6 Best Meal Delivery Services For Busy Families

After a long day, the last thing most families want to do is spend hours in the kitchen. Despite our best intentions, meal prepping with even the most versatile ingredients doesn't always happen, and we sometimes need a little help in the kitchen. Meal delivery services that range from pre-portioned kits to complete meals for you to reheat when you truly have no time were designed to solve this very problem. 

While meal delivery services are not a new concept, they're often thought of as a solution for singles or couples. Today's services have expanded to accommodate households of all sizes, including busy families. Many offer customizable portions, dietary flexibility, and a wide range of options so you can find one that truly fits your family's needs.

That said, not every service is designed with larger families in mind. You need something that covers everyone at the table, even the pickiest eaters, while keeping mealtime simple, affordable, and varied enough to avoid boredom. Whether you're looking for a plan that does it all, a kit that lets you enjoy cooking without the hassle of prep, or an affordable meal delivery service, we've rounded up the best options available for families. Our selections are based on customer reviews and the latest information available on each company's website, so you can confidently choose the right fit for your busy family.

The best overall meal delivery service for families is Home Chef, thanks to its dedicated Family Menu. This plan offers four-serving meals at a family-friendly price, with pre-portioned groceries and step-by-step instructions delivered right to your door. It takes the stress out of grocery shopping and meal planning, while still letting you cook dinner at home. Home Chef's biggest strength is its flexibility. Families can choose from a wide range of options to fit their lifestyle, from kid-friendly classics to 30-minute dinners that are perfect for busy nights. For extra convenience, they even offer microwave-ready meals that don't require any cooking.

Home Chef knows that kids can be choosy about their meals and offers a deal so you can make sure Home Chef is the right fit. With its family trial deal, kids eat free with your first order, and it offers discounts for your next few deliveries. The service is also completely commitment-free, so you can skip weeks or cancel at any time, ideal for families whose schedules and needs are always changing.

Customers of Home Chef loved that the service offers dishes with quality ingredients at a reasonable price. They also thought the instructions were easy to follow. They noted that the Family Menu had easier prep instructions so that kids can help out in the cooking process. Home Chef has been vetted by busy parents as a great option for helping your family eat healthy, even during busy weeks.

HelloFresh was one of the first brands to popularize meal delivery services, and its reputation has held strong as one of the most trusted options on the market. What sets HelloFresh apart is its customizability and range of options. You can scale meals up to six servings, making it more accommodating for larger households than many other services. Its "build-a-plate" feature also lets families mix and match meal components so everyone can enjoy a dinner they'll actually eat. For picky eaters, HelloFresh also offers kid-friendly meal kits with simpler recipes designed with children in mind.

Furthermore, HelloFresh stands out in terms of the quality of ingredients included in its kits. Ingredients arrive fresh and well-portioned, and customers have commented on how easy the kits are to prepare compared to similar services. HelloFresh meals start at $9.99 per serving and also charge $10.99 for shipping per week. Costs are adjusted depending on the number of servings you choose, and the company also offers a variety of deals. Its little-known senior discount might not apply to your family, but it frequently offers coupons to help make your weekly meal planning a little more affordable.

Customers of HelloFresh appreciated how the service made cooking healthy food possible with their busy schedules, and also mentioned that their kids ate the majority of the meals. Another customer also mentioned that the variety HelloFresh offers helped to expand their kids' horizons, and the easy instructions encouraged them to help out in the kitchen.

Meal kits are convenient, but they often come with a higher price tag than shopping and meal prepping on your own. EveryPlate sets itself apart by offering a simplified, budget-friendly option that makes meal delivery more accessible for families.

At an average of $5.99 per serving, about $4 less than many competitors, EveryPlate is one of the most affordable services available. Despite the lower price, ingredient quality still holds up, with customers noting that items typically arrive fresh and well-packaged. Families can order up to six servings per meal, and like several other services on this list, EveryPlate also offers kid-friendly options designed with younger eaters in mind.

The trade-off is that EveryPlate's meals tend to be simpler and sometimes more carb-heavy compared to higher-end kits. Still, some customers described the meal kit as "simple but elegant", giving credit to the meal kit's product. For families looking for value without sacrificing quality, EveryPlate is hard to beat.

At the end of a long day, even a meal kit can feel like too much effort. For nights when you don't want to cook but also don't want to default to takeout, CookUnity offers the perfect middle ground between a home-cooked dinner and restaurant-quality delivery. CookUnity's meals arrive fully prepared (not frozen)  so you can serve something fresh and flavorful with zero prep, something customers noted they loved. Each dish from CookUnity is crafted by real chefs who prioritize regional produce, so dishes are optimally crafted. Not all takeout options are worth ordering, but CookUnity offers customers a high-quality option that goes beyond your standard delivery order.

CookUnity is also family-friendly and highly customizable. It offers both a "Good for Families" collection, a dedicated kids' menu for picky eaters, as well as the option to adjust portion sizes for bigger appetites or more adventurous eaters. Beyond dinner, CookUnity also has breakfast and lunch options, making it easy to cover multiple meals each day. Its pricing starts around $13.59 per serving with a $9.99 shipping fee, which is better than most high-quality take-out options. Customers noted that CookUnity offered generous portions and restaurant-quality meals, so they felt it was worth the money.

If your priority is eating healthier, incorporating organic and whole ingredients, or accommodating specific dietary needs, Hungryroot may be the best fit. With so many food myths out there, it can be time-consuming to find the healthiest food for your family. Hungryroot is designed to provide fresh, clean ingredients while catering to a wide range of dietary restrictions and preferences. Unlike traditional meal kits, Hungryroot operates as a hybrid between a grocery delivery and a meal service.

Customers start by taking a survey, which then generates a grocery list and recipe suggestions, both of which are customizable before finalizing your order. This model offers more flexibility than most kits, giving families the freedom to mix and match meals while still enjoying the convenience of ready-to-use ingredients. Hungryroot also allows families to more conveniently meet their nutritional needs or goals. With pricing starting around $70 per delivery, it's also a relatively affordable option compared to other meal services.

Customers love the way Hungryroot operates as both a meal service and grocery delivery. Even if you know all the tips for an efficient grocery list, shopping can still be a hassle. If you're missing a one-off ingredient outside of your recipes, you can still get it sent with your package for added accessibility. Being a grocery service also allows you to customize your order to brands you know and trust, which is perfect for a family with specific needs.

If you have little kids or babies at home, finding a meal delivery service that meets your family's needs can be a challenge. Beyond convenience, you want to make sure your kids are getting nutritious, safe meals as they grow. 

Little Spoon is designed specifically with babies and toddlers in mind, taking some of the stress out of mealtime by offering ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. Unlike many other services, Little Spoon provides breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options, all made with organic ingredients and free from synthetic colors or high fructose corn syrup. Each meal is also tested to ensure it contains no heavy metals or other contaminants. While Little Spoon's focus is on younger kids, the service also offers some options suitable for older children in the family. Little Spoon varies in pricing, but its traditional BabyBlend starts at $2.96 per blend.

Customers of Little Spoon are most impressed by how much their kids enjoy the meals. Even parents of finicky eaters noted that compared to most foods, their kids loved Little Spoon. Especially given how healthy and fresh the ingredients are, parents are overwhelmingly impressed with how the food is received by their kids.

With so many meal delivery services on the market, each highlighting different strengths and catering to different lifestyles, it can often feel overwhelming to choose the right one for your family. In putting together this list, we focused on a range of options that reflect a variety of family needs and challenges. Whether you're juggling picky eaters, sticking to a budget, finding healthy options, or looking for the ultimate convenience on busy nights, these services offer solutions tailored to real family life.

Our recommendations are based on a combination of company information and customer reviews. We paid particular attention to the meal service features that families consistently praised (or critiqued) and evaluated them in the context of different household lifestyles. Ultimately, this list is a curated set of diverse, high-quality options designed to help you find the meal delivery service that best fits your family's needs and preferences.