8 Best Meal Kit Delivery for Mediterranean Diet

Are you planning on switching to a new diet? A Mediterranean diet can help you maintain good nutrition while avoiding too much salt and fats. It consists of fruits, vegetables, grains, and healthy fat, so you don’t have to worry about the meals being too dull or flavorless during meal planning.

There’s a solution because I’m comparing eight different meal kit delivery services for a Mediterranean diet plan. If you haven’t got the time to cook Mediterranean diet meals yourself or don’t know where to start, you can rely on any of these services to plan and cook for you.

What is A Mediterranean Diet?

A Mediterranean diet consists of foods people eat in countries such as France, Spain, Greece, and Italy. It is common knowledge that these countries run along the Mediterranean Sea.

The primary ingredients in this diet include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, legumes, and hearty fats. Any processed foods, refined grains, and sugar are mostly restricted or limited.

Starting with foods that should be eaten in abundance: fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, seafood, spices, herbs, whole grains, potatoes, legumes, and extra virgin olive oil.

Foods that should be eaten in moderation include poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurts.

Foods that should be restricted entirely or eaten in extreme moderation: meat, sugary treats such as drinks, candies, added sugar in snack items, processed meat, refined grains, oils, and other added preservative or processed foods.

Why Do People Do Mediterranean Diets?

A Mediterranean diet has plenty of health benefits. The absence of red and processed meat means it aims to improve heart health. It protects your body against cardiovascular conditions (heart attack, stroke, etc.), high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Similarly, a Mediterranean diet is good for weight loss and maintaining healthy blood sugar levels by cutting back on processed sugar or added sugar.

These are the possible health benefits of and why people follow the Mediterranean diet to boost nutrition and well-being:

1. Supports A Healthy Heart

Due to moderate or rare consumption of red meat and processed meat, there is a chance of less plaque buildup in the arteries. If you’re looking to boost heart health, maintain low cholesterol, and lower your chances of heart disease or stroke, a Mediterranean diet may be helpful.

2. Aids Weight Loss

The top foods in a Mediterranean diet are low fat and high in rich fruits and vegetables and healthy fats. Thus, healthy fats give you the stamina you require to exercise. While the low (trans) fat diet ensures weight loss when you follow a strict exercise routine and/or do a calorie deficit.

Foods like seafood, fish, and legumes help repair the body’s immunity and maintain a steady and active lifestyle.

3. Maintains Optimal Blood Sugar Levels

In the same way that a Mediterranean diet supports heart health, it also stabilizes blood sugar levels. Since it restricts processed food, including added sugars or preservatives, you consume natural sugars in nutrient-dense fruits.

Studies show that cutting processed sugar from your diet can effectively repair the body’s insulin response. It contributes to decreasing insulin resistance. Reducing processed sugar intake even regulates healthy blood sugar levels for people struggling with obesity or diabetes. There is a greater chance of boosting proper glucose metabolism with the help of a Mediterranean diet than without.

4. Protection Against Cognitive Decline

You won’t find many beneficial diets for improving brain health and aging-related cognitive diseases. With a Mediterranean diet, thankfully, there is a lesser risk of suffering from memory loss and related conditions linked with Alzheimer’s disease.

A study shows it’s also linked to other cognitive illnesses such as dementia, cognitive impairment, and memory-related conditions. It reverses stress and inflammation in the brain caused by stress factors, even aging, in which cognitive dysfunction is considered a natural process.

Importance of the Mediterranean Diet

Switching to a Mediterranean diet is nothing short of life-changing. Nearly all your meals are built around nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes—limited consumption of red meat, chicken, eggs, and moderate seafood and fish intake. Most importantly, swapped sugary snacks and drinks with fruits for dessert.

Following this diet, you can start working out more, introducing new and creative dishes into your weekly meal plans, and feeling more mentally active throughout the day. It proves that the Mediterranean way is not a bad way after all!

How To Go About It?

You can kickstart your Mediterranean diet in any one of two ways. Either home-plan your meals and start cooking homemade meals yourself by following the Mediterranean diet plan.

The second option is to subscribe to a healthy meal delivery service that will allow you to receive 3-4 or more Mediterranean recipes at your doorstep.

Meal kit delivery services emphasize wholesome and nutritious meals you can order weekly. None of these recipes contains processed ingredients with added preservatives. They are made with fresh ingredients, not refined, without added sugar, and most definitely zero sodium or artificial flavors.

Based on my research, I found that more and more people are favoring meal kits because it’s more convenient, practical, and not that expensive. Year after year, meal kit services are coming out on top in the United States. They are nutritionist-recommended and are centered around stringent criteria for a healthy and wholesome alternative to junk food.

Difference Between Meal Kit Delivery Services and Homemade Meals

Are you crunching numbers at home trying to figure out whether meal kits are worth the investment? The results may not be what you think…

There is no doubt that cooking meals at home are a great way to learn how to cook and save money. Takeout food is expensive and not worth it because most takeout food contains unhealthy ingredients and preservatives. So if you’re in the mood for following a specific diet, like the Mediterranean, you need to learn how to cook the meals yourself to do it right.

However, it’s not as simple as that.

To successfully and consistently cook the meals yourself, you must shop for different types of groceries yourself weekly. Plan all your meals the week before and search for new recipes because you don’t always want to make the same recipes.

There are tons of good things about cooking meals yourself. For starters, it’s healthier because you decide what goes into every meal.

Second, it’s a great hobby to indulge in because you can try new recipes and learn more about different cultures and how they eat. If you have severe food allergies or intolerance, you can maintain a healthy gut and avoid falling sick

Cooking meals yourself is a huge money-saving solution because junk food is expensive and not a practical habit to keep up with in the long run. A study also found that cooking can be a great self-esteem and confidence booster, which means better mental health!

While this may also be true, cooking still feels like a chore, especially for someone who leads a busy lifestyle and can’t find the time to eat from scratch every day or every week. I know it takes a huge chunk out of my day to cook 2-3 servings per recipe.

What’s the solution, you ask? Well, the answer may be simpler than you think.

Meal kits, over the years, have gained a lot of popularity because they differ from junk or takeout food. Meal kits aren’t fast food in any way. They are compiled with fresh ingredients and healthy homemade meals. Plus, they aren’t as expensive either.

If you compare buying groceries yourself with a budget-friendly meal kit service, the difference in cost is barely $1-$2 per serving. I’m also factoring in other things, such as the cost of parking when you visit a grocery store or the delivery fee when you order online. Subscribing to a meal kit delivery service equals home cooking in expenses, but it’s way easier than home cooking.

Some meal kit services are expensive, so they may cost $2 to $5 more per serving. At the end of the day, you must pick the meal kit service you like and decide if they’re worth paying a little extra for every week.

What Does This Mean for A Mediterranean Diet Plan?

To follow a Mediterranean diet, you can pick a budget-friendly service that offers this as a part of their weekly diet plan. Meal kit services feature a weekly menu that you select your meals from. The menu changes every week for most meal kit services.

You can make certain customizations to the meals you select, like changing the serving size, skipping out or swapping a few ingredients, and adding more proteins to your meal. You can also filter the meals based on dietary preferences:

• Low Calorie
• Low Carb
• High Protein
• Paleo
• Keto
• Mediterranean

The menu you see after selecting your dietary preferences will be suited to your personal needs. That’s like entering a grocery store and walking to the organic food aisle that sells only organic foods!

And suppose you’re a picky cook/eater like me. In that case, you will read the product’s packaging to find out if there are any unwanted ingredients. You can do the same thing with a meal kit delivery service because each recipe comes with nutritional information, allergy details, and much more. So you’re not in the dark about every recipe’s nutritional value and ingredients list.

I believe this is a great segue to the next important part of this article, which is about the best meal kit delivery service for a Mediterranean diet.

Best Mediterranean Meal Kit Delivery Services

1. Sunbasket

Sunbasket is one of the few meal kit services that provides you with high-quality ingredients to prepare sumptuous meals that you love.

Their menu comprises a large variety of meals crafted from sustainably sourced organic whole foods that serve your everyday nutrition needs and save you time so you can focus on work and other activities that mean so much to you.

With Sunbasket, you’re sure to get the following:

• Cooking kitswith preportioned ingredients
• Heat-and-eat meals
• Add-on proteins

All of this for your satisfaction and enjoyment while saving you the stress of grocery shopping. The best part? You can filter their meals according to your preferred diet plan. They offer the following:

• Low calories (under 600kcal)
• Paleo
• Gluten-free
• Soy-free
• Dairy-free
• Diabetes-free
• Vegan

Another thing you’ll love about them is their weekly change of menu and the large variety of food categories you can choose from. Just name it!

• Dinners
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Pasta & Sauce
• Proteins
• Snacks

They have it all! Aside from lunch and dinner recipes on their weekly menus, Sunbasket offers breakfast items, pasta & sauces, and snacks. Meal kits or freshly prepared meals with two or more servings are available. The former comes with premeasured and individually packed ingredients, while the latter includes freshly cooked meals for those on a busy schedule.

The breakfast and snack items aren’t meal kits but packaged items such as egg bites, pies, chips, different types of cheese, superfood cookies, truffle bars, and a few more items.

Another food category on its weekly menu is protein, which includes seafood, chicken, meat, and plant-based snacks. These are proteins in different varieties such as burger patties, shredded, minced, ground, fillets, smoked, and sausages.

I highly recommend Sunbasket to someone who enjoys eating healthy food but dislikes the same kind of meals that the average cook makes at home. Sunbasket makes it much more convenient and versatile for someone to pick new and interesting meals weekly without repeating recipes.

During some weeks, Mediterranean meals are a part of the week’s meal plan. As a result, you get to filter all your recipes for lunch, breakfast, dinner, proteins, snacks, etc. with the Mediterranean filter. Choose from the meals presented to you, avoiding all the non-Mediterranean meals.

Sunbasket is great for individuals, couples, or families who want to eat healthily and follow a Mediterranean diet on a busy schedule.

Sunbasket’s Mediterranean diet consists of whole grains, fruits, veggies, seafood, legumes, nuts and seeds, and moderate amounts of meats such as chicken.

They have other diet plans that are similar to the Mediterranean:

Paleo

The Paleo diet is similar, except for red meat, which is supposed to be consumed moderately on a Mediterranean diet. However, the rest, including fish, seeds, nuts, and nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, are the same for Mediterranean and Paleo diets.

The Paleo diet also permits eggs, which is not a part of Mediterranean diets. Avoiding sugar, processed foods, and unhealthy fats is the same. While people on a Paleo diet do not eat grains, these are permitted on a Mediterranean diet plan.

The Singapore-style cabbage bowl, curried shrimp, and spiced almonds is a good Paleo dish. It has shrimp, protein-rich cabbage, and healthy fats from almonds, which checks most of the boxes for a Mediterranean diet.

Diabetes-Friendly

This is another diet plan similar to Paleo. It encourages less consumption of red meat and moderate consumption of light meat such as chicken. The plan has more plant-based ingredients and healthy nuts and seeds.

On the Diabetes-Friendly diet plan, recipes like Burmese Chickpea and Tomato Soup with Lemongrass and BBQ Salmon and Southern-Style Rice Salad with Cabbage and Cranberries are also suitable for Mediterranean plans.

In fact, on both these recipes, you can see the “Mediterranean” diet tag, which means it’s designed specifically for people who want a diabetes-friendly and Mediterranean diet.

Soy-Free

Soy-free recipes make up most of the recipes on Sunbasket’s meal plan. The one closest to a Mediterranean diet plan is the Stuffed Bell Peppers with Ground Turkey and Black Beans recipe. It even has the “Mediterranean” label on its recipe card.

Another is the BBQ Salmon and Southern-Style Rice Salad with Cabbage and Cranberries, which is also diabetes-friendly, dairy-free, and gluten-free.

Top 2 Mediterranean Diet Recipes from Sunbasket

I. BBQ Salmon and Southern-Style Rice Salad with Cabbage and Cranberries

If you haven’t tried this recipe, then you’re missing out. Not only is the BBQ Salmon and Southern-Style Rice Salad with Cabbage and Cranberries a top-rated recipe on Sunbasket’s Mediterranean menu, but it’s also one of the most delicious and nutritious meals you’d ever taste.

Not only that, this meal blends well into many diet categories, and it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, pescatarian, diabetes-friendly, and protein-rich. What more can you ask for?

You can select fish options for the recipe with salmon or snapper fillets. That’s a boost of fatty acids and omegas if you want the seafood version of the same recipe.

Each meal kit serves 2 people. Here’s the nutrition breakdown of the recipe per serving:

• Cooking Time: 25–40 minutes
• Calories: 680kcal
• Fats: 32g
• Carbs: 70g
• Proteins: 30g

II. Two-Bean Sloppy Joe Wraps with Mushrooms and Tangy Coleslaw

This snack may look messy but in the most delicious and mouthwatering way! The best part is that aside from being the Mediterranean, it’s also vegan, lowcalorie, dairy-free, and Lean & Clean, which is perfect for a weight loss diet.

It’s completely plant-based with different legumes, protein-rich mushrooms, delicious greens, and a creamy sloppy joe sauce made from cumin, chilis, and vegan Worcestershire.

Each meal kit serves 2 people. Here’s the nutrition breakdown of the recipe per serving:

• Cooking Time: 20 minutes
• Calories: 490 calories
• Fats: 17g
• Carbs: 72g
• Proteins: 17g

Best Features of Sunbasket for Mediterranean Diet

Is Sunbasket a good choice for you? Here are four reasons why you should try Sunbasket:

1. They have lunch, dinner, breakfast, and snack items. You can select as many meals and snacks as you want. Plus, you can double up your proteins easily without paying for an extra meal. They have a “Proteins” section on their menu for chicken, meat, turkey, seafood, and plant-based protein.
2. A Mediterranean diet makes a lot of sense because you get various meals to select from. Plus, some of their breakfast and snack items come with very specific ingredients that you can trust are 100% organic and healthy.
3. From a dietician’s perspective, Sunbasket also prioritizes different dietary plans for Mediterranean, weightloss, diabetes-friendly, vegan, keto, and paleo diets. You can filter each meal according to your diet and find the recipes that work for you.
4. Lastly, all Sunbasket meals take 30 minutes or less to prepare. This is a doable timeframe to prepare healthy meals, even for someone on a busy schedule. If you don’t even have 30 minutes to cook a meal, then the problem lies in your time management skills! Their Fresh & Ready meals take 5 minutes to heat up. The same applies to their add-on breakfast and snack items since they are already prepared and need only to be microwaved.

Sunbasket Plans

Aside the Mediterranean plan, Sunbasket also offers the following:

• Chef’s Choice
• Gluten-Free
• Lean & Clean
• Paleo
• Pescatarian
• Vegan
• Vegetarian

Sunbasket Pricing

Sunbasket’s cost per meal isn’t all that expensive, but they do charge a shipping fee, which some people might consider too extravagant on all orders. The shipping fee is $8 per order.

For new customers, however, there is a discount offer where they get $90 off plus free shipping on the first four deliveries. Coupled with that are four bonus gifts you receive on the first four orders.

Once this discount offer expires, you pay the following on every order.

Starting from the minimum order value, which is for 2 people:

• 2 meal kits with 2 servings each – $14 per serving
• 3 meal kits with 2 servings each – $12 per serving
• 4 meal kits with 2 servings each – $11 per serving

For 4 people:

• 2 meals with 4 servings each – $11 per serving
• 3 meals with 4 servings each – $11 per serving
• 4 meals with 4 servings each – $11 per serving

For single-serve Fresh & Ready meals:

• 4 meals per week: $12 per serving
• 5 meals per week: $12 per serving
• 6 meals per week: $10 per serving
• 7 meals per week: $10 per serving
• 8 meals per week: $9 per serving

Sunbasket’s Pros and Cons

Pros

• They provide you with fresh organic produce in preportioned quantities for easy cooking.
• Their recipes are meticulously crafted by a renowned chef and approved by nutritionists.
• Flexible subscription with the ability to cancel at any time.
• Easily customizable meal options providing a variety of choices.
• Comprehensive package including detailed recipe cards and online video tutorials for each meal.
• Carb-conscious meal plans designed to accommodate various dietary requirements.

Cons

• Additional delivery costs apply after the initial order.
• Service is not available in certain US states.

Shipping and Delivery

Sunbasket delivers right on schedule. You can sometimes select the day of the week and time of day when placing your order. However, the delivery day depends on the delivery location.

Sunbasket provides fresh and high-quality meals. They also ensure that the food gets delivered as soon as possible to avoid the risk of spoilage of the fresh ingredients. However, the delivery day options for some zip codes are limited.

Speaking of delivery locations, Sunbasket delivers to the majority of US states but not to the following zip codes – AK, HI, MT, ND, and some areas in NM.

Once you select your delivery date and time, the meal kits will arrive directly at your doorstep with the proper instructions for storage. If any part of the packaging gets compromised or is leaky at the delivery time, you can immediately contact customer service for a refund or exchange.

In fact, Sunbasket has tied up with courier services such as UPS or FedEx depending on where you want the order delivered, which means quality service and consistency is a guarantee.

Sunbasket FAQ

Q: What Makes Sunbasket Successful?

Sunbasket’s efficiency in delivering exceptional meals is one of many reasons why they’re a successful brand today.

The culinary team’s dedication to authenticity, flavor balance, and sustainability ensures each meal you order from Sunbasket embodies the rich and diverse tastes of the Mediterranean, providing you with a culinary journey that’s both delicious and mindful.

Q: What Are Some Key Facts About Sunbasket?

Sunbasket is a leading meal kit delivery service renowned for its commitment to quality. With a focus on organic and sustainable ingredients, Sunbasket offers diverse menu options, catering to various dietary preferences.

From Mediterranean to accommodating personalized choices, Sunbasket combines culinary excellence with a dedication to your health and environment.

Q: How Ethical Is Sunbasket?

Sunbasket takes ethical sourcing seriously. They prioritize organic and sustainable ingredients, supporting responsible farming practices.

With a commitment to transparency, Sunbasket ensures customers know where their food comes from. From fair trade to eco-friendly packaging, this company’s ethical practices extend across every aspect of their service, making conscious dining for their subscribers a delightful experience.

Q: How Do I Cancel My Sunbasket Subscription?

Canceling your Sun Basket subscription is simple. Follow these steps:

• Log into your account.
• Go to “Account Settings.”
• Scroll down to find “Manage My Subscription.”
• Click “Cancel My Subscription.”
• Provide a reason for canceling and confirm.

This straightforward process ensures a hassle-free cancellation of your Sunbasket subscription.

2. HelloFresh

HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service with over 30 new recipes weekly. Though they offer limited Mediterranean options, they make up for their lapses with the other meal plans they have.

I know you may not really be intrigued by the service due to their low Mediterranean options, but I saw two Mediterranean recipes on their menu this week that featured Mediterranean-friendly ingredients. So, they might still be worth trying!

All of HelloFresh’s meals are lunch or dinner recipes. In fact, I thought some recipes, such as sandwiches and wraps, could also be cooked and eaten as breakfast.

Their recipes are easy and quick to make, with an average of 20–35 minutes. Flexible scheduling and easy customizations like removing seafood, pork, or beef from a meal plan are the best features yet of HelloFresh.

What Does This Mean for People Following a Mediterranean Diet?

HelloFresh offers more diet meals for low-calorie, vegetarian, and pescatarian categories. Most of their recipes are meat and veggies, meaning they contain meat options, such as chicken, beef, or seafood. Or the entire recipe is made from plant-based ingredients, including the main protein.

The Mediterranean-friendly meals are limited. I found only two that suit this specialized diet. The Balsamic Fig Chicken with Roasted Potatoes & Mixed Greens is a beginner-friendly meal. It has less than 550 calories per serving.

The second recipe is Tilapia with Almond-Parsley Gremolata with Green Beans & Garlic Herb Couscous. Though it’s labeled as a Calorie Smart recipe, it has 700 calories per serving and is made with fish and a garlic herb sauce.

If you’re looking for a diet similar to the Mediterranean, you can also opt for HelloFresh’s low-calorie and vegan meals.

I do not recommend HelloFresh to health-conscious eaters on a Mediterranean diet. They have very limited recipes that cater to specialized diets, so picky eaters are not very favorable.

Top-Rated Mediterranean Recipes from HelloFresh

HelloFresh offers only two premium, low-calorie Mediterranean recipes on their current week’s menu:

I. Balsamic Fig Chicken with Roasted Potatoes & Mixed Greens

It’s the best recipe for 2022! This is the perfect sweet, savory dish, prepared with one of those extra-flavored pan sauces and then sanctified with fresh rosemary, shallot, balsamic vinegar, and fig jam.

The blend of potatoes and chicken meat gives you a suitable combination of carbs and proteins.

Mixed greens are also a part of this; we all know how leafy greens indicate the meal fitting into the “Mediterranean” diet category. Also, they’re such a great source of vitamins with fewer calories.

• Cooking Time: 30 minutes
• Calories: 530kcal
• Fats: 20g
• Carbs: 56g
• Proteins: 36g

II. Tilapia with Almond-Parsley Gremolata & Green Beans, Garlic Herb Couscous

This is another one of HelloFresh’s calorie-smart, Mediterranean recipes, but this one has seafood. It has flaky, roasted tilapia fillets seasoned with olive oil, garlic, lemon, parsley, and toasted almonds.

Fish is one of the key ingredients of a Mediterranean diet, so that area is covered for you.

On top of that, there’s the healthy addition of roasted green beans on the side of this dish. The silky, delicious Israeli couscous is a type of grain that the Mediterranean diet centers around.

• Cooking Time: 30 minutes
• Calories: 700kcal
• Fats: 39 g
• Carbs: 53 g
• Proteins: 37 g

Best Features of HelloFresh for Mediterranean Diet

Is HelloFresh the right choice for you? Here are three reasons why you can try HelloFresh right away.

HelloFresh offers full, unlimited access to their recipes archive. Now, this is something that people who like to cook will benefit most from. You can view hundreds and hundreds of interesting recipes based on world cuisines and specific dishes. Filter them according to your personal preferences.

Type “Mediterranean” in the search box, and you’ll find all Mediterranean-friendly recipe suggestions, from grilled and steak recipes to pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches, etc.

HelloFresh changes its menu weekly, so you have newer and more flexible recipes to try out each week.

For their current week’s menu, HelloFresh features two Mediterranean recipes. Next week’s menu includes two Mediterranean recipes different from the previous week. For someone who enjoys Mediterranean meals but is not rigidly following the diet can make the most out of each week’s meal.

Lastly, HelloFresh makes it incredibly easy to select meals and get them delivered right away. It removes the hassle of grocery shopping and meal planning for fussy eaters. If you’re tired of looking for new recipes online every week, relying on HelloFresh is convenient. You get to try new recipes without too much effort.

HelloFresh Plans

HelloFresh has limited Mediterranean options in their menu. So, they may not offer you the variety you’re looking for. However, here are their meal plans:

• Meat & Veggies
• Veggie
• Family Friendly
• Fit & Wholesome
• Quick & Easy
• Pescatarian

HelloFresh Pricing

It shouldn’t shock you that HelloFresh is a slightly expensive meal kit delivery service. It comes close to what a meal at a restaurant would cost. Plus, according to my research, it’s more expensive than a single serving of a home-cooked meal.

You can customize your plan by the number of servings or recipes you want per week. Here’s the breakdown.

The shipping cost is $10 on every order, including larger orders.

Number of People	Recipes Per Week	Cost Per Serving
For 2 servings per recipe	2 recipes per week	$12
	3 recipes per week	$10
	4 recipes per week	$9.5
	5 recipes per week	$9
	6 recipes per week	$8.5
For 4 servings per recipe	2 recipes per week	$9.5
	3 recipes per week	$8.5
	4 recipes per week	$8
	5 recipes per week	$8
	6 recipes per week	$8

HelloFresh Pros and Cons

Pros

• Their limited Mediterranean menu still provides the convenience of preportioned ingredients and easy-to-follow recipes.
• Their meals are more affordable than other meal delivery services.
• They are a good fit for families with no diet restrictions.

Cons

• Some of their menus are uninspiring.
• Limited Mediterranean meal options.

Shipping and Delivery

HelloFresh charges $10 on every order. It’s quite a steep shipping cost, but the good news is that you can choose the delivery time between 8 am to 8 pm and the day of delivery.

During an emergency, you can quickly adjust the delivery date 5 days before the scheduled delivery. The minimum order is 2 to 5 meals per week for the 2-person plan. As a first-time customer, you pay $3.99 per serving with free shipping on the first order.

HelloFresh delivers meals to everywhere in the United States, except Alaska and Hawaii.

HelloFresh FAQ

Q: What Makes HelloFresh Successful?

HelloFresh’s success lies in its commitment to delivering fresh, high-quality ingredients with easy-to-follow recipes to its subscribers.

Despite their limited Mediterranean meal options, the service stands out for its innovation, reliability, and commitment to making home cooking accessible and enjoyable.

Q: What Are Some Key Facts About HelloFresh?

Founded in 2011, HelloFresh offers a diverse menu, accommodating a reasonable range of dietary preferences. Their meals are a lot more affordable than other meal delivery services, and their subscription is flexible (you can manage your subscription, skip weeks, or cancel at any time you like).

Q: How Ethical Is HelloFresh?

HelloFresh is committed to ethical sourcing. They prioritize sustainability by sourcing ingredients responsibly and working toward reducing their environmental impact through eco-friendly packaging and energy-efficient operations.

Q: How to Cancel HelloFresh Subscription?

To cancel your Hello Fresh subscription, log in to your account, navigate to “Account Settings,” and select “Cancel Plan.” Follow the cancellation prompts, providing the necessary information.

Be sure to complete the process before 11:59 p.m. PST and 5 days before your next delivery; otherwise, you’ll be charged for the next delivery. 

3. Green Chef

Green Chef is a plant-heavy meal kit delivery service that serves non-vegetarian and vegan meals. It’s a medley of non-veg and veg meals plus a separate category of balanced meals for those who don’t know which option to pick.

On their weekly menu, you won’t find filters to choose specific meals from, the way it is with Sunbasket, but you will see certain dietary labels on each recipe. Such as:

• Keto
• Gluten-Free
• Fast & Fit
• Paleo
• Mediterranean
• Vegan and Veggie

There’s no problem sticking to a specialized diet when subscribing to a service like Green Chef, especially when that diet is the Mediterranean.

Each recipe has a picture showing you what the meal looks like, the estimated cooking time, nutritional value, cooking instructions, and other helpful tips. I liked that you can read about the recipe and how easy or difficult it is to make before subscribing to Green Chef.

Plus, Green Chef gives you access to three weeks’ worth of menus as they change their menu every week.

Someone on edge about their subscription plan or meals can look at the menu and then make an informed decision. Moving on, Green Chef has multiple certifications that complement a Mediterranean diet. The meals are certified organic and gluten-free.

Green Chef has three new Mediterranean meal plans on their current week’s menu—one with chickpeas, fish, and turkey. The “Most Loved” recipe is the Middle Eastern-style Chickpea Bowl recipe, a gluten-free and veggie-friendly meal.

Can Mediterranean eaters benefit from subscribing to Green Chef?

Yes, especially if they’re also into organic food. Closest to the Mediterranean diet, Green Chef offers meal plans like Veggie, Balanced, Keto, and Paleo diets. Their dishes cater to health-conscious eaters more than those who are okay with anything.

Green Chef’s menu is more diet-friendly and picky than other meal kit delivery services. A great choice if you ask me if you’re very aware of what goes into your meals.

I don’t see why Green Chef cannot elevate your Mediterranean diet goals. With protein-dense and low-carb recipes, they offer a wide variety of flavors. They devote a significant number of recipes per week to plant-based meals; hence they’re perfect for someone looking to eat meat-heavy meals in moderation.

I would also recommend a balanced meal plan. It consists of a mix of non-vegetarian and vegetarian recipes. Some recipes are even low-carb and low-calorie with a generous quantity per serving. Most of their meals were high in fiber and healthy fats, which are essential to maintaining a good Mediterranean diet.

Top-Rated Mediterranean Recipes from Green Chef

Green Chef offers healthier Mediterranean recipes from vegetarian to turkey to seafood. Each recipe has proper cooking instructions, nutritional value, prep time, and ingredients list.

I. Middle Eastern-style Chickpea Bowls

This is the main dish with chickpeas as the primary protein source. The recipe card reads Green Chef’s menu is the “most loved” meal. It has a powerful and wholesome blend of turmeric rice, carrots, and a special cardamom-spiced yogurt.

It meets multiple dietary categories such as Mediterranean, gluten-free, and veggie, which means it’s completely plant-based and packed with healthy fats and other nutrients. Each meal kit serves two people.

• Cooking Time: 30 minutes
• Calories: 870 kcal per serving
• Fats: 43 g
• Carbs: 97 g
• Proteins: 26 g

II. Italian Herb-Seasoned Barramundi

Barramundi is a type of fish known for its buttery and meaty texture. The best way to cook Barramundi is pan-searing. It truly elevates the rich flavor and succulent texture of the fish. Plus, this recipe uses garlic, herb, and paprika as a seasoning and an olive oil vinaigrette.

Couscous, kale, artichoke hearts, and roasted peppers complement the fish, making it a hearty and healthy meal for 1-2 people. Each meal kit comes with two servings each. It’s a part of the Mediterranean and Fast & Fit diet plan. I also found that this one is also low-calorie and protein-rich compared to the other Mediterranean recipe.

• Cooking Time: 25 minutes
• Calories: 610 calories
• Fats: 32 g
• Carbs: 44 g
• Proteins: 37 g

Best Features of Green Chef for Mediterranean Diet

There are many things to love about Green Chef, especially when you’re on a special diet like the Mediterranean. Let me spell out the best things about this meal kit delivery service.

First, Green Chef does an incredible job of maintaining complete transparency regarding their recipes and ingredients. You can read about each recipe’s ingredients, cooking instructions, nutrition facts, and allergen information. Green Chef also specifies which common allergen is present in every dish, such as tree nuts, wheat, or fish. This is of great help to those who follow a Mediterranean diet for specific health reasons, such as intolerance, weight loss, or allergies.

Cooking Green Chef’s meals are a piece of cake. The estimated cooking time barely goes past 45 minutes. In addition, you can even select from their “Fast & Fit” category, in which the recipes take less than 30 minutes to prepare.

The cooking time is usually allotted for two servings maximum. Suppose you take as long as 45 minutes in the kitchen, just remember that you get two servings within that time frame.

One of the fascinating things about Green Chef is their use of new and interesting spices and marinades. Even how they assemble each recipe is creative and restaurant-quality. For a Mediterranean diet, this should do wonders because the last thing you want is your meal to be dull!

Green Chef encourages new seasonings, sauces, food pairings, etc., so you can learn how to make fantastic recipes at home, even when on a diet.

Green Chef Plans

If you’re wondering what’s on the Green Chef menu, then here’s a list of their plans. They offer the following:

• Keto
• Plant Based
• Mediterranean
• Quick & Easy
• Gluten Free
• Protein Packed
• Delicious Discoveries
• Calorie Smart

These plans were designed to fit different diets and preferences and unlike Hello Fresh, they offer a large variety of Mediterranean meals.

Green Chef Pricing

Green Chef’s pricing is simple. You pay either by the number of servings you want per recipe or by the meals per week. Selecting a meal plan is quick and costs regardless of your choice- Mediterranean, gluten-free, vegan, fast & fit, keto or paleo, or vegetarian.

You can change your diet preferences anytime because Green Chef displays the full weekly menu.

Here’s the breakdown of cost when selecting your box size. I’ve not included the shipping cost in the cost per serving below, as the shipping fee is $10 on every order.

Number of People	Meals Per Week	Cost Per Serving
4 servings	2 meals per week	$13
4 servings	3 meals per week	$12.5
4 servings	4 meals per week	$12

Number of People	Meals Per Week	Cost Per Serving
2 servings	3 meals per week	$13.5
4 servings	3 meals per week	$13
6 servings	3 meals per week	$12

As you can see, the price starts from $12 per serving and goes up to $13 per serving. The minimum order on Green Chef is either 2 recipes per week with 4 servings each or 3 recipes per week with 2 servings each. The cost amounts to $13 per serving for 8 meals in total or 6 meals in total for $13.5 per serving.

If you increase your box size, you pay less, which is $12 per serving plus shipping on all orders.

Green Chef Pros and Cons

Pros

• Organic and sustainable ingredients
• Diverse menu options
• Preportioned ingredients
• Easy-to-follow recipes
• Convenient meal planning

Cons

• Higher cost
• Limited flexibility in meal choices

Shipping and Delivery

Green Chef delivers everywhere in the United States, excluding Alaska, Hawaii, and some areas of Louisiana. You can adjust the delivery time and date based on where you live and from 8 am to 8 pm. In fact, if you do not work from home, you can have your order delivered to your office before 5 pm, but this also depends on where you live.

The meal kits arrive in secure and leak-proof boxes that you’re supposed to keep refrigerated as soon as they arrive. Some ingredients are packed with insulation, such as seafood. Any other details regarding your meal kit and packaging are available on Green Chef’s FAQ page. Or you can quickly contact customer service via email, phone, or live chat via their website.

Concerning any changes you’d like to make to the order after placing it, you can do so easily within 7 days before the scheduled delivery. Green Chef lets you do a bunch of things like skipping weeks, increasing or decreasing the number of meals, canceling, or swapping recipes easily.

Green Chef FAQs

Q: What Makes Green Chef Successful?

Green Chef is a successful brand because of its unwavering determination to provide subscribers with organic, high-quality ingredients, diverse menu options, and convenient meal kits that cater to their various dietary preferences. Plus, they pride themselves on sustainability and eco-friendly packaging, which also contributes to their popularity.

Q: What Are Some Key Facts About Green Chef?

Green Chef is a certified organic meal kit delivery service that offers a variety of plans, including Keto, Paleo, and Balanced Living. Each of their kits comes with premeasured ingredients, easy-to-follow recipes, and a commitment to sustainable sourcing.

Q: How Ethical Is Green Chef?

Green Chef is dedicated to ethical practices, using responsibly sourced ingredients and prioritizing sustainability. They partner with trusted suppliers to ensure the highest standards in quality and environmental impact.

Q: How to Cancel Green Chef Subscription?

To cancel your Green Chef subscription, log in to your account, open the menu, go to the right corner, and choose “Settings.” Scroll down to the “Account Section,” and select “Deactivate your Plan.” From there, follow the prompts to cancel. And that’s it!

4. Home Chef

Home Chef comes with many benefits for the simple and consistent home cook. If you want something familiar and homely to keep up with your diet, Home Chef is a comfortable option for many. Is it suitable for a Mediterranean diet plan?

People choose Home Chef’s meals because they are semi-homemade but also because they are easy to customize. You can swap ingredients, primarily proteins, on select meals. Home Chef is also good for ordering large box sizes for families since their meals are so quick to prepare and taste delicious.

A Mediterranean diet plan favors healthy and clean eating. Even though Home Chef comes with certain dietary categories such as Calorie-Conscious, <30min, Carb-Conscious, and Vegetarian, it’s not very diverse. I found only a single Mediterranean recipe on their weekly menu.

If you’re planning your meals around this particular diet or any Mediterranean-friendly diet plan, Home Chef is not the ideal pick for you. It has low-calorie and low-carb meals for most people. Their meal plan is divided into two main types:

• Meal kits
• Easily prepared meals

You can guess the difference between both meal plans; one provides pre-portioned ingredients with instructions, while the other offers cooked meals. What you pick depends on how much time you want to put in the kitchen daily to prepare each recipe.

Having said that, despite the lack of Mediterranean options, if you still want to continue with Home Chef, their meal customization feature improves things.

You can swap proteins from chicken to seafood to meat in seconds. Tailoring the recipe you want to eat with the protein of your choice is simpler than ever. Not every meal kit delivery service offers this kind of quick and accurate modification, which puts Home Chef on the map.

For example, for a Mediterranean-friendly meal, you can swap the sausages in their Italian Sausage Pasta with Cajun Cream Sauce with shrimp or filet mignon. You can select from many other recipes with the “Customize It” option to try seafood options or chicken.

Top-Rated Mediterranean Recipes from Home Chef

Home Chef does offer healthy and wholesome meals, that’s for sure. The recipes are quick to prepare, and you get to pick from various cuisines with swappable proteins.

The only Mediterranean-friendly recipe from Home Chef has shrimp in it. From their previous menus, I found a few others, which means you can expect 1-2 Mediterranean recipes in every week’s menu.

I. Mediterranean-Style Shrimp

I wouldn’t consider this meal as a main dish because it has couscous, which is light and not very filling. If you’re a light eater, you won’t mind the limited ingredients in this meal. Even so, it’s high in proteins and low in calories.

Each meal kit serves two people and has a “Customize It” option if you want to swap the shrimp with whole chicken breasts or steak strips.

• Prepping Time: 25 to 35 minutes
• Calories: 650 kcal
• Fats: 31 g
• Carbs: 65 g
• Proteins: 29 g

Best Features of Home Chef for Mediterranean Diet

Some features of Home Chef do elevate one’s experience of following a specialized diet, but it may not be a very accommodating choice for a Mediterranean diet.

Home Chef does offer its users two types of meal plans. The first is meal kits with pre-measured ingredients, a recipe card with all the nutritional factors and proper cooking instructions. Easy Prepared Meal Kits with no prep time and oven-friendly packaging. You simply have to heat it in an oven or microwave, and it’s ready to serve.

Home Chef is one of the few meal kit delivery services that comes with minimal cues and quicker prep/cooking time. You don’t need to do much before the meal kit arrives. Just as long as you have the basic cooking utensils and a stovetop to cook them on.

All the meal kits have a cooking level from easy to difficult, but I found that most of their recipes are straightforward to prepare.

Most of the recipes I found on Home Chef’s menu are what most people think of as “comfort food.” Classic recipes with different types of protein, such as chicken, beef steak, pasta, and burgers. Homely meals are never too dull to prepare, and Home Chef lets you do that without preparing them from scratch.

Home Chef also promises fresh produce with high-quality antibiotic- and hormone-free meat.

Home Chef Plans

These are the full list of Home Chef offerings:

• Culinary Collection
• Express
• Fast & Fresh
• Oven-Ready
• Family
• Plus

Home Chef Pricing

Because Home Chef is a simple and convenient meal kit delivery service with few dietary options, it is affordable. Smaller meals such as entrees and salads start from $6.99 per person or serving. The price range for main dishes with premium ingredients, such as meat is between $9 and $18 per serving.

Here’s the standard pricing chart for an average meal box order on Home Chef. The following prices do not include shipping, depending on location and the number of meals you order.

• 2 recipes x 2 servings each – $50
• 3 recipes x 2 servings each – $63
• 4 recipes x 2 servings each – $81
• 5 recipes x 2 servings each – $99
• 6 recipes x 2 servings each – $117

Pros and Cons of Home Chef

Pros

• They offer a good range of low-prep and no-prep options.
• Flexibility in customizing your meals.
• Ingredients are fresh and sourced from local farms.
• A large variety of weekly meal options to choose from.

Cons

• Low Mediterranean options.
• No options for Vegans.
• You can only customize proteins.

Shipping and Delivery

Home Chef delivers to 98% of the United States, with a few exceptions – Alaska and Hawaii.

My research tells me that Home Chef is user-friendly and flexible. You can modify orders easily, even after placing them. There is a cutoff time on Friday before the week of delivery at noon CT time. Plus, you do not have to contact customer care to modify your order, including the delivery date or time.

Above everything else, I appreciate the simplicity of Home Chef. Home Chef allows you to easily skip meals, cancel orders, or pause your subscription. I can also modify the proteins in my order without canceling it.

Every meal kit’s packaging is firm, supportive, and durable. Every meal kit contains a recipe card, recyclable materials such as plastic wrappings, seal bags, and denim or cotton insulation. The cardboard box itself is reusable or recyclable.

If you prefer doing things digitally, you can view the recipe card for instructions on your mobile, which makes cooking and logging in recipes easier.

Home Chef FAQ

Q: What Makes Home Chef Successful?

Home Chef has grown to become a successful brand because of their seamless delivery of fresh, preportioned ingredients to their teeming subscribers. Their focus on quality ingredients, diverse recipes, and user-friendly meal customization has made them one of the top meal delivery brands in the world.

Q: What Are Some Key Facts of Home Chef?

Home Chef offers a diverse menu with 30+ weekly options, accommodating a good range of dietary preferences (excluding vegans). They provide recipes that can cater to all skill levels, ensuring a hassle-free cooking experience for you.

Q: How Ethical Is Home Chef?

With their commitment to sustainability, Home Chef has shown that they are an ethical brand that prioritizes ethical sourcing, and they prove this by their partnerships with reputable suppliers committed to responsible farming practices.

Q: How to Cancel Home Chef Subscription?

To cancel your Home Chef subscription, log in to your account, navigate to “Account Settings,” and select the Subscription tab to see your plan, then click on “Pause Your Account,” and while setting it up, don’t set a period for which your account should be paused. Next, you’ll be taken to a page with a short survey. Follow the prompts to cancel your subscription.

5. EveryPlate

Two words describe the charm of EveryPlate – affordable and delicious!

Unlike many meal kit delivery services, EveryPlate is one of the most budget-friendly options. It works exactly like other options where you get several new recipes to pick from each week. It’s second on the list for the Best Meal Prep Kit Subscription Box on USA Today Reader’s Choice Awards. Offering meals for 2 or 4 people at a time with plenty of customizations!

Their current week’s menu offers 18 recipes with different labels such as veggie, customer fave, 30 min or less, and easy cleanup. I didn’t see other dietary categories on the menu, which is a bummer. You can, however, read about each recipe and its nutritional value, ingredients, and cooking instructions.

For a Mediterranean diet, EveryPlate is not the best choice. It has no customizations or dietary filters for a Mediterranean diet. Most of EveryPlate’s recipes focus on flavorful and balanced meals with common ingredients.

The drawback is that they have a limited menu and do not accommodate diets like Mediterranean, keto, paleo, low-carb, etc.

On closely viewing and evaluating their menu, I found that most of the ingredients are traditional and not special in their versatility. EveryPlate uses affordable ingredients that taste nice and fresh but not particularly awesome. The price per serving reflects this quality, which should explain why it’s such an affordable meal kit delivery service.

The calories per recipe fall between 600 and 1,000, which is relatively high for a Mediterranean diet. The meals are divided between some veggie recipes, while most are meat-based – not favorable for a Mediterranean diet. The recipes are high in fat, including saturated fat, with little to no appearance of whole grain in dishes with pasta or potatoes.

Overall, I think you should avoid EveryPlate if you want Mediterranean meal options. EveryPlate is not very health-conscious, unlike other favorable services like Sunbasket, Green Chef, or HelloFresh.

Top-Rated Mediterranean Recipes from EveryPlate

A Mediterranean diet is high in legumes, nuts, seeds, and nutritious vegetables. From EveryPlate’s menu, I found this recipe to be the closest to a Mediterranean palette. Please note that none of EveryPlate’s recipes is health-conscious or accommodates a diet as specific as the Mediterranean, but this recipe is delicious and healthy nonetheless.

I. Black Bean Stew with Mexican Cheese, Sour Cream & Scallions

Made with vegetable stock and black beans, this recipe is quick and easy to prepare. It’s a low-calorie and low-fat meal with fewer than 550 calories per serving.

• Cooking Time: 25 minutes
• Calories: 520kcal
• Fats: 20g
• Carbs: 58g
• Proteins: 22g

Best Features of EveryPlate for the Mediterranean Diet

For a traditional and inexpensive meal kit delivery service, EveryPlate is a fine choice. It has a weekly rotating menu with flexible meal options. If you’re still interested in trying out EveryPlate, here are some of their best features.

Cooking food with EveryPlate is simpler than ever. I found no complaints whatsoever in their recipes since they are fairly accurate and easy to make. This is a great choice for a non-fussy eater who is not so health-conscious. It’s totally beginner-friendly and won’t burn a deep hole in your pocket like some other meal kit subscription boxes.

Navigating the menu, placing an order, and modifying orders are straightforward. You can add or remove meals, skip a few weeks, and swap proteins and side dishes effectively with EveryPlate. No added cost or cancellation is required.

The one thing EveryPlate is good for is keeping the cost per serving within comfortable margins. Every meal kit costs less than you would traditionally pay at a grocery store for a homecooked meal. With low prices, you can’t help but reconsider EveryPlate as your next meal box subscription service.

Pricing (Cost Per Meal)

Speaking of cost, a single EveryPlate meal kit costs $6 if you order two servings. You can reduce the cost by a dollar if you increase your serving size to four servings per recipe and pay $5 per serving.

EveryPlate Plans

With EveryPlate, you get to choose from any of these five plans:

• Meat and Veggie
• Veggie
• Family Faves
• Quick and Easy
• Nutrish & Delish

EveryPlate Pricing

Speaking of cost, a single EveryPlate meal kit costs $6 if you order two servings. You can reduce the cost by a dollar if you increase your serving size to four servings per recipe and pay $5 per serving.

Some premium meal kits with beef or salmon may cost an extra $2-$3 per serving. You also have to pay a weekly shipping fee, regardless of the box size, which is $9.99 per order. This makes a compelling case for why EveryPlate is a popular meal box subscription service but not for health-conscious eaters on a Mediterranean diet.

Pros and Cons of EveryPlate

Pros

• One of the most affordable meal delivery services.
• A large variety of recipes to choose from every week.
• Packaging is 100% recyclable.
• Subscription is flexible (you can pause or cancel anytime).
• Meals come with easy-to-follow recipe cards.

Cons

• Their menu is limited.
• Packaging is confusing and mostly made of plastic.
• They don’t accommodate keto, paleo, Mediterranean and low-carb diets.

Shipping and Delivery

According to their FAQ page, EveryPlate delivers to most of the continental United States. Still, I’m guessing they may not deliver to Alaska and Hawaii. However, you can enter your zip code to reconfirm your delivery address.

EveryPlate ships most orders between 8 am and 8 pm, all 7 days of the week. You can adjust the delivery day and time and live track your order via a link that EveryPlate will email you after placing the order.

If you want to customize or cancel your order, you can easily do so 5-7 days before the delivery date. Anything from skipping orders, canceling, adding, or removing meals, and changing the number of servings can be customized via account settings.

The packaging EveryPlate provides to store every meal kit is 100% curbside recyclable, including ice packs, plastic box liners, and insulation. The only minor drawback is that some packaging may appear flimsy since EveryPlate uses minimal and basic packaging materials to store the ingredients.

EveryPlate FAQs

Q: What Makes EveryPlate Successful?

Affordability! You heard that right. EveryPlate’s strategy of providing affordable meals without compromising quality is what sets them out as a successful brand. This company simply streamlines the meal kit process by offering its subscribers simple yet delicious recipes they can afford, thereby catering to a wide audience and making home-cooked meals accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

Q: What Are Some Key Facts of EveryPlate?

EveryPlate stands out for its budget-friendly approach, providing chef-designed recipes with preportioned ingredients at an affordable price. With a focus on simplicity and affordability, they make cooking easy and convenient for busy families and individuals, which is perhaps why they are one of the most popular meal delivery services you’ll find around today.

Q: How Ethical Is EveryPlate?

EveryPlate prioritizes responsible suppliers and sustainable ingredients to minimize their environmental impact. While continuously working toward eco-friendly packaging, EveryPlate strives to make ethical choices that align with their commitment to both customers and the planet.

Q: How to Cancel EveryPlate Subscription?

Canceling your EveryPlate subscription is easy, and you don’t need to contact customer support for help. All you have to do is log in to your account, navigate to Plan Settings, scroll down, and select “Deactivate Account,” and that’s it! With EveryPlate’s user-friendly interface, you should be able to handle the cancelation process in a jiffy!

6. Gobble

Gobble is considered to be a “gourmet” meal box subscription service. Gourmet meals appeal to someone who understands the basics of cooking but also appreciates slightly intricate meals that produce tasty results.

Gobble, in that department, ticks off most of the boxes for someone looking for a quick and delicious meal cooked in less than 30 minutes. You may like tasty and interesting recipes, but is it consistent and reliable? The ingredients for each recipe are preportioned and prepped, allowing you to customize the intensity of certain flavors as you like.

Does Gobble work for a Mediterranean diet?

On Gobble’s menu, you’ll find different categories for adding meals to your weekly box:

• Dinners
• Lean & Clean Dinners
• Premium Dinners
• Specialty Kits for Four
• Salads
• Sides
• Soups
• Breakfast
• Desserts

Once you select your preferred category, the next thing is to choose the meal you want and personalize it if that option is available to you.

The types of diet that Gobble serves are limited. In fact, I found only two different types of specific diets:

• Lean & Clean
• Classic

The Lean & Clean menu consists of lean proteins, healthy fats, less than 600 calories, and no grains. Even though it checks plenty of boxes for people who want healthy fats and more proteins, it still doesn’t match with the Mediterranean since it has no grains.

A Mediterranean diet contains whole grains. If you select the Lean & Clean meal plan, you must mix and match your way to accommodate a diet with grains. Nonetheless, for healthy fats, lean proteins, and a nutritious blend of veggies, the Lean & Clean meal plan is a safe way to go.

The Classic category of Gobble includes multiple protein options, including meat, fish, and poultry.

These are mostly family-friendly recipes with organic ingredients and swappable proteins. You can switch from meat to chicken to seafood. Since a Mediterranean diet is rich in seafood and lean proteins, you can reduce the number of red meat-heavy recipes in your weekly plan.

Unlike the Lean & Clean meal plan, the Classic plan includes whole grains, which is an advantage for a Mediterranean diet.

Overall, the added convenience of choosing between Lean & Clean and Classic meal plans gives Gobble the edge since you can create your own personalized Mediterranean-friendly weekly meal plan. It may take some time, but I don’t see why Gobble is a bad choice for a Mediterranean diet.

In my experience, Gobble offers an assortment of delicious flavors and lean proteins. Plus, you can include add-ons to your meal kits, such as breakfast items, desserts, or snacks. Considering how quick and simple the meals are to make, the mix of international and versatile cuisines is worth tasting.

Top-Rated Mediterranean Recipes from Gobble

The quality of Gobble’s recipes cannot be ignored for long. With protein-rich, healthy-fat, and low-calorie recipes, they serve loads of creative as well as comforting recipes.

There are plenty of seafood and vegetarian options that you can rely on to boost your Mediterranean diet plan. You can also choose customizable meals to swap proteins for free or upgrade to a premium protein.

Please note: Gobble does not let you read the nutrition fact before signing up. Before placing an order, you cannot know the recipes’ calories, carbs, proteins, fats, or cooking time.

I. Sumac Seasoned Salmon with Quinoa Tabbouleh & Green Beans

This recipe has salmon, rich in proteins and low in unhealthy fats. The green beans and quinoa complement the pan-seared salmon without making the meal too filling or heavy on the tummy.

II. Mediterranean Fattoush Salad with Green Harissa Dressing

The recipe is vegetarian, but you can personalize it by choosing either boneless chicken breast, shrimp, or salmon fillet. The salad has chickpeas, cucumbers, and tomatoes. It’s veggie-heavy, and the added protein can give it a boost of proteins and healthy fats.

Best Features of Gobble for Mediterranean Diet

Gobble is good for many things, but regarding a Mediterranean diet, there isn’t a lot to look forward to. However, these are the good things about Gobble that you need to know about before subscribing to their weekly meal plans.

They take away most of the prep work out of your hands. As far as meal prepping is concerned, which includes the cutting of the vegetables and measuring ingredients, Gobble does everything for you. Minimum effort and cooking time that’s 20 minutes tops are the two things Gobble boasts.

The Lean & Clean and Classic meal options on Gobble’s menu can accommodate a Mediterranean diet plan, but you have to decide the recipes. Plenty of items on the menu fit into the Mediterranean diet chart.

Gobble features recipes with more veggies, seafood, legumes, and some lean proteins. Making it easier for someone new to the world of the Mediterranean diet to enjoy Mediterranean-friendly meals with minimal effort.

The majority of the recipes you find on Gobble are customizable. You can swap proteins for free from vegetarian to seafood, chicken, or beef. Some select recipes come with premium proteins such as prime steak or fish fillet that you can upgrade to without paying an extravagant price. The intricate customizations make Gobble a fantastic choice for fussy eaters.

Gobble Plans

Gobble offers two plans to its subscribers:

• Dinner for 2
• Dinner for 4

These plans include salads, soups, sides, breakfasts, and desserts.

Gobble Pricing

The Gobble pricing is straightforward to understand. Each meal kit costs $12 per serving. Unfortunately, the cost does not reduce even if you increase the number of meals you order per week.

Add-ons such as soup, snacks, breakfast items, or desserts cost $2-$4 each. If you plan on upgrading your protein to steak, it may cost you $3 more. However, this depends on the meal you select.

Shipping charges are $6.99 for every order. Though the subscription service is hassle-free, it is a bit on the expensive side of things.

Pros and Cons of Gobble

Pros

• Everything is prepared in advance by chefs.
• Can customize some meals.
• Beginner-friendly recipes.
• Swap proteins on a few dishes.
• Large variety of Mediterranean meals to choose from.

Cons

• Vegetarian options are limited.
• Not all ingredients are organic.
• Meals are very expensive compared to other brands.

Shipping and Delivery

Gobble delivers to all of the United States, excluding Montana and Alaska. If you live in Nebraska or New Mexico, there might be some restrictions in those areas. However, once you make an account and add your delivery address, the confusion will clear up right away.

It’s a simple delivery service because you select the delivery time and day. Any modifications or edits to your order for the upcoming week can be customized easily before Wednesday preceding the delivery day before 11:59 pm.

Every delivery box has a recipe card, individually-packed ingredients in plastic seal bags, and the prepped or chopped ingredients. Items that require proper insulation may be packed in gel ice packs. You must empty the gel and recycle the plastic for curbside pickup.

Gobble FAQs

Q: What Makes Gobble Successful?

Gobble’s success as a brand is rooted in their pre-prepared ingredients and 15-minute recipes. They’ve grown to be a favorite among busy individuals and families looking for quick gourmet dinners. With Gobble, you have all your ingredients prepped for you (so you don’t need to slice, chop, or peel anything).

Q: What Are Some Key Facts About Gobble?

Gobble offers its subscribers a time-efficient cooking experience with partially prepped ingredients. All their meals are of premium quality and you may find them more expensive than other brands.

Q: How Ethical Is Gobble?

Gobble’s ethical stance is kind of nuanced. While they prioritize convenience and quality, their packaging is often not recyclable, and a portion of their ingredients may not be as fresh as claimed.

If you’re someone who’s very concerned with sustainability, then you may want to explore alternatives.

Q: How to Cancel a Gobble Subscription?

Canceling your Gobble subscription can be done easily by logging into your account and going straight to the delivery calendar. Check the calendar to see when you’re allowed to make changes (the deadline is usually Wednesday before 11:59 p.m.).

If you notice you’ve been billed for the next order, then wait till you receive it before canceling; otherwise, click on the “Deactivate My Account” button, and follow the cancelation instructions.

7. Blue Apron

Blue Apron was one of the first meal delivery services and remains popular today. It has various meal plans that cater to different diets:

• Signature
• Vegetarian
• Wellness
• Signature for Four
• Add-Ons

Blue Apron has a very niche diet menu. Catering to a diabetes-friendly diet, carb-conscious, plant-heavy, and low-calorie. There are other categories as well, such as:

• Chef Favorites
• Family Friendly
• Fast & Easy
• Premium
• Craft

I understand these labels may be confusing for some, but they’re quite straightforward to navigate once you know what you’re looking for.

However, Blue Apron offers some meal plans for a Mediterranean diet. Though they are not always labeled “Mediterranean”, you can read the ingredients label to prioritize the recipes that seem Mediterranean-friendly to you.

Blue Apron does manage to check some of the boxes regarding diet-friendliness. Nevertheless, it doesn’t cater to a specific diet such as vegan, keto, gluten-free, or paleo. Blue Apron’s categories cater to some but not all Mediterranean meals. Those are as follows:

• 600 Calories or Less

This general diet category caters to a weight-loss diet, a heart-friendly diet, and a Mediterranean lifestyle. Mediterranean diet plans exclude heavy red meat or pork, which automatically reduces the number of calories per meal. This should work for you if you belong to this category and enjoy meals with reduced calories.

• Vegetarian

Another tempting meal choice is a Vegetarian meal plan. The recipes are completely meat-free, and you can choose from recipes like grilled cheese, plant-based meat burgers, salads, Mexican dishes, and lots more. In fact, some of Blue Apron’s meat recipes can be converted into plant-based vegetarian recipes.

• Wellness

Wellness recipes are low in carbs, which does complement a Mediterranean diet. Suppose you don’t want to cut down on meat completely. In that case, you can opt for a balanced diet option with Blue Apron that reduces your meat intake to the minimum while introducing more veggies into your diet.

Most dishes on their Wellness diet plan have chicken as the main protein, and you’ll find only very few pork or beef recipes. The rest are plant-heavy, thus ideal for heart health, diabetes, and blood sugar.

Top-Rated Mediterranean Recipes from Blue Apron

After taking some time to browse their menu, I found a few Mediterranean-friendly dishes from their Signature, Wellness, and Vegetarian menu. All the recipes are beginner-friendly, and some are even heat-and-eat, which is perfect for busy weekdays.

While these recipes are not 100% Mediterranean, they are similar to how a Mediterranean diet is structured. Low carbs, lean proteins, and plenty of veggies – that’s the goal!

I. One-Pan White Bean & Poblano Shakshuka with Feta & Spinach

This dish is a classic carb-conscious and plant-heavy recipe with beans, leafy greens, and a herby sauce. What’s even more appealing is that it’s super easy and quick to make. It’s a part of Blue Apron’s “Fast & Easy” diet plans. It comes with an extra option of adding antibiotic-free Pancetta to the recipe.

• Cooking Time: 25 minutes
• Calories: 390 kcal
• Fats: 15 g
• Carbs: 38 g
• Proteins: 25 g

II. Honey-Lime Tilapia with Bok Choy & Brown Rice

A whole-grain treat that’s easy to make and tastes just like it’s served in a restaurant. Seafood makes up a big part of a Mediterranean diet plan and is served with scallions and a zesty lemony sauce with honey that adds a warm touch of sweetness, there’s nothing better.

You can swap the Tilapia fish with Shrimp if you prefer that over a fillet. Blue Apron also gives you a few tips to make the dish taste even yummier and healthier for a weight loss and heart-healthy lifestyle.

• Cooking Time: 30 minutes
• Calories: 490 calories
• Fats: 11 g
• Carbs: 60 g
• Proteins: 38 g

Best Features of Blue Apron for Mediterranean Diet

Blue Apron may be an interesting choice for someone not on a strict Mediterranean diet. If you want some flexibility in how you pick your recipes for the week, the Wellness and Vegetarian diet plan of Blue Apron may be useful to you.

What I like the most about Blue Apron is how you can easily pair your protein with recipes like pasta, sandwiches, salad bowls, etc. If you prefer NOT to eat beef or chicken, there are select meals that let you switch to seafood options easily, or you could also pick vegetarian plant-based alternatives.

Blue Apron meals are not complicated to prepare at all. Even though some recipes take 45 minutes to prepare, the cooking instructions come with pictures and step-by-step instructions. Hence, it doesn’t feel like a lot!

If you don’t have the time or want to put in the effort, you can pick from their heat-and-serve dishes that are just as delicious and nutritious.

Blue Apron’s meals are ideal for larger servings, so if you’re subscribing to a meal delivery service as a family, the cost per serving will decrease significantly. It’s a great choice for someone following a diabetes-friendly or heart-friendly diet plan, but this may not be a good option if you’re a die-hard Mediterranean fan.

Pricing (Cost Per Meal)

Blue Apron’s meal kits vary from $7.49 to $9.99 per serving. It’s not very expensive considering the cost of some of the other meal kit delivery services on this list. Nevertheless, you can expect a decrease in cost per serving as you increase the number of recipes you choose every week or the number of meals per recipe.

Please note that some of the costs between the meal options vary depending on the ingredients. Premium meat options such as pork, steak, or salmon cost more than vegetarian or chicken meals.

	Signature	Vegetarian	Wellness	Signature for Four
2 recipes	$10 per serving	$10 per serving	$10 per serving	$9 per serving
3 recipes	$9 per serving	$9 per serving	$9 per serving	$8 per serving
4 recipes	$9 per serving	–	–	$7.5 per serving

There is a shipping fee of $10 on all orders, no matter how big or small.

The minimum order on Blue Apron is 2 recipes per week x 2 servings per recipe. You can select from any dietary category. It is only on the minimum order that you pay as much as $12 per serving plus shipping. For bigger orders, you can refer to the above-mentioned cost breakdown.

Pros and Cons of Blue Apron

Pros

• They provide you with a niche diet menu.
• Their meals are very easy to prepare.
• They have vegetarian options.
• Mediterranean meal options are available.

Cons

• You may need to order more to reduce cost.
• Not advisable for people with a strict Mediterranean diet.
• They do not cater to some diets like Keto, Paleo, and Vegan.

Shipping and Delivery

Blue Apron’s FAQ page says they deliver to all contiguous United States. It is unclear where they cannot deliver, but you can find out by adding your delivery zip code. Blue Apron lets you know immediately if your location is okay for delivery.

The delivery date will be confirmed after you add your delivery address. You will have a few options to choose from based on your order. Plus, if you’d like to edit or change the delivery date, you can do so easily, even after placing the order.

Blue Apron does support live delivery tracking once the order is shipped. You can view all this information on their “Upcoming” page, all your scheduled deliveries will show up on that page, where you can track your order or even make a few edits a few days before the scheduled delivery.

Unfortunately, the delivery time cannot be adjusted since Blue Apron does not provide you with the option to select the delivery time. Having said that, to compensate for this shortcoming, Blue Apron uses high-quality insulation to keep ingredients fresh for longer. Allowing the meal kit to rest comfortably for hours after delivery before you store it in the fridge.

Blue Apron FAQs

Q: What Makes Blue Apron Successful?

Being one of the first meal delivery services to emerge, Blue Apron’s dedication to providing its subscribers with quality and fresh ingredients sourced directly from local farmers has never wavered. Perhaps this is one of many reasons they’ve grown to become a successful meal delivery company today.

What I love about Blue Apron is their chef-designed recipes, convenient meal kits, and focus on sustainability. They’re a brand anyone looking to enjoy a unique culinary experience must try out.

Q: What Are Some Key Facts About Blue Apron?

Blue Apron is one of the first meal delivery companies to emerge. They are renowned for delivering chef-designed recipes and preportioned, high-quality ingredients to their subscribers, making home cooking easy for everyone.

Q: How Ethical Is Blue Apron?

With a dedication to sustainability, Blue Apron sources responsibly, aims to support local farmers, and implements eco-friendly packaging. If you’re an environmentally conscious consumer, then Blue Apron is one of those brands that supports your interests.

Q: How to Cancel Blue Apron Subscription?

To cancel your Blue Apron subscription, log in to your account, go to “Account Settings,” and select “Cancel My Account”next to the “Meals or Wine”section. Follow the prompts to confirm cancelation.

8. Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon

Subscribing to a meal kit delivery service couldn’t be easier with Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon. You can choose from a wide variety of interesting gourmet meals. However, the focus of these meals is not any specific diet.

For someone looking for a weight loss, keto, paleo, Mediterranean, or gluten-free diet plan, Marley Spoon may not be for you. Unfortunately, Martha Stewart’s Marley Spoon does not adhere to any specific diet category. However, it does have labels on every recipe card letting you know what a recipe is suitable for:

• Health & Diet
• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• Meat & Fish
• Under 30 Minutes
• Family-Friendly

These are just the main ones. You also have the following:

• No Added Gluten
• Kid-Friendly
• One Pot Meal
• Dairy Free
• Low Carb
• Low Calorie
• Optional Spice

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to filter according to these labels.

I did not find any Mediterranean labels on any one of these recipes. It’s a bummer considering that there are over 40 recipes on their current week’s menu.

While placing an order, you must add the recipes you want to your cart and select the number of servings you want per recipe. Most recipes are healthy and delicious, but the only drawback is that they require some effort. Unlike other meal kit delivery services, most ingredients come prepped or chopped, so it’s easier to cook at home.

The bottom line is that these meals are not the best choice for the Mediterranean unless you don’t mind scanning every recipe on their current week’s menu.

If eating healthy and nutritious meals is your goal, only then is Marley Spoon a dependable option. The quality and versatility of the recipes are up to the mark; everything looks in good shape, from the packaging to the final prepared dish.

Each recipe comes with a set of clear-cut cooking instructions with images. You can also read the ingredients, what you’ll need, and the nutrition facts of each recipe. Every recipe has a skill level for beginner cooks, from easy to difficult.

For the Mediterranean diet plan, you may find some favorites in the low-carb, seafood, nutritious, and healthy diet categories. The meals are cooked without unhealthy fats, processed sugar, and high sodium content. Making Marley Spoon a great fit for those who crave more flexibility in their eating habits, following a Mediterranean-friendly and healthy diet plan.

Top-Rated Mediterranean Recipes from Marley Spoon

As I’ve already mentioned above, there are no specific Mediterranean-labeled recipes on the menu. However, I found a few recipes that follow the Mediterranean diet plan with more veggies, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats. Avoid ingredients like meat, refined grains, and excessively fatty foods.

I. Caprese Chicken & Faro Bowl with Pesto & Pine Nuts

Nuts and vinaigrette scream Mediterranean, which combines lean proteins such as chicken and healthy veggies like baby spinach, tomatoes, and basil pesto.

• Cooking Time: 15 to 20 minutes
• Calories: 830 kcal
• Fats: 46 g
• Carbs: 65 g
• Proteins: 54 g

II. Salmon Provencal with Tomatoes & Zucchini

Simple and classic, who knew you could prepare such a delicious seafood meal in under 20 minutes?! It has loads of veggies that complement any Mediterranean diet plan, plus seafood high in healthy fats and antioxidants.

The recipe has grape tomatoes, olives, garlic, zucchini, and lemon. Plus, this is a pot or oven recipe, so you can even prepare it in a microwave. It’s got a bunch of dietary labels such as dairy-free, gluten-free, low-carb, healthy, low-calorie, and nutritious.

They don’t tell you that. I think you should also know that it’s rich in protein and healthy fats, thanks to the pine nuts and salmon fillet.

• Cooking Time: 20 minutes
• Calories: 530kcal
• Fats: 30 g
• Carbs: 27 g
• Proteins: 33 g

Best Features of Marley Spoon for Mediterranean Diet

Even though Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon does not offer a separate Mediterranean diet category, there are quite a few recipes to look forward to that fit into the diet plan

All the recipes are straightforward to understand and concise to follow. Accompanied by relevant pictures, you don’t have to do much to prepare the recipes once the meal kit arrives. Most of the sauces come ready-made, and those that aren’t are super easy to make.

Even a dish like soup doesn’t feel like a lot to make from scratch. The ingredients are fresh and pre-measured, so there’s no wastage.

One thing I noticed about this service is the simplicity and flexibility of meal options. The menu includes gourmet and basic recipes everyone enjoys—plenty of comforting and classic dishes with chicken, meat, and fish.

A few vegetarian and vegan options if you’re focused on increasing your plant intake for the week. You can select from other filters like One-Pot Meals and Kid-Friendly options. These labels guide you in choosing the right meals according to specific dietary preferences or portion sizes.

What’s really special about Marley Spoon is that its meals are super fresh. Nothing about the ingredients or sauces they pack feels processed or stale.

A significant part of the Mediterranean diet avoids processed foods such as sugar, meat, and preservatives. It’s easier to rely on this meal subscription box as they serve only highly fresh ingredients and antibiotic-free, anti-hormone chicken and fish.

Pricing (Cost Per Meal)

The simple pricing structure of Marley Spoon is very concise and easy to navigate. You pay the same per serving, no matter which meal you buy. The costs vary between $7 and $11 per serving, depending on how many servings you add per week. The shipping fee costs $10 on every order, which I’ve not included in the table below.

Recipes Per Week	For 2 Servings	For 4 Servings
2 recipes per week	$11 per serving	$9 per serving
3 recipes per week	$9.5 per serving	$8 per serving
4 recipes per week	$9 per serving	$8 per serving
5 recipes per week	$9 per serving	$7.5 per serving
6 recipes per week	$8.5 per serving	$7 per serving

Pros and Cons of Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon

Pros

• They provide a large menu of over 100 recipes for you to choose from.
• They cover a reasonable variety of diets.
• Desserts are available.
• 100% carbon neutral.
• They offer seasonal recipes.

Cons

• They don’t cater to the Mediterranean diet.
• Not all extra pantry ingredients are included in your box.
• No free shipping.

Shipping and Delivery

Martha Stewart’s Marley Spoon delivers everywhere in the United States. For locations like New Jersey, Texas, and California, they use three separate courier services based on your exact location.

You can easily select the delivery date and time while placing an order. You should be able to see all the available options once you enter your zip code. I did not find any specific information about the area where they do not deliver, but you will be notified as soon as you add your location address.

Fortunately, they allow you to edit your delivery after placing the order. You may be unable to alter the delivery when an order shows that it’s out for delivery. The new changes will be applied to future orders.

The delivery process is smooth and straightforward. All the ingredients are packed separately with the help of durable, insulated liners and ice packs. Ensuring that you do not have to rush to store the meal kit in the fridge as soon as it arrives. The ingredients stay fresh for a few hours outside for someone who cannot receive the order from home. There isn’t any risk of leak, spill, or spoilage inside the packaging.

Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon FAQs

Q: What Makes Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon Successful?

Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon stands out because of its expertly curated recipes inspired by Martha Stewart herself.

Each meal kit from this company features high-quality, preportioned ingredients, making cooking effortless for you and your household. Another major reason I like Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon is their diverse menu. You’re sure to never get bored of their weekly offerings and each meal comes fresh and delicious.

Q: What Are Some Key Facts of Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon?

Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon offers a flexible subscription model, allowing you to choose from a variety of weekly recipes based on your personal preferences and dietary requirements. Their ingredients are sourced responsibly, promoting sustainability while supporting local farmers.

Q: How Ethical Is Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon?

Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon is committed to remaining a 100% carbon-neutral brand. What this means is that the entire process of producing, preparing, and delivering your meals by Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon has been structured to have no net impact on carbon emissions. So, if you’re an environmentally conscious person, you have nothing to be worried about with this company.

Q: How to Cancel Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon Subscription?

Log in to your account on the website or app, navigate to the subscription settings, and select “Stop Subscription” under the Settings tab in “My Account.” A short survey will come up; fill it out and conclude the cancelation process. If you encounter any issues, customer support is always available to assist you promptly.

How to Choose a Mediterranean Meal Delivery

Check for Meal Variety

One of the benefits of opting for a meal delivery service is meal variety. You get to eat various delicious and nutritious food that you probably wouldn’t cook at home from scratch. The menu includes different vegetable types paired with whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and lean, plant-based protein recipes.

Before subscribing to a meal delivery for a Mediterranean diet, always check for the variety of ingredients they offer. Also, look for cooking styles and other meal preparation methods to ensure a versatile weekly meal plan.

An ideal Mediterranean diet plan should feature different breakfast, lunch, and dinner items.

Breakfast options like Greek yogurt with fresh fruits and healthy nuts and seeds, like chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and raisins. Oatmeal with berries, mushroom omelet with herbs, whole grain toast, etc.

In my research of popular Mediterranean breakfast recipes, Greek yogurt and oatmeal were the most common. Other recipes include breakfast sandwiches with spinach, tomatoes, olive oil, and eggs. Fruit smoothie bowls with berries, yogurt, millet, and hearty nuts and seeds.

Moving on to lunch/dinner meals, a Mediterranean diet promises a fascinating blend of hearty fats, vitamins, plant-based proteins, and antioxidants. It focuses on lighter meats like fish and more veggies, fruits, legumes, and grains, providing the highest levels of fiber and protein.

Mediterranean meals call for wholesome soups, creamy hummus, and filling and refreshing salads served with whole grain flatbread, falafel, seasoned homemade sauces, etc. You should also look forward to whole grain pasta dishes or veggie noodles made with zucchini, sweet potatoes, cauliflower rice, and many such veggie-heavy recipes.

Light chicken meals are also a moderate part of a Mediterranean diet. Hence, it means more grilled chicken meals at least once a week or chicken cooked in rich sauces or marinades served with baked potatoes, herby rice, and other grilled vegetables.

Look for meal kits that feature nutritious, creative Mediterranean recipes with cooked greens, fiber-rich legumes, heart-healthy nuts and seeds, or chickpeas.

What’s In A Meal Box?

A typical meal box includes pre-portioned ingredients in individual plastic pouches, containers, or jars. The sizes can vary depending on the number of servings per recipe you select when placing an order. If you opt for prepared meal kits, then you will often find BPA-free plastic containers.

The meal box comes with recipe cards containing all the nutritional information, cooking/heating instructions, and other helpful details regarding the recipe.

You simply have to follow the recipe by putting together all the meal kit ingredients. Compared to the pictures of the recipes you see online, there will be a slight difference in presentation. However, the ingredients are all the same!

You can also opt for add-ons with specific meal kit services such as Sunbasket. The add-ons include breakfast items, snacks, extra protein, and other grocery items at a low price. You don’t have to pay for the extra meal when you opt for add-ons.

The labeling of the ingredients and the eco-friendliness of the packaging are top-notch. All ingredients are freshly packed. A bare minimum is placed with ice packs, for example, seafood or certain marinades/sauces.

The quality and freshness of the ingredients are worth considering. Ingredients with an expiry date will have an expiration date on them. Once the meal box arrives, it’s best to store the kit in the refrigerator unless the recipe card says otherwise.

Each meal kit’s portion size can be between 1 and 6 servings per recipe. Prepared meal kits contain a single serving for each recipe, ensuring the food stays fresh and does not leak after it’s packed. Larger portions are stored separately when you increase the number of servings per meal.

Considering these factors is essential before investing in a meal kit service. Nicely packed meals stay fresh for longer, especially if you opt for meal kits for the entire week.

Look At the Nutritional Value of Every Meal

Eating healthier meals is a must for a Mediterranean or weight-loss diet. It is crucial to choose a meal kit service with highly nutritious recipes on its menu.

Typically, every dish is supposed to contain a healthy combination of nutrient-rich ingredients, so this would include lean proteins, wholesome veggies, and healthy fats.

Some of us want more protein, some lower carbs, little salt or sugar content, fewer calories, and so on.

Hence, it’s important to take your personal preferences into account as well. Based on that, you can check the nutritional value of every meal to ensure that the meals cater to your specific dietary needs. For that, pick a company which offers this kind of nutritional information on the website/app.

Following a well-balanced, nutritious diet on a more regular basis becomes much easier with meal kits, as opposed to unhealthy takeout and drive-through options. There’s no denying that restaurant food contains high sodium, unhealthy fats, sugar, and other non-nourishing ingredients.

On the other hand, you can select meal kit delivery services that provide way more heart-healthy, gut-friendly and overall nutritional meal choices. These services hire professional/expert chefs and nutritionists who craft a menu keeping in mind how much nutrients, protein, etc., the body needs to consume daily.

Healthy offerings are also part of special diet categories, such as Meditteranean. This means meals are crafted to boost health, no matter your dietary preferences.

With a Mediterranean diet, plant-based ingredients are the most important, correct? This is a highly nutritious diet since the foods you consume include vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, and more. Along with that, the perfect, diet-specific protein for such a plan is mostly animal protein.

In that context, popular meal kits accommodate these diets where you eat more veggies and fruits and a smaller quantity of dairy items. They also make it a point to be transparent about the rate or percentage of dietary fiber, protein, carbohydrates, fat, sodium, sugar, etc., in their recipes.

Are the Meals Customizable?

You have to check the meal plan details. For instance, can you customize the weekly menu by using filters that help you narrow down your options based on your dietary needs and preferences? Such as only low-calorie, carb-conscious, or plant-based recipes.

There are plenty of meal kit delivery services for those following a vegan, vegetarian, paleo, keto, or, in this case, Mediterranean diet. For example, suppose you only prefer vegan dishes. In that case, Green Chef fits the bill because they have recipes that don’t contain any animal byproducts or meat.

Meal customization is also very convenient and suitable for a fussy eater. With the help of the “customization” option, you can easily remove an ingredient or ingredients you don’t like or are allergic to without changing your nutrition goals.

Services like Home Chef, HelloFresh, Sunbasket, Blue Apron, and more go above and beyond expectations. They allow you to modify the meals to fit your eating habits better!

Imagine there’s a delicious chicken-based dish with lovely sauteed vegetables in the Mediterranean category. Imagine that you can customize this meal further by changing the meat or protein source. Swapping chicken with seafood or something like that!

Isn’t this customization a better experience where you can easily tailor your meals? This way, you can savor them even more!

Therefore, meal delivery services that make room for dietary restrictions are ranked higher than others that don’t. You have the option to filter the menu. Tags/labels like low-sodium, low-carb, vegetarian, paleo-friendly, etc., make it much easier to find dishes that work for you and your gut.

Even the gluten-free option is very common, which has led to many meal kit delivery companies like Green Chef acquiring gluten-free certification. Likewise, certified-organic ingredients are also a part of many top-rated delivery services. Much like, there are dairy-free, nut-free, shellfish-free, etc., choices too!

Before you start ordering, you get to personalize the menu based on your diet plan and personal preferences. Also, meal customizability should include changing portion sizes and selecting more or less meals per week, not just swapping one ingredient with another or changing the amount of protein per meal.

Is It Budget-Friendly?

Finally, the cost of meal kit delivery services is equally important to consider – as crucial as meal/menu variety! The good news is that meal kits are wide-ranging in terms of cost. Some companies (for example, EveryPlate) are comparatively more affordable than others.

On top of that, you get a more budget-friendly deal if your weekly plan consists of more servings. You must also factor in additional costs, such as shipping/delivery charges, price of optional add-ons, cost of premium ingredients or more expensive cuts of meat, and the like.

Honestly, it’s only natural and even common to think about how much meal kits cost, especially in the case of special diet plans (in this case, Mediterranean). Based on my thorough research, I found that you don’t have to pay extra just because you want meals that cater to specific dietary preferences.

It all depends on your meal delivery service and its cost per serving. Most of the top players in this meal kit industry do not charge above $10 for a single-serve meal. These recipes, more often than not, are from the standard menu. Additionally, there are more expensive or “premium” dishes as well.

There are a few services with a “special” or “premium” menu where the price per serving can be between $12 and $18. Nevertheless, you get inexpensive choices too on the more traditional, classic, or standard menu.

However, in comparison to eating out, weekly meal kits are much cheaper, particularly if you’re following a diet plan. You get food specially catered to fit your needs and preferences without paying a lot of extras.

What I also found quite attractive and feasible is the availability of promotional offers that meal kit delivery services offer to new customers. Meal plans are made even more affordable this way. All this affordability and, at the same time, you get to skip meals/orders and cancel your subscription whenever you like – not very risky or tricky.

Your weekly Mediterranean meals box is undoubtedly a lot less expensive than ordering this kind of food from the restaurants you like or those famous or popular for being “healthy.” Interesting!

Let me make it more forthright with the help of examples:

• On Sunbasket, $14 is the cost of 2 meals with 2 servings each.
• On HelloFresh, it’s $12 per serving for 2 servings per recipe and two recipes per week.

The cost decreases further when you increase the number of servings per recipe and/or the number of recipes per week – $8 per serving for four servings per recipe with 4, 5, and 6 recipes per week.

• Blue Apron meal kits, on the other hand, for two people cost just $9.99 per piece.

5 Reasons Why a Meal Delivery Service for a Mediterranean Diet Is Good for Most People?

Let’s jump right into the five most attractive benefits of Mediterranean diet-supporting meal kits!

#1 All Meals/Recipes Are Nutrient-Dense

You may already know by now that the potential health benefits of a Mediterranean diet include promoting heart health by minimizing the chances of heart disease development and lowering the risk of getting a stroke.

This particular diet plan decelerates plaque formation in your arteries, which is precisely what prevents life-threatening heart-related conditions.

In that case, meal delivery services that deliver such well-balanced, hearty Mediterranean meals every week is a big relief. Even more so if you’re adamant about following that particular diet plan!

Besides boosting heart health, a Meditteranean diet also manages your blood sugar levels. All thanks to ingredients like seeds, nuts, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and whole grains – all of which are a part of meal kits labeled “Mediterranean.”

Lastly, protecting brain function is also a part of the health benefits of a Mediterranean diet. It prevents cognitive decline, improves memory, and reduces the likelihood of the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. All of these health benefits will be a part of your weekly parcels without you having to put in any extra effort from your end.

#2 Meal Kits Make It More Accessible, Easier to Follow the Diet

Following a diet plan like the Mediterranean means incorporating into your daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner recipes the following ingredients:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Legumes
• Seeds
• Nuts
• Seafood
• Whole grains
• Olive oil
• Spices and herbs

At the same time, what’s to be excluded or consumed in moderation?

• Eggs
• Poultry
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Processed and red meat
• Refined oils and grains
• Added sugar

That’s a lot to take care of on your own, right? Enter meal delivery services with their Meditteranean-friendly dishes that don’t contain any of the abovementioned ingredients.

Moreover, you can customize these meals through filters such as dairy-free. They almost always avoid or use only minimally processed ingredients, meager quantities of added sugar, and the like. It’s so much easier than sticking to your diet plan – it becomes a lifestyle choice more effortlessly instead of taking the form of an unattainable goal.

#3 Meal Delivery Services Provide Well-Portioned Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner Options

The weekly menu usually consists of food choices for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sometimes even snacks. All Mediterranean, of course, if you select that particular dietary preference!

• Breakfast can be Greek yogurt paired with chia seeds and strawberries.
• Lunch can be a chickpea-based quinoa salad.
• Snack can be chia pudding.
• Dinner can be broiled salmon with vegetables, brown rice, or a Mediterranean-style lasagna.

The portion size per meal or serving is perfect for curbing your hunger and appetite and satisfying your taste buds.

#4 Gradual, Easier Transition to A Mediterranean Diet

Let’s face it, switching from a regular, unchecked eating habit to a more controlled, healthier Mediterranean diet plan is no piece of cake. The effort, no doubt, is quite challenging, even more so if you’re a first-timer.

In addition, opting for a meal kit delivery service is wise because it can deliver as few as only two meals per week. Thus, you can start slowly rather than going cold turkey and ultimately failing. If you’re serious about it, be sure to make incremental changes.

Choose from the weekly menu dishes that are easier to consume, less experimental or different from your ordinary food. Do that for 1-2 weeks. Later, you can easily add more elements and increase the number of meals per week. Meal delivery companies allow you to make such changes to your meal plans and orders whenever you like.

#5 Finally, Hitting Two Birds with One Stone!

You achieve weight loss or other health-associated goals by eating nutrient-rich, properly portioned, balanced meals. You can check the nutritional value of the recipes you pick. Depending on your dietary restrictions or preferences, you can filter out dishes containing gluten, too much sugar, dairy, etc.

What is also a pile-on benefit – not spending more than you can afford!

These popular meal plans are, in fact, “popular” for one too many reasons. One of the most fetching reasons is the inexpensive price range. They have proven to be affordable in comparison to takeout. You actually end up saving a lot of money when you decide not to consume unhealthy junk food.

With weekly meal kits, the price per serving is much less than what is normally served at restaurants. Even the portion size of every serving is more!

The Bottom Line

Meal kit delivery services for a Mediterranean diet are readily available, even for a budget-conscious person. I have provided you with plenty of valid, science-backed sources in this article to prove that.

The menu variety, nutritional value, ingredient quality, affordability, customization, etc., are all very important factors. They help ensure that you meet your dietary and health demands.

Scientific research also supports the choice of the Mediterranean diet plan as a wholesome, nutritious, and sustainable eating pattern. Combine this diet with meal kits weekly, and you can finally support specific caloric restrictions, weight loss programs, and whatnot.