The 8 Best Frozen Meal Delivery Services

A quick look at the best frozen meal delivery services

• Best gluten-free: Splendid Spoon
• Best vegan: Daily Harvest
• Best for families: Mosaic Foods
• Best for paleo diets: Paleo on the Go
• Best for weight loss: Diet-to-Go
• Best for older adults: Magic Kitchen
• Most variety: BistroMD
• Most customizable: MealPro

Frozen meals are convenient meal options that require very little meal prep or cooking.

However, many store-bought frozen entrées aren’t the healthiest or best tasting. Often, these meals are heavily processed, containing artificial preservatives, flavors, and colorings.

Furthermore, it can be difficult to find options that fit your specific dietary needs.

Some frozen meal delivery services do offer the convenience of frozen meals but contain higher quality ingredients and great flavors.

Unlike many other food delivery services, frozen meal services come fully assembled and cooked. So, rather than chopping and cooking, all you have to do is pop one in the microwave or oven.

How we chose

The frozen meal delivery services on this list were chosen based on the quality of their ingredients, variety of food options, and ability to cater to specific diets.

All the services included have been vetted to ensure that they meet Healthline’s medical and business standards.

Here are the 8 best frozen meal delivery services, as well as tips on how to choose one.

How to choose the right frozen meal delivery service for you 

To help you choose the meal delivery service that’s right for you, consider the following factors:

• Dietary needs and preferences. It’s most important to choose a company with a variety of options that fit your specific dietary needs, such as vegan, gluten-free, or keto meals. Having more options to choose from makes it easier to stick with your diet and can provide greater diversity of foods and nutrients.
• Ingredient quality. Some individuals may prefer a service offering meals that are free of preservatives or contain mostly organic ingredients to reduce their exposure to pesticides. If you’re ordering meals containing meat or animal products, you may want to opt for a service that’s transparent about where it sources its meat from (1).
• Sustainable packaging. As frozen meals are often packaged in single servings inside of an insulated cooler, the packing materials can quickly add up. For sustainability purposes, look for companies that use recyclable packaging.
• Price. Cost is another important consideration. Along with calculating the price per meal, you’ll want to factor in any additional costs, such as shipping or minimum order amounts.

Healthline’s picks of the best frozen meal delivery services

Best gluten-free

Splendid Spoon

Price per serving: $6.50–$13

Splendid Spoon is one of the best frozen meal delivery services thanks to its large menu and tasty flavor combinations.

All the meals are 100% vegan and gluten-free. In fact, the service is one of the best for people following a gluten-free diet, as items are prepared in kitchens with strict protocols to control for cross-contamination.

Splendid Spoon also uses 100% non-GMO ingredients and prioritizes organic produce for items on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list, which includes fruits and vegetables that are highest in pesticide residues (2).

While it doesn’t offer larger meals with side dishes, Splendid Spoon is ideal for quick lunches or light dinners, as it offers soups, noodle bowls, grain bowls, and filling smoothies.

Here are the nutrition facts for 1 serving (1/2 a container) of the Vegan Meatballs & Marinara Noodles:

• Calories: 230
• Protein: 10 grams
• Fat: 10 grams
• Carbs: 27 grams

Splendid Spoon’s menu changes weekly, with three to five new flavors added seasonally.

Except for smoothies, which are refrigerated, the meals arrive fully frozen and can be easily stacked in your fridge or freezer.

Thawed soups, grain bowls, and noodle bowls take just 2–3 minutes to reheat in the microwave, with frozen items requiring 2–3 extra minutes.

There are multiple subscription plans to choose from, depending on the number and type of items you wish to receive each week. You can also purchase an on-demand box, which allows you to stock up on items without a subscription.

Best vegan

Daily Harvest

Price per serving: $5.99–$8.99

Daily Harvest is a 100% plant-based, gluten- and preservative-free frozen meal delivery service with over 80 options to choose from, including smoothies, oat bowls, chia bowls, lattes, harvest bowls, flatbreads, snack bites, and even plant-based ice creams.

All the company’s items start with a base of fruits and vegetables and include other high quality plant-based foods, such as nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes.

Daily Harvest works directly with farmers and describes its ingredients as being thoughtfully sourced. Currently, 95% of the ingredients are organic, and all items are free of preservatives, additives, and fillers.

Unlike other services, there isn’t a set menu that’s sent to you every week. Instead, customers choose how many and which items they would like to receive on a weekly or monthly basis.

Current plans include weekly delivery of 9, 12, or 24 options, or a monthly delivery with 24 items. As a result, Daily Harvest is a good option if you’re looking to add a few plant-based meals into your regular rotation.

Daily Harvest’s cardboard delivery boxes, cups, insulated dry ice bags, and bowls are recyclable or compostable. Plus, as of April 2020, Daily Harvest announced that it’s working toward making 100% of its packaging recyclable.

While some items, like the flatbreads and snack bites, are relatively compact and easy to stack in your freezer, others, especially the harvest bowls, are a bit more awkwardly shaped and take up more room.

Here are the nutrition facts for 1 serving (1 container) of Daily Harvest’s Sweet Potato + Wild Rice Hash:

• Calories: 330
• Protein: 11 grams
• Fat: 11 grams
• Carbs: 51 grams

Best for families

Mosaic Foods

Price per serving: $4.99–$10.99

Founded with the goal of making plant-based eating easy, Mosaic Foods offers fully prepared, frozen entrées brimming with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Mosaic Foods is based in New York and sources most of its ingredients from farms and distributors located in New York’s Hudson Valley region. All the meals are free of artificial ingredients and preservatives.

In addition to its line of single-serving entrées, the service stands out as being one of the few frozen meal delivery services to offer family-size meals.

Mosaic Foods family meals all contain at least four types of vegetables, are free of added sugar, and can be baked in the containers they arrive in.

With options like Buffalo Cauliflower Pasta Bake, BBQ “Meatloaf” & Sweet Potato Mash, and Enchilada Verde Bake, Mosaic makes it easier than ever to serve flavorful and nutritious plant-based meals for the whole family.

Mosaic Family meals are designed to serve 4 adults. Here are the nutritional facts for one serving of the Buffalo Cauliflower Pasta Bake:

• Calories: 380
• Protein: 16 grams
• Fat: 17 grams
• Carbs: 43 grams

Mosaic family meals are rather compact, so they don’t require much freezer space. While most entrées claim to require around 1 hour in the oven, I found 90 minutes to be a more accurate estimate for the meals I’ve tried.

Mosaic currently offers two family plans: 8 meals per month, which includes free shipping, or 4 meals per month, which includes a $7.99 shipping fee.

The service also offers a customizable box option that has a $70 minimum, though shipping is free.

Best for paleo diets

Paleo on the Go

Price per serving: $10.75–$27.75

Paleo on the Go is a frozen meal delivery service offering meals suitable for paleo and Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diets. They also provide some low carb options.

The service prioritizes high quality ingredients, including grass-fed beef, pastured pork, antibiotic- and hormone-free poultry, and mostly organic produce.

Additionally, all the meals are free of gluten, peanuts, tree nuts, seeds, eggs, dairy, legumes, sugar, nightshade vegetables, processed additives, and soy.

Paleo on the Go has a fixed menu including breakfasts, entrees, and desserts, and you can easily filter recipes by dietary preference, including paleo, AIP, Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS), and low carb.

You’ll find options such as Grass-Fed Beef Taco Kit with Salsa Verde and Taco Slaw, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls.

One serving of the Polish Stuffed Cabbage Rolls provides:

• Calories: 260
• Fat: 8 grams
• Protein: 12 grams
• Carbs: 33 grams (8 grams fiber)

Note: Many Paleo on the Go meals contain 2 or more servings per container.

You can order meals à la carte or use the subscribe and save option on any individual meal or meal bundle to save 5%.

According to the company’s website, the packaging is fully recyclable. The meals themselves arrive frozen and can be easily stacked in a freezer.

A $99 minimum order is required, and shipping ranges in price based on your location.

Best for weight loss

Diet-to-Go

Price per serving: $8.50–$14

Founded in 1991, Diet-to-Go delivers frozen meals that are designed by registered dietitians and chefs to create healthy and delicious options that can help you lose weight.

All meals are free of preservatives, prepared in a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified kitchen, frozen, and delivered weekly to your doorstep.

Customers receive a set menu that changes weekly. However, you can substitute meal selections once an order is placed. Depending on your plan, you can receive 5 or 7 days of food per week and 2 or 3 meals per day.

The meals arrive fully cooked and can be reheated using a microwave, toaster oven, conventional oven, or steamer. Plus, unlike some other services, Diet-to-Go provides all the side dishes and condiments that you need for each meal.

When signing up, customers can choose from one of four plans.

The Balance Menu, Diabetes Balance Menu, and Vegetarian Menu are all nutritionally balanced and calorie controlled.

For example, one serving of the Shrimp Alfredo from the Balance menu provides:

• Calories: 410
• Fat: 13 grams
• Carbs: 43 grams
• Protein: 26 grams

The fourth plan is the Keto-Carb30. It’s also calorie-controlled and replaces carbs with healthy fats to provide no more than 30 grams of net carbs per day.

Best for older adults

Magic Kitchen

Price per serving: $10–$14.50

Frozen meal delivery services can be a good option for older adults who have difficulty grocery shopping and cooking.

Plus, as appetite often decreases with age, having frozen meals available helps remove at least one barrier to getting adequate nutrition.

Magic Kitchen is the best delivery service for older adults, as they offer meals designed by registered dietitians. These meals are lower in sodium and meet this population’s unique nutritional needs.

In addition to being low in sodium, Magic Kitchen offers meals for those with certain chronic conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, or kidney disease.

Meals can be ordered à la carte, allowing individuals to choose exactly how much food they want to order. Entrées and sides can be ordered on their own or as complete meals, which include one entrée and one to two sides.

As some older adults may have difficulty remembering to place their order every week, there’s an option to sign up for the Seniors Meal Program, which features meals that are auto-shipped weekly, biweekly, or monthly.

Magic Kitchen also offers the option to order over the phone. This may suit people who have difficulty with the internet, as well as those who prefer to avoid it.

The meals are delivered frozen in recyclable packaging and can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. While most meals can be microwaved, a few, such as the chicken pot pie, require reheating.

When ordering, keep in mind that while most delivery frozen meals provide single servings, Magic Kitchen’s meals are designed to serve two to four people.

Best for variety

BistroMD

Price per serving: $10.99–$14.99

If you want a wide variety of meals to choose from, BistroMD offers over 150 choices. This frozen meal delivery service specializes in calorie-controlled meals designed to promote weight loss, and offers unique plans for menopause, diabetes, heart health, and gluten-free needs.

Your meals arrive fully cooked, frozen, and ready to reheat. Although BistroMD chooses which meals you’ll receive, you’re able to choose substitutions for any meal if it doesn’t sound appetizing.

Their meals are also free of freeze-dried ingredients and the artificial sweetener aspartame, and hand-cooked in small batches.

Although full nutrient information is available on their packaging, you’re unable to view it on the website without joining the service.

On BistroMD, you can choose the “Full Program” option for 5 or 7 days, which provides breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can also choose only lunches and dinners for 5 or 7 days.

Their large menu includes dishes like Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Marsala, Blackened Chicken with Creamy Smoked Paprika Sauce, Green Chile Pork with Southwest Salsa, and Mediterranean Quinoa Salad. You can also purchase snacks for an additional fee.

Meals are shipped weekly and shipping costs $19.95 per order.

Most customizable

MealPro

Price per serving: $8.99–$18.99

One of the drawbacks of many meal delivery services is that there’s no way to customize your meals to meet your preferences. However, MealPro allows you to make a few key adjustments to your meals so that they fit your needs more exactly.

This frozen meal delivery service offers a variety of meals to choose from each week, along with options to add extra protein to every meal. Some meals also allow you to add or remove carbs, add double veggies, and add or remove extras and sauces like bacon, guacamole, soy sauce, or barbecue sauce.

This allows you to tailor each meal to your needs and preferences. For instance, if you’re following a keto diet, you can order the Atlantic Salmon entree and choose the “no-carb double veg” option to replace the red potatoes with an extra helping of asparagus.

With no adjustments, the Atlantic Salmon entree contains:

• Calories: 682
• Fat: 29 grams
• Protein: 69 grams
• Carbs: 34 grams (4 grams fiber)

Additionally, you can choose to order certain meats, plant-based protein sources, or sides by the pound to create your own meals.

You can choose to order 18 or 20 meals per shipment. MealPro doesn’t currently offer a subscription plan. Shipping varies based on the size of your order and your location.

Frozen meal delivery service comparison

Here’s a quick look at how our top picks compare:

Frequently asked questions

Can you freeze home delivery meals?

Yes. While all the meals on this list are delivered frozen, many other meal delivery companies offer fresh meals. However, most of them say that their meals can be frozen for anywhere from 2–6 months if they are placed in the freezer by the use-by date printed on the package.

Are frozen meals healthy?

Frozen meals can be equally healthy or unhealthy as other types of foods, depending on the type of meal and ingredients used.

For the most part, the nutrient content of frozen food is no different than that of fresh food. However, frozen food may have less beta-carotene, which is a plant-based antioxidant precursor of vitamin A (1).

Regardless, frozen meals are still a good choice if you need a convenient and flexible meal option.

What are the disadvantages of frozen food?

There are a couple of disadvantages of frozen food, mostly regarding quality and texture.

It’s difficult to reheat frozen foods evenly, especially if they contain multiple components (for example, a chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and green beans). There may be hot spots or cold spots in the meal after heating, especially in the microwave.

Additionally, some frozen foods may have excess liquid after reheating, which can make the meal less appealing.

To address these common issues with frozen meals, try reheating your meal on the stovetop rather than in the microwave. You’ll have to cook and plate it without the tray. This method, although slightly less convenient, allows for even heating and prevents the pooling of liquid in the tray.

Finally, many frozen meals are higher in sodium than freshly prepared, home-cooked meals. If you’re on a sodium restriction, you may need to choose a service that offers low sodium options — like Magic Kitchen.

The bottom line

Frozen meal delivery services make it easy and convenient to enjoy a nutritious meal that fits your nutritional needs.

As there are many services to pick from, it’s important to look for a company that provides a good variety of meals that fit your specific dietary and food preferences.

In addition to the types of meals provided, be sure to consider the quality of ingredients, sustainability, packaging, and price when choosing the best frozen meal delivery service for you.