Essentials

Best meal kits for Christmas, Thanksgiving and the holidays

By Tom Horton

Edited By Leslie Gornstein

November 16, 2023 / 6:12 PM EST / Essentials

CBS Essentials is created independently of the CBS News editorial staff. We may receive commissions from some links to products on this page. Promotions are subject to availability and retailer terms.

The holidays are basically here, whether you're prepared for them or not. Holiday planning comes with a lot of details, big and small, you need to sort through. From finding time to be with friends and family to ensuring there's enough money in your bank account for holiday gift shopping -- not to mention fleeting Black Friday deals -- you could probably use some help. That's where meal kits come in.

The best meal kits already give you a good chunk of your evenings back, thanks to curated meal delivery boxes. Each recipe is pre-measured and packaged so that you can get straight to cooking -- no lengthy trips to the grocery store or tedious prep work required. A healthy and nutritious meal kit may not be the first thing you think of when it comes to holiday planning, but it's basically a secret weapon that can bring some much needed change to your life during the hectic weeks to come. In fact, it may deliver an entire holiday meal right to your door.

Many budget-friendly meal kits can also help with saving money -- and honestly, after taking a look at what everyone in your life wants for Christmas this year, isn't that incentive enough?

Best meal kits for Christmas, Thanksgiving and the holidays

Whether you need help planning the ultimate holiday get-together, some extra time to get everything in place for an unforgettable vacation, or just want a few extra bills in your pocket for holiday gifts, we have the best meal delivery services and kits below.

Best holiday dinners: Blue Apron
Best add-ons: Home Chef
Best premade meals: Trifecta
Most affordable: EveryPlate
Best vegan options: Purple Carrot

Take the stress out of holiday planning this year by signing up for the comfort and convenience of one of these top-quality meal kits.

Best holiday dinners fit for a feast: Blue Apron

We couldn't bring up meal kits around the holidays without mentioning the return of a turkey day classic: Blue Apron's impressive Thanksgiving menu. If you're tired of putting in the work every year to cook a Thanksgiving turkey -- or if this is your first year with such a responsibility - consider aweing everyone in your family with Blue Apron's most iconic seasonal box.

The classic Thanksgiving box ships you everything you need to cover a dinner table this holiday season: roasted turkey breast, homemade gravy, cranberry sauce, roasted brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, and apple crumb pie.

That's not all. Blue Apron offers several other holiday boxes and limited time offerings so that there's truly something for everyone:

Holiday roast box: Looking ahead for the perfect Christmas dinner? Look no further than this robust meal kit, which offers roast beef tenderloin, cheesy baked potatoes, orange-glazed rainbow carrots, spinach and kale bake, and apple-cranberry trifle.
Vegetarian holiday box: Fill up on meat-free options like a three-cheese pasta bake, roasted brussels sprouts, arugula and orange salad, squash, and chocolate mousse pie.
Holiday ham box: Another Christmas dinner game changer, this box comes with everything you get with the vegetarian holiday box plus a honey-baked ham.
Season add-ons: Leave no space open on the dinner table this holiday season by adding sides and desserts like French onion soup (with baguettes), a gouda and mushroom quiche, mushroom biscuits with goat cheese butter, and more.

First-time customers can save $200 off their first six orders and enjoy free shipping on their first Blue Apron box by signing up with their email today.

starting at $10 per serving

Best add-ons to spruce up any occasion: Home Chef

While other meal delivery subscriptions cater more towards family plans and custom-built orders, Home Chef has the solution for smaller households looking for a change this holiday season. Many of the home-cooked meals are shareable dishes -- perfect for couples planning their next date or Friendsgiving night.

The real stand-out here is Home Chef's broad selection of add-ons. Additions like blueberry muffins or pumpkin spice oatmeal bites could be the perfect accompaniment to a fun brunch get-together. There's even a charcuterie snack tray with salami slices, provolone cheese, and multigrain crackers, in case you were considering hosting this holiday season.

Home Chef also offers holiday bundles for pickup at select stores: just select your protein, pick your sides, and pick everything up at a Kroger or other participating store near you. Your choice in dishes and sides is dependent on store availability.

starting at $8 per serving

Best premade meals for the active people in your life: Trifecta

Have you ever considered gifting a meal kit subscription for someone else, maybe as a hostess gift? If you know someone who is passionate about their own health journey, Trifecta's lean meals may be a great surprise addition to their daily grind.

Trifecta is a healthy meal delivery service that brings a personalized approach to fitness-friendly eating by pairing customers with a registered dietitian to build a personalized meal plan from the ground up. Customers can track dietary goals down to each ingredient, log workouts, and more using the Trifecta app.

starting at 10 per serving

Most affordable meal delivery service: EveryPlate

If your budget is already looking a bit stretched out this holiday season, consider saving money around dinner time with EveryPlate. This cheap meal delivery service has prices as low as $5 per serving, which can help you save up for the important things: gifts, holiday decorations, and the like!

Find an assortment of vegan options, low-calorie recipes, and more with EveryPlate's weekly recipe offerings. Also, keep your eye out for holiday exclusives such as the delectable Thanksgiving apple pie crescents -- perfect for taking up space on the Thanksgiving dinner table or impressing friends at your next holiday get-together.

Want to save even more money to put towards holiday planning? Sign up for EveryPlate with your email address today to get exclusive plan prices as low as $1.49 per serving.

starting at $1.49 per serving

Best plant-based meal kit for vegans: Purple Carrot

With its fully plant-based meals, Purple Carrot is a meal delivery service with plenty to choose from for vegans, vegetarians and anyone who just wants to eat healthier.

Trying to plan a family dinner or friendly get-together but having trouble trying to find nutritious and delicious options that will please everyone around the holiday table? Purple Carrot is our pick for the best plant-based meal kits, thanks to appealing and nutrient-packed recipes available each week.

If you're inviting one or more vegan or vegetarian over for a festive holiday meal, let them be pleasantly surprised by your inclusive home cooking. Purple Carrot even has you covered with holiday recipes like thanksgiving sandwiches (loaded with roasted brussels sprouts and apple slaw) and desserts like chocolate mousse or minted hot chocolate. Yum.

starting at $11 per serving

How can meal kits help with holiday planning?

Holiday planning typically requires a few things: time and money. If you want to hit it out of the park this holiday season, meal kits can help simplify your life to make that happen. Here's how meal kits can help, depending on your holiday plans:

Hosting a big holiday Christmas dinner? This isn't the time to wing it with a new recipe, a haphazard grocery shopping list, and a dream. The best meal delivery kits offer exclusive holiday boxes overflowing with filling meals, sides, and dessert items that can impress the whole family this holiday season.
Planning to be the life of the party at a get-together among friends? Nobody likes to show up empty handed to the event -- especially when it's a holiday party. Many meal kits like Home Chef offer a number of interesting add-ons like snacks and desserts, as well as exclusive holiday-themed recipes and a-la-carte selections, that could be an easy win at your next cocktail party, brunch event, or casual get-together.
Plotting out an ambitious trip for the whole family? That takes time. You need to pick a location, touch base with friends and family to iron out available times, book hotels, and more. Sometimes you have to go through the whole process more than once. Since meal kits can make the whole dinner time process easier throughout the week, this can free up enough time for you to actually get through the holiday planning process. Also, budget-friendly meal kits like EveryPlate and Dinnerly can really help you save money in the long run.
Trying to coordinate a romantic night in with your significant other? The best meal kits for date nights offer appealing and rewarding dinners for two. Set the scene on your next date night with one of these meal kits: Purple Carrot for vegans and vegetarians, Home Chef for great comfort food meals, and Blue Apron for chef-curated recipes that are sure to impress.

How we picked the best meal kits for holiday planning

Choosing the right meal kit is important, no matter the time of year. For a better understanding of how we review products, this is what we prioritized when picking the best meal delivery services to help with holiday planning this year:

Meal variety: If you're hosting -- or even just bringing snacks or other add-ons to -- a holiday party this year, you want something that stands out. That's why we picked meal kits with an impressive variety of weekly meal offerings.
Convenience: We stuck with meal delivery kits that were quick and easy to prepare yourself, so that you have more time to spend with your loved ones this holiday season.
High quality recipes: Let's be honest: you want healthy meals that are also delicious. We stuck to our guns and kept our standards high by picking meal kit companies that serve up unique and tasty recipes on a regular basis.