Strict, whole food diets like Whole30 are no picnic, especially when each run to Trader Joe’s requires a fresh mask and oodles of hand sanitizer.
Well, friends, it’s 2021. If subscription boxes and online shopping deliveries are bringing you *life* this year, why not combine your love of mail with your healthy eating goals?
With a Whole30-approved meal delivery service, you get nourishing noms delivered straight to your doorstep. No prep or label-reading required.
We’ve rounded up the top five meal delivery services that’ll make your Whole30 journey a whole lot easier.
Wait, what’s Whole30 again?
Even if you haven’t done the Whole30 diet, you’ve probably heard of it.
It’s a 30-day (shocker) plan that resets your eating habits by eliminating several food categories: dairy, grains, sugar, legumes, and booze. Cutting out these things is supposed to reduce cravings, create healthy eating habits, and help you identify potential food sensitivities.
That’s all good, but Whole30 might require more planning than you’re used to. If you’re not looking to give up your Sunday to meal prep, a meal delivery service is a convenient way to stay on track.
PSA: Restricting your diet so much can also be unhelpful — or downright dangerous — if you struggle with disordered eating.
The 5 best Whole30 meal delivery services
If you’re eager to break up with booze, sugar, and their carbalicious friends, a Whole30 meal delivery service could save a lot of kitchen time and label-reading energy. Here’s our list of the best of the best:
Scroll down to decide if one of these plans is right for you.
1. The Good Kitchen
Who it’s good for:
- folks with food allergies
- picky eaters
- breakfast, lunch, and dinner
30-meal price: $329.70
Cost per serving: Subscription meals range from $11 to $14. A la carte meals are in the $12 to $16 range.
The deets
Sensitive tummies, rejoice! Meals from The Good Kitchen are whipped up in a gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free facility. Plus, there’s a spot on the intro form for food allergies (tree nuts, dairy, shellfish, etc.) and food aversions (mushrooms or pork got you feeling 🤢 queasy?).
Ordering Whole30-compliant meals is as easy as clicking the “Whole30” filter. Then you can browse all of your meal options for the month.
Bonus: you won’t pay an extra shipping or handling charge. The continental U.S. delivery costs for these frozen, microwave-friendly trays are built into the price.
Our very favorite thing about The Good Kitchen is its emphasis on sustainability. The meal packaging is recyclable and the meat is pasture-raised (or in seafood’s case, compliant with Seafood Watch). Plus, the company uses seasonal produce as much as possible. #winning
Sample meal: Ranch Chicken With Buffalo Cauliflower
Ingredients:
- Chicken thigh, cauliflower, water, jalapeno, clarified butter, red bell pepper, Franks Red Hot, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, roasted red pepper, lemon juice, sea salt, honey, garlic, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, parsley, guar gum
Nutrition facts: 11-ounce serving size
| Protein | 35 grams |
| Calories | 300 |
| Carbs | 10 grams |
| Total Fat | 15 grams (19%) |
| Cholesterol | 155 miligrams (52%) |
| Sodium | 750 miligrams (33%) |
| Vitamin A | 90 miligrams |
| Vitamin C | 92 miligrams |
| Iron | 2.5 miligrams |
| Calcium | 40 miligrams |
2. Paleo On The Go
Who it’s good for:
- foodies
- peeps who want to know exactly where their food comes from
- paleo lovers
- breakfast, lunch, and dinner
30-meal price: $590
Cost per serving: A la carte meals range from $17 to $29, with discounted prices for bundles or subscriptions. However, there’s a $99 minimum for all orders.
The deets
Ever found yourself daydreaming about hiring an award-winning private chef? The meals at Paleo On The Go are all cooked up by a chef in the company’s grain-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free commercial kitchen.
And Paleo On The Go takes savory, home-cooked flavor to the next level with strict ingredient sourcing. You can look up the farms and ranches that produce your ingredients right on the company website.
There’s no doubt that Paleo On The Go is a high-quality operation that delivers delicious, nutritious meals, but that quality comes at a pretty steep price. With a $99 minimum order requirement and a monthly plan that’ll set you back over $500, this won’t work for all budgets.
Sample meal: Savory Hash Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients:
- Pastured pork butt, sugar-free bacon, sweet potato, kale, onions, sage, garlic, thyme, sea salt, mace
Nutritional facts: 10-ounce serving size
| Total Fat | 20 grams (26%) |
| Total Carbs | 39 grams (13%) |
| Cholesterol | 55 miligrams (19%) |
| Sodium | 530 miligrams (21%) |
| Protein | 21 grams |
| Total Sugars | 12 grams |
| Vitamin D | 2% |
| Calcium | 15% |
| Iron | 20% |
| Potassium | 30% |
3. Trifecta Nutrition
Who it’s good for:
- athletes
- people looking to manage their weight
- lunch and dinner
30-meal price: The price of 28 meals starts at $432.
Cost per serving: Meal kits range from $10 to $14, but you can also build your meal from entree and side dishes on the a la carte menu.
The deets
Visit Trifecta Nutrition’s website, and you’ll see that it’s geared toward fitness fans and those who need helping resetting their nutrition to manage their weight.
Meals are offered in six categories:
- Clean (minimally processed food)
- Paleo (legume- and grain-free meals with an emphasis on lean protein)
- Keto (cut carbs, amp the fat and protein)
- Vegan (no animals whatsoever)
- Vegetarian (primarily plant-based)
- Classic (pre-portioned macros)
That’s a lot of customization options, but you know what’s missing? Whole30.
Trifecta Nutrition does offer some Whole30-compliant meals, but you might find it easier to create your own through the a la carte menu. You’ll save time in the kitchen, but you might spend a few extra minutes clicking around the website.
So, why try Trifecta Nutrition? If you’re interested in continuing your meal plan subscription after Whole30, you’ll find plenty of options at this company. Trifecta also delivers their meals fresh, not frozen. 👏
Sample meal: Paleo Meal Plan
Ingredients (Korean Beef Bulgogi Dinner):
- Grass-fed steak, seasonal vegetables, Korean sauce
Nutritional facts: 5 or 7 meals per week
| Calories | 400 |
| Protein | 32 grams |
| Carbs | 23 grams |
| Fat | 20 grams |
4. Snap Kitchen
Who it’s good for:
- folks who want meals picked by dietitians
- anyone who wants to try meal kits on a budget
- lunch and dinner
30-meal price: starting around $300
Cost per serving: $10 to 12, depending on your subscription frequency.
The deets
Snap Kitchen works a little differently than our other meal delivery service top picks. Depending on where you live, you’ll either get the meals delivered to your door or pick them up from a local retail location. Find the options in your area here.
While the whole pickup rigamarole could be a huge drawback, there’s no denying Snap Kitchen’s fair prices. Your meals are made fresh — never frozen — with ingredients that are primarily sustainably sourced. Most ingredients are also organic.
At Snap Kitchen, you’ll choose either 6 or 12 meals per week. The meals you get can be customized according to your allergies, preferences, and specific diets, including Whole30. Since the noms are picked by dietitians, you’ll also get each dish’s full nutrition and ingredient rundown.
Sample meal: Cajun Salmon with Braised Greens & Bacon
Ingredients:
- cajun salmon, collard greens, yellow onion, water, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt, ground black pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, uncured bacon crumbles, remoulade sauce
Nutritional facts: 9 ounce serving
| Total Fat | 42 grams (54%) |
| Cholesterol | 90 miligrams (30%) |
| Sodium | 1490 miligrams (65%) |
| Total Carbs | 15 grams (5%) |
| Protein | 37 grams |
| Vitamin D | 13 miligrams (70%) |
| Calcium | 224 miligrams (15%) |
| Iron | 3 miligrams (15% |
| Potassium | 821 miligrams (15%) |
5. Pete’s Paleo
Who it’s good for:
- farm-to-table fans
- meat eaters and broth sippers
- lunch and dinner
30-meal price: starting around $450
Cost per serving: $15 to $16 per subscription meal or $16 to $19 per a la carte meal.
The deets
Paleo eaters love Pete’s Paleo for its simple, seasonal menus. The options rotate each week according to what’s fresh and available. This makes it ideal for the farm-to-table crowd, but it also means you *might* get some meals that don’t check all the Whole30 boxes.
Here’s what to expect from all Pete’s Paleo meals:
- no dairy
- no soy
- no gluten
It’s pretty easy to do this with the company’s “Eat What You Love” plan, which allows you to pick any five meals off the menu, but that customization comes at a slightly higher price point.
Regular weekly plans include anywhere from 5 to 20 servings of lunch and dinner options. We’d say it’s 10/10 for healthy food options, 7/10 for ease of use during Whole30.
Sample meal: Pot Roast (from the Winter Menu, Week 1)
Ingredients:
- protein, vegetables
| Calories | 430 grams |
| Fat | 28 grams |
| Protein | 29 grams |
| Carbs | 16 grams |
How we chose the top 5 Whole30 meal delivery services
It’s hard to find a meal kit that costs less than what you’d pay for the ingredients at the grocery store. But we did keep budget in mind during our hunt for the best Whole30 meal delivery services of 2021.
Other considerations for narrowing down our top picks includes:
- Variety. Where’s the fun in eating the same thing day after day? Research links pre-planned meals with a healthier diet and lower risk of obesity. Though the study focused on meal planning for cooking at home, it makes sense that we’re less likely to overeat on snacks when our meals — and portions — are decided in advance.
- Whole30-approved ingredients. We automatically nixed meal delivery services that didn’t have a Whole30 filter or that didn’t list ingredients.
- Emphasis on organic or sustainable foods. Whole30 is all about jumpstarting healthy eating habits. We gave priority to companies that offer minimally processed, organic, sustainable, or low sugar foods.
The bottom line
Cutting out your comfort foods and go-to snacks on Whole30 can be tough, but the prep doesn’t have to be.
Using a meal delivery service during your Whole30 journey can make things easier. You’ll save time and energy, and likely cut down on food waste. Plus, you can choose a company that matches your long-term healthy eating goals.
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