Absolutely Everything You Need to Know About Sunbasket
An in-depth look at the organic meal kit service, how it works, what it costs, and whether it's a good fit for you.
If you love the idea of farmers markets and CSA boxes but don’t know what you would actually, like, do with all that produce, you’re not alone. Lots of people aspire to cook fresh and complex meals that highlight seasonal and organic foods, but few people realistically have the time to make that happen. And in spite of your best intentions, those vegetables you bought imagining the possibilities of future dinners might now be rotting in the back of the fridge. If any of this sounds relatable to you, we have your meal kit solution: Sunbasket, a virtual cornucopia of fresh recipes and prepared meals that comes right to your doorstep.
What, exactly, is Sunbasket?
In many ways, Sunbasket works like the meal kit services you already know and love—fresh ingredients and recipes are delivered to your doorstep, taking the hassle out of home cooking. The main differences between Sunbasket and other services, however, come down to the quality of Sunbasket’s ingredients and the versatility of their meal plans.
Sunbasket is also committed to sustainability. The service uses 99% organic produce and goes above and beyond to work with trusted farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. It also seeks to reduce food waste and connect customers with high-quality fresh food, as well as give back, providing free meals to people struggling with food insecurity around the country.
When it comes to Sunbasket’s options, a wide variety of meals catering to different types of eaters keeps customers coming back each week. Premade meals are ready in as little as three minutes, while meal kits require anywhere from 15 to 40 minutes—it’s up to you how much or little time you want to spend in the kitchen. With meals like Moroccan sheet pan chicken with roasted sweet potato and kale salad, or roasted garlic-herb pork chops and green beans with basil pesto, eaters will feel satisfied no matter their nutritional needs or dietary preferences.
How much does Sunbasket cost (per person)?
Fresh & Ready meals start at $8.99 per serving and meal kits start at $10.99 per serving. With the new customer discount, the reduced costs are $4.99 and $6.99 per serving, respectively.
What do Sunbasket reviewers say?
Lots of reviewers on third-party sites like Trustpilot and Influenster say that Sunbasket is the best meal kit service of the many that they’ve tried. Customers praise the healthy recipes, plentiful options, environmental awareness, and helpful customer service. Great for families and individuals alike, Sunbasket seems to satisfy a wide range of eaters who are looking for an easy way to eat nutritious, organic meals. Lots of feedback noted the recipes’ unique flavors and sizable portions.
The more critical reviews cite Sunbasket’s price; some customers found that they didn’t want to sustain a regular subscription. A few reviewers, especially those located in more rural areas, noted inconsistent produce quality, likely due to shipping delays. A few reviewers didn’t love the premade meals, noting that they lacked texture and freshness compared to the meal kits. Finally, some complained that the lack of visual instructions on the recipe cards made some steps hard to follow.
Is Sunbasket easy to use?
No matter your cooking skills, Sunbasket makes it easy to achieve healthy meals in your home kitchen. In addition to its Fresh & Ready prepared meals, which take less than five minutes to heat, Sunbasket’s range of meal kit offerings allows you to choose the amount of cooking and effort that suits your lifestyle. Classic meal kits provide you with fresh ingredients that you can whip into meals in just 30 minutes. If you’re looking for something in between prepared meals and full-on recipes, consider Sunbasket’s line of pre-prepped meal kits—with chopping and measuring already done, you can put together a homemade meal in no time.
What are the standout features of Sunbasket?
- Organic ingredients: Sunbasket is a certified organic handler, and 99% of the produce and dairy you’ll receive is USDA-certified organic. If eating organic is a priority for you and your family, Sunbasket makes healthy eating accessible and worry-free.
- Flexibility of plans: If you love to cook elaborate meals some nights but can’t be bothered to boil a pot of water other nights, then you’ll love the versatility of Sunbasket’s options. You can choose from prepared Fresh & Ready meals as well as meal kits with a range of cooking and time requirements—including recipes with pre-chopped, washed, and measured ingredients that help you put fresh homemade meals on the table in a flash.
- Filters for food preferences: If you’re looking for meals that fulfill certain nutritional requirements or avoid specific ingredients, Sunbasket’s handy dropdown menus allow you to filter by diet, allergen, and food preferences. And since you can mix and match meals in your order, you can feel confident everyone in your group will be satisfied.
Who should sign up for Sunbasket?
- Singles: If you’re cooking for one, Sunbasket’s flexibility will eliminate the problem of too many leftovers or overwhelmingly complicated recipes. Singles can choose individually portioned Fresh & Ready meals or two-serving recipes that make a perfect amount for dinner and lunch the following day.
- People who like to cook but don’t always have time: If you feel that your schedule is too unpredictable to commit to a meal kit service, you’ll appreciate Sunbasket’s flexible options to choose prepared meals as well as meal kits.
- Produce-lovers: Sunbasket caters to people who love to cook with an abundance of fresh, organic ingredients. If you feel most at home at the farmers market, Sunbasket is the service for you.
Who should avoid Sunbasket?
- People with a severe gluten intolerance: Even though Sunbasket offers gluten-free meals, since the foods are prepared in a facility that handles wheat, the risk of cross-contamination means that the meals won’t be suitable for everyone.
- Vegans: Despite Sunbasket’s environmental bent and emphasis on produce, the service lacks a variety of options that are completely free of animal products.
- Cooks on a budget: With $7.99 shipping on every order and higher prices for organic produce, Sunbasket can be a bit more of a splurge than other meal kit services.
How does Sunbasket actually work?
After you sign up on the website, Sunbasket will prompt you to choose from various options for number of servings, number of dinners per week, and food preferences. You’ll be asked about any diets you follow (like paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian, diabetes-friendly, or mediterranean), nutritional needs (high protein, high fiber, low carb, low added sugar, or low sodium) or ingredients you avoid (like dairy, lamb, pork, beef, shellfish, or grains).
From there, you’ll create a custom meal plan suited to your needs. Depending on how much time and energy you have to cook, you can choose from premade, single-serving Fresh & Ready meals or meal kits that come with two or four servings each.
Next, you’ll select the dinners to be delivered to you. Understanding that some nights you have thirty minutes to prepare dinner and some nights you have three, Sunbasket allows you to mix and match among the Fresh & Ready meals and meal kits in your custom plan. You’ll see a varied menu of meals conveniently tagged with key information about ingredients, popular dishes, and time required to prep. Dropdown menus at the top of the page allow you to filter by diet, allergen, and food preferences, so you won’t have to sift through tons of options to find what you’re looking for.
Some examples of Fresh & Ready meals are spicy chicken biryani with cauliflower and raisins, spaghetti and meatballs in basil marinara, spicy Sichuan dan dan noodles with tofu and kale—all delivered on a heat-safe tray, ready for the microwave or oven. Options for meal kits, which range from 15 to 40 minutes of cooking time, include blueberry-apricot pork chops with sautéed kale and spicy chicken tinga tacos with black beans and pico de gallo.
Once you’re all set adding dinners to your cart, you can select from optional a la carte snacks and breakfasts to round out your meal delivery. These options are great for on-the-go mornings where you want to eat something wholesome without hassle. Choose from various flavors of overnight oats, hand pies, egg bites, waffles, juices, and smoothies for breakfast, and bars, chips, dips, and raw vegetable crudités for snacks.
Then, you’ll enter your shipping and payment information and see the final price of your plan. You’ll have the option to create a weekly subscription if you order six servings or more, which can save you money in the long term. With a subscription you can switch out recipes, skip a week, or cancel anytime.
Sunbasket conveniently delivers on your schedule, letting you choose any day Sunday through Thursday (depending on your zip code, your delivery day options may be limited). Once your box arrives, make sure you refrigerate and freeze items as directed to ensure freshness.
Are there alternative Sunbasket meal kit services out there?
Sunbasket caters to a wide variety of eaters who prioritize organic produce and nutritious meals, but there are plenty of alternatives if you’re looking for…
Certified gluten-free organic recipes: Green Chef
Green Chef offers a wide array of delicious organic options, whether you’re gluten-free, keto, vegan, or pretty much anything else under the sun. It’s also the first meal-kit company to offer gluten-free certification, so those with gluten allergies can feel secure eating these meals.
Vegan meals: Daily Harvest or Purple Carrot
Daily Harvest offers a plethora of on-the-go organic options like smoothies, sweet and savory bowls, bites, and beverages. Everything comes frozen, is packed with fruits and vegetables, and requires just a quick blitz in the blender or simple reheat. Purple Carrot features ample seasonal produce, interesting sauces and garnishes, and a number of flexible meal plans that make plant-based eating easy.
Cheaper healthy options: EveryPlate
With an average price per serving of $4.99, EveryPlate is an affordable meal kit option that provides healthy, produce-packed weeknight meals that will satisfy the whole family.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does shipping cost?
After your first four orders, which come with free shipping as part of Sunbasket’s welcome discount, shipping costs $7.99.
What is Sunbasket’s delivery area?
Sunbasket ships to most zip codes in the United States, with the exceptions of Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota, and parts of New Mexico. Not all delivery days are available in all areas.
When will I receive my deliveries?
Depending where you live, Sunbasket can deliver any day Sunday through Thursday, according to what's convenient in your schedule. In some zip codes, your delivery day options may be limited.
What dietary needs does Sunbasket meet?
Sunbasket accommodates a wide variety of lifestyles, nutritional needs, and ingredient avoidances. Mix and match weekly recipes or choose one of the following meal plans: Paleo, Carb-Conscious (25-35g net carbs or fewer per serving), Gluten-Free, Lean & Clean (whole foods with less than 600 calories per serving), Diabetes-Friendly (recipes approved by the American Diabetes Association), Chef's Choice (hand-picked, seasonal recipes), Vegetarian, Pescatarian, or Mediterranean. You can also filter by specific nutritional preference (such as high protein, high fiber, low carb, low added sugar, or low sodium) or ingredients you would like to avoid (like dairy, lamb, pork, beef, shellfish, or grains).
Can I customize a menu item to suit my dietary needs or preferences?
No, but you can filter the menu based on your diet, preferences, and likes or dislikes.
Is Sunbasket organic?
Sunbasket is a certified organic handler, and the chefs strive to deliver a minimum of 99% USDA-certified organic fresh produce, eggs, milk, and yogurt. Organic meat and poultry options are also available, as well as grass-fed and grass-finished options. Every once in a while, a non-organic item might be substituted, but Sunbasket will alert you if that happens.
How long does the food last?
Sunbasket’s carefully engineered packaging sustains freshness during transit, but there are some additional steps you can take to ensure your meals are as fresh as possible. Keep your box out of direct sunlight and immediately refrigerate ingredients. Sunbasket recommends having meals with seafood first, then enjoying pre-made options, and lastly preparing classic meal kits. Additionally, Sunbasket will advise you which Fresh & Ready meals can be frozen for reheating later.
Can I recycle the packaging?
In line with the service’s overall commitment to sustainability, Sunbasket is transparent about the best ways to reuse and recycle its packing materials. According to Sunbasket’s website, boxes, paper and denim insulation, ice packs, meal bags, and recipe cards can all serve additional purposes or be safely recycled with ease.
Are there discounts or rewards?
When you sign up, you’ll receive $90 Off and four free gifts across your first four deliveries, as well as free shipping. With Sunbasket’s Refer-a-Friend program, your friends can receive $40 off their first delivery, and you’ll get $40 when they join.