The last thing busy parents need is a never-ending grocery list and cumbersome meal prep. We've found the best meal kits for families with various needs and budgets.
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Imagine coming home after a long day to a perfectly portioned, family-friendly dinner on your doorstep. The best meal kits for families save time, reduce stress and make busy nights easier without sacrificing nutrition, which is key when feeding kids.
Kristen Smith, MS, RDN, LD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, notes that it’s best to peruse the menu before choosing a meal service. “Like any meal you’d prepare for your family, seek out a service that offers meals with a well-rounded nutritional profile, incorporating lean protein, whole grains and a variety of fruits or vegetables,” she says.
With so many meal delivery services out there, how do you know which one’s right for your family? The editors at Taste of Home have spent years testing and reviewing the best meal kit delivery services. This list highlights our top picks for fresh, family-friendly meals that make it easier to spend less time in the kitchen and more time around the table.
HelloFresh checks all the boxes as the best meal delivery service for families. It offers flavorful meals that you can throw together in 30 minutes—a must when you have young kids scurrying around the house. Each meal is tested more than 200 times to ensure it’s delicious and easy to prepare. Bonus: There are more than 65 available entrees each week, so your kiddos are bound to find something they like.
Registered nurse and contributing writer Carrie Madormo is a former recipe tester for HelloFresh. She attests that the company is tireless about making sure chefs of any experience level can easily follow their recipes to create something tasty. I’ve tried HelloFresh three times, and can concur that the recipes would appeal to kids and adults alike.
“Apple Crisp, as we call it in our house, has always been a favorite of mine. HelloFresh calls this lovely dessert a Breakfast Bake—less guilt this way,” says Product Tester Sheri Kaz, who also enjoyed testing HelloFresh. “Of course, this is the first one I tried in the box. I was a little concerned that this recipe would be way too sweet for me, so I omitted a tablespoon of sugar. Perfect! But what made this really stand out was the lemon zest added to the yogurt. Wow—delish. Per the recipe, I also included the creme fraiche and honey. Who knew?! Everything blended together so nicely, and it was a warm treat on a rainy autumn day.”
The meal plans are flexible and easy to cancel or skip. You can even tell them which foods your family (or, honestly, your kids) won’t eat to guarantee each meal is a winner. Child-friendly favorites include One-Pan Beef Enchiladas Verdes and Homestyle Turkey and Biscuit Pot Pie. Some meals are even explicitly labeled as “Make-Ahead Kids Eats,” “Family Dinner” and “15-Min Kids Lunch” to make for quick picking each week.
Price: Depends on location, typically starts at $9.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $10.99 | Availability: Contiguous U.S. and select areas of Alaska and Hawaii
If you’re looking for an affordable way to try meal delivery services, check out EveryPlate—tied with Dinnerly as the cheapest service on this list. It’s a super flexible option with simple recipes that taste like anything but. Perfect for beginners and old pros alike, EveryPlate offers classic, vegetarian, family-friendly and easy meal plans.
The app is easy to use and lets you skip weeks or cancel without hassle. The pre-portioned ingredients are always fresh, and the colorful recipe cards make following instructions easy. Plus, we love that you can add extra protein like ground beef or chicken breasts to keep on hand for busy nights. Speaking of, have you tried these meat delivery services?
Some family-friendly options from their menu include Tortellini Chicken Sausage Bolognese and Creamy Corn & Bacon Chowder. I raved about the latter in my full review of EveryPlate. Tester Dylan Fischer notes that navigating through all the meal options is a bit cumbersome due to the lack of filters. However, there’s a pretty good variety to be found with EveryPlate. Every option really is a full, balanced meal. One of his favorite dishes? Southwest Pork Flautas.
“These were absolutely delicious and worth the extra time to prep. Lining the baking sheet with oil, as well as rubbing some into the tortillas, allowed them to get nice and crispy,” he says. “The pork mixture was delicious as well. It felt like all the additional ingredients (garlic, onion, southwest spice and chicken stock) actively contributed to the overall flavor instead of just being filler. There were layers to the flavor. You could actually taste everything that was in it, and the spice was just the right amount.”
Price: Starting at $5.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $10.99 | Availability: Most of the contiguous U.S.
Blue Apron is one of the original meal kit delivery services, but it’s fancier than most. Sure, Blue Apron offers everyday favorites, but it also offers adventurous, health-conscious choices and premium dishes for special occasions. All the recipes I tested felt sophisticated—but without much intensive work. (Hoisin Pork Belly and Miso Ramen, anyone?) This can especially be said for the company’s line of Ready to Cook recipes.
“This service definitely felt gourmet. I enjoyed all of the meals and loved how everything was well balanced—you have a main entree and then sides to accompany it every time,” says Sydney Manning, editorial coordinator. She particularly enjoyed the Steaks and Black Bean Butter Sauce with Miso Broccoli and Sesame-Roasted Potatoes.
“This one was one of my favorites. The sauce on the steak was delicious, and the cut of the steak was great and not very fatty,” she says. “I really loved the broccoli because of the miso paste, which had great flavor and a slight kick to it. I haven’t used white miso paste before, so it was fun to discover how much I enjoyed it.”
Blue Apron has special meal plans, too, with options such as plant-based, WW-approved, diabetes-friendly and carb-conscious. We also love that ingredients are responsibly sourced. Your teenagers, college-age kids or bold middle-schoolers will savor each bite. Some customer faves include Ravioli, Pancetta and Prime Beef Bolognese and One-Pan Udon Noodle and Spicy Peanut Stir-Fry. Note, however, that the fanciness of these meals is reflected in the price.
Price: Starting at $7.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $10.99 | Availability: Contiguous U.S.
If you have a toddler at home, chances are you’ve lost your fair share of mealtime battles with the world’s pickiest eater. “I’ve definitely been there,” says Shopping Editor Mary Henn. “More than once, I’ve cooked two separate dinners just to get my toddler to eat something.”
Little Spoon is known for its clean, tested ingredients and meals crafted with input from pediatricians and dietitians. They offer everything from baby cereals and puffs to toddler meals, snacks, and even big kid lunches. You can also filter by dietary needs (like dairy-free, gluten-free, nut-free, and more) to find the right fit for your child.
“My toddler and I tried the Bitables (Little Spoon’s transitional finger foods), which were a hit right away. My one-year-old had recently started solids, and I loved how easy they were to pick up and chew. Everything was cut small enough to avoid choking hazards and perfect for her little pincer fingers,” Mary explains. “As she got a little older, we graduated to Plates, and she loved them. The hidden-veggie chicken nuggets (yes, there’s kale, carrot, and cauliflower in there) and pancakes with chicken sausage and sweet potatoes were big hits in our house.”
Heating the meals is super quick and easy. The fastest method is microwaving the plastic tray (plastic wrap intact). Understandably, this is off-putting to some people, so you can alternatively pop everything into an oven-safe dish and warm it in the oven.
The Snacks? “The Puffs and Veggie Loops not only passed the toddler taste test, but they also passed mine. Seriously, they taste better than so many other baby and toddler snacks we’ve tried,” Mary says. Plus, they’re made with non-GMO ingredients, hidden veggies and superfoods, low and no added sugar, and zero artificial flavors. Bonus: You can shop some of Little Spoon’s snacks and puffs on Amazon without a subscription.
Bottom line: our tester’s ultra-picky eater ate Little Spoon and liked it. On nights when our tester and her partner craved something different, it was no extra effort to make her toddler a separate meal.
Price: Meals start at $6.49 per serving | Shipping cost: $10 | Availability: Continental U.S.
If you’re looking for a meal kit with fresh, sustainably sourced ingredients and minimal prep, Sunbasket offers healthy meal kits, semi-prepared options and premade meals. Many of the meal kits include housemade sauces and spice blends to reduce prep time and help ensure consistent results. Plus, the recipes are crafted by chefs and registered dietitians, featuring organic produce and responsibly sourced meats and seafood.
Sunbasket allows you to set dietary preferences upfront, filtering meals to fit carb-conscious, gluten-free, vegetarian, pescatarian, Mediterranean, diabetes-friendly, paleo and keto-friendly diets. Depending on the size and needs of your family, you can choose meals for two or four people and select three to five meals per week.
While the rotating weekly menu includes 25 options, Sunbasket offers a variety of add-ons, including desserts, salads, sides, snacks, beverages and breakfast and lunch options like oatmeal, soups and even empanadas.
“I was impressed by the unique recipes—like delicious fresh fusilli with pistou, charred fennel and mozzarella—that felt more creative than your typical meal kit,” Mary says. “However, I’d recommend skipping the premade meals. I tried a chicken and pasta dish, and it was disappointing—tough meat and bland flavor.”
Price: Starting at $9.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $9.99 | Availability: Contiguous U.S. (with a few exceptions)
Variety is the spice of life, especially when little ones are always changing their mind about whether they like broccoli or cheese. That’s where Home Chef comes in. Not only is it endorsed by food celebrities like Tieghan Gerard and Rachael Ray, but the website boasts over 40 meals per week—including lunches. Choose from myriad dietary options like keto-friendly or gluten-smart, and sort meals by prep time with the “oven ready” and “30 mins or less” categories.
Not only did we test Home Chef for our full review, but we also asked Sydney to revisit this option. Little did we know she’s already a fan!
“I’ve used Home Chef before and have canceled it since, but I still go back to the digital cookbook that’s on my account to re-create yummy meals I remember liking from when I had the subscription,” she says. “It’s also nice that they have a flexible schedule to receive your box at any time during the week besides Saturdays.”
Our biggest gripe with Home Chef is a lack of price transparency. The total charge in our confirmation emails didn’t always match the charges made to our card—and it was around a $50 difference. As with any subscription, we urge anyone thinking about subscribing to take a close look at their bank statements to ensure the monthly charges are correct.
Tee up your little one’s week with delicious meals like One-Pan Acapulco-Style Steak Quesadillas or Pan-Seared Caprese Gnocchi. Each meal comes neatly packed in its own bag within the box, so it’s easy to see which ingredients pertain to which recipe. While all the dishes she tried were winners, Sydney’s favorite was the Lemon Rockefeller Scallop Penne.
“The sauce was amazing, and it was really easy to make because this was an express meal,” she says. “I’ve cooked scallops before, so we had an idea of how to cook them, and they weren’t too rubbery. The lemon also provided a fresh taste and complemented the dish well.”
Price: Starting at $7.99 per serving | Shipping cost: Typically $10.99 (sometimes free for orders over $40) | Availability: Contiguous U.S.
Dinnerly is an affordable option that’s flexible enough for any family, both in terms of recipe customization and cancellation and pause options. It helps save money with its cheap meals (starting at $4.99 per serving) and eliminates suppertime food waste from leftover ingredients. Dinnerly is able to keep costs low thanks to its digital recipe cards and fewer ingredients per recipe.
Despite the cheaper price, the recipes are in no way lacking—our Dinnerly review confirms it. I was obsessed with the Seared Cheddar Bratwurst with Horseradish Cream and German Potato Salad. And your kids will love the Tex-Mex Stuffed Zucchini Boats and the Oven-Baked Tilapia and Chips.
“With an abundance of simple and quick meals, Dinnerly is a great fit for college students or young adults looking for an easy way to feed themselves,” says Dylan. He particularly enjoyed the Chicken Shawarma Burger. “The entire time I was cooking the patties, the meat was very fragrant and aromatic. If you’re familiar at all with chicken shawarma, you know this is a very, very good thing,” he says. “And the payoff lived up to the hype. The meat was juicy and tender and had that slight bit of sweetness to it from the spice blend.”
Dylan notes that this was the least “well-rounded” dinner kit he tried in terms of nutrition, so he recommends serving these meals with a side or salad for those extra veggies.
Price: Starting at $5.99 per serving | Shipping cost: $11.99 | Availability: Contiguous U.S.
This isn’t our first rodeo in the world of meal kit delivery services. We are continuously testing meal delivery services to keep our insights up to date. Our goal is to help you make informed choices based on today’s offerings while also checking that brands continue to deliver consistent quality and service.
This year, we tested Little Spoon, a meal delivery service geared toward babies and toddlers. This was a key focus for us, as little ones who are just learning to eat have unique nutritional needs, developing palates and mealtime challenges that differ from those of older kids and adults.
We also tested Sunbasket as a semi-prepared meal delivery service offering quick, fresh meals for busy families. It took the top spot in that category, proving that you don’t have to trade quality for convenience.
Recent testing also led to a few other changes, including moving HelloFresh to the “Best Overall” category, Dinnerly to “Best for Small Families and Couples,” and Home Chef to the “Best Variety” category. You’ll also find our recent testing efforts listed in the Others We Tested section above, with notes on Tovala and Gobble.
There are a lot of reasons to invest in a meal delivery service. On top of the convenience factor (especially for new parents), Kristen says meal delivery services also help families with dietary restrictions or specific nutritional needs, since gluten-free or vegan services take the guesswork out of sourcing ingredients. Here’s what to consider when choosing a meal kit:
Additionally, Kristen suggests aiming for meal choices that fill half of each family member’s plate with fruits and vegetables. She notes that while protein needs will vary among family members, a protein source should typically fill at least a quarter of their plate. The remaining quarter should be filled with a good source of complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes or brown rice.
The best meal delivery services for families remove the stress of meal planning, grocery shopping and all the chopping. According to Kristen, additional benefits include alleviating the need for meal planning and reducing food waste.
In addition, Kristen recommends being mindful of the number of people the meal kit indicates it will feed. “A meal kit that feeds two people per meal is likely not sufficient to feed a family of two adults and two teenagers,” she says. As for picky eaters, she recommends involving them in the process and trying to choose meals with familiar foods.
Meal delivery services aren’t just about saving time in the kitchen—they can also play a meaningful role in family bonding and emotional well-being.
“Shared mealtime is incredibly important for family bonding,” says Sarah Bolor, licensed clinical social worker and owner of Say It Mental Health in Nevada. “It provides a natural opportunity for connection, communication, and emotional check-ins.” She notes that families who eat together regularly often enjoy stronger relationships, improved communication, and even better academic and mental health outcomes for children.
Meal kits help remove common barriers to family meals, like time constraints or decision fatigue, by offering pre-planned, easy-to-prepare meals. “Since the meals are preplanned and arrive on schedule, they help parents maintain a balance between work, family, and other commitments,” Bolor explains. “By eliminating the need to decide what to cook each night, meal kits simplify the process and create a more enjoyable mealtime experience.”
They’re also a great tool for involving children. “Meal kits typically provide simple, step-by-step instructions, making it easier for parents to involve their children in meal preparation,” she says. “This builds confidence, reinforces skills, and increases the chances that kids will actually enjoy the meal.”
For families with picky eaters, Bolor recommends the “love, like, learn” approach: include one food the child loves, one they like, and one they’re still learning to enjoy. “Meal kits can support this by introducing new ingredients in a structured, low-pressure way.”
We chose the best meal delivery service for families by cooking two to three recipes from each. Then, we evaluated the services based on the aforementioned criteria. We noted overall value (i.e., price versus quality), family-friendliness, freshness and ease and taste of the recipes. We’ve tested over 10 meal delivery services, but only a portion of those made this list based on how suitable they are for families.
Theoretically, yes, HelloFresh has meals and subscriptions that can accommodate a family of five. Their meal plans for four people are capable of feeding up to five people. But, you may want to add an extra appetizer or some bread and butter on the side for families that have a hearty appetite.
Out of all the meal delivery services we reviewed, we think that HelloFresh is the best for families. The meals take about 30 minutes to prepare, there are 65 entrees to choose from each week and each comes with helpful and easy-to-read recipe cards.
No, HelloFresh does not offer any pre-cooked meals. Each of their curated meals has to be constructed from fresh ingredients, including meats, vegetables, fruits, spices and sauces.
Some of the main disadvantages of meal kits include the price, the nutritional value and the waste of single-use plastics. Meal kits can also be pricey, depending on which service you choose. Some meal kits may also be high in sodium or can’t accommodate the dietary needs of those with restrictions or allergies.
None of our top picks offer this service, so we recommend checking out make-ahead meals.
Our editors tested these meal kit services multiple times over the course of two years to find the best meal delivery service for families. Although they’re experts at curating gift guides and testing products, they’re not culinary professionals. They’re home cooks with busy schedules and regular kitchens—just like you and the meal-prepper in your family. When cooking the recipes in their homes, they replicated the authentic experience of any consumer of these meal kit delivery services. You can trust that their needs, skills and budget match those of an average shopper.
Nancy Snyder is a registered dietitian and seasoned professional in nutrition and culinary expertise. She reviewed and fact-checked this piece. With nearly a decade of experience collaborating with restaurant chefs and food manufacturers, Nancy has forged a path at the intersection of nutrition consulting and culinary innovation. She is also a former senior shopping editor for Taste of Home, working alongside the Test Kitchen to identify and test products that help each individual reader elevate their personal kitchen experience.
For this piece, we consulted Kristen Smith, MS, RDN, LD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, to determine what aspects to look for in a family meal delivery service.
We also spoke with Sarah Bolor, licensed clinical social worker and owner of Say It Mental Health in Nevada, who shared her insight into the emotional benefits of exploring meal kits as a family.
Additional research contributed by Carrie Madormo, Taste of Home writer, and Shopping Editors Mary Henn and Emily Way.
