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Best Vegan Meal Delivery Services of 2024 | Insights from Hands-On Testing
Jul 19, 2024
Fact Checked
We cooked, prepared, and tasted food from more than 25 meal delivery services to find the best vegan options that offer a variety of convenient plant-based meals.
Our Reviews Team conducts in-depth research so we can provide a thorough, comprehensive review of the products and services we test. We personally tested more than 26 meal delivery and grocery delivery services and carried out extensive research on the subscription options, types of meals offered, the nutritional information of the meals, quality of the meals, delivery, and packaging to give you the most accurate review. To better understand the usefulness of meal delivery programs, we:
Spent one week testing each platform to become familiar with the app, website, and the quality of the meals
Completed the sign-up processes and questionnaires and ordered one week’s worth of meals
Logged meals, prepared recipes, tried pre-packaged foods, and interacted with customer service representatives
Surveyed 600 people who have used meal delivery services
Interviewed experts in nutrition and nutritional psychology
Purple Carrot is our pick for best overall vegan meal delivery services because it offers 100% vegan meal kits, premade meals, and snacks that incorporate fresh, high-quality produce.
The best vegan meal delivery services cost $5.99–$17.99 per serving.
Most meal delivery services offer both premade meals and meal kits that include recipes, pre-portioned ingredients, and produce needed to cook a meal.
A vegan diet isn’t ideal for everyone—always speak with your health care provider before making any major dietary changes.
While vegan and vegetarian diets are similar, vegan diets fully exclude animal products, like dairy and eggs, in addition to meat. A plant-based diet may support heart health, disease prevention, and weight loss, which is why it is gaining popularity, especially among older adults
[1]Zhu R., et al. Adherence to a Plant-Based Diet and Consumption of Specific Plant Foods-Associations with 3-Year Weight-Loss Maintenance and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Secondary Analysis of the PREVIEW Intervention Study. Nutrients. Nov. 1, 2021.
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Whether you’ve followed a vegan diet for years or want to try it for health, environmental, or ethical reasons, you need to make sure you’re still getting the same essential nutrients (such as vitamin B12) you would from a standard diet that incorporates animal proteins and products
[2]Harvard Health Publishing. Is It Safe to Go Vegan in Older Age? Dec. 1, 2019. Found on the internet at https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/is-it-safe-to-go-vegan-in-older-age
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“The protein recommendations for older adults are often higher in order to prevent age-related muscle loss, also called sarcopenia,” said Avery Zenker, a registered dietitian with a master’s in nutrition and contributing writer for EverFlex Fitness. “A common protein recommendation for older adults is about 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight[3]Traylor, Daniel A., et al. Perspective: Protein Requirements and Optimal Intakes in Aging: Are We Ready to Recommend More Than the Recommended Daily Allowance? Advances in Nutrition. May 3, 2018. Found on the internet at https://www.sciencedirect.com
, and more may be beneficial for those who are underweight or have illnesses or injuries.”
If you’re following a plant-based diet, Zenker recommends including various protein sources, such as soy products, beans, plant-based meat alternatives, seeds, and nuts. “Nuts and seeds aren’t as high in protein as the other foods, but they’re high in calories due to their fat content, which can be helpful for older adults susceptible to unintentional weight loss,” she said. It’s especially important to consume complete protein sources—which are more limited on a plant-based diet—that contain all nine essential amino acids[4]Harvard Health Publishing. Protein. May 9, 2024. Found on the internet at nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/what-should-you-eat/protein.
to support your body as it ages. Another way to ensure you’re getting complete proteins from a plant-based diet is to ensure you’re eating complementary proteins (a mix of different proteins that contain the essential amino acids you need).
Subscribing to a meal delivery service can help you incorporate nourishing, balanced vegan meals without meal planning or grocery shopping. Meal delivery services offer meal kits, premade meals, or both. A meal kit includes a recipe and the necessary produce, seasoning, and other ingredients to cook the recipe, while premade meals need to be warmed up or simply opened before eating.
We’ve also included healthy meal delivery services that offer both vegan and non-vegan options, which can be helpful if you don’t want to switch to a completely vegan diet. Always speak with your health care provider before making any major dietary changes.
Best vegan meal delivery service overall
We selected Purple Carrot as the best vegan meal delivery service because it offers a variety of high-quality and completely vegan meal-planning options. You can customize your Purple Carrot order with vegan meal kits, premade meals, and snacks. There are also numerous dietary options to choose from, including high-protein, low-calorie, and low-sodium.
Purple Carrot: Best Vegan Meal Delivery Service Overall
Purple Carrot
Best Vegan Meal Delivery Service Overall
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Purple Carrot is our Reviews Team’s pick for “Best Overall” because it offers 100% vegan meal kits, premade meals, and snacks. We love that you have an entire vegan menu instead of being limited to a few options each week. You can customize your order by choosing between meal kits, “less prep” meals, premade meals, and snacks. We were also impressed by the variety of dietary options Purple Carrot offers.
Shipping cost: $10 per week; free shipping for orders that cost more than$100
Availability: Contiguous United States
Type: Meal kits, prepared meals
Number of servings: Two or four per meal kit or single-serving prepared meals
Number of meals per week: Three or four meal kits or six, eight, or 10 prepared meals; option to combine meal kits and prepared meals
Meal options: Menu is 100% vegan with availability to choose high-protein, low-calorie, nut-free, soy-free, gluten-free, low-sodium, or less prep options
Cancellation method: Online
Pros and cons
ProsCompletely vegan Full nutritional labels available Low-sodium meal options ConsDelivery dates may be limited based on location
Our Top Pick
Our expert opinion on Purple Carrot
Since Purple Carrot meals are 100% vegan, we like that you don’t need to filter the weekly menu to find vegan options. This gives shoppers more interesting meals and flavors while adhering to a vegan diet. When selecting our meal kits for the week, we could choose from at least 15 vegan recipes.
A full nutritional label and allergens list are available online for each recipe and premade meal. While a full nutritional label is great for all shoppers, we like that anyone monitoring their sodium, sugar, or carbohydrate levels can review nutritional information before selecting their meals. Certain meals are labeled low-sodium, nut-free, gluten-free, or high-protein to help shoppers pick the best meals for their dietary needs.
When testing Purple Carrot, we cooked two meals and tried two premade meals. All the ingredients were nicely packaged and tightly sealed in the delivery box, but the box was nearly 20 pounds and difficult for our tester to carry into their home. If you’re considering Purple Carrot or any meal kit service, you may need help carrying it into your home since delivery boxes tend to be heavy. Fortunately, the meal kits and ingredient packages were simple to open since they were taped.
Our meal experiences: Our tester enjoyed the stuffed sweet potato recipe and was happy with the freshness, flavor, and portion size. The instructions were easy to follow, only required basic cookware, and didn’t call for extra ingredients that were not included in the meal kit.
Tester insights
“It was very easy to make the stuffed sweet potatoes. Everything was pre-portioned, so it was really just a matter of cutting the potatoes, chopping the shallots, and mixing the pre-portioned sauces together.”
Plate of stuffed sweet potatoes next to recipe card on countertop
Unfortunately, we didn’t think the premade meals were as impressive as the meal kits. While the premade meals are convenient since they only need to be warmed up, our tester found the food texture rubbery and mushy. Texture and taste vary for everyone, so this may not be true for all eaters.
Purple Carrot premade meals are ready to eat after being reheated.
HelloFresh: Best Vegan Meal Delivery Service for Meal Prepping
HelloFresh
Best Vegan Meal Delivery Service for Meal Prepping
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HelloFresh earned the title “Best for Meal Prepping” because of its hearty, high-quality portion sizes. We think it’s an excellent option if you like cooking one recipe and having leftovers to eat for multiple meals. While HelloFresh isn’t 100% vegan, numerous vegan recipes are available each week. The brand also lets you swap out recipe proteins and sides for more plant-based and vegan-friendly meal prep.
Availability: Contiguous United States and select ZIP codes in Honolulu, Hawaii and Anchorage, Alaska
Type: Meal kit
Number of servings: Two or four
Number of meals per week: Two to six
Meal options: Meat and veggies, vegetarian, pescatarian, family-friendly, quick and easy, fit and wholesome
Cancellation method: Online
Pros and cons
ProsFull nutritional labels available Can swap recipe proteins and sides“Quick and easy” option for shorter meal preparationCancel or skip meals anytime Reduces food waste (everything from the recipe gets used up)ConsNot completely vegan Lengthier cooking time for some mealsNo premade meals available
Our expert opinion on HelloFresh
HelloFresh meals aren’t 100% vegan, but each weekly menu contains vegan recipe options. When signing up for your service, you can choose “vegetarian” when selecting your meal preferences, but “vegan” isn’t a choice. We like that you can swap meal proteins and sides in recipes, which helps create more plant-based meals.
When browsing the weekly menus, you can view the full nutritional information for each meal. We wish meals had clearer category labels instead of general labels like “Calorie Smart” and “Carb Smart.” Online menu meal cards also list allergens in each meal.
Our tester reported that the delivery box they received was heavy, and some people may need help carrying the package into their homes. Once the box was inside, they had no issues opening all produce and ingredient packages with scissors. We were impressed by the quality, freshness, and cleanliness of the produce right out of the box.
Tester insights
“I was surprised at how fresh the produce was. At times, it looked nicer than what I would find at my local grocery store. Even things like scallions, which are fragile, were immaculate.”
Our meal experiences: Each HelloFresh meal our tester prepared was beginner-level and involved no complicated cooking techniques. Some recipe cards included pictures with each step, while others didn’t. We think it’s helpful when an image accompanies each step, and we wish recipe cards had more consistent step-by-step images.
Some HelloFresh recipe cards have helpful images to accompany each step.
Our tester thoroughly enjoyed the meals’ flavors, quality, and portion sizes. The recipes pushed them out of their comfort zone in a good way. “I would cook each meal again,” they said. While meal preparation was easy—each meal took about 30–45 minutes—it was more time-consuming than our tester would have liked.
Fortunately, HelloFresh offers “quick and easy” recipe options that take about 20 minutes to prepare and have fewer steps. Our tester said they would choose the “quick and easy” plan if they ordered HelloFresh again.
Our tester enjoyed the one-pan enchilada recipe and had plenty of leftovers.
Daily Harvest: Best Vegan Meal Delivery Service With Smoothies
Daily Harvest
Best Vegan Meal Delivery Service With Smoothies
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We chose Daily Harvest as the “Best Vegan Meal Delivery Service With Smoothies” since the brand offers a variety of vegan meals and snacks, including smoothies. All items are premade and don’t require much preparation besides heating or blending. Smoothies are a tasty, easy way to incorporate vitamins and nutrients from fruits and vegetables into your diet. And since smoothies use more parts of the whole fruit or vegetable compared to juices, they can support your daily fiber intake—fiber is typically stripped from produce during the juicing process.
Number of meals per week: Nine to 24 meals or snacks
Meal options: Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free
Cancellation method: Website
Pros and cons
ProsCompletely vegan and gluten-free Full nutritional label available Quick preparation timeCan skip, pause, or cancel anytime ConsCan’t schedule delivery date Small portionsOnly frozen premade meals available
Our expert opinion on Daily Harvest
Daily Harvest items are vegan and gluten-free, which help accommodate eaters with restrictive diets and offer more dietary options than many meal delivery services. We like that every Daily Harvest meal or snack is available for eaters who follow plant-based, dairy-free, or gluten-free diets.
All meals are premade and frozen, so there’s no cooking required. The only preparation involves heating up food or blending together smoothie ingredients with your favorite dairy-free milk. Our tester’s delivery box wasn’t heavy, but it was large and clunky, making it awkward to handle if you need to climb stairs to access your home. The packaging was easy to open with scissors, and all items arrived frozen and were stored in the freezer.
We like that most meal kits display the full nutritional labels for all meals, but Daily Harvest goes one step further. Not only are full nutritional labels available online, but each recipe lists the key vitamins and minerals in the meal.
Our meal experiences: When testing Daily Harvest, our tester tried multiple smoothies, a harvest bowl, and a breakfast bowl (called a “forager bowl”). They liked the convenience of the frozen bowls and smoothies but didn’t enjoy the texture of some of the meals. “The meals seemed more heavily processed and not as fresh as I would have liked,” they said.
“In processed meals, ingredients contain more additives, preservatives, fillers, artificial colors, and flavors,” said Chrissy Arsenault, a registered dietitian with Pink Pamplemousse.
Frequent consumption of highly processed foods can negatively impact your health by increasing your risk for high cholesterol, obesity, and metabolic syndrome[6]Pagliai, G., et al. Consumption of Ultra-processed Foods and Health Status: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. British Journal of 3, Aug. 3, 2020. Found on the internet at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/artic
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Arsenault warned that processed meals are also high in sodium because they contain preservatives and flavor enhancers like MSG. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day, but the average American adult consumes 3,400 milligrams of sodium per day, according to the Food and Drug Administration
[7]U.S. Food And Drug Administration. Sodium in Your Diet. Mar. 5, 2024. Found on the internet at www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/sodium-your-diet.
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Our testers reported that meal portions were smaller than a typical single-serving size. They think the meals would be better as a nutrient-dense snack to supplement a full meal, especially for older adults who may not be getting enough nutrients in their diet.
Smoothie ingredients arrive frozen and ready to blend with your favorite milk or dairy-free milk.
Tester insights
“My favorite things about Daily Harvest are that it’s convenient and completely vegan. I can imagine someone who is vegan doesn’t typically get a lot of options from meal kits, and here they would be able to access a large variety of convenient food.”
All Daily Harvest items arrive frozen and must be stored in your freezer.
We recommend Daily Harvest for those following a strict vegan diet who want convenient, premade meals or snacks with minimal preparation.
Sunbasket: Best Organic Vegan Meal Delivery Service
Sunbasket
Best Organic Vegan Meal Delivery Service
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Nearly all Sunbasket produce is USDA-certified organic, which earns our pick as “Best Organic.” The brand’s meal kits and premade meals contain high-quality ingredients and organic produce, and the premade meals are fresh, not frozen. We recommend Sunbasket for those who want more affordable and convenient organic food.
ProsPremade meals are never frozenDiabetes-friendly and low-sodium options Full nutritional labels for every meal available Monday through Thursday delivery options ConsNot all meals are veganNot available in some parts of the United States
Our expert opinion on Sunbasket
When signing up for the service, you can select your dietary preferences, but “vegan” isn’t an option. We recommend selecting “vegetarian” plus “avoid dairy” during the signup process to receive more vegan-friendly recipe suggestions.
Although there’s no vegan filter during the sign-up process, there is a vegan filter you can apply when choosing weekly meals. We like that there are other helpful filters like diabetes-friendly meals, dairy-free, and preparation time when reviewing the weekly menu, but we wish you could apply more than one filter at a time. All meal kits and premade meals have full nutritional labels available online.
When testing Sunbasket, our tester tried two meal kits and two Fresh-and-Ready premade meals. The Sunbasket meals arrived in two paper bags that were noticeably lighter than other meal delivery packaging. All packages were paper bags or rippable plastic, which was easy to open.
Our meal experience: Our testers were immediately impressed with the produce variety, quality, and freshness included in their meal kit. Both recipes involved simple, detailed cooking instructions. For example, one recipe had clear instructions on how hot to set the stovetop to cook all the ingredients properly. One meal required a lot of chopping.
One of our meals included broccoli with a dairy-free cheese sauce. While one tester wouldn’t normally gravitate toward this vegan-friendly option, they were surprised at how much they enjoyed the dairy-free alternative.
Tester insights
“I was impressed with this meal. As someone who really likes dairy and cheese, I was originally a bit skeptical with the dairy-free ‘cheese’ sauce … however, it tasted very delicious and had an authentic creaminess.”
Our tester prepares broccoli with dairy-free cheese.
Sunbasket also offers Fresh-and-Ready premade meals. Unlike many premade meals, these are fresh, not frozen, and typically have fewer preservatives and additives than frozen meals.
These low-maintenance meals need to be warmed in the microwave or oven, and then they’re ready to eat. Our testers were impressed with how convenient these meals were while still tasting fresh and flavorful. One drawback is there aren’t many premade vegan options available.
We were impressed with the freshness and quality of the Sunbasket produce.
How we chose the best vegan meal delivery services
Based on our testing, research, and expert consultations, we determined the following factors to be essential for our readers when signing up for a meal delivery service:
Cost, including prices for subscriptions, the price per serving of each meal, and shipping fees
Availability and delivery options
Types of meals, either meal kits with ingredients and recipes or premade meals
Quality of the meals
How long it takes to prepare meals
Number of meals you can get per week
Number of servings in each meal
Meal and dietary options, especially vegan, but also low-carb, low-calorie, or vegetarian options
Cancellation method
We also had all of our reviews medically reviewed by a nutrition expert to ensure the information is appropriate for NCOA readers’ needs.
What to consider when choosing a vegan meal delivery service
Type of meals
Are you interested in a meal delivery service that allows you to prepare and cook new vegan recipes without visiting the grocery store? Or do you want to skip cooking entirely and opt for premade meals? Define your cooking goals when choosing a vegan meal delivery service, and remember that brands like Purple Carrot and Sunbasket offer meal kits and premade meals.
Diet restrictions
Consider how closely you follow a vegan diet. Are you completely vegan, transitioning to a vegan diet, or simply trying to eat a few more plant-based meals each week? Purple Carrot and Daily Harvest are 100% vegan, while HelloFresh and Sunbasket offer vegan and vegetarian options.
Assess your other dietary goals as well. Are you trying to reduce your carbohydrate, sodium, or sugar intake? Most meal delivery services allow you to filter meals by dietary restriction category, but some brands have more options and detailed labels than others. Review each brand’s weekly menu to see how it accommodates specific diets and lifestyles.
Quantity of meals per week
Consider your current weekly meal schedule, including how often you cook, whether you rely on leftovers, and how often you dine or order out to determine how many meals you need each week.
The number of servings will vary depending on whether you cook for yourself, your partner, or multiple people. If you rely on leftovers for some meals, take that into consideration when choosing your serving size for each meal.
Based on our testers’ experiences, HelloFresh offers large portions that are great for leftovers, while Daily Harvest portion sizes are much smaller and may be better as a nutritious snack or to supplement a meal. Testers reported that Purple Carrot and Sunbasket single-serving portions were accurate and satisfying.
Cost
Keep your typical grocery budget in mind when researching meal delivery services. Is a brand more or less expensive than what you’d typically spend on groceries per week? Your price per serving will depend on the number of meals and servings you choose. Typically, the more meals you order, the lower the price is per serving.
Many meal delivery services offer discounts to first-time customers, so you can use that as an opportunity to try multiple brands before choosing one. Most meal delivery services allow you to skip meals or cancel anytime, which makes it less of a financial commitment.
Bottom line
A meal delivery service is a convenient alternative to weekly grocery shopping and meal planning. If you follow a vegan diet or simply want to incorporate more plant-based food into your meals, we recommend Purple Carrot, HelloFresh, Daily Harvest, or Sunbasket meal delivery services. Purple Carrot and Daily Harvest are 100% vegan, while HelloFresh and Sunbasket offer multiple vegan and vegetarian options.
When choosing a vegan meal delivery service, consider your budget, serving size, lifestyle, and dietary goals. Purple Carrot and Sunbasket offer meal kits and premade meals. HelloFresh only offers meal kits, and Daily Harvest has premade meals and snacks but no meal kits.
Frequently asked questions
Meal delivery service prices depend on the number of meals and servings you choose. Daily Harvest has the lowest starting price at $5.99 per item for premade meals, while HelloFresh has the lowest starting price at $9.99 per serving for meal kits. Our top vegan meal delivery service recommendations range from $5.99–$17.99 per serving. Generally, the more servings and meals you select, the lower the starting price. Many meal delivery services also offer promotions and discounts for first-time customers.
Both vegan and vegetarian diets are plant-based. Vegetarians consume animal products, though. People who follow a vegan diet exclude animal products, such as eggs and dairy.
Our best vegan meal delivery service recommendations range from $5.99–$17.99 per serving plus $9.99 for shipping. Meal delivery services can be an affordable way to try various vegan recipes without the need to plan your meals or grocery shop.
Zhu R., et al. Adherence to a Plant-Based Diet and Consumption of Specific Plant Foods-Associations with 3-Year Weight-Loss Maintenance and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors: A Secondary Analysis of the PREVIEW Intervention Study. Nutrients. Nov. 1, 2021. Found on the internet at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8618731/
Harvard Health Publishing. Is It Safe to Go Vegan in Older Age? Dec. 1, 2019. Found on the internet at https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/is-it-safe-to-go-vegan-in-older-age
Traylor, DA, et al. Perspective: Protein Requirements and Optimal Intakes in Aging: Are We Ready to Recommend More Than the Recommended Daily Allowance? Advances in Nutrition. May 3, 2018. Found on the internet at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S216183132201225X
Harvard Health Publishing. Protein. May 9, 2024. Found on the internet at nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/what-should-you-eat/protein
The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine, Tulane University. Complementary Plant Proteins. Found on the internet at https://goldringcenter.tulane.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/435/2022/11/Complementary-Proteins.pdf
Barber T, et al. The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre. Nutrients. Oct. 21, 2020. Found on the internet at https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/10/3209
Pagliai, G., et al. Consumption of Ultra-processed Foods and Health Status: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. British Journal of 3, Aug. 3, 2020. Found on the internet at https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/consumption-of-ultraprocessed-foods-and-health-status-a-systematic-review-and-metaanalysis/FDCA00C0C747AA36E1860BBF69A62704
U.S. Food And Drug Administration. Sodium in Your Diet. March 5, 2024. Found on the internet at www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-education-resources-materials/sodium-your-diet
Emily Breaux is a writer with a background in education. She has written on multiple health care and technology topics, as well as for the higher education and hospitality industries. She specializes in medical alert systems and enjoys writing about hearing aids, health insurance, and wellness topics specifically for older adults.
Chrissy Arsenault is a Registered Dietitian with over nine years of experience in health and wellness. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell University and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University. She first started in the fitness industry, working as a personal trainer at Cornell Fitness Centers to help individuals reach their health and fitness goals.
Gretchen Dueñas-Tanbonliong, MS, MPH, RDN, is passionate about using her multifaceted background working in nonprofit, international organization, and industry settings
