Jacqueline Yaple Swarbrick
Nutrition Intern: Bowling Green State University 

You’re driving home from work, starting to get hungry, mentally reviewing what is in your fridge, hoping there is something you can just heat up instead of making yet another meal. By the time you’ve decided what to cook for dinner, you now have to think about prepping for tomorrow’s lunch. You might say, “I don’t want to deal with that, I’ll just go out to eat.” Can you relate?

In our ever-busier lives, planning and preparing meals is often pushed to the back burner, or fixed through fast food and restaurant meals featuring large portions, lots of starches and little vegetables, whole grains or fruits. And in our current social-distancing, mask-wearing situation, the thought of going to the grocery store or out to a restaurant may generate feelings of anxiety or stress.

Enter, meal subscriptions. Meal subscriptions have become popular in recent years to help people prepare healthier, almost-as-good-as-a-restaurant meals at home without having to plan or go to the store. But, it can be hard to decide on something online when you don’t know how they compare, and there are a LOT of options right now. To help with that, we reviewed a few popular meal subscriptions offering well balanced ‘healthy’ meals. We will compare the basics, price, and nutrition, so let’s get started. 

Hungryroot

Hungryroot is designed to be a shopping buddy to help you come up with meal ideas as well as snacks and treats. 

What they offer:

• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
• Snacks
• Dessert

How it works:

Meals are based on your preferences, such as salads vs stir-fry or vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. The meals are delivered weekly. You choose how many meals each week and the foods inside them. Hungryroot also allows you to make substitutions or add extra items, in case you want some extra carrots for the salad. It is also easy to pause or skip weeks when needed. 

The Food:

Hungryroot offers foods free of hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup and artificial preservatives and colors. They have a combination of pre-made foods and basic ingredients. The breakfast, snacks and dessert are all pre-prepared. Lunch and dinner options are separate ingredients to build your own meals or follow recipes. 

Pros:

• Large vegetable variety
• Whole grain options
• Pre-cooked meat (saves time)

Price: 

It is about $8.00-9.00 per meal per person. 

Overall:

The portion sizes are on the smaller size, providing 300-600 calories depending on the meal. The program is a helpful way to substitute quick food options that are often high calorie with smaller nutrient-rich foods. It can be a good way to fill meals throughout the week that are rushed and even add other ingredients from home to make the meals go further. 

Learn more: https://www.hungryroot.com 

Daily Harvest 

Daily Harvest is designed differently in that it is all frozen and each meal is already combined and packaged. There is minimal preparation needed (blending a smoothie or heating up the food)

What they offer:

• Chia, Oat, or Grain Bowls
• Soups
• Flatbreads
• Smoothies
• Lattes
• Scoops ‘ice cream’
• Nut butter bites

How it works:

You order the items you want each week, with a minimum order of 9 items, and your order renews each week unless you cancel.

The Food:

The food is all either vegetarian or vegan. Their focus is on whole foods to provide a balance of nutrients. 

Pros:

• Variety of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains
• Variety in types of food
• Frozen for easy storage and preparation

Cons:

• Some items are high in sodium
• Calories range from 100 - 500 per serving

Price:
Items range around $6.00-$9.00 each

Overall:

Depending on your meal needs Daily Harvest can be a good option for that Wednesday lunch you didn’t have time to make. There are a wide variety of items to pick from, however the meals are still pretty basic from smoothie to grain bowl. The portion is smaller and may not be enough for a whole meal, but may be a good snack or side to a meal. 

Learn more: https://www.daily-harvest.com

Sun Basket 

Sun Basket has options that are a bit more hands on and can be made in 30 minutes as well as easier options and snacks. Their foods are organic and seasonal.

What they offer:

• Dinner
• Lunch
• Breakfast
• Pastas & noodles
• Stand-alone proteins
• Snacks (including sweet ones)

How it works:

You start by picking how many entrees you want (they include everything for the meal), then you can add on other smaller meals such as breakfast options or snacks, lastly you can add on additional protein or vegetables. The plan can be changed and altered as needed each week. 

The food:

They have a large variety of foods, with options to make meals that meet diet specifications such as vegetarian, paleo, Mediterranean, and diabetes-friendly.

Pros:

• Wide variety of menu items
• Minimal added sugar
• Meals are marked as "heart healthy"

Cons:

• Some meals are very high in sodium
• Some items are high in calories

Meals serve 2 or 4 and start at $10.99 per serving for dinner. 

Overall:

The meals are not as basic as the other two and include more variety. The proteins are also a little larger and range around 500-800 calories per serving for entrees. They have ready to bake, pre-cooked items, and some that require more prep as well. This plan is more comprehensive than most and can fit the needs for a nice sit-down dinner or a rushed breakfast. 

Learn more: https://sunbasket.com

Blue Apron

Blue Apron is a well-known meal subscription service that has been around for a while. They have options for meals that take 20-45 minutes to cook, and involve more preparation. Meals are available to suit a range of diets including vegetarian, weight watchers, and diabetes-friendly. Meal kits arrive with recipes and all the ingredients pre-measured which makes it an easy weeknight dinner option.

What they Offer:

• Dinner

How it works:

Choose a plan for 2-4 dinners each week serving 2-4 people each. You select from menu options that change each week and you are able to pause at any time. 

The food:

The menu is always changing and because you prepare the meal there is flexibility in what foods you include in the meal. 

Pros:

• Vegetarian and other diet options
• Larger portion sizes

Cons:

• Some meals are very high in sodium
• Wide range of calories
• Limited vegetarian options

Price:

$6.50-$9.99 per serving, depending on amount of servings in the meal.

Overall:

This is the most basic meal subscription of the ones included as they only offer dinner and all of the meals need to be prepared from scratch. They offer a few vegetarian options each week, and do not give much flexibility for someone on a vegetarian diet. Their portion sizes are on the larger size compared to the others which can be good if you like leftovers. 

Learn more: https://www.blueapron.com 

Hello Fresh

Hello Fresh is another big name in meal subscriptions and is geared to those that might be beginners in the kitchen. 

What they offer:

• Dinner

How it Works:

There are a variety of plans including vegetarian, low-calorie, and family-friendly. You can pick 2-5 meals a week that range from 2-4 portions per meal. Meal time prep ranges between 20-40 minutes. The meals are sent with everything premeasured, which makes it easy to prepare and less food wasted, but also means lots of packaging. You also receive utensils and plenty of directions with pictures. You are able to pause meals at any time.

The food:

The menu changes each week so there is always a range of options to pick from.

Pros:

• Kid-friendly options

Cons:

• Limited vegetarian options
• Some meals are high in sodium

Price:

$6.99-$8.99 per serving

Overall:

Hello Fresh a variety of options, but not as many options for those wanting a specific diet. The portion sizes and calories range per meal. But, with the easy to follow instructions and pre-measured ingredients, it can be a good option for a beginner cook or a midweek dinner.

Learn more: https://www.hellofresh.com/?locale=en-US 

Grocery Store

While the grocery store is not a meal subscription, it can work like one. With online ordering and curbside pick-up, shopping doesn’t take so long, you can avoid crowds, and you aren’t tempted to buy the cookies on display. Some stores have recipe cards available along with the ingredients readily available. Many stores also have pre-packaged meals such as salads and wraps that are under $6.00 as well as pre-sliced vegetables, cooked grains and protein options. Depending on the items purchased, choosing prepped food at the grocery store can be cheaper than meal subscriptions, and still save you time in the kitchen.

Click here for more reviews of these meal subscription services and more.