Meal kit versus prepared meals
Prepared meals are ready to heat and eat.
Home ChefThe two basic types of meal delivery services are meal kits where you cook the food yourself with ingredients provided in one simple package there are also prepared meal delivery services that send ready-to-heat and-eat meals with no cooking involved.
Most prepared meal delivery services make food that’s easy to freeze so you won’t have to eat them right away. Meal kits on the other hand should be cooked within the week or leafy greens and other fresh ingredients may turn on you.
Buying individually prepared meals for the family might sound easy, but it would also be expensive since prepared single-serve meals typically start at $12 and go up from there. On balance, meal kits are the more budget-friendly option with some services starting at $6 a serving but most ranging between $8 and $10.
Tastes and preferences
Some meal kit and prepared meal services take a more-is-more approach with cuisine types and total recipes, which might be helpful for families with picky eaters.
Screenshot by David Watsky/CNETAll the services on this list offer a slew of kid-friendly meals In their weekly menu but some have more options and more ways to tailor meal kits to suit picky eaters. HelloFresh has the most menu options of any service we tried so if your crew has particular tastes, you may want to opt for that one.
Cost and value
EveryPlate is my favorite budget meal kit. The food is simple, delicious and easy to prepare.
Screenshot by David Watsky/CNETIf you are planning to use a meal delivery service as a long-term fix for feeding the family, consider the overall cost before signing up. Plans start at around $5 or $6 per serving, but some meal kit services cost upwards of $15 which may be a budget buster for a family of four or five. Most services also charge a shipping fee of around $10 per box.
Blue Apron is right In the Sweet Spot with family plans starting at 8 bucks a serving and a menu of high-quality recipes to please both kids and adults. EveryPlate is the cheapest meal kit at $6 per serving. For prepared meals, Daily Harvest and Mosaic Foods (both plant-based) have family meals that net out to around $5 a serving.
Add-ons and extras
Hungryroot and HelloFresh are the best picks if you're looking for a market of add-ons to tack on to a weekly order.
HungryrootMeal kit service can help with your weekly grocery shopping but may not be a full replacement for a family of four or five. Services such as HelloFresh and Hungryroot have loads of extras and add-ons including snacks desserts pantry items and even frozen meals to supplement your meal kits