Life gets crazy, especially when you add kids to the mix. Your job demands a lot, you have bills to pay, and where in the world did you put your new car insurance card? But you also prioritize spending quality time with your children.
You know your kids and your whole family needs healthy, nourishing meals, and sometimes you can make that happen, but other times it’s a mac and cheese sort of dinner. And sometimes, it’s often. Going out to eat is fun, but staying home is easier on a busy night.
Wouldn’t it be great if there was something as easy to make as box mac and cheese, but was a well-rounded meal? Well, guess what? There is! In fact, there are a plethora of options.
Below are some of the best family meal kits that have kid-friendly options to choose from.
1 – The Good Kitchen
The best aspect: What The Good Kitchen has going for it the most is that it’s truly a heat-and-eat dinner. It comes fully prepared. You simply have to stick the tray in the microwave and within a few minutes dinner is served.
How it works: You pick your meals from a weekly menu. You pick out exactly how many meals you want. That way you can make sure what’s delivered is something you and your kids want to eat.
Price: It’ll cost anywhere from $11-$13 per person per meal. Portions are sized for adults, so if your children are young and light eaters, you may be able to get away with splitting a meal.
2 – Top Chef Meals
Meal quality: The meals are cooked when you order and flash frozen to ensure freshness. There is no commitment that the food is organic or involves responsibly sourced ingredients.
Best aspect: There’s no subscription, and there are so many choices including options for special diets and food allergies.
How it works: Create an account then order your meals. You order each meal, so you can get something different for everyone in your family if you want to.
Price: Starts at $8.25 per person per meal. Shipping is an additional cost.
3 – Hello Fresh
Meal quality: Ingredients are sourced straight from the farm. Fresh, well-rounded meals. Not organic.
Best aspect: The food tastes more homemade because it is. They took the grocery shopping and prep out of your meal, but you still have to put the ingredients they send together and cook them. So, it may take a little longer than sticking something in the microwave, but you’re guaranteed it will taste fresh.
How it works: You can choose two to four meals per week for two or four people. Your menu options are more varied. You can choose the chef’s choice and hope for something you like, or you can choose from over 20 menu options.
Price: Starts at $7.49 per person per meal, $6.99 shipping.
4 – Blue Apron
Meal quality: Responsibly-sourced ingredients. Fresh, well-rounded meals. Not organic.
Best aspect: Similar to Hello Fresh, Blue Apron meals require easy preparation and taste and feel homemade because they are. You don’t have to grocery shop for your ingredients, but you do have to cook them. The instructions are easy and the box is fully inclusive. You won’t have to search the cupboards for ingredients to add.
How it works: You choose a plan for two or four people. Then you choose two to four meals per week. You can choose the exact meals you want, but remember you’re cooking them up like a regular non-delivered meal, so your whole family will eat the same thing.
Price: Starting at $8.99 per person per meal. Free shipping.
5 – One Potato
Meal quality: Farm-fresh, organic, non-GMO, seasonal produce.
Best aspect: It doesn’t just work for kids, like the other options, it’s actually designed with kids in mind. They have kids-sized portions and pricing. They encourage kids to help prepare the meals and provide tips for how to make it work. There’s even cookie dough in every box.
How it works: Choose your recipes from the weekly menu, decide how many dinners per week (two or three), and your family size (two to six). The box comes with everything you need, but you will need to prepare it. The instructions are easy to follow and with produce already chopped, prep only takes about 30 minutes.
Price: Starting at $7.32 plus $4.99 shipping fee for CO, ID, MT, NM, OR, UT, WA deliveries.
6 – Plated
Meal quality: Fresh ingredients. Not organic. It’s not tailored for people with food restrictions and special diets.
Best aspect: Desert is included, and kids of all ages (and adults!) typically prefer dinners that end off with dessert.
How it works: Choose your recipes, the number of meals you would like per week (two to four), and the number of servings you need (two to four). The box includes everything you need, but you have to prepare it by working through some easy-to-follow instructions.
Price: Starts at $8.95 per serving
7 – Green Chef
Meal quality: Green Chef is a certified organic company (the only one in this review).
Best aspect: Keto and Paleo plans are available. Green Chef has the best national reviews out of all the meal-delivery companies in this article.
How it works: Pick your plan. Two-person plans have three meals a week. Family (four person) plans have two meals per week. You do not choose your individual recipes. Veggies are pre-chopped so preparation takes 30-45 minutes.
Price: Family plans start at $10.99 per serving plus $7.99 for shipping.
8 – Gobble
Meal quality: Local farms. Not organic.
Best aspect: 15-minute prep in one pan (the fastest prep time for the fresh-food options). Lunch options are available (90 minutes of preparation for 6 grab-and-go lunches).
How it works: Choose a two or four-person plan. Plans include three meals per week. You do not choose the recipes, but you can see what they will be. The food is prepared so that your part in the meal preparation takes only about 15 minutes.
Price: Starting at $11.99 per serving plus $6.99 for shipping.
9 – Martha and Marley Spoon
Meal quality: Artisanal producers, select small farms, and family-owned farms. Not organic. Not allergy friendly.
Best aspect: Recipe selection.
How it works: Pick your plan (two to four meals a week), and for how many people (two or four), then choose your recipes. Preparation takes 30-45 minutes, so a little longer than other options reviewed here, but a great option for kids who want to help with the cooking.
Price: Starting at $7.49 per meal plus $8.99 for shipping.
10 – Dinnerly
Best aspect: Price. This is hands down the cheapest meal delivery option in this review.
How it works: Choose your plan (for two or four people) and how many meals you want (three to five). Choose your recipes. There are several labeled “kid-friendly.” Preparation should usually take you less than 30 minutes.
Price: Starts at $4.49 per meal plus $8.99 for shipping.
In closing, I recommend Dinnerly as the best option for a family looking to provide home-cooked meals on a budget. My other top choice is One Potato because of their organic meals and kid-friendly portions.
Your family may have unique needs, and there’s a delivery option for you. If you’re a family without diet restrictions, any of the above options would be great.
Melanie Musson is a writer for carinsurancecomparison.com. She has four children and understands how hectic life can get. She’s committed to making sure her family eats healthy, wholesome meals every day.
