Ring the Dinner Bell: Meal Delivery Services for OC Families

Z.E.N. Foods

Z.E.N. Foods (which stands for Zero Effort Nutrition) knows what it's like to feed a busy family. With breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and desserts available, you'll be on your way to healthy eating in no time. The turkey sloppy joes and the filet mignon with butternut squash are family favorites and the menu changes weekly. Every entrée can be heated in under two minutes with a microwave or under seven minutes in mini-convection oven.

Start ordering by selecting a date you wish to receive the delivery. Browse through the menu and add the desired items to cart. You may order multiple deliveries by selecting different dates and adding desired items to cart. The minimum order is $25 per day plus delivery.

Cost: Prices vary based on product selection.

Online: zenfoods.com

Catered Fit

Catered Fit offers meal delivery to families that are looking for healthy options. In addition to classic meals, Catered Fit offers paleo, keto and vegetarian options. Daily delivery is available to members who are within drivable range of Catered Fit kitchens in Florida and California. They also delivery weekly to the remainder of the U.S. Classic meal options include Swedish meatballs with egg noodles, Italian baked snapper with angel hair pasta, and a pulled pork BBQ sandwich. This is a subscription service but you can skip week or cancel anytime. 

Cost: Meals cost $8/day and up depending on plan

Online: cateredfit.com

Fresh Meal Plan

This meal prep company delivers to the continental U.S. and has a special focus on health and wellness. Families following paleo, vegan, keto and high-protein diets will find plenty of tasty options. A new menu is posted each week for you to choose from. Subscribe and save with the weekly meal plan option or go for the one-time a la carte option for more flexibility. The peanut chia power bikes are the perfect after-school snack. Go for the candied granola pancakes to start your day off with 23g of protein.

Cost: The six-meal plan is $72/week and the 14-meal plan is $140.

Online: freshmealplan.com

Plant-Based Power Food: Thistle

If you are looking to up your family's health quotient this year then Thistle is the meal delivery service for you. They offer fully-prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as juices, snacks, wellness shots and more. Choose what option works best for you with the price per item decreasing the more items you select. Every week there's a new menu and everything that is available is gluten and dairy free. You can choose from vegan and non-vegan options.

While the majority of the Thistle menu appeals to greens-loving adults, our kid tasters loved the 24 Carrot Gold muffin and the nourishing green juice. Bonus for busy parents: the most you'll need is a few minutes to warm up the meals (if you desire) or eat them room temp instead. 

Cost: Fully-customizable packages start at $29.98/week. 

Online: thistle.co

Yumble

This meal delivery service is focused on kids. Carefully sourced fruits and veggies, and perfectly balanced—lunches, dinners and snacks from Yumble are nutritionist approved and kid approved, too! Choose your kids meals for the week and they'll be delivered free to your doorstep. The Bowl of Yays Pasta with veggie marinara and the Mighty Meatballs and Veggie Chili are crowd pleasers for sure. Each box comes with new activities for kids, making mealtime a breeze for you and a joy for them.

Cost: $5.99/meal and up

Online: yumblekids.com

Nurture Life

Wishing you had the superpower to make healthy meals magically appear on your dining room table? Kick up your heels because Nurture Life delivers nutritious, ready-to-eat meals for babies, toddlers, kids and adults straight to your door (read no more grocery shopping, meal prep or planning!). With Nurture Life, now you can serve your kids their favorite foods at lightning speed . . . no cape (or apron) required. Read our full review here. 

Cost: $6.89/meal and up

Online: nurturelife.com

Sun Basket

Sun Basket provides meal kit customers with organic produce and clean ingredients with paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian and family menu selections. Consumers can also upgrade to premium meats like grass-fed filet and jumbo shrimp. Broaden your culinary horizons with family-friendly meals like chicken tagine and Taiwanese noodle soup. You can even select "super speedy" meals which can go from box to table in less than 15 minutes or "one pot" meals which keep the dishes to a minimum. Hooray! 

Parents will love how Sun Basket encourages kids to participate in the cooking process (which has been shown to create more adventurous eaters). Each recipe includes a "Kids Can" section with suggestions of how kids can contribute to the meal prep by juicing a lemon, timing the orzo or strip the mint leaves. 

Another great option for healthy eating: Sun Basket launched their Lean & Clean menu with high-in-fiber-and-protein recipes around 550 calories. The meal kit includes kid-friendly games and instructions—an interactive way to get parents and kids cooking dinner together.

Cost: $10.99 per serving

Online: Sunbasket.com

Blue Apron

Blue Apron has been part of the meal delivery game for a long time and their expertise shows. Choose among two-serving, four-serving and vegetarian menus to pick the options that are right for you. We love that the meals typically take 40 minutes or less and include kid-friendly ingredients like baked chicken and pasta while exposing kids to different flavors like curry and chile-lime. With super easy-to-follow recipes, you can definitely get the kids involved in the cooking process. 

Cost: Meals cost $8.99-9.99/serving with free shipping

Online: blueapron.com

Dinnerly

If your goal is to get a wholesome, easy meal on the table for your family, then Dinnerly is the meal delivery option for you. Each week Dinnerly customers choose from over a dozen options which change each week. The choices are totally kid-friendly with options like sweet and sour Swedish meatballs, turkey burgers and enchiladas. Each meal has only five prep steps and takes less than 30 minutes to get on the table, perfect for rushed weeknight dinners. Not interested in getting your box this week? No problem! You can skip any time. 

Seasonal ingredients, grass-fed ground beef and antibiotic-free chicken are all a part of the Dinnerly meal box. Efforts are made to reduce packaging waste and customers receive their recipe cards via email instead of receiving printed cards in their box. At only $4.49 per serving, Dinnerly makes easy weeknight dining a snap.

Cost: Two-person box containing three meals is $29.94, plus $8.99 shipping. A family box containing three meals that will feed four adults is $59.88, plus $8.99 shipping.

Online: dinnerly.com

Takeout Kit

If you are looking to add some world flavors to your cooking repertoire, look no further than Takeout Kits. These kits offer globally-inspired flavors and brings them to your door in some totally adorable packaging. Ever wondered what went into your favorite pad thai, Japanese Tonkatsu Ramen or Indian butter chicken? Get to know some new, exotic ingredients and learn how to cook these delicious meals for your family. 

The kits contain non-perishable ingredients that can wait in your pantry to be cooked for up to two months (pro tip: bring a kit along on your next camping trip!). This makes such a huge difference for busy lifestyles to always have a tasty meal ready to cook when you come back from vacation or can't make it to the grocery store. Some examples of the Takeout Kit proteins include: dry cured Spanish chorizo, canned premium Japanese snow crab, 100% natural pouched chicken and many vegetarian proteins like lentils, teff flour, freekeh and tetra-packed tofu. If you'd like to add your own protein, select the "add your own protein" option. 

This Bay Area company ships all over the U.S. so order a meal to ship to your far away family. Better yet, opt for one of the sampler kits to try a few at a discount and add on a drink kit to pair with your meal. 

Cost: Kits range from $29.99-34.99 and serve four adults. No subscription is required. 

Online: takeoutkit.com

Marley Spoon

This cook-at-home food delivery service partnered with Martha Stewart to help harried families discover their inner Martha. The partnership gives Marley Spoon access to Martha's archive of over 18,000 tried-and-true recipes to feature in their meal kits. They promise quality purveyors offering grass-fed beef, Berkshire pork, American-caught shrimp and artisanal cheeses. The menu features 22 choices every week and the website tags meals as family-friendly, under-30 minutes, gluten-free and other categories.

Favorites include: chicken fajita bowl, bacon-wrapped skillet meatloaf and lemon-brown butter salmon. The website provides big, colorful step-by-step photos for careless cooks and kids who want to help. Also, the blog offers great tips and ideas, like what to do with lentils, immune-boosting foods and Martha’s easy Oscar party snacks. The family kit feeds four adults, so will easily feed two adults and two kids.

Cost: Families can choose two meals a week ($76), three meals a week ($106.80) or four meals a week ($131.20). Delivery is free.

Online: marleyspoon.com

Freshly

Freshly is a weekly subscription service delivering fresh (not frozen), chef-cooked meals that can be heated and served in 3 minutes. Unlike meal kits, all you need is a microwave, fork, and plate (optional!) to get a satisfying lunch or dinner on the table. Think “nutritionist meets personal chef” vs. TV dinner when it comes to quality and flavor. 

With a food philosophy centered on less sugar, less processed and more nutrients, the menu features better-for-you versions of comfort foods with smart ingredient swaps. For example, Chicken Parm is coated in almond flour vs. bread crumbs and topped with marinara sauce sweetened with honey instead of refined sugars; Mac and Cheese is made with brown rice pasta and cheesy sauce blended with a purée of cauliflower and butternut squash; and Turkey Meatballs are packed with mushrooms and served over zoodles for a lower-carb alternative to pasta.

Cost: Customers can order 4 meals ($11.50/each), 6 meals ($8.99/each), 9 meals ($8.99/each) or 12 meals ($7.99/each) weekly.

Online: Freshly.com

HelloFresh

With a newly-expanded menu and new Family Plan, HelloFresh is better than ever these days. Their goal is to bring the fun of cooking back into people’s lives by doing all the planning, portioning and shopping for in-season, sustainably-sourced, healthy and flavorful ingredients. HelloFresh prides itself on its delicious recipes with quick cook times; all your chopping, zesting and sautéeing will take less than 30 minutes. Meal plans available are meat and vegetables, vegetables, family-friendly and low calorie. 

With the debut of HelloFresh Wine and their online marketplace that sells curated kitchenware, their portal is a one-stop shop for even more of your shopping needs (or wants). 

Cost: Meals $8.99/serving. Delivery is free for all orders.

Online: hellofresh.com

Farmbox

Farmbox offers various size boxes packed with seasonal, farm-fresh fresh fruits and vegetables to your door. You select the shipment size and customize your box, and check your doorstep for easy monthly deliveries.

Cost: starts at $43.95/box

Online: farmbox.com

Gobble

Say goodbye to grocery shopping, meal planning and prep, and all that cleanup! Gobble shops, chops and delivers gourmet three-step recipes for one-pan cooking with zero prep required. How about picky eaters? Try Pan-Seared Sirloin Steak with Roasted Fingerling Potatoes & Béarnaise Sauce or Crispy Chicken Sandwich & Napa Cabbage Slaw with Caraway Vinaigrette. What have you got to lose when it's just a one-pan cleanup?

Cost: Prices start at $11.99/dinner and $5.99/lunch

Online: gobble.com

Veestro

How about 100% plant-based, organic, non-GMO, chef-prepared entrees, soups, and juices that just show up at your front door whenever you want them to? Then look no further than this healthy bunch (bonus: they deliver nationally, too).

There are no, zero, zilch animal products of any kind, here, ever! Chick'n Nuggets with chipotle dipping sauce complete with veganaise will do the trick every time for your kiddos and no one will miss the meat. Veestro food is available a la carte, in full-on Meal Packs, and they also carry a surprisingly delicious weight loss menu plan. As with most vegetarian cuisine: most meals have nuts in them so be careful with a nut allergy, but all meals are completely dairy-free and don't contain other allergens.

If gluten is your family offender, they carry a special pack called The Gluten-Free Feast which comes swiftly to your home via a chilled FedEx box and includes an assortment of gluten-free breakfasts, lunches, dinners and two desserts: gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and "cheezcake"!

Cost: $35 minimum food order, packages start at $99; free shipping for orders totaling $199

Online: veestro.com

One Potato

When it comes to feeding families, One Potato has got you covered. Co-founder Catherine McCord's best selling Weelicious recipes are the basis of the One Potato meals. There's nothing fussy here—the organic, non-GMO ingredients come pre-chopped, pre-measured and ready to get from box to table in no time. Each recipe will be ready in less than 30 minutes, which makes weeknight meals a cinch. 

One Potato understands that not every family has two adults and two kids so they offer plans for two to six servings per meal. By indicating how many children are in your family, you'll receive kid-sized portions (about half of an adult-sized portion) for them. Choose two or three meals to be delivered per week, or skip that week if you'll be out of town. 

Each week you have eight meal options to choose from—five rotating Seasonal Favorite and three constant Family Favorites. Vegetarian, nut-free and gluten free meals are available. The included recipe cards are super easy to follow and kids will love getting involved in the cooking process by following along with the photos. Have them brown the ground beef for tacos or prep the par-cooked potatoes for French fries. The recipe cards provide tips for getting the kids involved in cooking. 

Cost: Plans vary from $7.32-12.95/serving. The more servings you purchase, the lower your per serving cost will be. 

Online: onepotato.com