Best senior-friendly meal kits for hassle-free eating in 2024

Meal kit delivery services can really make a difference for seniors who just want the occasional break from soup-to-nuts menu creation. Senior-friendly meal kits cater to some of those needs, and even some other limitations that come with older age.

They're great for providing low-sodium, nutrient-rich dishes that can help with everything from weight management to simply making dinnertime a less stressful experience. And all that can lead to better health.

"Many meal kits come with nutrient-rich meals such as lean proteins, fresh vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats... make sure to check the nutrition information [of each meal]," says Jennifer May, principle nutritionist and director of Sydney City Nutritionist and Food Intolerance Australia.

May goes on to recommend that seniors aim for 20 grams of protein, 8 to 10 grams of fiber, and no more than 200 milligrams of sodium for a well-balanced meal. We looked at the nutrition facts for each meal service listed below to make sure seniors would have an easy time picking healthy meals with every delivery.

Best meal kits for seniors

The best meal kits for seniors will offer up simpler ways to stay healthy with nutritious meals. It's all about simplicity and nutrition, and every senior-friendly meal kit on this list checks both boxes. Here's a closer look at the best meal kits for older adults looking for easy, healthy dinner options.

• Best for organic ingredients: SunBasket
• Best hassle-free prep work: Home Chef
• Best heat-and-eat frozen meals: Magic Kitchen
• Best for seniors who live alone: Snap Kitchen
• Best for a lean diet: Factor
• Best for a gluten-free diet: Green Chef

For older adults, convenience can become a crucial part of life – one that keeps things from getting too strenuous or overwhelming. These senior meal kits all have options that can take much of the effort out of cooking a fresh dinner.

Best meal kits for organic ingredients: SunBasket

SunBasket is a top-notch meal kit company that offers health-conscious meal delivery options. Its weekly menu is perfect for seniors looking for organic ingredients. It's nothing but farm-fresh ingredients in every meal, so older adults can enjoy a wide selection of meal options each week.

This healthy meal delivery service is dedicated to serving USDA-certified organic ingredients with every meal. Additionally, its recipes contain meat and poultry that was sustainably sourced from local farmers who work directly with SunBasket.

You can find a variety of senior meals to match different dietary needs on SunBasket's weekly menu. Labels clearly indicate low-carb options and meals that are heart healthy and keto-friendly, among others.

For quick and easy dinners that are as healthy as they are tasty, look no further than SunBasket. Prices start at $10 per serving, but first-time customers can snag a deal that brings that down to just $5 per serving. This discount kicks in automatically when you're building a plan and takes off $90 across your first four deliveries -- plus free shipping!

Why we went with SunBasket: This meal kit's dedication to sustainably sourced ingredients and variety of nutritious, diet-friendly, and heart healthy meals solidified what we already knew: SunBasket is as rewarding for seniors as it is healthy.

Best meal kits for hassle-free prep work: Home Chef

Home Chef is an ideal meal kit option for quick and easy cooking. It has recipes that are ready in as little as 15 minutes, which can be perfect for older adults who love to cook but don't relish the thought of spending forever in the kitchen.

Seniors can enjoy an easy, breezy cooking experience with Home Chef's express meals. These come pre-portioned and with recipes that can be whipped up in a matter of minutes.

For something even easier, there are Home Chef's Fast and Fresh meals: These premade meals can be prepared in the microwave or oven, resulting in a finished meal that takes mere minutes to prepare.

Home Chef also caters to certain dietary restrictions. For seniors who want to avoid chef meals with certain ingredients such as pork, shellfish, or peanuts, it's super easy to build a senior meal plan that excludes these options.

Home Chef has weekly meal plans for up to six people and offers anywhere from two to six recipes every week. Price per serving starts at around $10, depending on your plan. Some premium meals, which can be found in the Culinary Collection section, can go up to $14 per serving. 

But wait, there's more: first-time customers can currently save big on their first few orders. This discount boasts 18 free meals (spread out across four deliveries) and is automatically applied as you build your plan, so no need to worry about missing out. There are also discounts for military veterans, first responders, teachers, students, and government officials. 

Why we chose Home Chef: Customizable meals? Cook times under 20 minutes? Additional options like premade meals that require very little effort? Picking Home Chef as an easy and engaging senior-friendly meal kit was a real no-brainer.

Best heat-and-eat frozen meals: Magic Kitchen

Magic Kitchen is a meal kit delivery service that specializes in quick and easy meals for seniors. Unlike some companies on this list that have a number of senior-friendly options mixed in with their weekly offerings, Magic Kitchen puts older adults first, with homestyle frozen meals that are ready within minutes.

Available nationwide to US-based customers, Magic Kitchen meals consist of a main course paired with one or two sides. You can mix and match main dishes, soups, sides, and even desserts when putting together your nutritious meal plan.

Unlike other subscription models, Magic Kitchen offers what it calls Flex Subscriptions. This senior-friendly design makes it easy for older adults to navigate meal kit options and make selections, because customers actually call in to set up a three or six-month plan with a representative directly.

You can discuss dietary preferences and place orders with ease right over the phone. As an added perk, Magic Kitchen offers free shipping and other discounts off your order when you order with a Flex Subscription. The typical price per serving starts at $10. Any offers for free shipping are a big deal (so don't miss out) because shipping fees for Magic Kitchen are based on weight and distance and typically start at $19 per box. 

Why we highlighted Home Chef: Magic Kitchen is a true senior-friendly meal kit service with simple meals that are easy to prepare and a system that allows over-the-phone orders.

Best meal kits for seniors who live alone: Snap Kitchen

Based out of Texas, Snap Kitchen is a meal kit delivery service that focuses on quality with organic and sustainably sourced ingredients. Frozen meals are delivered to your door and can be ready in no time at all – no time-consuming prep work required.

Snap Kitchen is a great senior meal delivery service for older adults looking for consistently healthy meals to get them through the week. In addition to nutrient-packed dinner options, you can also find a variety of breakfast and lunch recipes to try out. Meals are customizable, with the option to add extras like sides, snacks, or other sources of protein to really round out your daily health goals.

If you live alone, you're probably familiar with the problem of unused leftovers. With Snap Kitchen's single-serve meals, not only do you get exactly what you need for those solo meals – you can also easily store extra meals in the freezer to last you throughout the week.

Snap Kitchen has locations in the Austin, Houston, and Dallas-Fort Worth areas of Texas. Snap Kitchen meal kits can also be found at more than 40 different Whole Foods locations in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. 

Best meal delivery service for sticking to a diet: Factor

If you want fresh, ready-made, and home delivered meals that take little to no prep time, then Factor has the nutritious and satisfying meals for you. Its gourmet chefs put together fresh and never-frozen dinners that support healthy eating. Anyone sticking to a lean diet will find plenty of options to choose from here with over 30 dietitian-approved meals to choose from each week.

Factor challenges the stigma that a lean diet means avoiding gourmet-level recipes in favor of nutritious, yet plain, combinations (there's only so many ways to prepare grilled chicken and white rice, after all).

Meals like Factor's Creamy Parmesan Chicken, Ground Pork and Cheddar Chili Mac, and Garlic-Mushroom Chicken Thighs look almost out of place with a healthy meal delivery service centered around low-carb, health-conscious recipes.

Instead of a subscription model, Factor lets you pick your own items when setting up your weekly deliveries. You can find those and more while you put together a delivery plan that lets you select up to 18 home delivered meals each week.

Normally priced at $11 per serving and up, Factor is currently 50% off for new subscribers. Sign up now for prices as low as $5.50 per serving, plus free wellness shots for life.

Best for a gluten-free diet: Green Chef

For seniors that would feel their best on a gluten-free diet, Green Chef is our go-to pick. One of the best gluten-free meal kits available today, Green Chef offers a refreshing variety of healthy, organic meals.

This meal kit delivery service is certified as a gluten-free safe spot by the gluten-tolerance group, which means Green Chef follows strict food safety best practices that reduce the risk of issues like cross-contamination.

There are plenty of gluten-free options to choose from here, such as a number of vegan and plant-based entrees available each week. This is also a top-tier meal delivery service for other dietary preferences -- you can find low-carb, grain-free, keto-, and paleo-friendly meals.

New Green Chef subscribers can enjoy a total of $430 in savings spread across their first 9 deliveries.

How to choose the best senior-friendly meal delivery kit

There are a number of factors to consider when picking the right meal delivery service for a well-balanced, senior-friendly diet.

First off: Protein, says Reda Elmardi, a registered dietitian. Maybe think tofu or legumes, plus vegetables for important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants; fruit as a source of extra vitamin C; and whole grains.

"Whole grain pasta, bread, cereal bars, etc., are great sources of complex carbohydrates that will help regulate blood sugar levels throughout the day," Elmardi says. Find more fitness and nutrition insights on Elmardi's website, activbuilt.com.

Aside from finding senior meal delivery services that contribute to a well-balanced diet, here are a few other points of reference to keep in mind:

• Prep times: Getting around may be difficult for some seniors, so meals that are super easy to make are a must.
• Customizability: Don't ignore personal taste – accommodate personal preferences by looking over a meal delivery service's menus and recipes to make sure there's room for customized orders.
• Nutrition facts: In order to meet your daily and weekly goals (and avoid meals that are high in calories or sodium), look for meal kit services that list all relevant details on their recipes. 
• Portion size: Most meal kits lay out the portion size for each meal on its recipe page. Elmardi suggests keeping portion sizes small: "A suggested serving size for most meals is a one-quarter cup, or 125 grams, instead of the full cup that many meals typically contain."

Why these meal kits are perfect for easy, healthy dinners

The right meal delivery service can greatly benefit seniors by providing satisfying and nutritious meals that require little to no prep work. Older adults with mobility issues can skip those tiring grocery store trips and opt for premade home delivered meals or frozen meals instead.

The range of diet-friendly meals offered by the above companies can make it much easier to stick to a healthy routine when it comes to nightly dinners. Senior-friendly meal kit services like Magic Kitchen go a step further with prompt customer service and flexible meal plans that make it easy for seniors to place their own orders.

Lastly, meal kits can bring a bit of joy to the process of cooking. Seniors can enjoy all sorts of new and interesting dishes, often with easy-to-follow instructions that take a fraction of the time a traditional home-cooked meal would require.

How we compared different senior-friendly meal kits

When comparing meal kits for older adults, we made sure to prioritize nutrition, ease of preparation, and overall costs. We also kept an eye out for companies with good customer service. That way, we know any questions or concerns about a senior meal delivery service will be answered promptly and politely.

For a closer look at how we review products, here are the factors that went into our picks for the best senior-friendly meal kits: 

• Health factor: Seniors deserve plenty of whole fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and whole grain recipes to maintain a healthy diet. 
• Organic and nutritious ingredients: We paid special attention to certified organic meal delivery services when curating this list in order to highlight good quality ingredients.
• Variety: A meal delivery kit with very few options each week will quickly lose its appeal. We looked for meal kit delivery services that kept it fresh each week with multiple recipes and a la carte items.
• Quick and easy cook times: Some able-bodied seniors and older adults who live happily on their own can benefit from easily prepared meal delivery kits, as opposed to frozen dishes that may seem unappealing.