AFTER a busy day at work and a long commute home, the last thing you want to be doing is cooking a meal from scratch every evening. At the same time, the benefits of eating healthily are well-known and junk food every night just isn’t going to make you feel good.
There is another way though – meal delivery services.
Fresh ingredients delivered directly to your door, organic fruit and vegetable boxes, recipe kits full of everything you need to create a wholesome, health-giving meal – the best meal delivery services cover all of these options.
Plus, you don’t have to be an amazing chef to create amazing meals, as recipes and step-by-step instructions are usually provided, along with the exact amounts of individual ingredients required – so there’s no waste!
There’s a great selection of different dishes too, so whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, a confirmed carnivore or a curry fan, you’ll find something to suit your tastes.
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All of this plus no need to go grocery shopping! It’s easy to see why meal delivery services have increased in popularity so much in recent years.
Best meal delivery services at a glance:
- Best overall meal delivery service: HelloFresh
- Best prepared meal delivery service: Field Doctor
- Best vegan meal delivery service: allplants
- Best budget meal delivery service: Gousto
- Best healthy meal delivery service: Mindful Chef
HelloFresh
Hello Fresh, from £1.57 per serving (including 60% off based on five recipes per week for four people)
Pros: No need to shop or think of what to cook, lots of plan choice, variety of meal-kit options, seven-day delivery, easy cooking instructions, big discount on first box, delicious food, easy to cancel your subscription
Cons: Portions are only for two or more
Ratings: 5/5
One of the main benefits of Hello Fresh is that it frees up your time, as it plans out all your meals for you, making it ideal for busy schedules. I tested the meal delivery service and opted for the five meals a week for two plan, and the three meals a week for two plan. While Hello Fresh is best suited for shared households as meals can only be made for two or more, individuals can still order and save portions for meal prepping.
There are a variety of options, and we reviewed the vegetarian, pescatarian and meat diets, including low-calorie and quick recipes.
Hello Fresh allows you to choose your delivery day to suit your schedule and all of the meals are separated into different bags. Recipe cards for each meal are included in the box, with instructions, nutritional information and cooking times.
The instructions on the recipe card are simply laid out in layman's terms, so even the most inept home chefs would struggle to get it wrong. Over the week, all of my meals turned out perfectly, even on the days I was tired and lacking focus.
One of the meals tested was the Creamy Patsa Primavera, and it was easy to make, took under 30 minutes had a large portion size for two, and was the perfect dinner after a long day. It also included ingredients we wouldn't normally pick up from the grocery shop and I was pleasantly surprised with the variety of vegetables.
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None of the cooking techniques ended up being too complex and we were left impressed with the meals we made, as they were a level above our usual home cooking. I found each of the meals in the kit delicious and unique. Our encounter with Hello Fresh was a wholly positive one, and we will be going back for more.
Read our full Hello Fresh review.
Get an extra 60% off your first box and 20% off for two months with Sun Vouchers code HFSUN60
Review by Jessica O'Donnell and Natalie Chui.
Delivery: Delivery cost unknown; Cost: from £1.57; Plans: for 2 – 4 people, with 2 – 5 recipes per week
Field Doctor
Field Doctor, £6.99 up per meal, 20% off plans
Pros: Convenient to heat up, tasty, good variety, high nutritional value, time-saving, can be frozen, personalised plans available,
Cons: Instructions can vary, portions small, must be consumed within 48 hours after defrosting, only portions for one or two
Rating: 4.5/5
It can be hard to cook delicious and nutritious dishes for each meal, but Field Doctor takes the guesswork out of it, providing tasty meals that are designed by dieticians, and heated up in minutes.
If you’re health conscious, Field Doctor is suited for you as you can get meals personalized to your goals, whether it’s weight loss, or prioritising your heart health.
You can also pick your meals from a wide choice that includes meals for ibs, calorie-controlled meals and more, making its offering larger than your typical meal delivery provider.
Field Doctor does a good job of clearly showing you the nutritional value of each meal on its packaging, and it has symbols that indicate what the meal can benefit like immunity, muscle growth etc.
I also checked the meals on MyFitnessPal to see whether the nutrition would line up and I was happy to see that a lot of the meals I ate were well-balanced.
You can also freeze the meals, which is a good option if you’re busy or want to save it for lunches when you’re working in the office.
But, since the meals have to be consumed within 48 hours after defrosting, you do need to sort of plan what meals you’ll be eating.
The instructions are quite simple, for most meals you pierce them before popping them into the microwave for four to five minutes, then remove, stir and recover them before heating them up for an additional four minutes.
I followed the instructions when I heated the meals at home in my 800W microwave and it worked effectively.
But, when I heated the meals at the office, I found that four minutes was enough to cook the meal as the work microwaves are much more powerful so Field Doctor could benefit from having different instructions for different microwave powers.
The meals were much tastier than I expected and I enjoyed healthier versions of some of my favourite meals including Chicken Tikka Masala and Teriyaki Salmon on rice.
I was also impressed by the vegetarian options as it wasn’t limited to the standard beans on rice and I enjoyed smoked tofu chilli and a sweet potato korma.
The portion size was sufficient, though some meals were better suited for lunch than dinner, but was useful for bringing into the office.
Do keep in mind that meals are only portioned for one or two, so it's best for individuals or couples.
It's also a bit pricy, however when you take into account that it's because every meal has been approved by a dietician and contains several ingredients, it seems fair.
Whether you’re training for a marathon, on a specific diet or just looking to eat a bit healthier, Field Doctor does try to cater for everyone and after a week, I found that it’s made healthy eating a lot easier for my day-to-day life.
Delivery: £5.50 up; Cost: from £6.99 per meal, minimum spend is £44.50; Plans: for 1 person, with 10 meals per week
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Gousto
Gousto recipe boxes, from £2.99 per serving based on four recipes per week for four people (currently get 60% off first box and 20% off all other boxes in your first two months with Sun Vouchers)
Pros: Great recipe variation, easy-to-follow recipes, all the ingredients are delivered straight to your door, get to do the fun parts of cooking without having to shop or plan, cancel at any time
Cons: Sometimes the recipe calls for basic ingredients most people will have in their fridge or pantry that aren't included in the box, automatically signs you up for a subscription
Rating: 4.5/5
Slowly becoming one of the UK's go-to delivery services, Gousto offers up to 75 dishes to select from each week and it's super simple to sign up and choose your selection.
You just decide how many people, and how many meals and choose the delivery date.
The kit selection includes plant-based, 10-minute meals, pescetarian and calorie-controlled dishes, among even themed menus like the Bluey Family Dinner range.
Meals are delivered weekly, fortnightly or monthly and you can pause the subscription at any time - it's one of the easiest subscriptions to use.
Each meal in the box is in a numbered bag that corresponds to a numbered recipe card and cooking instructions are easy to follow. The variety in the meals impressed me and tasted far more expensive than the price would suggest and it felt like I was treating myself.
Although the meals I tried were simplistic, they never got boring and I enjoyed the variety of options and cuisines.
I tested the Cheesy Magic Asparagus with Creamy Tomato Orzo - the instructions were easy to follow and it combined a surprising number of vegetables in a creative way.
While I did substitute using the oven for my air fryer, the result turned out to be so delicious that my partner asked me for seconds.
The recipe box contained everything I needed and was perfectly portioned for the recipes I was making, limiting food waste and letting you flex your chef muscles.
Read our full Gousto review.
Review by Natalie Chui.
Delivery: £3.99; Cost: from £2.99; Plans: for 2 – 4 people, with 2 – 5 recipes per week
Mindful Chef
Mindful Chef, from around £6 (25% off your first four recipe boxes)
Pros: Great-quality ingredients, interesting, seasonal and wide-ranging recipe selection that introduces you to new dishes and cuisines, portion for two ACTUALLY serves two, B-Corp certified
Cons: Expensive, even compared to other meal delivery services
Rating: 4.5/5
I'm an enthusiastic home chef but often struggle to find time to cook meals from scratch due to a busy schedule.
Impressively, I found the two-portion meals from Mindful Chef to be generous – meals for two actually fed two people – and the ingredients were of high quality.
Pretty much every recipe we were sent was extremely healthy, but none of them were boring.
There are around 20 recipes to choose from each week, all making use of seasonal ingredients. Simply select the number of people (1 – 4) and 2 – 5 recipes.
The brand also sells a Ready To Go Range, which comprises microwaveable meals, smoothies, soups and snacks, with meals starting from £4.50.
While Mindful Chef is more expensive than other delivery services, even with any introductory offers, we found it worth the cost.
All the recipes are easy to follow, but feel imaginative, creative and healthy, and once the cooking and eating are done, you're left full; this alone makes it better than anything else on the market.
Subscriptions can be paused or cancelled at any time.
Read our full Mindful Chef review.
Review by Kieran Ahuja.
Delivery: £2.99; Cost: from around £6; Plans: for 1 – 4 people, with 2 – 5 recipes per week
Green Chef
Green Chef, from £3.30 per meal (save 40% off first box & 25% off second month)
Pros: Tasty recipes, quick cooking, variety of dietary preferences, very healthy, high-quality ingredients
Cons: Portions can be small, instructions need more clarification
Rating: 4/5
Green Chef aims to make healthy eating easy by providing simple and easy-to-follow recipes that combine a balance of carbs, fibre and protein - making it ideal for lazy home chefs wanting to eat a bit healthier.
Similar to Hello Fresh, there are meals to suit six different dietary requirements including keto and flexitarian, which aren’t normally available with most meal kits.
You can select meals for two to four, ranging from two to five meals a week.
I also learned new techniques, for instance, the recipe showed a quicker way of cooking spinach by simply pouring boiled water over it, in a colander, as opposed to boiling it on the hop.
Most recipes only comprise six steps, although some combine a few different compartments like chopping and then stirring.
I ordered three meals for two, and some of the dishes I made were incredibly easy, including a Baked Prawn Tikka Masala which already had a pre-made paste and riced cauliflower that only needed heating up.
In addition, I was impressed with receiving a high-quality fillet steak for a recipe, and it would’ve normally cost a lot more money if I had bought it at the supermarket.
On the downside, I felt some recipes needed more clarification. For instance, I accidentally burned some meat-free bacon when I added it to a hot frying pan as the recipe had stated that it would cook quite quickly. Plus, some of the meals were also on the smaller side, but made for great lunches when I was working from home/
On the whole, Green Chef was great at helping cook delicious, nutritious home-cooked meals and I think it would be ideal for shared households who want to expand their easy recipe rotation.
Review by Natalie Chui
Delivery: Free shipping on first box Cost: from £3.30 per meal; Plans: for 2 – 4 people, with 2 – 5 recipes per week
Fieldgoods
Fieldgoods, from £2.25 (subscribe and save 20%)
Pros: Fresh and tasty meals, easy to make, saves time, delicious desserts, long shelf life
Cons: Small portions, limited vegetarian options, pricey
Rating: 3.5 / 5
I loved that Fieldgoods offers a wide variety of tasty and nutritious recipes, with side dishes and desserts as well as main meals, all pre-prepared.
Ordering is simple – just go onto the Fieldgoods website and select your bundle – mini, regular or party – then select the recipes you’d like to order.
While there’s nothing too fancy in the offering, most dishes would take a long time to prep and cook if you were to make them at home, so it’s nice to be able to enjoy labour-intensive dishes without the effort.
The one downside is that there are limited vegetarian and vegan options to choose from, which means that if you’re veggie or vegan, it would be hard to find meals for more than a couple of nights.
Portions are for one or two and every meal has a label giving the name of the chef, a personal touch that our reviewer appreciated.
I was impressed by the flavour of the dishes and appreciated the small handwritten note to indicate which chef made the meal.
Another benefit is that most meals have a long shelf life, so you won't have to worry about food going off as it could last for a good few months.
Main meals cost from £7.25 and the minimum order is three single meals, or two meals for two people.
Next-day delivery is free and meals take just minutes to cook in a microwave (though longer in an oven).
The best advantage of Fieldgoods is that it saves you time from cooking and is ideal for busy lifestyles. I enjoyed the ease of coming home after a long day of work and heating up tasty and nutritious meals.
Review by Natalie Chui.
Delivery: Free. UK nationwide Cost: From £2.25 per meal Plans: Mini bundle (2 – 3 meals for one or two people,Regular bundle (6 – 8 meals for one or two people) and Party Bundle (three courses for 10 people)
allplants
allplants, from £3.50 (15% off first three orders)
Pros: Great meal variation, filling food quantity, no post-cooking clean-up required, time-saving, delicious
Cons: Long cooking times, some meals were quite carb-heavy, started to miss cooking after a while
Rating: 4/5
Unlike many other meal delivery services, allplants delivers finished products that you don’t need to cook, just reheat in the oven or microwave.
I've been trying to incorporate more plant-based meals into my diet and ordered a variety of options for breakfast, dinner, sides and desserts.
With over 80 dishes to choose from, there’s a good selection and I enjoyed how easy it was to get home in the evening and simply put dinner in the oven to heat up, with all of the cooking already done.
Although the meals were tasty and convenient, after a while I started to feel a little lazy and I think a combination of allplants and home cooking would be the best idea.
I enjoyed the ease of just popping something in the oven but I do also enjoy the process of cooking.
All main meals contain two of your five a day, as well as protein and iron, and all are nutritionally balanced.
Currently, allplants is offering 15% off your first three orders when you subscribe and you can pause, skip or cancel your subscription at any time.
Read our full allplants review.
Review by Jessica O'Donnell.
Delivery: free on orders over £50; Cost: from £2.50; Plans: meals are available to serve 1 or 2
Lions Prep
Lions Prep Meal Plan Service, from £4 (get 30% off your first week, 15% off second & third weeks)
Pros: Taste great, balanced, healthy meals, sustainable packaging
Cons: Expensive
Rating: 4/5
Lions Prep offers ready-made meals that you simply heat in the microwave. I found that most of the meals were tasty and loved the convenience of having food ready to eat in a matter of minutes.
Nutritional information is provided for each meal and snack, which is handy if you’re counting calories, and you can tailor your plan around your dietary requirements and budget.
For our money, Lions Prep would work well for anyone who’s looking to closely track their calories, as the pre-made meals make it easy to calculate your intake.
I found the quality of the meals overall very good, but expensive – especially when compared to cooking from scratch. However, Lions Prep is great if you’re time-poor but you don’t want to sacrifice eating good quality food.
If you find yourself eating a lot of takeaways each week, Lions Prep might actually save you money and you’ll likely end up eating a much more balanced diet.
Food is delivered on Sunday or Wednesday and you can pause or cancel your subscription at any time.
Read our full Lions Prep review.
Review by Joel Watson
Delivery: £6. Free if you spend over £45 on the 3-day plan or £75 on the 5 and 6-day plans; Cost: from around £4; Plans: 3, 5 and 6-day meal plans
What is the best healthy meal delivery service?
It's impossible to narrow down the huge choice of healthy delivery options available to just one – it all depends on the budget you have, your type of diet and what you're hoping to achieve.
For vegans and vegetarians who want to expand their plant-based menus, allplants is an excellent choice. Allplants also offers breakfast pots, desserts and smoothies, as well as main courses and sides.
Even the most popular meal delivery services, like HelloFresh and Gousto, have low-calorie options that are major crowd pleasers, so if you want the option to combine both carb-loaded indulgent dinners and healthy recipes, they're worth looking at.
What is the best meal delivery service for vegetarians?
If you're looking for purely plant-based meals, allplants is a leader in vegan recipes.
That said, the vast majority of popular meal delivery services have an excellent range of vegetarian options.
Mindful Chef's vegan boxes are also gluten-free, so they're ideal if you have additional dietary requirements.
Which meal prep and delivery service is best in the UK?
If you're judging by popularity and share of the market, Gousto and HelloFresh dominate in the meal delivery arena.
Both brands are excellent all-rounders if you're looking to sample a delivery service for the first time – they offer a fantastic range of recipes, different price plans and the sort of service you'd expect from market leaders.
That said, newer services and smaller operations are slowly making waves in the industry, so it's worth shopping around to find the best service for your needs.
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