Low-calorie meal plans can help facilitate weight loss by creating a calorie deficit, meaning your body burns more calories than you take in. But following a healthy, low-calorie diet can be difficult, as it requires calorie counting, meal planning, and preparing. Luckily, the expanding market of meal delivery services offers low-calorie meal plans that take the guesswork out, while reducing your time planning, purchasing, and cooking, making calorie reduction easier to execute. We spent months testing several dozen meal delivery services to curate this list of low-calorie plans based on their flavor, nutrition, and cost. Our top picks include portion-controlled, nutrient-packed meals with a balance of protein, healthy fats, whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables. Best Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services Best Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services Frequently Asked Questions Methodology Key Specs Why You Should Try It Our testers loved the ease of this program, with a large variety of heat-and-eat meals and snacks designed by physicians and registered dietitians to optimize weight loss. Pros and Cons Pros Many breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to choose from Programs created by physicians and registered dietitians Meals are ready in as little as five minutes Cons Some meals lack flavor and texture Cannot choose delivery date Overview BistroMD tops our list with physician- and registered dietitian-designed meals, offering a wide variety of calorie-controlled prepared meals and snacks. These customizable meal plans offer breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks with over 150 chef-prepared meals and snacks to choose from each week. This subscription service provides access to exclusive member resources and support, including booking a session with a dietitian, a private Facebook community, email support, access to a health library, and a welcome webinar. Learn More: Read Our BistroMD Review. Pricing and Plans Meals We Tried Offer Receive 50% your first order. Key Specs Why You Should Try It Diet-To-Go’s meal delivery service offers portion-controlled meals to help support your weight loss goals. Pros and Cons Pros Pre-portioned meals Many low-calorie options Meals ready in just two to three minutes Cons Users report site can be clunky Overview Diet-To-Go's mission is to support weight loss or maintenance goals through ready-to-heat meals. The company offers a variety of meal plans, and customers are able to choose their plan based on dietary needs and/or preferences (carb-controlled, low sodium, vegetarian). Plans are easy to pause or switch, and the company offers motivational tips and recipes on its blog. Learn More: Read Our Diet-To-Go Review. Pricing and Plans You can receive as few as 10 and as many as 21 meals per week (which means either two or three meals per day). The plans with two meals per day do not include breakfast. The least expensive keto plan, for example, costs around $151 per week, with additional shipping fees depending on your location. The largest plan—21 meals—costs about $225 per week, which is just over $10 per serving. Sample Meals We Tried Use promo code VERYWELLFIT30 to receive 30% off + free gift in every box for new subscribers at checkout. Key Specs Why You Should Try It Hungryroot offers thousands of nutrient-dense, simple-to-prepare meals as well as a large selection of grocery items featuring simple, whole-food ingredients. Pros and Cons Pros Accommodates a wide variety of preferences Easy, quick-cooking meal kit options Large selection of grocery add-ons Cons Confusing credit-based purchasing system Can be time-consuming sorting through options Overview Hungryroot is a hybrid grocery store and meal delivery service, perfect for those looking for variety. It offers more than 3,000 nutrient-dense, chef-crafted, fast-cooking meal kits with a low-calorie filter option highlighting meals under 500 calories per serving. In addition to the meal kits, you can stock up on low-calorie fresh produce, pre-cooked lean proteins, whole grains, snacks, sauces, and more to build your own healthy meals. Learn More: Read Our Hungryroot Review. Pricing and Plans Meals start at $9.69; plan on a minimum of $70 an order per week to obtain free shipping. For orders less than $70, shipping is $6.99. A more detailed breakdown is as follows: Meals We Tried Key Specs Why You Should Try It While Dinnerly is not geared toward weight loss, it does offer a low-calorie meal filtering option that includes a variety of meals that are generally under 600 calories, at a budget-friendly price. Pros and Cons Pros Quick and easy recipes More affordable option Cons Recipe instructions do not come with visuals Limited customization options Overview Dinnerly requires some meal prep and cooking, however, recipes are only five steps and can be prepared in 30 minutes. Meals are developed by the company’s in-house chef and registered dietitian, ensuring flavorful and balanced meals. There are offerings for two and four servings, making it a good choice for couples and families or individuals who like to have leftovers on hand for the next day. Learn More: Read Our Dinnerly Review. Pricing and Plans Meals We Tried Key Specs Why You Should Try It Fresh N Lean is a great option if you are on a specific diet and want quick and easy, non-frozen, portion-controlled meals. Pros and Cons Pros Simple reheating instructions Expansive menu Caters to a variety of diets Cons Minimal customization Lack of evidence-based nutrition resources Overview Fresh N Lean caters to people on special diets including keto, paleo, vegan, Whole30, or Mediterranean, with all meal plans averaging under 500 calories per meal. We liked the ease of these non-frozen, heat-and-eat meals, and the option to add on breakfasts. Learn More: Read Our Fresh N Lean Review. Pricing and Plans Sample Meals We Tried Key Specs Why You Should Try It Daily Harvest offers a wide variety of low-calorie vegan meal options including smoothies, grain and oat bowls, soups, flatbreads, and ice creams with minimal prep and cook times. Pros and Cons Pros Emphasizes plant-based, organic ingredients Large variety of meal options Quick prep and cook times Cons Vegan diets can lack certain nutrients Meals are typically lower in protein Overview These chef-designed plant-based meals are high in fiber from fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, optimal for maintaining a low-calorie diet and supporting overall health. We love that Daily Harvest meals are made with organic ingredients and are free of artificial ingredients, fillers, gums, refined sugars, and stabilizers. All products come frozen and require minimal prep and cooking, making it easy to increase your daily fruit and vegetable intake. Learn More: Read Our Daily Harvest Review. Pricing and Plans When placing orders, you'll first need to select a box size—either Small (9 items), Medium (14 items), or Large (24 items). Then, simply fill the box with whatever menu selections you like. While pricing depends on what you order, Daily Harvest offers volume-based discounts; the more items you buy, the more money you'll save. Per-Item Pricing Volume Discounts Meals We Tried Key Specs Why You Should Try It With a variety of meal kits, heat-and-eat meals, and grocery add-ons, Sunbasket is a great choice for people looking to follow a nutritious, low-calorie meal plan full of nutrient-dense, sustainably sourced, quality ingredients. Pros and Cons Pros Environmentally-conscious sourcing and packaging Robust selection of add-on items Features 99% USDA-certified organic fresh produce and dairy Cons Higher price-point Some meals lack flavor Overview Sunbasket’s Lean & Clean meals are about 600 calories or less per serving and include healthy fats, at least 10 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fiber per serving. We love the range of flavor profiles featured and the versatility of this meal plan, offering meal kits if you are up for cooking, or quick heat and meals. Additionally, you can add a la carte grocery items including healthy breakfast options, snacks, and lean proteins like grilled chicken and wild scallops. Learn More: Read Our Sunbasket Review. Pricing and Plans Meals We Tried Meal Kits Prepared Meals Meal delivery services offer pre-portioned meals and ingredients, so there is typically less food waste, which may be more cost-efficient depending on your usual grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking habits. The cost of meal delivery services varies greatly and depends on the type of plan you choose. For example, prices typically drop per serving as you increase volume, so a meal plan for four would be less per serving than one for two. Our list of low-calorie meal delivery services ranges from $4.99 to $11 per serving. There is no set definition of a "low-calorie meal," as it’s subjective and varies according to an individual's overall calorie and nutrition needs. A low-calorie meal is considered one that is aligned with your daily calorie intake for weight maintenance or weight loss, which depends on many factors, including age, height, weight, energy expenditure, resting metabolic rate, and overall health. However, generally, low-calorie meal plans for women are considered between 1,200 and 1,500 calories per day and between 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day for men. It's important to remember that calorie-restrictive dieting is not suitable for everyone, so it's important to check with a healthcare professional. For those who are too busy to cook or have trouble eating balanced meals, low-calorie meal delivery services can help you optimize your nutrition, as they typically contain portion-controlled proteins, vegetables, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Low-calorie meal delivery services can also help you to achieve and maintain an optimal weight, which is associated with better health outcomes. If you have specific goals in mind, consider meeting with a registered dietitian (RD) or using one of the meal delivery services that offer counseling with an RD to help assess all of your nutritional needs. Reaching your individual health goals will ultimately make these meal delivery services worth it if they fit your budget. There are several comparison points to consider when choosing a meal delivery service, such as: We ordered, cooked, and evaluated meals from 40 different meal delivery services to rate each one’s offerings, nutrition profiles, prices, sustainability, and, of course, flavors. We contacted the customer service teams at each of the companies, collected data, and rigorously reviewed each one. Our Verywell Fit writers are all registered dietitians who relied on their research and its resulting data to inform their reviews. Article Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Healthy eating plan. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Healthy weight. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Best Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services of 2024
Best for Nutrition Counseling : BistroMD
Best for Weight Loss : Diet-To-Go
Best Variety : Hungryroot
Best Value : Dinnerly
Best High Protein : Fresh N Lean
Best Plant-Based : Daily Harvest
Best for Customization : Sunbasket
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Do Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services Cost?
What Is a Low-Calorie Meal?
Are Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services Worth It?
How Do I Choose a Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Service?
Methodology
Best Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services of 2024 (2024)
Table of Contents
Best Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services of 2024
Best for Nutrition Counseling : BistroMD
Best for Weight Loss : Diet-To-Go
Best Variety : Hungryroot
Best Value : Dinnerly
Best High Protein : Fresh N Lean
Best Plant-Based : Daily Harvest
Best for Customization : Sunbasket
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Do Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services Cost?
What Is a Low-Calorie Meal?
Are Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Services Worth It?
How Do I Choose a Low-Calorie Meal Delivery Service?
Methodology
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