- 8 Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain - November 10, 2019
- 9 Healthy Food Swaps To Transform Your Health - March 31, 2019
- Plant-Based Protein: All You Need to Know - February 17, 2019
Plant-based meal delivery services are a convenient way to have pre-portioned ingredients, recipes and cooking instructions delivered to your home for you to prepare and cook yourself. They are a fun way to try different meals several times a week, and are perfect for busy people or those that are just bored with their current eating routine.
Other services offer pre-made meals delivered to your home each week which provides an even more convenient way to try new plant-based meals. These are ready to eat, just heat and serve.
The benefits of meal delivery services are:
- You get meal variety every week – great if you are stuck in a rut
- You get an array of nutrients due to the variety of recipes
- You can try different types of foods, spices and vegetables that you wouldn’t normally buy
- You learn new cooking techniques
- It encourages healthier eating
- Reduces food waste
- Convenience
- Less money than eating out at a sit-down restaurant
The potential downsides of plant-based meal delivery services are:
- Since this is a convenience service, the cost can be slightly more than what you would spend planning the meals yourself (depending on the service)
- You may not enjoy all meals that are sent to you
- There is a lot of packaging waste, but you can usually recycle most of the packaging material
As a nutritionist, I am a proponent of eating a healthy, varied diet but I understand that it’s not always easy to do. A plant-based meal service can help you start incorporating healthier meal options into your weekly menu.
I eat a predominately plant-based diet and I understand that it can be difficult to find time for food prep when life gets the better of you. This is why I’m a big proponent of plant-based meal delivery services. They can be a regular part of your life or used as needed when life is a little overwhelming.
The meal delivery service that I personally used for about two years is Purple Carrot, which offers nutritious gourmet plant-based recipes and ingredients. I highly recommend this service and have yet to be disappointed by any of their recipes.
Mosaic is a prepared vegan meal delivery service that I have tried after the company approached me on sampling several of their meals. All the complementary meals I received from Mosaic were tasty and full of nutrients and fiber. This is a nice option for when you don’t have time to cook and just want to grab something from the freezer for a quick and tasty plant-based meal.
I have also listed several other wonderful meal services that I have heard great things about. Here are the best plant-based meal delivery services that you should try:
Purple Carrot
Purple carrot is 100% plant based with a gluten free option. They send you a box every week with the recipes and all the ingredients. Each meal takes 25-40 minutes to make and they are delicious! This is the only meal plan that I can personally vouch for since I’ve been receiving a weekly meal plan for about two years now. I get the gluten free meals which are always amazing! I have made several recipes over and over again.
Plans: 2 serving plan (3 or 4 dinners per week) or a 4 serving plan (2 or 3 dinners per week). They also have breakfast and lunch options.
Cost: Ranges from $9.99 to 11.99 per meal
Options: plant-based (vegan); gluten free; limited soy; some organics; higher protein
Purple Carrot – $30 Off! Use code: carrot30
MamaSezz
MamaSezz is a pre-made whole food plant-based (WFPB) meal delivery service offering various meal bundles. MamaSezz uses organic and local farmers as much as possible. If you are looking for a compliant WFPB meal service that is already prepared, this is the perfect option.
MamaSezz also offers a la carte options such as salad dressings, sauces and other favorites like Mama’s Mac and Lazy Lasagna. All meals are oil free, gluten-free, wheat free, meat-free, egg-free, non-dairy, refined sugar free, preservative free, peanut-free and sesame-free. Certain meals are salt-free and soy-free.
This is the go-to meal delivery service for the Whole Food Plant Based community!
Plans: Various plans offered (weight loss, healthy heart, peak performance, SOS free, Immunity Boosting, Mastering Diabetes and others)
Cost: Averaging $169 for 21 meals (1 week worth of meals) or about $4-$6 per meal.
Options: Whole food plant-based
Mosaic
Mosaic is a chef-crafted vegan meal delivery service offering veggie bowls and oat bowls. Mosaic uses strict clean label standards with each meal containing between 10 to 20+ grams of plant protein! They strive to use organic ingredients and to buy local when possible.
If you are just beginning your plant-based journey, this is a great place to start or if you like to have a quick 5 minute meal waiting in the freezer, Mosaic is a great choice. Either way, you will love the convenience of Mosaic.
They offer several wheat-free and higher protein options as well. Some meals are vegetarian (leaf symbol), so look out for the V symbol to indicate vegan options. My favorite veggie bowl is the Jerk Lentil & Plantain Bowl – it was a great flavor combo and very filling!
On the humanitarian front, Mosaic works with the non-profit City Harvest to rescue 2 pounds of nutritious food and distribute it to New Yorkers in need for every Mosaic box sold!
Plans: You pick an 8-meal box to start and then choose whether to subscribe to deliveries every week, every 2 weeks, or every 4 weeks. You have the flexibility to swap meals, skip orders, change the frequency or upgrade to a 12 meal box for a better deal. You can also place a one-off order by contacting their support team directly. This is a nice option if you aren’t ready to be a regular just yet.
Delivery Area: Mosaic delivers within a one-day radius of their kitchen in the New York Hudson Valley area. That radius covers several cities including New York, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, and the surrounding areas. They are looking to expand in the future, so check their website for the most current delivery area.
Cost: Averaging about $8.99 per veggie bowl and $4.99 per oat bowl.
Options: Vegan, vegetarian, wheat-free, higher protein
Veestro
Veestro is a 100% plant-based meal delivery service. Meals are fully prepared, organic and made without preservatives.
Plans: Weight loss, Chef’s choice, A la carte.
Cost: $11.70-$13/meal. Save on auto-delivery. You also earn points as you go to save on future meals.
Options: 10, 20, or 30 meal options available for Chef’s Choice. 5-day or 7-day option for the weight loss plan.
Sun Basket
Sun Basket is a mix and match meal kit delivery service with 18 weekly recipes. Their hand-selected seasonal ingredients include 99% organic produce, 100% non-GMO produce, antibiotic and hormone-free meat, and wild-caught sustainably sourced fish with plant-based options. Nutritionist approved recipes that contain between 500-800 calories each. Sun Basket makes it easy to cook delicious meals, eat clean, and feel great. You will receive $35 off your first order when signing up.
Plans: Classic menu: 3 recipes for 2-4 people; Family plan: 2, 3, or 4 recipes for family of 4 (only Chef’s choice or vegetarian options)
Cost: $11.99/serving for classic menu and $10.99/serving for family
Options: Paleo, Lean & Clean (no gluten, soy, dairy, lower calorie), Gluten-free, Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescetarian, Mediterranean, family friendly, diabetes-friendly, quick and easy
Green Chef
Premium, organic ingredients and chef-crafted recipes delivered every week, 2 weeks or 4 weeks. Includes pre-made sauces, marinades and spice blends. They have a nice variety of plan options. You can’t mix and match between plan options, but you can try a different plan every week.
Plans: 2, 4 or 6 serving plans available. Family plan is 2 meals per week with 4 servings each.
Cost: Ranges from $9.99-$12.99 per serving. There is an additional $7.99 shipping per box.
Options: plant-powered (vegetarian and vegan), keto, balanced living, paleo, family plan, gluten-free
Fresh n’ Lean
Fresh n’ Lean prepares and delivers organic, gluten-free, and fresh meals directly to your door. Nationwide delivery available. Meals are pre-made and ready within 3 minutes in the microwave or 10-15 minutes in the oven. No artificial ingredients. All organic. All gluten-free. Never frozen.
Plans: Meal plans and A la carte with 5 or 7 day options. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack options.
Cost: Starts at $9.33 per serving. FREE shipping.
Options: Vegan standard, Vegan low-carb, Protein +, Keto, Paleo
Daily Harvest
Daily Harvest delivers chef crafted nutritionist approved frozen meals that 100% plant-based which are at least 95% organic. Daily Harvest pays special attention to what is on the EWG’s Dirty Dozen List and always use organic for those on the list. There are over 80 options that are convenient and ready to enjoy within minutes. They currently deliver to over 95% of the US. This is a great option to keep some of your favorites stocked up in the freezer for an ultra convenient healthy meal.
Plans: Pick 9, 14 or 24 meals that are delivered weekly or monthly.
Cost: Depending on which options you choose, plans start at $5.99 per item.
Options: 100% plant-based. Choose between smoothies, Harvest Bowls, Flatbreads, Soups, Bites, Oat Bowls, Scoops (ice cream), Chia Bowls and Lattes
Sign up for a nutrition consultation if you would like to learn more about eating a plant-based diet and get recommendations tailored to your specific health status.
