8 best healthy meal delivery services for tasty, nutrient-dense food, as tested by team MC UK

So, you're on the hunt for a healthy meal delivery service that's tasty, nutrient-dense and also won't break the bank (cost of living crisis, we're looking at you).

Lucky for you, you're in the right place. My name's Ally Head and I'm the Senior Health Editor here at Marie Claire UK. I'm a fan of building a healthy lifestyle that doesn't cost the earth. For me, one of the simplest ways of doing this is having the freezer stocked with simple, tasty, healthy options for those days when you really don't have the energy (or patience) to cook. Yep - it happens to the best of us.

Naturally, we wouldn't want to recommend anything without having tested it - so, between the team, we've tried out eight different healthy meal delivery services for you. There are some good ones - keep scrolling for our favourites. Don't miss our guides to what to eat after a workout, and healthy snack ideas, while you're here.

8 best healthy meal delivery options to have on your radar

1. Fresh Fitness Food

From £26 a day | 5/5 rating | Macro-focused meal prep delivered to your doorstep | Minimal waste.

What we thought when testing: 

Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor, thought: "I'm not the sort of person who plans and preps their meals ahead of time. Instead, I tend to just eat whatever is quick and easy to prepare, or more often than not, order a Deliveroo. Not only is this terrible for my bank account, it's also not great nutritionally. At the start of this year, I made it my mission to take more care over what I'm eating, and Fresh Fitness Food seemed like the perfect way to start off."

"I loved that I could express what I wanted out of it before my meal plan was prepared. I mentioned that my main objective was healthy fat loss, so my meal plan was designed with a calorie deficit in mind—but all of this is completely customisable and tailored to you as an individual."

"The delivery process is exceptional. Every morning when I woke up, my cool bag containing three meals was waiting for me on my doorstep. It's worth noting that if you live in a block of flats with no concierge or don't have a front door where you feel comfortable having it left on the doorstep, this could be an issue as they are delivered overnight."

"As for the food itself, I was blown away. It tastes exceptional and is just as delicious cold as it is warm. The portions are perfect, and I felt more than fine doing my daily workouts without feeling empty or like I needed more food. I love the customisation aspect and think it's really well-considered. All in all, it's two huge thumbs up from me."

Ally Head, Senior Health and Sustainability Editor, thought: "If you're after a real deep dive into your macros, then Fresh Fitness Food is the one for you. Their expert team will tailor a meal plan designed to your personal requirements - anything from weight gain, to muscle build, to maintenance - and deliver three meals a day, alongside juices and snacks, to your doorstep."

"The food is delicious, too - they don't scrimp on portion size and make sure you've got a real variety every day. For fitness fanatics, I'd say this is the best meal delivery option you can opt for." 

freshfitnessfood.com

2. Apres Food

From £6.95 | 4/5 rating | Delicious home-cooked freezer meals | Minimal waste.

What we thought when testing: Ally Head, Senior Health  and Sustainability Editor, thought: "I was pleasantly surprised by Apres Food, who offer nutritious home-cooked food that you can pop in the freezer for times when you're simply too busy to cook but don't want to order takeaway."

"The food is all organic and prepped by top chefs and qualified nutritionists. Fancy a treat? Their sticky toffee pudding is to die for. Life is all about balance, after all."

apresfood.com

3. AllPlants

From £6.75| 4.5/5 rating | Balanced nutrition, vegan | Minimal waste.

What we thought when testing: Ally Head, Senior Health and Sustainability Editor, thought: "AllPlants are reshaping the market when it comes to vegan food - their dishes are so tasty and versatile, you genuinely can't notice that they're not meat. My favourite is the Power Plant bowl, but their Green Mac and Cheese is also delicious."

"I love the brand's ethos and that everything is made by professionally trained chefs in-house - plus, they're a certified B Corp brand, so you know you're spending money with a brand that genuinely cares about the planet, too."

allplants.com

4. PRESS Health Foods new ready meals

From £8 | 3/5 rating | Most meals were a balance of carbs, fats and protein | Recyclable plastic but could have been better

What we thought when testing: Ally Head, Senior Health and Sustainability Editor, thought: "I'm a big fan of PRESS juices so when I saw they'd launched their brand-new ready meals, I was keen to try. All vegan and made from natural ingredients, they're all - bar one risotto - high protein, too, offering great office lunches for post-gym. The meals were filling, tasty, and ready after just 3 minutes in the microwave, too. Plus, they froze well, which made for great grabbable "I forget to make lunch" options."

"I wasn't impressed with the recyclable plastic, though - I thought that the brand could have done more to make the packaging eco-friendly."

press-london.com

5. HelloFresh

From £33.48 (two people, three recipes) | 4/5 rating | Five a day stated on the recipe card | Cardboard packaging can be recycled but plastic used for the food containers.

What we thought when testing: Grace Lindsay, Writer, thought: "If, like me, you're a bit of a novice when it comes to the kitchen, I couldn't recommend Hello Fresh enough. The service allows you to select from lots of different dinner ideas, and delivers perfectly proportioned ingredients to your house, meaning you are never wasting food as you only have as much as you need."

"There are lots of different meal ideas to choose from, whether you are vegetarian, are looking for dinners under 650 calories or want quick 20-minute recipes to whip up in no time. The ingredients each come with a recipe card with simple steps to follow. I've picked up so many cooking skills along the way, and feel so much better now that I am eating fresh, whole produce every night instead of my usual microwave meal."

hellofresh.co.uk

6. Green Chef home food kits

From £3.35 per serving | 5/5 rating | Choose from keto, lower-carb, flexitarian, vegan and vegetarian | Carbon neutral.

What we thought when testing: Ana Ospina, Senior Art Editor, thought: “Green Chef sent meal kits with pre-measured ingredients and straightforward recipes a beginner chef could follow."

"I received a box packed with high-quality ingredients - including vegetables, seasonings, sauces, grains, meat, poultry, and fish, depending on the meal plan you pre-selected. It came with easy-to-follow recipe cards. The portions were just right and they incorporated a lot of flavours and textures, so the meals were tasty and satisfying. My favourite was the spiced cod tacos, which were easy and delicious. I was really impressed by the quality - the food and recipes were outstanding. Green Chef is good for foodies and anyone who likes to cook, but maybe wants a bit more variety in their meals and doesn’t mind spending time in the kitchen to prepare."

"I also liked how eco-friendly Green Chef is, they work with British suppliers, so the food is seasonal and ingredients have lower emissions. They’re 100 per cent plastic and carbon-neutral and committed to sourcing ingredients that are free of GMOs, pesticides, and antibiotics. One thing to note is the meals did take longer to prepare than stated.”

greenchef.co.uk

7. Balance Box ready-made meal plan

From £26.99 per day | 4/5 rating | Nutritionally-complete meals | Ethically sourced ingredients.

What we thought when testing: Ana Ospina, Senior Art Editor, thought: “The meals are very healthy and packed full of fresh ingredients. While some are designed for day-to-day, the ones I tried are designed for weight loss, and it didn't feel like I was dieting at all. All the pre-prepared meals have plenty of protein and fibre-rich fruit and vegetables, so they do a good job of keeping you feeling full. I especially liked the snacks, which were delicious bars packed full of nuts and dried fruit."

"The meals are devised by a nutritionist so they have all your essential vitamins and nutrients and everything is worked out for you. The meal plans contain breakfast, lunch and dinner along with two snacks, with the whole lot totalling either 1200 or 1800 calories a day, depending on whether you want to lose weight or maintain. It’s easy to follow – you don’t have to think about your meals at all as it’s all done for you. It’s perfect for people who have very busy lifestyles who want to eat well - but be warned, it is pretty costly.”

balancebox.com

8. The Detox Kitchen

From £29.99 a day | 4.5/5 rating | A balance of protein, fat and carbs | Minimal packaging.

What we thought when testing: Ally Head, Health and Sustainability Editor, thought: "I love The Detox Kitchen meals. Not only do you know that they've been prepped with care and packed full of good-for-you ingredients, the recipes are really innovative, too."

"I was pleasantly surprised at how fresh and filling all of the dinners were, and I love that the delivery comes with snacks and juices, too. The packaging was minimal and I didn't have to throw away loads of plastic - normally a downside of delivery services like this. Plus, Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan... which gets a yes from me. Healthy meal delivery, sorted."

detoxkitchen.co.uk