Table of Contents
ToggleWith vegan or plant-based meal kit delivery service, it’s as if you’re hitting two birds with one stone. You’re eating healthy food that doesn’t contain animal meat or by-products. At one and the same time, you’re also not spending time deciding what to cook, visiting the grocery store, and finally prepping the ingredients and cooking.
If you can find the best plant-based meal delivery near me (closer to where you live, I mean), then all the more reason to encourage your desire to eat healthy, vegan meals. The greatest news here is that vegan meal kits are diverse in terms of flavors and taste, price range, customization, nutrient profile, and whatnot.
Of course, there are prepackaged vegan meals too, but we’ll save that discussion for another time when I really get into premade vegan meal delivery services. As for meal kits, these options are equipped with pre-measured or pre-portioned ingredients that make up lunches/dinners, and some even have breakfast, snacks, etc., that are meat-free.
Plant-based proteins, seeds, nuts, veggies, fruits, starches, and more – these are the list of ingredients I was referring to earlier.
Below I’ve rounded off the best vegan meal kit delivery services. The reviews include the cheapest vegan meal delivery, high protein vegan meal delivery, and other “more specific” choices for plant eaters!
Why Choose Vegan or Plant-Based Meal Delivery?
The modern-day individual is most likely to find the cooking process very inconvenient. The same can be said about modern dietary challenges. Looks like our digestive system and its structure, development, and evolution have altered to a relatively great degree.
Whatever the causes, the best solution is to consume healthy, nutritionally-balanced homemade meals. Not takeout, restaurant food, junk food, fast food, etc.
Meal kits come the closest to home-cooked lunches and dinners. They’re perfect if you wish to start and maintain a healthy vegan diet but are a bit troubled when it comes to deciding what meals to prepare. It’s also a very suitable choice for meat-eaters switching to a meat-free, plant-based, or vegan diet.
Benefits of Vegan Meal Delivery Services
The most obvious and biggest advantage is that a pre-portioned meal is delivered right to your doorstep. These are mostly subscription-based meal kit delivery services that give you a vast menu to choose from. In this case, that would be a vegan menu, of course.
So if you’re a vegan, always on the lookout for high-protein plant-based meals, your goal of maintaining a meat-free, protein-rich, balanced diet is accomplished. And also taken forward!
Healthy meal delivery services feature a well-balanced menu with options for all kinds of vegan customers. This includes more experience and novice-level home chefs!
Plus, these services aren’t as expensive as you expect them to be. Many companies offer amazing, unbelievable discounts on the first few orders. And bonus points if the healthy vegan meal kit delivery subscription also uses GMO-free, certified organic, and sustainably sourced ingredients.
Are Meal Delivery Services Worth It for Veganism?
It could be that you’re just trying out a vegan or plant-based eating pattern, or maybe you’re struggling to maintain your already-established vegan lifestyle. Either way, vegan meal delivery service is the knight in shining armor that will certainly rescue you!
Generally, with meal delivery, there’s no need to mull over what to eat/cook during your busy workweek. Furthermore, after all this research, testing, and observing, I’d like to admit that meal kits are definitely worth exploring.
Deciding your meals from Monday to Friday or throughout the week is difficult, even more so when following a diet plan. So what meal delivery services do is they eliminate that guesswork from your life. Thus, you waste very little to no time on meal planning, grocery shopping, ingredient prepping, and cooking.
Considering the added advantage of vegan options, the experience of navigating the menu is more comfortable and convenient. They also include food restrictions, which makes mealtime even more satisfying and healthier.
How to Choose the Best Vegan Meal Kit Delivery Service
You’d rather pick your meals after some careful and maybe even strict consideration. After all, these could become a part of your daily diet if you find just what you need. And also just what’s vegan, healthy, affordable, and downright clean (nutrition-wise) for you!
1. Do Vegan Meal Delivery Services Seem Right for Your Vegan Lifestyle?
The first question you should ask yourself is whether meal kits are healthy or are meal kit services worth it for you? One thing I’d like to say before anything else is that the health benefits of a plant-based, vegan diet are plausible. Science-backed research has proved that being on a vegan or just veggie diet lowers the risks associated with diabetes and cancer.
Furthermore, a vegan/vegetarian diet plan also, to a certain extent, helps in shedding weight. As long as you’re making sure that your body is receiving the optimal level of proteins, carbs, dietary fiber, healthy fats, etc., a plant-based diet is super. With that in mind, if vegan-specific meals are nutrient-dense, then they are right in every way!
A vegan meal delivery subscription, based on that, does make the process of meal prep more convenient, easier, and quicker. On top of that, weekly meal subscription-based services are quite handy.
When you’re selecting a meal kit delivery service that is either fully vegan or has a good amount of vegan, plant-based options then you will have no regrets.
2. Meal Kits Should Save Prep Effort/Time and Maximize Convenience
Busy life, in general, has become the norm of the 21st century. Agreed that one can always, somehow, make time to cook delicious, healthy homemade meals. However, the problem with that is you may not be able to do this most days of the week because, obviously, life gets in the way.
So how about incorporating meal kits into your weekly diet on days you can’t or don’t want to do any meal prepping on your own?
Thus, meal kits do not need to buy ingredients, plan meals, and carry out that time-consuming clean-up post-cooking. Only cooking is what you focus on, right? And this means less time spent in the kitchen, yet you’re consuming nutrient-rich, vegan food.
Mentioning Hungryroot at this point makes a lot of sense because these fellows have meals you can prepare in under 10-15 minutes. Now isn’t that super convenient if you have to prepare meals for the family!
On the other hand, there are services such as Sunbasket and Purple Carrot that cater to those who genuinely enjoy cooking. Even so, their meal kits are pre-prepped, pre-portioned, and come with proper, easy instructions.
Typically, you’ll find that more classic or traditional recipes take only 10-20 minutes, whereas gourmet/premium dishes demand a comparatively longer time (over 30 minutes). Either way, to be honest, a weekly meal subscription here ensures quick meal planning, even for vegan meals.
3. Serving Size of Meals Also Matters
It matters for two reasons:
- If you’re living alone, then single-serve meals are the most suitable for you. While families (with 4 members or more) require meal plans with a higher number of servings – 4, 6, or even 8 servings per meal.
- The second reason why serving size matters is that a larger number of servings per meal tends to lower the cost. Meaning the more servings you add to your weekly order, the more affordable it’ll be.
I’m also referring to serving size in terms of portion size. These meals should be both appetizing and filling. The former ensures a more enjoyable mealtime experience, whereas the latter satiates hunger. Both together prevent eating stuff (binge eating) that’s probably not the best for your health.
4. Understanding Meal Plan Pricing
How much do vegan meal delivery services cost? Meal plans, on average, range from $6-$7 to $11-$12 per serving. There are premium dishes too, which are priced higher than $15 per serving.
There’s a lot that depends on which type of meal plan you choose. There are both the cheapest meal delivery service and one whose meal kits, for the most part, are relatively more expensive.
I have often heard from a lot of people that veganism is such a “privileged” and luxurious lifestyle. To be honest, real research has something else to say. Authentic studies have suggested that plant-based meals cost a lot less than their conventional meat/seafood counterparts.
Now that we’ve covered that ground let me also mention that top meal delivery services can be on the more expensive side of the price spectrum. Their meals are priced at $10 or higher per serving. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t reasonably priced meal kits too.
At the least, these meals may not be from the “gourmet” or “premium” part of the menu, but they’re yummy nonetheless. And if you don’t mind paying a little extra for such higher-priced, special dishes, then I don’t see any problem here.
Also, you can always include just one of these recipes into your weekly order, along with most meals being classic/traditional, to spice things up during the week. Something is better than nothing, wouldn’t you agree?
I’ve mentioned in the Serving Size section above – the more servings per meal and/or more meals per week you order, the more the bill amount reduces.
5. The Importance of Menu Variety and Meal Customizability
One of the reasons why healthy meal kits are turning into such a hugely successful concept in America is that people love variety. Cooking and eating the same handful of recipes at home is probably why you don’t even feel like making that effort in your kitchen.
Likewise, if you eat the same 5-6 meals weekly, you’ll eventually get bored with that meal delivery service. In that case, the menu has to offer various dishes from different cuisines.
For instance, Green Chef has a new menu every week. So you can choose from a vast range of global-inspired and classic recipes. Some plant-based recipes from Green Chef:
- Thai Snap Pea & Peanut Curry
- Creamy Truffle Penne
- Breaded Cauliflower & Peanut Sauce Tacos
You should be able to put your vegan meal subscription to good use by going through each meal kit available on the menu for that week.
Also, check out the Green Chef menu. You’ll see that some of the ingredients they use are not even available at local supermarkets or grocery stores. That means a ton of variety is afforded, so you can also try out new, exotic foods.
Even Purple Carrot features an assorted menu. You get to see which meals are vegan and/or veggie. Besides, Purple Carrot has many menu tags/filters – Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Nut-Free, High-Protein, <600 calories, and more.
Meal customization is another priority, especially if you’re vegan. Or if you have to deal with one too many food allergies! When the meal kit delivery brand lets you customize all or most of their meals, you know they genuinely care about their service.
Normally, such subscription-based food companies, whenever and wherever possible, provide gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, dairy-free, and also organic options. Regardless, make sure you pick one that allows you to swap ingredients (meat protein with plant-based protein, for example) to suit your vegan and healthy lifestyle better.
Last but not least, optional add-ons are sometimes preferred if you’d like to bulk up a certain macronutrient. For instance, increasing the amount of protein per serving of the meal. No denying these personalization options come in handy when relying on meal kit delivery services for your working or hectic days of the week.
6. Quality of the Ingredients Used
How would you know the company is concerned about factors like the quality and freshness of the ingredients? I know Hungryroot is because they have a Customer Review page where the positive feedback overload instills more trust in the service.
Plus, they have a separate Hungryroot Philosophy page that mentions that all Hungryroot food meets the nutrition standard.
Since you’re vegan, I would also like to mention that meal companies offer various types of “meat-like” food products. These are often labeled as “vegan” alternatives to meat. While they’re not all bad or unhealthy, it’s just that you should go for whole food substitutes instead.
Your weekly meal kits ought to contain fresh ingredients, no compromise is to be made in that department. When the natural produce, fruits and vegetables, are locally sourced, the chances of receiving fresh ingredients are higher. Locally and sustainably sourced food items, along with organic ingredients – now that’s a healthy choice!
Only the freshest ingredients can bring together the most flavorful plant-based or vegan dishes!
7. Reducing Carbon Footprint and Waste
A plant-based diet plan, in itself, is an excellent way to lower the carbon footprint on planet Earth. The diet, on its own, is an environment-friendly decision. Just think about not having to go, meaning not having to commute to the supermarket or grocery store every week! With that in mind, opting for meal kits results in minimizing carbon emissions by 33%.
But then, what about the load of packaging materials used by these meal delivery services? Many of them, particularly top meal kit providers, use recyclable/reusable packaging. This includes eco-conscious boxes, trays, insulation, liners, and whatnot.
As for preventing food wastage, this crucial, controversial area is also covered because meal kits per serving consist of pre-portioned ingredients. Nothing is excessive or lacking, that’s for sure! Rather cooking at home from scratch often leads to food leftovers that eventually land up in the trash bin.
On the other hand, with meal delivery service, you never have to worry about any leftovers. Partly because of the inclusion of pre-measured ingredients. Partly because the food is too delicious and irresistible not to gobble down all at once!
Top-Rated Vegan Meal Delivery Services
1. Purple Carrot
Purple Carrot is one of the most readily available meal delivery services to subscribe to. You can also think of them as a “next door” meal service with 100% plant-based, vegan meals.
It has different meal plans, so you’ll never come up short when adding vegan meals to your weekly diet. Purple Carrot has meal kits and prepared meals.
Their meal kits consist of not only different types of cuisines, but they also cater to specific meal times, which means you get to pick Dinners, Breakfasts, Lunches, and Plantry. Planetary features pantry items like chips, chocolates, dressings, and other small bites.
Are all vegan and plant-based? Yes, they most certainly are. Everything you see and discover on Purple Carrot is naturally vegan, meaning all the ingredients used, including the cheeses and yogurts, are plant-based.
Most of Purple Carrot’s recipes are made from organic and non-GMO ingredients as well. Purple Carrot features some meal options that are gluten-free for people with allergies. Though the, gluten-free meals may be limited due to delivery constraints.
Thankfully, Purple Carrot’s menu changes weekly, so if you don’t like some of the vegan meal options in the current week’s menu, you won’t see it again next week.
The overall palate of Purple Carrot’s menu includes simple and delicious meals made with various interesting ingredients. The menu consists of more than just salads or rice bowls, which is an advantage considering how limited a vegan meal plan can be when considering a vegetarian or meat-based diet plan.
The vegan meals you’ll see on Purple Carrot can also be explored in the following ways:
- By Nutritional Value
All of the recipes you see on Purple Carrot come with multiple labels or tags. Though you cannot filter the menu using these labels, you can see the tags under each recipe so that you have a clearer understanding of what the meal is best suited for.
The most common labels for most of the recipes are High-Protein, <600 calories, Gluten-Free, and Soy-Free. You’ll also find some Nut-Free recipes, Chef’s Choice, and Quick and Easy.
Recipes do have more than one nutritional label, so for example, the Dolma-Stuffed Grilled Cheese recipe is soy-free, nut-free, and chef’s choice. While the Miso Coconut Ramen Bowl is high-protein, has fewer than 600 calories, and is the chef’s choice.
- By Calories
Under the nutritional tags, each recipe’s caloric value is displayed. Starting from the lowest in their Dinners menu, which is 420 calories, and it goes up to 810 calories. The Breakfast and Lunch menu consists of meals with fewer calories since the portion size is smaller and they are lighter on the stomach than the Dinner menu.
- By Cooking Time / Serving Size
Purple Carrot’s Dinners are served in two or four serving sizes, which means it’s designed for singles, couples, as well as families. You can quickly filter meal plans for two servings at a time or four to find the portion size that works best for you.
While you can filter recipes according to serving size for two or four, you can pick out recipes that are quicker to cook. There isn’t a filter setting for that, but each recipe’s cooking time is displayed right next to the caloric value.
The cooking time for all Purple Carrot’s meals starts from 15 to 45 minutes. The average, however, is 30 minutes, which is the ideal cooking time that makes cooking fun and less of a chore!
Purple Carrot’s Recipes
Thai Jungle Curry with Jasmine Rice & Toasted Lime Cashews
This is an entire medley of hearty and delicious vegetables served with fluffy jasmine rice, crunch, and zesty cashews. It has bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans, fresh basil, and lemon. Low in fats and calories with plenty of proteins, so it counts as a satisfying meal.
- Total calories per serving – 570 calories
- Total protein per serving – 16 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 96 grams
- Total fats per serving – 16 grams
Dolma-Stuffed Grilled Cheese with Lemon-Dill Potato Wedges & Toum
A Chef’s Choice, grilled cheese is always a favorite, but this is grilled cheese with a twist as it is vegan. It also has no nuts and soy, delicious potatoes, parsley, and lime juice. Vegan mayo and cheese add the perfect layer of creaminess, while the dill and dolma filling between the bread turns it into a filling meal.
- Total calories per serving – 780 calories
- Total protein per serving – 13 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 98 grams
- Total fats per serving – 39 grams
Purple Carrot’s Best Features
Different meal options
I love that you can select different meal plans according to serving size and serving time. Purple Carrot’s most dominant menu is the Dinner menu with some really delicious and versatile cuisines.
Their Lunch menu consists of 2 – 3 recipes that are not too heavy on the stomach and cost a bit less per serving than Dinner. You’ll mostly find lunches that are quick and easy to make, have fewer calories, and are packed with proteins in a small package. Quick bites like sandwiches, protein bowls, and salads are the best Lunches so far on Purple Carrot’s menu.
Their Breakfast recipes take 5 – 15 minutes to prepare. Tacos, egg bites, oats, and fruit bowls are the common types of recipes they have. All of these come with multiple nutritional tags such as <600 calories, nut-free, high-protein, soy-free, and gluten-free.
The “Plantry” menu is a special category with interesting quick bites like fruit chips, nut milk chocolate bars, vegetable crackers, veggie sausages or patties, and creamy, plant-based salad dressings or dips. Purple Carrot really steps up its game with this category, proving that even vegans can have delicious binge-worthy foods while staying on top of their diet.
Nutritionally balanced and healthy
Regarding nutrition, Purple Carrot is one of the healthiest vegan meal delivery services I’ve come across. The nutritional quality also positively affects the meal’s flavor and freshness, so it’s a win-win situation for anyone looking for a plant-based meal delivery service.
Instead of you second-guessing how healthy a meal would turn out to be, you can read the exact nutritional profile of the meals before adding them to the weekly box. Click on the recipe you like, you’ll quickly be able to see the ingredients list, nutrition facts, and cooking instructions. You’ll also see similar recipes based on the one you’ve selected as you scroll down on the recipe page.
You’ll be surprised to see how balanced the macros are of some of the recipes on Purple Carrot. It’s not just plant-based and vegan meals you’re subscribing to, Purple Carrot goes the extra mile to ensure that the recipes are packed with more proteins, fewer fats, less sodium, and healthy carbs.
Flexible Customizations
A major part of meal selection is choosing and adjusting your meal plan based on what you prefer, not what it is handed out to you. Purple Carrot simplifies the meal selection process effectively, giving you plenty of options to choose from along the way.
You can even modify your order after placing it and browse the upcoming menus for the next whole month! Any last-minute changes like skipping meals, swapping, or rescheduling orders are quick and easy. Purple Carrot has all the features handy, you don’t have to email them, just go to your Account settings.
Purple Carrot’s Cost
Purple Carrot offers different meal plans with varying prices which you can adjust by serving size.
The Dinner meal plan has meal kits with two options: 2 and 4 servings. The starting cost for these meal kits is $11 per serving. The reason why there isn’t a fixed rate for the Dinners is that some of their meals include premium ingredients while others are more basic in their anatomy.
The Breakfasts, however, have a fixed price of $4.49 per serving. Purple Carrot allows you to order a minimum of 4 servings at a time, which increases your final meal amount. So that’s $18 for a Breakfast meal plan for 4 people.
Lunches, similar to Breakfasts, have a fixed rate of $8.99 per serving. You have to order at least 2 servings at a time for each meal, which costs $18 for 2 people.
The Plantry food items start from $4.5 for one pantry item up to $8.25. The price varies depending on what you buy, so the chips and chocolates are relatively lower priced than the plant-based sausages, burger patties, and some packaged items.
Purple Carrot’s Shipping and Delivery
Purple Carrot delivers from 9 am to 9 pm, all 7 days of the week. The delivery date and day cannot be changed by you, which means it depends on your delivery area.
Speaking of which, they deliver to all contiguous United States states, including all 48 states. To double-check your delivery address, you can contact customer support, and they’ll respond asap, confirming your delivery location.
Just like their delivery process, Purple Carrot ships practically too. All of their packaging materials are recyclable with a dedicated Recycle page where you can read all about the different parts that make up a week’s meal box.
The best part about their packaging is that it’s numbered, so you can break down the box and recycle all of its parts effectively.
The main cardboard box can be either recycled or reused. The liners are made up of recyclable plastic and paper that you can leave for curbside pickup or send over to the community recycling drop-off if it’s accessible.
Even the cooling gel packs and plastics are numbered, so you know exactly what to do with them once they arrive, which is very convenient.
2. Green Chef
Green Chef features a highly-customized yet straightforward menu with different dietary labels that tell you what you need to know about each meal. These labels differ not only by diet but also by ingredients.
Green Chef offers two meal categories instead of one when serving both Veggie and Vegan meals. Many meal plans combine vegan and veggie, but Green Chef serves them separate diets on every week’s menu.
My only minor complaint with Green Chef is that they do not let you choose your meals by picking filters or preferences. You cannot view a Vegan-only menu or any other diet you might prefer.
The menu displays all the recipes with the dietary tags, recipe name, main ingredients, a picture, and cooking time. Some of these meals have more than one dietary tag, which is a bonus because you can select some nutritious and healthy meals weekly.
Once you select a recipe, the recipe page opens up on the website with the list of ingredients, nutrition facts, photos, estimated cooking time, and a pdf version of the recipe card. All this you can view as many times as you want before signing up!
To complement a vegan lifestyle, Green Chef also uses some certified organic ingredients. However, not all their ingredients are certified, but it’s impossible to source 100% of organic ingredients, especially when you think about seasonings, powders, etc.
But Green Chef is one of the top certified organic companies to serve meal kits. Sourcing fresh and high-quality meals from sustainable farms without using food boosters like artificial flavoring, preservatives, and colorants.
With regards to freshness, Green Chef mentions that it’s best to store the meal kits as soon as they arrive at your doorstep. The meal kits are packed well, but as with any organic ingredient, the shelf life is limited, so best to cook and consume the ingredients 5 – 7 days after the meal kit arrives.
I did a quick run-through of their recipes and found that most meals take around 25 minutes to cook. Only one or two vegan meals took 30 – 35 minutes to prepare, such as the Chickpea & Red Pepper Bulgur Bowls and the Kale & Bean Stuffed Peppers.
What vegan options are Green Chef that you probably won’t find anywhere else?
Green Chef serves classic and easy-to-prepare meals. I saw incredibly versatile and colorful power bowls as a specialty in their vegan menu. Ingredients such as red peppers, chickpeas, tomatoes, hummus, beans, peas, lemon, kale, and olives.
All the vegan salads and bowls come with Green Chef’s in-house plant-based creamy sauce, such as coconut-lime, Schug sauce, cashew Parmesan cheese, and chimichurri sauce.
Some of these vegan meals have other health benefits, such as Mediterranean-inspired and gluten-free. The majority of the meals on Green Chef’s menu were gluten-free, so I wasn’t surprised to know that even the vegan meals were gluten-free by design.
Green Chef is a good place to start if you’re thinking of switching to all plant-based food, including cutting out dairy and animal-based products from your diet.
You have two options: either pick all vegan meals for your weekly meal or alternate between some vegan and veggie meals. I recommend the latter if you’re still skeptical about switching to a vegan diet for good. The extra veggie meal options on Green Chef’s menu are too delicious to resist.
Green Chef’s Recipes
Mushroom Curry Udon Bowls
Vegan udon noodles is cooked with a creamy mushroom sauce and topped with loads of caramelizing veggies such as yellow onions and carrots. The recipe is sweet and spicy, rich and creamy, thanks to the added coconut milk for the sauce. Most importantly, it’s super satisfying, topped with zesty lemon and herbs. It is made vegan but certainly doesn’t look it!
- Total calories per serving – 540 calories
- Total protein per serving – 10 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 70 grams
- Total fats per serving – 26 grams
Creamy Truffle Penne
You’ll only see truffle sauce in restaurants, this one you can make at home and is vegan! Again, the creaminess of mushrooms takes the prize with vegan penne pasta and a load of hearty vegetables such as grape tomatoes, peas, and shallots. The coconut milk makes it even creamier and richer in flavor.
- Total calories per serving – 730 calories
- Total protein per serving – 17 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 90 grams
- Total fats per serving – 36 grams
Green Chef’s Best Features
Plenty of plant-based options
The menu palate of Green Chef is not meat-dominant, it’s actually quite balanced and nutritious for omnivores and plant-eaters. The vegan recipes are simple and easy-t0-make. Some do lack certain creativity when it comes to recipe creation, but if you’re looking for foolproof recipes that aren’t experimental, Green Chef fits the bill.
The plant-powered menu has both vegetarian and vegan options. You may find some vegetarian recipes that aren’t vegan, but it’s implied that all vegan recipes are also vegetarian.
Vegan meals do not include dairy or animal by-products, while some vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products but no meat. Meats are the only common denominator between vegan and vegetarian meals. Green Chef understands the importance of both, so there are different veggie and vegan meals every week. Quite a few of them actually!
Recipes are also gluten-free for allergies, low in unhealthy fats, high in proteins, and fiber-rich because of all the vegetables, grains, and beans.
Clean, organic eating
Green Chef is good for you if your priority is clean and detox-inspired eating, no matter what. The menu features sustainably sourced and organic ingredients. Most of which, even the meat recipes, are very plant-forward and high in proteins and fiber.
Contrary to popular opinion, vegan meals can be rich in healthy fats from nuts and seeds. Green Chef also includes vegan recipes with good fats with ingredients like cashew Parmesan cheese, olive oil hummus, and coconut-lime rice.
Everything about this meal delivery service is plant-based, including veggies that you probably wouldn’t have thought about.
Straight forward, mess-free prepping
While it’s already established that meal delivery services make meal prepping easier and faster, cooking Green Chef meals feels even more worthwhile.
For starters, all the ingredients are packed and organized most beneficially. With transparent packets made up of recyclable materials and easy-to-read labels on every one of them.
Recipe cards with photographs of the cooking process, wherever necessary, alongside step-by-step instructions do more for your dish than you think. Then you have other just-as-important information on the recipe card, such as the ingredients, nutritional value, serving size, allergens, and cooking time.
The vegan meals take anywhere between 20 – 35 minutes to cook, with minimal clean-up afterwards. I do have to tell you, though, that it’s best to have the basic kitchen pantry items like salt, cooking oil, butter, and pepper with you.
Since the meal kits provided by Green Chef are pre-portioned, the portion size is quite sufficient based on the number of servings you order. The meals may seem inadequate for someone with a big appetite.
Green Chef’s Cost
Green Chef’s pricing is simple and straightforward to understand, just like the meal selection process and meal prep.
First, you select your Meal Type – you can pick as many as you want to, and the price is the same for all.
I’d just like to remind you that these are preferences only and do not affect the number of recipes you see on Green Chef’s menu. The menu is fully accessible to you, no matter which Meal Type you select. The selection is just Green Chef’s way of getting to know you better and personalizing your food choices.
- Keto + Paleo
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Mediterranean
- Fast & Fit
- Gluten-Free
Next, you must select your Box Size. How many people do you want each meal for? How many meals per week?
Green Chef lets you pick from a fixed set of numbers, which simplifies the meal selection process! Here’s what it looks like.
2 servings each | 4 servings each | 6 servings each | |
2 meals per week | – | $12.99 per serving | – |
3 meals per week | $13.49 per serving | $12.49 per serving | $11.99 per serving |
4 meals per week | $12.99 per serving | $11.99 per serving | $11.99 per serving |
According to this plan, the cheapest price per serving is $11.99 per serving, and the highest is $13.49 per serving. The latter being the least number of meals you can order on Green Chef per week.
Shipping is added up to the final bill amount on all orders. $9.99 + what you pay for meals per serving = the final bill amount.
You may get a few discounts, especially if you’re a new subscriber. The price per serving is accurate, considering how simple, effortless, and delicious Green Chef’s meals are. Taking the hassle out of your hands and providing you with rich, healthy, and nutritious food every day of the week!
Green Chef’s Shipping and Delivery
It takes a very short amount of time to figure out how the shipping of Green Chef works. They deliver to all 48 contiguous United States, not to Alaska and Hawaii. There will barely be any delays or inconsistencies in shipping, Green Chef is very accurate and punctual.
You can select your preferred delivery date and day, and Green Chef follows through based on your preferences. When it comes to modifying orders that you have already placed, you can do so easily before the cutoff time, which is at 12 pm EST, 7 days before the delivery date.
Green Chef lets you add or remove meals from your order, change the delivery address, delivery date, email, password, and any other settings that you may want to be removed or altered.
If you’re going out of town and want to cancel some upcoming orders, you can do so easily. Or even skip a few weeks, and the changes will be applied instantly unless you’re past the deadline. Green Chef allows some more breathing space to skip orders, which means you can skip orders up to 5 days before delivery.
While the delivery day is flexible, timings depend on the courier, but it will arrive between 8 am and 8 pm. You can email Green Chef to have your order delivered to your workplace before 5 pm if that’s more convenient for you.
3. Sunbasket
If right now what you’re thinking is you need more variety of vegan meals, not just salads and bowls, I’ve got just the one for you. Sunbasket has all kinds of meals catering to different diet categories, so there are two ways of looking at Sunbasket’s menu.
1. By Meal Type
There are some people who want things directly and simply, meal kits that serve 2 or 4 people a few days of the week. Then some want meal kits and a few things on the side, just as delicious and quick as breakfast items, desserts, snacks, and extra proteins.
Sunbasket has ‘em all, plus many vegan options in their breakfast menu, lunch menu, pasta, and plant-based proteins. Sounds like too much? Let’s break it down…
● Dinners
Dinners are wholesome and satisfying meals on Sunbasket’s menu. Even though there are plenty of dinners on the menu, I found only two vegan options. The General Tso’s Tofu and Moroccan-spiced Chickpeas.
The special thing about both recipes is that they also have other health benefits. Similar to Green Chef, Sunbasket also features recipes with dietary labels. The only difference here, in favor of Sunbasket, is that you get to filter the recipes you see on the menu by selecting these labels.
You have trendy and diet-friendly options like Mediterranean, Lean & Clean, <600 calories, Protein Plus, Gluten-Free Friendly, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, <20 Minutes, Paleo, and Diabetes-Friendly.
Vegan meals have many of these health benefits, too, while being 100% plant-based and vegan.
● Breakfast
The breakfast items are not meal kits but freshly cooked and packed in small bites. Some of the recipes are vegan, such as the Cornmeal Crust Hand Pie, Overnight Oats in different flavors, and Oatmeal Cups also in a variety of flavors.
The list goes on, you also have vegan peanut butter, vegan brownies, vegan muesli, vegan toast, vegan fruit bars, vegan fruit juices, and vegan protein smoothies.
As these are packed items, you pay for them separately alongside the meal kits you order each week.
● Lunch
Lunch is always light, isn’t it? Nobody who wants to stay active during the main hours of the day prefers eating a heavy lunch. Sunbasket gives you a few good options, including some vegan recipes, that you can gobble down for lunch.
Noodle bowls, brown rice, soups, and different types of vegan bread are part of the Lunch diet. Same as it is with Breakfast, you pay per item depending on what you buy. You do not have to make these meals yourself, or even like a meal kit, they are all precooked and ready to heat options.
● Pasta & Sauce
Vegan fresh pasta is hard to find. Out of 6 different pasta options, Sunbasket serves Potato Gnocchi that’s non-GMO, vegetarian, vegan, and sugarless! All the other pasta is vegetarian without any added sugar.
To balance the scales, one of 3 different pasta sauces, the Marinara sauce, is vegan too! So you won’t feel left behind.
● Proteins
I’m sure you’re thinking there’s no way there’s a vegan menu in the Proteins section. You’d be a little shocked to know that all of the plant-based proteins are vegan by design!
Black Bean Veggie Burger, Traditional Falafel, Garlic and Herb Falafel, Plant-based Chicken Pieces, Breaded Plant-based Chicken Pieces, Tofu, Plant-based Burger, and Hot Dogs.
On top of being vegan, they are also gluten-free, non-GMO, and vegetarian.
● Snacks
It keeps getting better because Sunbasket also features vegan snacks such as crackers, crisps, bars, and bites. The variety of flavors you’ll see on their menu, especially for oat bars and naturally-sweetened power bars, is impressive. You’ll feel like trying them even if you’re not such a sweet tooth.
2. By Diet Preference
The second way of finding new recipes on Sunbasket is by Diet Preference. You can simply use the following filters to search for your ideal dinner meal.
Please note that this applies only to sorting out dinner meals on Sunbasket’s menu. You can easily look at the nutritional profile and diet categories of every other food item on the menu, but you won’t be able to use the filter to look for them faster.
For dinner meals, you can select from the following filters:
- <20 Minutes: Speedy meal kits take less than 20 minutes to prep, cook, and eat. These meals are also called Speedy meals with a lightning bolt right next to the name. They’re delicious, just the same and super easy to make.
- <600 Calories: Meal kits that are calorie conscious. Both vegan meals have a low caloric value.
- Paleo
- Gluten-Free
- Dairy-Free
- Soy-Free
- Diabetes-Friendly
- Vegan
To sum up, Sunbasket is one of the most versatile and all-inclusive meal delivery services for vegans and vegetarians. They are certified organic and non-GMO and prioritize organic ingredients with meals that require the least prep and effort.
Sunbasket’s Recipes
General Tso’s Tofu with Green Beans and Brown Rice
Not only is this recipe vegan, but it’s also gluten-free, high in proteins, low in carbs, and Mediterranean. It’s a classic blend of rice, meat-inspired tofu pieces, a vegan sweet umami sauce, and some veggies.
- Total calories per serving – 540 calories
- Total protein per serving – 30 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 75 grams
- Total fats per serving – 2 grams
Moroccan-Spiced Chickpeas and Lemony Chard on Garlic Toasts
It’s a big deal when you can have your classic delicious treats without compromising on your vegan diet. The Moroccan chickpeas on toast are so satisfying and filling, plus it’s loaded with healthy nuts and saucy protein-rich chickpeas.
- Total calories per serving – 750 calories
- Total protein per serving – 26 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 103 grams
- Total fats per serving – 3.5 grams
Sunbasket’s Best Features
Plenty of proteins
One of the things skeptics always worry about when considering a vegan diet is the lack of protein intake. Sunbasket gives you plenty of different meal options to boost your protein. Even though they do not feature lots of vegan meals, they have different breakfast items, light lunches, and plant proteins that you can include in your daily diet.
The protein count per serving ranges from 25 grams to 30 grams per serving for their meal kits. You can also expect a healthy dose of protein in other vegan breakfast items made from protein-rich ingredients, such as oats, almonds, berries, chia seeds, bananas, kale, and celery.
Sunbasket offers a Vegan Prebiotic Protein drink made from all organic ingredients. It’s a plant-based drink with almond milk and cacao, it boasts of a sweet date flavor made from coconut sugar, dates, and acacia, all organic and super healthy!
Lastly, the plant-based protein menu can add ready-to-eat proteins such as falafel, veggie burgers, plant-based chicken, tofu, and sausages. All these items are vegan and made from soybeans.
Ideal for singles and couples
The menu options on Sunbasket are very bachelor-friendly. Fit for eliminating leftovers and saving you more in the refrigerator for other meals, the serving sizes for most of the meal kits on Sunbasket are convenient.
The meal kits are packed with 2 servings each, which should take care of your day’s meal for lunch and dinner. You can include other food options like breakfast, drinks, snacks, and other add-ons to your cart. The serving or portion size for those food options is written accurately, so you can adjust the portion size of your add-ons according to what you require.
If you value organic and vegan food above all, Sunbasket makes it easier to avoid leftovers and encourages hassle-free prep time. None of the recipes, I found, took longer than 45 minutes to cook. Some of the cooking instructions save you more time because the recipe is packed and planned by Sunbasket so meticulously.
You can’t beat the convenience of the portion size once the meal box arrives on your doorstep.
Caters to specific healthy diets
Aside from vegan, Sunbasket is designed to accommodate so many other healthy diet plans. Such as vegetarian, Mediterranean, Pescatarian, Diabetes, Paleo, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free, and Calorie Conscious foods.
If you want to cook something that’s not primarily vegan, for a change, something that has fewer calories and is vegetarian, Sunbasket offers plenty of options.
You can filter and search multiple recipes from different diet plans on the menu. Regardless of your personal preferences, Sunbasket gives you full access to the entire menu so you can have a look at each recipe and what diet it’s good for if you want to dip your toes into a variety of healthy meal kits.
Sunbasket’s Cost
There’s no doubt about Sunbasket being one of the best meal kit delivery services. But it is one of the costlier meal kit services today.
However, none of this should come as a surprise to most of you, considering how organic and superior quality the ingredients are. Sunbasket also differs from the rest because it has more meal options such as breakfast, lunch, pasta, snacks, drinks, and proteins. You won’t find too many vegan meal delivery services with such plant-based add-ons.
Sunbasket’s meals have different prices, from $11.49 per serving to $17.99 per serving. Vegan and plant-focused meals are less expensive than fish, chicken, or meat meal kits.
Another important factor to keep in mind when choosing Sunbasket meals is that you pay extra for their add-ons, they aren’t included in the price of the meal kit.
Depending on the item you select, such as a packet of cauliflower crisps, a vegan smoothie, or plant-based protein, the price varies per item. Unfortunately, for people who haven’t yet signed up on Sunbasket, you cannot view the price of the add-ons.
They also charge a shipping fee starting from $7.99 to $9.99 per order. Once you make an account, you are eligible for a first-timers discount with free shipping on your first meal box, after which the shipping fee applies to all orders.
Sunbasket’s Shipping and Delivery
Sunbasket ships its meal boxes as conveniently as possible. Upon opening a typical meal box, you’ll find various recyclable and compostable materials. Most importantly, all the ingredients are packed separately in enclosed bags, which might increase the volume of each package if you order a lot of meal kits per week.
Some of the individual ingredients are wrapped in insulation paper or air-tight bags to avoid any leaks or spills. Vegetables and fruits are stored away from any liquid ingredient to avoid leaks. Plus, they aren’t squished down to the bottom of the box, so there’s plenty of room for every ingredient to stay firm and intact.
You can store the packed ingredients in their respective meal kits as they are in the refrigerator once they arrive. Brown paper bags contain individual recipes, so you won’t waste time organizing all the ingredients by meal after they arrive.
According to their FAQs page, they deliver on Sundays and Thursdays, though for some zip codes, the delivery day may vary.
Unfortunately, they are not available for delivery everywhere in the United States. Zip codes in the AK, HI, MT, ND, and NM areas are exceptions, but if you do live in any of these areas, you can contact Sunbasket’s customer service letting them know you are interested, so they’ll let you know as soon as the delivery to your region opens up!
You can quickly change your account before and after placing an order. Everything you could possibly need will be in your My Account settings.
The cutoff time for managing your weekly deliveries, in case you want to adjust the number of meals or select a few more add-ons, you can do so before Wednesday by 12 noon PST. Say your order is scheduled to arrive between Sunday and Wednesday of the coming week, so you can change your order the Wednesday before delivery.
Once you sign in, head over to My Menu to see the edit options for all your upcoming orders. You can skip a week, cancel, or forward your meal box to some other address in case you’re going out of town.
4. Hungryroot
How many people are you feeding, and what are your dietary preferences or restrictions? Hungryroot covers the basics by asking you these kinds of questions during the process of setting up your Hungryroot account. They also want to know your purpose or intention for a meal kit subscription. Is it weight loss, following a vegan or plant-based diet, etc.?
Once you’re done with that, you choose your meal plan from the Hungryroot menu.
Nourishing meals are a part of a wide array of recipes. They also have a groceries section in case you’d like to buy different ingredients for the meals you receive. What’s great is that even the grocery list is filter-friendly to better conform to your special dietary requirements. And this includes vegetarian, vegan, keto, and gluten-free.
As for the Hungry menu categories, here they are…
- Mains + Sides
- Grain Bowls
- Pastas
- Tacos
- Stir-Fries
- Salads
- Wraps
- Sandwiches
- Burgers
- Bakes
- Flatbreads
- Soups + Stews
- Roast + Ready
- Veggie Bowls
Hungryroot meals are one of the following – vegetable-based, carb-based, or grain-based.
At this point, I would also like to mention or rather compliment the many filters on the left side of the menu. You can narrow down your search based on the following:
- Serving size – 2 or 4.
- Protein sources – plant-based meat substitutes, beans + lentils, tofu + tempeh, along with various meat options, of course.
- Spice level
- Cooking time
- Nutrition – 500 calories or less
- Dietary needs (the most important one!) – your options here include vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, nut-free, and shellfish-free.
So you see how selecting meals to suit a vegan-style eating pattern is both possible and convenient with Hungryroot? The menu features so many dishes, over 3,000 meals every week across all the categories. But do not feel overwhelmed or confused due to these many choices because the ingredients are much the same and sometimes even repetitive.
You might also want to know that the cost of meals and groceries varies. Also, meat-based recipes are more expensive than their simpler, more affordable plant-based counterparts.
Almost every grocery item is a vegan version of kitchen’s most commonly used ingredients. Whole grains, vegetables, etc. – fiber consumption maximized!
Moving on to cooking your vegan-based meals ordered from Hungryroot. You don’t have to worry about this part of the process since each meal kit comes with detailed instructions on how to put together even the most complex recipe. Hungryroot also provides extra tips for incorporating additional ingredients into meals.
Since it’s a meal kit delivery service, no chopping needs to be done because the ingredients are all already prepped for you.
Apart from the selection of vegan-based dishes and ingredients, Hungryroot offers both families and individuals the convenience of preparing meals in less than 10-15 minutes.
It’s equally vital to note that your Hungryroot weekly order can include anywhere between 6 servings and 16 servings. Their meal plans are available in 2 and 4 servings so that you can increase the number of lunch/dinner recipes by 2 or 4. There are snacks, sweets, and breakfast meals too!
Hungryroot’s Recipes
Hearty Vegan Chorizo, Black Bean + Butternut Plate
This vegan delight has got rich avocado crema, plant-based chorizo, Cuban black beans, butternut squash cubes, and scallions. One look at the protein content, and you know it’s a meal perfect for weight loss, building muscle, or just a plain healthy, vegan diet.
- Calories per serving – 740
- Total protein per serving – 32 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 62 grams
- Total fats per serving – 5 grams
Mediterranean Tahini Wrap
Ready in only 5 minutes, the Chef’s Pick Mediterranean Tahini Wrap recipe is an under-500-calories meal – just 370 calories per serving!
Kale, quinoa, hummus, spinach, and sweet potato are the ingredients used in one form or another. For example, the wraps are made using sweet potatoes.
But why is this Mediterranean-based meal fit for someone on a vegan diet? Because plant-based foods like veggies, whole grains, legumes, seeds, etc. make up a Mediterranean diet.
- Calories per serving – 370
- Total protein per serving – 13 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 44 grams
- Total fats per serving – 1 gram
Hungryroot’s Best Features
Order customization and meal swapping
Swapping a whole meal, which already includes customizable ingredients, is possible when you opt for Hungryroot. You can then use the credits of this meal for basic grocery items such as granola bars, leafy greens, etc. (also available on Hungryroot).
You could swap chickpea spaghetti with lentil fusilli in the case of a pasta dish. Likewise, almost everything you find on Hungryroot can be mixed and matched across all of its menu categories. This option of swapping food items is fun, easy, and valuable if you’re a picky or fussy eater. You can get rid of ingredients you find the least appealing
And if you wish to customize anything in and about your weekly Hungryroot order, please do so before 12 p.m. every Thursday before delivery.
Top-grade quality and flavor of ingredients
Every Hungryroot meal box contains fresh ingredients, sauces and vegetables included. The expiration dates are mentioned on the ingredients. Much the same is the case when you grocery shop for standard supermarket products. And these “best-by” dates don’t arrive too soon, giving you enough time to prepare your meals.
Vegans are most likely to appreciate the quality of the sauces that are a part of Hungryroot meals. Be it tomato, stir-fry, or coconut-based sauce/curry, all are not only vegan but also soy-free and gluten-free.
As for the basic proteins, they, too, are fresh and also pre-seasoned. Hungryroot’s trendy tofu-based vegetable burgers are especially fresh and flavorful. The pasta dishes are gluten-free. Every meal is quite good and loaded with flavor.
Lastly, I think having the option to add vegan cookie dough to your weekly order makes the meal delivery service a genuinely outstanding choice. Perfect for kids and also for adults with a sweet tooth (surprisingly, far less sugar is used!).
Nutrient-rich recipes and grocery products
The nutritional information of Hungryroot meal kits and grocery items is displayed for your benefit. When choosing meal delivery services, particularly when picking vegan meal delivery, it’s crucial to know the nutrient content. You don’t want to consume too many carbs if, for instance, you’re on a fat-shedding diet, right?
Keeping that in mind, Hungryroot provides not only the full nutritional description but also filters that help you sort through the menu. There are plenty of options to choose from, including meals under 500 calories, vegan, vegetarian, and more.
It’s only indicative of how well Hungryroot caters to specialty diet plans. They also let you avoid major allergy-causing ingredients such as tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, gluten, soy, and dairy. Most nutrients are derived from fresh veggies, lean “plant-based” proteins, legumes, and whole grains.
The most praiseworthy quality of Hungryroot is that it’s the most suitable for couples, families, and individuals who want to go for quick yet nutrient-dense, flavorful meals.
Hungryroot’s Cost
This meal kit delivery service has an online grocery shop as well. You get presented with a vast range of dietary options. The cost of Hungryroot’s weekly meal kit depends on which plan, recipes, and maybe even grocery items you add to your cart.
You can go for 2 or 4 servings per meal, plus you get to add food items separately also (a la carte) if that’s what you want to do. Whatever you choose, the lowest price of 3 meals, 2 servings each, is about $60. Add the shipping cost of $6.99 unless your total bill exceeds $70. In that case, no shipping charges are applied.
If you select more servings per meal, either 2 or 4 more servings, the price increases by $10. So for every increment of 2 or 4 servings, you have to pay an extra $10. However, the more servings per meal you add, the lower the cost-per-serving becomes.
Another thing I’d like to mention before I give you the pricing breakdown of Hungryroot meal plans. Hungryroot has a credit-based system – every plan consists of “credits.” Your weekly boxes will be priced similarly when the same number of credits are used each week. But a few ingredients use up a higher amount of credits, for which you pay more. You can, of course, reduce the number of servings to bring the cost down.
However, vegans/vegetarians don’t have to worry about this since more credits are often used up for meat-heavy meal plans.
6 servings per meal | Around $10 per serving |
8 servings per meal | Around $9 per serving |
10 servings per meal | $8.75 per serving |
12 servings per meal | $8.49 per serving |
Hungryroot’s Shipping and Delivery
Hungryroot is healthy and delicious. It’s also super convenient! I say this because customers of Hungryroot can pick the delivery day they find the most preferable.
As for Hungryroot’s weekly meal boxes, these are made of cardboard. The boxes are adequately insulated to keep the meal kits in fresh condition. The cardboard is recyclable with biodegradable insulation.
Are all the ingredients properly packed? The packaging here is well done in that every food item is wrapped individually and also sealed. For this type of packaging, plastic is used. Soft plastics are non-recyclable, while rigid plastic can be recycled.
You can make changes to your Hungryroot orders, even cancel them if you wish. But these adjustments should be done before 7 p.m. (EST) on Monday or Thursday. The cut-off time/day is obviously before your scheduled delivery date.
Lastly, the shipping areas of Hungryroot include all of the United States except for Hawaii and Alaska.
5. Blue Apron
Blue Apron meals are the original meal kits with very many healthful and versatile recipes. Theirs combines eclectic and classic cuisines designed by professional cooks, nutritionists, and celebrity chefs.
People subscribing to Blue Apron want something more upgraded in terms of flavor. They deliver breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals plus some add-ons every week, like pie, salads, proteins, and garlic bread.
Blue Apron’s menu features 5 different meal options: Signature, Vegetarian, Wellness, Signature for Four, and Add-Ons.
Signature: Signature meals have a balanced blend of vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes. They also feature meal kits that are diabetes-friendly and healthy for a weight-loss-friendly diet plan.
Meal kits and Heat & Eat meals are a part of the Signature plan. The latter offers packed ingredients and recipe instructions, while the former stores cooked meals that you simply have to heat in the microwave to eat right away.
Vegetarian: Blue Apron does not feature a vegan meal plan but comes very close to it with its Vegetarian meal plan. In this menu category, you can select from a variety of Heat & Eat Family Friendly and Wellness meal kits.
Recipes made with plant-based meat, such as the Beyond Burger, are made with peas, soybeans, and rice protein. It is vegetable protein but has the texture of meat, and some say it is just as juicy and delicious.
If you value a plant-focused diet, the Vegetarian meal option is the best option for you. There are some Heat & Eat options if you don’t prefer cooking.
Wellness: Recipes that are super healthy and carb-conscious are a part of the Wellness meal plan. The plan includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, primarily chicken and seafood. The recipes are also weight loss-friendly, especially if you want a light meal packed with nutrients.
Signature for Four: As the title suggests, the recipes are for larger groups such as families, parties, or dinner get-togethers. Instead of cooking food in double servings, you can directly prep and cook for 4 people at a time with the help of this plan. It’s easier and faster, and some recipes are Heat & Eat in case you don’t want to cook everything you serve for a dinner party.
All the recipes come in 4 servings, each with a minimal cooking time and no sacrifice in flavor or texture of the food.
Add-Ons: An empty dinner table without a pasta salad, garlic bread, or pie! You don’t have to cook these side dishes all by yourself, thanks to Blue Apron. After adding the meal kits, you can add a few extras to the cart. Some of the recipes are vegetarian, while others are non-vegetarian.
Blue Apron features some A La Carte proteins like chicken breasts, Beyond Burger patties, and Pork Chops.
In terms of freshness and flavor quality, I have no complaints about Blue Apron. Blue Apron’s meals are wholesome and balanced. However, as you must have noticed already, they are not at all diet-friendly.
Eating from Blue Apron is not the ideal choice if you’re a vegan diehard. Their meals are vegetarian-friendly with tons of plant-forward options, but none of the meals is labeled vegan.
Nor is there any kind of swapping feature that allows you to include more vegetarian meals in your weekly box. Blue Apron is a wholesome and convenient choice for a balanced combination of meat and veg dishes. For vegans, it’s not a good vegan meal delivery service.
Blue Apron’s Recipes
Sweet & Spicy Noodles with Mushrooms & Bok Choy
For a vegan diet, there are a few customizations you may have to make on your own to make this recipe more vegan-friendly. Nutritious-wise, it’s a hearty, filling, and plant-focused meal with mushrooms and bok choy.
- Calories per serving – 690 calories
Black Bean & Caramelized Onion
Beans with caramelized onions are a unique and delicious combination. Just like with Blue Apron’s previous vegetarian recipe, you can swap a few ingredients for a vegan diet option which includes vegan cheese. The rest of the ingredients are plant-based as the filling is made up of beans tossed with zucchini, lemon, radishes, and caramelized yellow onions.
- Calories per serving – 650 calories
Blue Apron’s Best Features
Best for more than 2 people
The serving size of Blue Apron’s meal kits starts from 2 to 4 servings. Even if you want to order a meal box for yourself, you can eat the same meal for lunch and dinner on the same day.
While this makes meal planning easy for a solo eater, those living with families can also benefit from the Signature for Four meal plan. Each meal kit contains ingredients and cooking instructions for 4 servings at a time.
For example, if you order the Family-Friendly dish Mafalda Pasta & Roasted Broccoli salad, the meal kit contains 4 servings worth of ingredients, including the veggies and sauces.
The cooking instructions will carefully and accurately guide you on how to cook the pasta and serve the dish without making any mistakes, as can happen when cooking a large amount at a time.
Superior ingredient quality
The freshness and quality of the meals are impressive. Blue Apron prepares meals with careful consideration, so none of the produce looks or feels shriveled, stale, or squished.
Fresh produce has a limited shelf life, so most of Blue Apron’s meals must be cooked within 5 to 7 days after arrival. The meals are well-balanced, taste fresh, and, most importantly, the flavors are consistent.
I did a little research to find out where the ingredients are sourced from, and I found that they use all non-GMO and some organic produce.
Faster cooking time
It’s difficult to find recipes that are easy to prepare for 2 or 4 serving sizes. Blue Apron will suit you if you don’t enjoy spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Its recipes, even the classy dishes, take 25 to 35 minutes to prepare from start to finish.
The cooking process is simple and balanced. You can select slightly complicated recipes without feeling the heat of cooking them from start to finish in the kitchen. Instruction-wise, Blue Apron includes pictures wherever necessary to smoothen the process along.
Even some more involved recipes do not require much careful planning or cooking experience. The maximum time you’re most likely to spend cooking a Blue Apron meal in the kitchen is 45 minutes, which isn’t bad!
Blue Apron’s Cost
Blue Apron is one of the more competitively priced meal kit delivery services. Their meals are reasonably priced, from $11.99 per serving to $7.99 per serving. There is a shipping fee on all orders, which is $9.99 per order.
The price varies depending on the number of meals you order each week. The add-ons are not included. As you increase the number of servings, you can save up to $4 on your weekly order. Here’s the cost breakdown for all their meal plans.
For 2 servings/meal | For 4 servings/meal | |
2 meals/week | $11.99 per serving | $9.49 per serving |
3 meals/week | $9.99 per serving | $8.49 per serving |
4 meals/week | $9.49 per serving | $7.99 per serving |
Blue Apron’s Shipping and Delivery
Despite the popularity of Blue Apron’s meals, you may notice excessive use of plastic in most of their packaging. All the ingredients are packed individually, including oil, seasonings, and other tinier ingredients. Such ingredients are stored in plastic jars to avoid leaks or spills, making organizing easier for maximum space usage.
You will find everything you need regarding recycling, storage, and unpacking inside the meal box. Blue Apron also guarantees that over 85% of its packaging is recyclable. How to discard and recycle all of their packaging material, including cardboard boxes, sachets, and liners, is mentioned on the Recycle page.
Just like most meal kit delivery services, Blue Apron delivers to most of the continental United States, excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Blue Apron uses FedEx to deliver most of their orders, which means you will get timely updates regarding your order. You can opt for text or email updates based on your personal preference.
If you aren’t home when the order is about to get delivered, it will be left at your doorstep. Most of the meal kit boxes are packed with proper insulation that keeps the items fresh for a couple of hours. You can read more about shipping and how Blue Apron delivers on their website.
When it comes down to modifying upcoming orders, Blue Apron allows you to change meals easily up to 6 days before the delivery date. You can add or remove meals, skip a week, or swap out recipes without canceling the entire order.
For canceling your subscription, make sure you do so 6 days before the scheduled delivery. In case you wind up canceling your subscription after the deadline, the new changes will be applied once your order gets delivered.
6. HelloFresh
Is HelloFresh worth it for a family? One look at the HelloFresh menu, and you’ll see how well-tailored the meals are, where you can swap ingredients so your entire home crew has an enjoyable meal.
Different types of meal plans offered by HelloFresh:
- Meat & Veggies (basic plan)
- Veggie (plant-based meals, but not all are vegan)
- Family Friendly (kid-friendly recipes)
- Fit & Wholesome (less than 650 calories per serving)
- Quick and Easy (under 30 minutes cooking time)
- Pescatarian (for seafood lovers!)
Knowing just the names of these meal plans is enough to figure out what kind of meals each category features. Every week, HelloFresh presents plenty of recipes for you to pick from.
This meal kit delivery service is a very convenient option for a family of fussy eaters. At the same time, it’s also quite affordable in comparison to others, but certainly not the cheapest vegan meal delivery.
Speaking of vegan, is the huge selection on the menu enticing to attract those on a meat-free diet? There’s no debating that HelloFresh is good enough for plant-based eaters, along with fitness and health enthusiasts and families on a budget.
Cooking the meal kit ingredients is also a no-hassle process that usually takes less than 30 minutes. There are classic, familiar, and “gourmet” dishes. For the most part, the HelloFresh menu is chock-full of irresistible recipes. But, out of these, only 5-6 meals are plant-based. Once again, not every plant-based dish is vegan. HelloFresh is not a vegan-focused meal kit delivery service. For a vegan alternative, Purple Carrot is a better choice.
Nevertheless, there are enough plant-based recipes on every weekly menu that seem like great choices for those just learning to cook vegetarian/vegan meals. And even for meat-eaters who wish to add a few plant-based lunches/dinners into their diet.
Also, customization, as in meal modification, is not possible. Nonetheless, rest assured you won’t be disappointed with the recipes that are designed to fit perfectly into a family routine.
HelloFresh’s Recipes
Lemon Tortelloni Palermo with Roasted Bell Pepper & Parmesan
Tagged “Veggie,” this is an easy-to-prepare pasta dish with a heavenly combination of tender tortelloni and soft ricotta cheese. Roasted bell pepper and tangy lemon juice just make it even more delightful!
- Calories per serving – 670
- Total protein per serving – 22 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 65 grams
- Total fats per serving – 38 grams
Apricot, Almond & Chickpea Tagine with Zucchini, Basmati Rice & Chermoula
Another colorful, delicious recipe by HelloFresh that brings together hearty vegetables. These veggies are paired with sweet apricots, crunchy almonds, aromatic spices, and two very flavorful sauces, chermoula and lemon cream.
- Calories per serving – 930
- Total protein per serving – 21 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 111 grams
- Total fats per serving – 47 grams
HelloFresh’s Best Features
Meals are super easy to prepare
With HelloFresh meal kits, you just know that even the little time spent in the kitchen will be a favorable experience. That’s mainly because on the HelloFresh menu, every dish requires very simple cooking skills and methods.
You get recipe cards that contain all the information needed, such as…
- Step-by-step cooking instructions with photos.
- The list of required staple ingredients and kitchen tools.
- Some extra tips to make preparation easier.
- And the estimated cooking time.
HelloFresh recipes are absolutely mouthwatering
Just remember that shoddy recipes, no matter how hard you try, always end up a failure in the kitchen. On the other hand, if the recipes are more refined, as with HelloFresh, you’re in for a flavorful and filling treat.
The meal kits on HelloFresh are delicious and indulgent, extending to all meals – vegetarian, vegan, low-cal, high-cal, etc.
The portion sizes are so hefty that you can actually split one serving into 2-3 separate meals. No wonder HelloFresh is such a popular family meal delivery service!
The most suitable for families and picky eaters
The very thing that makes HelloFresh stand out from the rest is its vast selection of gratifying recipes. The HelloFresh menu could be one of the widest-ranging, no doubt about that.
Even more welcoming, these meals have no “unusual” ingredients. Something that fussy eaters that are a part of almost every family might appreciate!
Just 30 or more recipes to select from every week, out of which 5 or 6 are plant-based. Irrespective of your diet plan, you’re most likely going to choose at least 3-4 dishes that you find the most appealing.
HelloFresh’s Cost
You pick the meal plan you like and how many servings per meal (your options are 2 or 4). Then move on to how many meal kits per week – here, the options include 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 meals.
Now here’s the breakdown of the HelloFresh pricing range. It’s evident that more meals per week will bring down the cost of your weekly HelloFresh order.
Meals per week | Price per serving for ‘2 servings per meal’ | Price per serving for ‘4 servings per meal’ |
2 meals per week | $12 per serving | $9.49 per serving |
3 meals per week | $10 per serving | $8.49 per serving |
4 meals per week | $9.49 per serving | $8 per serving |
5 meals per week | $9 per serving | $8 per serving |
6 meals per week | $8.49 per serving | $8 per serving |
HelloFresh’s Shipping and Delivery
Your meals will be delivered weekly, on the day you find the most convenient (except Sunday). HelloFresh meal boxes are well-insulated and equipped with ice packs for keeping everything inside fresh and in good condition.
Since you’re vegan, you don’t need to know how the meat is packed. Nonetheless, let me tell you that meats are neatly wrapped using paper bags and stored in the insulated cooler. Meat items are separated from the rest of the ingredients with the help of cardboard dividers and also ice packs.
Compared to other meal kit delivery services, HelloFresh is a lot more eco-friendly – it hardly uses plastic and ensures only minimal waste of packaging materials. The cooler bags, ice packs, and cardboard boxes/separators are all recyclable. Check out HelloFresh’s instructions on recycling their packaging.
On another tangent related to shipping and delivery, you can change your HelloFresh orders through the website itself or the HelloFresh app (the website is better). Keep in mind the cut-off time for changing/canceling an order – before 12 a.m. (Pacific Time) five days before the scheduled delivery date.
Finally, HelloFresh ships across the United States, barring Alaska and Hawaii, so if you are in these regions, you are covered!
7. Sakara
The entire food menu on Sakara is researched and arranged to give nutrition and health the most importance. The people responsible for creating Sakara’s menu are specialists, nutritionists, and expert chefs.
One of the great things about Sakara is that you can personalize your meals by ingredient if you have an allergy. Swapping and customizing select meals is possible when you want to skip certain ingredients from your breakfast, lunch, or dinner meal.
Even for non-allergy-related swapping, you can modify the recipes you don’t like, such as mushrooms, nuts, dairy, etc.
Sakara has various meal programs you can choose based on what you want. Now, all their meals are organic and support a 100% plant-focused lifestyle. Their menu changes weekly, offering seasonal ingredients as well-curated by chefs and nutritionists for better health.
The Best-Selling Program on Sakara is the Signature Nutrition Program. The meal program has medicinal and holistic health benefits such as improving digestion, aiding weight loss, reducing bloating, and building overall stamina and energy for an active lifestyle.
Sakara is indeed one of the extravagant meal delivery services, especially for a vegan, organic, and gluten-free diet plan, but their meal customizations and meal quality are worth the relatively higher cost per serving.
The meals are precooked and packed. While selecting your meal plan, you can choose your meals – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Unlike many other meal delivery services, Sakara features 3 options, so you can select your meals for 2 days, 3 days, or 5 days of the week.
There are various add-ons such as The Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie, Level II Detox Program, 20-Day Bridal Program, and the Metabolism Nutrition System. These meal programs will increase the cost of your entire subscription plan, but they have specific health benefits, as the title of each program suggests.
Once you add your zip code, the menu will be shown to you for the upcoming week and a few weeks ahead of time. You can quickly see which meal contains nuts, and soy is spicy and can be eaten without heating up.
The menu is divided into days, starting from Monday to Friday. Each day features breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so 3 meals a day for 5 days of the week. The meals will be delivered to your doorstep based on the program you select when placing the order.
Value plant-focused meals and want to incorporate more fully plant-based foods into your weekly diet. Sakara can be a long-time meal delivery service for you. It delivers some of the best ready-to-eat meals with versatile meal programs backed by a celebrity customer base.
Sakara’s Recipes
Please note that you cannot view the nutritional information for any of Sakara’s recipes before signing up. The following recipes have been taken from their upcoming week’s menu at random for the sake of comparison.
Golden Hour Tropical Salad
Full of colorful vegetables, the tropical salad has cashews, chia seeds, honey, olive oil, and coconut milk. There is no end to the veggies in this meal with kale, avocado, red onions, purple cabbage, spinach, and beets. It’s completely gluten-free, vegan, and organic.
The tahini dressing with sweet mangoes and fluffy black rice pairs perfectly as a light lunch meal that’s slightly spicy and savory.
Cacao Mole Enchilada
Vegan Enchiladas with a twist with a combination of cabbage, watermelon radish, cauliflower, hemp seeds, and corn. The cheese is made with cashews, so it’s completely plant-based and has a rich and thick texture that tastes exactly like cheese.
As a fully plant-based meal, the Enchiladas do not taste dry or mealy at all. The black beans and creamy corn add a satisfying texture to the entire meal.
Sakara’s Best Features
Organic ingredients
All the meals you see on Sakara are plant-based and organic. The meals are by default suited for vegans, vegetarians, and even meat lovers who want to cut back on animal-based proteins.
Now, as a beginner, you may find the Sakara recipes repetitive since they offer many different meal programs for reducing inflammation, boosting detox, and building immunity.
The meals consist mostly of whole foods with minimum spices and seasonings. They’re primarily salads and nourishing bowls packed with tons of colorful veggies and fruits.
If you choose ingredients based more on nutrition than taste, Sakara’s organic palate is perfect for you. Most of the meals are salad-focused, even the more savory dishes such as Enchiladas, Curry Bowls, or Burgers limit the use of excess seasonings or oils or spices and stick to a plain and plant-based texture. All organic, packed with proteins, and digestion-friendly.
Three different meals every day
Unlike other meal delivery services, with Sakara, you can subscribe to new breakfasts, lunches, and dinners every day of the week, from Monday until Friday.
Based on your zip code, you can view the upcoming week’s menu and take stock of all the meals coming your way. The meals are categorized by day and ingredients, which means you can see which meal contains nuts, soy, spices, and a whole list of other ingredients.
It’s nice that Sakara has a unique approach to meal planning. Their recipes are colorful, nutrition-driven, and crafty. Plus, you can add Sakara’s homemade Anti-Inflammatory Green Smoothie for $40 per week on top of your meal program.
Sakara even has its own Snacks menu where you can pick plant-powered snack bites to your weekly cart, like protein bars, nuts, granolas, etc.
Different meal programs
To meet certain specific health goals such as improving metabolism, reducing bloating, detoxing, etc., you can opt for one of Sakara’s specialized meal programs. Sakara features several that can help you just in case you want something more custom-tailored.
Metabolism Nutrition System
You can select the program length from 5 days, 20 days, or 40 days. In every week’s box, you will receive the meals you select: Sakara’s detox tea, probiotics, and Metabolism Super Powder.
People looking to improve their digestion, reduce bloat, and simply boost immunity and metabolism may opt for this meal program. It’s clearly defined, and the extra supplements you receive with this program will improve how your body feels because of clean eating and better nutrition.
Level II Detox
Just as how the Metabolism Nutrition System is designed to boost immunity and reduce indigestion, the Level II Detox is good for deep cleansing. The meal program has several health benefits, from burning fats to healing inflammation and toxic stress in the body.
Unlike the previous program, the Detox is a 5-day program with Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner meals. The meals are prepared, packed, and sent to your doorstep every 5 days.
The Bridal Program
Great for what they call a “glow-up” this meal program is good for reducing inflammation, improving skin health, and weight loss. It’s a 20-day meal program that consists of Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner meals.
Plus, you also get daily probiotics, Sakara detox tea, and online health coaching via Sakara’s website. For an added cost, you can also opt for more snack items in your meal box, such as protein bars, Detox water drops, and other similar health-boosting items.
Since the meal box also consists of different teas and supplements, you will receive 2 deliveries per week for 3 meals per day from Monday to Friday.
Sakara’s Cost
With a meal subscription service like Sakara, you’re bound to pay a lot more than anticipated. Sakara takes vegan meal delivery service to a whole new level. A popular term for services like Sakara and what meals it offers is “boutique” meal delivery service specializing in organic, vegan, and plant-based meals that you simply have to heat and eat at home.
Subscribing to Sakara takes some getting used to since its meal selection process is slightly complicated. For starters, the menu differs from location to location. You are asked to enter your zip code to view your locality’s current or next week’s menu.
Sakara Meals features different diet plans or programs that you can subscribe to. These programs are labeled as Special Programs for metabolism, detox, and a combination of both. All their meal programs are priced as follows…
Signature Nutrition Program
You can select between a Weekly Subscription or a One-Time Program purchase. If you select the weekly subscription schedule, you get an additional 15% discount on your weekly box, plus you can make edits to the order even after placing it.
The costs you see below are for the One-Time Program, which means you can get the meals at a discounted rate if you select the Weekly Subscription option instead.
2 meals per day (Breakfast + Lunch) | 3 meals per day (Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner) | |
For 2 days/week | $129 per week | $195 per week |
For 3 days/week | $180 per week | $275 per week |
For 5 days/week | $299 per week | $440 per week |
Metabolism Nutrition Program
2 meals per day (Breakfast + Lunch) | 3 meals per day (Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner) | |
For 5 days/week | $379 per week | $520 per week |
For 20 days/month | $1,276 per month | $1,840 per month |
For 40 days/month | $2,552 per month | $3,680 per month |
Level II Detox Program
3 meals per day (Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner) | |
For 5 days/week | $450 per week |
The Bridal Program
3 meals per day (Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner) | |
For 20 days/month | $1,395 per month |
Snacks cost somewhere between $16 and $190 if you choose single snack items or collection packs. For example, a single pack of Sakara Classic Superfood Granola costs $16, and The Protein Super Bar Collection, which includes 32 protein bars in total for Beauty, Energy, Detox, and Metabolism, costs $104 per box.
The average price is about $100 per day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which can shock some. Some people spend $100 for an entire week’s groceries, so paying close to $100 for a day’s meal plan is a bit excessive.
However, Sakara is one of the most popular meal delivery services. If you have that kind of money to invest in a healthy, organic, vegan company, Sakara is a foolproof choice.
Sakara’s Shipping and Delivery
Sakara works based on zip code location. You can view the upcoming week’s menu based on where you live. Delivery-wise, Sakara has ties with most of the contiguous United States. Since the menu differs from location to location, the first thing you are required to do as soon as you log in is to enter your zip code, which means you’ll know right away whether Sakara delivers to you or not.
Based on the variety of meal programs, Sakara does cater to a specific time window when it comes to delivery. You cannot select the time of delivery, but you can select the day. Based on your zip code, you may receive the order on a weekday or during the weekends.
Since the meals are pre-cooked, they come in sustainable and high-quality PCR PET plastic containers that are recyclable. In fact, the containers are recycled from plastic bottles and thermoforms, you can read about it right here.
Once you open the package, you can recycle it along with other items or leave it for curbside pickup if available in your region. To keep the food fresh so that it doesn’t spoil while it’s being delivered to your doorstep, recyclable ice packs are also used to preserve the freshness of the meals.
8. Territory Foods
Another great meal delivery service for prepared meals, Territory Foods focuses on macronutrients to boost health and well-being. The recipes are designed as gluten-free, dairy-free, and preservative-free. They boast an anti-inflammatory diet full of clean nutrients and lots of healthy fats and proteins.
Just like Sakara, the meals of Territory Foods are sourced and prepared locally. Everything you see on their menu is designed by local chefs and specialists, so nothing is factory-made. That makes the whole experience of Territory Foods better if you ask me. It’s more authentic and homely since the meals are cooked and packed from peoples’ homes.
The other most important thing you should know about Territory Foods is that they ship only to a limited area in the United States. The weekly menu rotates every week and varies according to the zip code. Despite this, the menu is highly customizable.
You can filter the meals available in your location by diet type. Each meal has specific labels that you need to know, such as the nutritional info, macros, ingredients, customer ratings, and other helpful tips to make the dish taste even better!
The meals are divided according to diet plans such as vegan, keto, paleo, Whole30, low-carb, vegetarian, low-fat, Mediterranean, plant-based, and all meals. You can either do diet-specific filtering or view all the recipes together and select the ones that matter the most to you.
The meal selection process is simple and quick, where you get to pick from a set number of meals per week. You can also customize some of the meals by ingredients, in case you don’t want to see meals with common allergens like peanuts, soy, eggs, sesame, fish, etc.
Once it arrives in your home, meal preparation takes less than 5 minutes. Simply pop the meal kit after removing the plastic film from the container in the microwave. Heat it for 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the heating instructions, and you’re done!
The meals taste fresh and have a distinctly rich and satisfying aroma that’s hard to believe considering that these a microwave-ready meals.
For whom is philanthropic Territory Foods perfect?
I highly recommend this vegan meal delivery service to people with specific dietary needs such as vegan, vegetarian, and plant-based. The seamless customization process of Territory Foods’ menu makes selecting the meals you want to eat easier and faster.
Plus, you get to track the macros of the recipes you select, which is perfect for anyone looking to increase their protein diet, reduce fats, and include more vitamins in their weekly diet.
Territory Food’s vegan menu includes recipes that are sustainably sourced, non-GMO, completely plant-based, and packed with clean proteins and fats from nuts, seeds, grains, and legumes.
Territory Food’s Recipes
Tropical Bowl with Coconut Rice, Lentils, and Peanut Sauce
The recipe has plenty of heart-healthy ingredients, it’s carb-heavy but in a wholesome and satisfying manner.
- Total calories per serving – 712 calories
- Total protein per serving – 24 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 88 grams
- Total fats per serving – 32 grams
5 Spiced Tofu Salad with Beet Kelp Noodle and Yuzu Ponzu Vinaigrette
Asian-inspired, the tofu salad is packed with clean proteins and made with all vegan sauces and dressing. It’s more protein-rich than carb-heavy and serves just the right amount of healthy fats essential for a vegan diet.
- Total calories per serving – 358 calories
- Total protein per serving – 25 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 21 grams
- Total fats per serving – 21 grams
Territory Food’s Best Features
Different meal varieties
Territory Food lets you filter by diet type and see all the meals on their weekly menu. The weekly menu has Lunches & Dinners, Breakfasts, and A La Carte Proteins.
For vegans, you won’t feel succumbed to a limited set of meal options. Territory Foods includes over 8 meals that are categorized under Lunches & Dinners. Plus, a breakfast recipe and multiple plant-based A La Carte proteins. You can view the macros of each and every item, focusing on the proteins, carbs, calories, and fat content of each recipe you select.
Other dietary filters include paleo, keto, plant-based, Whole 30, low fat, low carb, Mixitarian, and Mediterranean. The Whole 30 and Mixitarian meals contain more legumes, natural fiber, gluten-free grains, and heart-healthy meals.
The menu also includes specialized meals for Pre & Post-Partum care and richer and classic meals called Nourish by Orro. The latter is good if you value clean eating more than anything else. These meals are really narrowed down by macros and include only low-calorie meals to boost metabolism.
Intricate meal modifications
It’s difficult to come by a vegan meal delivery service that offers so many different types of customizations. With Territory Foods, you can customize by diet plan, ingredients you want to avoid, taste, meal style, and macros.
Diet: Territory Foods has more than 10 diet filters for those pursuing a more plant-based lifestyle and those who want to prioritize weight loss more than anything else. Regardless of your diet filter, Territory Food’s menu is 100% clean and healthy. All the meals are nutrient-focused, some more than others, based on your preference.
Ingredients: You can skip out on some ingredients if you have an allergy or you are finicky about what you eat. Territory Foods lets you pick ingredients like mushrooms, cheese, soy, legumes, shellfish, and such common food allergens from the menu.
Taste: As soon as you sign up, you may have to take a taste quiz test. Territory Foods will recommend specific meals based on your answers. Even though you have the entire menu available, these recommendations are more personalized. So you see first what you personally love to eat and the chef’s recommendations.
Meal Type: You have different meal types like Lunches & Dinners, Breakfast, and A La Carte. The diet filters you apply while selecting your meals will also filter out meals from these categories to help you find recipes faster.
Nutrition: You can see the exact nutrient facts of each meal on the menu. Territory Foods has some specific filters based on nutritional info such as low carb, low fat, and low calorie, but you can clearly see how many proteins, fats, carbs, calories, and sodium each meal has.
Simple and quick meal selection
Selecting your meals and placing an order on Territory Foods takes only a few minutes. In comparison to other meal delivery services, the checkout process is 100% user-friendly and efficient.
Territory Foods has a fixed meal plan where you can select from a 10-meal or an 18-meal plan. They also offer a more customized meal plan where you can select fewer meals per week, anywhere from 6, 7, 8, or 9 meals per week.
You have multiple options to modify, skip, and cancel upcoming orders a few days before the scheduled delivery time. Once the meals arrive, they are sealed in plastic containers with labels that tell you how to heat each recipe and the different heating methods.
You can heat some recipes in the microwave, saucepan, or oven based on what’s most convenient and effective for you.
Territory Food’s Cost
Even though each meal is priced based on ingredients such as vegetarian, chicken, meat, or seafood, the average cost per serving on Territory Foods starts from $13.45 per serving. Some expensive meals cost up to $18.95 per serving, but those are meat or fish recipes that usually cost more than chicken.
Vegan and vegetarian recipes are relatively cheaper than meat and fish.
For each meal you order on Territory Foods, you can opt for a smaller size for a cheaper cost. These are smaller portions of the same meal if you want a light lunch. Such meals cost $10 to $11 per serving compared to the $13.45+ per serving for the standard-size options.
If you choose any one of Territory Food’s pre-set meal plans, either 10 or 18 meals, you save more money on the final bill amount. On the 10-meal and 18-meal plans, you also get a free meal each week and free shipping.
The shipping fee for the custom orders where you select the number of meals you want depends on the size of the meal box and your location.
Territory Food’s Shipping and Delivery
Territory Food has limited delivery availability. They deliver to select regions such as New York, Washington DC, San Francisco, Southern California, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and the New England coastal region. Some parts of coastal Virginia, Philadelphia, and Richmond are also included.
The rest of the United States, unfortunately, is not included. You can enter your zip code as soon as you visit the website to find out whether Territory Foods delivers to you or not.
Besides, even if you live in any of the areas mentioned above, the menu varies from location to location, so entering your zip code to access their menu is necessary.
9. Veestro
Veestro is the last of our best vegan meal delivery services. It ranks as one of the simplest meal deliveries out there for organic, vegan, and plant-based meals. With premade meals, it’s the perfect choice for a busy lifestyle.
The meals are flash frozen and then transported, so once they arrive at your doorstep, you must consume them within 5 to 7 days for maximum flavor and freshness.
Veestro is naturally gluten-free, vegan, and organic, so you don’t have to worry about preservatives, GMO, or artificial colorants in your meals. Nutrition-wise, the meals are a good balance of plant-based proteins, healthy fats, and good carbs.
I understand it can be quite challenging to boost protein in a plant-based diet, Veestro makes a good effort to increase the protein content by including veggies such as peas, chickpeas, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds.
Veestro features two menu options: the A La Carte menu and the Weight Loss menu. Each features different recipes with entrees, breakfast items, and other diet preferences.
A La Carte
A La Carte means you can order meals in bulk, which on Veestro means 10, 20, or 30 meals per order. The more you order, the more you save!
You can select from a wide variety of recipes consisting of entrees like sandwiches, lasagnas, salads, healthy bowls, stews, and risotto. There are also breakfast items like burritos, croquettes, and scrambles.
One of the best things about Veestro’s menu is you can see the customer ratings for each and every recipe. Plus, they have various diet preferences such as high-protein, low-calorie, soy-free, gluten-free, kosher, nut-free, and spring favorites.
It must be noted that all the recipes on Veestro are vegan and organic. So everything you see, even the chicken-inspired dishes, is made from plant-based ingredients such as soy, peas, beets, and other protein-packed vegetables.
The A La Carte menu also has another filter that lets you select the plan size from 10, 20, and 30 meals. You can add as many meals to your plan, either all different recipes or multiple servings of the same recipe. The choice is entirely yours!
Weight Loss Plan
Veestro’s Weight Loss Plan is more structured and nutritionally defined than the A La Carte plan. It combines low-calorie meals and 3 meals daily, which amount to 1,200 daily calories.
There are a few diet preferences in the Weight Loss plan, such as high-protein, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, kosher, and spring favorites. You can also select the number of meals you want for each week.
Please note that in the weight loss program, the order value is 3 meals per day, you cannot make it less than 3. But you can change the plan size from a 5-Day Plan to a 7-Day Plan. With the former, you will receive 15 meals per week, and the latter gives you 21 meals per week.
Veestro’s Recipes
Mushroom Stroganoff
From the “A La Carte” menu, this timeless, flavorful, and traditional Mushroom Stroganoff dish is nutrient-rich with a generous serving of mushrooms that are packed with antioxidants, protein, fiber, and low calories.
- Calories per serving – 400
- Total protein per serving – 10 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 61 grams
- Total fats per serving – 12 grams
Hawaiian Chili
Hawaiian Chili from Veestro’s Weight Loss menu is a tropical treat for the taste buds!
Apart from being all plant-based, this meal consists of a good portion of fiber- and protein-loaded kidney beans combined with brown rice. And the cherry on the cake is the super savory pineapple sweetness.
- Calories per serving – 460
- Total protein per serving – 24 grams
- Total carbohydrates per serving – 81 grams
- Total fats per serving – 3.5 grams
Veestro’s Best Features
Flexible meal plans for maximum cost savings
It’s amazing how customizable Veestro’s menu is, both for their A La Carte and Weight Loss menu. If cost is a priority, you can do some really huge savings by opting for more meals each week on either one of their meal plans.
The subscription plans are easy to understand, with direct filters that tell you exactly how much you’ll be paying per serving. There are no hidden prices for breakfast options. What you see is what you pay!
Plus, you get to mix and match any combination of meals as per the plan size you select. You can get a good mix of vegan meals that are high in proteins, low in carbs, spring favorites, etc.
Quickest meal prep time
Veestro has the quickest meal prep time I have ever come across. You have to microwave the meals, and they’re ready to serve in less than 2 minutes. Since all the meals are plant-based, they do not take as long as meat to heat up.
Each prepared meal container comes with an information label letting you know the best way to microwave the dish without spoiling the flavor or texture. This extra tip is very helpful considering how Veestro makes artificial meat with plant-based ingredients. The last thing you want is to ruin the texture of the food, making it too soggy or dry.
There might be some meals you have to heat on the stovetop or in the oven, such as crab cakes or nuggets. If you follow the heating instructions accurately, you won’t find any problems with the flavor and quality of the meals.
Weight loss experts
If losing weight on a vegan diet is important to you, Veestro features weight loss experts who curate the plant-based recipes you see on their Weight Loss plan. They also have an informative blog with different recipes and tips for feeling your best when it comes to following a plant-based and weight-loss diet plan.
Veestro’s Cost
Veestro’s pricing could not have been made simpler, thanks to the emphasis on the Plan Size on their A La Carte and Weight Loss menu.
Here’s a simple breakdown of their premade meals:
On the A La Carte menu:
- For 10 meals/week: The starting price is $12.82 per serving.
- For 20 meals/week: The starting price is $11.93 per serving.
- For 30 meals/week: The starting price is $11.03 per serving.
On the Weight Loss Plan menu:
- For 5 days & 3 meals per day, 15 meals/week: $11.93 per serving
- For 7 days & 3 meals per day, 21 meals/week: $11.93 per serving
Regardless of the meal plan size, all orders come with free shipping. Veestro uses FedEx, OnTrack, and CDL to ship and deliver orders.
Veestro’s Shipping and Delivery
Veestro’s packaging is simple and easy to unpack. All the meals come properly sealed and stacked in a large cardboard box. For orders with more than 10 meals in a single box, it doesn’t look like a lot of packaging is wasted. Plus, 100% of their packaging, including plastic pouches, containers, and carton trays, is recyclable.
The meals are packed with ice packs to keep meals fresh and prevent spoilage. Since the meals are flash frozen, the temperature insulation ensures a longer shelf life.
One minor setback regarding how Veestro packs its orders is the use of dry ice. According to Veestro’s FAQs page, the amount of dry ice stored inside each cardboard box is timed so that by the time the box reaches you, the dry ice melts completely.
If it doesn’t, you have to leave the cardboard box without touching the dry ice. You have to let the dry ice naturally melt away before removing the meal containers from the box.
Veestro delivers to all 48 continental United States, leaving Alaska and Hawaii. Once you place an order, you will receive timely updates regarding the shipping and delivery date of the order.
According to the FAQ, you can adjust active orders within 3 days. However, you can only cancel an order before processing payment. If the payment for a particular order has already been processed, you will not be able to request a refund on that order.
Editing your order before the payment gets processed is important. You can add or remove meals, pause or skip a week’s delivery, and change your delivery address easily. You can make all these changes easily without contacting customer service.
If you need to ask a question or issue a complaint, you can reach them by email, fill out a website form, or call them via their Contact Us page.
Most Useful Tips for Making the Most of Meal Kit Delivery Services for Vegans
Vegan meal subscription benefits can be maximized in the following ways…
Meal Personalization or Customization
I’ve talked about meal customization once before and will touch on the subject again because, after all, it is a very important factor. You can also make the most of it when opting for vegan meal delivery.
Typically, during the sign-up process, you must update your choice of meal plans and diet preferences. What you like, dislike, what you’re allergic to, etc. – questions like these are asked to present you with the most appropriate recipes.
For example, you might have no pork, no dairy, only vegetarian, vegan, or organic, and other dietary inclinations.
Look for Coupons and Discount Deals
Many meal kit delivery services, even the cheapest vegan meal delivery, offer the privilege of discounts to first-time customers. The discount is automatically applied at checkout and can extend to your first few orders.
Checking for coupons for meal delivery services is another very effective tip for budget-conscious people. These coupons actually contribute to saving money if you plan on making meal kits an everyday thing.
Find Out If You Can Skip A Meal Box, Pause Your Subscription, etc.
You don’t necessarily have to place an order every week, which means the meal kit delivery service should leave room for skipping a week or weeks. The option to pause your subscription is also very useful. So is the option to cancel the subscription altogether, of course.
The only thing to remember at this point is the deadline for making changes/adjustments to upcoming orders. Every meal delivery has its own cutoff time. For instance, Purple Carrot is every Tuesday before 12 a.m. (EST) a week before the scheduled shipment day.
Blue Apron’s weekly deadline can be accessed through your Blue Apron “Account Settings” page. Account Settings > Plan Settings > Changeable Before date and time. I got this information from Blue Apron’s Help Center and FAQs section.
Likewise, Make Sure You Can Select the Delivery Date You Find the Most Convenient
What delivery day do you prefer for your weekly meals? If the meal delivery service gives you that autonomy, all the more convenient is the meal kit experience.
Check the company’s delivery day options and see if they sync up with your weekly schedule.
In the case of Weekly Menus, Browse Through the Upcoming Meal Kits
You may have some favorite recipes you don’t want to miss in the upcoming week or weeks. Thus, keep an eye on the future weekly menus, which means it’s a huge advantage if vegan meal delivery services feature more than just the current week’s menu.
With the option of checking what’s on the menu every week for the rest of the month, you can wisely pick those meal kits that perfectly fit into your diet plan.
Difference Between “Plant-Based” Meals and “Vegan” Meals
Both terms are used interchangeably, are they not? So are vegan meals plant-based meals, and are plant-based meals also vegan meals? I know how it can seem that that is the case since both diets target vegetables and eliminate conventional meat and seafood. However, there is a difference between vegan and plant-based.
When your diet plan is plant-based, it may or may not include eggs, milk, and other such animal by-products. As for a vegan diet, no animal meat or by-products are added to the meals (no honey, either!).
The biggest similarity is that both plant-based and vegan diets focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. No wonder both terms are so commonly used interchangeably, but now you know the difference!
What’s Your Final Decision?
The methodology of meal kits is very simple to understand. Top contenders like Purple Carrot, Green Chef, Territory Foods, etc. always send you healthy, fresh meals. These, more often than not, are also labeled as organic vegan meal delivery. The ingredients, in most cases, are organic-certified.
Meal delivery companies are on the rise, that’s for sure. No doubt, this has led to the services becoming more competitive, niche-friendly, diet-specific, and the like. Basically, the whole concept is improving.
Along the same lines, what also improves is the super-annoying and stressful conundrum of figuring out what to cook/eat every week or most weeks of the month.
I think now you’ve reached a point (in this post) where you have plenty of logical and compelling reasons to opt for the best vegan meal kit delivery service. On top of that, one that accommodates any special dietary needs and preferences you might have!