Figuring out what to cook for dinner on a weeknight can be overwhelming for anyone, especially when you factor in schedules, children, and work obligations. While traditional meal delivery kits with pre-measured ingredients and simple steps can help, there’s a new crop of services offering prepared meals that require no prep — or at most, just a few minutes of microwave or oven time. These ready-made meals deliver chef-designed dishes that make the perfect weeknight meal, letting you skip dinner prep and save time on post-dinner cleanup.
These ready-to-eat meal delivery services offer a wide variety of recipes for every taste, diet, and lifestyle. Some even cater to dietary preferences, like a keto-friendly menu from Factor or a selection of low-FODMAP meals from Epicured (the first meal delivery service designed with GI health in mind for people suffering from IBS, Crohn’s, Colitis, SIBO, and Celiac).
While some prepared food delivery services are just a la carte, others provide prepackaged dinner bundles that have all the fixings to make a full meal, including sides. These dinner bundles are typically a mix of meals from the meal service and are often discounted. For instance, Plated offers a variety of meal bundles that include mains, sides, and desserts to make a dinner for two or four.
Other meals-in-a-box options come in the form of frozen entrees. These can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave, but may need to be defrosted before heating. Revive, for example, offers a selection of frozen ready-to-eat meals that are shipped in ecofriendly, insulated packaging, with reheating instructions included. All of their meals are gluten-free, dairy-free, and free from refined sugars.
Ready-to-eat meals can be delivered fresh, as well. These services usually offer a mix of both frozen and fresh meals, with most offerings requiring only a few minutes in the microwave or oven to heat up. Home Chef, for example, offers a mix of fresh and frozen, oven-ready meals that are customizable by selecting the number of servings and meal types you want.
If you’re a fan of artisanal ingredients but want to cut down on kitchen prep, consider one of these meal delivery services that offer restaurant-quality dishes made from locally sourced ingredients. These dishes can be a mix of both prepared and a la carte, with options from restaurants such as Bibimbap, CookUnity, and Esther Choi.
These services also offer a range of meal plans to choose from, such as vegetarian meals and healthy lunches, so you can find the right fit for your needs. Some, such as Purple Carrot, offer plant-based meals that are actually research-backed and designed to meet your nutritional goals. Another option, Territory, offers chef-prepared meals that can be customized to a variety of wellness and lifestyle preferences, such as Paleo, Keto, and vegan. Each meal is made with “responsibly sourced, nutrient-dense” ingredients and is gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free. ready meals delivered