8 Vegan Meal Delivery Options When You’re Short on Time
Updated: Apr. 20, 2022
Whether you're fully plant-based or curious about a more plant-forward lifestyle, these vegan meal delivery services offer convenience, nutrition, and a ton of fresh flavor...with at least one that will be likely to meet any dietary restriction.
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Choosing a vegan meal delivery service
When you’re trying to live a more plant-based lifestyle, but have a lack of experience planning and preparing vegan cuisine (not to mention little time to cook), it can be easy to get exasperated at meal times.
Fortunately, there are convenient new ways to incorporate vegan meals into your day. Most restaurant delivery apps now have a “vegan” search category, which can help you scope out vegan-friendly restaurants in your area. According to the industry publication Total Food Service, there were 1,474 exclusively vegan restaurants in the United States in 2020, and that number is likely to grow. (Try these plant-based fast food options.)
But eating out constantly can get expensive, not to mention the large portion sizes may encourage you to overeat. Instead of ordering another round of takeout, try a meal delivery service. The number of vegan meal delivery services has skyrocketed recently, with plenty of options for ready-to-eat, or heat-and-eat meals.
We’ve curated the options below based on nutrition, quality ingredients, taste and variety—we want everyone to feel both nourished and satisfied. Plus, you’ll treat your tastebuds to a range of different cuisines that you might otherwise have access to, expanding your palate.
Why you should eat more vegan meals
Even if you don’t intend to go fully vegan, there are important reasons to incorporate more vegan meals into your eating regimen. A 2015 study, published in the journal Nutrition, compared five diets: vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, semi-vegetarian, and pescatarian. At the six-month mark, the vegan eaters lost significantly more weight than those following the other diets.
A 100 percent plant-based diet also fared better than an American Heart Association-recommended diet in an eight-week study published in 2018 in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Researchers found that a vegan diet led to 32 percent lower levels of high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, a blood marker for inflammation and heart disease risk.
Eating vegan more often is also good for the planet. A 2019 study, published in the journal Sustainability, found that meatless meals have more than a 40 percent reduction in environmental impacts, including carbon footprint, water use, resource consumption, health impacts of pollution, and ecosystem quality.
Ready-to-eat vegan meal delivery services
If you’re convinced or curious about going vegan, even for a brief period or part-time, check out these picks for vegan meals brought straight to your door — each is available within the continental United States.
Try one to get started, or order a few to mix things up. Ready-to-eat meals can meet all of your needs or can supplement homemade and takeout meals. They can also spark creativity, and inspire you to begin whipping up your own vegan dinners at home.
Daily Harvest
When it comes to vegan meal delivery services, Daily Harvest offers a range of thoughtfully sourced, gluten-free, and chef-crafted meals. Options include smoothies, oat and chia bowls, savory harvest bowls, flatbreads, soups, and treats, including ice cream and bites (think energy balls), like hazelnut chocolate, coconut lemon, and espresso bean tahini.
You can choose from three different plans — 9, 14, or 24 items — with each item ranging from $5.99 to $11.99. Shipping is free (the company delivers to 95% of the continental U.S.), and you’ll receive a discount on your first box.
And if you’re looking to pair plant-based eating with an elimination diet to test food sensitivities, the brand recently partnered with Whole30 to create a 30-day Plant-Based Whole30 Menu Plan curated by Whole30 and Daily Harvest dietitians for $114.86 each week.
The best part is you’ll never get bored, as you can mix and match from any of the meal categories. Daily Harvest’s fruits and vegetables are frozen on the farm within 24 hours of picking, at their peak nutritional value and flavor.
Fresh N Lean
The name says it all — these meals are fresh and nutritious. But what the name doesn’t tell you is that Fresh N Lean meals are also organic, prepared by chefs in a gluten-free kitchen, and the two vegan meal plan options make plant-based eating a breeze. The Standard Vegan meal plan leans on organic vegetables, vegan protein sources, and a seasonal menu to satisfy you; the Low Carb Vegan offering includes all of that while keeping meals at or below 28% carbohydrates.
The meals are delivered fresh each week, and store well in the fridge until you pop them into the microwave for three minutes (yes, it’s that easy). Choose from such breakfast, lunch, dinner, and vegan snack options, such as tikka lentil bowl, tomato coconut bisque soup, and coconut almond buttercups.
You can even select up to three ingredients to exclude from your meal plan based on allergies and preferences. Pricing starts at $7.83 per meal.
Fire Road
Looking for vegan meal delivery services that offer extra protein to help fuel your muscles during workouts and other athletic endeavors? Then you’re in luck, because Fire Road’s meals are higher in protein compared to most vegan delivery options.
Each frozen entree provides between 27 and 39 grams of plant-based protein, with choices that include a southwest harvest grain bowl and sweet potato mac n’ cheese. The brand also offers smoothies, soups, sauces, and power breakfast overnight oats.
In addition to listing ingredients and nutrition facts, each meal’s performance benefits are also highlighted. For example, the pea protein found in the smoothies provides branched-chain amino acids, which help with muscle building and repair. Allergens can also easily be identified before ordering.
Customers can select 8 or more meals per week (the higher the quantity, the greater the discount), which start at $68 (minimum order and free shipping thresholds vary based on location). Fire Road uses recyclable, biodegradable packaging, and meals will keep in the freezer for a month.
Nutrition for Longevity
This brand offers both pescatarian and vegan ready-to-eat meals, inspired by the principles of The Longevity Diet, created by Dr. Valter Longo, director of the Longevity Institute at the University of Southern California.
Nutrition for Longevity has its own farm and uses organic farming practices to produce nutrient-dense non-GMO food (no genetically modified organisms) that’s delivered to your door less than 48 hours from harvest.
The entrees are curated by an in-house Michelin Star chef and a day’s worth of meals includes an impressive six or more servings of produce and at least 25 grams of fiber. Choose from a 1,600- or 2,000-calorie per day plan and receive breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack, either three, four, or five days per week.
The average cost per meal comes out to $12, but you may catch a flash sale. Meals options include golden chia pudding with berry topping, forbidden black rice buddha bowl, and Nicoyan breakfast enchiladas.
Purple Carrot
It’s good to have options when it comes to vegan meal delivery services, and Purple Carrot delivers, by offering both meal kits and prepared meals. The latter provides a rotating menu, with selections that include chickpea pineapple curry, mushroom cacciatore, and Indian butter tofu.
Ready-to-eat meals are $12.99 per serving, with a $20 discount on your first week. Six, eight, or 10 items are available per week. If you’re looking for more options, including vegan breakfasts and snacks, check out their meal kit choices. Gluten-free options are available, and you can view ingredients, nutrition facts, and allergen info before selecting.
Splendid Spoon
Splendid Spoon is a meal delivery brand that offers low-sugar smoothies, bowls, soups, noodle dishes, and wellness shots. All meals are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, and ready-to-eat. The plans range from one meal occasion per day (such as breakfast only or just lunch) to three daily meals, plus a “reset,” which is a day’s worth of soups.
The full package includes five of each menu item for $195 with free shipping, delivered to the lower 48 states.
There are 50+ meals to choose from each week, including mint chip and chocolate cherry smoothies, a Cuban black bean bowl, red curry noodles, butternut turmeric soup, and ginger lemon wellness shots. Ingredients and nutrition facts are visible for each item before selecting, and the product packaging is 100 percent recyclable.
Veestro
Veestro offers fully prepared, 100 percent plant-based meals made from organic ingredients, with either an a la carte or weight loss-focused option. The latter provides three daily meals with about 1,200 total calories. Customers can also select meals that are kosher, high protein, nut-free, gluten-free, and soy-free.
A five-day weight loss box that contains 15 meals is $178.95 and includes free shipping. This plan offers some enticing comfort food choices, like enchilada casserole, pasta Bolognese, and southwest BBQ chick’n.
Ingredients and nutrition facts for each are easily accessible, and a la carte options include vegan pizzas, quesadillas, and baked mac & cheez. Items can be kept up in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, or stored in the freezer for 8-10 weeks.
Mama Sezz
Avoiding GMOs, oils, gluten, wheat, meat, eggs, dairy, refined sugars, preservatives and peanuts? Then Mama Sezz has you covered, with box delivered to you via FedEx — all you need to do is heat and eat (most meals freeze well if you want to create a little stockpile, too).
You can build your own bundle, or choose a pre-selected bundle (such as Protein Powerhouse or Detox and Reboot). Options include high protein breakfast bars, tuna-ish salad, jerk lentils, Moroccan stew, and treats like rice pudding and cornbread.
The brand works with local farmers, and substitutes with conventional ingredients only when organic is not available. Amazingly, meals are priced between $4-$6 per serving. https://www.thehealthy.com/nutrition/plant-based-on-a-budget/
If you want to recycle the packaging, each box comes with a return shipping label. Just place your empty packaging materials back into the box, add the return-shipping label, and schedule a FedEx pickup.
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- Total Food Service: "How Vegan Restaurants Can Broaden Their Appeal"
- Nutrition: "Comparative effectiveness of plant-based diets for weight loss: a randomized controlled trial of five different diets"
- Journal of the American Heart Association: "Anti‐Inflammatory Effects of a Vegan Diet Versus the American Heart Association–Recommended Diet in Coronary Artery Disease Trial"
- Sustainability: "Comparing the Environmental Impacts of Meatless and Meat-Containing Meals in the United States"
Originally Published: March 30, 2021
