Sometimes doing the grocery shopping and cooking meals from scratch just isn't an option. You might be juggling work and study, at home with a new baby, recovering from an illness or simply time-poor. Maybe you're sick of trying to decide what's for dinner week in and week out. Or perhaps cooking just isn't your thing.
You could settle for eating toast or takeaways, but an increasingly popular alternative is to use a meal delivery service. So which one is best?
Our testers ordered and cooked meals from Dinnerly, Everyplate, HelloFresh, Make-out Meals, Marley Spoon, Pepper Leaf and QuiteLike. They also ordered prepared meals from Chefgood, Gourmet Dinner Service, Nourish'd, Providoor, Soulara, The Dinner Ladies, THR1VE, and Youfoodz.
We rated the services for ease of ordering, presentation and temperature on delivery, ingredient freshness, recipe accuracy, taste and appearance and more.
Prices are the how much we paid for meal plans at the time of writing. For meal kits we purchased a family box which included three meals for four people. For prepared meals we purchased seven meals. Delivery is included in the price, however, discounts applied at checkout are not included in the price.
It's worth keeping an eye out for promotional price reductions and discount vouchers as they can offer significant savings, at least for your first order.
Food box delivery services
Cost (including delivery):
4-person family box (3 meals per week): $144
We cooked the Mild Fish and Vegetable Curry with Chickpeas and Rice recipe from QuiteLike.
Meal choices each week:
30
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Recipe cards clearly detail the method with photos of each step that are easy to follow. They also detail the supplied ingredients, pantry ingredients and equipment. Estimated cooking time is provided and allergen and nutritional information is also listed on the recipe card.
Delivery area:
NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT
Packaging
We rate the packaging as good. Some of it is not recyclable.
Boxes are 100% recyclable and made from approximately 52% recycled cardboard content.
The thermal pouch (to keep ingredients cool) is 100% recyclable.
The gel inside the ice packs is a safe gel made up of 99% water and <1% sodium polyacrylate – the contents can be poured in your backyard or pot plants or can be emptied into your household bin.
Good to know:
There's only 2- or 4-person meal options.
There are meal options to cater to dietary needs such as pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan and meat free.
Ingredients are divided into paper bags and grouped based on the recipes.
Recipe card is also accessible online.
Cost (including delivery):
4-person family box (3 meals per week): $81
We cooked the Easy Chicken Parmi with Apple Salad recipe from Everyplate.
Meal choices each week:
27
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Recipe cards are easy to follow with dot points. They detail the ingredients provided, the additional pantry staples you'll need and nutrition per serving. Custom options are also available on the recipe card. No specific allergen information is provided on the recipe card, you can only access this information from the website. Recipe cards states "For allergens and ingredient information visit EveryPlate.com.au/foodinfo".
Delivery area:
NSW, VIC, ACT, QLD, WA
Packaging
We rate the packaging as good. Some of it is not recyclable.
The cardboard box, recipe cards and any cans are recyclable.
White cool pouches are made from plant-based and renewable materials – they can be reused or placed in general waste.
Ice packs can be reused.
Plastic wrappers can be recycled as soft plastics.
Good to know:
Simple recipes with few ingredients and minimal food wastage.
Affiliated with HelloFresh and is the cheaper meal kit option.
Good choice of meal options and portion sizes are substantial.
Option to cater for 2, 4 or 6 people.
Option to add a fruit box, drinks, desserts and snacks to the meal kit.
Check what pantry staples you'll need, they may not be regular food items you have in your cupboard or fridge.
Ingredients are combined in the box, so you'll need to sort them into meals.
Cost (including delivery)
4-person family box (3 meals per week): $154
We cooked chicken and crispy potatoes with smokey aioli and garden salad from Marley Spoon.
Meal choices each week:
Over 100
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Recipe cards detail the ingredients provided and additional pantry staples you'll need. Nutrition per serving is detailed. Common allergens are highlighted on the recipe card.
Delivery area:
ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC, TAS, SA, NT, WA
Packaging:
We rated the packaging as good. Some of it is not recyclable.
Boxes are 100% recyclable and made from 70% recycled cardboard content.
Ice packs can be reused.
The substance inside ice packs is a non-toxic gel that is made up of 99.5% water and 0.5% sodium polyacrylate – the contents can be poured in your backyard or pot plants or can be emptied into your household bin.
Insulation bags are made from 30% recycled materials and can be reused.
Paper bags are 100% recyclable.
Ingredients packets are made from either firm or soft plastic.
Good to know:
It has one of the largest number of weekly food choices of the food box services we reviewed.
It has an associated app that you can use to manage your account.
Ingredients for each recipe are placed in separate paper bags.
Food options for lunch, dinner, sides, snacks and desserts are available to add.
Only 2- or 4-person meal options.
In the box we tested, we found the temperatures of the salmon and haloumi to be slightly above food-safe temperature (the delivery was left outside for 4.5 hours and measured 5 hours after delivery). This can especially be an issue if you're not home to collect the box immediately on arrival or if the food is delivered and not collected immediately in summer or during days of warmer weather.
Cost (including delivery):
4-person family box (3 meals per week): $135
We cooked the Spided Chicken and Potato Fries recipe from HelloFresh.
Meal choices each week:
44
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Recipe cards detail the ingredients provided, the additional pantry staples you'll need and nutrition per serving. No specific allergen information is provided on the recipe card. Recipe card states to always read product labels for the most up to date allergen information. Visit hellofresh.com.au/foodinfo for allergen and ingredient information.
Delivery area:
NSW, NT, QLD, SA, VIC, WA, ACT
Packaging:
We rated the packaging as good. Some of it is not recyclable.
The box, recipe cards, meal kit bags and cans are recyclable.
Cool pouches are kerbside recyclable.
If you receive a plastic cool pouch it should be disposed of with your general waste.
Ice packs can be reused.
Plastic wrappers should be disposed of with general waste.
Good to know:
There's food options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks and desserts.
Option to choose 'ready to heat' meals.
It has an associated app which you can use to manage your account.
Ingredients for each meal are placed in separate bags for easy access to the ingredients.
Some members have commented about the lack of fresh produce, portions not being uniform and poor customer service. Our experts also encountered some of these issues with some produce being less than acceptable.
Cost (including delivery):
4-person family box (3 meals per week): $94
We made Dinnerly's Coconut Curry Fish Soup.
Meal choices each week:
Over 100
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Recipe cards are only available online (no physical copy provided in the box). Common allergens are highlighted but the recipe card also states "May contain traces of other allergens".
Delivery area:
ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC, TAS, SA, NT, WA
Packaging:
We rated the packaging as good. Some of it is not recyclable.
Cardboard box is recyclable.
Ice packs can be reused or recycled.
Good to know:
Affiliated with Marley Spoon and is the cheaper meal kit option.
There's no recipe card in the box; you'll need to print it out or view online.
Ingredients are combined in the box, so you'll need to sort them into meals.
Only 2- or 4-person meal options.
Check pantry staples you may need for the recipe, they may not be regular food items you have in your cupboard or fridge.
Food options for lunch, dinner, sides, snacks, drinks and desserts.
Cost (including delivery):
4-person family box (3 meals per week): $145
We cooked Pepper Leaf's pork medallions with apple chutney sauce.
Meal choices each week:
20
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Recipe cards detail the ingredients provided and the additional pantry staples you'll need, but don't provide nutrition or allergen details. The recipe cards have preparation steps that are not included in cooking time shown on the recipe card which can be misleading.
Delivery area:
ACT, NSW, SA, VIC, QLD
Packaging:
We rated the packaging as very good as most of it is recyclable or reusable.
Claims all food box packaging is recyclable.
Good to know:
Australian-owned company.
It's the only company to offer meal plans for one.
Meal plan options are available for 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 people.
Free seasonal fruit added to the first two boxes when you sign up.
Ingredients are divided into paper bags and grouped based on the recipes.
Option to add a fruit box or coffee to your order.
Limited information shown when selecting meals. Small symbol for vegetarian options and meals are labelled as almost ready meal, stove or oven.
Check pantry staples you may need for the recipe, they may not be regular food items you have in your cupboard or fridge.
Cost (including delivery)
One-off subscription box (3 meals for 4 people): $165
We cooked the Cecconi's Prawn Fettuccine recipe from Make-out Meals.
Meal choices each week:
15
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Recipe cards detail what you'll need including equipment, what's provided by the company, cooking time and any allergen information as well as the spice degree of the recipe.
Delivery area:
ACT, NSW, VIC
Packaging:
We rated the packaging as very good as most of it is recyclable or reusable.
Reusable herb bags are used to help keep produce fresh.
Insulated padded bags can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin.
Ice blocks can be reused otherwise the gel can be drained and the satchel can be recycled with soft plastics.
Company offers to pick up the rubbish.
Simply leave the box with insulated cool bags and ice blocks out the front and they'll collect it when your next order is delivered.
Good to know:
Limited menu selection.
The method on the recipe cards could be improved and we found recipe times to not always be accurate.
Two recipe cards were missing from our delivery and were accessed online.
Some of the ingredients weren't fresh and one meal was not great tasting or well-presented.
Ingredients are divided into paper bags and grouped based on the recipes.
Caters to special dietary needs; gluten free, dairy free, nut free options and vegetarian.
Options to include lunch, sides, snacks, fruit, alcohol (cocktails, wine and beer).
Caters for 2, 4 or 6 people.
Check pantry staples you may need for the recipe, they may not be regular food items you have in your cupboard or fridge.
Prepared meal delivery services
Cost (including delivery):
For 2 people, 1 meal a day (7 days): $201
We ordered Marco's Carbonara Mac n Cheese.
Number of meal choices each week:
30
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Allergen information is provided.
Delivery areas:
NSW, VIC, QLD
Packaging:
We rate the packaging as very good as most of it is reusable or recyclable.
There's no other information provided regarding packaging and recycling.
Good to know:
The service and delivery was excellent.
Meals are frozen.
Delicious meals but only part of the meal is provided in most cases, sides like vegetables, rice, noodles and pasta are needed to complete the meal.
No contract or subscription, pay as you go.
Very good heating and cooking instructions are provided.
Other items such as bundles, entrees, desserts, sides, to share small bites, desserts can be ordered.
Some meals need to be defrosted before cooking and some meals can take up to 40 minutes to prepare.
Cost (including delivery):
For 2 people, 1 meal a day (7 days): $169
We ordered the Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna from The Dinner Ladies.
Number of meal choices each week:
72
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Allergens are highlighted on the heating instructions and online.
Delivery areas:
NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, SA
Packaging:
Meals are frozen.
Cardboard boxes can be recycled.
Foil insulation is made from reusable and recycled plastics and can be disposed of with soft plastics.
Ice packs can be emptied in your garden.
Plastic wraps and liners can be recycled with soft plastics.
Pulp trays are biodegradable once the plastic liner is removed.
Alfoil trays can be recycled.
Good to know:
The Dinner Ladies provide frozen home cooked meals that are generously sized and look presentable.
Some meals need to be defrosted before cooking and some meals can take up to 40 minutes to prepare.
Cost (including delivery):
For 1 person, 7 meals: $99
The meals we ordered from THR1VE for the test.
Number of meal choices each week:
40
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Allergen information is provided and also states "All ingredients are manufactured on equipment that processes eggs, wheat/gluten, soy, milk, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, sesame, lupin and sulphates".
Delivery areas:
NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT, WA
Packaging:
We rated the packaging as very good as most of it is reusable or recyclable.
Meals and snacks are delivered in a biodegradable insulated box.
Box, packaging of the ice pack and containers can be recycled.
The contents of the ice packs can be disposed in the garden.
Good to know:
Provide healthy meals with low carbohydrates.
There's a good variety to choose from with a quick turnaround on delivery.
Other meals such as snacks, drinks, desserts, soups and bundles can be ordered.
Individual meals only (no family meal options) and meals can be frozen.
You can either subscribe or do a one-time purchase.
Meals are only OK in taste and appearance.
Heating instructions are limited.
Cost (including delivery):
For 1 person, 7 meals: $70
We ordered the Mild Chicken & Vegetable Coconut Curry from Chefgood.
Number of meal choices each week:
Over 40
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Allergens are highlighted and online it says "there may be traces of allergens such as: wheat, gluten, milk, egg, fish, crustacean, mollusc, sesame, soy, sulphites, lupin, peanut, and tree nuts (almond, brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecan, pine nut, pistachio, and walnut) in our meals".
Delivery areas:
NSW, VIC, ACT, QLD, SA, TAS
Packaging:
We rate the packaging as good. Some of it is not recyclable.
Cardboard boxes and meal trays can be disposed of in your curbside recycling.
Recycle the vacuum seal film, empty gel bags and foil liners can be recycled as soft plastic.
Ice pack gel can be emptied in your garden.
Good to know:
Good variety of meals to choose from with chef-inspired meal choices.
The service and delivery was only OK as meals were delivered early and left outside for 8 hours – temperatures were above the safe range.
Portion size is only OK.
Presentation is lacking, not all meals looked appetising.
Other meals such as breakfast, snacks and drinks can be ordered.
Other meals such as breakfast, sides, snacks, drinks and desserts can be ordered. The meal categories include: Breakfast, Soul Foods, Snacks & Sides, Drinks and Next Week's Meals.
Regular, large and extra large serve size meals are available.
Individual meals only (no family meal options) and meals can be frozen.
Heating instructions are limited.
Cost (including delivery):
For 1 person, 7 meals: $87
The meals we ordered from YouFoodz.
Number of meal choices each week:
60
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Common allergens are highlighted online but packaging also states "May contain traces of other allergens".
Delivery areas:
NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, ACT, WA, TAS, SA
Packaging:
We rated the packaging as very good because most of it is reusable or recyclable.
Cardboard box can be reused or recycled through your kerbside recycling.
Ice packs can be reused or the gel can be disposed down the sink and the soft plastic put in the bin.
Meal sleeves can be recycled through your kerbside recycling.
Meal tray can be rinsed and recycled at home in your council bin.
The film sealing around the meal can be disposed in general waste.
Bubble liner (used to keep meals cool) can be disposed in general waste.
Good to know:
Meals were only OK – the presentation didn't look very appetising with unevenly chopped vegetables and the protein was cut into small pieces and usually covered in a sauce.
Some foods had mixed together in the container and flavour was acceptable but not fresh-tasting.
Instructions for heating were not suitable for all microwaves and there was no standing time so food was mostly under 60°C.
The service and delivery was very good.
Meals are available in some supermarkets and there's a lot of variety to choose from.
Snacks, desserts, fruit boxes and soups are also available to order.
Individual meals only (no family meal options) and meals can be frozen.
There's an app available to download to manage orders.
Cost (including delivery):
For 1 person, 7 meals: $91
We ordered the Shepherd's Pie with Kale from Soulara.
Number of meal choices each week:
39
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Allergens are highlighted on the packaging and online.
Delivery areas:
NSW, SA, VIC, ACT, QLD, NT, WA, TAS
Packaging:
We rated the packaging as very good as most of it is reusable or recyclable.
Cardboard boxes can be recycled.
Meal containers (once rinsed) can be recycled with regular plastics.
Silver insulation bags can be recycled.
Plastic parts of ice packs can be recycled and the gel from inside can go down the sink (using hot water to flush it down the drain) or in the garden.
Good to know:
Meals looked bland and not very appetising.
Presentation was lacking.
Medium and large-sized meals are available however we found the serving size of the medium meals to be very small.
100% plant-based and vegan friendly.
Other options like snacks, drinks and bundles are available.
Individual meals only (no family meal options) and meals can be frozen.
What we found
Fiona Mair, CHOICE home economist and one of our testers, found a lot to recommend in the meal delivery services we tested.
"Meal kit services like HelloFresh and QuiteLike are predominantly marketed to time-poor families. But if you have limited cooking skills and want to eat home-cooked food, they can also be a great way to learn how to cook," Fiona says.
CHOICE home economist Fiona Mair testing a recipe.
She found that the recipes are generally simple and relatively easy to follow, the ingredients are already portioned, there's usually a utensil or tool list of what you need in your kitchen, plus a list of the pantry staples you'll need.
"After a month of preparing a few meals from a meal delivery service you'll have a repertoire of recipes under your belt that will give you confidence to shop and cook for yourself. You'll also become familiar with flavours and cuisines that you may not have tried before," she adds.
When it comes to prepared meal delivery services like YouFoodz and Soulara Fiona says, "these are convenient for people who are time poor and not so interested in cooking a meal".
You're usually receiving single-serve prepared meals that only require heating in the microwave. You can even make a large order which will help to reduce the price and stockpile them in the freezer for later use.
Food box vs prepared meal delivery services: What's the difference?
There are essentially two types of meal delivery services:
food box (meal kit) delivery services and
prepared meal delivery services.
To help you decide which would suit you best, we've prepared a general user guide, along with some tips and traps, for each type.
This information is based on the experience Fiona Mair had when testing the services.
Food box delivery services – a user guide
Benefits
minimal food waste
easy to follow recipes
ingredients local and pre-measured
If you enjoy cooking but meal planning gives you a headache, you're lacking inspiration and sick of always cooking the same boring staples, or you find it hard to make time for the weekly shop, then food box delivery services such as HelloFresh, Marley Spoon, Dinnerly, Pepper Leaf and QuiteLike can be a good option. Each week these subscription services deliver recipes and the precise quantity of the predominantly fresh ingredients you'll need to cook them.
There's minimal food waste associated with these types of services, as you're being supplied with the exact quantities of ingredients required for each recipe. This is particularly beneficial with ingredients you're unlikely to use frequently. For example, if a recipe calls for a pinch of paprika, that's what you'll get in the box. You don't need to buy a whole bottle that you're unlikely to use again.
Portioned ingredients for two Marley Spoon recipes.
The recipes are put together to be simple and easy to follow, and obviously cooking with pre-measured ingredients means you can turn the meal around in less time than if you were starting from scratch. Many of these services also aim to use locally sourced Australian ingredients.
Tips and traps
When using these types of services you'll need to have a range of everyday ingredients which frequently feature in the recipes. These include pantry staples such as soy sauce, white vinegar, salt and pepper, honey, oil, butter, milk, eggs, flour and sugar – so it's worth checking you have them before your first delivery so you're not caught short.
Leftover packaging from one HelloFresh meal we cooked.
When signing up to these services, some companies will collect personal information upfront before you can even view what's on offer. Take Dinnerly for example, you can only view menu choices once you've entered all your details including credit card information. In other cases only a minimum amount of details are needed initially and card details are only required once meals are selected.
Subscription-based services usually have pre-selected meals they have chosen for you. If you want to customise your order you'll need to remember to delete the pre-selection meals otherwise you could find yourself being charged for them.
The amount of packaging (each pre-measured ingredient comes in its own bag or container) can be a deterrent.
Choosing a delivery window where you're likely to be home to collect it soon after delivery is important to ensuring food stays within the safe temperature range.
Prepared meal delivery services – a user guide
Benefits:
Minimal preparation required
Can stockpile meals and keep in the freezer for future use
Services such as Youfoodz, The Dinner Ladies, Soulara, Providoor and Nourish'd sell predominantly fully prepared meals. Ordering is simply a matter of choosing from the range of meals displayed on their websites, and the chilled or frozen meals will arrive at your door in a coolbox on your nominated delivery date.
Tips and traps
The meals from some of these services focus predominantly on the protein component, with nary a vegetable in sight. They suggest you add a salad or vegetable side dish – and usually offer these to buy – but this will obviously bump up the total cost. This is worth bearing in mind when comparing meal prices.
Some of these services offer a good selection of freshly prepared, chilled meals, while others sell predominantly frozen meals. If this difference is important to you, make sure you're clear on what they're offering before you order.
The meals on offer are usually "wet meals" like braised meats, curries, pasta, stir fry, rice and stews that are usually covered in a sauce of gravy. This is so the food doesn't dry out when heated in the microwave and so each component can heat as evenly as possible.
Fiona says, "these types of meals that are soft with minimal texture are foods you could quickly become sick of. You may not want to be eating them week on week".
Other services like Providoor and The Dinner Ladies still provide ready-made meals but they are frozen and have options to serve 1–4 people. In some cases these meals aren't complete and you may need to finish them off with pantry staples like pasta or rice and may want to add a salad or vegetables to complete the meal. Heating instructions may require an oven, cooktop or microwave but these options allow for a variety of textures which in some cases lead to better flavour.
How costs compare to supermarket prices
Food boxes
In the past we've compared the price of a HelloFresh box with the equivalent ingredients needed to make the recipes from Coles and Woolworths.
We found you don't actually pay much less at a supermarket, and sometimes you pay more once you factor in delivery costs if you're ordering online.
But in reality when doing your weekly shop you're more likely to take advantage of special offers or buy larger packs which are better value for money – a 1kg tub of Farmers Union Greek Style natural yoghurt (65c per 100g) rather than a 240g tub ($1.29 per 100g), for example. And as long as you end up using the leftover ingredients before they reach their use-by or best-before dates and need to be discarded, then it's cheaper to do the shopping yourself.
Prepared meals
Some services like Youfoodz and Soulara are available to purchase in select supermarkets. If you can find them in the supermarket you'll be taking away the delivery cost which is added to any online orders.
Are meal delivery services suitable for kids?
If you're planning on using a meal delivery service to feed a family that includes young kids you might want to proceed with caution. Meals aren't always guaranteed to win over a fussy toddler.
What about delivery services marketed for weight loss?
Weight loss is a key motivation for many people that want to use a meal delivery service, including popular services like Lite n' Easy, Eat Fit Food, Muscle Meals Direct and Dietlicious (sister company to Gourmet Dinner Service).
