which is extremely low.
Snacks are all available as add-ons and contain roughly 150 calories each.
All plans are high in protein, which has been shown to help reduce body weight, fat mass, and appetite (
Some of the meals offered by BistroMD include:
In addition to providing detailed nutrition information for each item on their menu, most meals are also available on online fitness apps.
BistroMD says that they follow a strict shipping schedule, so shipping dates for your meals aren’t able to be customized, but you are given tracking information so you’ll know in advance when to expect your meals.
This service also includes the option for email support from a registered dietitian in addition to free webinars and articles.
Most packaging is recyclable and step-by-step instructions for how to recycle each component can be found on their website.
Factor is a meal subscription service that delivers nutrient-rich, fully prepared meals straight to your door and offers individual support from a registered dietitian, which can help foster health-promoting eating habits to support long-term weight loss (
Each subscription includes a 20-minute consultation with a registered dietitian, while monthly coaching packages are available for an additional fee.
Each week, you can select from a new menu that includes the following options: Chef’s Choice, Keto, Calorie Smart, and Vegan + Vegetarian. You can choose between 4, 6, 8, 12, or 18 meals per week.
Their Calorie Smart option includes meals that are under 550 calories each to help customers stay within their calorie deficit goals.
However, meals may contain anywhere from 350–900 calories per serving, so if you’re looking to maintain a calorie deficit, you may want to pay close attention to the nutrition labels of other individual meals.
Factor meals are also free of refined sugars, genetically modified ingredients, hormones, and antibiotics.
Some of the dishes currently on their menu at the time of publication include:
Detailed nutrition information is available for each item and some meals can also be found on popular nutrition tracking apps, such as MyFitnessPal.
The exact date that meals are delivered depends on your zip code, but the cutoff date to order menu items is by end of day Wednesday to ensure chefs have enough time to prepare your meals.
Shipping is available throughout the contiguous United States and orders are delivered in packaging that is mostly recyclable.
As Factor is one of the highest price options on the market, it may be more difficult to follow long-term compared with other eating plans.
Blue Apron is a popular service that provides nutritious meals that are made with sustainably sourced ingredients, earning it our pick as the best meal kit company on the market.
There are several plans available with 2 or 4 servings each, including vegetarian options featuring seasonal produce.
Each weekly box includes preportioned ingredients and simple recipes so you can prepare fresh and healthy meals at home.
Some of the recipes you may be able to choose from include:
Blue Apron is one of the few delivery services that allows you to choose your own delivery day, and you’re allowed to change your delivery day anytime by going to your account settings.
Additionally, Blue Apron offers “Heat and Eat” meals that include pre-made, microwavable meals for customers who don’t have the time to cook. Unlike other meal delivery services Blue Apron also offers appliances such as knives and aprons along with “pantry staples,” which include a variety of spices.
Those looking to lose weight can use Blue Apron as part of WW (Weight Watchers), a weight loss program that uses a points system.
According to a study that WW funded involving 1,267 people, following a WW diet for 1 year was more effective for weight loss than using self-help materials and brief nutrition counseling sessions (
That said, Blue Apron isn’t as customizable as other meal delivery services and may not be a good fit for those with food sensitivities or specific dietary restrictions.
Over 85% of packaging is recyclable, and in-depth recycling instructions can be found online.
Freshly is a meal delivery service that delivers convenient, prepackaged, nutritious, and ready-to-eat meals.
They offer nutritionally balanced meals prepared using minimally processed, high quality ingredients.
Several plans are available including Signature, Plant, and Freshly Fit. These include low calorie, low carb, plant-based, and gluten-, dairy-, and peanut-free options.
Their Freshly Fit plan specifically offers calorie-portioned, single-serving prepared meals that range between 240 and 480 calories. Many of these meals are relatively low carb, high protein meals.
The plans also vary based on how many meals you’d like, ranging from 4–12 meals per week. Most of the meals offered are single-serving, with a few “multi-serve” options like grilled chicken or gluten-free mac and cheese.
A few of the popular menu items that they offer include:
You can also pick the delivery date that’s more convenient for you, and weekly packages can be skipped or canceled in your account settings.
While some of their meals may contain major food allergens, they’re prepared in a gluten-free-certified facility, and chefs must keep allergen-containing ingredients separated, covered, and labeled.
However, cross-contamination can still happen. Therefore, people with severe allergies should verify with their healthcare professional first to see if their meals would be a good fit.
Meals are delivered in packaging that is recyclable, biodegradable, or reusable.
Sunbasket is a meal plan delivery system that offers both meal kits with preportioned ingredients and easy recipes or prepared meals to just heat and eat. It’s also USDA-certified organic and focuses on using responsibly raised meats and sustainably sourced seafood, which is why it’s our top choice as the best organic meal delivery service.
While consuming organic foods may reduce the risk of chronic disease and adult overweight and obesity, these observations may be due to other factors. So, more research is needed to confirm whether organic food confers more health benefits than conventional options (
If you prefer to eat organic, Sunbasket offers a variety of nutritious dinner options, and the meals can make great lunches, too. It also has a market section featuring nutrient-rich breakfast, lunch, and snack products.
It has multiple weekly menu options, including paleo, vegetarian, pescatarian, low carb, low calorie, Mediterranean, gluten-free, and diabetes-friendly. Meals include detailed nutrition information and some can also be found on nutrition tracking apps.
Sunbasket plans also vary based on how many people you need to feed. Its Fresh & Ready prepared meal plans serve one, while its meal kits can serve 2–4 people, making it a good option for couples and families.
A few examples of items on their menu include:
You can also easily skip or cancel your weekly deliveries as long as you make your changes before their weekly cutoff on Wednesdays.
Orders are delivered using mostly reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging materials.
Territory Foods offers a wide range of chef-prepared meals for a variety of different eating patterns, making it a great choice for those following certain specialty diets.
You can filter their rotating weekly menu to find meals that are suitable for vegan, vegetarian, low carb, Mediterranean, Whole30, keto, and paleo diets.
Territory Foods chefs work in independent kitchens around the country and use locally sourced ingredients as well as humanely-raised poultry, grass-fed beef, and sustainably-sourced seafood.
Meals are available in two portion sizes, including standard and “boost” serving sizes. All meals are free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar. Details on the nutritional content of each meal are available online, along with a breakdown of the macronutrient ratios in each serving.
Some examples of meals on their menu include:
You can order 4–12 meals per delivery and meals are delivered once or twice per week. You can also select additional side dishes, which usually contain 3–4 servings each.
Meal containers are compostable and the rest of the packaging is recyclable to help minimize your environmental impact.
Take a look at how these meal deliveries for weight loss compare:
If you’re looking to lose weight, meal delivery services can be strategic allies for multiple reasons, such as helping with portion control and improving dietary variety.
Portion sizes are directly linked to energy intake, so reducing them is recommended as a weight loss strategy if you’re looking to reach a calorie deficit. Meal delivery services help you with portion control by providing preportioned meals with a fixed and known total calorie and macronutrient content (
In addition, meal delivery services can help improve your diet quality by prioritizing complex carbs, lean proteins, and adding more veggies — and thus fiber — to your days, which promote weight loss by facilitating an energy deficit (
On the one hand, added fiber from complex carbs and veggies helps reduce your caloric intake by increasing feelings of fullness and reducing the digestibility of fats, leading to an increased fecal energy excretion and reduced energy absorption (
On the other hand, proteins help enhance body composition by reducing fat mass while preserving muscle mass. They also increase feelings of fullness by raising the levels of hunger-reducing hormones such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), cholecystokinin (CCK), and peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (PYY), thus reducing your energy intake (
Lastly, research shows that exposure to greater healthful food variety — which is the case with most meal delivery services — can increase the intake of low calorie, energy-dense foods like fruits and vegetables, helping support and sustain weight loss (
Here are 5 healthy and quick tips if you’re looking to manage your weight:
Check out this article for more science-backed tips on losing weight healthily and sustainably.
While you can lose weight without using a meal delivery service, many people find that they can be an easy and convenient way to enjoy more nutritious meals at home.
Additionally, meal delivery services help promote portion control and often offer meals low in calories or high in protein designed to support weight loss.
Weight loss is achieved by reaching and maintaining a calorie deficit. Yet, because caloric needs are influenced by physical activity, height, and age, among other factors, one person’s calorie deficit can differ significantly from another person’s (
HelloFresh offers six different plans, including a lower calorie option called Calorie Smart, which provides meals under 650 calories per serving.
Consuming 650 calories per meal can easily fit into a calorie deficit. If it doesn’t match yours, you could always plan around the rest of your daily meals to avoid a calorie surplus.
That said, weight loss is not guaranteed.
WW (Weight Watchers) is a weight loss program that uses a point system to promote a calorie deficit by encouraging nutrient-rich eating choices.
While it provides over 11,500 meal ideas and recipes, it is not a meal delivery system and thus, it does not deliver foods.
However, most meal delivery systems, such as Blue Apron, can be used as part of WW. Alternatively, you can always keep track of your meals on the WW app, which helps convert your food intake into program points.
Take a look at this review to learn more about the new Weight Watchers program: myWW+.
Blue Apron is a great option if you’re using WW, as all of the meals on their Wellness menu are WW-approved.
However, many other meal delivery services also offer low calorie, nutritious meals that can fit into weight loss programs like WW. Some other options include Purple Carrot, Sunbasket, and BistroMD.
Noom is a weight loss app that, like WW, encourages eating low calorie, nutrient-dense foods to achieve a calorie deficit.
It calculates your calorie budget depending on a series of questions and your specific weight loss goal. It also color-codes foods depending on their nutritional profile to encourage nutrient-dense food choices. You just need to track your food intake and avoid going over your calorie budget.
Therefore, if you stick to your recommended calorie deficit, you will most likely lose weight. In fact, a study involving 35,921 Noom app users with obesity and overweight found that 77.9% of users reported a reduction in body weight while using the app (
However, calorie tracking is not for everyone, and the Noom membership is at a higher price point.
Head to this Noom diet review if you want to know more about the diet.
There are many meal delivery services available that can help you reach your weight loss goals — each of which varies in price, flexibility, and effectiveness.
They also vary by the amount of time and preparation they require, with some offering fully prepared meals and others providing recipes and preportioned ingredients to allow you to make your own nutritious meals at home.
With a bit of research and experimentation, you can likely find a plan that works for you.
Last medically reviewed on July 29, 2022
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