Food Shopping and Storing Best Kids Meal Delivery Services Nurture Life is our top recommendation for kids meals By Carrie Havranek Carrie Havranek Carrie has 10+ years experience as a food writer and editor. Her work can be found in her cookbook, Tasting Pennsylvania, and her site, the Dharma Kitchen. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 13, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Photo: kohei_hara / Getty Images “What’s for dinner?” is a question that we all have to answer on a daily basis. But if you’ve got kids, the answer to that question can be a bit more complicated. Kids are like mini-adults, with their own preferences and ideas, and sometimes feeding them can be challenging. Deciding on meals can cause arguments, or at the very least, the sense that your dinner plans are nothing more than a gamble. It’s hard to go through the work of making dinner as it is, but luckily, kids' meal delivery services can be a huge help. Some meal delivery services do all the prep for you—the food arrives fresh and all you need to do is reheat and eat. In other cases, you’ll receive recipes and ingredients, and you can do the assembly yourself. And there are services at a variety of price points, serving different preferences. (Picky eaters, anyone?) But perhaps even more importantly, these services eliminate the stress of figuring out what to eat. Here, we’ve rounded up the best kids’ meal delivery services on the market. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Nurture Life Best Value: Dinnerly Best for Babies and Toddlers: Little Spoon Best for Older Kids: Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon Best Prepared Meals: Mosaic Foods Best for Picky Eaters: HelloFresh Best for Adventurous Eaters: Blue Apron Best for Easy Prep: Home Chef Best Overall: Nurture Life Nurture Life Sign Up Now Key Specs Starting Price: $6.99 per servingDelivery Area: 48 statesProducts Arrive: Fresh Why You Should Try It Nurture Life wins best overall for its delicious, nutritious food for babies, toddlers, and kids. Meals are created with dietitians and are freshly made (never frozen), with an eye toward sustainability across the board. Pros and Cons Pros Strong focus on nutrition Flexible ordering system Diverse menu with kid-friendly flavors Cons Must order a minimum of nine items to receive free shipping Meals are limited to four people Overview Nurture Life wins as our favorite overall for its commitment to sourcing sustainable proteins and organic produce and using as much recyclable packaging as possible. No veggie is left behind, so your kids will get creative exposure to many different kinds. (Check out Nurture Life’s snacks and smoothies for grab-and-go eats). But no matter how your kids eat, a range of dietary preferences can be accommodated, including gluten free, vegetarian, and soy free. Testers enjoyed the balance of flavors and the easy-to-find nutrition information. Pricing and Plans 6 meals per week: $7.99 per meal9 meals per week: $7.99 per meal 12 meals per week: $7.16 per meal15 meals per week: $6.99 per meal Meals We Tried White mac and cheeseChicken and macBeef taco pocketsTortellini BologneseChicken dumplingsPesto and cheese ravioli Best Value: Dinnerly Sign Up Now Key Specs Starting Price: $4.99 per servingDelivery Area: 48 statesProducts Arrive: Fresh Why You Should Try It An offshoot of Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, Dinnerly offers simple, kid-friendly meals at a price point that won’t break the bank. Pros and Cons Pros Inexpensive Easy to prepare Many meals ready in 30 minutes or less Cons No add-ons possible Digital recipe cards only Overview When it comes to prepping meals for kids, simple is often better—especially if you and your kids have competing ideas about what to have for dinner. And there is something to be said for Dinnerly’s straightforward, basic approach. All meals on the menu are made with six ingredients or fewer, which eliminates a lot of confusion and variables. And with prices as low as $4.99 per serving, the crowd-pleasing meals definitely won’t break the bank, either. Pricing and Plans 3 meals with 2 servings each: $6.39 per serving4 meals with 2 servings each: $5.99 per serving5 meals with 2 servings each: $5.89 per serving6 meals with 2 servings each: $5.79 per serving3 meals with 4 servings each: $5.69 per serving4 meals with 4 servings each: $5.49 per serving5 meals with 4 servings each: $5.29 per serving6 meals with 4 servings each: $4.99 per serving Meals We Tried BBQ cheeseburger with sautéed onions and smashed potatoesLow-cal veggie drunken noodles with broccoli, peppers, and cilantroGrass-fed ground beef and cheddar quesadillas with cornCaramel chicken stir-fry with snow peas and jasmine rice Best for Babies and Toddlers: Little Spoon Little Spoon Sign Up Now Key Specs Starting Price: $5.99 per servingDelivery Area: 48 statesProducts Arrive: Fresh Why You Should Try It In those early days of parenting, meal kits can be a huge help. Little Spoon’s goal is to ease your child’s transition to solids and then bring in some fun toddler meals, too. Offerings are creative and veggie-packed, making it easier to introduce healthy foods to your kids right from the start. Pros and Cons Pros Fresh, organic, non-GMO meals Reduce shipping costs with biweekly deliveries Packaging is almost 100% recyclable Cons Pureed meats are not available Not ideal for picky eaters Overview Little Spoon excels with its organic purees (“Babyblends”) and kid-sized meals for toddlers (“Plates”). You can also order smoothies (cold pressed and organic) and “boosters,” which are like supplements in powder form with vitamins and probiotics. Simply select your child’s stage of eating—early, intermediate, or advanced—and your menu options will reflect that. Variety is so important when kids are starting to eat, and Little Spoon’s menus meet that need by featuring up to 100 ingredients. Pricing and Plans 4 meals per week: $7.49 per meal6 meals per week: $6.99 per meal9 meals per week: $6.49 per meal12 meals per week: $5.99 per meal Meals We Tried Broccoli bites with sweet potato carrot poppers and green beansBreaded chicken and veggie nuggets, sweet potato carrot poppers, and broccoliWhole-wheat penne with veggie marinara and mini turkey kale meatballsMac and three-cheese with invisible butternut squash and carrotsChicken pot stickers with brown rice, quinoa veggie stir-fry, and edamameTurkey rice balls with sweet potato mashThree-cheese egg bites with sweet potato hashTurkey kale patty bites with veggie millet poppers and carrots Best for Older Kids: Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon Martha Stewart and Marley Spoon Sign Up Now Key Specs Starting Price: $8.69 per servingDelivery Area: 46 statesProducts Arrive: Fresh Why You Should Try It Kids who are starting to familiarize themselves with the kitchen can use easy-to-follow recipes and ingredients that will appeal to parents and kids alike. Pros and Cons Pros Healthy, flavorful meals Very accessible customer support Easy-to-follow instructions Cons Slightly more expensive than other options Recipes might take a little longer if kids are unfamiliar and are the ones cooking Overview If you’re a fan of Martha Stewart and all of her recipes, you’ve already got a good idea of the wide-ranging types of options available for a meal service that bears her name. Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon’s meals don’t lose sight of flavor or inventiveness, but they’re still accessible. Parents and kids can easily cook together (and clean up, too). We love that you can choose from more than 40 meals each week, with options ranging from pecan-crusted salmon to sheet pan chicken fajitas. Pricing and Plans 2 meals with 2 servings each: $12.99 per serving3 meals with 2 servings each: $10.99 per serving4 meals with 2 servings each: $10.49 per serving5 meals with 2 servings each: $9.99 per serving6 meals with 2 servings each: $9.49 per serving2 meals with 4 servings each: $10.49 per serving3 meals with 4 servings each: $9.49 per serving4 meals with 4 servings each: $8.99 per serving5 meals with 4 servings each: $8.99 per serving6 meals with 4 servings each: $8.69 per serving Meals We Tried Greek chicken gyro with chopped salad and garlic sauce Broccoli Reuben, Russian dressing wedge salad Oven fried beef taquitos, tomatillo salsa, and jalapeños Gochujang turkey ragu with fresh udon, cilantro, and scallions Best Prepared Meals: Mosaic Foods Mosaic Foods Sign Up Now Key Specs Starting Price: $8.69 per servingDelivery Area: 46 statesProducts Arrive: Fresh Why You Should Try It Kids who are starting to familiarize themselves with the kitchen can use easy-to-follow recipes and ingredients that will appeal to parents and kids alike. Pros and Cons Pros Healthy, flavorful meals Very accessible customer support Easy-to-follow instructions Cons Slightly more expensive than other options Recipes might take a little longer if kids are unfamiliar and are the ones cooking Overview If you’re a fan of Martha Stewart and all of her recipes, you’ve already got a good idea of the wide-ranging types of options available for a meal service that bears her name. Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon’s meals don’t lose sight of flavor or inventiveness, but they’re still accessible. Parents and kids can easily cook together (and clean up, too). We love that you can choose from more than 40 meals each week, with options ranging from pecan-crusted salmon to sheet pan chicken fajitas. Pricing and Plans 2 meals with 2 servings each: $12.99 per serving3 meals with 2 servings each: $10.99 per serving4 meals with 2 servings each: $10.49 per serving5 meals with 2 servings each: $9.99 per serving6 meals with 2 servings each: $9.49 per serving2 meals with 4 servings each: $10.49 per serving3 meals with 4 servings each: $9.49 per serving4 meals with 4 servings each: $8.99 per serving5 meals with 4 servings each: $8.99 per serving6 meals with 4 servings each: $8.69 per serving Meals We Tried Greek chicken gyro with chopped salad and garlic sauce Broccoli Reuben, Russian dressing wedge salad Oven fried beef taquitos, tomatillo salsa, and jalapeños Gochujang turkey ragu with fresh udon, cilantro, and scallions Best for Picky Eaters: HelloFresh Hello Fresh Sign Up Now Key Specs Starting Price: $7.99 per servingDelivery Area: 48 statesProducts Arrive: Fresh Why You Should Try It As one of the most widely known meal delivery services, and certainly one that kids can enjoy, HelloFresh offers more than 30 meals across a wide range of cuisines to choose from every week. Pros and Cons Pros Permits ingredient substitutions Allows changes after an order is made Menus rotate weekly Cons Not a lot of organic options No exclusively gluten-free or allergen-free meals Overview HelloFresh has built a reputation on fresh, easy-to-prepare meals, and our testers thought the company delivered on both counts. It’s our top choice for picky eaters thanks to its “Kid-Friendly” meal plan featuring flavorful menu selections that have already been kid-tested. Busy families with kids who have lots of food-related opinions (don’t they all?) will appreciate HelloFresh’s Market, from which you can also order groceries. For weekend-related food emergencies, customer service seems to be responsive and readily available—including on weekends. Pricing and Plans 2 meals for 2 people: $11.99 per serving2 meals for 4 people: $9.49 per serving3 meals for 2 people: $9.99 per serving3 meals for 4 people: $8.49 per serving4 meals for 2 people: $9.49 per serving4 meals for 4 people: $7.99 per serving5 meals for 2 people: $8.99 per serving5 meals for 4 people: $7.99 per serving6 meals for 2 people: $8.49 per serving6 meals for 4 people: $7.99 per serving Meals We Tried Crispy buffalo-spiced chickenBBQ cheddar burgersTex-Mex pork with mango salsaPork sausage rigatoni rosa Best for Adventurous Eaters: Blue Apron Blue Apron Sign Up Now Key Specs Starting Price: $7.99 per servingDelivery Area: 48 statesProducts Arrive: Prepared are frozen; kits are fresh Why You Should Try It Blue Apron caters to curious omnivores, especially those who want variety and parents who want to ensure the meals are balanced. If your kids are open to new tastes, they’ll likely be happy with this company’s 18 to 20 meal choices offered per week, along with add-ons and premium choices. Pros and Cons Pros Carbon-neutral company Some add-ons and customization possibilities Can also order kitchen tools, wine, and gifts Cons Can’t easily accommodate vegan, paleo, or keto diets Only offers two, three, or four meals per week for up to four people Overview We liked that Blue Apron’s plan offers flexibility. For example, opt for its meal kits with recipes or give yourself a break (or three) and opt for a few of its heat-and-eat options. Testers liked the creativity on display. White bean and poblano shakshuka and togarashi shrimp and veggie fried rice are more appealing than a lot of takeout options and will expand the palates of curious eaters. Testers report that Blue Apron’s customer service is very responsive, too, which is always helpful if something goes awry. Pricing and Plans 2 meals for 2 people: $11.99 per serving2 meals for 4 people: $9.49 per serving3 meals for 2 people: $9.99 per serving3 meals for 4 people: $8.49 per serving4 meals for 2 people: $9.99 per serving4 meals for 4 people: $7.99 per serving Meals We Tried Meal Kits Togarashi shrimp and vegetable fried rice Space Ranger chicken enchiladas One-pan white bean and poblano shakshuka Baked meatballs and romesco mayo Heat and Eat Sweet and spicy beef bowl with rice, peppers, and edamame Chicken Alfredo pasta with peas Best for Easy Prep: Home Chef Home Chef Sign Up Now Key Specs Starting Price: $7.99 per servingDelivery Area: 49 statesProducts Arrive: Fresh Why You Should Try It There’s something to be said for Home Chef’s straightforward, comforting meals with easy-to-follow instructions and a variety of ways to order—including the ability to feed up to six people per meal. Pros and Cons Pros Moderate price point Protein choices can be customized Easy-to-follow instructions Cons Limited dietary accommodations Meals aren’t the most creative Overview You can really customize your options with Home Chef, whether it’s 15-minute prep, oven-ready, or family meals. You can get pretty granular with your options, so that might be great if you want to prep something easily and know exactly what you’re getting into before you order it. A limited number of those different options are available on a weekly basis, but you can make adjustments to suit your family’s needs. Meals are mostly recognizable American foods, with some deviations into other popular cuisines too, such as Asian and Mexican. Pricing and Plans You can order for two, four, or six people, ranging from two to six times a week. Home Chef offers a lot of options in this regard to accommodate family size and frequency of delivery. 2 people twice a week up to 6 times a week: $39.99 up to $119.884 people twice a week, up to 6 times a week: $79.92 up to $239.766 people twice a week, up to 6 times a week: $119.88 up to $359.64 Meals We Tried Crispy sweet chili shrimp rice bowl Creamy tomato and steak penne Gnocchi and red pepper cream Moo shu pork lettuce cups Final Verdict For the best overall value, testers liked the quality of meals, variety, and sustainability of the meals offered by Nurture Life. The company caters directly to families and kids, which sets it apart from other services. This also means the folks at Nurture Life already know your struggles as parents trying to get a well-balanced and healthy meal on the table in a reasonable amount of time. Compare the Best Kids Meal Delivery Services Company Starting Price Delivery Area Products Arrive Customers Can Choose Delivery Date? Free Shipping Best Overall Nurture Life $6.99 per serving 48 states Fresh Depends on ZIP code No Best Value Dinnerly $4.99 per serving 48 states Fresh Yes No Best for Babies and Toddlers Little Spoon $5.99 per serving 48 states Fresh No No Best for Older Kids Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon $8.69 per serving 46 states Fresh Yes No Best for Prepared Meals Mosaic Foods $9.43 per serving Most major metro areas on East and West Coast Frozen Yes Yes, over $100 Best for Picky Eaters HelloFresh $7.99 per serving 48 states Fresh Yes No Best for Adventurous Eaters Blue Apron $7.99 per serving 48 states Frozen prepared meals, fresh meal kits Yes No Best for Easy Prep Home Chef $7.99 per serving 49 states Fresh No Free with $49.95 minimum order Guide to Choosing a Kids Meal Delivery Service Not every meal delivery company offers the same things. When you're trying to determine which kids’ meal delivery is the best for you, there are a few considerations. The first one might very well be cost, as it’s important to pick a service that fits your budget. You might also consider the portion size, which can affect how many meals you need to order per week for your family. If you need flexibility with what goes into your order, when it’s delivered, or how frequently you order, that’s a consideration, too. Many companies can meet those needs, but it’s always good to read the fine print and reach out to customer service if you’re not sure. (Many companies offer a virtual chat feature, which we love.) Finally, take a look at the menu selection and any dietary needs or preferences the company caters to. For most families, the ability to accommodate children who are just beginning their journey toward solid foods or who are adept at reheating food on their own will determine how you select a service. Additionally, parents of picky and adventurous eaters alike have a host of other considerations in trying to strike a seemingly elusive balance between familiarity and variety. Is a Kids Meal Delivery Service Right for Your Family? If you’re a parent who’s frequently juggling many different schedules (including your own), a meal delivery service for kids may be a smart investment for you. Many meal delivery companies offer heat-and-eat options, requiring only a few minutes of microwaving to enjoy. In other cases, the meal services will send all the ingredients and instructions you need to cook the meals yourself—sometimes even including pre-prepped and preportioned ingredients. Frequently Asked Questions Do Kids Meal Delivery Services Offer Healthy Options? Yes! Many of the kids’ meal delivery services on our list offer healthy options. In fact, it’s hard to find ones that don’t. Some companies, including Nurture Life and Little Spoon, offer veggie-focused meals that “sneak” different vegetables into the dishes in creative ways. (Think: mac and cheese with hidden cauliflower in the sauce.) Do Kids Meal Delivery Services Accept EBT? If your family is eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), you may be wondering if you can use those funds to help pay for meal delivery services. It’s true that some grocery delivery services, such as Walmart and Amazon, accept EBT/SNAP as a form of payment. But unfortunately, most meal delivery companies do not—and that includes the kids’ meal delivery services on our list. Currently, these services largely accept payment in the form of credit cards (such as Visa or MasterCard) or PayPal. Are Kids Meal Delivery Services Worth the Money? This depends on multiple factors, starting with budget and time. While some meal delivery services may seem pricey at first, they also eliminate the time and energy spent shopping and planning dinners every week. If you’re a busy parent, splurging on a meal delivery service might feel worth it for the peace of mind it brings. What Diets Do Kids Meal Delivery Services Accommodate? Many diets can be accommodated with kids’ meal delivery services, but you have to look at the fine print carefully if your child has an allergy. By and large, meal delivery services are transparent about their ingredients, and you can often find nutrition info for each meal on the website. Some of them are more plant-forward than others, which can be helpful if your family is vegan or vegetarian, or you have a child who’s experimenting with that way of eating. Methodology More than 40 different companies were assessed by our panel of testers in order to determine the best kids’ meal delivery services. The criteria consisted of various elements, including price, customer service, flavor, freshness, quality, and dietary selection. We also considered the accessibility of customer service and transparency of information around sustainability, ingredients, nutrition, and so forth. Finally, we can’t overlook the ease with which you can prepare these meals, and the quality of ingredients, too. Our testing team consists of a variety of people, including food writers and dietitians, to capture as many voices as possible. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! 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