These meal delivery services need zero prep
Is there a way to enjoy elaborate meals every night without the time suck? Thanks to meal kits like Blue Apron, the answer is yes.
When it comes to meal delivery services, you have a couple of options. There are reliable meal kit services that supply ingredients you prepare yourself. There are meal kits that require minimal prep -- often labeled as "ready to cook." Or you can find fully prepared meals that are ready within minutes.
Some meal delivery services specialize in recipes that require no prep work whatsoever. Just pop one of these meals in the oven, microwave, or freezer for dinner later in the week -- no time-consuming prep work required.
Four meal delivery services that require zero prep
Before you sign up for the first meal delivery service you find, take a look at our selections. Since there are so many prepared meal delivery services and flexible meal kits out there to choose from, we tried to simplify things by highlighting the best of the best.
- Best gourmet meals: Blue Apron
- Best vegetarian: SunBasket
- Best for fitness-friendly eating: Factor
- Best variety: CookUnity
Free up your evenings in 2024 with one of the four best prepared meal delivery services that require no prep:
Best gourmet meals: Blue Apron
You may not initially think of Blue Apron as a prepared meal delivery service. Prior to December 2023, Blue Apron only offered gourmet-level meal kits that subscribers had to prepare themselves.
But in recent months, Blue Apron has rolled out its new prepared and ready meal plan. These dietitian-approved meals are just as nutritious and delicious as the popular meal kit's regular fare.
Even though this is a relatively new category for Blue Apron, there are already more than 80 prepared meals to choose from, with options catering to a variety of diets and lifestyles (think carb-conscious, family friendly, and low-calorie dishes).
These meals require no prep work whatsoever; simply follow the heating instructions to have single-portion meals ready in as little as two minutes flat.
Subscribers can choose between six, eight, or 10 prepared meals per week. Typical prices are a smidge higher than Blue Apron meal kits, starting at around $13 per serving.
Best vegetarian meals: SunBasket
Looking for something a bit more green? SunBasket, one of our favorite plant-based meal kits, is another meal kit delivery service that offers prep-free meals.
SunBasket's fresh and ready meal plan pairs busy eaters with healthy, single-serve meals that are ready in under five minutes. Just like the rest of SunBasket's nutritious, veggie-boosted menu, these prepared meals are built around chef-crafted recipes and made of high-quality, organic ingredients.
Anyone sticking to a plant-based diet should browse SunBasket's selections. Each fresh and ready meal contains less than 800 calories and is packed with up to 30 grams of protein.
Although each SunBasket meal is prepared and packaged as single-serve, there are plan options for two or four people, so this can be a great option, even if you're cooking for a large family.
Fresh and ready prices are lower than SunBasket's meal kits and start at just $10 per serving. New subscribers can save $90 across their first four boxes, as well as free shipping on a first order.
Best for fitness-friendly eating: Factor
If you're looking for fresh-and-never-frozen meals, then Factor has the dietitian-approved recipes for you. This prepared meal delivery service offers a full menu of nutritional dinners that require zero prep work.
With a menu featuring more than 35 new recipes each week, as well as more than 50 additional add-ons like snacks and smoothies (also prep-free), Factor is a terrific option for people looking to stay fit.
And after our time reviewing Factor meals for ourselves, we consider its fresh and fast meals to be worth the hype.
Choose from dozens of nutritious and delicious meals that fit a number of dietary preferences. There are macronutrient-packed keto options, low-calorie recipes, and plant-based meals all over their curated weekly menus.
Factor dinners start at $11 per serving. Prices are lower if you opt into more meals each week, which means box totals typically cost between $80 and $198. First-time subscribers can enjoy $135 in savings spread across their first five boxes.
Best variety: CookUnity
The last prepared meal delivery service on our list is CookUnity. This New York-based company is a chef-to-consumer meal delivery service that pairs customers with restaurant-style meals sent directly to their door.
CookUnity employs more than 70 chefs to whip up a large variety of dinners for customers in Texas, along the east or west coasts, or in the Midwest. The delivery service isn't nationwide yet, so customers must plug in their zip code while signing up to ensure deliveries in their area.
If you're within range, you can get access to dozens of menu items that cater to different diets (paleo, vegetarian, keto, and more). These vary depending on location.
Customers can choose from four to 16 single-serve meals per week, with prices typically starting at $14 per serving. Opting for eight or more weekly meals can net customers an additional 20% in savings -- plus, that first week is another 30% off for first-timers.
How we selected the best meal kits
Convenience is important when comparing different meal kit delivery services, and that goes for prepared meal delivery services as well.
For a closer look at how we review products and services, here are the factors we considered:
- Meal variety: We looked for prepared meal delivery services that offered more than a few delicious and nutritious meals each week.
- Fresh ingredients: We stuck with meal delivery services that relied on talented chefs and trusted dietitians to craft, package, and ship out the best meals that require no prep whatsoever.
- Subscription costs: Don't neglect the price when considering meal delivery services. You want to save money over a trip to the grocery store when going with weekly deliveries, so we prioritized meal delivery services that won't break the bank.
