9 Best Food Subscription Brands
Searching For The 9 Best Food Subscription Brands
Food subscriptions were born out of the need for convenience. Serving up heat-and-eat or pre-prepped, ready-to-cook dishes, meal delivery brands are cherished for their diet options, rotating menus, and flexible plans—and gobbled up by hungry families short on time.
But the truth is, even if you have plenty of time to cook, meal planning can be a drag. And, multiple trips to the grocery store aren’t celebrated pastimes.
Over the last ten years, the number of food subscription brands on the market has drastically increased. This fact can only be a reflection of our society’s needs for fast, fresh, and affordable meal options.
As food trends change—things like keto, vegan, paleo, and the like—over time, we’ve seen an emergence of more and more brands catering to these preferences.
Many services simply tack on a few special dishes to their current menu, but there are also some who dedicate their entire menus to them.
Regardless of your diet preferences, or whether you like to dabble in vegan on Mondays but love a juicy beef burger on a Friday night, you’ll find a ton of different options to suit your needs throughout this list of our top 9 best food subscriptions. So let’s just get right into it.
9 Best Food Subscription Brands
#1: EveryPlate
EveryPlate is a division of HelloFresh. Launched in 2018 as a budget-friendly version of the popular food subscription service, the new brand is on a mission to provide flexible, low-cost meals to those seeking frequent food delivery.
The HelloFresh founders, Dominik Richter, Thomas Griesel, and Jessica Nilsson, created the brand. But, you’ll read more about their story a little further down in this best food subscriptions list.
The brand is loved for its flexibility, as well as its incredibly low price—just $5 (plus shipping) per meal. It packs prepared, fresh ingredients into your weekly box for you to unload and cook up home-style meals in just 30 minutes or less.
EveryPlate gives hungry customers 18 different meal options each week. Some sample recipes that caught our eyes were Diner Style Chicken and Gravy, Dijon Butter Steak, and Creamy Coconut Chickpea Curry.
You’ll need a few extra items, usually simple things like salt, pepper, and olive oil, but everything else you need to make the meal comes right in the box along with a set of instructions.
When you choose to subscribe you’ll get to pick between the Classic Plate, Veggie Plate, or Family Plate, then select how many meals you’d like per week and how many people you’re feeding.
The brand’s simple and inexpensive meal delivery service is recommended by over 9k families. And, it is regarded as a worthwhile time and money saver.
Related: View our full EveryPlate Meals Review
#2: Freshly
Freshly was founded by Michael Wystrach and Carter Comstock in 2012 to serve the New York area. It was acquired by the Nestle family in 2020 and expanded, but the brand’s commitment to low pricing and delicious meals never wavered.
With nutrition at the core of what makes Freshly so successful, its chefs whip up tasty meals with hidden veggies to help you hit your DRA. The brand uses less sugar in its recipes, as well as minimally processed ingredients so that you can actually feel good about what you’re eating.
Believing that “eating fresh, nutritious, and delicious dishes should be easy for all,” the brand offers gluten-free, soy-free, and dairy-free options, meaning those with intolerances and allergies can enjoy its meals too. And since they’re pre-made, all you need to do is heat up your dishes for about 3 minutes and dig in.
In general, customers love the variety and taste of the meals Freshly offers. The brand has a 4.9/5 star rating from over 11k people on Trustpilot.
Freshly gives a ton of options when it comes to meals per week. Because it makes recipes for lunch and dinner, you can choose 4, 6, 8, 10, or 12 meals per week, meaning that if you choose 12, your lunch and dinner will be taken care of for 6 days out of 7.
Its meals are one serving meant for one person and average at about $8-$12 per dish. Some interesting recipes include the Fiesta Beef Bowl, Shrimp & Andouille Pasta, and the Keto-Friendly Chicken Bowl.
Its meals are fresh, not frozen, but they’ll stay good all week in the fridge, or you can toss them in the freezer and reheat. The brand also offers a FreshlyFit line for those who need to hit macronutrient goals but want to do it without the guesswork.
Related: View our full Freshly Review
#3: Naturebox
If you’re into snacks, Naturebox may be a good choice. And if natural, wholesome snacks are your thing, then Naturebox may just become your new best friend.
Founded in 2012 by Dilpreet Singh, Gautam Gupta, and Kenneth Chen, the brand believes “in a world where snacks should do more than just get you through your afternoon sugar slump.”
Not only does this brand ship these snacks to you, but it actually makes them—something that sets them apart from other snack subscription brands on the market and the reason it made our best food subscriptions list.
Delivering on wholesome nutrition, you won’t find any corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, or MSG in these tasty treats. Nor will you find more than 10 grams of added sugar per serving. In fact, the brand has a whole list of banned ingredients they steer clear of.
NatureBox promises that you’ll not only eat healthier, but will actually save money, and get up to 72% of your boxes’ costs in credit each year. All about customer satisfaction, each snack comes with a guarantee, so if you don’t love it, let them know and they’ll send you a new one free of cost.
Across the board, customers say they’re really happy with the quality of snacks the brand offers, as well as the many subscription options they have available. You’ll get to build your own box by selecting treats a la carte from its menu, or choose from six different curated selections that have different themes, like Sweet Treats, Less Stress, and Bestsellers.
When choosing your box, you can select your nutrition preferences on the side menu—things like keto-friendly, vegan, or no added sugar. Though these options are for personal use, the brand also offers boxes for offices.
To give you an idea of just how popular this brand is, its boxes are trusted in big-name offices like Facebook and Google!
Related: View our full NatureBox Subscription Review
#4: Dinnerly
Dinnerly is on a mission is to provide “unfussy, affordable weeknight cooking.” A spin-off of Martha Stewart’s meal service, Marley Spoon (founded by Fabian Siegel in 2016), the budget-friendly brand got its start just one year after Stewart’s company was launched.
Though MarleySpoon is an incredible service, Dinnerly brings a home-style cooking touch to your dinner plate. It caters to those who want a great-tasting dinner in under 30 minutes but would rather cook it themselves than order expensive takeout.
Praised for its incredibly low prices (under $5 per adult-sized serving), Americans love the service for busy weeknights where meal planning isn’t an option. Dinnerly is a much simpler service than others on this Best Food Box list, offering just two options: Regular or Vegetarian. It serves up meals for two people or for a family of four.
From there, you can decide how many meals you want per person, per week from 3-6. Because the minimum amount of meals received per person is three, this service is ideal for those who want dinner taken care of for most of the week.
What kind of recipes can you expect with Dinnerly? Things like Low Carb Steak and Crispy Green Beans, Chicken Tinga Tostadas, and Smash Burgers with Oven Fries. Though there are no vegan options, Dinnerly accommodates those on low-carb diets.
In terms of popularity, this brand is loved for its prices, but in general, gets average star ratings from review sites—around 3.5/5 stars.
Related: View our full Dinnerly Review
#5: HelloFresh
When we think of meal delivery services, HelloFresh is the first one that comes to mind. It’s actually America’s #1 food subscription brand but operates in several locations around the world as well.
Founded in 2011 in Berlin, Germany by Dominik Richter, Thomas Griesel, and Jessica Nilsson, HelloFresh helps hungry customers balance their CO2 footprint as it is the first-ever carbon-neutral food box service.
Delivering kits packed with fresh ingredients and creative meals, the brand guides you through healthy recipes expertly crafted by the brand’s nutritionists and chefs. HelloFresh’s signature feature is that all of its recipes take under 30 minutes to make.
The service offers four meal kit options:
- Meat & Veggies
- Family Friendly
- Vegetarian
- Smart Meals
It caters to 2-4 people and serves up 3-4 meals per week per person. A few recipes that caught our eye were the BBQ Rubbed Chicken, Pork and Apple Burger, and Spicy Chickpea Wraps.
You can tell HelloFresh meals are simple, but they all have a special flair to them that slightly elevates them above typical 30-minute meals. Offering vegan picks like Cantonese Noodles with Beyond Meat, this brand lets customers browse menus for the month ahead—two things that set them apart from other services.
To give you an idea of how much users love this program, over 7k customers on Trustpilot have rated the service an average of 4.2/5 stars.
Related: View our full HelloFresh Review
#6: Sunbasket
Founded in 2014 by chef Justine Kelly, Tech expert Adam Zbar, Tyler MacNiven, and George Nachtrieb, the San Francisco-based brand is on a mission “to empower people to live their healthiest lives, starting with what’s on their forks.”
The brand believes that food is an important part of health, but that our health shouldn’t compromise our planet’s wellbeing. Using high-quality, fresh ingredients, Sunbasket helps customers cut down on food waste, carbon emissions from trips to the grocery store, and pushes for 100% recyclable and compostable packaging.
The brand offers heat-and-eat meals alongside ready-to-cook boxes, but in general, customers seem to enjoy the latter more. Looking at the meals Sunbasket offers, they appear to be bright, vibrant, and certainly fresh-looking, and don’t look or sound as heavy as some of the other brands on this best food subscriptions list.
You’ll get to choose from recipes like Lemongrass Chicken Salad with Pickled Carrots and Sesame Miso Dressing, Blueberry Apricot Pork Chops with Sautéed Kale, and Mojo Pork Tacos with Pickled Onion and Salsa Verde. See what we mean?
The recipes are certainly varied, reflecting the brand’s numerous plan options—Paleo, Carb-Conscious, Gluten-Free, Lean & Clean, Diabetes-Friendly, Chef’s Choice, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Mediterranean, and Fresh & Ready.
You can also add breakfast, snacks, or side orders of protein to each meal plan. Meal Kits are sent with enough servings for 2-4 people and are typically around $9 per plate.
Sunbasket receives mid-range ratings from customers across review sites, but overall, it’s said to deliver fresh, organic, high-quality ingredients.
#7: Sakara
With a holistic approach to eating, this plant-based meal delivery service focuses on using whole-food, nutrient-dense ingredients and creates meals with purpose. Each ingredient the brand uses is included for a reason, whether it’s fiber, clean protein, or antioxidants.
Scientifically formulating meals as if they were supplements, Sakara takes food seriously so you don’t have to. The brand, founded in 2012 by Danielle Duboise and Whitney Tingle, bases its food on what they call the 9 Pillars of Nutrition.
Each meal is crafted around these principles, and developed by a science and advisory council that ensures each one delivers on the brand’s goals.
Based in LA, Sakara is sworn on by celebrities like Lily Aldridge. Many say the program is life-changing—but it is on the pricier side, and is certainly the most expensive option in our best food subscriptions list.
Offering Signature, Detox, and Brides programs, each one can be tailored to the needs of their clients. Its Signature program is the most popular, and you’ll be able to sign up for 2, 3, or 5 days per week, but can choose how long you’d like to stay in the program for (2 days only if you like!).
Its plans deliver 3 meals a day, as well as teas, supplements, and support along the way. Whichever plan you choose, they’ll always be plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, non-GMO, and free from refined sugar.
On the menu, you’ll find fresh takes on traditional favorites, like the Red Beet Burger, the Sakara Cobb Salad, and Sakara Mac and “Cheese.”
A highly-praised brand, this is a luxury meal service, so be prepared to shell out $70/day.
Related: View our full Sakara Review
#8: Butcherbox
Though not a meal delivery service, Butcherbox made our list for the best food subscriptions because of its approach to improving the quality of your mealtime. Launched in 2015 by Mike Salguero, the Boston-based brand has a mission “to make high-quality meat more accessible to all.”
The company partners with farmers who actually care about the lives of their animals, follow sustainable practices, and deliver on quality. Butcherbox has truly redesigned the way we buy meat.
Offering a range of meat from grass-fed beef, free-range organic chicken, crate-free pork, and wild-caught seafood, the brand ships pre-cut and vacuum-sealed portions to your door each month.
It curates several types of boxes, but its Custom Box appears to be the most popular. In it, you’ll receive 9-14 lbs of the meat of your choosing, picked from over 25 different cuts. In the end, the meal portions included in this box are under $5, so all you’ll need to do is add a veggie or simple carb.
Other boxes the brand offers include the Mixed Box, Beef & Chicken Box, All Beef Box, and the Beef & Pork Box.
Subscribers say the meat Butcherbox sends is delicious and definitely high-quality. You can taste the difference between it and what you’d get in the regular grocery store.
The brand has a 4.8/5 star rating on Google. It might be a bit on the pricier side, but still in the realm of affordable for someone who eats meat with every meal.
Related: View our full ButcherBox Subscription Review
#9: MarleySpoon
Martha Stewart, the classy rebel in the kitchen. Known for her delectable, fool-proof recipes, MarleySpoon takes some of Martha’s favorites and condenses them into easy-to-prepare, 30-minute (or sometimes 20-minute) meals.
Using Martha’s trusted suppliers to source only the freshest ingredients, the brand’s meal kits are delivered weekly with pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow instructions.
The service is available all around the world and offers international cuisines that deliver on bold flavor. The folks at MarleySpoon believe that “cooking should be a pleasure, and know that with full lives and busy schedules, it can be a challenge.”
The brand exists to offer a helping hand in the kitchen. It’s sort of like Martha is there gracefully hovering over your shoulder and gently guiding you with her calming, patient tone.
The public’s perception of the brand varies, but it looks like the majority report of fresh ingredients, outstanding recipe selection, and cost-effective pricing.
Offering meals for 2 or 4 people, MarleySpoon has the most extensive options for weekly menus. You can choose from 2-6 dishes per person for around $10 per plate.
Picking meals is fun. The menu has a fresh sophistication about it that’s so classically Martha. The brand releases 29 recipes each week, so you can experiment with dishes you’ve always wanted to try but thought you never could.
Providing five different meal plan categories, this is one of the only meal plans on this list offering a vegan option. Take your pick of: Health & Diet, Vegetarian & Vegan, Meat & Fish, Under 30 Minutes, and Family-Friendly plans.
To give you an idea of the caliber of recipes you’ll be cooking up, take a look at these recipe ideas: Grilled Salmon & Tomato Peach Salad, Baja Style Cauliflower Tacos, and 20-Minute Chicken Curry.
MarleySpoon also offers ready-to-heat meals, desserts, and separate protein options too.
CNET described the brand’s meals as “thoughtful,” and “inventive,” and gave it an 8.6/10 star rating for its delicious range of recipes with vibrant, easy-to-following instruction cards.
Related: View our full Marley Spoon Review
Who Is A Food Subscription For?
Really, food subscriptions are for anyone. They cater to a number of diet preferences—vegan, keto, low-carb, meat-lovers…you name it—and are so incredibly customizable that you can choose just one meal per week, or subscribe for only two weeks while you go through a hectic time in your life (ie. moving, big project, etc.).
Of course, they’re meant to be enjoyed long-term, but it’s totally up to you to decide how you’d like to use them.
Many of the brands mentioned in this best food subscriptions list offer meals for the whole family—meaning your kids, spouse, mother, grandma, cousin’s uncle, or whoever’s in your house, can enjoy a home-cooked meal. But you will find some that cater to just one serving for one person.
And though often, meal subscription brands help you save money, there are a few extravagant ones too. Ultimately, we think this is a good thing because it means all types of people with all types of budgets, needs, and preferences can take advantage of them.
Many brands offer a range of diet choices, but you will also come across a few that have just one option. Depending on your preferences, you’ll find some brands are better suited to that specific style of cooking.
In terms of who food subscriptions suit best—we say the sky’s the limit. Busy dads, seniors, college kids, people who hate to cook, and even those who want to learn to cook!
How Do Food Subscriptions Work?
The best food delivery companies offer streamlined, personalizable plans, and for the most part, ordering them is as easy as a few clicks on your computer screen.
Brands may offer slight variation in terms of delivery, but for the most part, they deliver once per week. And, you’ll simply pop your prepared ingredients or meals in the fridge and heat them or cook them throughout the week.
You can always skip a week, alter your plan, or put it on pause for a while if you’d like to try things the old-fashioned way or put your newfound skills to good use.
Your meals will arrive in a box packed with either dry ice or ice packs that will keep them cold—usually until 10 pm the day they make it to your doorstep. They do this so that you don’t have to be home to receive your box and all of the ingredients will stay fresh.
In general, Food Subscription services operate in a matter of three steps. You’ll pick a plan that aligns with your preferences, choose a schedule that suits your needs, and then cook or heat your food once it’s delivered.
How Do I Choose The Right Food Subscription?
The best food subscriptions operate similarly, but finding the right one to fit your preferences can take a little bit of digging.
As you’ve probably noticed in this best food subscriptions list, some brands look almost identical, while others follow a particular diet or offer a concept, like snacks. But within most one of those brands lies a heaping dose of variation in terms of diet preferences, servings, ingredients, and frequency.
With many of these brands, you can be low carb on the weekdays and a carb-o-holic on the weekends, or choose to receive heat-and-eat meals between the days you get adventurous with your cooking skills. With others, you’ll look forward to consistency following a particular diet.
But aside from diet, there are quite a few other factors that may make you gravitate towards one meal delivery service rather than the others. Think of your schedule, your family’s needs, ingredients, or perhaps one of the most important things to consider, the price.
Some of the brands on this best food subscriptions list come with hefty price tags reflecting premium ingredients and science-backed recipes, while others were simply made for quick and easy eating.
Most of the brands on this list offer flexible subscriptions, but you may find that some are more lenient than others when it comes to cancellation and offer more options in terms of frequency.
Be sure to keep an eye out for how many meals a day the brand you’re interested in offers as well. You’ll find that some cater to dinner only, while others serve up to three meals a day.
We hope you enjoyed reading about the top food subscriptions and feel like you know a little more about what to look for when choosing one to fit your needs, budget, and most importantly, your taste.
Looking for other top brands? Check out these curated lists below:
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