Meal Delivery for Weight Loss: The 12 Best Services in 2023, According to Dietitians

A quick look at the best weight loss meal delivery services

• Best overall: Trifecta Nutrition | Skip to review
• Best with dietitian support: Factor | Skip to review
• Best doctor designed: BistroMD | Skip to review
• Best for WeightWatchers: Blue Apron | Skip to review
• Best value: EveryPlate | Skip to review
• Best vegan and vegetarian: Purple Carrot | Skip to review
• Best meal kit: Sunbasket | Skip to review
• Best for prepared meals: CookUnity | Skip to review
• Best for special diets: Territory Foods | Skip to review
• Best frozen: Diet-to-Go | Skip to review
• Best gluten-free: Epicured | Skip to review
• Best organic: Green Chef | Skip to review

Meal delivery services have become increasingly popular among health-conscious consumers and those following specific diets.

In addition to being simple and convenient, many meal delivery services can:

• support weight loss efforts
• promote nutrient-rich eating habits
• make it easier to follow a balanced and nutritious diet

Keep reading for our dietitians’ picks for the 12 best weight loss meal delivery services.

How we chose these meal delivery services

• Convenience: We looked for meals that were convenient to prepare to minimize the extra time it might take customers to fit healthy meals into their schedules.
• Meal plans: We looked for meal delivery services that offered diet-specific meal plans that help customers reach their weight loss goals.
• Nutrient-rich meals: We looked for meal delivery services that offer balanced and nutrient-dense meals to help customers feel supported in their weight loss goals.
• Nutritional content: We looked for meal delivery services that provide low calorie, high protein, or high fiber options to promote weight management.
• Taste and ease of preparation: We looked for services that offer meals that are easy to prepare, and we also tried many of them to find out whether they offered a good variety of flavors and textures.
• Price: We included meal delivery services at a variety of price points to accommodate any budget.
• Vetting: The services on our list have been vetted to ensure that they align with Healthline’s brand integrity standards and approach to well-being. You can read more about our vetting process.

Disclaimer: All of the services tested below were tried by Healthline writers or editors, who received the meals for free. All opinions are our own.

Healthline’s picks of the best meal delivery services for weight loss

Best overall

Trifecta Nutrition

• Price: starts at $11.42 per serving
• Shipping: $9.99 for the contiguous United States, $49.99 for Alaska and Hawaii
• Subscription: 5–14 entrees per delivery, with or without breakfast, delivered weekly
• Number of meal options per week: chef-selected menu
• Meal types: prepared meals and a la carte items
• Menus: Clean, Paleo, Keto, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole30

How it works: Trifecta Nutrition is one of the best meal delivery services for weight loss, as it provides calorie- and portion-controlled dishes that are macro-balanced to help you hit you hit your protein, carb, and fat content goals.

Meals are fully prepared and contain around 350–500 calories and 20–40 grams (g) of protein per serving. Plus, each dish features lean proteins, complex carbs, and plenty of vegetables.

Most meals are featured on popular nutrition apps so you can easily track your intake. Trifecta also has an app that can help you track your meals, workouts, and more.

Each week, you can order 5–14 entrees, either with or without breakfast. Though you can’t select specific meals from a meal plan, you can exclude up to two ingredients per week, such as shellfish, mushrooms, turkey, or chicken.

What our tester says

“I found Trifecta’s meals to be filling and nutritious enough to be a main course, although I did add extra vegetables and spices to some of them for added flavor. The meals were generally tasty and kept their texture after reheating. They arrived frozen so I reheated most of them on the stove like a stir-fry.

“If you’re looking to track your macro intake or follow a specific diet like keto, vegan, paleo, or Whole30, Trifecta may be a good fit for you. You can’t select individual meals, so it’s not a great choice for picky eaters.”

— Rachael Link, MS, RD, Healthline Writer

You can read more about Trifecta Nutrition in our full review.

Best with dietitian support

Factor

• Price: starts at $10.99 per serving
• Shipping: $10.99, contiguous United States
• Subscription: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18 meals, delivered weekly
• Number of meal options per week: 32+
• Meal types: prepared meals
• Menus: Chef’s Choice, Keto, Calorie Smart, Vegan & Veggie, Protein Plus

How it works: Factor is a meal subscription service that delivers nutrient-rich, fully prepared meals straight to your door. It also offers individual support from a registered dietitian, which can help foster health-promoting eating habits to support long-term weight loss (1).

Each subscription also includes a 20-minute consultation with a registered dietitian, while monthly coaching packages are available for an additional fee.

Depending on the meal plan and entree, meals can range from 350–900 calories per serving. However, Factor offers a Calorie Smart meal plan that includes meals with less than 550 calories per serving to help you stay within your calorie deficit goals.

Detailed nutrition information is available for each item, and some meals can also be found on popular nutrition tracking apps such as MyFitnessPal.

What our tester says

“The meals I tried from Factor had great flavors and textures, even after reheating. Each meal contained a good serving of vegetables, and the chicken and fish were nicely cooked. For example, the salmon in the Pesto Salmon with Creamed Spinach and Tomato Butter Haricot Verts meal wasn’t dry or fishy at all.

“In addition to being tasty, the meals were generally balanced nutritionally. Read more about my experience trying Factor in our in-depth review.”

— Kelli McGrane, MS, RD, Nutrition Editor II

Best doctor designed

BistroMD

• Price: starts at $10.99 per serving
• Shipping: $19.95, contiguous United States
• Subscription: 2 or 3 meals per day for 5 or 7 days per week, delivered weekly
• Number of meal options per week: 40+
• Meal types: frozen, prepared meals
• Menus: Men’s, Women’s, Signature, Heart Healthy, Gluten-Free, Keto Flex, Diabetes-Friendly, Menopause
• Why we like it: BistroMD offers support from healthcare professionals and provides meal plans tailored to multiple health concerns.

How it works: BistroMD is a doctor-designed meal delivery service geared toward weight loss.

It allows you to customize your weekly meal plan by selecting from 150 meals, each of which can be reheated and enjoyed.

It’s important to note that the meals are very low in calories, with some coming in at under 300 calories. Their meal plans are based on 1,200 calories a day for females and 1,400 calories a day for males, which is extremely low.

Snacks are all available as add-ons and contain roughly 150 calories each.

All plans are high in protein, which has been shown to help reduce body weight, fat mass, and appetite (2, 3, 4, 5).

In addition to providing detailed nutrition information for each item on the menu, most meals are available through online fitness apps. The service also includes the option for email support from a registered dietitian in addition to free webinars and articles.

What our tester says

“Considering that the meals are pre-made and could be microwaved, I was impressed with their bold flavors, like BBQ salmon, that could have gone really wrong in the microwave but still tasted pretty good.

“The only issue — like you would find in a lot of microwave meals — is the small pool of trapped moisture you almost always find when warming up food.

“I would recommend BistroMD to anyone looking for nutritious and diverse meals on the go. Read more about BistroMD in our full review.”

— Steven Rowe, Healthline Editor

Best for WeightWatchers

Blue Apron

• Price: $7.99+ per serving
• Shipping: $9.99, contiguous United States
• Subscription: 2–4 meals per week with 2 or 4 servings, delivered weekly
• Number of meal options per week: 50+
• Meal types: meal kits and prepared meals
• Menus: Chef’s Favorites, Wellness, Family Friendly, Fast & Easy, Veggies

How it works: Offering at least three WeightWatchers-recommended meals per week, Blue Apron is a good option if you’re keeping track of your Points and enjoy cooking.

In addition to including Points for each recipe, Blue Apron also provides barcodes that you can scan, making it quick and easy to log your meals in your WeightWatchers app.

According to a study that WeightWatchers funded involving 1,267 people, following a WeightWatchers diet for 1 year was more effective for weight loss than using self-help materials and brief nutrition counseling sessions (6).

Weekly Blue Apron boxes include preportioned, sustainably sourced ingredients and simple recipes so you can prepare fresh and healthy meals at home.

What our tester says

“I generally enjoyed the meals I tried from Blue Apron, plus the ingredients were of good quality and arrived fresh.

“While I wish there was a greater variety of diet types to choose from, I thought the meals themselves offered a nice range of seasonings and textures, and I appreciated that the Wellness meals were quite different from each other.

“You can read more about my experience trying Blue Apron in our full review.”

— Kelli McGrane, MS, RD, Nutrition Editor II

Best value

EveryPlate

• Price: $4.99+ per serving
• Shipping: $9.99 throughout most of the contiguous United States
• Subscription: 3–6 meals per week with 2 or 4 servings, delivered weekly
• Number of meal options per week: 25
• Meal types: meal kits
• Menus: Family Friendly, Veggie, Quick & Easy, Meat & Veggie, Nutrish & Delish

How it works: With plans starting at just $4.99 per serving, EveryPlate is one of the most budget-friendly meal kit companies on the market.

The company’s Nutrish & Delish menu features recipes with less than 650 calories per serving. Full nutritional information is available online, and many meals are available on popular food tracking apps.

Potential allergens are clearly labeled for each recipe. However, the service may not be suitable for people with severe food allergies due to the risk of cross-contamination.

According to EveryPlate, meals are made using high quality ingredients, though there is limited information available on how ingredients are sourced.

What our tester says

“While the flavor and ingredient combinations weren’t quite as adventurous as those from other meal delivery services, I still enjoyed the meals I tried (the Moroccan Chickpea & Apricot Tagine was my favorite).

“I also appreciated that the recipes were easy to prepare. Though, to make them more filling and nutritionally balanced, I added more veggies to most of them. To learn more about EveryPlate, check out our in-depth review.”

— Kelli McGrane, MS, RD, Nutrition Editor II

Best vegan and vegetarian

Purple Carrot

• Price: starts at $11 per serving for meal kits and $13 per serving for prepared meals
• Shipping: free for orders $85 and higher throughout the contiguous United States, $10 for orders less than $85
• Subscription: 2–4 meal kits per week with 2 or 4 servings each or 6–10 prepared single-serving meals, delivered weekly
• Number of meal options per week: 8+
• Meal types: meal kits and prepared meals
• Menus: vegan

How it works: Purple Carrot is a strictly plant-based meal delivery service offering nutrient-rich vegan meals and meal kits that may help promote weight loss and overall health. In fact, studies suggest that switching to a vegetarian diet may aid weight loss (7, 8, 9).

On average, meals contain 500–800 calories per serving. However, Purple Carrot also labels most items that contain less than 600 calories per serving, which can be useful if you’re looking to lose weight.

For both the meal kit and prepared meal plans, you can customize your meals or choose specific meal preferences like High Protein, Gluten-Free, or Quick & Easy. You can even customize your order to include a mixture of both prepared meals and meal kits.

You can pick the meals you want from the weekly menu and add up to three extras to any two-serving plan or one extra to any four-serving plan. Extras include breakfast, lunch, and snacks.

What our tester says

“Compared to other meal kit delivery services, I found the flavors and textures in Purple Carrot’s dishes unique.

“For example, the New England Lobster rolls used hearts of palm in place of lobster for a creative twist on a classic dish. While the recipes took a bit longer to prepare, I enjoyed their variety.

“You can learn more about Purple Carrot in my comprehensive review.”

— Kelli McGrane, MS, RD, Nutrition Editor II

Best meal kit

Sunbasket

• Price: starts at $9.99 per serving for prepared meals and $11.49 per serving for meal kits
• Shipping: $9.99 after your first order, contiguous United States (excluding Alaska, Hawaii, North Dakota, Montana, and parts of New Mexico)
• Subscription: 4–10 single-serving meals per week or 2–5 meals per week with 2 or 4 servings each
• Number of meal options per week: 20+ meal kits, 14 Fresh & Ready
• Meal types: meal kits and prepared meals
• Menus: Paleo, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Mediterranean, Diabetes-Friendly, Carb-Conscious, Keto-Friendly

How it works: Sunbasket is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified organic meal delivery service offering a wide variety of nutritious meal kits.

We particularly like this service for people trying to lose weight, as the company offers several menus that may support a healthy weight, including keto-friendly, Mediterranean, carb-conscious, and vegetarian plans (7, 10, 11, 12).

What’s more, you can filter the online menu to only view meals that contain fewer than 600 calories, which may be particularly helpful if you’re trying to reduce your calorie intake.

Meals include detailed nutrition information, and some can also be found on nutrition tracking apps.

In addition to dinner options, Sunbasket’s website also has a market section featuring nutrient-rich breakfast, lunch, and snack products.

What our tester says

“Out of all of the meal kit delivery services I’ve tried, Sunbasket’s ingredients tasted the freshest, and I thought the quality of the meat and seafood was noteworthy.

“The meals featured interesting flavor combinations, and I appreciated that the recipes included lots of vegetables.

“You can read more about the different Sunbasket meals I made in our in-depth review.”

— Kelli McGrane, MS, RD, Nutrition Editor II

Best for special diets

Territory Foods

• Price: starts at $10.95 per serving
• Shipping: $7.95–$8.95 depending on your location, contiguous United States
• Subscription: 4–12 meals per delivery, delivered once or twice per week
• Number of meal options per week: 30+
• Meal types: prepared meals
• Menus: Paleo, Keto-Friendly, Mixitarian, Plant-Based, Vegetarian, Vegan, Whole30, Low Fat, Low Carb, Mediterranean, Pre & Postpartum, Diabetes-Friendly

How it works: Territory Foods offers a wide range of chef-prepared meals for a variety of different eating patterns, making it a great choice for picky eaters or for people with specific dietary needs and preferences. Plus, each meal is available in two different portion sizes.

When selecting your meals, you can also filter their menu to view dishes that contain fewer than 500 calories per serving. Detailed information on the nutritional content of each meal is available online, along with a breakdown of the macronutrient ratios in each serving.

Territory Foods chefs work in independent kitchens around the country and use locally sourced ingredients as well as humanely raised poultry, grass-fed beef, and sustainably sourced seafood. All meals are free of gluten, dairy, and refined sugar.

Read more about Territory Foods in our full review.

Best frozen

Diet-to-Go

• Price: starts at $9.71 per serving
• Shipping: $19.98, contiguous United States
• Subscription: 2–3 meals per day for 5 or 7 days per week, delivered weekly
• Number of meal options per week: 15–36
• Meal types: prepared meals
• Menus: Balance, Balance-Diabetes, Keto-Carb30, Vegetarian, Mediterranean

How it works: Diet-to-Go provides an assortment of low calorie, ready-made meals that are easy to prepare and may help promote weight loss.

The service caters to a range of dietary needs and preferences, and some menus have additional customization options. For example, many offer meals with or without seafood, and on the Balance menu you can choose from two different calorie levels based on your needs.

Nutritional information for the more popular items is available on several health and fitness apps to help you keep tabs on your diet.

Though some meals are delivered fresh to local customers, most meals shipped farther from the company’s kitchen are flash-frozen to preserve quality.

To learn more about Diet-to-Go, check out our comprehensive review.

Best gluten-free

Epicured

• Price: starts at $10.65 per serving
• Shipping: varies depending on location, contiguous United States
• Subscription: items ordered a la carte, delivered weekly
• Number of meal options per week: 50+
• Meal types: prepared meals
• Menus: Low FODMAP, Gluten-Free

How it works: Epicured offers a massive menu with more than 50 fully prepared items to choose from each week, including an assortment of entrees, salads, soups, sides, breakfasts, and snacks.

What’s more, all of the menu items are 100% gluten-free and low in FODMAPs, a type of carbohydrate that causes digestive issues for some people.

According to the company’s website, all surfaces, equipment, tools, and appliances are properly cleaned and sanitized before and after each use. A team of registered dietitians also test the facility to check for any traces of gluten.

Detailed information on the nutritional content, ingredients, and potential allergens is available for every item, making it easy to find meals based on your dietary needs and health goals. And many items are high in protein or low in calories, fat, saturated fat, sodium, added sugar, or carbs.

Select items can be found on popular nutrition and fitness apps.

Best for prepared meals

CookUnity

• Price: starts at $11.09 per serving
• Shipping: $9.99, select areas in contiguous United States
• Subscription: 4–16 meals, delivered weekly
• Number of meal options per week: 100+
• Meal types: prepared meals
• Menus: general menu with diet-specific filters

How it works: CookUnity provides chef-prepared meals catered to a wide range of dietary needs and preferences, plus it offers many options that are lower in calories to support weight loss.

You can filter the menu to find meals that contain fewer than 600 calories per serving or are low in carbs or sodium. Plus, you can filter meals by protein type, dietary restrictions, and keto and paleo diets.

Select items can be found on nutrition tracking apps such as MyFitnessPal.

CookUnity sources local ingredients and says many of them are organic as well.

Best organic

Green Chef

• Price: starts at $11.99 per serving
• Shipping: $9.99, contiguous United States
• Subscription: 2–4 meals with 2, 4, or 6 servings each, delivered weekly
• Number of meal options per week: 30
• Meal types: meal kits
• Menus: Keto, Vegetarian, Mediterranean, Fast & Fit, Vegan, Gluten Free, Protein Packed

How it works: Green Chef is a certified organic meal kit company that offers seasonal recipes catered to a variety of diet patterns, including keto, vegan, vegetarian, high protein, and Mediterranean diets, which may support weight loss.

The service provides in-depth nutrition information for each meal on their menu. Many meals are also available on food tracking apps, including MyFitnessPal.

It’s also one of the best meal delivery services for families, as it offers plans with 2, 4, or 6 servings each.

What our tester says

“I’ve tried Green Chef several times and am always impressed. Each time, my ingredients arrived fresh and in good condition, and all of the recipe cards were easy to follow. I particularly appreciated that many ingredients come pre-chopped, making assembly a breeze.

“Most notable, though, is that all of the meals I’ve tried have had a generous serving of vegetables and a good variety of textures and flavors.

“To learn more about Green Chef and the meals I’ve tried, check out our in-depth review.”

— Kelli McGrane, MS, RD, Nutrition Editor II

How do these meal delivery services compare?

Take a look at how these meal deliveries for weight loss compare:

How to choose a meal delivery service for weight loss

• Price: Make sure to choose the meal delivery service that best fits your weekly or monthly food or grocery budget, and don’t forget to consider shipping costs and whether you’ll have to shop for additional meals or foods.
• High quality ingredients: Look for services that prioritize fresh ingredients and use little or no artificial additives or heavily processed ingredients. Some people may also prefer a service that offers organic produce, sustainable seafood, or grass-fed beef.
• Nutritional information: Look for services that offer nutritionally balanced meals or disclose each meal’s nutritional information. That way, you’ll better understand your calorie and macro intake.
• App compatibility: If you use an app to keep track of your calories or macros, it can be helpful to choose a service with meals that are already entered into your app.
• Variety: Look for alternatives that offer a varied menu, which will prevent you from getting bored with their dishes. It is also important that they accommodate your specific diet, be it omnivorous, vegan, gluten-free, low carb, etc.
• Convenience: Whether you have time to do a little cooking or just have a few minutes to warm up and eat, choose an option that meets your convenience needs. This will help you avoid wasting food and time.

Can a meal delivery service help you lose weight?

If you’re looking to lose weight, meal delivery services can be strategic allies for several reasons, including:

• Portion control: Meal delivery services offer preportioned meals with a fixed and known total calorie and macronutrient content. Portion sizes are directly linked to energy intake, so reducing them can be helpful for creating a calorie deficit to support weight loss (13, 14).
• Adherence: Whether you lack the time or resources, following a diet can be difficult because it requires careful meal planning. Meal delivery services can make adherence to diets like the Mediterranean diet or keto easier by delivering diet-compliant meals or meal kits directly to your door.
• Improve diet quality: Depending on the recipe, meal delivery services can provide meals that are more nutritious than what you might typically eat. In particular, these meals can provide lean proteins and good sources of fiber, like vegetables, to help keep you full. Protein is also important for preserving muscle mass (2, 5, 15, 16).

What’s more, research shows that exposure to greater healthful food variety — which is the case with most meal delivery services — can increase the intake of low calorie, energy-dense foods like fruits and vegetables, helping support and sustain weight loss (17).

Healthy ways to lose weight

Here are five healthy and quick tips if you’re looking to manage your weight:

• Maintain a temporary calorie deficit: Maintaining a temporary and controlled calorie deficit leads you to use more energy than you gain via the foods you eat. This creates a negative energy balance that results in weight loss with a lower risk of weight regain due to changes in your metabolism. Just make sure not to cut your calories too drastically, too quickly (18).
• Limit ultra-processed foods: High intakes of ultra-processed foods — such as sugary drinks, fast food, sweets, and even diet foods — cause excess calorie intake that leads to weight gain while providing little to no nutrients at all (19).
• Staying physical active: Increasing your physical activity or exercise also helps with losing weight and maintaining weight by creating a negative energy balance (20).
• Get enough sleep: Sleep deprivation is associated with weight gain due to hormonal changes that may alter the metabolism of sugars and behavioral changes that increase caloric intake. Thus, evidence recommends adults get at least 7 hours of sleep (21).

Check out this article for more science-backed tips on losing weight healthily and sustainably.

Frequently asked questions

Is it easier to lose weight with a meal delivery service?

While you can lose weight without using a meal delivery service, many people find they can be an easy and convenient way to enjoy more nutritious meals at home.

Additionally, meal delivery services help promote portion control and often offer meals low in calories or high in protein designed to support weight loss.

What food delivery service is best for weight loss?

Trifecta Nutrition is our choice as the best overall meal delivery service for weight loss thanks to its portion-controlled, nutritionally balanced meals. We also like that each meal contains at least 20 g of protein, and that there are menus to suit a variety of dietary needs.

If you prefer a meal kit, Sunbasket is our best overall pick because it offers menus to suit a variety of dietary patterns that may be helpful for weight loss, including Mediterranean, Diabetes-Friendly, Vegetarian, and Carb-Conscious.

Can you lose weight on HelloFresh meals?

Weight loss is achieved by reaching and maintaining a calorie deficit. Yet, because caloric needs are influenced by physical activity, height, and age, among other factors, one person’s calorie deficit can differ significantly from another person’s (22).

HelloFresh offers six different plans, including a lower calorie option called Calorie Smart, which provides meals under 650 calories per serving.

Consuming 650 calories per meal can easily fit into a calorie deficit. If it does not match yours, you could always plan around the rest of your daily meals to avoid a calorie surplus.

That said, weight loss is not guaranteed.

Which meal delivery service works best with Weight Watchers?

Blue Apron is a great option if you’re using WeightWatchers, as many of the meals on their Wellness menu are WeightWatchers approved.

However, many other meal delivery services also offer low calorie, nutritious meals that can fit into weight loss programs like WeightWatchers. Some other options include Purple Carrot, Sunbasket, and BistroMD.

The bottom line

There are many meal delivery services available that can help you reach your weight loss goals — each of which varies in price, flexibility, and effectiveness.

They also vary by the amount of time and preparation they require, with some offering fully prepared meals and others providing recipes and preportioned ingredients to allow you to make your own nutritious meals at home.

With a bit of research and experimentation, you can likely find a plan that works for you.