Food Service, And Beyond

People without time to cook or shop are turning to meal prep delivery services, and their popularity has created a pretty big industry – so big and so varied that if you're looking at subscribing to one, you'll have many choices to sort through. The options these plans provide appeal to everyone from budding gourmet cooks to those who refuse to do more than work a microwave.

Amount of Cooking Needed

Some of these services send ingredients and recipes while others pack fully prepared meals with storage and reheating instructions. The recipe services can be very helpful if you never learned to cook; by putting together the meals from instructions and provided ingredients, you can get the hang of how cooking affects foods and how seasoning changes flavor profiles of foods. Of course, if you're just not interested in cooking, go for the fully prepared meals.

Availability for Special Diets

Do you want to know how much the meal prep industry has grown over the past few years? You can find meal prep for everything now, that's how much it's grown. Need a low-FODMAP diet? There's a service for that. Need kosher or halal meals? There's a service. Vegetarian, pescatarian, keto, or even just good nutrition for seniors? There are services. Meal prep delivery is really growing, and you will find a service for any dietary restriction or type you need to follow.

Delivery Frequency

Many services deliver once a week, providing you with all the ingredients or prepped meal you'll need for seven days. These plans may be just for dinners or be as extensive as all meals and snacks that you choose from a menu. Others deliver a few times a week and provide only a few meals. Which of those works for you is highly individual; you may prefer getting everything on a Sunday when you're home, or you might want the option of smaller deliveries if you have a smaller kitchen.

Take Advantage of Introductory Deals

Still can't decide which services would be best? Many of these services have introductory deals, where you can get a few meals free or at a reduced price at the start of a subscription. Read the terms for each carefully, and try these free or cheaper meals to see if the recipes and seasonings are to your taste. You'll also see whether the delivery method is convenient enough for you to continue using the service. If you end up not liking a particular service, then you haven't lost much money on it and can move onto your next option. Keep in mind, however, that these services won't last long if they don't provide delicious food, so they're committed to making tasty meals. You may find that trying a few actually makes your decision harder because the food is so good.