The best meal kits for 2024 have organic and gluten-free options galore

April showers may bring flowers, but here's what a great meal kit brings: healthy, seasonal and affordable weeknight dinners. Some of the best meal kits like Green Chef can be a great way to save time and money during these busy spring and summer weeks thanks to convenient, nutritious meals delivered straight to your door.

The meal delivery industry has seen steady growth in recent years, and we know why, being meal-kit subscribers ourselves. If you also love meal kits, you're on track to help that market grow by more than five percent per year, surpassing the $7 billion dollar mark by 2028.

If you're on the fence about signing up for one of these services, there's no better time than the present. Cut down on time spent laboring in the kitchen and put your health first by making the switch to meal kits for 2024.

With a meal kit delivery service, you simply make your selections online and wait for a box of fresh, pre-packaged ingredients to arrive at your door. No more time-consuming trips to the grocery store. No more Sundays spent racking your brain for the perfect meal prep strategy.

Just you and the food you love, week after week.

The best meal kits for 2024

Depending on your needs, preferences, and reason for making a switch to meal kits, we have something for everyone. From flashy chef-curated recipes to budget-friendly services, here are the top meal kits to sign up for in 2024.

• Our pick for quick, healthy meals: Green Chef
• Best chef-curated recipes: Blue Apron
• Best gluten-free: Daily Harvest
• Best meal variety: HelloFresh
• Best organic: Sunbasket
• Cheapest meal kit: EveryPlate
• Best premade meals: Factor

Top choice for healthy meals: Green Chef

If you want easy-to-follow recipes packed with organic ingredients, there's one service you can look to above all others: Green Chef. 

For those looking for easy-to-follow recipes packed with organic ingredients, Green Chef has a lot to offer. Here you'll find nearly 50 nutritionally packed recipes to choose from every week.

"Green Chef is a meal delivery service that focuses on organic and sustainable ingredients," says nutritionist Mary Sabat.

"They offer a variety of meal plans, including options for omnivores, vegetarians, vegans, and those following specific dietary restrictions like keto or paleo. Green Chef's standout feature is their commitment to organic certification. They work with farmers, ranchers, and fishermen who use sustainable practices and source organic ingredients whenever possible."

Green Chef sets itself apart from other meal kit services with organically sourced produce and eggs. Organic beef, chicken, and wild-caught seafood options are also present and accounted for -- and according to Green Chef's FAQ, if it sends anything that falls a bit short of the company's organic standards, you'll know, thanks to specific labeling and in-box communications.

When it comes to pricing, Green Chef roughly breaks even with competitors like HelloFresh and Blue Apron; the service's prices start at $12 per serving. New subscribers can save $239 in total throughout their first nine boxes, with discount prices as low as $6 per serving with promo code PY-RK5QM (auto-applied at checkout).

Why we love it: A big selection of healthy meals that are fun to cook at home, a commitment to sustainability, and decent prices make this a standout meal kit we would suggest for just about anybody. Yes, even you.

Best chef-curated recipes: Blue Apron

If you want something that satisfies your inner chef, Blue Apron has the meal variety for you. Here you'll find recipes that might be a step or two above the typical meal kit ensemble. 

"Blue Apron offers over 50 different weekly options from a variety of cuisines," says registered dietician Melissa Darlow. "In addition to meals, there are add-on items such as desserts or single serving portions of proteins."

If you're tired of the same old kitchen concoctions, browse through Blue Apron's weekly recipes for an enlightening selection. If the idea of cherry-picking your favorite recipes from world cuisines you don't normally consider, Blue Apron may be the pick for you.

Itching for something to get you and your family through those busy weeknight dinners unscathed? Blue Apron's latest prepared and ready meal plan offers the option to choose from a number of pre-made meals each week. These can be ready in as little as two minutes -- and at $10 per serving, they cost marginally more than meal kits you cook yourself ($8 per serving and up). 

First time subscribers can enjoy 65% off their first five weeks with meal kits or premade meals, which translates to prices as low as $2.80 per serving ($3.50 for premade meals).

Why we love it: Some of our favorite recipes came from a Blue Apron box, so if you enjoy finding new and exciting -- or even just tried and true -- to whip up at home, this is the meal kit for you.

Best for gluten-free diets: Daily Harvest

If you're in the mood for meals made from sustainably sourced fruits and vegetables, we recommend rushing over to Daily Harvest. All of Daily Harvest's menu items are 100% gluten-free, which means you don't need to tiptoe around the weekly menu to find diet-friendly options; the whole collection is compatible.

Find blended smoothies, scrumptious pasta dishes, nutritional harvest bowls, soups, and more when browsing Daily Harvest's refreshing selection.

Each item is processed individually and delivered frozen, but it is worth mentioning that production occurs in a facility that also processes gluten, making cross-contamination a possibility. If you have a very severe gluten allergy, other meal kits like Green Chef may be a safer option.

Plan options include small, medium and large, letting you pick between nine and 24 items per delivery. Save up to $65 by using promo code DH65 during the signup process.

Why we love it: It's not easy finding meal kits with a variety of gluten-free foods, which is why we love Daily Harvest's assortment of healthy and diet-friendly meals, snacks, and smoothies. 

Best variety: HelloFresh

HelloFresh, one of the best-known meal kits in the game, takes the cake when it comes to variety. There are more than 70 recipes to choose from with each delivery -- and you're bound to find something you like, thanks to a number of diet-specific categories. 

Looking for vegetarian recipes? HelloFresh serves up several picks each week. Need to limit yourself to low-calorie dishes? You're in luck: This meal kit company's fit and wholesome category contains meals that typically stay under 650 calories per serving. 

Nutritionist Lisa Young told us HelloFresh is worth the hype "due to its assortment of meals and how it promotes an easy, positive experience in the kitchen. HelloFresh includes a colorful recipe card with simple steps that allows people with any skill level to follow along."

HelloFresh prices typically start at $10 per serving, but new subscribers can enjoy 10 free meals across seven boxes and receive free desserts for life by using their email when building their meal plan. Although it's worth noting: dessert items have to be manually added to your meal plan each week from HelloFresh's marketplace. 

Why we love it: You can believe the hype; HelloFresh stands out in almost every way with decent prices, easy recipes, different diet-friendly meal plans, and a big selection of weekly meals to choose from.

Best organic ingredients: Sunbasket

If a "USDA organic" label is one of the first things you look for when grocery shopping, then Sunbasket might be the meal delivery service you've been holding out for. With its commitment to delivering a minimum of 98% USDA-certified fresh produce in every box, this meal kit company is leading the charge for quick meals made of healthy, interesting ingredients.

"Sunbasket's standout feature is [its] commitment to organic produce and responsibly sourced meats and seafood," says Sabat. "[Sunbasket works] closely with local farmers and producers to provide high-quality, organic ingredients to [its] customers."

Whether you're getting your protein from a chilled display rack at the grocery store or from one of Sunbasket's insulated delivery boxes, it's always better to know exactly where your food is coming from. That's why we appreciate Sunbasket's transparency around who supplies the company's seafood, poultry, and red meat.

New customers can save $90 in total across four boxes and enjoy free shipping on their first order. Meal kits that you build yourself typically start at $12 per serving, while fresh and ready premade meals start at $10 per serving. 

Why we love it: Sunbasket takes the proverbial cake with USDA-certified produce filling out nearly every delivery box. Subscribers can also find a number of quick and easy recipes each week that are free of gluten, dairy, or soy, as well as diabetes-friendly and vegan options.

Cheapest meal kit: EveryPlate

If your wallet could talk, it would let out a little sigh of relief knowing you're reading about EveryPlate right now. We'll cut right to the chase with this meal delivery service: With prices as low as $1.49 per serving, EveryPlate is the most affordable meal kit for new and old subscribers. 

We say old because even if you don't qualify for the first-time signup bonus that chops off $70 from that first box total, you're still looking at prices as low as $5 per serving. Now that's how you save on meal kits.

EveryPlate offers more than two dozen recipes to choose from on a weekly basis including family-friendly meals and dishes that scream comfort food (perfect for any picky eaters at the table).

EveryPlate prices typically start at just $5 per serving, but new subscribers can save even more with promo code FB-3029, which is auto-applied while building a meal plan. This knocks off $70 from your first box total, bringing prices down to just $1.49 per serving.

Why we love it: Low prices that cannot be beat make this budget-friendly meal kit a must-try for busy families and anyone looking to save money by switching to meal kits.

Best premade kits: Factor

We made sure to fill the last spot on this list with something for the time crunchers. If you're too busy to go through the whole cooking and cleaning process that a box of fresh ingredients requires, then consider fresh and ready prepared meals.

Our pick for the best premade meal kit is Factor. This company offers lean, fitness-friendly meals that take no prep time. Find keto, low-calorie, vegetarian, and vegan recipes in the mix as you choose from more than 30 different weekly meals.

"Factor is a meal delivery service that aims to provide healthy and nutritious meals to its customers. They focus on offering balanced macronutrients, which include proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats," says Sabat. 

These balanced ingredient lists mean nutrient-dense meals that would be a great addition to any lifestyle.

New customers can enjoy 50% off their first delivery, plus free wellness shots (beverages packed with vitamins and antioxidants) for life.

Why we love it: No time for DIY meal kits? No problem! Save time and still eat healthy with Factor's nutritionally packed premade meal kits.

How much do meal kits cost?

Think about your last trip to the grocery store. Now, try to conjure up that receipt total. We here at CBS Essentials aren't mind readers, but we're willing to guess it was a higher number than you would have liked.

Groceries can be expensive, especially if you add up totals over time. The average two-person household typically spends between $450 and $800 per month at the grocery store; that's a lot, even if you're thrifty. The good news is that meal kits can be a more cost-effective alternative if you know what to pay attention to.

Breaking down meal kit costs is easy enough: At the end of the day, you're looking at the price per serving for each meal delivery kit versus the cost of preparing similar meals from scratch and on your own dime. Most meal kits cost between $8 and $12 per serving, with prices going up the fewer servings you opt in to each week (and vice versa). Pay attention to additional expenses like shipping costs (typically another $8 to $12 per box) and any premium add-ons to avoid any surprises when finalizing your meal kit plan.

What is the best meal kit?

Personal preference is always the first thing to consider. In a perfect world, we might be able to clock the delicious food and exciting dishes we've eaten throughout the year -- a Spotify Wrapped for delicious dinners. Since we don't have that app quite yet, it's up to you to think about what you typically eat. Finding the ideal meal kit with recipes you're eager to try out should be step one.

Although most meal kit services offer an easy out if you want to cancel or postpone deliveries, it's best to figure out exactly what you want ahead of time to ensure you're set for a while with meal deliveries. If you get bored easily from a lack of variety, stick with meal kits that offer big weekly menus. If meal prep is a top priority, look for meal kit companies that also offer premade or frozen meals.

"Check out pricing along with dietary restrictions," Darlow says. "If you are following a specific diet (vegan, gluten free, carnivore, keto.) be sure to look for a service that caters to your dietary needs. Pricing is also [important]. Some delivery services start at $8 per serving, making it an affordable way to eat healthy."

How we ranked the best meal kit delivery services for 2024

When cobbling together our list of the best meal kits, we considered a few important things. For an idea of how we review products like meal kits, here's everything that went into our look at the best meal kits for the coming new year:

• Meal variety: We took into account how many unique or interesting recipes were available to pick on a weekly basis. The more, the merrier.
• Fresh ingredients: We stuck with meal kits that touted health-conscious recipes and weekly deliveries packed with organic ingredients, vegetables, and healthy greens.
• High quality recipes: Just because you're letting someone else put together a recipe doesn't mean you don't deserve to feel like a top-tier chef when you put each dish together! We prioritized appealing recipes that weren't just tasty and healthy, but also plain fun to cook.
• Diet-specific plans: A healthy diet is different for everyone, so we looked for meal kits that easily accommodate a number of dietary restrictions and preferences such as fitness-friendly eating and plant-based diets.