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When you work full-time hours, it can be challenging to find the time to scout out recipes, go to the grocery store for ingredients, then prepare fresh, healthy meals. And when you factor in time at the gym, your valuable meal prep time becomes all the more tenuous. And yet, whether you're a weekday runner or a full-on triathlete, adequate meal planning is essential for maintaining your physical fitness.
That's where meal planning services (and meal planning apps) come in. These services provide you with the recipes and shopping lists you need to expedite meal prep. And because they guide you through the shopping experience, they can help you save money by reducing waste. Meal planning services can also create options tailored to your athletic goals or dietary preferences. The question is, what's the best meal-planning service? The ACTIVE Reviews Team has compiled a list of recommendations.
The Best Meal Planning Service - Our Top Picks
- Best Overall Meal Planning Services: HelloFresh
- Best Budget Meal Planning Service: Dinnerly
- Best Vegan Meal Planning Service: Hungryroot
- Best Meal Planning Service for Weight Loss: Personal Trainer Food
- Best Variety Meal Planning Service: Thrive Market
- Best Customizable Meal Planning Service: Sunbasket
- Best Meal Planning Service for Families: SideChef
- Best Simple Meal Planning Service: Green Chef
Why Trust Us?
ACTIVE.com's editorial team relies on the knowledge and experience of fitness and wellness experts including competitive athletes, coaches, physical therapists, nutritionists, and certified trainers. This helps us ensure the products we feature are of the highest standard. Collectively, the team has spent countless hours researching equipment, gear, and recovery tools in order to create the most accurate, authentic content for our readers. Customer satisfaction is also a key part of our review process, which is why we only feature products that are highly rated.
Best Overall Meal Planning Service - HelloFresh
SPECS
- Best for: Anyone who wants simple, delicious meals made with fresh ingredients, delivered to their door pre-planned and ready for assembly.
What We Like
- By sending recipes and ingredients right to your door, HelloFresh is incredibly convenient
- You'll save tons of time by not having to visit the supermarket
- The meals are flavorful, varied, and easy to prepare
- Vegetarian, pescetarian, and low-cal options available
What We Don't Like
- Higher price point
- No keto, paleo, or vegan options (yet)
BUY: HelloFresh
Best Budget Meal Planning Service - Dinnerly
SPECS
- Best for: Anyone looking for meal delivery kits that don't break the bank.
Like HelloFresh, Dinnerly is a meal delivery kit, that supplies you with the recipes and ingredients you need to craft delicious home dinners. The difference is that Dinnerly is expressly known for its affordability, making it our top pick for the most affordable meal-planning service. You can enjoy fresh, healthy, and delicious meals for just under $5 per person, a pretty good rate no matter your point of comparison. The recipes are made to be easy and low-effort, and they include family favorites that should appeal to even the pickiest eaters (e.g., your kids).
What We Like
- More modest price point
- The meals involve minimal time commitment
- The recipes are varied, flavorful, and broadly appealing
What We Don't Like
- Dinnerly doesn't furnish everything; you'll need to supplement with a few items from your own pantry
- For more experienced home cooks, these recipes will seem very simplistic
BUY: Dinnerly
Best Vegan Meal Planning Service - Hungryroot
SPECS
- Best for: Vegans, or anyone hoping to adopt a more plant-based diet.
Hungryroot is another service that delivers everything you need for fresh and delicious home meals: recipes, ingredients, and an easy-to-use app interface. The big selling point here is an incredibly high level of customization. An initial quiz allows you to zero in on your dietary preferences and lifestyle needs, making it a cinch to opt in for all-vegan, pescetarian, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, egg-free, or shellfish-free meals. An excellent option for vegans and aspiring vegans, but also for anyone looking to navigate tricky food allergies. If you want to know even more, read our full Hungryroot review.
What We Like
- Very high level of personalization
- Excellent for those looking to navigate food allergies
- Most meals take just around 10 minutes to prepare
What We Don't Like
- Not all of the ingredients are organic
- Some of the meals may taste a bit like "diet" foods
BUY: Hungryroot
Best Meal Planning Service for Weight Loss - Personal Trainer Food
SPECS
- Best for: Those seeking to lose weight via sound nutrition.
What if you could talk to your personal trainer every day, receiving guidance, advice, and even recipe ideas to help you lose weight? Personal Trainer Food offers something pretty close to that: Each subscription box comes with weeks' worth of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners, all developed by trainers with the intent of helping you shed some pounds. With full portions and fresh, vibrant recipes, this is a pretty easy way to improve your dietary habits.
What We Like
- Very convenient
- Tailored toward weight loss and general wellness
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner items included
What We Don't Like
- Higher price point
- Some of the meals may taste a bit like "diet" foods
Best Variety Meal Planning Service - Thrive Market
SPECS
- Best for: Those who want a variety of organic foods delivered to their door each week.
Thrive Market provides a wide selection of foods, including affordable organics, that can be filtered according to lifestyle: Choose low sugar, whole30, keto, or whatever else. You can even get eco-friendly cleaning products! We should note, however, that Thrive Market is really just a great online grocery store; when it comes to developing recipes and portioning your ingredients, you'll have to do the work yourself.
What We Like
- Huge variety of organic items
- Affordable prices
- Lots of ways to filter by lifestyle or preference
What We Don't Like
- You'll have to come up with your own recipes
- Membership required
BUY: Thrive Market
Best Customizable Meal Planning Service - Sunbasket
SPECS
- Best for: Home cooks looking for personalized meals made from farm-fresh ingredients.
Sunbasket delivers meal kits assembled from farm-fresh, organic ingredients, creating still another easy way to eat well every night of the week. The draw here, beyond ingredient quality, is the high level of individualization: Choose meals and extras, sort by level of prep time, and ensure meals that you and your family will actually like. And the number of dietary filters is sky-high: Opt for paleo, vegetarian, gluten-free, low-carb, etc.
What We Like
- Great quality of ingredients
- Some meals can be prepared in as little as 5 minutes
- Tons of customization
What We Don't Like
- Higher price point (at least $10 per serving)
- You'll also need to pay for shipping
Best Meal Planning Service for Families - SideChef
SPECS
- Best for: People cooking for whole families.
Looking for a meal planning service that's widely appealing and reasonably kid-friendly? SideChef is a great pick, loaded up with staples that the whole family can enjoy. There's no better option for easy, convenient, and high-quality meals that won't cause too much of a ruckus with your little ones.
What We Like
- Lots of widely appealing options
- Focus on fresh ingredients
- New, seasonal selections added frequently
What We Don't Like
- Not everything is super healthy
- Price point can vary quite a bit from meal to meal
Best Simple Meal Planning Service - Green Chef
SPECS
- Best for: Anyone who wants clean, healthy meals without a lot of fuss.
Green Chef provides healthy and organic meal kit deliveries, but more than that, it offers simplicity. Simply mix and match between a predetermined recipe list, which you can filter by dietary preference, and select the menu items you want to make. That's more or less all there is to it, making Green Chef a great choice for the busiest among us who still want to eat right.
What We Like
- Emphasis on healthy and organic ingredients
- Incredibly simple to use
- Filter by dietary preference
What We Don't Like
- Higher price point
- Not quite as much variety as other meal planning services
How to Choose the Best Meal Planning Service
In seeking the best meal-planning service, there are a few factors to consider.
Dietary Restrictions
One of the most important things to look for in a meal-planning service is customization. When you sign up for the service, there should be an easy way to personalize your meals and to make certain that they comply with any dietary restrictions you or your family might have. For example, you may need meals that are dairy-free, gluten-free, or plant-based.
Food Preferences
Similarly, being able to customize food preferences is a must. You may not have a specific dietary restriction, but as an athlete, you may prefer dishes that avoid pastas and other rich carbs. Or you may just dislike certain ingredients, whether that's fish, Brussels sprouts, or certain spices.
Cost per Meal
While meal planning services typically aren't cheap, they can ultimately help you save money by reducing food waste and cutting back on your eating-out habits. Additionally, by calculating the cost per meal, you can determine the most budget-friendly meal-planning service.
FAQs About Meal Planning Services
Are meal planning services worth it?
Meal planning services make it easy to enjoy fresh, healthy meals each day while reducing your food waste and also minimizing the money you spend eating out. They can be effective in helping you reach your fitness goals, but also effective in helping you control your food budget.
Which meal planning service is the easiest?
For simplicity, we recommend Green Chef. For overall ease of use, HelloFresh is our top option.
How do I make my own meal plan?
There are plenty of DIY methods for home meal planning, but the easiest option is usually just to get out a calendar and a recipe book, mark a meal down for each day, and compile an accompanying shopping list.
About the Author
Josh is a journalist and writer whose work has appeared in magazines and local newspapers such as Christianity Today, IMAGE Journal, Relevant Magazine, FLOOD, The Nashville Scene, True Tunes, Rise Up Daily, and Looking Closer with Jeffrey Overstreet. Josh is an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast.
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