Looking for the Cheapest Meal Delivery Service can feel like navigating a maze. Websites often highlight enticing per-serving prices, but deciphering what that truly means can be frustratingly unclear. What exactly constitutes a “serving”? Portion sizes differ wildly between services. And those advertised low prices? They can fluctuate depending on how many meals you commit to ordering each week. If your online search led you here because you’re on the hunt for affordable meal kits, you’re likely short on time and need a quick solution to sort through the overwhelming number of options, separating the genuinely worthwhile from the ones that fall short.
According to Bon Appétit editors, the best affordable meal kits are:
The truth is, the meal kit market is saturated, which ironically means even some premium services are vying for your attention with competitive pricing. However, simply opting for the absolute cheapest meal delivery service might backfire if it compromises on quality or selection.
You’ve landed in the right place, though. It’s our job to test these services rigorously and share our findings. The editors, writers, and recipe developers at Bon Appétit extensively test meal kits, and we’ve accumulated considerable insights—and receipts! Those initial promotional offers you see plastered across social media don’t always reflect the long-term cost after your first few boxes.
The truly best and most affordable meal kits remain cheaper than takeout even after those initial discounts expire. Plus, they accommodate a range of dietary needs and preferences. So, if you’re following a specific diet or simply want convenient, healthy meals at home without breaking the bank on an expensive meal kit, continue reading. We’ll guide you through the cheapest meal delivery services that Bon Appétit editors genuinely recommend.
In this guide:
How We Evaluated Affordable Meal Delivery Services
Our Top Recommendations for Budget Meal Kits
How We Selected the Most Affordable Meal Delivery Services
Our team of editors and contributors constantly orders and cooks meals from a diverse selection of meal kits and prepared meals in our own kitchens. This hands-on approach ensures our primary guide to the best meal delivery services remains current and reliable. When assessing these services, our testers consider several key factors: the variety of menus and dietary options, the quality of ingredients upon arrival, portion sizes, the clarity of recipe instructions, overall value for money, and, of course, the taste of the meals.
For this focused list of the cheapest meal delivery services, I analyzed the average per-serving price of our top-rated best meal kits. I then narrowed it down to services consistently offering options at $10 or less per serving.
But the evaluation didn’t stop at advertised prices.
Beyond my personal experience with these meal kits and the ongoing rigorous testing by my colleagues, I personally signed up or reactivated accounts with each service. This allowed me to understand the real costs involved. If a service advertised meals at $8.99, but I couldn’t replicate that price in a standard order, they weren’t included on this list. For example, with Blue Apron, achieving a per-serving price below $9.99 necessitates ordering at least four meal kits per week for two or four people – a commitment that feels quite substantial.
I also excluded services that only dipped below the $10 per serving mark during initial promotional periods. Many brands lure in new customers with significant discounts or free meals on the first order, or a percentage off the first few boxes. GreenChef, for instance, currently offers a 50% discount on the first box for new customers, bringing the per-serving price down to $5.99, followed by 20% off the next eight boxes. However, after the promotional period ends, the price jumps to $11.99 per serving. For this guide, I focused solely on kits with consistently low prices, ensuring long-term affordability.
Lowest Price Per Serving: EveryPlate
If your priority is budget-friendly meal kits that offer satisfying portions, and you have flexible dietary needs, EveryPlate stands out as an excellent choice.
EveryPlate boasts an average cost of just $5.99 per serving, making it a leading contender for the most affordable, yet genuinely good meal delivery service available. Despite its budget-friendly nature, it offers a respectable variety with 27 family-oriented weekly meal options. Expect dishes like chicken sausage and kale soup, griddled onion burgers, ponzu chili steak bowl, sweet and spicy ponzu pork meatballs, and curry in a hurry chickpea flatbreads. The recipes are designed to be quick and easy to prepare, perfect for weeknight dinners.
Pros: Highly affordable, quick and simple recipes, generous portions.
Cons: Limited menu variety compared to pricier services, less accommodating to specific dietary restrictions.
Best for: Busy individuals, couples, and budget-conscious families who are not constrained by strict dietary needs and appreciate straightforward, satisfying meals.
Like the majority of meal delivery services, EveryPlate’s standard order is designed for two servings per meal. While they do offer a plan marketed as “meal kits for one,” it’s essentially the two-serving plan with the suggestion to enjoy the second portion as leftovers. This can be a practical way to handle lunches or have a ready-made meal for the next day.
EveryPlate also provides a selection of add-ons, including proteins like steak, ground beef, bacon, and salmon, along with vegetable sides such as broccoli and sweet potatoes. You can further supplement your order with rice, pasta, soups, sauces, and salad kits, and even a limited dessert selection for an occasional treat.
While EveryPlate doesn’t cater to specialized diets, they do provide detailed allergen and nutritional information for each recipe. This transparency allows you to review the ingredients of each kit before finalizing your weekly order, ensuring it aligns with your personal needs and preferences. Recipe cards are conveniently included in each insulated box and are also accessible online for easy reference.
EveryPlate Discount Programs
To make it even more affordable, EveryPlate offers a student discount providing 75% off the first box and 15% off subsequent boxes for a year. The same generous discount structure is extended through their “hero discount” program, available to verified medical professionals, first responders, active military personnel, and veterans, recognizing their valuable contributions.
Best for Intermediate Cooks: Dinnerly
Dinnerly is the more affordable sibling brand to Marley Spoon. While Marley Spoon meals average around $10.99 per serving, Dinnerly brings the price down to just $7.99. Choosing their “saver” recipes can even further reduce the cost, making it a compelling option for those seeking a cheap meal delivery service.
While Dinnerly doesn’t have Martha Stewart’s endorsement like its sister brand, they promise each meal can be prepared in five steps or less. However, as my colleague Wilder Davies and I noted in our review of Marley Spoon, those “five steps” can sometimes encompass several smaller tasks. Nonetheless, Dinnerly aims for simplicity in the kitchen.
Each week, Dinnerly’s menu features 28 standard dinner options, including meals like sofrito tofu tacos, keto-friendly chipotle tilapia with roasted broccoli and lime, brown butter steak with lyonnaise sweet potatoes, glazed teriyaki salmon with sesame cucumbers and jasmine rice, and a Mediterranean spiced chickpea mezzo bowl. This variety ensures there’s something to suit different tastes and preferences, even within a budget-friendly framework.
Pros: User-friendly recipe filtering, option to select meals in advance, wide selection of add-ons beyond meal kits.
Cons: Ingredients are not pre-sorted into individual meal kits, requires having some basic pantry staples on hand.
Best for: Home cooks with some cooking experience who are comfortable with basic chopping and prep work, couples, and smaller households looking for variety and value.
Dinnerly provides helpful filters to sort recipes by cuisine or dietary preference. Before selecting a recipe, you can also view attributes like “low-calorie,” “kid-friendly,” “keto-friendly,” “low-carb,” “under 30 minutes,” “vegetarian,” and “dairy-free.” Clicking through to the recipe reveals ingredients, steps, nutrient and allergen information, and a list of pantry staples you’ll need to have available. You can also conveniently plan your menu selections up to three weeks in advance, offering flexibility for meal planning.
