Plant Based Diet Meal Prep Delivery

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Whether you're a long-time vegan with zero time to grocery shop or curious about eating more plants but don't know where to start, you're in luck. Meal delivery services have taken note of the plant-based diet trend.

With existing brands now offering more plant-based options and a slew of new, entirely vegan meal delivery services cropping up, you can now pretty much have the herbivore lifestyle delivered straight to your door.

Still, just because a meal is vegan, doesn't mean it's healthy. "Providing tasty, attractive vegan food is not [a meal service's] only important factor," says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, nutritionist and author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table. "The dishes should be nutritionally well-balanced, too."

After all, plant-only eaters need to be mindful of their intake of nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, calcium, and protein, Taub-Dix says. To do so, she recommends perusing meal services' menus to make sure you'll receive a variety of meals to vary your nutrient intake. (You'll also want to keep an eye out for added sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats like hydrogenated oils.)

If environmental sustainability is part of your motivation to eat more plants, you can also hunt for a brand that can confirm it uses sustainable farming practices.

Otherwise, just consider how much work you're willing to put into whipping up your meals. Many meal delivery services come with pre-portioned ingredients and easy-to-follow cooking instructions—but if you don't have the time or energy to whip out the cutting board, some services dish out fully-prepared meals.

Ready to eat all the plants without spending hours at the grocery store? These vegan meal delivery services are the best of the best.

1 Sunbasket

With organic, award-winning, chef-created meals, sustainably-sourced produce, and a partnership with local food banks, Sunbasket is a meal delivery service you can feel good about supporting.

How it works: Use the dietary preference filter to select "Vegetarian" as your meal choice. Then choose two to four servings of at least two to four meals per week. The label below each meal you choose should read "vegan." (Options include mushroom tostadas and teriyaki tempeh.)

On orders of two dinners or more, you can also select from a wide array of add-ons, like coffee, green juice, vegan yogurt, and gluten-free crackers.

Pricing: Two servings of two meals costs $51.96, while four servings of four meals costs $175.84. (After your first week, you'll also pay $7.99 for shipping.)

Reviewer rave: "We have been ordering Sunbasket for more than two years now and have always been impressed with the quality of your produce and proteins the unique deliciousness of your healthy recipes and your unwavering commitment to serve your customers promptly and fully." —Lisa M., sunbasket.com

Best for: People who love vegan recipe versions of traditional favorites

2 Green Chef

If you don't want to order fully-cooked meals but want to keep prep as simple as possible, Green Chef sends you chopped, marinated, and portioned ingredients in color-coded packaging, so you can spend less time fussing over the details and more time savoring every bite.

Oh, and everything—from the arepas with baked quinoa and cashew crema to the vegan crab cakes with arugula slaw—is certified organic.

How it works: First, select the Plant-Powered menu to match your dietary preference. From there, you can opt for deliveries weekly, every other week, or once a month (which is more flexible than most services' once-a-week systems) and select from the rotating weekly menu. Depending on where you live, you can also choose what day of the week you want your food delivered.

Pricing: Plant-Powered meals start at $9.99 each, and each box (three meals for two people) costs $66.93, including shipping.

Reviewer rave: "My family just finished the cumin-roasted chop meal and it was delicious!! The flavors and textures were spot-on and even the kids loved it!" —Crystal Anne R., facebook.com

Best for: People who don't like fussing over the details of a recipe

3 Daily Harvest

If you're a fan of smoothies, soups, plant-based ice creams, and power bowls, you'll dig Daily Harvest, which serves up nutrient-packed meals and treats in convenient cups.

How it works: Choose between nine, 12, or 24 cups delivered weekly or 24 cups delivered monthly. Then, select what you want in your cups, from smoothies to savory bowls (like plant-based Bolognese), oat bowls, soups and more. One cool feature: You can specifically search for meals with certain benefits, like anti-inflammatory or immunity-boosting properties.

Pricing: For nine cups per week, you'll pay $7.75 per cup; at 12, you'll pay $7.49 per cup; and at 24 cups (either per week or month), you'll pay $6.99 per cup.

Reviewer rave: "Working my way through all the choices! So far everything is delicious and sooooo easy to prepare! Also, so far, unlike another company (I won't mention any names) the delivery timelines have been spot on!!" —Sandy D., facebook.com

Best for: Smoothie, soup, ice cream, and grain bowl-lovers alike

4 Sakara

Sakara is basically a holistic wellness service that also happens to deliver fully-prepared organic, plant-based meals, many of which are vegan.

With imaginative, upscale dishes like rose petal pancakes and sweet peach butter and lavender quesadillas with broccoli pesto and hibiscus salsa, it's no wonder the brand has a steady celebrity following. Plus, you can also supplement your orders with products like detox teas, probiotics and more.

How it works: After selecting whether you want three or five meals per week, choose the number of meals you want per day. Then, choose meals from one of Sakara's programs, like their Level I Signature Program and Level II Detox Program. (This handy guide can help you choose which plan is best for you.) From there, mix and match breakfasts, lunches, and dinners from the rotating seasonal menus.

Pricing: Prices vary based on the number of days and meals you choose. For example, five days of breakfasts, lunches, and dinners costs $70 per day. If you're not ready to commit to a subscription, get a taste of the program with two days for $177. Delivery is free.

Reviewer rave: "Omg I had this this week. I don't even know how to describe the deliciousness flavor cornucopia of things that were happening to my taste buds. I don't even know if that makes sense, but omg." —Lori B., facebook.com

Best for: People with adventurous palates

5 Fresh N' Lean

If weekly meal prep has been sucking the life out of you, let all-organic delivery service Fresh N' Lean spice up your life. Their locally sourced meals come in microwave- and oven-safe containers you can have ready to eat in two to three minutes flat.

Bonus: The company donates all unused food from their kitchens to local charities through Feeding America.

How it works: After choosing between the Vegan Standard and Vegan Low-Carb menus, you can select how many meals per day you'd like for either the five- or seven-day plan. (You can also add snacks like nuts or granola.) Though Fit N' Lean chooses your meals for you, you do have the option to list up to three ingredients you want omitted from your meals (like cilantro, tomatoes, or peanuts) upon registration. If you want control over your eats, opt for the a la carte menu.

Pricing: Seven days of three Vegan Standard meals per day costs $8.40 per meal ($176.70 total.) The same amount of Vegan Low-Carb meals, meanwhile, costs $10 per meal ($210 total). If you opt for the a la carte option for one-off meals and snacks, you must spend a minimum of $85.

Reviewer rave: "I've had the BEST experience ever with Fresh n lean! I am a health care provider and work as a hospitalist! I have healthy meals provided with sodium standards most importantly as the AHA recommends. I'm glad I'm eating organic food, rich in flavor, tastes amazing, and the customer service was superior." —Tiff A., facebook.com

Best for: People whose favorite cooking appliance is their microwave

6 Territory Foods

For people with curious taste buds and gourmet palates, this chef-created meal delivery service will actually get you excited about eating your greens. Territory Food's data scientists compare diet and food trends with customer order patterns to bring you perfectly-curated offerings (like spicy chickpea and potato stew with sautéed spinach or beet medley risotto with broccoli rabe) each week.

Thanks to their partnership with Feeding America, every Territory Foods order sends over a pound of recovered food to a local food bank.

How it works: After select the Vegan filter, choose from a rotating weekly menu, and select your preferred portion size based on your typical appetite. Have your meals delivered to a local grocery store or gym, or opt for Monday and/or Thursday delivery to your door for an added fee.

Pricing: The Standard plan starts at $13.95 per meal. (FYI: Home delivery costs $7.95 per order.)

Reviewer rave: "Honestly, if you're terrible at cooking (me) or just want healthy meals prepared fresh, check out Territory."—Kalia, territoryfoods.com

Best for: People who don't have time to cook or prep their food

7 Foodflo

PETA-approved and spearheaded by celebrity chef and health coach Florence Bertheau, Southwest-based Foodflo goes the extra mile to deliver plant-based delicacies you'd never think to whip up yourself, like green goddess cakes and spiced squash coconut soup. (All meals are creating using alkaline water, if you care about that.)

How it works: First, select your location (Foodflo currently only delivers to California, Nevada, and Arizona). Then, choose a one-, four-, or eight-week program. From there, you can select between a small package (six items) or a large package (nine items), which contains a variety of soups, salads, entrees, and side dishes.

Worth noting: Foodflo's website recommends ordering before noon on Saturdays, in the chance they sell out.

Pricing: One week of the small and large packages costs $109 and $149 (about $18 and $16.50 per item), respectively. Eight weeks of the small and large packages, meanwhile costs $778 and $978 (about $16 and $13.50 per item), respectively.

Reviewer rave: "I feel like I have finally found how I want to eat. I've tried a lot of these delivery services and I spent a lot of time and money at healthy markets like Erewhon and WF, etc. Finally, meals that I look forward to every day. If I could cook, this is how I would want it to taste. Foodflo is a life changer." —Andrea S., yelp.com

Best for: People who appreciate trying new, fun recipes

8 Purple Carrot

Purple Carrot is an entirely vegan meal delivery service, so you really can't go wrong. With recipes like General Tso's tofu and black bean avocado melts, you'll enjoy every balanced, plant-based bite.

How it works: Choose your preferred meals from categories like Quick and Easy (which are ready in under 30 minutes), Comfort Foods (think pumpkin mac and cheese), and Holiday Recipes (drool over the salted almond thumbprint cookies). You can browse by dietary concern (like gluten-free) and preferred ingredients. Need snacks? Bulk up your order with add-ons, like dry roasted dark chocolate chickpeas.

Pricing: Dinners cost $9.99 per serving for either two or four servings; breakfasts cost $4.49 per serving (either two or four servings); and lunches cost $8.99 per serving for two servings. Snack prices vary (a 3.5-ounce bag of those chickpeas costs $4.99).

Reviewer rave: "Since trying out Purple Carrot I feel like a gourmet chef! I get lots of compliments on my meals and gained more confidence in the kitchen." —Cait K., purplecarrot.com

Best for: People who are just beginning their plant-based journey

9 Veestro

If you want to make plant-based eating as easy as possible, Veestro's frozen meals keep being vegan simple. Your delivery arrives frozen in an insulated container, so you just have to thaw your eats (which include everything from breakfast burritos to soba noodles in peanut sauce) in the refrigerator, heat 'em up, and enjoy.

How it works: First, choose from three menu options: A La Carte (which allows you to select any 10 meals of your choice), Chef's Choice (which offers a wide array of chef-curated favorites), and Weight Loss (which goes light on calories). Within each category, you can select dietary preferences, like "high-protein" or "gluten-free." You can select from 10 to 30 days-worth of meals from the A La Carte and Chef's Choice plans, and either five or seven days from the Weight Loss plan.

Pricing: Billed every two weeks, 10 Chef's Choice meals (you can mix and match which you want) costs $117. Billed once a week, three meals a day for five or seven days on the Weight Loss plan costs $175.50 or $226.80, respectively.

If you opt for a one-time order of 10 A La Carte meals, you'll pay $130. However, make your order a recurring thing and you'll get a lower price of $117.

Reviewer rave: "Enchilada Casserole is the family favorite. So far all the meals have been tasty, and so convenient. I love knowing healthy meals can be so quick and easy." —Janice M., veestro.com

Best for: People who want to store their meals in the freezer

10 The Very Good Butchers

Don't let its name fool you: By loading you up with a wide variety of vegan "meats," The Very Good Butchers won't come close to butchering your plant-based diet. Made with foods you already have in your kitchen (like beans, grains, veggies, and herbs), their offerings (which include vegan pepperoni and taco meat) conquer any meaty cravings you have.

How it works: The Very Good Butchers' Monthly Meat Club boxes come stocked with enough plant-based meats for over 13 meals, and feature different specials from month to month. All you have to do is add whatever produce, nuts, or grains you need to round out the meal. All foods are pre-cooked and arrive frozen.

Pricing: With a rolling subscription, The Monthly Meat Club costs $47.50 per month. One-time orders cost $50.

Reviewer rave: "Just had the ribs. Amazing...mmm. Tried the sausages and the salami. I believe you have nailed the taste. I am a fussy person, so impressed. Going to do a standing order. Buy the box; it's great value. Thank you." —Marlyn R., facebook.com

Best for: People who love trying yummy meat alternatives

Marissa Miller Marissa Miller has spent a decade editing and reporting on women's health issues from an intersectional lens with a focus on peer-reviewed nutrition, fitness trends, mental health, skincare, reproductive rights and beyond, and currently holds a certificate in plant-based nutrition from Cornell.

Madeline Howard Editorial Assistant Madeline Howard is the editorial assistant at Women's Health.

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Plant Based Diet Meal Prep Delivery

Source: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/g31093492/vegan-meal-delivery/

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