6 Finest Frozen Meal Supply Companies Of 2022: Nutrient-Packed
mbg Deputy Commerce Editor
mbg Deputy Commerce Editor
Braelyn Wooden is the Deputy Commerce Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism from Northwestern College, together with a certificates in advertising and marketing.
Picture by Sean Locke / Stocksy
August 6, 2022
It’s no secret that diet performs an enormous position in your total well-being, however crafting scrumptious, well-rounded meals with all of the important macronutrients is commonly simpler stated than executed—particularly while you’re in a time crunch.
A frozen meal supply service is a simple approach to make sure you all the time have a handy, nutrient-packed choice readily available. Not like the frozen meals of your childhood, that are chock-full of extra sodium and preservatives, these modern-day choices incorporate fat, proteins, and carbohydrates right into a balanced providing that’s sure to depart you feeling recharged and satiated.
In fact, not all frozen meals providers supply the identical caliber of substances and even dietary content material. Earlier than settling for a subpar choice that leaves your physique (and style buds) begging for one thing totally different, uncover our prime picks under, which all prioritize high quality, sustainability, and diet in each entrée.
The advantages of frozen meals.
The obvious good thing about frozen meals is comfort, nevertheless it additionally comes with some surprising perks. When saved within the freezer, meals usually has an extended shelf life that stops it from earlier than you may eat it. This contributes to a discount of meals waste, which is without doubt one of the causes some meal supply providers go for this transport technique.
Plus, freezing sure meals can truly be useful when attempting to maximise the vitamins in your meals. “It could possibly ‘lock in’ a few of the vitamins present in contemporary produce, similar to antioxidants, whereas they could lose their efficiency if these meals frolicked on the shelf or within the fridge for awhile,” in line with registered dietician Jess Cording Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN.
Simply do not forget that the dietary worth of produce begins to decline after greater than a yr in your freezer. Because of this, Cording recommends a “FIFO” or “first-in-first-out” system, which is practiced in hospital meals providers. She says this ensures you don’t overcrowd your freezer or unintentionally go away a meal at the back of your freezer for too lengthy.
Learn how to choose a nutrient-packed frozen meal, per a registered dietician.
Cording provides a number of suggestions for looking for wholesome frozen meals. Step one is scanning the diet label to make sure it doesn’t comprise extra quantities of sodium or sugar. A meals is taken into account “high-sodium” by the Meals and Drug Administration (FDA) if it accommodates greater than 20 milligrams of your every day whole, whereas the every day worth for added sugars is about 50 grams. She additionally suggests protecting an eye fixed out for preservatives, similar to nitrates or sulfites.
One of the best ways to make sure a frozen entrée works on your most well-liked consuming plan is to evaluate the diet label. For Cording, this entails a vegetable ahead meal with at the very least 15 to 30 grams of protein, in addition to fibers and wholesome fat. If a meal doesn’t meet your required breakdown, she suggests including some extra substances to fulfill your targets, similar to greens for extra veggies, egg for added protein, or half an avocado for extra fats.
Don’t wish to spend time scanning each meal? Skip to the very best frozen meal supply providers, which we’ve already vetted for no preservatives or extra sodium, in addition to high quality substances (i.e. natural or regionally sourced).
How we picked
The one similarity between a model’s entrées must be their dietary worth and comfort—in any other case we wish as a lot selection as attainable to maintain your tastebuds enthused.
The healthiest consuming plan for you relies on dietary preferences and/or allergens. Our picks allow you to filter for a spread of diets or different restrictions.
An extended shelf-life makes frozen meals considered one of your greatest bets for getting in bulk and saving, however we additionally opted for picks in a spread of budgets to maintain supply accessible to all.
Particular person entrées produce probably the most waste of any sort of meal supply service. We prioritized manufacturers dedicated to decreasing their footprint with extra sustainable meals.
mbg’s picks for the very best frozen meal supply service of 2022:
Professionals:
- Sourced from Hudson Valley
- Funds-friendly
- Household-style & particular person meals
Cons:
- Fewer low-carb choices
- Paper cups not recyclable relying on location
- Delivery price on orders below $100
Dietary Concerns: Dairy-free, Plant-based, Excessive-protein, Nut-free, Soy-free, Egg-free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Max meals per week: 8 objects
Delivery price:: $7.99
Price: From $5 per serving
Each recipe launched from Mosaic’s kitchen has a secret: it accommodates at the very least 4 veggies to maximise the biodiversity in each chunk or sip. The plant-based model provides quite a lot of meals and snacks together with veggie bowls, soups, and oat bowls—however the very best cut price is the family-sized bake. The frozen creations can feed as much as 4 members of the family with every serving priced at lower than $5.
Dedicated to actual substances, the model doesn’t embody any synthetic substances or preservatives in any of its recipes. Each merchandise is vegetarian, however some are additionally vegan (i.e. they don’t comprise any eggs or dairy). Fortunately the menu makes it tremendous straightforward to determine which class the entrée falls into, together with showcasing the important thing substances in a recipe. Plus, on-site icons point out whether or not a recipe is made with out nuts, sugar, or wheat.
Instance Recipe:
-Italian ‘sausage’ & pumpkin lasagna
-Coconut chickpea curry
Sustainability & High quality: Mosaic’s mission is targeted on making wholesome meals accessible and sustainable; a part of the choice to go frozen quite than contemporary was to assist cut back meals waste. Naturally all packaging is curbside recyclable together with the field, lining papers, bins, and trays. The model additionally opts for dry ice quite than ice packs to maintain items frozen; it usually creates much less waste and weighs lower than gel, making transport extra environment friendly.
Further factors? The model donates two kilos of meals to Metropolis Harvest for each Mosaic field offered.
Professionals:
- A number of meal plan choices
- On-demand bins
- Filters for style preferece
Cons:
- New meals are restricted
- Pricier for small portions
- Not all meals equally filling
Dietary Concerns: Excessive-protein, Nut-free, Soy-free, Excessive-fiber, Low-sodium, Low-calorie, Low-fat, Low-sugar, Low-carb
Max meals per week: 20 objects
Delivery price:: Free
Price: From $8.75 per serving
Full transparency: Each merchandise shipped in your Splendid Spoon field received’t be frozen. Smoothies, wellness pictures, and cold-pressed juices arrived chilled and able to ship. Nonetheless the remainder of the model’s plant-based lineup—together with the nutrient-rich grain and soup bowls—arrive able to retailer in your freezer.
When deciding on your field objects, you may simply filter for recipes containing much less sodium, energy, sugars, or fat, in addition to allergens similar to sesame, soy, tree nuts, or coconuts. In fact, there’s additionally the other; filters for recipes with extra protein and/or extra fiber.
The 5 accessible plans regulate choices primarily based on desired meal occasions and could be delivered weekly, bi-weekly, or month-to-month. You’ll get whole management over the objects in your field and may select to skip substances that you just don’t take care of, similar to mushrooms, bananas, or spice. One other standout web site characteristic is the important thing ingredient field, which highlights the dietary good thing about key substances within the recipe.
Instance Meal:
-Black bean and plantain grain bowl
-Kale pesto noodles
Sustainability & High quality: Each plant-based Splendid Spoon meal is GMO-free; smoothies and wellness pictures are 95% natural. Much like different frozen choices, the largest draw back of the corporate’s product is the quantity of packaging produced by every order, nevertheless it’s 100% recyclable with the corporate actively working in direction of 100% sustainability in all points of the enterprise, from rising to distribution.
Professionals:
- AIP-complaint meals
- Ships to all 50 states
Cons:
- Costly
- Smaller number of meals
- Excessive transport prices for West Coast
Dietary Concerns: Excessive-protein, Low-carb, Keto, Coconut-free, Shellfish-free, AIP
Max meals per week: 16 meals
Delivery price:: Varies
Price: From $15 per serving
Together with a full paleo menu, this firm prides itself on providing the one meal supply service that is additionally AIP-friendly i.e. a part of the autoimmune protocol. Even stricter than the paleo weight loss program, it removes any inflammatory meals, similar to eggs, nuts, seeds, and candies. Because of this, the menu provided by Paleo On The Go is pretty restricted and comparatively costly—nevertheless it squashes the difficulties of trying to find meals with out the forbidden substances.
Containers can be found with 8, 12, or 16 frozen objects accessible in shipments each 2, 4, or 8 weeks. Every field has its personal transport price, so we advocate maximizing your order dimension and together with add-ons, such because the bakery objects or bone broth. However even when you go small, you should not have a problem hitting the $99 order minimal, as many objects are near $20.
Instance Meal:
-Coq au Vin with herb mashed Japanese white candy potatoes
-Moo shu pork taco package with AIP-friendly tortillas
Sustainability & High quality: Together with adhering to the Soiled Dozen & Clear 15 checklist for natural produce, Paleo On The Go follows strict requirements for protein, requiring they be raised humanely or wild-caught. Packaging supplies observe the identical requirements; they have to be recyclable or compostable.
Professionals:
- No dedication (order as you go)
- 100+ menu objects
- Snacks accessible
Cons:
- Meal plans haven’t got fastened costs
- May have so as to add protein to maximise macronutrients
Dietary Concerns: Dairy-free, Excessive-protein, Vegan, Low-sugar, Keto
Max meals per week: 24 objects
Delivery price:: Free
Price: From $8.49 per serving
Whereas all picks on this checklist may very well be categorized as wholesome—it is a subjective time period in spite of everything—Each day Harvest stands out for delivering recipes designed to maximise the biodiversity of your meals. This lets you get a wider vary of vitamins from a handful of various sources, similar to smoothies, chia seed bowls, bakes, and flatbreads.
Meals are typically on the lighter aspect, however that is not a nasty factor when you’re keen on doctoring your recipes at residence with additional protein-packed toppings, like hummus or shredded hen. All in all, you will get greater than 100 totally different objects to select from with a spread of substances which might be simply as various.
Choose a small, medium, or small field relying in your wants. Costs differ by the objects chosen, however the model will ship a textual content the day your order processes, which provides you ample time to alter your order if wanted (or to cancel altogether).
Instance Meal:
-Mint and cacao smoothie
-Mulberry and dragon fruit oat bowl
Sustainability & High quality: Each day Harvest prioritizes natural substances with a particular emphasis on the Environmental Working Group’s Soiled Dozen checklist. The corporate additionally helps farmers and helps new contractors convert to regenerative meals methods. Practically all packaging is recyclable, however a number of objects have to be taken to a neighborhood facility to make sure they’re repurposed.
Try our full evaluate of Each day Harvest.
Professionals:
- Extra reasonably priced
- Produced sourced from on-demand growers
- No subscription
Cons:
- Recipes do not swap recurrently
- Should order giant bins
- Fewer menu filters
Dietary Concerns: Vegetarian, Pescetarian, Beef-free, Hen-free
Max meals per week: 20 meals
Delivery price:: Varies
Price: From $8.99 per serving
Mealpro takes the guesswork out of meal prep with wholesome, balanced recipes accessible on a funds. The subscription-free providers delivers nationwide with scrumptious meals usually priced below $10 per entrée.
The smallest plan begins at 18 entrées per field with an choice to buy the curated menus or to create your personal meal plan, which entails deciding on your required protein, sides, and toppings. Whereas customization is barely pricier, it ensures you are actually consuming the meals you need—and even provides real-time insights into the macronutrient breakdown of your creation. The one draw back? The restricted menu means meals may begin to really feel repetitive, particularly in case you have extra restricted dietary restrictions.
Instance meals:
-Lean beef lasagna
-Alaskan code with yams & string beans
Sustainability & High quality: Mealpro is severe on the subject of sustainability, all the time utilizing BPA-free plastic and 100% recycled cardboard bins with insulation constructed from eco-friendly supplies. The carbon-neutral firm additionally donates portion of each sale to the starvation banquet.
All substances are GMO-free and sourced from totally different elements of the world primarily based on season; January by way of Could is Mexico; June by way of October is California; November by way of December is Florida. No matter supply, you may besides no refined sugars or synthetic preservatives, in addition to sustainably sourced seafood and humanely handled proteins (no hormones or antibiotics).
FAQ
Can you purchase frozen meals on-line?
Sure! Tons of providers will supply frozen meals on to your door. They’re usually shipped with both a gel pack or dry ice to maintain them cool. Simply bear in mind to examine that they arrive at a protected temperature of below 40 levels Fahrenheit, in any other case they’re going to have to be tossed out.
What are the cons of frozen meals?
Most frozen entrées want to enter the microwave, which may go away it with an unappealing texture as soon as cooked. One other draw back of this cooking technique is that it will probably doubtlessly go away chilly spots all through the meal. Fortunately you may all the time observe the manufacturers reheating directions to make use of the oven or stovetop as an alternative, which can cut back counteract these damaging (however will doubtless take longer).
Is frozen meals wholesome?
The time period “wholesome” is admittedly subjective primarily based by yourself dietary wants and preferences. Most consultants would categorize a meal with balanced macronutrients, minimal salt and sugar, and no preservatives as wholesome. If that is the case, you will discover many frozen meals manufacturers able to ship, nevertheless it actually comes down the businesses you are shopping for from the the substances that they embody of their meals.
The takeaway.
Nothing beats the comfort of frozen meals while you’re attempting to get a wholesome meal on the desk quick. These frozen meal supply providers prioritize nutrient recipes with out the surplus sodium or preservatives seen in conventional frozen meals. Plus, they’re delivered to your door to avoid wasting you a visit to the grocery retailer. What extra may you need?
