The 5 Cheapest Meal Delivery Services of 2020

Best Overall: Home Chef

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Delivering over three million meals per month, Home Chef is a trusted source when it comes to putting dinner on the table, and in the most affordable way possible. Some of the most tempting recipes await. Go French with steak au poivre, spice it up with a Santa Fe pork and potato stew, or make Taco Tuesday super fun with spicy plantain and black bean tacos with queso fresco and poblano peppers. Five-minute lunches like Caprese salad and a crispy gouda and prosciutto sandwich exist and customers are also into the grill packs for backyard family barbecues. 

Not only does the company source fresh ingredients but everything arrives pre-portioned, taking grocery shopping measuring out of the equation — and tempting meals on the table in half an hour or less. Customers can also sift through meals by way of cooking time and ingredient preferences such as gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free and so on. “Customize It” takes it a step further, allowing guests to mix and match up to 26 recipes each week and substitute different meats or sauces when applicable.

Availability: Home Chef delivers to 98% of the United States; check online if your zip code is available.

Pricing: Starting at $6.99 per serving; easily skip weeks and cancel at any time.

Best for Dietary Restrictions: Dinnerly

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There’s affordable and there’s affordable.  Dinnerly has consistently been rated the best value when it comes to a meal-delivery kit — without sacrificing taste. Think just $4.29 per serving, which is hard to beat, even if budget grocery shopping for ingredients. 

And this doesn’t mean that options are low quality or basic. Expect fuss-free meals like gnocchi bolognese, a crispy Philly cheese veg wrap with mushroom, peppers, and onions, and even buffalo chicken lettuce wraps on the table in no time. How, you ask? Quality ingredients are still the name of the game but Dinnerly cuts out all the frills like printed recipe cards and employs rules of more simple packaging and fewer ingredients in each dish, allowing prices to be noticeably lower than other companies.

Customers can filter by preferences such as picky eater, gluten-free, vegetarian, dairy-free and even kid-friendly, skillet meals, and even meals that can be on the table ready to eat in under 30-minutes — so those with dietary restrictions and all ingredient preferences can still reap all the benefits. 

Availability: Dinnerly delivers to most of the United States; check with zip code online to verify. 

Pricing: Starting at $4.29 per serving.

Best for Families: HelloFresh

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Family time is a top priority and thanks to HelloFresh, you don’t have to spend time shopping and chopping and assembling when it comes to suppertime. It carves out hours upon hours each week so families can deliver nutritious meals and spend more time doing the things they love together, whether puzzles, football games or playtime outside. 

Pick meals by way of meat and veggies, veggies only, family-friendly and calorie-smart. 

The options are endless and quite frankly, it’s exciting to see the new menu items pop up each week. From cheesy mushroom polenta with garlic bread, lemon aioli crab cakes, figgy balsamic pork and much more, “cooking” for the entire family has never been so simplified. Parents will appreciate wine club, a new offering, plus additional sides to complete an entire meal. The Family Friendly plan includes recipes that are kid-tested and family-approved, catering to picky eaters while also bringing good food to the table. 

Availability: HelloFresh ships nationwide (excluding Hawaii and Alaska).

Pricing: Meals start at $7.49. A no-commitment plan allows customers to skip, swap recipes and cancel at any time.

Easy to Assemble: EveryPlate

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Meal delivery services were born out of the idea of convenience and EveryPlate takes it to the next level with being one the country’s most affordable meal delivery services. Expect delicious, palatable meals that are ready to devour in half an hour or less.

Meals are filling and satisfying. Try everything from Super Smashed Burgers with caramelized onions, chipotle aioli, and potato wedges to ginger scallion pork stir fry, and linguine with chicken sausage and green peppers. Each delivery entails ingredients and recipes to cook each meal and includes three different recipes (two to four recipes, depending on subscription), and thanks to their minimal pots and pans use rule, cooking is a breeze. And with 14 recipes rotating weekly, you never have to eat the same basic meals. 

Availability: EveryPlate delivers to most of the United States; enter zip code online for availability.

Pricing: Starting at $4.99 per serving.