This Is the Best Meal Delivery Service Now That Fresh N Lean Is Gone

CookUnity

Score Breakdown

Freshness 9/10Taste/results 9/10Value 8/10Recipe variety 10/10Healthiness 8/10

Pros

• Meals were all prepared well and tasted either good or better (no duds!)
• Enormous selection of diverse meals to choose from
• Lots of options for folks on a special diet including plant-based, keto, Whole30 and more

Cons

• Expensive unless you order more than 6 meals per week
• Some portions were on the small side
• Extra $10 for shipping

When Fresh N Lean went under in July, it triggered a seismic shift in the prepared meal hierarchy. Fresh N Lean was our favorite prepared meal service for a few years running, but some apparent murky financial backing forced the healthy subscription service to shutter suddenly.

Fear not, hungry readers looking for delicious meals to stock the fridge with, a viable number two has been waiting in the wings and CookUnity ascends to the throne as the new best prepared meal delivery service for 2024

Having tried dozens of prepared meal delivery services available -- and having liked quite a few of them -- I decided to give CookUnity a go last year. As you might expect from a service with recipes sourced from a lineup of chefs, each with unique culinary backgrounds, CookUnity meals, which start at about $11 a serving, were equally diverse. 

Overall, I found the quality of CookUnity meals extremely high and the ordering platform easy to use. It's one of the tastiest subscriptions I've tried and earns a place on this editor's list of best meal delivery services for 2024.

Here's a run-down of how CookUnity works and what I liked and didn't like about it. CookUnity is currently available in most of the continental US, including all areas and zip codes highlighted on this map.

How CookUnity works

This is a meal subscription service, so you'll choose either four, six, eight, 12 or 16. You can always add, pause or skip deliveries easily or change your plan at any time but remember that meals will keep coming if you don't and you'll be charged for them. Meals are delivered chilled with ice to keep them that way but never frozen. Most can be easily frozen if you can't get to them by the date recommended on the side of the box, but I'd contend some will freeze better than others.

Each of CookUnity's ready-to-eat meals has a chef's name attached to it; the inference being that the chef has created the recipe you're eating at your dining table or over the kitchen counter. Among some newer names, there are heavy hitters available for order, including Einat Admony (Taïm, Balaboosta), John DeLucie (Waverly Inn, Lumaca) and Jean-Georges Vongerichten (Jean-Georges).

You can pick your meals each week from a rotating menu of over 150 meals or let CookUnity decide for you and be surprised when you tear open the box. When picking meals, you can sort via filters for specific diet plans, including vegan and vegetarian, keto, low-calorie, Whole30-friendly, gluten-free and many more. You can also see the complete nutritional information and ingredient list as well as reviews from others before you put something in your cart.

CookUnity will choose an initial delivery day but you can change that if needed and also schedule within a certain window to ensure someone is home to pop those meals in the fridge. 

When the meals arrive they come with simple heating instructions on the side of the box, often with both a chef's recommendation and a quick-heat option -- which generally means using the microwave. Spoiler alert: You're going to want to follow the chef's recommendation even if it means having to spritz a nonstick skillet after or use a small piece of aluminum foil. 

What I ate and how I liked it

I chose six meals and tried them all fresh within a few days of arrival. None of them seemed like particularly good candidates for freezing, unlike some other services I tried, some of which seem tailored for that. Overall, I found the quality very high and, while some were better than others, I didn't dislike any of them. 

Chicken tinga tacos with cilantro and guacamole: The pulled chicken that came in these tacos was incredibly tender and full of smoky, slightly spicy flavor. The corn tortillas were not the freshest but they didn't spoil the meal entirely. 

Vegetarian crepe with cheddar cheese: This was another good one with spinach and mushroom bursting from the flaky crepe. It could have used a little bit more flavor and was a tad soggy when reheated but altogether was a pleasant lunch, and it was plenty filling too.

Lamb kebab with roasted sweet potatoes, hummus and pickles: Super tender lamb jam-packed with flavors, including mint and garlic. The sweet potatoes were also cooked extremely well, having just begun to brown around the edges. This may have been my favorite and it heated particularly well as the oils from the lamb reroasted the kebab from the inside out. 

Tofu with hemp seeds and sweet potato puree: The tofu was tender if not a little bland and the sweet potatoes were creamy and nicely seasoned. It was served with a bright parsley sauce which may have been the best part.

Miso cod with sauteed vegetables: The cod tasted fresh although the veggies left something to be desired -- a tad boring I suppose. This was definitely a smaller portion than the rest, good for someone trying to cut carbs or calories but wasn't enough to fill me up.

Beef bulgogi ramen: Solid dish with the noodles properly cooked and lots of tart kimchi flavor infused into the tender beef stir fry. Not the best bulgogi I've had by any stretch, but not the worst, either. 

How much does CookUnity cost? 

This service is on par with other high-end meal delivery services with meals ranging between $11 and $13 depending on how many meals per week you order. Others in the same category, including some of our top picks like Pete's Paleo are more expensive at $12-$15 per meal. There are cheaper options, however, including Mosaic Foods, which can be had for as little as $6 per serving when you order family meals.

What's the shipping cost for CookUnity?

You'll pay a $10 flat rate for all orders through CookUnity. That's fairly standard, although some services such as Fresh N Lean will wave the fee if you order enough meals.

Who is CookUnity good for?

Because this meal delivery outfit has such a wide range of options, I'd say this service is one of the best for someone with a curious palate and who likes to try new dishes. The food is all over the map, quite literally, with dozens of world foods represented, but there is consistency in quality and all of the dishes I tried were at least solid or better. 

There are plenty of healthy, low-carb, vegan and paleo options so this is a good meal delivery service if you're trying to stick to a specific eating plan.

CookUnity is also a great option if you're big into the celebrity chef scene and want to brag to your friends that you had Jean-Georges' pizza for dinner last night. And yes, the French-born, James Beard Award-winning chef actually has a pizza recipe on the CookUnity menu. Go figure.

Who is CookUnity not as good for?

It's probably not a great choice for families since the portions aren't huge and things would get expensive if you were ordering for three or four people. It's also not ideal if you have a very unpredictable schedule because I wouldn't consider the freshly prepared food to be great for freezing and it is definitely best consumed a few days after delivery.

Final verdict on CookUnity

I'll admit I was pleasantly surprised by the high hit rate of this meal service. When I saw how many literal cooks were in the kitchen by way of the dozens of chefs they've culled recipes from, I was worried the service itself would be inconsistent. But in practice, each meal was well prepared with good flavor and I didn't encounter a single real dud. The cod was the only meal I'd wished had been a larger portion but overall each lunch or dinner was satisfying. 

The most exciting thing about CookUnity is the sheer volume of meal options you can choose from, all originating from chefs of different backgrounds, culinary styles and levels of fame. As a bona fide restaurant junkie, I would think of CookUnity not only as a tasty way to keep myself fed without having to cook but also as a fun way to learn about new chef personalities and restaurants for the next time I'm traveling to a new city or looking for a place to dine out locally.

Since you can pause or cancel the subscription at any time, I say give a try and see how you like it. 

The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.