7 Meal Subscription Services Kitchn Staffers Loved in 2020

Editor-in-Chief Faith tried Freshly after the arrival of baby number two and recommends it for anyone who wants to skip the hassle of cooking for a bit. All you do is heat the meal for less than three minutes and serve, no further cooking required. Unlike many store-bought frozen options, Freshly aims to provide meals with less processing, less sugar, and more nutrients. There are more than 30 varieties to choose from (you can manage the selection to fit your dietary preferences), and prices range from $8 to $12 per serving.

Though I love to cook, I find the mid-day meal toughest, as I work from home and want something faster than fast. I recently discovered Snap Kitchen, which delivers unbelieavably delicious healthy meals that heat up in three minutes or less. Starting at $69.99 per week, the selected meals are made to order and shipped fresh right to my door. They are curated by dietitians for optimal nutrition, so I know I'm eating something healthy even if I don't have time to think about it.

If you enjoy cooking but want to skip the grocery line, consider Blue Apron. They deliver fresh, responsibly sourced ingredients to your door along with the exact ingredient proportions and step-by-step instructions to create the selected recipe. Contributor Patti Woods loved her first-month subscription so much, she extended it for over two years! Prices start at $7.49 per serving, and menus constantly offer new tastes and flavors like Harissa Chickpea Shakshuka or One-Pan Beef and Udon Noodles. Yum!

If you haven’t quite decided whether you want a meal kit service or grocery delivery, get the best of both worlds with Hungryroot. You can add items a la carte or build a grocery list based on one of their healthy, simple recipes, which Features Director Ariel believes are the easiest of all the subscription services she's tried. Starting at $69 per week, the meals have no artificial preservatives, sweeteners, or high-fructose corn syrup, so you know what’s going in your box and your body.

If you’re not a morning person like Commerce Editor Sholeen or simply want to prep a meal in five minutes or less and still be healthy, Daily Harvest has you covered. Their pre-portioned cups and bowls are made with organic fruits and vegetables, and frozen the day they are harvested to lock in all the flavor and nutrients. A quick whirl of the blender or zap in the microwave, and you have a healthy smoothie, harvest bowl, flatbread, or even a frozen dessert ready in no time. You can opt for weekly or monthly plans, each cup as low as $6.99 per serving.

Another meal kit service to consider is Sun Basket, which contributor Ashley Ross found helpful in reducing her grocery store bill by eliminating impulse buying. For about $11 per serving, you can create a meal with 100 percent organic produce and meat options that are antibiotic and hormone free. Everything is ethically sourced and the focus is on healthy and nutritious meals with options for gluten-free, vegetarian, and paleo diets.

Contributor Fionna Tap prefers HelloFresh for her meal subscription, relying on the easy instructions and quick prep time to make her a more adventurous eater. Similar to Blue Apron, HelloFresh prices per-meal start at $7.49 per serving with over 20 family-friendly options each week like Parmesan-Crusted Chicken. They also throw in added bonuses of free samples and special boxes for holidays like Thanksgiving.