Eating healthy is a critical part of aging well. According to one study, eating healthy provides benefits throughout life, like protecting against cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. However, not everyone has the time or ability to cook every day. If that applies to you, home meal delivery services are the answer.
Meal delivery services offer the chance to cook for yourself with pre-portioned selections or enjoy it straight out of the bag, depending on what type you purchase. There are ample customization opportunities, whether you’re a vegetarian or seeking to add more protein to your diet. Read on to learn more about 11 of the best home meal delivery services.
1. Purple Carrot
Some seniors want to incorporate vegan options into their lives, so Purple Carrot is a natural choice. Every meal here is plant-based and provides innovative flavors and complex combinations. The meals have been proven to lower LDL cholesterol, a massive win for any health-conscious older adult.
The meals Purple Carrot provides are influenced by various tastes worldwide, so you get a universe of culinary options. They are the best choice if health is your primary focus as a senior and you don’t have time to plan meals or shop for the ingredients yourself. They’re also portioned appropriately.
Cost: $11-$13 per serving, $13 per prepared meal, and $10 delivery for under $100 orders
Available Plans: 2-4 servings a week, 3-4 meals a week
Related: How to Approach the Topic of Caregiving With Aging Parents
2. Blue Apron
Blue Apron is another excellent choice for meal delivery and one of the first meal delivery selections on the market. They offer step-by-step instructions for their meals and ensure they can be ready in less than 40 minutes for even the busiest individual.
You can choose from 16 menu choices, rotating weekly to provide variation for their customers. They are consistently fresh selections and provide ample spices to make distinctions between each dish. It’s an adventurous choice but isn’t as extreme as other meal delivery services.
Cost: $8-$12 per serving and $11 delivery fee
Available Plans: 2-5 meals a week, 2-4 servings per meal
3. Hungryroot
For seniors who love to plan meals ahead of time, Hungryroot is an excellent delivery service. It creates a list of recipes and ingredients based on your meal preferences, then ships everything you need to your door and will ensure your fridge is always full. It begins with a quiz to see what you want and fills in your eating needs.
Once Hungryroot creates the grocery list of your dreams, you can edit it and add preferences if you want something different. However, they seem to be pretty on it, selecting the right preferences.
Cost: $9.69 per serving
Available Plans: 2-4 servings per recipe, 3-8 meals per delivers and groceries
4. Factor Meals
Maybe you’re a senior on a specialized diet, such as a keto diet. In that case, it’s beneficial to invest in something like Factor Meals. Factor Meals are completely prepared and ready to throw into the microwave or oven. For seniors with little cooking skills or time, Factor Meals are more convenient than traditional meal delivery services.
With a subscription, every senior has access to a consultation with a registered dietitian to select the meal preference best suited to their diet. Choose from Chef’s Choice, Keto, Calorie Smart, Protein +, Vegan, Veggie, and Flexitarian. You can also update these whenever necessary for dietary changes.
Cost: $13 per serving and $11 delivery fee
Available Plans: Individual meals and 6-18 meals a week
5. EveryPlate
EveryPlate is another excellent selection if you want a more affordable meal selection. Every meal is the quality of a restaurant, but it’s a fraction of the cost of many meal plans. They offer excellent variety and offerings for every diet and palette that you can change at any time for the ultimate comfort.
While the items in shipped boxes aren’t as organized as other meal delivery services, you have everything you need and recipes to follow. They’re also packaged well, so you don’t have to worry about losing their chill even if they sit on your porch for a little while. They’re prepared for every life.
Cost: $5-$7 per serving and $10 delivery fee
Available Plans: 2, 4, and 6 people, 3-5 meals a week
Related: How Caregivers Can Encourage Proper Nutrition
6. HelloFresh
HelloFresh is the classic in the meal delivery world, offering ample curated options and plenty of deals throughout the year where you can get no-cost breakfast or meal options. They are packaged well, organized, and simple to pull together. Plus, you can use the meal cards and access their recipes on their website or the app.
There are around 30 meal selections each week, so you can select the items that best suit your preferences. They’ve been in the industry for a long time, and that’s apparent with their seasonal rotating menu and ample customization selections. You also have the option to skip weeks, so you don’t have to pay every week if you’d prefer to go solo.
Cost: $10-$11 per serving and $11 shipping
Available Plans: 2-4 people, 2-6 meals a week
7. Uber Eats
Maybe you enjoy cooking at home and purchasing your groceries, but you’d love to have food from your favorite restaurant delivered to your door. Uber Eats provides delivery from the restaurant of your choice, right at your door, with all the customization options. You don’t have to speak to the delivery person if that’s better for your diet.
Restaurant meals aren’t where Uber Eats ends. If you want to make your entire experience with food as simple as possible, we recommend using Uber Eats’s grocery delivery option. This service is available in hundreds of cities and permits you to shop for your groceries virtually and have them on your doorstep on the same day.
Cost: Cost or order plus $0-$8 fee and tip
Available Plans: Restaurant delivery or grocery delivery to your door
8. Dinnerly
If you’re a beginner chef, Dinnerly is the answer for home meal delivery services. They have excellent vegetarian options, which are beneficial in reducing heart disease, diabetes, and more. They also have ample variety, which means you can eat vegetarian or vegan without worrying about getting bored.
All meals here have six steps, five ingredients, and will be available in a flash. If you don’t have a specific preference for your diet, you can choose an option that permits delivery of their entire rotating menu. Even the most inexperienced chef will have a good time learning basic skills and improve at this crucial ability. It’s never too late to become a good chef.
Cost: $5-$8 per serving and $11.99 shipping
Available Plans: 2-4 people, 2-6 meals a week
9. Green Chef
Although studies show there aren’t additional health benefits to eating organic, organic foods are less likely to have the pesticides and chemicals of other fruits and veggies. Green Chef is the answer for seniors who want to limit their exposure to the artificial and potentially harmful ingredients in their bodies.
All ingredients are pre-measured, USDA-certified organic, and made for the health-conscious investor. These meals can be slightly more complex, so it will take a few more pots and pans than other recipes. However, it’s worth the hustle to be healthy without shopping for a pantry full of food.
Cost: $12-$13 a serving and $11 delivery fee
Available Plans: 2, 4, and 6 people, 3-5 meals a week
10. Sunbasket
Sunbasket doesn’t have as much variety as other meal delivery services, but they have ample cooking options. You can invest in ready-to-heat meals or go with the traditional cook and serve yourself, depending on your schedule and cooking ability. Every meal comes to life with high-quality, organic ingredients.
There are tons of preference options with Sunbasket. You can get meals for diabetes, Mediterranean, vegetarian, pescetarian, keto-friendly, gluten-free, carb-conscious, and more. They’re all created by registered dietitians and expert chefs so you can have complete confidence in the meals delivered to your door.
Cost: $11 per meal kit, $10 per Fresh & Ready meals
Available Plans: 2-4 people, 3-5 meals per week; Single serving of Fresh & Ready, 4-10 meals per week
11. Postmates
Last, but far from least, is Postmates. Postmates is one of the top competitors with services like Uber Eats, providing delivery from your favorite sit-down and fast food restaurants to your front door. You can enjoy the delicacy of a night on the town without going elsewhere. It’s also an excellent way to support restaurants and diners in your town.
Like the competitive Uber Eats, Postmates also provides efficient grocery delivery. Their goal is to make the experience as simple as possible for investors, which means you can get delicious food and everything necessary to restock your fridge without much effort. Their application is also simple to use, which is helpful for any senior in ordering.
Cost: Cost of food and groceries plus $.99-$3.99 delivery fee and tip
Available Plans: Food, alcohol, and grocery delivery
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