5 Best Healthy Weight Loss Meal Delivery Services Of 2023
Updated on
- Written by Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, MS, RDN, LD
Medically reviewed by
Melissa Mitri, MS, RD
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BistroMD
- Customizable meal plans
- Over 150 meal options
- Chef-prepared meals
- Includes support from registered dietitians
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Hungryroot
- Vegan and vegetarian options
- Offers snacks
- Shop groceries or recipes
- Skip or cancel anytime
CookUnity
- Over 70 chefs employed
- Choose 4-16 meals per week
- Delivered fresh, not frozen
If your schedule seems to be getting more hectic by the minute, you’re not alone. Cooking dinner after a long day might be the last thing you want to do when you get home, but well-balanced nutrition is key to our overall health and wellness.
And if you also have weight loss goals, nutritious meals become even more critical.
Thankfully, eating healthy doesn’t have to be a chore or feel like a punishment. If you’re crunched for time or unsure where to begin, meal delivery services can be an excellent way to support healthy habits as you pursue weight loss.
This article will review five meal delivery companies offering nutritionally balanced meals and the best weight loss meal delivery service.
Best Healthy Weight Loss Meal Delivery Services Of (June. 2023)
- BistroMD – Editor’s Choice
- Hungryroot – Best Grocery Service
- CookUnity – Best Culinary-Focused Service
- Purple Carrot – Most Environmentally-Minded Meal Delivery Service
- Splendid Spoon – Best Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service
Can Meal Delivery Services Help With Weight Loss?
Is it just me, or are the days getting busier and busier? As fast as the world seems to be spinning these days, many of us are left with little time to prepare and cook nutritious, well-balanced meals.
However, well-balanced nutrition remains key to our health, especially if weight loss is part of your health journey. Thankfully, meal delivery services are now more available than ever, ready to bridge the gaps in your busy schedule.
The best meal delivery service can be an excellent way to ensure you get the nutrition you need to reach your wellness goals. Once you find the right meal delivery company, you can have already-prepared meals or meal kits delivered straight to your door.
In addition, many weight loss meal delivery services offer accommodations for various dietary restrictions, dietary preferences, and time constraints. Plus, you determine the number of meals per week you want to be delivered.
5 Best Meal Delivery Services For Weight Loss In 2023
BistroMD
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BistroMD is a meal delivery that focuses on weight loss efforts. This doctor-designed program provides weekly menus designed by registered dietitians and cooked by professional chefs.
- Customizable meal plans
- Over 150 meal options
- Chef-prepared meals
- Includes support from registered dietitians
- Standard shipping is $19.95
BistroMD, although available for anyone, aims to support those who are in pursuit of weight loss. The BistroMD weight loss service provides many healthy meal options with various available dietary accommodations.
To subscribe to BistroMD’s meal delivery service, you first decide how many meals per week you need. Then, you can choose meals for five or seven days or customize your plan to order meals according to your schedule.
Your meal delivery can include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and you can choose from over 150 meals. BistroMD takes pride in its culinary practices. BistroMD meals contain no added monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, or trans fats. Furthermore, they contain more protein than the average frozen meals you can find at the grocery store.
Once you purchase your meal plan, a registered dietitian will customize your menu. Then, you can adjust your account as needed. You can change meals and flavors at any time under your BistroMD account. And while you’re subscribed to BistroMD meal delivery, you have access to support from a registered dietitian within the company.
While the cost per meal can be considered affordable, BistroMD has a fairly steep $19.95 flat-rate shipping charge. That’s something to keep in mind when ordering per week.
Hungryroot
Hungryroot is both a grocery and a meal kit delivery service rolled into one. By simply taking a short quiz, Hungryroot designs a shopping list for your specific needs.
- Vegan and vegetarian options
- Offers snacks
- Shop groceries or recipes
- Skip or cancel anytime
- All recipes require cooking
- Doesn’t deliver to all zip codes
While other weight loss delivery services focus on providing pre-made, low-calorie meals, Hungryroot allows customers to purchase meal kits or groceries for delicious and nutritious meals. Hungryroot helps to make shopping, planning, and cooking meals more efficient so you can save time every week.
To start, you take the Hungryroot quiz and provide information about yourself and your nutritional needs. The quiz will ask how many people you’re feeding, what you prefer to eat, and any specific dietary needs.
From there, Hungryroot will design a grocery plan and fill your cart with suggested groceries and recipes that fit your needs. For example, Hungryroot offers vegan and vegetarian recipes, gluten-free foods, and allergen-free meals. And it also offers snacks!
After your subscription is delivered, you can rate your groceries, and Hungryroot will adapt the following week’s groceries to fit your tastes and needs better. Plans start at $65 per week and fluctuate based on the groceries and the number of servings you include in your order. You can pause, skip, or cancel your subscription at any time.
CookUnity
CookUnity is unique in its focus on sharing culinary talent with its customers. When you subscribe from CookUnity, you have access to as few as four meals or as many as 16 meals per week.
- Over 70 chefs employed
- Choose 4-16 meals per week
- Delivered fresh, not frozen
- Only available in one serving
CookUnity goes beyond a typical meal delivery service. While it’s not a weight loss-driven company, it provides its customers with delicious food created by top chefs in the area that can help support weight loss.
The CookUnity chefs (over 70 of them!) craft small-batch meals free from chemical or artificial preservatives. CookUnity prioritizes seasonal and sustainably-sourced fresh ingredients in their delectable dishes, so you can be confident that you’re getting fresh meals delivered to your home.
CookUnity allows its customers to specify any dietary concerns or food allergies. If any foods you’re allergic to or don’t care for appear in a meal’s ingredients list, CookUnity will notify you.
CookUnity offers meal categories that include low-calorie, low-carb, dairy-free, plant-based, keto, and paleo. Meals are typically good for four to seven days in the refrigerator, but they can be frozen if you cannot eat them before the “best by” date.
You can order as few as four meals and as many as 16 meals per week. However, most meals come in one-serving increments, so if you’re feeding more than one person, CookUnity recommends ordering more meals per week.
Purple Carrot
With Purple Carrot, you can order a meal kit or fresh, prepared meals. And no matter your choice, you can enjoy a delicious plant-based dish.
- Meal kits or fully-prepared meals
- Order two or four servings
- Supports The Farmlink Project
- Higher cost than other companies
Purple Carrot is a plant-based meal delivery service that offers both meal kits and full-prepared, fresh meals. Purple Carrot takes pride in the environmental impact of its meals. Per the website, Purple Carrot meals require less water and release less carbon than the average American meal.
Getting started is easy. Choose your desired number of meals per week and the number of servings you want for each meal. From there, you can design your delivery based on the week’s menu.
The nutrition facts for each Purple Carrot meal are easily accessible for customers to design a weekly menu that fits their lifestyle and dietary needs. Additionally, Purple Carrot has hand-picked, plant-based grocery items available to add to the side of your order.
While Purple Carrot is passionate about providing plant-based meals for its customers, it is also passionate about alleviating food insecurity in American communities. Purple Carrot supports the efforts of The Farmlink Project, an initiative to connect farmers with surplus produce to neighborhoods with people in need, helping to reduce food waste.
Your purchase of Purple Carrot meals helps support those efforts. However, if you don’t need a meal delivery for one week, you can cancel or skip your subscription anytime.
Splendid Spoon
Splendid Spoon makes it easy with their meal plan subscription to include more plant-based meals in your life. Sign up for as few as seven or as many as 21 meals per week.
- 100% plant-based
- No genetically modified organisms
- Whole, unprocessed ingredients
- Meals crafted by chefs and registered dietitians
- Fewer meal choices than other companies
Nicole Centeno, a mother with an extensive background in nutrition and culinary works founded Splendid Spoon. Her personal and work life reflected her passions, and when she became a mom, she wondered if she’d have time to make nutrient-dense meals while working. With that in mind, Splendid Spoon was born.
Crafted by chefs and registered dietitians, Splendid Spoon meals provide customers with nutrient-dense meals bursting with flavor. If you want to live a more veggie-forward life, Splendid Spoon allows you to subscribe to seven, 14, or 21 meals per week with the option to add pre-made smoothies.
You can choose from over 65 pre-made grain bowls, noodles, soups, and more. All recipes are 100% plant-based, non-GMO, gluten-free meals and can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer. Plus, they come pre-portioned, so there’s no prep work required.
Splendid Spoon offers dietary accommodations for those who need higher fiber, higher protein, lower calorie, lower carb, lower fat, lower sodium, and lower sugar foods. Meals start at $9.99, and you can earn points with every purchase in their loyalty program.
But if your fridge is well-stocked or you need a break, you can cancel or skip your subscription anytime.
Choosing The Best Healthy Weight Loss Meal Delivery Services
It can feel overwhelming when searching for the best delivery service for weight loss. However, there are a few factors to consider during your search.
Time Constraints
Time might be the most significant factor for those who rely on weight loss kits. If you’re limited on time, fully prepared, heat-and-eat meals might be most helpful for your weight loss goals. However, if you have some time to spare and enjoy cooking, you might subscribe to a meal kit that requires some meal prep.
Dietary Accommodations
If you have any food allergies or your medical history requires certain dietary restrictions, you must choose a meal delivery company that can provide those accommodations.
For example, these accommodations may include gluten-free, low-calorie, low-carb, high-protein, dairy-free, and low-sodium. You might also consider the types of ingredients you prefer, as some companies focus on organic ingredients and organic produce.
Cost
The price per week can be a major factor in your decision-making. Cost can vary based on the meals provided and the ingredients used.
Typically, pre-made meals will cost more as they have more labor invested in them. Many meal delivery services that require meal prep may help save on per-week costs. Of course, some companies offer sample meals if you’re unsure about the investment.
Variety
Eating the same meals, week in and week out, can feel monotonous and maybe even discouraging. Instead, consider looking for companies that offer variety in taste and texture to avoid burnout at meal times.
Healthy Tips To Lose Weight
Healthy, sustained weight loss relies on long-term lifestyle changes. Temporary diets can provide fast results but often come at the cost of other areas of health and often don’t lead to sustained weight loss. If your wellness goals include losing weight, consider these helpful tips.
Plan Ahead
Planning is essential to maintaining healthy lifestyle habits for weight loss. Life is busy, and without planning, you may be more prone to skipping meals or eating options that won’t serve you well. Instead of getting caught in the drive-thru, consider preparing snacks you can keep at your work desk or in your car.
Know Your Serving Sizes
Often, excess calories sneak in because we aren’t keeping track of our serving sizes.[1] Be sure to read the nutrition labels of the foods you’re eating and be mindful of the number of servings you’re consuming.
If you eat two servings, multiply the nutrition facts by two. If you eat three servings, multiply the nutrition facts by three, and so on.
Avoid Excessive Calorie Counting
It’s always good to know how many calories each meal or snack provides, but avoid severe calorie restriction and calorie counting[2] for long-term weight loss success. Sustained weight loss is achieved gradually.
Stay Hydrated
As important as it is to eat the right foods; it’s equally important to maintain adequate hydration.[3] Be sure to drink throughout the day, and account for any fluids you may lose through sweat if you’re exercising.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep hygiene is an essential aspect of health and can be highly influential in weight loss efforts. In addition, our circadian rhythm affects weight loss efforts. Disturbances in sleep quality and quantity[4] can lead to more snacking, mainly in the form of processed foods and foods rich in fat and carbs.
Final Thought
If your health journey involves weight management, meal delivery services can be an excellent asset. The convenience of having your meals delivered helps you prioritize eating healthy despite a busy lifestyle that may not otherwise allow you the time to cook your meals.
Meal plans can accommodate different dietary needs such as high protein, low carb, gluten-free, food allergies, and many others. If you enjoy cooking, you may subscribe to a meal kit delivery that provides you with the recipe and the necessary ingredients. If you don’t have time to cook at home, you may subscribe to ready-to-eat meals.
When choosing a meal delivery service for weight loss support, consider the cost per week, variety of foods offered, type of meal kits available, and potential dietary accommodations.
Of note, this article does not take the place of personalized medical advice. To lose body weight safely, it’s important to speak with your doctor or registered dietitian nutritionist before implementing any changes on your weight loss journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Diet meal delivery services can be beneficial when trying to lose weight, but they don’t necessarily help you lose weight more easily biologically speaking. Convenience-wise, on the other hand? Absolutely. Meal delivery subscriptions free you from the mental load of planning and preparing your meals. They help you stick with your healthy eating habits and avoid skipping meals.
The best weight loss meal delivery plan will vary from customer to customer. The best healthy meal delivery service is the one that fits your budget, meets your dietary needs, and satisfies your nutritional inclinations.
It’s important to remember that “healthy” is subjective. Nutrition is more than just counting macronutrients. It also accounts for taste preferences, cultural background, social settings, and more. So, when choosing a delivery service, find one that can meet your nutrient needs and satisfy those other health aspects.
If you don’t have time to cook or struggle to come up with a menu that keeps you motivated, meal delivery plans can be a great asset to your health journey. In a world that seems to get busier by the minute, having healthy meals delivered to your door certainly adds convenience to your eating habits.
+ 4 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
- Livingstone, M.B.E. and Pourshahidi, L.K. (2014). Portion Size and Obesity. Advances in Nutrition, [online] 5(6), pp.829–834. doi:10.3945/an.114.007104.
- Solbrig, L., Jones, R., Kavanagh, D., May, J., Parkin, T. and Andrade, J. (2017). People trying to lose weight dislike calorie counting apps and want motivational support to help them achieve their goals. Internet Interventions, [online] 7, pp.23–31. doi:10.1016/j.invent.2016.12.003.
- Thornton, S.N. (2016). Increased Hydration Can Be Associated with Weight Loss. Frontiers in Nutrition, [online] 3. doi:10.3389/fnut.2016.00018.
- Papatriantafyllou, E., Efthymiou, D., Zoumbaneas, E., Popescu, C.A. and Vassilopoulou, E. (2022). Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Weight Loss and Weight Loss Maintenance. Nutrients, [online] 14(8), p.1549. doi:10.3390/nu14081549.
Written by:
Chelsea Rae Bourgeois, MS, RDN, LD
Medically reviewed by:
Medically reviewed by:
