mbg Deputy Commerce Editor
By Braelyn Wood
mbg Deputy Commerce Editor
Braelyn Wood is the Deputy Commerce Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern University, along with a certificate in marketing.
Image by Trinette Reed / Stocksy
August 11, 2022
Our editors have independently chosen the products listed on this page. If you purchase something mentioned in this article, we may earn a small commission.
Increased interest in vegan diets has led to a boom in plant-based products, from protein powders to meat alternatives—and it’s only natural that the expansion extends to at-home meal delivery services.
The best vegan meal delivery services make avoiding animal byproducts—including meat, fish, eggs, and dairy—a breeze by delivering either pre-made 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.
What is a vegan diet?
While most people use vegan and plant-based synonymously, the terms actually mean something different. Vegan refers to a lifestyle in which followers do not partake in any activities that harm animals, including the consumption of animal byproducts.
“A vegan diet has a stricter definition, which means that it is 100% plant-based; no animal flesh, dairy products, eggs, or honey,” explains dietician 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.
The benefits of a vegan diet.
How to pick the best vegan meal delivery service.
Opting for a plant-based meal delivery service that focuses on whole foods is the easiest way to ensure you’re nourishing your body while sticking to vegan guidelines. Find brands presenting a general breakdown of 25% protein, 25% whole grains, and 50% fruits and vegetables in their recipes, per Palmer’s advice.
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.
How we picked:
One vegan recipe isn’t enough for a brand to qualify for this list. Instead all companies featured provide at least five options for plant-powered folk (and ideally more).
Along with ditching dairy, meat, seafood, and eggs, these recipes can also be filtered for additional allergens or dietary restrictions.
Consuming less meat is just the start when it comes to reducing environmental impact; these brands have also made a pledge to sustainability in all parts of their business, from sourcing ingredients to packaging products.
Vegan meals get a bad reputation for being overpriced, so we kept cost in mind to ensure plant-eaters with different budgets had an option.
mbg’s pick for the best vegan meal delivery services of 2022:
Pros:
- Fresh & pre-made meals
- Pantry items available
Cons:
- Not fully organic
- Can’t mix & match meal types
Dietary considerations: High-protein, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Low-calorie
Max meals per week: 4 meals
Shipping fee: Free
Type: Meal kit, Pre-made entrée
Cost: From $11 per serving
Fully Vegan: Yes
Purple Carrot’s entire lineup is suitable for vegans, so you won’t need to waste time sorting through different filters to find an option that works for you. In fact, the options might actually be overwhelming; each week 24 new menu items drop spanning breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
The brand offers both meal kits and single-serve pre-made 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 blackbean 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 curb-side recyclable sans certain plastics that may need to go to a special recycling facility based on your location.
Pros:
- More affordable
- Variety of meal options
- Locally sourced produce
Cons:
- Minimum $70 spend
- Doesn’t deliever everywhere
Dietary considerations: Vegan, High-protein, Vegetarian, Nut-free, Low-calorie, Dairy-free, Egg-free
Max meals per week: 18 items
Shipping fee: $7.99
Type: Frozen meal
Cost: From $5 per serving
Fully Vegan: No
Trying to feed your family for less than $5 per serving? Look no further than Mosaic Food’s assortment of plant-based frozen goods, which makes eating healthy affordable. The brand offers an array of smoothies, oat bowls, bakes, and more each packed with a balanced mix of macronutrients.
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 onsite 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 non-profit 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).
Pros:
- Organic ingredients
- Breakfast available
Dietary considerations: Vegan, Low-carb, High-protein, Keto, Paleo, Whole30
Max meals per week: 21 meals
Shipping fee: Free
Type: Pre-made entrée
Cost: From $8.49 per serving
Fully Vegan: No
Fresh n’ Lean offers not one, but two separate vegan menus to ensure even plant-based eaters can pick the right eating plan for them. The standard vegan menu has a dozen options with items for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Similar to all of the company’s offerings, these chef-made entrées stick to a balanced mix of macros and take just three minutes to heat up.
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 day 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: Pre-made 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.
Pros:
- All produce & eggs are certified organic
- Ingredients sourced by season
Cons:
- Some plastic isn’t recyclable
- Select recipes have long prep times
Dietary considerations: Vegan, High-fiber, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Low-calorie, Keto, Paleo
Max meals per week: 4 meals
Shipping fee: $9.99
Type: Meal kit
Cost: From $11.99 per serving
Fully Vegan: No
Green Chef releases 24 new recipes every week, and at least five are suitable for vegans. That means even if you max out your plan by ordering four meals every week, you still won’t get a chance to try every single recipe on the menu.
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.
Pros:
- 100+ items
- Snacks available
- No commitment (order as you go)
Cons:
- Meal plans don’t have fixed prices
- May need to add protein to maximize macronutrients
Dietary considerations: Vegan, High-protein, Low-sugar, Dairy-free, Keto
Max meals per week: 24 items
Shipping fee: Free
Type: Frozen meal
Cost: From $8.49 per serving
Fully Vegan: Yes
Unless you’re at a plant-based eatery, trying to order a vegan meal can feel like Sophie’s choice between two equally unappealing meals. Daily Harvest makes it up to you with more than 100 vegan items all ripe for the picking: smoothies, oat bowls, protein bites, flatbreads, and more.
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 reoccurring subscription to get these plant-based goodies delivered to your day. 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 in the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list. What’s more, the company supports farmers convert 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.
Pros:
- Easy to adapt to taste buds
- Fully replaces grocery shopping
Cons:
- Excess packaging
- Repetitive flavors
Dietary considerations: Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free
Max meals per week: 16 meals
Shipping fee: $6.99 under $70
Type: Pre-made entrée
Cost: From $10 per serving
Fully Vegan: No
Hungryroot is best described as a midway point between a grocery delivery service and meal kit company. You can choose to shop either curated recipes or à la carte ingredients, which allows you to decide on the final entrées created in your kitchen. The upside is that many of the ingredients can be repurposed into a variety of different recipes, which Hungryroot shares on its site. The downside of these repetitive ingredients is that meals can start to taste the same, despite having different names.
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 onsite 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 company doesn’t excel when it comes to packaging; the brand sources many of its ingredients externally, so its harder to track down recycling information. However it makes up for this downfall by offering creative ways to use every ingredient sent your, reducing food waste in the long run.
Don’t miss our full review on Hungryroot here.