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This article is reviewed by a team of registered dietitians and medical doctors with extensive, practical clinical and public health experience.
5 Best Diabetic Meal Delivery Services To Try In 2023 [Updated]
Updated on
- Written by Mitchelle Morgan, Health Writer
Medically reviewed by
Dr G. Michael DiLeo, MD
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Sunbasket
- Meal plan approved by the American Diabetes Association
- Recipes created by certified dieticians
- Large menu selection
BistroMD
- Options for diabetes and other dietary requirements
- Weight loss diets available
- Menu with more than 150 options
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Splendid Spoon
- Gluten-free and plant-based meals
- Sustainable packaging
- Snacks, meals, soups, and smoothies available
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Meal kits and prepared meals are a simple way to reclaim some of your valuable energy and time during the week. Additionally, it might make meal planning less daunting if you have diabetes.
Meal timing[1] (having to eat regularly) and the matching of nutrients are the two essential factors to consider when planning meals for people with diabetes.
Although a prepared meal or kit may not be necessary for managing diabetes, it may be helpful for certain people, particularly if the calories, healthy fats, and proteins are specified.
Fortunately, some meal delivery services emphasize diabetes-friendly food preferences, like low-carb, keto, or paleo diet plans, that are advised to keep healthy blood sugar levels.
Continue reading for a list of the top meal delivery services for diabetes if you need a little assistance with meal planning and preparation.
5 Best Diabetic Meal Delivery Services To Try In (December. 2023)
- Sunbasket – Editor’s Choice
- BistroMD – Great For Diabetes-Friendly Meals
- Splendid Spoon – Best For Plant-Based Diabetes-Friendly Meals
- Purple Carrot – Best For Premade Meals And Meal Kits
- Hungryroot – Best For Grocery Shopping And Meal Kit Delivery
What To Look For In A Diabetic Meal Delivery Service
Not every meal delivery service can be an excellent option for people with diabetes. Therefore,
it is essential to know what to look for to find a fitting service that will cater to your needs.
Here are the main things to look for:
Carb Smart, Balanced, And Complete Meals
It’s critical to seek a diabetic-friendly meal provider that offers balanced meals[2]. How much lean proteins, fats, and carbohydrates are in your meal? A planned combination of lean protein, fat, and high-quality carbs will effectively deter an unexpected surge in blood sugar levels.
Ensure the service you choose offers you suitable healthy meals with the correct nutritional values so that you get nourishment while managing your condition better.
Available Diets
According to recent research, people with diabetes may benefit from following a healthy diet that is low-carb[3], ketogenic[4], Mediterranean[4], or paleo[5]. Meal planning for diabetic patients can be simpler because many diabetic meal delivery services prioritize these diets. Consult your healthcare practitioner to be sure the diet is right for you before beginning a new eating regimen.
Lifestyle
People frequently skip meals because they are hyper-focused on their jobs and responsibilities. Healthy eating during the day is crucial to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Even the busiest individuals may find an opportunity to sit down and savor a meal with the aid of prepared meals.
Food kits take care of the purchasing and chopping on your behalf, and it takes between 15 and 40 minutes to put a meal together.
Expert Help
Registered dietician and nutritionist support are essential things to look at when selecting the best home delivery diabetic meals. The best brands employ such experts to help design the recipes and decide on the number of ingredients to be included in specialty diets. They also help customers evaluate their dietary restrictions and preferences.
5 Best Diabetic-Friendly Meal Delivery Services In 2023
Sunbasket
Our choice for the best diabetes meal delivery service is Sunbasket. It provides a selection of nutritional meal packages for various diets, such as diabetes-friendly, Mediterranean, and vegetarian.
- Diabetes-friendly meals approved by the American Diabetes Association
- Recipes created by registered dieticians
- Diabetes-friendly snacks available
- No free delivery; it costs $9.99
- Relatively expensive
The brand provides a diabetes-specific, American Diabetes Association-approved plan called the Diabetes Friendly program. The dishes on this program provide 20 to 70 grams (g) of low-glycemic, high-quality carbohydrates per serving, at least 10 g of protein, and 5 g of fiber.
Additionally, Sunbasket mainly utilizes wild-caught fish, organic fiber-rich vegetables, and eggs. A group of certified dietitians working for the brand evaluates recipes to ensure they are nutritionally adequate.
Weekly meals are provided, most of which may be served in about 30 minutes. Sunbasket sells a range of snacks suitable for people with diabetes, including jerky, yogurt, bone broth, protein bars, egg bites, and nuts.
Sunbasket offers both prepared meal plans and meal kits. The meal kits have an option of either 4 or 2 servings each, while the ready meals provide a single serving.
The price per serving of the diabetic meal kit ranges between $11.49 and $17.99; the prepared meal is between $9.99 and $13.69.
Like most meal delivery services, Sunbasket delivers its products across the country, except for a few regions, such as Montana, Alaska, North Dakota, Hawaii, and areas of New Mexico.
BistroMD
BistroMD is an excellent option for people looking for frozen meals that cater to their diabetic diet. They also offer a very extensive menu with over 150 meal options to choose from.
- Environmental safe-sourced ingredients
- Options for diabetes and other dietary requirements
- Recipes designed by dieticians and nutritionists
- Cannot ship to Alaska or Hawaii
- $20 delivery fee
BistroMD actively promotes weight loss diets on their website. They provide a sizable menu that is tailored exclusively for diabetics. To assist control of blood sugar levels, every meal on BistroMD’s Diabetic Friendly Program has 25 g or fewer of net carbs. Despite being deemed single-serving dishes, several reviewers laud the substantial portion sizes.
A five- and seven-day diabetic meals plan is available from BistroMD and features dinners, lunches, and added breakfasts. After making your choice, you may tailor your program to fit your routine. You can pick over 150 dietitian-designed savory dishes each week.
Additionally, you can pause your subscription at any moment or cancel it. The major drawback to this service is the shipping price; owing to promotions, you’ll probably get the delivery charges reduced on your initial order. Beyond that, each shipment will cost you about $20.
When possible, BistroMD collaborates with nearby, family-run farms and purchases hormone-free poultry, lean meats, and seafood that is eco-friendly. Additionally, they identify a complete list of their prohibited components, including artificial additives, ingredients, and preservatives.
With a weekly subscription, the price of meals starts from $10. The meals can be delivered across the continental USA.
Splendid Spoon
The menu at Splendid Spoon is entirely gluten-free and plant-based, and it has handy filters for sorting dishes according to their sugar level and other specialized dietary requirements.
- Plant-based and gluten-free meals
- Sustainable packaging
- Snacks, meals, soups, and smoothies available
- Smaller food portions
- Relatively expensive
Splendid Spoon focuses on offering plant-based, fully prepared dishes, soups, smoothies, and snacks to ensure you spend less time cooking and add more nutritional value to your meals.
To lower the chance of cross-contamination, every meal is also made in a gluten-free cooking area to keep each free of gluten.
Splendid Spoon does not provide any diabetic meal delivery package for people with diabetes. However, you may use the menu filtering options to identify items with fewer than 20 g of carbohydrates per serving to assist balancing blood glucose levels. The menu provides options for people with higher fiber, lower sodium, higher protein, lower carb, lower fat, lower calorie, and lower sugar dietary requirements.
Plans are built on the number of meals and during which mealtimes you want them per week. The cost of Splendid Spoon varies significantly based on which one of the five food options you pick, and the cost of each meal also varies. For example, the Lunch and Breakfast Plus Reset option costs $9 for a single item, whereas the Lunch and Breakfast options cost $10 per item. Free shipping is included with every delivery. Each meal option comes with a single or double per-serving option.
The brand delivers its meal bundles nationwide.
Purple Carrot
A completely plant-based diabetes-friendly diet delivery service with a brand-new menu each week, Purple Carrot is an excellent choice if you enjoy experimenting with new ingredients and recipe combinations.
- Plant-based meals
- Vegan, soy-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian-friendly
- Prepared meals come with recipe cards
- Fewer menu options for some diets
- $8 shipping fee
- Can be pricey
There is no menu dedicated to blood sugar control at Purple Carrot. However, studies indicate that plant-based nutrition regimens, such as vegan or vegetarian diets, may benefit several health-related needs. It turns out that a plant-based menu, such as a vegetarian diet[6], may aid diabetes patients in controlling their blood sugar levels[7] and in achieving or maintaining a healthy weight.
You may select from various plant-based meals from Purple Carrot for dinner, lunch, and breakfast.
The meals have pre-portioned items and recipe instructions and are simple to make. Additionally, Purple Carrot provides a range of wholly cooked plant-based meals that one can reheat and consume. This is a nice choice for customers and something that not many diabetes meal delivery service providers have implemented.
Purple Carrot allows you to choose between having 3 or 4 meals delivered to your doorstep every week. Each dish has an option of 4 or 2 servings.
Typically, the prepared meals have prices starting from $12.99 per serving, while the per-serving price of meal kits starts at $9.99. They’re ready to prepare and premade meals can be delivered across the US except to Hawaii and Alaska.
Hungryroot
The quick-to-assemble, nutritious meals made with fresh ingredients from Hungryroot are handy and healthy.
- Fresh meals and fresh vegetables
- Meal kits are personalized to your requirement
- Grocery and meal kits services
- The rating system can be unclear
- Certain recipes are basic
Hungryroot is not like most other meal delivery services; it is a 2-in-1 service. It provides both the services of a meal kit and a grocery store. When you first sign up for the service, you must take a quiz to help determine your diet restrictions and other preferences. They will then put together meal kits to meet your specific needs and requirements.
While the brand does not offer specific diet plans catered to diabetics, it provides various meals that can help those with diabetes.
Hungryroot offers the most extensive collection of recipes we have seen. Each dish has a comprehensive nutrition analysis, making it an excellent option for those with diabetes who crave more diversity in their diets.
Customers can pick from dishes created with fiber-rich items like sprouted grain bread, chickpea pasta, and a ton of fresh veggies. There is a wide range of other options, such as salads, tacos, stir-fries, grain bowls, and more. Hungryroot’s proprietary dressings and sauces are typically included in flavor recipes, and many may be prepared in under 20 minutes.
Final Thought
While you can manage diabetes without the help of meal delivery services, there is something to be said about the convenience these services can offer, especially for busy individuals. They eliminate the need for one to have dietician-level skills to put together a meal that is both sumptuous and healthy and can help you manage your condition better.
Brands such as Sunbasket and BistroMD stand out in a market full of other diabetic-friendly meal delivery services. Still, the other options mentioned on our list are worth consideration since you can uniquely design them to address your diabetic needs.
Finally, before you choose any delivery service, we recommend you seek advice from your dietician to ensure the plans offered will be beneficial to managing your condition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Several meal delivery services cater to people with diabetes. The most prominent ones on our list are BistroMD and Sunbasket. These services employ certified dieticians and nutritionists to develop safe and healthy recipes for individuals with the condition.
Sunbasket is the best meal delivery service for people with diabetes. They have a plan dedicated to people with the condition with recipes approved by the American Diabetes Association. Nevertheless, another notable mention is BistroMD.
Sunbasket. They have meal plans designed for diabetics and other dietary restrictions. In addition, they have an extensive menu to choose from, so you can always enjoy varied cuisine while still adhering to your nutritional requirements.
Any organic foods which have a low sugar content, low carb quantity, and a low glycemic index. The best approach to choosing the right foods to eat if you have diabetes is to speak to a dietician or nutritionist so they can give you actionable information.
+ 7 sources
Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here
- Ahola, A.J., Mutter, S., Forsblom, C., Harjutsalo, V. and Groop, P.-H. (2019). Meal timing, meal frequency, and breakfast skipping in adult individuals with type 1 diabetes – associations with glycaemic control. Scientific Reports, [online] 9(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-019-56541-5.
- Toi, P.L., Anothaisintawee, T., Chaikledkaew, U., Briones, J.R., Reutrakul, S. and Thakkinstian, A. (2020). Preventive Role of Diet Interventions and Dietary Factors in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: An Umbrella Review. Nutrients, [online] 12(9), p.2722. doi:10.3390/nu12092722.
- Kelly, T., Unwin, D. and Finucane, F. (2020). Low-Carbohydrate Diets in the Management of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: A Review from Clinicians Using the Approach in Practice. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, [online] 17(7), p.2557. doi:10.3390/ijerph17072557.
- Martín-Peláez, S., Fito, M. and Castaner, O. (2020). Mediterranean Diet Effects on Type 2 Diabetes Prevention, Disease Progression, and Related Mechanisms. A Review. Nutrients, [online] 12(8), p.2236. doi:10.3390/nu12082236.
- Otten, J., Stomby, A., Waling, M., Isaksson, A., Tellström, A., Lundin-Olsson, L., Brage, S., Ryberg, M., Svensson, M. and Olsson, T. (2016). Benefits of a Paleolithic diet with and without supervised exercise on fat mass, insulin sensitivity, and glycemic control: a randomized controlled trial in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews, [online] 33(1), p.e2828. doi:10.1002/dmrr.2828.
- Viguiliouk, E., Kendall, C.WC., Kahleová, H., Rahelić, D., Salas-Salvadó, J., Choo, V.L., Mejia, S.B., Stewart, S.E., Leiter, L.A., Jenkins, D.JA. and Sievenpiper, J.L. (2019). Effect of vegetarian dietary patterns on cardiometabolic risk factors in diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clinical Nutrition, [online] 38(3), pp.1133–1145. doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2018.05.032.
- Pawlak, R. (2017). Vegetarian Diets in the Prevention and Management of Diabetes and Its Complications. Diabetes Spectrum, [online] 30(2), pp.82–88. doi:10.2337/ds16-0057.
Written by:
Mitchelle Morgan, Health Writer
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
