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6 best food delivery boxes for healthy, pre-prepared meals
The GHI experts have tried the best on the market, from COOK to Frive
Tested by Joanna AnastasiouFood and Drinks Tester
For those busy days when you just don’t have time to think about cooking but don’t want to rely on fast food, the best healthy meal prep services can be the perfect solution.
Speedier than a takeaway, with nutrition tailored to you, these handy boxes arrive with healthy, ready-prepared meals designed to help you stay on track with your 2025 goals, all with minimal effort.
There’s no risk of getting bored either, with many offering a wide range of seasonal dishes and specials that are regularly updated, as well as meal boxes that cater for veggie and vegan diets. You can also choose between fresh meals or frozen, which can be stashed in the freezer, ready for those days when the to-do list takes over.
But with so many options out there, and a market that’s constantly growing, how do you decide which is best for you? Don’t worry, the Good Housekeeping Institute is here to help. We recruited a panel of readers to test out a range of market leaders to bring you the very best.
Best meal prep delivery services 2025
Here are our top picks at a glance but read on for our detailed reviews.
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Prep Kitchen Balanced Muscle Gain Plan
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How we test food delivery boxes
We asked a panel of testers to try out each delivery box at home. The meals were prepared following the instructions provided and our panel provided detailed feedback on the delivery service, meals included in the box, value for money, aroma and taste.
As well as reviewing each delivery box overall, we also scored them, where applicable, on their vegan meal options, so if you’re looking for easy, plant-based dinners, we’ve got those sorted too.
Score: 84/100
Frive (formerly Lion's Prep) specialises in quality, healthy meals delivered direct to your door, up to twice a week. Packed full of flavour with a focus on freshness and nutrition, the menu changes weekly, but the standout meals in our tests were the lamb rendang, smoky baharat mango chicken, and paprika baked bass.
Our panel enjoyed the authentic flavours, generous chunks of meat, well-cooked veg and fluffy rice.
Delivery was quick and easy too, with detailed tracking and ice packs included in the box to keep the food cool. The only slight niggle is that, as the ingredients are so fresh, the use-by date is quite short, giving you little leeway to enjoy them should last-minute plans crop up.
COOK Healthy Calorie Conscious Meal Box
Score: 81/100
Stock the freezer with 14 of COOK’s frozen meals for a week’s worth of healthy ready-made lunches and dinners. Each box includes a planner with suggestions for breakfasts and snacks to consume alongside these complete meals, and total calories clocking in at under 1,500 a day.
Our experts thought it was an excellent product, describing the meals as filling and indulgent, despite being under 400 calories each. Our highlight was the sticky soy and ginger beef with zingy fresh ginger, crunchy veg and rice noodles. Testers also raved about the slow-cooked beef ragu with a hint of red wine, complete with a generous shaving of cheese and fresh cherry tomatoes that burst to create the sauce once steamed.
Everything can be cooked in the microwave from frozen in under six minutes, making it the ultimate in calorie-controlled convenience.
Score: 81/100
Our panel enjoyed the flavours of these convenient meals, which are delivered fresh to your door. Favourites included the Mediterranean-inspired penne pasta, which although simple, was delicious and perfectly seasoned. For the chilli enthusiasts, both the noodles and curry were surprisingly spicy. Our testers also liked that the dishes came with little pots of garnish for adding that final flourish.
The Snickers-style breakfast oats were also a hit and came with a thin piece of dark chocolate for you to mix in. Some did feel the meals were quite high in sugar for a “healthy” box, but that was the only complaint.
Score: 78/100
Whether you want to incorporate more plants into your diet, or you’re giving Veganuary a go, Planty makes it easy, delivering frozen ready meals direct to your door. With a wide range of dishes made from good quality ingredients, testers felt there were lots of enjoyable options for vegan diets.
Everything smelt delicious, with testers describing their meals as fresh, zesty and well-cooked. Highlights included the buddha bowl packed with vibrant fresh veg, temper and creamy hummus, convincing “not-chicken” tikka with red rice and sweet potato, and indulgent cauliflower and broccoli cheese side dish. There are even desserts for those with a sweet tooth (we recommend the sticky toffee pudding) and the chocolate and date caramel oat pot makes for a decadent start to the day.
Packed with vegetables and alternative proteins inspired by global cuisines, each dish is complex and well designed, so you’ll never miss meat.
Score: 77/100
Testers described these meals as being like a healthier takeaway. There were plenty of options to choose from and our panel enjoyed the flavours, as well as the satisfying portion sizes, and felt they were well-priced.
Highlights were the bang bang chicken, pesto gnocchi, and the fish pie, with the meat, fish and veg perfectly cooked and well-seasoned. The only small niggle was over presentation – some dishes looked a little thrown together – but we don’t think that’s a dealbreaker. Delivery is only available on Sundays, but you get a handy one-hour time slot, so you’re not left waiting around.
Score: 72/100
Muscle Food aims to cater to those who are tired of prepping the same meals day after day, and our testers enjoyed the variety of options provided. Some did feel the meals could have used higher quality ingredients and we would have liked a little more protein, but overall, our panel was satisfied and felt the plan was good value.
Favourite dishes included the butter chicken and sunshine chicken pot, both of which were packed with veg that reheated nicely without going soggy. A useful option to have in the freezer ready to go on busy weeknights.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
Joanna Anastasiou is our Food and Drinks Tester, and has completed certifications in Sensory Foundation and WSET Wine Level 2 training. Prior to this she studied geography with conservation biology at the University of Exeter and trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland. Through this she has developed a passion for sustainability within the food and agricultural sectors. Joanna also volunteers in kitchens with FoodCycle, as well as on multiple wildlife conservation projects, where she formed a particular love for bees!
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