But like any strict eating plan, Whole30 requires plenty of preparation to ensure you’re meeting your daily nutrition goals. One way to bypass this process is investing in the best Whole30 meal delivery services. These convenient options deliver prepared meals (or all the ingredients for one) directly to your door, so you spend less time reading nutrition labels and more time enjoying your meal. The 30-day plan starts with eliminating all sugar (real or fake), legumes, grains, dairy, and preservatives, as well as booze. Instead, the eating plan is focused around moderate portions of meat, seafood, and eggs with fresh vegetables, herbs, and seasonings. Some fruits are allowed on the diet, along with coffee and clarified butter or ghee. Check out the full list of do-and-don’t foods on Whole30 here, courtesy of Urban. When opting for a meal kit, you’ll have the flexibility to ditch any ingredients that don’t meet Whole30 guidelines. However, premade or frozen meals will require extra vetting, as it’s often difficult (or even impossible) to remove unwanted ingredients from these options. Remember: If you mess up on Whole30, you’re supposed to completely start over. The largest delivery packs 28 vacuum-sealed entrées with options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Opt for the 5-day plan to get a little culinary freedom on your weekends or stick to the 7-day plan to make meal prep obsolete. Either way, you’ll have to trust in the system to deliver delicious meals, as the curated plan only allows customers to input two allergen or taste preferences. Once meals arrive on Friday, they can last in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for three months. A few meals we’ve tried: -Pollo Guisado white meat chicken with tomatoes, pumpkin seeds, and citrus -Tropical Garlic Shrimp with bell peppers, lemon, and coconut Sustainability & Quality: Trifecta does what it can to reduce its carbon footprint by eliminating unnecessary steps in the food supply chain and using sustainable packaging whenever possible. All packaging is 100% recyclable, but the company’s goal is to use biodegradable packaging by 2023. Cost: From $12 per serving What our editor says: “If you have weight loss goals, certain dietary preferences, or simply want to take the guesswork out of eating healthier, Trifecta is a great meal delivery option. I enjoyed it even though I love to cook, but these fully prepared meals would be even better for someone who wants to spend a very minimal amount of time in the kitchen.” — Carleigh Ferrante, commerce editor Read our full Trifecta review here. Every chef-prepared entrée has a full nutritional breakdown on the site, so you can get even further insights into your meals when placing your order. Plus, the brand’s entire lineup is gluten-free, so those with celiac won’t need to worry about cross-contamination. Score free shipping when you sign up for a weekly subscription, which comes in boxes of 6 or 12. You’ll also have the choice to add on extra proteins and sides to maximize each delivery, ensuring you get the most bang for your buck. Example Meals: -Herb butter steak with bacon-roasted Brussels sprouts -Stir-fry chicken and broccoli with garlic sauce -Chicken piccata with garlic roasted cauliflower Sustainability & Quality: The brand focuses on sourcing food locally, so organic produce isn’t always guaranteed. However, you can count on sustainable packaging thanks to recyclable boxes and BPA-free plastic trays. Cost: From $11 per serving Unlike other meal plans, Fresh n’ Lean doesn’t give you much control over your recipe selection. You’ll have the option to avoid up to three foods and select any allergens, such as egg, sesame, dairy, shellfish, tree nuts, and soy. (FYI some of these are already excluded in Whole30 meals.) This means you may end up eating a few recipes twice depending on how many entrées you add to your box; the smallest order contains 5 meals, while the largest has 10 entrées. Example meals: -Hearty vegetable taco soup -Macadamia nut chicken thigh -Mexican bowl Sustainability & Quality: The packaging—which includes a BPA-free plastic tray, plastic seal, and cardboard box—is totally recyclable except for the ice gel pack, which can easily be reused for a picnic or donated to your local food shelter. Plus, ingredients are completely organic and sustainably sourced. Cost: From $11 per serving Example Meals: -Blackened chicken with sweet potato and kale -Smoked Carolina BBQ pork with vegetable dirty rice -Chimichurri chicken thighs with fingerling potato hash Sustainability & Quality: Produce from small local farms rounds out organic ingredients for a high-quality entrée that always tastes fresh, especially when you factor in the 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef, pasture-raised pork, lamb and turkey, and antibiotic- and hormone-free poultry and eggs. Similar to other brands, the packaging is recyclable, from the cardboard shipping box to the plastic food trays. Cost: From $14 per serving Of course, finding Whole30-safe meals will take a bit of extra legwork. For example, you’ll still find tofu and some legumes in the Sunbasket paleo rotation. But if you’re well versed in the rules, finding satisfying meals shouldn’t be an issue—especially when you know they’ll get delivered to your door weekly. And don’t fret if you make a mistake when ordering; it’s easy to ditch an ingredient when preparing your meal to ensure you stick to the guidelines. Each recipe also features an in-depth rundown of ingredients to ensure you have plenty of time to vet. Example meals: -Lettuce-wrapped turkey burgers with spicy chraime carrot salad -Chicken larb lettuce cups with carrots and fresh mint -Pork and stone fruit salad with harissa-roasted sweet potato Sustainability & Quality: Every recipe features 99% organic ingredients—and Sunbasket always lets you know when it needs to swap in foods that aren’t. This commitment to green continues with packing that’s primarily curbside recyclable sans the plastic bags used for some preportioned ingredients. Cost: From $12 per serving
