The 9 best meal delivery services for weight loss of 2024, tested by experts
Not everyone has the time, energy, or skills to prepare healthy, delicious meals. Some look for truck-to-door meal delivery with easy-to-prep foods that taste great, make healthy eating more doable, and take the drain out of cooking and clean-up.
Meal delivery services
are quickly multiplying, and picking the right one is not so straightforward, especially if you want a service that can actually help you lose weight.
To narrow down our top picks for the best weight loss meal delivery services, our team tested over 40 meal delivery companies that deliver food and convenience right to your doorstep. We ranked each company based on their ordering process, taste, ease of preparation, portion size, ingredient quality, variety, meal customization, nutrition facts visibility, shipping, sustainability, and customer service.
Medical disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider.
Our picks for the best meal delivery services for weight loss
Compare meal delivery services
Best overall meal delivery service for weight loss:
Trifecta
Trifecta can help you reach your goals by delivering meals with a healthy balance of protein, fats, and carbs straight to your door.
Key product features
Delivery area
Contiguous U.S.
Organic
Yes
Food logger
Yes
What you should know
Our analysts ordered a couple weeks’ worth of Trifecta meals, and while there were a couple of minor drawbacks, the meals scored favorably across multiple categories. But before you place your order, here are a few things to keep in mind:
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Our testers appreciated the freshness of their Trifecta meals, which is due to the vacuum-packed containers each meal comes in.
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With an average cost of around $15 per meal, Trifecta can be expensive, but you may find the cost worth it if you’re looking to save time in meal prepping.
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Trifecta offers meals that cater to a wide variety of dietary preferences. It’s suitable for individuals who prefer eating whole foods and those who follow keto, paleo, and plant-based diets.
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Most meals contain 350-550 calories, which may not be enough for certain individuals, especially those who are very active.
Pros
Tasty, flavorful meals according to our product testers
Pre-packaged meals and a la carte items available
Suits multiple diet plans
Cons
Need an oven to heat meals
Why we like Trifecta as best overall
Trifecta goes the extra mile in providing top-notch, nutritious foods. The company gives special attention to offering fresh, organic foods; responsibly sourced ingredients grown using ethical farming practices; and nutritionally adequate meals.
While Trifecta targets performance athletes, you don’t have to be one to order from their four meal plans, each crafted by dietitians and chefs. The meal plans include clean eating, paleo and whole 30, keto, and plant-based. Most meals are between 350 and 550 calories to align with your health goals. Our testers liked that the meals came vacuum-packed to maintain freshness. They rated the freshness and quality of the ingredients 4 out of 5 stars.
Customization is limited, though. If there are three meals you like, and you want to order 10 of those, that’s not an option.
Kate Meier, a certified personal trainer, Olympic weightlifting coach, and team product tester, tried a wide variety of entrees. Her favorite meals were the egg scrambles from the breakfast menu. However, she wished the portions were bigger.
“I tried breakfast scrambles with brisket, bacon, and sausage. They all had a lot of flavor, but they didn’t keep me full,” she noted. “I think the portion sizes were a little too small for me.”
Another product tester, however, found the keto meals satiating and gave Trifecta 5 out of 5 stars for portion sizes.
If you’re also concerned about the portions being too small, you can toss a few a la carte items into your cart. For example, you can stock up on extra protein, carbs, or vegetables to keep you full and on track to hit your weight loss goals.
Unique to Trifecta are its high-protein, macro-balanced meals—meaning they have a good balance of proteins, carbs, and fat. Adequate protein intake, in particular, can aid weight loss by increasing fullness. (
1
)
You have easy access to the nutrition information listed on each meal option on the website, which helps you easily keep track of your macros if that’s important to you.
Further, Trifecta helps support weight loss with its app that supplies intuitive weight loss tools, such as a macro tracker and food logger. There are also personalized plans to get you closer to meeting your health goals. Additionally, your meal purchase gets you access to their online community and nutrition experts for more support and help.
Trifecta also stands apart from their competitors due to their low-sodium meal options. Their meals contain around 500 milligrams of sodium, while those from other companies contain 1,000 milligrams of sodium or more.
For best results, our product testers recommend reheating the meals using a skillet or pan instead of microwaving them. That’s something to consider if you want to pack meals for work and don’t have an oven in the office.
Another drawback our testers noted was the packaging, which they found wasteful. According to Kate:
However, according to Trifecta’s website, they plan to make all their packaging biodegradable in the next two years.
What customers are saying
On Trustpilot, Trifecta only has an average of 1.6 stars out of 5. Reviews are split, with some customers liking the taste of the meals.
“Started supplementing my own home-cooked meals with Trifecta, to keep me on track and avoiding fast food cheat meals,” says one reviewer named Curtis K.
Other customers called the meals bland and expressed disappointment in the cancellation process.
“The food is subpar,” Sam V. wrote on Trustpilot. “I tried to cancel five days before my shipment date and was told I couldn’t and they refused to refund me. Had to go to my bank to get my money back.”
Specs
Meal options |
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner |
Diet options |
Paleo, keto, vegetarian, vegan |
Meal type |
Frozen meals, a la carte items |
Calories per meal |
350-550 |
Number of meals per week |
5 to 14 (plus the option to add 5 to 7 breakfasts) |
Best vegetarian meal delivery service for weight loss:
Vegetarian Diet-to-Go
Vegetarian Diet-to-Go’s chef inspired and registered dietitian-approved meals make it easy to stick to a healthy eating plan.
Key product features
Frequency
Weekly
Delivery area
Contiguous U.S.
Reheat time
2-3 minutes
What you should know
Vegetarian Diet-to-Go meals feature meat-free protein sources such as eggs, beans, and tofu. You can order up to 21 meals for the week, ensuring all of your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners are covered.
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Overall, our product testers enjoyed the meals they tried from Vegetarian Diet-to-Go. However, they noted that the taste and portion sizes were inconsistent.
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Each meal starts at $9.71, which we consider a reasonable price for a meal delivery service.
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In addition to catering to vegetarian diets, Diet-to-Go also offers meals suitable for pre-diabetics, those who eat keto, and people who prefer to get their protein from lean meats and fish.
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Included with your purchase is a one-on-one consultation with a health coach who can support you on your weight loss journey.
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Meals range from 210 to 580 calories each. Depending on your daily calorie requirements, you may need to supplement with other small meals or snacks throughout the day to ensure you’re eating enough.
Pros
Meals take just two to three minutes to reheat
Starting cost of $9.71 per meal is lower than other meal delivery services
Responsive customer service
Decent variety of meals to choose from
Cons
Inconsistent portion sizes
Our product testers found some meals too bland
Some meals have less than 10 grams of protein and may not be satiating
Why we like Vegetarian Diet-to-Go as best vegetarian
Vegetarian Diet-to-Go, a plant-based meal delivery company, steals the spotlight for the best vegetarian meal delivery service for weight loss. Delivering meals you can reheat in a matter of minutes, Vegetarian Diet-to-Go can help guide you toward your weight loss goals. Research shows that plant-based diets may improve weight in some people by lowering fat and calorie intake. (
3
)
Vegetarian Diet-to-Go’s rotating five-week menu features portioned breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Examples of meals you’ll receive include mushroom strata, salads and wraps, and eggplant parmesan. Chefs and registered dietitians work together to create these veggie-packed meals.
On average, the meals have 210 to 580 calories each. They also contain meat-free protein sources from foods like beans, eggs, and soy to help complement your weight loss journey. All meals are flash-frozen before delivery. When they arrive, you can store them in the fridge according to the product’s packaging.
An editorial team member who tried Vegetarian Diet-to-Go said the meals were “hit or miss.” However, she loved the mushroom ravioli despite there only being two ravioli in the meal.
Our product tester also called out inconsistent portion sizes. “Some of the meals were too small for my liking, but others were so filling that I couldn’t finish them,” she said.
Overall, she rated the taste 3 stars out of 5 and the portion sizes 3.5 stars.
Thankfully, if you’re a first-time customer, you can receive 20% off your first week, which can help you
save money on groceries
. Our tester also had positive experiences with the entire customer service staff. When she called to ask a few questions, an agent responded quickly. Plus, if you don’t like your order, the company promises to make it right or refund your money.
And if you need more support with your weight loss goals, you can take advantage of a one-on-one session with a health coach, included with your purchase.
What customers are saying
Only two people have left reviews on Trustpilot, and both gave the company 1 star. One reviewer didn’t like having to enter his credit card information just to view the menu (though it appears the website’s functionality has since been updated).
The second reviewer, named Lucy S., didn’t like the taste of the meals. She said the food “isn’t very filling, and the vegetables are repetitive and soggy.”
Specs
Meal options |
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner |
Diet options |
Vegetarian, keto, Mediterranean |
Meal type |
Frozen |
Calories per meal |
210-580 (average) |
Number of meals per week |
Up to 21 |
Best value meal delivery service for weight loss:
Nutrisystem
Nutrisystem’s convenient meals can make weight loss achievable by offering lower-calorie versions of your favorite comfort foods.
Key product features
Coaching
Phone or chat
Frequency
Every 2-4 weeks
Mobile app
NuMi
What you should know
Nutrisystem is one of the most popular weight loss meal delivery services, and many people have seen results after following the plan for several months. However, there are some things to keep in mind before trying this service yourself.
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Nutrisystem’s plans provide up to 1,500 calories per day. While this can be enough to put many people in a caloric deficit, it may not be enough food for everyone, even if you want to lose weight.
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Plans cost under $15 a day, and you can get a month’s worth of meals for less than $400. This makes Nutrisystem one of the most affordable meal delivery services available.
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Because Nutrisystem delivers easy-to-heat meals, it’s suitable for those with hectic schedules who don’t have much time to spend on meal prep.
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Nutrisystem doesn’t offer much guidance on what to do after you reach your weight loss goal. Weight regain is possible once you start cooking for yourself again if you’re not mindful of portion sizes.
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Meals contain little to no fruits and vegetables, so you may not get all the nutrients your body needs unless you add them to the meals yourself.
Pros
Suits multiple diet plans, such as vegetarian or diabetes-friendly
Can get breakfast, lunch, and dinner for under $13 a day, which is more affordable than most services
Meals delivered every four weeks, so you get a month’s worth of food at once
Cons
Not for people who are allergic to soy or peanuts
Complaints of overly processed foods
Lack of fruit and vegetable offerings
Why we like Nutrisystem as best value
You’ll get a lot of value out of Nutrisystem, whose plans start at $9.64 per day. For the same amount, many other meal delivery services only offer one meal, so Nutrisystem can be a more cost-effective choice.
Nutrisystem provides four meals and snacks per day that total 1,200-1,500 calories as a standard range. According to their live chat customer support, you can order breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for five or seven days per week. Each plan is four weeks long, so you’ll have plenty of meals to get you through the month.
Nutrisystem offers various weight-loss plans that cater to men, women, couples, those over 50, and people with diabetes. You have many options to choose from, including pizzas, mashed potatoes, pasta, mac and cheese, and quesadillas, allowing you to enjoy lower-calorie versions of your favorite comfort foods. Plus, their website offers honest reviews of every single meal, so you can carefully choose your foods.
Nutrisystem also provides taste-bud-friendly snack options from ice cream to nutty chocolate bars. The meals and snacks include filling ingredients, but several of them lack balanced nutrition.
For example, the mashed potatoes with bacon bits has 10 grams of protein. The mac and cheese has 11 grams. Meals from other meal delivery companies have 15-20 grams of protein or more. Many Nutrisystem meals also lack fruits and vegetables. When the meals do contain these foods, they’re only available in small amounts.
What customers are saying
Of the 2,162 reviews on Trustpilot, only 36% were 5 stars. The negative reviews call out the small portion sizes and unresponsive customer service staff. Those buyers are also dissatisfied with the overly processed ingredients in a lot of the meals.
There are several happy customers, though. Those who enjoy the service say it’s helped them learn portion control and has contributed to their weight loss goals.
A customer from Arizona says, “We both love it. We don’t get hungry and are already experiencing weight loss. We think the food is quite good considering it’s diet.”
Specs
Meal options |
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks |
Diet options |
Vegetarian, diabetes, gender-specific, partner, and Complete 50 plans |
Meal type |
Frozen meals, bars, shakes |
Calories per meal |
Around 200 |
Number of meals per week |
21 meals plus up to 28 snacks |
Best meal kit for weight loss:
Home Chef
Home Chef’s meal kits offer a lot of flavor, proving you don’t have to eat bland food even if you want to lose weight.
Key product features
Delivery area
Contiguous U.S.
Prep time
15-30 minutes
Reminders
Weekly
What you should know
If you’re looking for convenience while still being able to perfect your cooking skills, Home Chef can be a solid choice. The meal kits contain everything you need to whip up a tasty meal at home, with most options taking 30 minutes or less to prepare.
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According to our product testers, Home Chef’s meals consistently taste good, and the ingredients are always fresh.
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Starting at just under $10 per meal, Home Chef provides everything you need to prepare each meal. You don’t have to worry about keeping your pantry stocked or navigating a busy grocery store.
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Home Chef is ideal for people who enjoy cooking but don’t have time to research new recipes every week.
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Most meals have 625 calories or fewer, so they can seamlessly fit into a diet plan if you want to drop a few pounds.
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The meals are prepared in facilities that also handle milk, shellfish, and other allergens. If you have a food allergy, you may want to try another service.
Pros
Large selection of meals to choose from
Can filter out ingredients you don’t want
Great flavors, according to our product tester
Responsive customer service
Cons
Takes longer than ready-made meals
Nutrition info is only available on the website and not given on recipe cards
Meals are made in facilities that also process common allergens
Why we like Home Chef as best meal kit
If you’re looking for meal kits with loads of meal variety, you’ve found it with Home Chef. Depending on your weight loss goal, you can select vegetarian, carb-conscious, or calorie-conscious meals that align with your health needs. On average, meals have 625 calories or fewer.
Many weight loss food delivery services provide either meal kits that require putting together a recipe or meals you have to reheat in the microwave. Home Chef offers both. But for those who enjoy the art of cooking, their meal kits offer recipes and pre-portioned ingredients, so you can feel inspired to craft fresh meals in the comfort of your kitchen.
Our product testers love how easy and quick it is to use these meal kits to whip up dinner without wondering what they’re going to eat or swinging through a drive-thru line. Whether you’re a cooking novice or a self-made chef, most recipes are easy to follow. Some meals take longer than 20 minutes to prepare, but Home Chef offers express meal kits that have recipes with fewer steps.
The meals are also easy to recreate on your own. One of our team product testers has been using Home Chef since 2022 and frequently revisits old recipes using store-bought ingredients.
She gave Home Chef 5 out of 5 stars for taste and meal variety and 4 out of 5 stars for ingredient quality.
Plus, Home Chef makes the ordering process easy to do because it takes you through a short set of questions to guide your meal picks. Our product testers like that Home Chef sends reminders each week to select their meals based on their preferences. The service has plenty of rotating options to choose from, and you can filter out specific foods you don’t want in your meals, like seafood.
You can customize your meal kits to yield two, four, six, or eight servings, depending on the size of your family. Portion sizes are excellent and satisfying.
“My husband and I both feel satisfied after finishing our Home Chef meals,” our product tester noted.
Aside from its user-friendly website, Home Chef outshines the competition by providing ongoing discounts to military workers, healthcare professionals, teachers, and first responders.
However, we recommend people with food allergies avoid Home Chef. The meals are made in facilities that handle common allergens, such as milk, shellfish, and tree nuts.
Furthermore, there are no guarantees that Home Chef will have meals on their weekly menu to accommodate various dietary preferences. If you follow a vegan diet, for example, consider another service that offers more customization.
What customers are saying
Home Chef has an average of 2.7 stars based on over 3,100 reviews on Trustpilot. The food itself earned positive reviews, but the packaging received negative feedback.
Another buyer named Angela F. said, “Good service and affordable. I used this meal service for quite a while. I canceled them because they use FedEx for their deliveries and my food started to be delayed and the boxes looked like they had been bounced around a lot and damaged or split open.”
Specs
Meal options |
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and dessert |
Diet options |
Vegetarian, low-carb, low-calorie |
Meal type |
Meal kits |
Calories per meal |
625 or fewer (on average) |
Number of meals per week |
Up to 6 recipes and up to 6 servings per delivery |
Fuel Meals delivers pre-packaged meals that take just two to three minutes to reheat in the microwave.
Key product features
Cost per meal
$14
Delivery area
All 50 states
High protein
Up to 60g
Gluten-free
Yes
Dairy-free
Yes
What you should know
Fuel Meals allows you to choose up to 28 entrees per week, ensuring you have a steady supply of meals that take just minutes to reheat. The meals feature lean proteins such as turkey and chicken and nutritious carb sources like brown rice and sweet potatoes.
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Our product testers appreciated the convenience of these heat-and-eat meals but found that some meals required extra sauces or seasonings to make them more palatable.
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With an average cost of $14 per meal, Fuel Meals isn’t the most affordable option. Other meal delivery services cost almost half the price for meals that are just as good.
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The meals offer up to 60 grams of protein per serving. They’re suitable for those who want to preserve as much lean muscle mass as possible while losing fat.
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However, the weight loss plan only provides 1,500-1,750 calories per day (depending on if you’re a man or woman). These calorie counts may be too low for some individuals, making it hard to stick with the plan for the long term.
Pros
Convenient, microwavable meals with easy clean-up
High-protein meals with up to 60 grams of protein
Options to choose up to 28 meals per week
Cons
Difficult to find allergy-free meals
Calorie counts may be too low
Why we like Fuel Meals Weight Loss Plan as best prepared
According to a 2020 review published in
Physiology and Behavior
, eating over 35 grams of protein in one sitting is effective at promoting fullness and less hunger, which may benefit weight loss. (
4
) Fuel Meals supply up to 60 grams of protein per serving in most of their meals to help you stay satisfied and focused on your goals. Individual meals range between 460 to 610 calories.
When you choose the weight loss plan, you have to indicate whether you’re a man or a woman. The male weight loss plan totals about 1,750 calories per day, and the female plan equals about 1,500 calories per day. Even if you want to lose weight, this may not be enough food for you—especially if you’re active.
After you select your gender, Fuel Meals auto-populates meals for you based on how many you want per week. You can select seven, 14, 21, or 28 meals per week. Fuel Meals will then prep and deliver all of the meals to your home.
Organic ingredients aren’t an option with this diet food delivery brand. As for flavor, the dishes left our product testers wanting more. Some meals needed additional sauces and seasonings to enhance the taste.
Editorial team member Kate Meier tried a variety of meals, including chicken quesadillas, shrimp quesadillas, salmon and broccoli, an egg white scramble, and a bison burger.
“The meals were all edible, and I would eat them again,” she commented. “But I kept feeling like I wanted something more. I would often add more vegetables to the meals or put my own spices on them.”
As such, Kate rated Fuel Meals 3.5 out of 5 stars for taste.
While you can filter for gluten-free and dairy-free options, there’s no way to filter other allergens, so it’s important to pay close attention to the ingredients in each meal.
As with any other meal delivery service, convenience is also a huge benefit of Fuel Meals. They take just a few minutes to reheat in the microwave, so you can enjoy your meal in no time.
Our product testers found that getting in touch with customer service wasn’t so easy. To contact the company, you must fill out a form. There are no live chat functions available, which are features that most other meal delivery companies offer.
Specs
Meal options |
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks |
Diet options |
Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, weight loss or muscle gain |
Meal type |
Prepared |
Calories per meal |
290-660 |
Number of meals per week |
Up to 28 |
Best keto meal delivery service for weight loss:
Factor75
Factor75’s ample portion sizes can help prevent the hunger pangs and food cravings often associated with dieting.
Key product features
Dietitians
Yes
Delivery area
Contiguous U.S.
Shelf life
Up to 7 days
What you should know
Factor75 earned high marks from our team of analysts for taste and convenience. However, you do have to be mindful of which meals you choose. Some have up to 900 calories, which can stall your weight loss progress if you already eat too many calories for the rest of your daily meals.
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A team product tester—and triathlete—felt that Factor75 was the only meal delivery service that offered ample portions for each meal.
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Each meal costs about $13, putting Factor75 on the high end of the price range for a meal delivery company.
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While the higher-fat meals are ideal for keto dieters, Factor75 also offers meals for vegans, vegetarians, and people who follow high-protein diets.
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Some meals contain 36% of the daily recommended limit for sodium—something to be mindful of if you must follow a low-sodium diet.
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Factor75 also offers meals with as few as 350 calories, which may be better for individuals who want to lose weight.
Pros
Meals can be reheated in the microwave, saving on prep and clean-up time
Excellent meal variety, with 35 options to choose from each week
Suits multiple diet plans in addition to keto, such as vegan and high-protein
Nutrition information is clearly displayed on the website
Cons
Some meals are high in calories and sodium
Customization options are limited
No personalized weight loss plans
Why we Like Factor75 as best keto
Factor75’s fresh, ready-prepared keto meals change weekly and offer plenty of variety with low amounts of carbohydrates. For instance, if you choose the Grilled Steakhouse Filet Mignon dish, you’ll get eight grams of net carbohydrates.
Factor75 displays all of their keto meals with a “KETO” tag under each meal photo. You can set your meal plan to be keto only and choose your meals from there. The user-friendly website that makes the ordering process a cinch.
Each week, you can order six to 18 meals and choose from 34 options, like Roasted Garlic Butter Salmon and Jalapeno Lime Cheddar Chicken. You can round out your order by adding snacks, shakes, and desserts.
You can expect to get protein, vegetables, and grains (for non-keto eaters) in the lunch and dinner meals. There’s no clean-up to worry about with Factor75—you just microwave your meal, eat, and toss the container into a recycling bin. Our staff gave them a perfect 5 out of 5 stars for convenience.
Dietitians are available to chat with you by phone if you have nutrition questions or just need some guidance on what meals to order. You also get ample portions of food, which one of our expert product testers—who’s also a triathlete—loved. She gave Factor75 4.5 out of 5 stars for portion sizes.
Nutrition information per meal is easy to view on Factor75’s website, and they also provide calorie-conscious meals with 550 calories or fewer.
However, some meals have over 830 milligrams of sodium, which is 36% of the daily limit for sodium according to the Food and Drug Administration. (
5
) Being mindful of your sodium intake can help keep your blood pressure in check per the American Heart Association. (
6
) If you have heart problems, you can seek some nutrition advice by booking a call with a registered dietitian on Factor75’s website.
Further, customer service responds quickly, which is helpful if you need to make any changes to your order.
What customers are saying
With close to 51,000 reviews on Trustpilot, Factor75 has an average of 3.9 stars. Customers enjoy the taste of the food, the quality of the meals, and the convenience of not having to cook.
However, some reviewers note the cost as a drawback. Factor75 costs around $13 per meal, which is on the high end for a meal delivery service.
“The meals are great, the convenience is amazing, however, the price is very much on the high side, and not doable for us long-term,” an anonymous reviewer wrote.
Specs
Meal options |
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, shakes, and desserts |
Diet options |
Flexitarian, keto, low-calorie, vegan, and vegetarian |
Meal type |
Prepared |
Calories per meal |
350-900 |
Number of meals per week |
Up to 18 |
Best frozen meal delivery for weight loss:
Personal Trainer Food
These meals are made with fresh ingredients, then frozen to ensure they don’t spoil before arriving at your doorstep.
Key product features
Delivery area
Contiguous U.S.
Reheat time
3 minutes
Coaching
Yes
What you should know
Personal Trainer Food supplies low-calorie meals that can easily be reheated in the microwave. While we don’t advocate for rapid weight loss like the company’s website seems to promote, we do think these meals can be used as a convenient way to consume more lean proteins and vegetables. However, some people may need to supplement with other store-bought items to ensure they’re still eating enough.
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Personal Trainer Food allows you to choose from nearly 100 menu items to keep you from getting bored with your meals.
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This meal delivery service is one of the most affordable we’ve come across, with many meals costing less than $10 each.
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Animal-based proteins appear frequently in Personal Trainer Food’s menu, so not all meals are suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
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Some meals contain 36% of the daily recommended limit for sodium—something to be mindful of if you must follow a low-sodium diet.
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Many meals have less than 25 grams of carbs, so they may not provide enough energy if you also follow an exercise program to aid weight loss.
Pros
High-protein meals help increase fullness
Over 15 breakfasts and 30 entrees to choose from
Starting price of $6.59 per meal makes it one of the most affordable meal delivery services available
Cons
Promotes fast weight loss
Why we like Personal Trainer Food as best frozen
Personal Trainer Food is a weight loss meal delivery service providing pre-made, flash-frozen foods to jumpstart your weight loss journey. Entrees offer between 100 and 380 calories per meal, which may help put you into a calorie deficit for weight loss. (
7
) However, meals on the lower end of this calorie spectrum may not be so satisfying, and you may find yourself hungry soon after eating.
You’ll find options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with extra sides of vegetables and a few snack options of shakes and a meat bar. There are almost 100 menu items, with a variety of simple reheatable meals to choose from, including Beef & Lamb Gyros and Fajita Chicken. The company is transparent about which allergens are in their meals.
Personal Trainer Food mainly provides protein and vegetables and doesn’t have fruits, grains, or desserts on its menu, which can be restrictive for some.
The company also claims to help people lose weight quickly, which isn’t healthy and certainly not sustainable. Furthermore, rapid weight loss could result in loss of muscle. (
8
)
Other parts of Personal Trainer Food’s website encourage healthy, long-term weight loss, which can send mixed messages to customers. Weight loss coaches are available to customers, but the website doesn’t mention whether registered dietitians are available, too.
With prices starting at $6.59 per meal, depending on which weight loss plan you choose and whether you’re a first-time customer, Personal Trainer Food is affordable for most.
What customers are saying
Trustpilot reviews are mostly positive. The company has an average of 4.4 stars based on over 3,100 reviews. Some reviewers mention the food being too salty, but for most frozen meals, reheating still maintains good flavor and texture overall.
Another verified customer, Angela Walker, says, “I’m surprised with how tasty the food is. After looking at the nutrition facts and sodium levels, I’m not sure how this food is healthy/good for you but it is working to help me lose weight.”
Specs
Meal options |
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, vegetable sides, and snacks |
Diet options |
Non-specific |
Meal type |
Frozen |
Calories per meal |
100-380 |
Number of meals per week |
7 to 28 |
Best vegan meal delivery service for weight loss:
Purple Carrot
Purple Carrot’s meals are tasty and filling, so you shouldn’t feel deprived if you use this service to aid your weight loss goals.
Key product features
Frequency
Weekly
Delivery area
Contiguous U.S.
Cook time
20-45 minutes
What you should know
Purple Carrot doesn’t offer any specific weight loss plans, but you can use their meal kits to create delicious vegan meals at home. The company also offers a convenient “Plantry” option, so you can stock up on snacks and beverages without going to the grocery store.
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Our product testers haven’t always felt full when tasting meals from various meal delivery services. However, the meals from Purple Carrot left them satisfied.
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Even though meals cost $11 per serving, Purple Carrot can still be an affordable way to add more plant-based meals to your diet.
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All of Purple Carrot’s meals are 100% vegan, but we think anyone would enjoy them. Even our non-vegan product testers gave the meals high marks for taste.
Pros
All packaging is recyclable
Cons
May not be enough variety for some
Finding nutrition facts on the website can be challenging
Not a lot of options for pre-made meals
Why we like Purple Carrot as best vegan
Eating more plants may help promote weight loss and
enhance your gut health
, and Purple Carrot can help. (
9
) This plant-focused meal delivery service takes the best vegan spot since each delicious meal is 100% vegan. Purple Carrot gives you a chance to cook your own meals or order ready-made meals that require zero prep.
To boost their culinary skills, our lead product tester opted for the meal kits, which he said had fresh and great-tasting ingredients. He particularly loved making the sloppy joe, which used tofu instead of meat.
“I was quite impressed with how the meal turned out,” he said. “All of the ingredients were fresh and the entire dish tasted delicious.”
Our tester also noted the portions were generous, and he always felt full after finishing a meal. He gave Purple Carrot 4 out of 5 stars for portion size.
Being that Purple Carrot is a plant-based company, you may wonder if high-protein meals are available, and the answer is yes. Icons on the menu page allow you to see which meals are high in protein. The Black Bean Bowls, for example, offer 14 grams of protein per serving. According to Dr. Rob Wildman, an expert in human nutrition, this amount of protein can help to “meet daily protein needs, which tend to be higher during weight loss.”
Purple Carrot does a good job of offering dishes from different cultures, such as Crispy Sumac Brown Rice Bowls and Hoisin Glass Noodles. However, there may not be enough variety for some, and others may not be as adventurous with eating to try some of the dishes.
Difficulty finding the nutrition info was another drawback noted by our product tester. He only gave them 2 out of 5 stars here, noting:
Also, the meals offer at least two servings, so you’ll have to do a little math to determine the nutrition of a single serving.
What sets Purple Carrot apart from other weight loss meal delivery companies is their “Plantry” section, which allows you to stock up on plant-based pantry staples you may need during your busy weeks.
Additionally, customer service is just a live chat away, but you can also call, text, or email.
What customers are saying
Reviews on Trustpilot for Purple Carrot are positive, with the company averaging 3.8 stars based on 876 reviews. Most customers enjoy the flavors of the meals and have no complaints about the ingredient quality or freshness.
However, some reviewers mention issues with missing ingredients.
“We had at least our third meal today that had an ingredient missing,” commented one verified buyer referred to as CTD. “Tonight’s meal was cauliflower steaks and the cauliflower was missing. Really need more quality control on the meal ingredients to make sure all are included.”
Specs
Meal options |
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks |
Diet options |
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free |
Meal type |
Meal kits, prepared meals, frozen, “plantry” items |
Calories per meal |
500-800 (per serving) |
Number of meals per week |
Up to 4 |
Best organic meal delivery service for weight loss:
Green Chef
Green Chef’s meal kits with organic, sustainably-sourced foods allow you to create tasty, high-quality meals from your own kitchen.
Key product features
Delivery area
Contiguous U.S.
What you should know
In addition to supplying ingredients from local farmers whenever possible, Green Chef uses eco-friendly and recyclable packaging. For people who want to support a company that prioritizes sustainability while working towards their weight loss goals, it could be a solid option.
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A team product tester enjoyed the taste of the meals but called out the number of tools needed to prepare them as a drawback.
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Each meal costs about $13, which puts Green Chef at the high end for a meal delivery service.
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Since Green Chef doesn’t offer prepared meals, we only recommend it for people who enjoy cooking but want to cut back on the amount of time they spend grocery shopping each week.
Pros
Organic, fresh ingredients
Delicious dishes, according to our product testers
47 meals to choose from each week
Prioritizes local farmers
Cons
No “reheat and eat” options
Meals can take 30+ minutes to cook
Why we like Green Chef as best organic
Green Chef is a certified organic meal delivery company providing 47 weekly meal options with sustainably sourced, organic ingredients with priority given to local farmers. While they don’t supply reheat-and-eat meals, Green Chef offers chef-crafted recipes and all of the ingredients and direction you need to pull your meal together at home. Our product testers appreciated that each recipe card plainly stated the instructions and gave a list of the kitchen equipment needed to prepare the meal.
You can easily filter out your lifestyle preferences, whether you’re looking for low-calorie foods or
foods that support your mood
by benefiting gut and brain health.
You do need some time to prepare Green Chef meals. You’ll also want to give yourself room for clean–up since it may take multiple pots and pans to get
dinner on the table at the right time
.
With this in mind, our tester gave Green Chef 3 out of 5 stars for ease of preparation.
Her top dinner choices were the Monterey Jack Cheese Smothered Chicken and Chicken Burrito Bowls. While the taste of the food was fantastic, she didn’t like the small portions. She gave Green Chef 3 out of 5 stars in this category as well, noting, “I could easily finish my portion and eat some of another portion. A single portion would never be enough for my husband, who’s an active, 6’2″ guy.”
Still, she appreciated that Green Chef provided nutrition information on the recipe card and made it visible on their website.
Her deliveries arrived on time, and it was clear that the company takes packaging seriously. They packed certain spices, dairy, and produce into singular bags and placed the meat at the bottom of the package under ice. All packaging is eco-friendly and recyclable, which tells us this company values sustainability.
What customers are saying
With close to 3,000 reviews on Trustpilot, Green Chef has garnered an average of 3.8 stars. Satisfied customers enjoy the easy-to-follow recipe cards and the freshness of the ingredients.
Other reviewers mention that customer service is poor and there are issues with skipping deliveries.
A verified buyer who referred to themselves as tsargent said, “When I would skip a week, sometimes the shipment would still come in. That was frustrating enough that I let it slide once or twice and then canceled today.”
Specs
Meal options |
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, vegetable sides, and snacks |
Diet options |
Plant-based, gluten-free, keto, Mediterranean |
Meal type |
Meal kits, Green Market with ready-to-eat items and snacks |
Calories per meal |
600-800 (on average) |
Number of meals per week |
8 |
How we test meal delivery services
Our team of product testers ranks meal delivery services based on strict quality standards. Our standards ensure first-person experience with products, fact-checking by qualified experts, and medical reviewing by industry professionals.
Learn more about how our testing process below, or read our full
meal delivery service methodology
page for an in-depth look at how we rank each company.
Meal choices—30%
If your goal is to lose weight, your success may require a long-term commitment. What better way to commit to healthy eating than by having a robust selection to choose from? We know it’s important to score companies based on meal variety, but we also look at the following criteria:
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Multiple options
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Substitutions
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Guidance
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Label transparency
Food quality—30%
Keeping foods fresh is often a concern of customers when looking for the right meal delivery services. Our testers have made note of companies with the freshest ingredients so that it’s easy to reap the benefits of healthy foods straight to your door.
In addition to freshness, we also evaluate meal delivery services on these factors:
Value—20%
Choosing the right meal delivery service for you is often driven by financial investment, which is why we’ve done the work of figuring out how well one service may fit your budget compared to the next.
We analyzed the cost per meal relative to the number of meals or servings provided, but we also scored each meal delivery service on the following:
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Fair price
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Multiple quantity options
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Customization
Customer experience—20%
At times, you’ll need to contact the company for assistance with your order if something goes wrong or if the ordering process isn’t straightforward. We scored meal delivery services on the options available for contacting customer support, how quickly the agents respond to questions, and how knowledgeable the representatives are about the meals and subscription options.
When considering a company’s overall customer experience, we also evaluated them on the below categories:
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Packaging
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Ease of preparation
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Reviews
Are meal delivery services worth it?
Whether meal delivery services are worth it to you will depend on your daily schedule, family, budget, and needs for convenience. According to Statista, American households spent a weekly average of $150 on groceries in 2022. (
10
) Further, in 2022, American households spent $3,639 on meals eaten away from home, per Statista. (
11
)
A large complaint people can have about meal delivery services is their cost, but it’s important to factor in how much money you spend on groceries, how much time you have to prepare them, how much groceries go to waste, and how much you spend dining out.
How to choose a meal delivery service for weight loss
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to choosing a meal delivery service for weight loss. Here’s a list of things to consider when selecting the right meal delivery service for you:
Determine your budget
On average, meal delivery services can cost around $10-$15 per meal. If you want to get three meals per day for seven days, you can easily spend over $200 per week. The cost goes up even further if you buy meals for multiple family members. You may end up spending more on meal delivery than you would on your weekly grocery shopping. Therefore, you’ll need to decide what you’re comfortable spending.
However, remember that meal delivery services remove the need for you to grocery shop and meal prep. The convenience alone can make the extra cost worth it.
Consider your dietary preferences
If you follow a special diet, like gluten-free, keto, vegetarian, or paleo, ensure the meal delivery service can cater to your needs. This is especially important if you have to avoid certain ingredients due to food allergies or religious reasons.
Read the nutritional information
Review the nutrition facts for each of the meals you’re interested in trying. Pay close attention to the number of calories per meal and consider how each meal will fit into your overall daily caloric intake. If you’re meticulous about tracking macros, also analyze the protein, carbs, and fat in each meal.
Look for meal variety and customization options
Having a variety of foods to choose from prevents boredom and helps you stay on track. You’re less likely to veer off course and stop for takeout or reach for less nutritious options when you get hungry.
Furthermore, being able to customize your meals and make substitutions when desired ensures satisfaction. If you don’t have to choke down your food, you’ll find it much easier to reach your goals.
FAQs
Can meal delivery services help you lose weight?
Meal delivery services may be a beneficial part of your weight loss success because they can enhance your intake of highly nutritious foods, remove the likelihood of missing meals, and leave you satisfied after eating which can keep you full for longer.
Which meal delivery service is best for weight loss?
Generally, the best meal delivery service for weight loss depends on your lifestyle and dietary needs and preferences. However, in this review, our top pick for the best meal delivery service overall is Trifecta. Trifecta offers high-quality and fresh ingredients, multiple plans to suit many dietary needs, and significant weight loss support.
Our experts
Dr. Robert Wildman, PhD, RD, LD, CISSN, FISSN
“Dr. Rob” is a globally renowned exercise, fitness, and nutrition expert who speaks around the world on exercise and sport nutrition, and continues to work with professional and elite athletes to achieve their highest level of performance as well as health and fitness. Rob received his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, earned his MS from Florida State University, and earned his BS from the University of Pittsburgh. He is also a registered and licensed dietitian.
Amanda Dvorak
Amanda has been writing and editing fitness and nutrition content since 2021, with a heavy focus on equipment and supplement reviews. She has contributed to BarBend, Breaking Muscle, FeastGood, and PowerliftingTechnique. While she currently does CrossFit out of her garage gym, Amanda also enjoys lifting heavy weights, running, cycling, and hiking. She is currently studying for her personal trainer certification through the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA).
Kelly Uhler
Kelly has a multifaceted background in elder care, health care, and copywriting. She has worked for organizations such as A Place For Mom and Homecare.com, which gave her the opportunity to work closely with families, providing reliable information to help them make informed decisions about their loved one’s health, safety, and quality of life.
Gaby McPherson, RDN
Fortune Recommends Nutrition Writer
About Author
Gaby McPherson, RDN, is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and freelance writer with 9 years of experience in the health and wellness industry. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics and completed her dietetic internship at St. Louis University. She also earned a Master of Science degree from St. Louis University with a concentration in pediatric nutrition.
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