For meals from brands with personalised plans and vitamin-rich organic ingredients, you're looking at a lot more money…but you might be surprised by the relative affordability of some, particularly when you combine it with the time wealth you will be acquiring. Across the entire remit of options, you're looking at a cost somewhere between £30 and £150 per week, depending on how many people you're feeding.
What meal delivery service is best for weight loss?
While there are some services that preach their own weight-managing benefits, all of the following healthy meal delivery services can help you lose weight because they are fundamentally rooted in healthy eating. “Weight loss,” Annie says, "mostly comes down to a calorie deficit across the day/week. But healthy weight loss that is sustainable and enjoyable must also take portion size and number of meals per day into account."
“I’ve tried a handful of meal delivery companies for weight loss and particularly like Detox Kitchen and TYME as they provide multiple meals of a good size and variety — and are all also jam-packed full of fibre plus sufficient protein”
In essence, getting your miles in on the treadmill will certainly burn those calories, but it's your diet that is key when you're seeking a permanent weight loss solution. Experts like Annie recommend an 80:20 split in your eating lifestyle, prioritising a balanced diet over treats and cheats but never being too harsh about restrictions.
What is the best meal delivery service for a vegan?
Annie, herself a vegan, has tried several meal delivery services in order to be able to recommend them to her clients. At the top of her list of recommendations is Allplants, which, she says, “takes the convenience up a notch by making most of its meals frozen so you can batch buy and work through your freezer at your leisure. They have a huge menu of entirely plant-based cuisine which I recommend to many of my clients. They have an in-house nutritionist as well as chefs who together design nutritionally balanced meals, managing to tick off a variety of staples as well as more unusual dishes."
“Lots of recipe box schemes and other prepped meal delivery services also have vegan options now too: I’ve just ordered a box of ready-to-heat meals from Planty, which has a great menu and is entirely plant based. Some others with vegan options that look deliciousinclude Mindful Chef, Planthood, Scoff, Field Doctor, Gousto, and Riverford."
What should I look out for when signing up for a healthy meal delivery service?
At first glance, many of the market's healthy food delivery services appear identical to one another and so you may feel stumped on your initial window shop. There are some things to look out for that should help you, though. The biggest difference between the companies below is whether their goods come pre-cooked in ready-made containers for heating up or as ingredients to be cooked.
After that, you'll want to consider whether these subscriptions cater to certain diets and/or nutritional needs such as veganism, paleo and keto. Beyond that, we've listed some of the main things you should weigh up before investing in a meal delivery service, from financial to gastronomical considerations, below.
- Price: Most of the services to follow run on a monthly subscription basis, charging you based on how many meals you select for delivery. We've researched the minimum you can expect to pay based on the number of meals and mouths to feed in each entry.
- Frequency of deliveries: This will also depend on how many meals a week you opt for, though some services have a fixed day on which they deliver every week.
- Portion size and cooking instructions: Great chef or not, absolutely everyone has overcooked a batch of rice before, or been a little trigger-happy with the chilli oil. That's why our favourite meal delivery services come with pre-portioned ingredients and precise, easy-to-follow instructions, usually in the form of recipe cards or booklets. Some will even give you exact nutritional information on each meal you choose.
- Dietary requirements: Getting the service that best matches your dietary requirements is probably the smartest thing you can check before going ahead with your new nutritional endeavour. It's highly likely that you'll find one to perfectly fit with your lifestyle in the list below, whether you're vegan (Allplants, Planty), or following a specific diet such as low calorie (Chefly) or high protein (Muscle Food).
How we test healthy meal delivery services
It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it. And so GQ has solemnly determined to eat its way through the healthy food delivery market in order to sort the proverbial wheat from the chaff. How did we do it? With empty stomachs, broad palettes and (for some of us) a newfound familiarity with our kitchens. Of course, taste is paramount when it comes to both the pre-prepared and cook-yourself meals we've tested here, but we've also been sure to consider convenience, complexity and the nutrition of these dishes as well. Ultimately, everything meal plan we've picked out below is about helping you to make healthier choices when it comes to lunch or dinnertime.
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