The 6 Best Meal Delivery Services for Families This Year

Can a meal delivery service really feed the whole family? These ones can.

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Parents have enough going on during the week to try and find a meal kit for the family—juggling kids’ extracurriculars with work schedules, doing household chores, and managing whatever curveballs come their way. Putting meals on the table that the whole family will enjoy shouldn’t be an added stress.

Meal kits are here to help alleviate that; skip the store and start enjoying meal prep and family time again. Meals are delivered right to your door, with all the necessary ingredients and without the stress of an after-work grocery run. Some even come pre-made and just need to be heated up. While many companies cater to couples, there are still plenty of family-friendly options out there. Here are six of the most popular meal kits made to feed everyone in your household (even the picky eaters).

Top Meal Delivery Services for Families

Nurture Life

food on table
Nurture Life

Nurture Life is an excellent meal delivery service for the smallest, pickiest eaters in our lives. The service caters to little ones of all ages, with healthy meals for babies, toddlers, and kids. This is a major plus for families with kids at different life stages since you can easily shop for the whole crew. Finger foods for babies that are learning to self-feed can include Mini White Mac with Hidden Cauli & Broccoli, while kids and toddlers will gobble up the Chicken Meatballs with Spiral Pasta & Veggies.

All meals feature clean ingredients with organic vegetables and proteins that are antibiotic-free. Nurture Life does a great job at identifying potential allergens and displaying nutritional information so you know exactly what’s going into your child’s body. For example, when shopping the menu, you’ll see designations for things like coconut-free, pork-free, fish-free, and sesame-free to maintain even the strictest dietary needs.

And let’s not forget about snacks, because we all need snacks. Nurture Life has wholesome snack bites that are irresistible to kids and parents alike!

Here’s everything you need to know about the plans at Nurture Life:

  • What you get: This service is made for families that want to feed their kids healthy meals catered to what their growing bodies need. You can choose between finger foods, kids’ meals, and snacks. The menu changes every week, keeping the kids excited for more.
  • Dietary options: Nurture Life is free of peanuts and all tree nuts (except coconut). Many items are also free of common allergens like soy, wheat, eggs, milk, fish, and sesame.
  • Average cook time: The meals your kids will love are ready in just one minute or less! Just pop the fresh meals into the microwave and you’re good to go.
  • Cost: Finger foods are $6.89, kids’ meals start at $7.99, and snacks are $7.99. You can purchase a plan based on how many meals you’ll need for your family, with plans for 6, 9, 12, and 15 meals. Shipping is free on boxes of 12 or more.

Crowd Cow

crowd cow food
Crowd Cow

Meat and seafood lovers can rejoice. Crowd Cow delivers your favorite proteins to your doorstep to create meals that will pass every taste test. Ever found yourself questioning exactly where the meat from the grocery store comes from? Crowd Cow takes away the guesswork, giving you meat with no antibiotics or hormones and no added salt, colorants, or chemicals. What you get is sustainably raised products from any one of 100+ independent farms.

No matter if little Luke wants chicken and big sister Sam wants a burger, Crowd Cow has what you (and everyone else) might need. There are over 600 meat, seafood, and side items to choose from. Even better, you can get complete meal bundles that include your main protein and a side for quick but flavorful dinners with the kids. With only ten minutes or so spent cooking, you and the family can get started on family movie night even sooner.

You'll also find there's a wide variety of breakfasts, desserts, and delicious sides to pick from. Have gluten-free blueberry waffles and blueberry maple sausage ready in a snap before sending the kids off to school, then have gluten-free mac and cheese with a seasoned vegetable medley for dinner. (Yep, Crowd Cow offers more than just meat.) For the month of April, check out weekly specials up to 20% off grilling favorites such as Brisket, St. Louis Ribs and Ribeye Steaks!

Here are all the details on Crowd Cow’s meal delivery service:

  • What you get: You can shop individual products, family packs, or save the most time with their meal bundles that come with a side.
  • Dietary options: While it specializes in meat and seafood without special dietary restrictions, Crowd Cow does have a few gluten-free options in its lineup.
  • Average cook time: With meal bundles, you get yummy, kid-approved meals in ten minutes or less.
  • Cost: Meals start at $4.70 per serving. When you sign up for their free recurring membership, you get discounted prices across all of Crowd Cow’s products. You also get free shipping on orders over $99.

Hungryroot

hungryroot food
Hungryroot - facebook

Hungryroot gives you a new spin on healthy, nutritious food with easy-to-execute recipes. First up, you’ll take a quick quiz to specify any dietary restrictions for you and your family. From there, it’ll provide you with get a custom grocery list and simple recipes that you’re welcome to tweak before your items ship out.

Hungryroot grocery deliveries save you time with grocery shopping and meal planning. Plus, in addition to weekly recipes, you have access to the Hungryroot Cookbook, which is stocked with 4,000+ meal ideas. These chef-inspired recipes list out everything you need to get cooking; with so many options, everyone in your family is sure to find something satisfying.
Hungryroot is also a company that values sustainability, and you’ll find that nearly all of its shipping materials are 100% recyclable.

Find out what makes Hungryroot a top meal delivery service for healthy eating:

  • What you get: Hungryroot delivers your groceries directly to your doorstep every week. Meats, grains, pasta, veggies; you name it. What you get is determined by your answers to a helpful quiz that asks about what your family likes to eat, your overall eating goals, and what recipes look most delicious. From there, Hungryroot will load up your cart with suggested ingredients and you can further customize if you choose.
  • Dietary options: Hungryroot really shines with how much it caters to just about every nutritional need. You can create food profiles and specify considerations like low carb, paleo, keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free.
  • Average cook time: Most recipes will take between 10 and 30 minutes to prepare. We love simple, fuss-free recipes, and we know parents do, too. There are also ready-made items that save you even more time for those extra busy days.
  • Cost: Hungryroot plans start at $65, which includes three, two-serving meals. The cost of your specific family plan will depend on how many groceries you want to order each week, but the prices are transparent as you build your cart. Shipping is free for deliveries over $70.

Don't forget to us this link in order to save 30% off your first delivery of $99+!

HelloFresh

hellofresh meals
HelloFresh

We get it—feeding a large family can get expensive. That's why HelloFresh is all about keeping family dinner nights enjoyable and simple–while also budget-friendly–with their ever-popular and affordable meal delivery service.

HelloFresh promises to save you time and money in comparison to trips to the supermarket. These five-star recipes are as fun to prepare as they are to eat—get everyone involved and turn meal prep into a family activity even the kids will love. In short, HelloFresh makes sure the entire family is well-fed with perfectly portioned and nutritious meals. And you’re guaranteed a stress-free night with less time spent working in the kitchen.

Why is HelloFresh great for families? Find out below:

  • What you get: HelloFresh recipes offer up something for everyone. Enjoy some of the more eclectic meals and encourage the kiddos to get out of their comfort zone by trying new cuisines and flavors.
  • Dietary options: So. Many. Options. Choose from meat and veggies, vegetarian, fit and wholesome, family-friendly, and pescatarian meals; or mix-and-match for even more variety.
  • Average cook time: On average, HelloFresh meals take roughly 30 minutes to prepare. If you’re really on a time crunch, you can pick the quick and easy box and keep meal prep to a minimum. Or, if you don't mind creating something delectable, enjoy plenty of other menu options that require a bit more prep time.
  • Cost: Two meals for four people per week come to $4.49 per serving; three meals per week is just $3.99 per portion; four meals is $3.74 per portion; five meals is $3.74 per portion; and six meals is $3.74 per portion. Added bonus: shipping is free.

EveryPlate

food on table
EveryPlate

Soccer practice, dance recitals, after-school tutoring—it can be hard to keep up and EveryPlate is here to help. EveryPlate has kid-approved comfort foods like meatloaf, savory pot pie, and flavorful meatballs. Paired with veggies and staples like pasta and potatoes, you can feel great about giving the kids a balanced meal.

Each no-fuss meal comes pre-portioned, with high-quality ingredients that are fresh. You also don’t have to worry about dirtying all of your pots and pans or using an arsenal of tools. As long as you have a baking sheet, pot, pan, knife, and cutting board, you’re more than equipped to handle the majority of recipes.

Family-night just got better with EveryPlate, here’s why:

  • What you get: Grab the four-person family plan with either three, four, or five meals a week. You’ll get recipe cards with every box to help you enjoy your weeknights without the stress of knowing what to cook.
  • Dietary options: EveryPlate is designed to be loved by kids, including the pickiest of eaters. Right now these meals are catered to “regular diets”, which is something to keep in mind if you or your family have special dietary needs.
  • Average cook time: On average, meals take about 40 minutes. There are designated meals that take 30 minutes or less, however, to get you sitting around the table with the kiddos sooner.
  • Cost: No matter the plan, meals cost $4.99 per serving. Shipping is $8.99, but the overall low cost per serving still makes EveryPlate one of the most affordable meal delivery services for families.

Home Chef

food on table
Home Chef

Home Chef lets you choose up to six servings and six recipes per week, which makes it an excellent option for large families. You also take a handy personalized quiz that helps choose the best plan for you and your family.

Home Chef can make for a low-stress dinner everyone will enjoy and appreciate with 15-minute oven-ready meal options for those exceptionally busy evenings. Home Chef’s “fresh and easy” plan takes the stress out of your night with low or no-prep recipes and gives you the ability to avoid specific ingredients, such as poultry, tree nuts, and red meat.

Home Chef makes things easy—here’s what to expect:

  • What you get: Customizable meal plans are absolute with Home Chef. Every meal comes with pre-portioned ingredients crafted by chefs. Plus, there’s no commitment; you can skip or cancel at any time.
  • Dietary options: Choose from calorie-conscious and carb-conscious meals, or choose specific ingredients to avoid things like poultry, nuts, or dairy.
  • Average cook time: On average, recipes will take about 30 minutes to prepare.
  • Cost: Meals start at just $6.99 per serving, but expect to add on $8.99 to your plan for shipping.


Use this link to get $90 your first three boxes!

Which family-friendly meal plan is right for me?

Finding a meal kit service that the whole family will like can be tricky. You're probably looking for a meal kit that checks off a few boxes: the best bang for your buck, delicious recipes everyone can get behind, and healthy ingredients to keep them full. Quick prep-time is a bonus, especially if your family is frequently on-the-go. Meal delivery services could be a game-changer for big households—Just check out these grocery lists for large families.

Here's what you can expect in most family-friendly meal plans:

  • Price range: On average, most will cost anywhere from $4.50-$11.00 per serving.
  • Other meal options: Why stop at just dinner? Some meal options also include side dishes, breakfast, and lunch recipes.
  • Less food waste when choosing a meal plan: Cut the food waste and keep things simple with a meal plan. All recipes are pre-portioned to lessen the amount of food thrown away every meal.
  • Free trials/ease of canceling when needed: Just want to try out a meal delivery service without the risk of getting locked into an overwhelming plan? Big pros for meal delivery service plans include introductory offers for new customers (like free trials) and simple cancellation policies.

Final Thoughts

meal kits
mizina - stock.adobe.com

Meal delivery services have become a staple for many in the past couple of years (thanks, COVID) and likely won’t be going anywhere any time soon.

When taking a closer look at these meal delivery services, it's easy to see why families have their favorites. There seems to be a meal plan for everyone: the on-the-go family who has no time to cook (or clean up the aftermath), the family who wants to spend more time together at night while watching Hulu, the family on a tight budget who doesn’t want to waste food, and even the family with special dietary needs or preferences.

Parents have enough going on in their day-to-day lives—let a meal delivery service that’s tailored to families take one thing off the to-do list.

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