The Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services for When You Need Dinner Now

After years of testing dozens of different meal kits, we consider ourselves genuine experts on the subject. It should come as no surprise that we love to cook, and the best of these services make doing so more seamless while introducing us to new recipes, techniques, and ingredients.

But while a meal kit saves you the trouble of meal planning and a trip to the grocery store, it often still requires you to spend upward of 30 minutes cooking (and then another 15 cleaning up the mess you made). And after a long day at the office, sometimes that’s more effort than I can muster.

• The best overall: CookUnity
• A service that almost feels homemade: Tovala
• The best health-conscious service: Factor
• The best for when you sometimes still want to cook: HelloFresh
• A service that’s great for lunch: Gardencup
• The best service for wellness heads: Sakara

That’s where prepared meal delivery services come in. These are not “kits” of ingredients but rather fully premade meals that require just a short trip to the oven or microwave—no slicing, dicing, or sautéing needed. Looking for the most convenient way to get meals on the table, without ordering takeout? This is it.

We’ve tested the most popular ready-to-eat meal delivery services on the market to find out which ones are actually tasty—and which are no better than a freezer aisle TV dinner. Read on for our top picks.

CookUnity Subscription

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CookUnity

Tested and reviewed by: Olivia Tarantino, senior commerce editor

About CookUnity: CookUnity is a prepared meal delivery service that partners with professional chefs to bring their recipes straight to your fridge. The focus isn’t so much on calorie counting or hitting macros—it’s about boosting flavor, exploring global cuisines, and making weeknight meals feel restaurant quality.

The ordering process: The hardest part about ordering a week of meals from CookUnity is narrowing down what you want to eat. Everything looks good, and there are hundreds of options to choose from. As of writing, there were over 400 meals available this week, covering everything from breakfast burritos to hearty dinners. If you forget to pick your own by the cutoff date, CookUnity will auto-fill your box based on your preferences or past orders.

With a chef-forward menu, CookUnity meals come from a variety of globe-spanning cuisines: Ghanaian, Indian, Mexican, Italian, the menu touches six continents. Most meals are regularly available, but there are new ones rotating in (and out), so you can branch out or stick with favorites you’ve already tried.

If you’re feeling fancy, some meals are marked “Premium” (such as Maryland-Style Crab Cakes and Lobster Tail & Steak Surf & Turf), which cost a few dollars more than the standard meals.

One thing I appreciated that seems unique to CookUnity: Each dish has a user rating out of five stars, along with comments from other customers. I found the reviews super helpful and ended up only choosing meals rated 4.3 and above.

What we loved: As a food editor, I never thought I could like a prepared meal delivery service—until I tried CookUnity. If you properly plated some of my CookUnity meals they really could pass as something I’d order at a restaurant. The quality, cook, and flavor of each dish makes it clear that they’re developed by real chefs—people like José Garces and Esther Choi—and that’s the whole idea behind CookUnity.

The meals arrive fresh, not frozen, so you can either dig in straight from the fridge (like I did with a tofu “poke” bowl) or heat them up in the microwave for two minutes. You can choose anywhere from 4 to 16 meals a week, and the menu spans breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides, snacks, and even “protein-only” options like chicken parmesan you can pair with your own pasta.

Thanks to their modified atmosphere packaging (it’s a thing), the meals stay fresh in the fridge for 4 to 7 days. That built-in flexibility is huge, especially if a last-minute dinner plan or spontaneous lunch out means you’re not eating every single meal you ordered right away.

Each dish also comes with a full nutritional breakdown. I found most meals to be pretty balanced in terms of protein and carbs, though a few clocked in around 1,000 calories—just something to note if you’re being extra mindful.

For my first week, I tried a range of cuisines, proteins, and chefs. I ordered two shrimp dishes to test whether seafood could survive a microwave. I was genuinely stunned when I peeled back the plastic film and was met with the hypnotizing scent of coconut curry smothering perfectly cooked shrimp. I’ve had overcooked seafood from other meal delivery services, but these shrimp were plump with just the right amount of snap. They tasted like I’d made them myself minutes earlier.

I also ordered crab cakes to see how a fried dish would hold up. The meal came with two cakes, so I microwaved one and popped the other in the air fryer to compare. Usually, microwaving anything fried turns it soggy and sad—not the case here. The air-fried cake was a bit crispier around the edges, but honestly? The microwaved one was just as good. Nearly identical.

Portion sizes also felt more generous than most other meal delivery services I’ve tried, especially when it came to the amount of protein in each dish. Nothing felt skimpy.

What we’d leave: While there’s a wide range of cuisines to choose from, it was surprisingly hard to avoid rice. Each of the six meals I ordered came with some kind of rice or pilaf. It didn’t bother me, because most of the flavor and focus is on the protein or veg anyway, but I noticed the repetition.

Honestly, I had such a good experience with CookUnity that I’ve already recommended it to friends, family, and coworkers after just a few meals. If I had to nitpick beyond the rice thing, I’d say there isn’t much I’d change. The food is genuinely delicious, the variety is impressive, and the convenience is hard to beat.

Who CookUnity is best for: This meal delivery service is great for a microwave-first cooker who still has exacting standards about their food, especially if they like a variety of cuisines.

Tovala

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Tovala

Tested and reviewed by: Noah Kaufman, senior commerce editor

About Tovala: My issue with “prepared” meal kits is that, because they are typically precooked and reheated, the results fall somewhere between an acceptable Lean Cuisine and an “it’s edible I suppose” MRE. Tovala solves the typical issues of bland flavor and mushy texture by sending prepared-ish meals. Proteins are all raw, produce uncooked. But getting the meals from box to plate involves little more than plopping pre-portioned ingredients into aluminum trays and scanning a QR code on the recipe card.

That’s because Tovala isn’t first and foremost a meal kit company; it began in 2015 by developing a smart toaster oven. Every Tovala meal gets prepared in the Tovala oven, which, while not free, comes at a 77% discount ($69) if you order Tovala meals. And you get to keep the oven if and when you stop using the meal delivery.

Using a mixture of steam baking, convection roasting, and broiling, the Tovala oven turned out delicious meals in 20 minutes (including cooking time) with juicy chicken, flaky salmon, or creamy sweet potatoes time after time.

The ordering process: Once you sign up and get your oven order squared away, picking meals is quite easy. Whatever plan you sign up for (a minimum of four meals a week) will come with a preset menu, but if you log into to the Tovala app it’s easy to swap something on the preset menu with one of more than 30 options, all of which come labeled with any dietary specifications like “vegetarian,” “high protein,” or “GLP-1 balanced.”

What we loved: My expectations for the Tovala experience were quite low. But after my first week with the meals I was genuinely surprised and impressed with what I got. Every Tovala meal tasted better than every other prepared meal I’ve tried—textures came out much closer to what I’d get if I was cooking from scratch, flavors were robust. And while there is more work involved than simply peeling back a plastic seal and popping in the microwave, the fact that everything cooks at the same time in the company’s oven makes the process feel fast and effortless. The meals themselves are like better versions of all the frozen Trader Joe’s meals I’m sure you’re fond of (I definitely am). Also, the ingredients, even the risky ones like salmon and shrimp, arrived surprisingly fresh.

What we’d leave: While I had no complaints about the food, the prep felt very Microwave Cooking for One, which is to say that it just doesn’t feel rewarding to put a chicken breast in a tiny disposable tray and push go. However, if you’re choosing to go the prepared meal kit route you either already like that sort of process or you’re probably ready to embrace it.

Who is Tovala best for: Someone who doesn’t love the idea of prepared meals but still wants the ease they offer.

Factor

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Factor

Tested and reviewed by: Alaina Chou, commerce writer

About Factor: Factor positions itself as a nutritious, dietitian-approved meal delivery service with meals “designed to support your wellness goals.” The experience is pretty standard for a prepared meal delivery service: Each meal is packaged in a segmented plastic tray with a plastic film that you’ll peel back or pierce before microwaving until heated through.

The ordering process: After entering zip code, you’ll select up to three wellness goals (think “improve my health” or “eat a better variety of foods”), choose the types of meals you prefer from a list of dietary preferences (like Calorie Smart, Fiber Filled, or I eat everything), select whether or not you eat spicy food, and then choose how many meals you want per week (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18).

Factor will prompt you to register for an account and enter your address and payment information before presenting you with that week’s menu (an annoying feature of many meal kit delivery services) that will have options clearly labeled with tags like “Protein Plus,” “Carb Conscious,” or “Vegetarian.”

What we love: Based on its marketing language, Factor designs its meals for people with specific wellness goals in mind. The clear nutritional labeling makes this a particularly good option for anyone looking to track their macros, follow low-carb, low-calorie, high-protein, or keto diets, etc. None of that screams “this food will taste good,” though, so I was skeptical as to whether these meals would actually be enjoyable to eat.

Despite looking a bit, well, sad in their plastic trays, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor of each meal. Microwaves are known to zap every bit of moisture out of a piece of protein, but the chicken breast in the Green Chile Chicken was shockingly juicy even after the suggested two minutes of heating. Everything was also well seasoned—and I say that as someone who can’t help but sprinkle flaky salt on pretty much everything I eat.

Factor meals often follow a formula of main protein plus carb and vegetable sides, which meant that each meal felt balanced and multifaceted, with a good mix of protein, carbs, and fats that helped keep me satiated.

It’s not a unique attribute on this list, but Factor meals couldn’t be easier to prepare: just two to three minutes in the microwave and you’re golden. This made them especially convenient to pack as office lunches, as opposed to prepared meal delivery services that require heating in a pan or oven.

What we’d leave: Some meals were definitely less successful than others. The Honey-Mustard Pork Chop, for instance, was incredibly tough and by far the worst dish I tried. I also didn’t love how repetitive the side dishes were, and how some of the vegetables became a bit waterlogged after heating.

While portion sizes were perfect for me, they may feel a touch small depending on what kind of eater you are.

I’d deem Factor meals above average for microwave fare, and totally satisfying to eat for a quick dinner—but they simply can’t compare to anything you’d make yourself, and after two weeks of eating them I was about ready for a break. That said, this is a good option for occasional use on particularly busy weeks, or for people who are looking to meet specific wellness goals.

Who is Factor is best for: People looking to meet specific wellness goals, or busy people who want relatively healthy and balanced meals—no meal prep required.

The best for when you sometimes still want to cook: HelloFresh

HelloFresh With Caraway Pan

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HelloFresh

For a limited time, HelloFresh is offering new subscribers a free Caraway pan ($115 value) with their third box.

Tested and reviewed by: Abbey Stone, senior commerce director

About HelloFresh: One of the original meal kit companies, HelloFresh has only recently added heat-and-eat options to its roster (part of a full menu revamp that now gives subscribers over 100 dishes to choose from each week). Now, when you build out your box of meals, you can mix and match between the traditional “we send you the ingredients, you prep and cook them” style of meal delivery, or ready-to-eat options that just need to be popped in the microwave.

Ordering process: When you sign up, you're prompted to select the number of people you'll be serving and the amount of meals you want for those people each week. You also have the option of pre-selecting any dietary preferences or nutrition goals you have, including veggie-only, pescatarian, “fit and wholesome” (recipes that are under 650 calories per serving), “under 20 minutes.” Next you're shown the week's available recipes and select the ones you want. This is where you can decide to opt for ready-made dishes or premium recipes.

What we love: The number-one reason why people choose a prepared meal delivery service is convenience—they don't have time to step out for lunch during the workday, or are too wiped to bother with grocery shopping and cooking when they clock out. HelloFresh's prepared meals absolutely deliver on that convenience: Pop them in the microwave and you'll have dinner three minutes later (longer if you're microwaving from frozen, but none of my meals took longer than six minutes to heat).

A number of the prepared meals I tried from HelloFresh were also super tasty. I really enjoyed the Southwest Style Chipotle Mac and Cheese, which was a gemelli pasta with peppers, corn, and onions in a cheesy sauce. (It was definitely more of a pasta dish than actual mac and cheese, and a far cry from boxed mac).

The real differentiator for HelloFresh from the other services on this list is that its options go beyond microwave meals. Being able to select a combo of cook-it-yourself meals and ready-made dishes each week gives you more flexibility. And if you're someone who enjoys cooking but hates grocery shopping, now you can get fresh ingredients and microwavable dishes with one subscription.

What we’d leave: Most of the ready-made meals are pastas or grain bowls, rather than the composed dinners you'll get from some other services. I found these made a great lunch option—they were just as tasty and less expensive than fast-casual offerings near my office—but could sometimes feel uninspired for dinner.

I also thought the quality of the heat-and-eat meals varied. For instance, the Tomatillo Pulled Pork with Rice had a nice depth of flavor and high-quality-seeming protein (it definitely rivaled anything you'd get from Chipotle), but the Asian-Style Chicken Bowl was a let-down. The sauce was cloying and the chicken a little chewy.

It's worth noting that none of the HelloFresh ready-made meals I tried were spicy or had challenging flavors, even when their names indicated that might be the case (see: Chipotle Mac and Cheese). This is good news for people who don't like spice, but could be disappointing for folks who prefer a kick.

Who is HelloFresh best for? Picky eaters, families with kids, or people prioritizing ease at mealtime.

Gardencup

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Gardencup

Tested and reviewed by: Wilder Davies, commerce writer

About Gardencup: Gardencup is a food delivery service specializing in salads and bowls served in, you guessed it, a cup. Their meals are designed to be easily taken on the go—just add your dressing and shake in the provided jar, no heating or additional dishware required.

Ordering process: The ordering process is extremely easy. All you have to do is click through their menu and decide which Gardencups you want in your shipment. You can get either six or nine cups per shipment, and they have a generous selection of salads packed with toppings and protein. The menu skews toward meat, but there are vegetarian options as well. Beyond salads, they also offer a few noodle and grain bowls, soups, fresh fruit, and snack cups.

What we love: Gardencup’s menu is based on a modest selection of crowd pleasers. The salads are the kind you’d recognize from [YOUR PARTICULAR SHOPPING MALL]’s casual American restaurant chain—there’s a Caesar, a cobb, a southwest chicken, a wedge—you can probably anticipate the others. This meant that every Gardencup I had tasted familiar. For a prepared meal service geared towards weekday convenience, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. They are generous with the meat, with the salads averaging around 30 grams of protein, which left me feeling full by the time I finished eating.

The salads arrived quite fresh, but I was apprehensive at first as to how they’d hold up in the fridge over the course of a week. However, come day six I found the last salad to be as crispy as the first, and there was nothing funky going on with the meat or other toppings.

What we’d leave: I tried one week with meat and one week without, and the vegetarian and vegan cups felt significantly less substantial. If you don’t eat meat, I don’t think I’d recommend Gardencup to you. The options will be a lot more limited and you’ll probably find yourself wanting to doctor things up.

This is a smaller gripe, and not wholly negative, but almost all of the Gardencups came so full of ingredients that they didn’t mix very well from shaking alone. Unless you really need to eat it on the go, I’d suggest pouring it out into a bowl.

Who is Gardencup best for? Office lunches and people who really love salad.

Sakara Meal Delivery

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Sakara

Tester: Emma Laperruque, associate director of cooking

Sakara is a prepared meal delivery service with a focus on nutrient- and plant-rich meals made with whole foods, all of which are gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan. They have two programs to choose between: a five-day “detox” and their Signature Nutrition Program, which is what Emma tested.

The ordering process: When you go to sign up for Sakara’s Signature Nutrition Program, you’ll choose between a plan that includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or one that includes just lunch and dinner. Sakara rolls out a new set menu every week, and there are no substitutions allowed, so the ordering process is mandatorily simple. You can choose between ordering a weekly subscription, or prepaying for 1, 4, 8, or 12 weeks at a time.

What we love: “All of the meals I received were straightforward and quick to prepare. A lot of them required no heating at all (for example, a parfait for breakfast or a salad for lunch),” says Emma. While some meals were designed to be briefly heated in an oven, Emma found that a quick zap in the microwave could also do the trick.

While breakfasts veered towards the sweet, Emma notes “these were not sweet sweets—they were super balanced, which I appreciated.” Some favorites were a pumpkin pie parfait with a maple-cinnamon granola and the coconut praline granola with cacao mylk.

“Sakara’s salads are excellent—a reliable delight to dig into in the middle of a busy workday,” says Emma. “They’re generously portioned, so you have enough fuel to power you through the afternoon. And they’re thoughtfully designed with a range of textures and colors.” Emma particularly liked the dressings, many of which she’d buy by the bottle if she could. Dinners were tasty, too, if perhaps a bit small depending what your appetite is.

What I didn’t like about Sakara: As someone who eats wheat flour, Emma notes that the gluten-free baked goods were hit or miss. But the main downside to Sakara is the pricing, which is $140–$465(!) per week depending on your plan. “But if you’re someone who prioritizes wellness and sees food as a source of nourishment and healing, you’ll like what you get. It’s also a great option for people who are gluten-free or vegan,” says Emma.

Who is Sakara is best for: Wellness-focused people or those with specific dietary needs.

Territory’s fully prepared meals are all gluten-, refined sugar-, and dairy-free. “Ultimately, this is not a meal kit for someone who wants to eat with flavor in mind—speaking personally, I wouldn’t order this particular service again. That said, it may be a good option if you have very particular nutrition goals, like high-protein, gluten-free, or paleo,” says tester Shilpa Uskokovic.

For more about Territory, read Shilpa’s full review in our Best Meal Delivery Services article.

Cumin Club’s offerings include shelf-stable plant-based Indian dishes—think curries, lentils, and rice, all of which are dehydrated and require just water and heat. In testing, senior editor of cooking and SEO Joe Sevier found that these worked best as meal starters rather than full-on meal kits. “I did not care for them as meals on their own—I found that I needed to bulk them up with extra ingredients, and that many of the curries seemed wildly lacking in heft,” says Joe.

For more about Cumin Club, read Joe’s full review in our Best Meal Delivery Services article.

We’ve been testing meal kits and delivery services for years now, so we relied partially on intel from previous testing in selecting which brands to include on this list. We also conducted new testing for any services that we haven’t reviewed recently to get a sense for the quality as it currently stands.

When testing each meal delivery service, we unboxed deliveries in our homes and took note of how well everything was packed. We then tasted meals over multiple weeks to get a sense for variety and whether quality differed between menu items. We paid attention to how easy each meal was to reheat, how fresh the ingredients were, and, of course, how everything tasted.

Many of these services are designed for a particular kind of eater, so we took this into account in our evaluation and factored how well brands met their target consumers’ needs into our final evaluation.

• Read our full review of meal delivery services and meal kits, including Blue Apron, Purple Carrot, Home Chef, and HelloFresh
• The best meal kits for families, according to our testing
• Gluten-free? There’s a meal kit for that.