Best Meal Delivery Services for Families in 2022

January 7, 2022
Best Meal Delivery Services for Families in 2022

The modern-day family is a very busy hub of activity. Often, the adults are working full time while trying to support children in their education and extracurricular activities. Simply ensuring that all the logistics behind running a household are completed is an achievement in itself. Yet, more of us want more availability to spend more quality time with our children and loved ones. The necessities of life so often get in the way, though. One such requirement is putting a meal on the table - sometimes up to three times a day with snacks in between. Some would argue that is a full time job in itself.

So what do busy parents do when they struggle to find the time to create food that is not only interesting and tasty, but also nutritious. Providing well-balanced food can do wonders for a person’s health but also their mental ability - not just their physical wellbeing. Food that is lower in sugar, for example, releases energy into the body more slowly, giving a person a longer ability to concentrate for children in school that is vitally important.

One way to make it easier to put delicious food on the table, which is yummy to eat, is using meal kit delivery services. Meal kits delivery in the UK have risen in popularity as they answer a need that busy families have. They provide a varied diet that takes minimal effort to put on the table. Here, we look at the best 4 meal delivery services for families in the UK so that you can best choose the right service for you.

What Families Need From Meal Kit Delivery in the UK

There are a number of things healthy meal boxes in the UK need to offer families for them to be a convenience worthwhile buying. They are:

Ease

The whole point of meal kit delivery services is that they are meant to make a person’s life easier. If they do not, they are simply an added expense, not to mention stress in a person’s life. Bearing that in mind, you want to choose a meal kit delivery company that always delivers on time, when they say they are going to deliver. You also want a company that has a straightforward interface to use so that you do not spend a great deal of time each week choosing what you want, only to find the whole process awkward and cumbersome. Finally, you need the subscription service to be flexible so that it can fit into your life as opposed to you fitting around it.

Variety

One of the stresses of being the person in charge of catering for a family is coming up with a variety of meals to create at each and every meal. What's great about the best meal kit delivery services is that they have so many different options, even if you have a person with a strict dietary requirement. The best companies do not see those limitations as a reason why meal times cannot be exciting, and consistently so.

Portion Size

Families, especially ones with growing teenagers, often cannot have enough food in the house to satiate their developing appetite. Having meal kit delivery companies that offer a good portion size is therefore essential. If the portion sizes are too small, the person largely in charge of catering in the house, will simply find themselves having to cook twice. Subscription boxes that are flexible with the possibility of adding side dishes or added extras are also a good feature to look out for on any potential meal kit delivery service.

Cost

Finally, meal delivery service companies have to be competitively priced to be a feasible option for families. With many of us suffering from an increase in fuel prices, we are all starting to feel the squeeze. These kits therefore have to be affordable to be usable. While they may offer value for money in terms of the benefits they provide, they are ultimately more expensive than shopping in a traditional means. There is, however, still a breadth in the range of prices per box and per serving across the market. Finding a box that is at a price point for you, yet does not scrimp on good customer service or quality ingredients is essential.

Recommended Read: Best Meal Kit Delivery Services for Singles

Best 4 Meal Delivery Services for Families

Here are our contenders for the best 5 meal delivery service companies in the UK for families.

1. Gousto

Gousto has been a big market favourite for a long time now for good reason. It offers all of the above conveniences as standard and more. One of its stand out features is the breadth of the options available that it gives its customers each and every week. Plus, it has an incredibly flexible delivery service available which fits in easily with a modern-day family’s busy lifestyle. Additionally, those with hungrier appetites will find that the portion sizes are large enough to fill them up, but for those that are fussier eaters, there will always be an option that appeals.

2. Green Chef

Green Chef is a good option for families that are very aware of their carbon footprint. The company is a carbon-neutral business that ensures that every box it delivers is net zero. Increasingly, that is something that many families are looking to achieve within their households. Food is a big part of carbon emissions in our country, so using a company that allows families to easily reduce their carbon footprint is a big plus. On top of all that, it offers good value for money along with variety and substantial portion size.

3. Mindful Chef

Mindful Chef may be a higher price point than some competitors on this list, but it is not substantially higher. Yet, it does still manage to offer some of the best quality produce on the market which translates into really delicious food that packs a punch when it comes to nutritional value. The recipes are well thought out and designed, meaning that customers can be sure they are eating healthily at all times, without having to design meals themselves. That’s a big time-saver for many households.

4. Hello Fresh

Hello Fresh is another old favourite on our list. It has managed to remain an old favourite down to its highly reliable service that consistently delivers what it promises. Customers enjoy a wide variety of recipe choices each week that are easy to select, which then are delivered straight to their front door on the day requested. It is highly flexible and can work around the ever-changing needs of a busy family. So if you are all on holiday one week, you do not have to order anything. Or for weeknights that you have a full house, it is possible to choose a meal that has enough portions for all.

Summary

Meal kit delivery services can be a welcome relief for busy parents who struggle to find the time to meal plan and food shop, yet realise that providing a well-balanced diet to their children is essential for their well being. Meal kit delivery services materially reduce the time it takes to put food on the table that satiates appetites while also sustaining a growing body. While these kits may be more expensive than regular food shopping, many families find them a convenience they are all too happy to purchase.

Rachel Lee
Having worked at Morgan Stanley and BNYMellon for over 10 years in pensions and investments, Rachel now works as a full-time business and financial writer.