Meal delivery services let you cut down on time and pre-plan your meals in advance – which is perfect if you have a busy lifestyle. They can help you eat healthier and expand your culinary choices by introducing you to exciting ingredients you wouldn’t otherwise have on your radar.
No matter what tickles your taste buds, the meal delivery choices on offer in 2023 mean you’ll likely find something to suit. Whether you want to tuck into hearty vegan or vegetarian food, are a carnivore craving lean fresh cuts, or feel like whipping up an aromatic, spicy curry, there are plenty of tasty options you can choose from.
Many meal box brands let you cater for as many, or as few, as you like and some even let you select your portion sizes. This helps you to cut down on food waste, as well as the time and fuel costs you’d spend driving to the supermarket.
Not all direct-to-your-door food brands are the same though – so if you’re confused as to which to pick, stick around, as we’ll reveal the healthiest meal delivery services in the UK today.
Our thorough review will help you choose the more relevant to your needs! Discover what type of meals they offer and how much they cost – plus we’ve also laid out their best and worst points!
1. Gousto – Best For … Budding Chefs Cooking for Two
What we love: If you love whipping up meals from scratch, but need a little extra help, you can’t go wrong with Gousto. With high grade fresh meat, a plethora of plant-based options and pre-measured ingredients, it’s never been easier to cook up something tasty, whether you’re cooking for one, or have a romantic night in planned.
Choose from over 75 weekly recipes, then order your box of ingredients, which will contain everything you need, including easy-to-follow recipe cards- and you can even add on some wine! Gousto portions are for 2 but if you’re cooking for yourself, you can always save some for the next day. Many meals are cooked in just 10 minutes and the service also offers gluten and dairy-free options, making it easy to cater to everyone’s tastes.
Cons: This service is seriously impressive and there’s not much to find fault with – the only thing that might count against Gousto is that prices can be a little on the high side.
Price: Costs from £24.50 for a meal box that caters to 2
2. Simply Cook – Best For…Adding a splash of adventurous flavour
What we love: The perfect choice if you want to get creative in the kitchen, this direct-to-your-door service sends you all the spices, herbs and sauces you’ll need to make your chosen recipes.
Select 4 recipes from over 100 and receive a letterbox sized box of 4 recipe kits with cooking cards to follow – all you need to do is add in around 4-6 items from your cupboard or fridge. Simply Cook’s meal kits cater for 2-4, so are ideal if you’re having a small dinner party and the options on offer will let you indulge in a host of sensory delights, like Japanese Seared Steak, Spinach and Paneer Curry, or Vietnamese Pork.
All meals are easy to make following the included recipe cards and you can pause, change, or cancel your subscription anytime. We think this is a really versatile service that lets you try new things and add more flair to your at-home cuisine.
Cons: Your box won’t come with all the ingredients you’ll need to make your chosen recipes, so a trip to the store will still be in order.
Price: Each box is just £9.99 but you can get a trial box of 4 recipe kits free, for just £1
Also Read: Simply Cook vs Gousto, which recipe box is best?
3. Mindful Chef – Best for…Portion watching
What we love: If you always have leftover food that never gets eaten after cooking, or have trouble serving up ideal portion sizes, you’ll find Mindful Chef’s service will help. Using high grade, sustainably sourced ingredients the service lets you select up to 5 recipes every week, then sends you all the pre-prepared ingredients, in the precise quantities you’ll need.
The Mindful Chef range is carbon neutral, free range and free of refined white carbs, so it’s definitely one of the healthiest, eco-friendly meal prep services out there. The range is pretty comprehensive with ready meals, smoothies and snacks on offer for lazy days when you can’t be bothered to cook. With over 20 new recipes a week and a donation going to a child in poverty for every single meal purchased, this is one seriously ethical service that we think offers more than most.
Cons: Mindful Chef costs more than other services, but it delivers higher quality meals. However if you are thinking of taking the plunge, you can get 25% of your first 4 boxes, allowing you to sample the quality of the food and service first.
Price: Prices start from £7 per portion for 1, though they get cheaper the more people you buy for, going down to £5 per portion for 2, or £4.50 for 4.
4. Balance Box – Best For… Dieters
What we love: If you’re finding the struggle to shed the pounds a challenge and need some extra support, getting a Balance Box delivered to your door could be just the game changer you need. All Balance Boxes are created by nutritional experts and are preservative free, with seasonal, fresh, ethically sourced ingredients.
This service is unique, as it allows you to choose the daily calorie plan you want – Lighter (1200-1300 calories) or Normal (1700-1800), making it easy to create tasty menus that aid your weight loss. You can opt for a 4 or 3 day box and choose from four types of menus – Classic, Vegetarian, Plant Based and Pescatarian. Whichever you go for, it will include everything you need for 3 or 4 days, ready cooked and ready to eat – that’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, as well as 3 snacks per day!
Cons: Balance Box is on the spendy side but it is an invaluable weight loss aid, plus the expertise that goes into the boxes means it’s like having your own personal nutritionist.
Price: From £26.99 per day for the Lighter Plan but that does include everything you’ll need.
5. Foodspring – Best For… Fitness Fanatics who need to boost protein
What we love: Foodspring is ideal when you’re trying to reach your body goals, as it offers a handy range of protein that lets you lose weight, build muscle, or get toned. Choose from a range of whey protein powders, bars, balls, and spreads in tasty flavours like chocolate, vanilla and cookie dough, and add in your choice of vitamin and mineral enriched drinks, supplements, shakes and snacks. Foodspring produce is vegan friendly and you can even purchase a brownie mix to bake at home – so they have pretty much everything you need to enhance your workout.
This isn’t a full meal delivery service, as the online store is quite limited and as there’s no subscription service ,you’ll need to pick out the products you want individually. If you’re looking for fitness friendly produce that’s made using clean, organic ingredients though, in our opinion, this is one of the best around.
Cons: The range is limited and aimed at workout hounds, so it’s not your best option if you’re looking for a more comprehensive service, or don’t want to pound the treadmill.
Prices: On the high side but fair, considering the quality of the ingredients. Protein balls or cookies start at £27.99 for 12, while a 0.75 kg tub of vegan protein powder costs £29.99.
6. Wiltshire Farm Foods – Best For…Easy, quick meals and variety
What we love: If you want a comprehensive meal selection that can cater to specific dietary needs, you’ll love Wiltshire Farm foods. This is a stress-free, straight to your door service that lets you select from over 300 pre-prepared frozen meals and desserts – so all you’ll need to do is pop them in the oven or microwave.
Select from the World Foods range and enjoy Caribbean, West Indian or Asian Halal cuisine, shop the free from section and avoid 14 major allergens, or tuck into a classic British breakfast. You can also opt for mini meals, gluten free, or vegetarian options as well as softer foods for those with problems swallowing.
Meals are for 1 person but you can add as many as you need to each order, as there’s no subscription. As zero meal preparation is required, this service would be perfect for very busy people to last minute dinner guests, particularly as all meals can be cooked from frozen.
Cons: Other meal delivery services offer more gourmet style meals, or source higher grade, organic ingredients. Also, as there’s no subscription box, you’ll have to select the meals you want to order each time which is more time consuming.
Price: Dishes range from £1.50 per meal to £7.05, making this a fairly affordable option for most people.
7. Amazon Fresh – Best For…Same Day Delivery & Cheap Groceries
What we love: Sometimes you need ingredients at speed but don’t have time to get to the supermarket- and when you go to book an online shopping slot, there’s often no same day availability.
If you have an Amazon Prime Membership, Amazon Fresh can fill this gap, as most UK households are eligible for same day service on all orders made before 9pm. Though this isn’t a meal subscription service, like Gousto, there are 1000’s of must-have fresh ingredients to choose from and a wide range of brands including big names and artisan suppliers.
Have a recipe in mind but you’ve run out of something crucial? This is where this swift service could be really handy, as it’s like having an online local convenience store at your fingertips!
Cons: If you’re looking to cut down on the hassle of preparing food by ordering pre-prepared meals, you’ll need to look elsewhere, as Amazon Fresh solely offers individual meal ingredients.
Price: Prices vary but most things are fairly priced and reasonable, when compared to supermarkets, with some prices even beating out what Tesco and Sainsbury’s offer. You do have to pay for delivery unless your order comes to over £40, as then it’s completely free.
8. Graze – Best For… Healthy Snackers
What we love: Graze’s little boxes of goodness offer you an easy way to level up your snack game with tasty nuts, dips – and with over 60 veggie friendly snacks on offer this is one healthy way to munch. Get your snacks straight through your letterbox, without having to pop to the shops and chow down on delicious treats like marmite crunchies, smokey barbecue crunch and lemon poppyseed cake!
All Graze snacks are free of all artificial flavourings and preservatives and are nutritionally balanced, making it easy to achieve your target macros. You can choose from 3 box types including Vegan, Variety and Light (less than 150 calories per snack) – plus the service also allows you to rate individual snacks, so they can better customise your future boxes.
Cons: Though these little boxes of goodness are undoubtedly tempting they aren’t enough to fill you up, as they are purely meant for snacking. If you’re looking for full meals, then you’ll definitely need to go elsewhere.
Price: Graze boxes are just £4.49 but you can get your first Graze box for £2.49
