The 12 Best Food Subscription Boxes: Tested and Reviewed

Blue Apron continues to be an excellent value as one of the original food subscription companies debuted in 2012. (They’re also known as one of the best meal delivery services out there.) Thanks to the freezer packs, the Blue Apron box arrived at our doorstep, safely packaged and still cool. We found unboxing the items easy, but we were surprised by the vast amount of plastic. It felt excessive and wasteful. When it was time to roll up our sleeves and start cooking, we appreciated the clear, easy-to-follow instructions that made cooking a breeze. While preparing the ingredients took longer than the anticipated time from Blue Apron, we had everything we needed without digging through our fridge or pantry.

The best part, of course, was eating the meal! We were served Mexican Chicken & Farro Bowls and Oven-Baked Kimich Rice & Eggs, and both were super-tasty and enjoyable. Blue Apron would be a great choice for singles and couples and perhaps for families with kiddos who aren’t picky eaters. When you sign up for Blue Apron, you’ll feel like you get your money’s worth and expand your weekly meal rotation—but you might not find exactly what fits your dietary preferences. While you can choose between vegetarian and wellness, there are no specific plans for various types of diet, like vegan, paleo, gluten-free and so on.

If you’re active on TikTok, you’ve likely heard of Sakara before since influencers and celebrities love it. All of its meals, treats and juices feature only plant-based and organic ingredients. We were sent a box full of healthy goodies, all of which arrived cold and ready to eat. After unloading everything into the fridge, we were excited to enjoy our first lunch—and instantly, we loved how clean and healthy the food was without sacrificing flavor. The recipes were unique, with generous portions. Since the ingredients were so clean, we felt like we could eat a lot without feeling overly stuffed. Each food option is meant to serve a wellness purpose, making life easier and richer. We can’t choose our favorite, but top contenders include the Inner Fire Bowl, with purple cauliflower with sulfur, an ingredient that Sakara says has beauty benefits. The Sakara Burger with sweet potato, brown rice, and navy beans gave us energy to power through an afternoon run.

Sakara included samples of some of its all-star products, like the Metabolism Powder. We recommend Sakara for singles or couples who lead a healthy lifestyle and seek clean, organic ingredients. And hey, as much as we wish our kids would eat these foods, they weren’t interested in tasting anything in our food subscription!

The downfall is, without a doubt, the high price point. This is very much a luxury investment since you pay $275 for three days worth of meals. While taking the decision process away is a benefit for some, remember that you don’t get to choose what you eat each week. Instead, Sakara sets a weekly menu that’s delivered to your door. You can order standalone supplements and snacks.

While some people are happy to eat the same meals day in and day-out, repeat meals feel like boring leftovers for others. For those who seek—and need!—variety, Sunbasket is a clear winner. Among the original food subscription services, founded in 2014, you can choose from ready-to-eat, pre-prepared meals or recipe kits that require cooking. Or do a mix of both!

We challenged ourselves to whip up dinner and selected four meals: chorizo tacos, chicken shawarma, harissa-rubbed pork, and a black angus steak salad. These protein-rich meals arrived cold and in well-packaged, clearly labeled large paper bags. Everything we needed to follow along the recipe included sauce, cheese and herbs. However, some of the produce wilted during transportation, so we had to replace what we had. All meat was fresh and in leak proof packaging. Though having the paper bags helped keep everything organized, nearly everything was in its plastic container, which felt wasteful and unnecessary. The cooking process was fast and simple, from prepping to heating. The meals were flavorful and robust, but they could be slightly bigger in portions. That said, if you’re only cooking for one to two people, it’s an ideal and affordable subscription that takes the thinking out of meal prep and grocery shopping.

The biggest benefit to Sunbasket is the variety and attention to detail. Award-winning chefs and dietitians create all of their meals, so well, they’re just plain good. It’s obvious they have thought about the needs of all people and include a vast array of specialty diets, including paleo, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, gluten-free, carb-conscious, keto-friendly, Mediterranean, and diabetes-friendly.

Training for a marathon isn’t just a time commitment—it’s a full-body investment. And even if you don’t plan on running 26.2 miles anytime soon—or running whatsoever—intense exercise requires recovery and nutrition. Choosing the right snacks, from protein bars to gels, is essential to your performance and your ability to keep going. With a marathon on the books in November, we were excited to open up this food subscription box that’s curated by a team of athletes. Inside, we found various fun goodies, including high-protein oats and bars, running belt-sized gels, hydration tablets, and more. In addition to the products, coupons are ideal for exercise enthusiasts to try new services, subscriptions or gear. Since most of the products are shelf-stable, the box doesn’t include freezer packs, so unfortunately, the chocolate-dipped banana bites were completely melted into one large lump and had to be thrown away. Otherwise, everything was in excellent condition.

We love the RunnerBox as a way to discover new products without buying bulk. And for everything you get inside, the price is a good value. We also think it’d be a thoughtful gift to the runner in your life who needs encouragement while training for race day. It’s likely not ideal for those with dietary restrictions since you can’t choose or modify the continents. (Sidenote: If you’re not a runner but a biker, they also have a curated box for your preferred workout!)

For families looking for ways to introduce a variety of flavors and foods to their babies, the Once Upon a Farm pouch or meal subscription is an excellent way to get started. The brand is co-founded by actress and mom of three Jennifer Garner, and some of the produce included in its meals is grown on her family farm in Oklahoma. They aim to help parents navigate eating from first bites and finger foods to pouches and smoothies. When we opened our box of goodies, everything included was cold and well packaged, without excessive plastic or paper. We immediately noticed the variety of options, including dairy-free, immunity-focused, and organic-only ingredients. We tried the pouches meant for babies and the bite-sized meals for older toddlers. Though we’re a little over the recommended age, we tried them all and found the flavors yummy—and so did our toddler.

The meals can be heated up on the stovetop or microwave and offer a unique way to expose tots to different flavor combinations, like sweet potato, mango and coconut, or butternut Squash, kale and quinoa. The pouches vary in texture from thick-ish oats to a more smoothie-like consistency. And while our toddler is still coming around to pouches (and figuring out how to not squeeze everything out at once), we liked the ease they offered. All the products are clearly labeled for age ranges, so you can quickly glance and ensure your kiddo is old enough to enjoy.

The downfall of Once Upon a Farm is that everything does need to be refrigerated. So, you’ll need to bring a freezer pack for your diaper bag. Also, they are on the pricier side in the pouch category since they are committed to providing organic-only ingredients. And while the plant-rich meals are much faster than chopping up everything individually, you could make it for less if you have the time. That said, for our peace of mind—and sanity—as a parent, we think it is worth it.

No food subscription list is complete without testing out the OG: HelloFresh, founded in 2011. They’re by and large considered the world’s leading meal kit; they not only deliver throughout the continental United States but also to many other countries. Each week, they offer more than 40 weekly recipes and 100 seasonal items, including snacks, desserts, pantry essentials, and more. Like others, they include various options to meet different dietary needs, including meat eaters, vegetarians, and pescatarians, as well as ideas for families, those time-crunched, or those mindful of calories. We tested out three veggie-only meals: Crunchy Curried Chickpea Bowls, Za'atar Crusted Grilling Cheese and Vegan Mushroom Shawarma.

These arrived cold and well-packaged, but again, we found most of the packaging really unnecessary. All of the herbs, for example, were separated to make it easy to follow the instructions, but it just meant more waste and recycling. Once we dug into the instructions, we found the recipes easy to follow and detail-oriented. This subscription brought back some of that joy that comes from trying something new. With grocery prices at an all-time high, the cost balances out well in terms of savings, while also offering unique and tasty meals. Hello Fresh is also generous on portion size, and since we were only cooking for one person, it was easy to split a meal over a few days, making meal prep for a week a breeze.

The question is never if you need a cookie—it’s actually, do you want a cookie? Of course you do! Now, you can receive eight generously-sized cookies from the legendary NYC Levain Bakery to your doorstep each month. The cookies arrived packaged in clear plastic bags with a ribbon and no freezer packs. Even though it was hot when they arrived, they weren’t melted and, instead, were in perfect, mouthwatering condition. We tried a variety of cookies, from chocolate lovers to oatmeal raisin and dark chocolate peanut butter—and they were all amazing.

And almost too amazing: They’re so rich and so big, you probably don’t need to eat an entire cookie in one setting. Since the subscription included eight cookies, we think it could easily last you most of the month since just a nibble is enough each day. The subscription offers an assortment, but you can’t choose specific flavors. If you’re only a Team Chocolate Chip and you can’t even look at a walnut, it’s better to stick to the one-flavor-only option. The cookie subscription makes for a sweet gift for a friend who has a birthday, a new baby, or just needs a cookie. The packaging is excellent, and the cookies are a treat. It’s pricey for a monthly subscription, and it’s not suitable for those with food allergies.

This female-founded meal-kit company had one goal in mind: create fast, gourmet meal-kits inspired by global cuisine. And in our experience, Gobble delivered. For a reasonable price, we vote this meal subscription kit as our top pick for busy families. Our box included scampi-style chicken in linguine, crispy coconut Hawaiian fish tacos, a chicken shawarma, and a paella. They all arrived in a well-packaged box that still felt cold. Each recipe was individually packaged in a large bag containing all the ingredients and recipe card. Everything we needed was included as part of the kit, except olive oil or salt and pepper. Though we would have liked less packaging, it didn’t feel as overwhelming as others.

The recipes were easy to cook, and a novice chef could likely whip them up with ease. We found the estimated time to be a little short—we took more time than Gobble anticipated.

We appreciated the large selection of meal options across 40 different cuisines. Ultimately, the meals were mostly yummy but slightly bland. We would have liked a bigger punch of spice or flavor to turn up the taste buds. We also would have appreciated a bigger portion of vegetables in each meal.

While most food subscription boxes focus on providing everything you need to create a delicious meal, the Societa Bona Furtuna box provides the base, and you do the rest. As a housewarming gift or for the Italian foodophile in your life, this is a beautiful, curated, and luxurious gesture. Here’s how it works: each month, this pantry subscription box provides five to seven shelf-stable items, including their award-winning pasta and olive oils, porcini mushrooms, sea salt and herb blends, and so on. Each box includes chef-curated recipes, all meant to inspire you to cook from your heart—just as Italians do. You can choose from monthly, bimonthly or quarterly. And while the subscription isn’t cheap, it’s less than a trip to Italy.

When we opened our box, we were dazzled by the beautiful packaging and the thoughtful curation. It feels like a gift, and we would be honored to receive it. The recipes were nice, but we appreciated that we could do our own thing. This wouldn’t be a way to replace, say, meal prep since you still have to find the fresh ingredients yourself, but it would be an exciting and helpful way to fall back in love with cooking if you’re going through a rut. The unique elements are fun, and the dishes we created felt very “upscale.”

As the world becomes more conscious of meat consumption and more people are omitting or limiting animal protein sources, plant-based subscription services like Rootberry will begin to take center stage. We tested out its ready-to-eat meals, and overall, we were impressed by the ease, flavor and quality. The box arrived cold with the dishes inside, wrapped in plastic microwaveable trays and a cardboard sleeve. They are slimmer, so easy to stack in the refrigerator without taking up much space.

There was no prep involved; we just had to peel the corner of the plastic wrap, remove the sleeve and pop it in the microwave. Once it cooled, we found the meals were healthy and made with high-quality ingredients. We tried out everything from Tikka Masala and Kung Pao Cauliflower to Vegetarian Pad Thai and a Fajita Bowl. For a company that doesn’t use meat at all, we loved how they were able to make veggies the star of the show. We also tested out their chocolate chip cookies and blueberry oat bars—both of which were a hit for adults and children alike. While most of the dishes were kind of a ‘one-note’ meal with little spice, they were fulfilling and enjoyable. For those always on the run and want to eat plant-based foods, we think this is a great, affordable, healthy option.

If you find yourself ogling charcuterie boards on Instagram but when you’re at the grocery store, you suddenly go blank on what to purchase, this is the food subscription for you. Platterful is our top pick for hosting since it takes much of the guesswork and stress out of planning. Our box arrived cold, insulated and packed well. Everything felt incredibly fresh and luxurious, instantly excited us to put together a platter. Platterful includes directions, information about how long the food could or would stay fresh out of the packaging, and a layout guide. It was nice to have a guide to creating a delightfully aesthetic cheese board.

In our box were three kinds of cheese, two types of meats, an assortment of olives, nuts, chocolates, honey, mustard and crackers. This was all we needed to enjoy a fun picnic—though we did miss having a pickled item since that’s one of our charcuterie faves. Our box could feed our six guests, but no more. This fun food subscription box is just that: A novel idea that’s nice to try and makes a good gift, but definitely more expensive than if you purchased these items individually at Trader Joe’s.

I’m a bit of a food snob—so when I heard about Moveable Feast, I knew it was up my alley. Two notable restaurateurs brought together a group of 12 chefs to create an elevated approach to a food-subscription box. Each month, an acclaimed chef develops a custom menu inspired by their restaurant. Then, the curated box is sent out to allow you to create a dinner party at your home curated by a restaurant you’d love to visit. (Many of the restaurants have earned Michelin stars or James Beard awards.) They source seasonal and sustainably grown ingredients, mostly from their collaborative kitchen in downtown Napa, California.

I tested out the July box, curated by Chef Melissa Perello, founder of Octavia in San Francisco. My menu featured several small appetizers, two mains and a dessert. The starters included marinated calamari with sungold tomato, zucchini and basil, a gem lettuce salad, charred eggplant and a mozzarella and fig dish. There was one meat-free main, the corn lasagna, and one with fish, a baked ora salmon. To finish the evening, we enjoyed a blackberry trifle with passion fruit curd, coconut chiffon, and creme fraiche.

If it sounds like a lot, you’re right. But you also might be surprised that I whipped everything up in less than 45 minutes. The biggest benefit of Moveable Feast is everything arrives mostly cooked and ready. There are many packages within the box itself, but everything is color-coded, so you know exactly what goes in each appetizer, main or dessert. Most of the starters only required me to mix the ingredients, chop a few herbs, or toast the pita chips. The mains were a bit more involved—I melted butter on the stovetop with tomatoes and placed salmon on a pan—yet still very straightforward.

The instructions provided a step-by-step guide to getting everything ready to be served simultaneously, the goal of a dinner party. (What host wants to spend all their time in the kitchen and away from the wine-filled conversation?) I also appreciated the recyclable bags, reusable tin containers, and glass bottles. My box was meant for four people, but our plans fell through, so my husband and our toddler daughter enjoyed the meal. (We had leftovers for a solid two days!)

The food was amazing. It was very fresh, well-seasoned, high-quality and flavorful. There wasn’t a single dish we didn’t like—though my toddler was particularly fond of the pita chips, mozzarella and trifle. It was a fun and stress-free experience. The only kicker is the price. To serve four people, it was $385. Of course, you can do this much cheaper on your own. However, you would pay (way) more than that to eat at a Michelin-star restaurant, so if you’re a foodie who doesn’t get out as much as you used to (hello, parenthood!), it’s worth it.