The best vegan meal delivery services make avoiding animal byproducts—including meat, fish, eggs, and dairy—a breeze by delivering either premade entrées or meal kits directly to your door. Whether you struggle with getting enough vegan protein or simply can’t find any other creative ways to prep your tofu, these services will help you uncover the best of plant-based eating. “A vegan diet has a stricter definition, which means that it is 100% plant-based; no animal flesh, dairy products, eggs, or honey,” explains dietitian Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN. However, a plant-based diet is a much looser term with no set regulation. The generally accepted explanation is a diet that puts plant-derived whole foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes, at the forefront of your plate. The interchangeable use of the two terms has led many people to consider a vegan diet healthy, yet that’s not always the case. Plenty of foods are vegan—potato chips and sugar—yet they don’t nourish our bodies the same way whole foods do. Reducing your meat consumption is an easy way to lower your carbon footprint, but the overall benefits of the swap will truly be defined by the foods you’re choosing to rotate into your diet instead. Not ready to put in the work? We’ve gone ahead and scoured the web to find the brands offering the best (and healthiest) vegan meal delivery services to support your well-being. The brand offers both meal kits and single-serve premade entrées; the latter is slightly more expensive but goes from fridge to table in less than 5 minutes. If you’re hoping to improve your culinary chops, the meal kits are the way to go; they provide up to four servings with up to four meals per box. Plus, the online plantry ensures you won’t need to make any extra trips to the grocery store thanks to a small assortment of vegan pantry staples, such as pesto, cheese, and black bean burgers. Example Meals: -Falafel bowl with harissa glazed carrots and dill garlic sauce -Walnut-crusted artichokes with dijon lentils & broccolini Sustainability & Quality: Purple Carrot prioritizes organic ingredients when possible—especially for shelf-stable items like flour and legumes—but seasonality and shipping constraints may force the brand to sub in conventional options. Packaging is mostly curbside recyclable sans certain plastics that may need to go to a special recycling facility based on your location. About 50% of the brand’s items are vegan with clear image icons indicating the recipes crafted without dairy or eggs. You can also use the brand’s on-site filter to pull out vegan options, as well as high-protein recipes and those made without wheat or nuts. Select up to 18 items to fill your box; just remember that the final cost varies based on the goods selected. Luckily it’s hard to go wrong with Mosaic’s menu. The chef-made meals skip added sugars and artificial ingredients, yet they always contain at least four servings of vegetables (if not more). Plus every box purchased equates to a 2-pound donation to New York–based nonprofit City Harvest. Hitting your daily recommendation of fruits and veggies has never felt better! Example Meal: -Curried lentil shepherd’s pie -Pepper, feta & olive ragout Sustainability & Quality: Frozen meals help reduce food waste—and that’s not the only way Mosaic stays sustainable. All packaging is curbside recyclable including the shipping box, lining papers, boxes, and trays once rinsed. Currently, the brand is not certified organic, but it strives for organic whenever possible (and always local). Trying to cut down on your carbohydrates? Fresh n’ Lean also has you covered with the low-carb vegan plan. It’s slightly more expensive but takes the guesswork out of counting macros by capping the total percentage of carbs in your dish at less than 28%. Fair warning: Meals on this plan may start to get repetitive if you decide to get three meals delivered per day, seven days a week (i.e., the largest meal plan offered). Example Meal: -Romesco quinoa with tofu and roasted kabocha -Teriyaki bowl with garbanzo beans Sustainability & Quality: Premade meals often produce more waste than kits, but Fresh n’ Lean aims to make its packaging more environmentally friendly by keeping everything recyclable, from the BPA-free plastic trays to the cardboard shipping box. One thing you won’t compromise on is quality; all meals are gluten-free and made with as many organic ingredients as possible. The hand-packed boxes contain all the pre-measured ingredients to create a delicious plant-powered meal at home for up to six people (or fewer with leftovers). The best part? Meals typically take less than 30 minutes to prepare. Plus, you can use filters like gluten-free and Mediterranean to better narrow down the right options for dietary preferences. Example Meals: -Portabello fajita plates -Maple-roasted rainbow carrots with pearl couscous, fennel & sautéed kale with cherries Sustainability & Quality: Green Chef is built around sustainability, so it stands out in a few regards. It’s not only the first USDA-certified organic meal delivery kit, but the company also offsets 100% of its carbon emissions. Naturally, all packaging is also recyclable; the company also partners with tons of sustainability organizations, such as Terrapass, Plastic Bank, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. Although the meals tend to be on the light side (i.e., low in calories and protein), they’re packed with whole food ingredients clearly listed in bold lettering on the side of every item. Plus, this leaves plenty of room for experimenting with your favorite plant-based toppings, such as avocado or tahini. Better yet, you don’t need to agree to a recurring subscription to get these plant-based goodies delivered to your door. Simply select a small, medium, or larger box with up to 24 items. When you’re not feeling a delivery, the website makes it super easy to skip an order (or the next six). And the brand even sends a text message the day your order confirms to give you plenty of time to cancel. Example Meal: -Mint and cacao smoothie -Mulberry and dragon fruit oat bowl Sustainability & Quality: While Daily Harvest always aims to source organic ingredients, it primarily focuses on foods on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list. What’s more, the company supports farmers converting to regenerative food systems to promote a better food system. FYI, most packaging is recyclable, but a few items might need to be taken to a local facility instead of the curb. Check out our full review of Daily Harvest. Pricing really varies by what you select, but the minimum order is at least $65—but when you use Hungryroot as a grocery service it’s fairly easy to meet that minimum. Luckily, it’s easy to sort for your dietary preferences on site to ensure you find the recipes (or ingredients) that work for you. Example Meal: -Curry tofu wrap -Tofu fajita bowl Sustainability & Quality: Hungryroot prioritizes as many non-GMO products as it can, but not every item is organic. Just be aware that the company doesn’t excel when it comes to packaging; the brand sources many of its ingredients externally, so it’s harder to track down recycling information. However, it makes up for this downfall by offering creative ways to use every ingredient sent your way, reducing food waste in the long run. Don’t miss our full review on Hungryroot here.
