Runner Up
Winner
Runner Up
In a vibrant city like San Diego, quick, healthy meals are a priority. Meal delivery service is an alternative to eating out that keeps nutrition and your budget in mind. We have scoured through meal delivery companies in the San Diego area to find the best.
Our research analyzed important considerations such as nutrition, options, quality, cost, and taste, among others. With these factors in mind, we have crowned Eat Clean Meal Prep the best in San Diego for their variety of meal plans, in-house nutritionist, excellent taste, and add-on options.
We found seven other meal delivery services in San Diego that surpassed our expectations. If you are looking for quick, healthy meal delivery in San Diego, these companies should be on your radar.
Eat Clean Meal Prep
BEST SAN DIEGO MEAL DELIVERY SERVICE
Eat Clean Meal Prep holds its own in every consideration. It won our high marks for its focus on nutrition, attention to seasonality, and choices of meal plans. A few key details that make them stand out are:
- An in-house nutritionist and a team of professional chefs that curate the menus
- Seasonal produce and gluten-free
- Opportunities for breakfast and extra meat and veggie add ons
- Choose between classic, plant-based, or family meal plans, each with five meals per week
- Cost starts at $53.55 per week
Catered Fit
BEST PALEO MEAL SERVICE
Catered Fit is a meal prep delivery service in San Diego that prides itself on perfectly portioned, fresh, gourmet meals. Their outstanding Paleo meal plan has made Catered Fit our choice for the best Paleo meal delivery in San Diego. A few key benefits of Catered Fit are:
- Weekly or daily delivery for freshness with locally sourced, clean ingredients
- Classic, Paleo, Keto, and Meatless meal plans to choose from with add ons including pressed juices, snacks, desserts, coffee, and tea
- Three portion size options- men, women, and athlete
- Packaging is 100% recyclable, BPA-free and American-made
- Pricing depends on the number of meals and delivery frequency but starts as low as $7.70 per meal
Michaela’s Meals
RUNNER UP
Michaela’s Meals stands out due to its variety of menu options and attention to seasonal vegetables and responsibly sourced proteins. A few benefits of Michaela’s Meals include:
- Fresh, never frozen fitness-focused prepared meals, including breakfast options
- Many options for dietary restrictions and number of meals
- Biodegradable packaging
- Delivery once or twice a week for convenience
- Cost starts at $65 per week
The Lean Machine
The Lean Machine offers a gluten-free, healthy signature menu and customizable meals and portions to meet your goals. It is run by a veteran/woman-owned husband and wife team that focuses on cooking from scratch. Some key benefits of The Lean Machine include:
- Customizable build-your-own meals and portions to meet your goals and dietary concerns
- Fresh, gluten-free, all-natural ingredients, including hormone and antibiotic-free meats
- Bulk order any of their ingredients already prepared
- Delivery once or twice a week for convenience
- Prices vary but start at $9 per meal
San Diego Meal Delivery Buying Guide
Meal Delivery vs. Food Delivery
Though San Diego is known for its restaurant scene, many of which offer food delivery, meal delivery is different.
Meal delivery service gives you the option to order prepared meals or pre-measured ingredients for meals ahead of time and have them delivered to your door.
The companies we have selected and rated today deliver meals rather than just food or groceries to your door.
Prepared Meals vs. Meal Kits
Services that deliver meals often fall into two categories: meal kits and prepared meals, also called meal prep.
Prepared meals are pre-cooked in a commercial kitchen and then shipped to your doorstep for you to reheat. Meal kits provide a recipe and pre-portioned ingredients delivered to your doorstep for you to cook yourself.
Deciding which option is best for your lifestyle is an important consideration before buying.
If you don’t want to cook or are on the go, prepared meals are great since they don’t require any cooking, only a microwave or an oven.
Meal kits are the solution for those looking for new, innovative meals, who don’t want to go to the grocery store, and who have basic cooking skills.
Eat Clean Meal Prep, Catered Fit, Michaela’s Meals, and The Lean Machine are all meal prep delivery services in San Diego, while Green Chef and Marley and Spoon are meal kits.
Dietary and Nutrition Considerations
Often, people are looking to meet dietary and nutrition preferences. When selecting meal delivery plans in San Diego, it is vital to see if the company can accommodate your needs.
If you are looking for diet-based meal delivery, go with Catered Fit or Fresh N Lean, but if you are concerned about allergies and nutrition, The Lean Machine is the way to go for their customization options.
Customization, Cost, & Commitment
Customization, cost, and level of commitment vary with each San Diego meal service.
Customization
Customization is crucial because everyone lives a different lifestyle. Each of the companies above has some customization options; however, The Lean Machine is the most customizable as you can build your own meals and meal plan.
Cost
Because of the restaurant quality, delivery logistics, and packaging, delivered meals can get expensive. However, there are still options under $10 per meal, such as Catered Fit, and Marley and Spoon which is often cheaper than eating out.
It is also important to consider that there are different levels of meal plan options that can work with your budget. For instance, sometimes increasing the number of meals can have a lower cost per serving or plans with a lower number of meals can lower overall cost.
Commitment
Some companies have auto-renewing plans, so be sure to look at their policies if you need to cancel or pause for a week.
Menu Selection
Everyone has different tastes, so it is vital to consider the menu selections. Usually, companies vary their menus weekly or monthly to give you new options frequently. If you are looking for the best variety of meal options, we suggest going with Michaela’s Meals.
Key Takeaways
Every one of these companies offers wonderful service. Still, our clear overall winner for the top meal company in San Diego is Eat Clean Meal Prep for its choices in meal plans, attention to nutrition, and reasonable cost.
Our selection for the best Paleo meal delivery service in San Diego is Catered Fit. Their perfect portions, flavorful diet-specific menus, and extensive add-ons make them a well-rounded service.
Finally, our winner for the best value is Marley and Spoon. Being budget-friendly is a big selling point, and Marley and Spoon exceed the expectation with tasty, healthy meals starting at $7.77.