Healthiest
Winner
Best Vegan
Have you grown tired of the usual suspects for lunch and crave something that’s hot, delicious, and healthy but don’t have time to invest in a home-cooked meal for lunch? More people are opting for meal delivery services as an alternative, and we’ve found the best.
For lunch, we think Freshly ranks at the top of the list for gluten-free, fresh, and natural meals that are microwave-ready. Their variety is great, and so is the flavor. A few others like Factor and Sprinly also made the list for similar reasons, especially their variety for special dietary preferences.
If you’re ready to revive your lunch hour, here are the details on our top choices for easy lunches delivered.
Factor Meals
BEST MEAL DELIVERY SERVICE FOR LUNCH
Factor meals are nutritious and designed for people on the go, making them perfect for lunch, no matter where you are. Factor offers pre-made meals crafted with high-quality ingredients that require no actual cooking. Well, unless you count pushing a button on the microwave as cooking.
Factor meals are great lunch options for health-minded people. They do a good job of catering to people who are looking to eat healthier, are following specific diets, or have special dietary needs. Factor’s meal categories include Keto, High Protein, Low Carb, Low Calories, Dairy-free, Vegetarian, and Plant-Based. They also have a category for those who like their meals with a little extra spice.
Factor offers a good variety of meals per week, but they also have lighter, grab-and-go lunch options like smoothies, soups, cold pressed juices, and energy bites.
Factor isn’t the most economical meal service, but regarding quality, you really get what you pay for with them. They also offer a significant per meal discount when you subscribe to a larger plan.
More details about Factor:
- About two dozen ready to eat meals each week, plus add ons
- Flavorful dishes that will appeal to almost every vegetarian, vegan, and meat-eater
- Choose between 4-18 meals per week, with a discount for larger orders
- Complimentary session with a nutrition expert
- Choose your own meals or let them decide
Sprinly Noodle Bowls
BEST VEGAN LUNCH
Sprinly is a completely plant-based, organic meal delivery service that’s filling the niche for those looking for delicious vegetarian meals to enjoy for lunch. Sprinly meals are prepared and delivered fresh for optimized flavor and plant-based nutrition.
Sprinly offers about six meal options each week, so their menu isn’t the largest, but it’s absolutely packed with vegan goodness. We especially love Sprinly’s noodle bowls for a delicious, easy vegan lunch with absolutely zero meal prep.
One thing to know about Sprinly is that they have a somewhat limited delivery area, although they are continually working on expanding it. Currently, Sprinly delivers to the East Coast, Midwest, and parts of the South.
Features:
- Plant-based meals designed with a nutrition-first philosophy
- Uses USDA certified organic ingredients
- No gluten, refined sugars, or artificial ingredients
- Noodle bowls make for a quick, delicious, and nutrient-dense delicious meal
- Meal plans offer good flexibility
Hello Fresh
Let’s say that no matter how good the reviews or word of mouth, you’re just not into precooked meals. You’re at home for lunch and don’t mind spending a few minutes preparing a meal that tastes home-cooked. Hello Fresh offers meal kits that can be prepared easily, with just a little time in the kitchen.
Hello Fresh has several meal plans, one being their Quick & Easy plan that showcases easy-to-prepare meal kits with fresh ingredients. The Sheet Pan Walnut Crusted Chicken takes only 30 minutes from start to end and is cooked entirely on a sheet pan to minimize cleanup.
Other easy lunch meal kits include No Oven Sesame Soy Pork Bowls for an easy 20-minute meal, Taqueria Pork Bowls, One Pan Beef Stir-Fry Tacos (ready in 15 minutes!), and Sheet Pan Turkey Meatball Flatbread.
More details about Hello Fresh:
- More than two dozen meal kit selections each week
- Great for busy families looking for a quick, easy, and yummy meal kit service for lunches
- Home-cooked meals without the grocery shopping or meal planning
- One of the most popular meal kit delivery services
- No commitment and affordable, with meals starting at $7.49
Lunchtime Meal Delivery Shopper’s Guide
The main difference with lunchtime meal delivery is that you want something that’s fast, tastes really good, and packs the nutrition you need to make it through until dinner. It also helps if the meals are portable if you’re at work or out of the home for lunch. This simple buyer’s guide will help you choose the best meal delivery service for your needs.
Fresh Vs. Frozen
The majority of meal delivery services emphasize freshness, meaning they will ship their meals fresh, not frozen, to preserve taste and quality. If you like to order enough meals to have a couple of week’s worth of lunches on hands, you might prefer frozen meals over fresh ones.
While it’s true you can always stick fresh meals in the freezer to extend their life, meals that are shipped frozen may stand up better and be tastier when thawed and cooked. This is something to consider if you’re looking at order a larger quantity of lunchtime meals at once.
Prepared Meal Vs. a Meal Kit
For most people, lunch is all about convenience. This is why so many of us reach for pb&j or hope that our coffee and an energy bar will carry us through. Prepared meals are a great alternative if you have limited time for lunch, with most meals requiring less than 5 minutes in the microwave. Our top pick, Freshy, is an example of prepared meal delivery.
Another option is meal kits. With a meal kit, you get everything you need to prepare a meal from scratch in your own home. While meal kits eliminate time and stress, they’re not always the fastest option. Hello Fresh and Gobble and two meal kit services that offer meals that can be cooked quickly with little fuss or cleanup.
Dietary Factors & Healthy Meals
No matter what your dietary needs, there’s probably a meal delivery service out there that caters to them. The problem is finding it and hoping that they have a meal plan that will work for lunch.
Factor meals cater to a variety of dietary needs, and they’re perfect for a nutritious lunch. We also really like Sprinly for anyone embracing a plant-based lifestyle or just wanting to eat healthier overall.
Flexibility
Flexibility is an important consideration when choosing a meal delivery company, especially if you’re only looking for lunches. Various factors come into play, and you want the ability to pause, skip, cancel, or change your order without any stress or fuss.
On our list, Freshly and Sprinly are both great options for their flexibility and level of customer service.
Cost
For most people, choosing a lunch meal plan involves some level of awareness of cost. Most of us don’t want to splurge on lunch every day. Otherwise, the office refrigerator wouldn’t be so packed with leftovers and sad sandwiches.
Some meal delivery services are more economical than others. Hello Fresh has good options if you’re looking for a reasonably priced meal plan. There are even more economical options out there, but always remember that there is a level of “you get what you pay for” with these companies.
FAQs
What is the best premade meal delivery service?
What is the best premade meal delivery service?u003cbru003eFor our money, we think Freshly is one of the best meal delivery services, especially for lunch. They offer great variety and nutrition, and they manage to make their dishes taste like gourmet meals. Still, prepared meal delivery isn’t a one-size-fits-all thing, so it’s best to look at menus, plans, and reviews to find one that fits your needs.
Does HelloFresh do lunch?
Hello Fresh has a page dedicated on their website to lunch meal kits, but these come from their menu of regular meal kits. Their Quick u0026amp; Easy meal kits are perfect lunch options for those home for lunch, like remote workers, who have a few minutes to spend preparing a meal.
Which meal delivery is already cooked?
Which meal delivery is already cooked?u003cbru003eMany meal delivery services offer healthy prepared meals, requiring nothing more than a few minutes in the microwave. Freshly, our top pick is one of them, along with Sprinly, Factor Meals, and many others.
Key Takeaways
Don’t let your lunch succumb to the sandwich and soda trend. Meal delivery services like Freshly, Sprinly, and Factor make it possible to revive lunchtime and actually enjoy your mid-day meal. So much variety means there’s something for everyone, and lunch doesn’t ever need to be boring again.