Easy Healthy Meals | Best Grocery Delivery Services | Best Snack Subscription Boxes | Best Meal Delivery Service for Weight Loss | Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services | Best Keto Meal Delivery Services | Best Healthy Meal Delivery Services | Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Services | Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Services | Best Coffee Subscription Services
Plant-based diets have become increasingly trendy in recent years. Eating a plant-based diet offers many benefits, including improving overall diet quality, promoting heart health, enhancing gut health, and decreasing blood sugar. Additionally, a more plant-based diet may provide some advantages, specifically for regular exercisers and runners.
As interest in plant-based diets has grown, grocery store offerings and plant-based meal delivery services have expanded to fill the demand for more plant-focused options. In this roundup of the best plant-based meal delivery services, we'll cover what a plant-based diet is, the benefits of plant-based eating, and what to look for in a meal delivery service.
Why Trust Us?
The health and safety of ACTIVE's readers is of the utmost importance to us. To ensure your well-being when consuming food products, the ACTIVE.com editorial team prioritizes products that rank high in nutritional value. We've consulted with a team of nutritionists and dietitians to ensure the products we feature are of the highest standard. This helps us create the most accurate, authentic review content for our readers.
Disclaimer: Always make sure to consult with your doctor before starting a new diet. Any weight lost that totals more than 1 pound per week over a long period of time is unusual and should be monitored by a doctor.
The Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Services - Our Top Picks
By clicking on the product links in this article, we may receive a commission fee at no cost to you, the reader. Sponsorships and affiliate commissions help support our research so we can help you find the best products. Read our full affiliate disclosure here.
- Best Overall Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service: Freshly
- Best Budget Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service: SideChef
- Best Organic Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service: Fresh N Lean
- Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service for Variety: Splendid Spoon
- Best Gluten-Free Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service: Green Chef
- Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service for Families: Mosaic Foods
Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet
The definition of a plant-based diet is flexible. To some, “plant based” means that you avoid all animal products and practice veganism. To others, it means focusing on a plant-forward diet by including more whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds but not necessarily eliminating all animal products.
Increasing your plant intake will likely decrease your overall intake of animal products significantly. There are potential benefits to any plant-based diet approach because it typically includes more plants than a person was previously eating.
The potential benefits of a plant-based diet include the following:
- Naturally increases your intake of vitamins and minerals from food sources
- May lower blood sugar to a healthier level
- May help control blood pressure
- May decrease the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke
- Will likely increase your fiber intake, which enhances gut health and may help lower cholesterol
- May help you maintain a healthier weight
- Has potential environmental benefits
How to Choose the Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service
Consider the following factors when researching various plant-based meal delivery services:
Quality of Food
Think about the types of ingredients you'd like to have delivered.
- Do you want all organic ingredients?
- Does it matter if the items are non-GMO?
- Do you have special considerations, such as following a gluten-free diet?
- Do you need special options for food allergies?
- Are you an adventurous eater or a picky eater?
- Do you need meals for every time of day, or just lunch or dinner?
Amount of Preparation Required
Plant-based meal delivery services come in several styles, and the effort required to prepare the foods varies widely. Some services deliver meals that are already prepared and ready to reheat in a few minutes. Others give you a meal plan, recipes, and all the prepped ingredients, but you still have to assemble and cook the meals. Still other give you the meal plan, recipes, and grocery delivery, but you have to do the prep work and cook the food.
Menu Diversity
Consider how much flavor and ingredient variety the meals have and if the company provides meals for different times of day, weather, and seasons. Review how often the meal options change and if you can skip meals you didn't like in a previous delivery. If you still plan to eat some animal products, you may want to choose a meal delivery service that has some plans that incorporate meat or dairy.
Location
Not all plant-based meal delivery services deliver everywhere in the United States. Check into delivery areas before going too far into the sign-up process to make sure the service is available in your city.
Best Overall Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service - Freshly
SPECS
- Servings per meal: 1
- Meals per week: 4-12 meal packages
- Menu options: Gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free, low-calorie, and carb-conscious
- Location: Delivers to all of the continental U.S.
Freshly aims for three main goals with their meals: less sugar (average of 8 grams per meal), fewer processed foods, and more nutrients (veggies in every meal). Some gluten-free options are available, and the meals contain no artificial flavors or chemical preservatives. Most meals average 500 calories and 30 grams of protein.
Many typical meal kits require you to chop ingredients and cook the recipe, but Freshly meals come already cooked. You can reheat them in three minutes, and the portions are designed for one person.
Meals are delivered weekly, but users can pause or change the plan to reduce or increase the number of meals they receive per week. Reviews on the company's website highlight the convenience of the meals while still being healthy and delicious.
Not all Freshly meals are vegetarian or plant-based, but you can easily filter for your dietary preferences to find the foods that work for you.
What We Like
- Freshly has a convenient model for people who don't enjoy cooking or don't have time to cook every meal. The meals require only reheating and are ready to eat in 3 minutes.
- You customize for the meals you want each week and can easily filter your dietary preferences
What We Don't Like
- Some of the meals are as low as 350 calories. The low-calorie meal options would likely leave most adults feeling hungry without adding side dishes
- Some multi-serving portions of proteins and sides are available, but this concept likely works better for small families or people eating on their own
BUY: Freshly
Best Budget Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service - SideChef
SPECS
- Servings per meal: Customizable, from 1-16
- Meals per week: No limit
- Menu options: Vast numbers of recipes available for every meal plus snacks, and desserts
- Location: Delivers anywhere in the United States
SideChef is not a meal kit delivery service. It's a recipe service that builds a grocery list for you based on the recipes you choose. You can personalize your meal plans, and there's a budget-friendly filter for meals under $3 per serving, with some meals coming in as low as $1.11.
SideChef automatically integrates with a grocery store (usually a Walmart) near you, and you can either pick up your groceries or get home delivery if it’s available in your area. You can also change the store location if you'd rather use a different store than the one the website first suggests.
SideChef has a premium app that costs $4.99 per month, but you don't have to have a subscription to use the recipes or the service. Many diet options are available: vegan, pescatarian, vegetarian, low carb, keto, and paleo.
What We Like
- A wide variety of recipes is available
- Automatically builds a grocery order for you from a local store based on the ingredients you need for each recipe
What We Don't Like
- SideChef doesn't condense ingredients or consider what you might already have on hand. Since you're ordering groceries for each meal, you'll likely have many leftover ingredients
- Saves a lot of time on grocery shopping and meal planning, but you still have to do all the prep work and cooking
BUY: SideChef
Best Organic Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service - Fresh N Lean
SPECS
- Servings per meal: 1
- Meals per week: Customizable, 1-3 meals per day for 5-7 days
- Menu options: Keto, plant-based, paleo, low-carb, protein-rich, Whole30
- Locations: Ships to anywhere in the U.S.
Fresh N Lean is excellent for people who prefer organic meal deliveries since all its meals are 100 percent organic. They’re also gluten-free, non-GMO, and contain no artificial ingredients.
This service has options for vegan, paleo, protein-rich, ketogenic, and low-carb meals. The meals are delivered already prepared, but fresh and not frozen. The menus are chef-designed and change weekly.
For meal plan orders, they choose the meals for you, though you can select up to three ingredients you don't like. You can skip the meal plan order and choose your meals a la carte if you wish.
What We Like
- All items are organic and gluten-free, so you don't have to filter meals to find organic or gluten-free options
- Offers many different types of meal plans and options for every meal, plus some snacks
What We Don't Like
- You don't get to select which specific meals you want if you're ordering a meal plan. They send you whichever menu they planned for the week with your diet preferences addressed (allergies, up to 3 foods you don't like)
BUY: Fresh N Lean
Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service for Variety - Splendid Spoon
SPECS
- Servings per meal: 1
- Meals per week: Varies, from 5 smoothies to a package of smoothies, bowls, noodle bowls, and juices for a reset
- Menu options: Smoothies, soups, grain bowls, noodle bowls, juices, juice shots
- Locations: Ships anywhere in the continental United States
The Splendid Spoon delivery service will work well for vegans who have special dietary restrictions, as 100 percent of the options are vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, non-GMO, and low in sugar and sodium. The company offers 50 ready-to-eat meals including various breakfasts, lunches, dinners, smoothies, and reset juices.
Subscribers can choose to receive meals weekly, every other week, or once a month. After checkout, you can customize your order for the meals or options you'd like. You can also set up your accounts to avoid certain ingredients or flavors.
What We Like
- Variety of creative flavors in all meals and smoothies
- You can choose between different packages and vary the type of bundles you'd like to receive for each order
What We Don't Like
- Most foods come in a bowl form and seem to have a soft texture: soup, grain bowls, noodle bowls, and smoothies.
BUY: Splendid Spoon
Best Gluten-Free Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service - Green Chef
SPECS
- Servings per meal: 2-6
- Meals per week: 3-4
- Menu options: Keto and paleo, vegetarian, Mediterranean, fast and fit, vegan, gluten-free
- Location: Ships anywhere in the continental United States
This meal box requires you to cook the meals, but the ingredients come prepped and measured, with prepared sauces and spice blends. The meals are estimated to be ready in about 30 minutes, though some reviews suggest it may take additional time for more involved recipes.
Though not all meals are gluten-free, Green Chef has an easy-to-use filter to help with any diet restrictions. All of the food is organic and uses sustainably sourced ingredients that are non-GMO and free of pesticides and antibiotics.
What We Like
- Easy to filter out meal options for specific diets and diet combinations, such as gluten-free, or gluten-free and vegan
- Meals change on a weekly basis and offer a good variety of options, such as pasta, wraps, quesadillas, and bowls
What We Don't Like
- You still have to cook the meal, but all of the ingredients are measured and prepped
BUY: Green Chef
Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service for Families - Mosaic Foods
SPECS
- Servings per meal: 1-4
- Meals per week: 6-18 items per box (4-serving meals count as 1 item)
- Menu options: Veggie bowls, pizzas, smoothies, soups, oat bowls
- Location: Ships to major metro areas in the United States
The mission of Mosaic is "to put good food on every table." Meals from Mosaic use fresh vegetables, fruits, and whole grains sourced from farms and distributors around the Hudson Valley. They sell individual meals or four-serving family-style meals ready to be baked. All meals come frozen and are supposed to take only five minutes to prepare.
The menu filters let you single out vegetarian, vegan, nut-free, high-protein, or wheat-free meals. All options are 100 percent vegetarian, and many are vegan. Various cuisines inspire the menu, and there are options for every meal, plus snacks.
What We Like
- All meal options are vegetarian, and you can easily find the fully vegan options using the filter
- Vegetable-focused meals with ingredients sourced locally in the Hudson Valley
- Sustainability focus: Almost all of the packaging in the Mosaic food boxes is recyclable, and they use dry ice instead of gel ice packs for shipping.
What We Don't Like
- Mosaic may not be the best choice for picky eaters, as the meals are creative and inspired by many different flavors and cuisines
BUY: Mosaic Foods
FAQs About Plant-Based Meal Delivery
Who should try a plant-based diet?
Most people would benefit from eating a plant-based diet. If you're interested in eating more plants or would like to improve your overall health, it could be beneficial to try a plant-based diet. Start slowly by incorporating more plant foods into your regular diet, such as beans, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. To go further, substitute a plant-based dairy for regular cow's milk, and start experimenting with plant-based proteins, such as tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils, or packaged plant-based meat options.
Are plant-based meal delivery services worth it?
Yes, plant-based meal delivery services may be worth trying, especially if you'd like to eat healthier food at home and less takeout. They're a great choice for people who are interested in eating more plant foods but don't know where to start or don't have time to plan meals. Some of the brands are more expensive than others, and some create more packaging waste than others, so you may have to try a few to find one that is the best fit for you.
Can you eat cheese on a plant-based diet?
Plant-based diets take different forms and can include eating a small amount of animal products. Some people want to eat a more plant-based diet but are still comfortable with cheese made from cow's milk. For those who prefer to avoid all animal products, there are many brands of vegan cheeses available now. Look in the refrigerator section at most large grocery stores or supermarkets, and you should see a wide variety of vegan cheeses from brands such as Daiya, Field Roast, and Kite-Hill.
Easy Healthy Meals | Best Grocery Delivery Services | Best Snack Subscription Boxes | Best Meal Delivery Service for Weight Loss | Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services | Best Keto Meal Delivery Services | Best Healthy Meal Delivery Services | Best Vegetarian Meal Delivery Services | Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Services | Best Coffee Subscription Services
Discuss This Article