Sometimes doing the grocery shopping and cooking meals from scratch just isn’t an option. Or at least, not an appealing one.
You might be juggling work and study, at home with a new baby, recovering from an illness or simply time-poor. Maybe you’re sick of trying to decide what’s for dinner week in and week out. Or perhaps cooking just isn’t your thing.
You could settle for eating toast or takeaways, but an increasingly popular alternative is to use a meal delivery service.
Meal delivery services are businesses that prepare ingredients for chosen recipes or provide meals that get delivered straight to your door. With easy-to-follow recipes or simple heating instructions, these services are marketed to consumers who need convenience. They reduce the amount of grocery shopping you’ll need to do, take the stress out of meal planning and meals can be ready with minimal preparation time.
There are essentially two types of meal delivery services:
food box (meal kit) delivery services and
prepared meal delivery services.
The meal delivery services we’ve tested
Our testers ordered and cooked food box meal kits from Dinnerly, Everyplate, HelloFresh, Marley Spoon, Pepper Leaf and QuiteLike in 2026.
They also ordered prepared meals from Chefgood, Gourmet Dinner Service, Nourish’d, Providoor, Soulara, The Dinner Ladies, THR1VE, and Youfoodz. Prepared meals were last tested in 2024.
We rated the services for ease of ordering, presentation and temperature on delivery, ingredient freshness, recipe accuracy, taste and appearance and more.
We also list prices, which are how much we paid for meal plans at the time of writing. For meal kits we purchased a family box which included three meals for four people. For prepared meals we purchased seven meals. Delivery is included in the price we list in our reviews, however, discounts applied at checkout are not included.
For the food box meal kits we tested you can spend anywhere from $90 to $152 for the three family meals, while seven prepared meals can cost $87 to $201. It’s worth keeping an eye out for promotional price reductions and discount vouchers as they can offer significant savings, at least for your first order.
We cooked the Pan-fried chicken recipe from Dinnerly.
Meal choices each week:
Over 100
Delivery area:
ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC, TAS, SA, WA
Good to know:
Affiliated with Marley Spoon and is the cheaper meal kit option.
Recipe cards provided in the box. You can choose to go paperless easily in your account settings.
Ingredients are combined in the box, so you’ll need to sort them into meals.
Only 2- or 4-person meal options.
Pantry items (that the recipe assumes you already have) are listed in the full ingredient list but are marked with a small asterix which isn’t immediately obvious.
Food options for lunch, dinner, sides, snacks, drinks and desserts.
Everyplate
We cooked the Asian BBQ beef rump with garlic rice and slaw recipe from Everyplate.
Meal choices each week:
27
Delivery area:
NSW, VIC, ACT, QLD, WA
Good to know:
Affiliated with HelloFresh and is the cheaper meal kit option.
Option to cater for 2, 4 or 6 people.
Option to add a fruit box, drinks, desserts and snacks to the meal kit.
Check what pantry staples you’ll need – they may not be regular food items you have in your cupboard or fridge.
Ingredients for all meals are combined in the box, so you’ll need to sort them before cooking.
Senior and student discounts are available.
HelloFresh
We cooked the Lemon pepper salmon and crushed potatoes recipe from HelloFresh.
Meal choices each week:
Over 55
Delivery area:
NSW, NT, QLD, SA, VIC, WA, ACT
Good to know:
Option to cater for 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 people.
There’s food options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks and desserts.
Caters to a range of dietary requirements such as halal, paleo, vegan, keto and gluten free.
There are many recipe filter options, such as protein type, kid-friendly, allergens and cuisine type.
Ingredients for each meal are placed in separate bags for easy access to the ingredients.
Discounts are available for seniors.
In previous years some members have commented about the lack of fresh produce, portions not being uniform and poor customer service. This year our experts encountered some chilled products measuring outside the safe temperature range.
MarleySpoon
We cooked the Smoky haloumi burgers and wedges recipe from Marley Spoon.
Meal choices each week:
Over 150
Delivery area:
ACT, NSW, QLD, VIC, TAS, SA, NT, WA
Good to know:
It has one of the largest number of weekly food choices of the food box services we reviewed.
Ingredients for each meal are placed in separate bags for easy access to the ingredients.
Option to opt out of printed recipe cards and go paperless.
Food options for lunch, dinner, sides, snacks, drinks and desserts are available to add.
Only caters to 1, 2 or 4 people.
Caters to a range of dietary requirements, such as vegetarian, calorie conscious, carb conscious, low sodium and high protein.
There are many recipe filter options, such as protein type, price, cook time and dish type.
PepperLeaf
We cooked the Caponata Farfalle recipe from PepperLeaf.
Meal choices each week:
17
Delivery area:
ACT, NSW, SA, VIC, QLD
Good to know:
Meal plan options are available for 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 people (minimum order requirement for one person is four meals).
Free seasonal fruit added to the first two boxes when you sign up.
Ingredients are divided into paper bags and grouped based on the recipes.
Fewer meal options to choose from compared to other services.
If you accidently add too many meals to your cart, you are unable to delete individual items. You’ll need to empty the cart and start again.
The recipe card is OK, ingredients are not highlighted and there are multiple steps to follow in each. You need to keep flipping the card over to check ingredient quantities as they are not listed on the same side as the method.
No list of equipment, so you need to read through the recipe to find out what is needed.
QuiteLike
We cooked Pepper Leaf’s pork medallions with apple chutney sauce.
Meal choices each week:
30
Delivery area:
NSW, VIC, QLD, ACT
Good to know:
Only caters for 2 or 4 people.
Add-on grocery options for lunch, dinner, sides, snacks, drinks and desserts.
Recipes are easy to follow with not too many steps.
There are meal options to cater to dietary needs such as pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan and meat-free.
Ingredients are divided into paper bags and grouped based on the recipes.
The recipe card is also accessible online.
Cost (including delivery)
One-off subscription box (3 meals for 4 people): $165
We cooked the Cecconi’s Prawn Fettuccine recipe from Make-out Meals.
Meal choices each week:
15
Ingredient/nutrition/allergen details:
Recipe cards detail what you’ll need including equipment, what’s provided by the company, cooking time and any allergen information as well as the spice degree of the recipe.
Delivery area:
ACT, NSW, VIC
Packaging:
We rated the packaging as very good as most of it is recyclable or reusable.
Reusable herb bags are used to help keep produce fresh.
Insulated padded bags can be recycled in your curbside recycling bin.
Ice blocks can be reused otherwise the gel can be drained and the satchel can be recycled with soft plastics.
Company offers to pick up the rubbish.
Simply leave the box with insulated cool bags and ice blocks out the front and they’ll collect it when your next order is delivered.
Good to know:
Limited menu selection.
The method on the recipe cards could be improved and we found recipe times to not always be accurate.
Two recipe cards were missing from our delivery and were accessed online.
Some of the ingredients weren’t fresh and one meal was not great tasting or well-presented.
Ingredients are divided into paper bags and grouped based on the recipes.
Caters to special dietary needs; gluten free, dairy free, nut free options and vegetarian.
Options to include lunch, sides, snacks, fruit, alcohol (cocktails, wine and beer).
Caters for 2, 4 or 6 people.
Check pantry staples you may need for the recipe, they may not be regular food items you have in your cupboard or fridge.
Prepared meal delivery services
Providoor
We ordered Marco’s Carbonara Mac n Cheese.
Number of meal choices each week:
30
Delivery areas:
NSW, VIC, QLD
Good to know:
The service and delivery was excellent.
Meals are frozen.
Delicious meals but only part of the meal is provided in most cases, sides like vegetables, rice, noodles and pasta are needed to complete the meal.
No contract or subscription, pay as you go.
Very good heating and cooking instructions are provided.
Other items such as bundles, entrees, desserts, sides, to share small bites, desserts can be ordered.
Some meals need to be defrosted before cooking and some meals can take up to 40 minutes to prepare.
The Dinner Ladies
We ordered the Spinach and Ricotta Lasagna from The Dinner Ladies.
Number of meal choices each week:
72
Delivery areas:
NSW, ACT, VIC, QLD, SA
Good to know:
The Dinner Ladies provide frozen home cooked meals that are generously sized and look presentable.
Other meals such as breakfast, sides, snacks, drinks and desserts can be ordered. The meal categories include: Breakfast, Soul Foods, Snacks & Sides, Drinks and Next Week’s Meals.
Regular, large and extra large serve size meals are available.
Individual meals only (no family meal options) and meals can be frozen.
Heating instructions are limited.
YouFoodz
The meals we ordered from YouFoodz.
Number of meal choices each week:
60
Delivery areas:
NT, QLD, NSW, VIC, ACT, WA, TAS, SA
Good to know:
Meals were only OK – the presentation didn’t look very appetising with unevenly chopped vegetables and the protein was cut into small pieces and usually covered in a sauce.
Some foods had mixed together in the container and flavour was acceptable but not fresh-tasting.
Instructions for heating were not suitable for all microwaves and there was no standing time so food was mostly under 60°C.
The service and delivery was very good.
Meals are available in some supermarkets and there’s a lot of variety to choose from.
Snacks, desserts, fruit boxes and soups are also available to order.
Individual meals only (no family meal options)
Meals can be frozen.
There’s an app available to download to manage orders.
Soulara
We ordered the Shepherd’s Pie with Kale from Soulara.
Number of meal choices each week:
39
Delivery areas:
NSW, SA, VIC, ACT, QLD, NT, WA, TAS
Good to know:
Meals looked bland and not very appetising.
Presentation was lacking.
Medium and large-sized meals are available however we found the serving size of the medium meals to be very small.
100% plant-based and vegan friendly.
Other options like snacks, drinks and bundles are available.
“Meal kit services like HelloFresh and QuiteLike are predominantly marketed to time-poor families. But they can also be a great way for anyone to learn how to cook,” Fiona says.
CHOICE home economist Fiona Mair testing a recipe.
They’ve found that the recipes are generally simple and relatively easy to follow, the ingredients are already portioned, there’s usually a utensil or tool list of what you need in your kitchen, plus a list of the pantry staples you’ll need.
“After a month of preparing a few meals from a meal delivery service you’ll have a repertoire of recipes under your belt that will give you confidence to shop and cook for yourself. You’ll also become familiar with flavours and cuisines that you may not have tried before,” she adds.
When it comes to prepared meal delivery services like YouFoodz and Soulara Fiona says, “these are convenient for people who are time poor and not so interested in cooking a meal”.
After a month of preparing a few meals from a meal delivery service you’ll have a repertoire of recipes under your belt
CHOICE home economist Fiona Mair
You’re usually receiving single-serve prepared meals that only require heating in the microwave. You can even make a large order which will help to reduce the price and stockpile them in the freezer for later use.
Meal options
Chantelle says a big point of difference between these services is the range and variety of meals they provide.
“Some services do really well in catering to a wide variety of customers,” she explains.
Services that allow you to filter based on your specific needs and offer extras in terms of lunch, snack and dessert options, might win over time-poor customers who are looking for a service that does it all.
Some companies even offer “premium” meals for an additional cost. Chantelle says, “this can feel misleading to consumers who initially sign up with a set idea of how much their meals will cost for the week”.
PepperLeaf and Marley Spoon are the only services to specifically cater to one person, but there are minimum order requirements. Marley Spoon has a minimum spend of $49.99 and you’ll need to order at least four recipes with PepperLeaf.
If you enjoy cooking but meal planning gives you a headache, you’re lacking inspiration and sick of always cooking the same boring staples, or you find it hard to make time for the weekly shop, then food box delivery services such as HelloFresh, Marley Spoon, Dinnerly, Pepper Leaf and QuiteLike can be a good option. Each week these subscription services deliver recipes and the precise quantity of the predominantly fresh ingredients you’ll need to cook them.
There’s minimal food waste associated with these types of services, as you’re being supplied with the exact quantities of ingredients required for each recipe. This is particularly beneficial with ingredients you’re unlikely to use frequently. For example, if a recipe calls for a pinch of paprika, that’s what you’ll get in the box. You don’t need to buy a whole bottle that you’re unlikely to use again.
Portioned ingredients for a QuiteLike recipe.
The recipes are designed to be simple and easy to follow, and cooking with pre-measured ingredients means you can turn the meal around in less time than if you were starting from scratch. Many of these services also aim to use locally sourced Australian ingredients.
Tips and traps
When using these types of services you’ll need to have a range of everyday ingredients which frequently feature in the recipes. These include pantry staples such as soy sauce, white vinegar, salt and pepper, honey, oil, butter, milk, eggs, flour and sugar – so it’s worth checking what they are and whether you have them before your first delivery so you’re not caught short.
Leftover packaging from one HelloFresh meal we cooked.
When signing up to these services, some companies will collect personal information upfront before you can even view what’s on offer. Dinnerly for example, will only let you view menu choices once you’ve entered all your details including credit card information. In other cases only a minimum amount of details are needed initially and card details are only required once meals are selected.
Subscription-based services usually have pre-selected meals they have chosen for you. If you want to customise your order you’ll need to remember to delete the pre-selection meals otherwise you could find yourself being charged for them.
The amount of packaging (each pre-measured ingredient comes in its own bag or container) can be a deterrent.
Choosing a delivery window where you’re likely to be home to collect it soon after delivery is important for ensuring food stays within the safe temperature range.
Can stockpile meals and keep in the freezer for future use
Services such as Youfoodz, The Dinner Ladies, Soulara, Providoor and Nourish’d sell predominantly fully prepared meals. Ordering is simply a matter of choosing from the range of meals displayed on their websites, and the chilled or frozen meals will arrive at your door in a coolbox on your nominated delivery date.
Tips and traps
The meals from some of these services focus predominantly on the protein component, with nary a vegetable in sight. They suggest you add a salad or vegetable side dish – and usually offer these to buy – but this will obviously bump up the total cost. This is worth bearing in mind when comparing meal prices.
Some of these services offer a good selection of freshly prepared, chilled meals, while others sell predominantly frozen meals. If this difference is important to you, make sure you’re clear on what they’re offering before you order.
The chilled meals on offer are usually “wet meals” like braised meats, curries, pasta, stir fry, rice and stews that are usually covered in a sauce or gravy. This is so the food doesn’t dry out when heated in the microwave and so each component can heat as evenly as possible. Fiona says, “these types of meals that are soft with minimal texture are foods you could quickly become sick of. You may not want to be eating them week on week”.
Other services like Providoor and The Dinner Ladies provide ready-made meals that are frozen and have options to serve 1–4 people. In some cases these meals aren’t complete and you may need to finish them off with pantry staples like pasta or rice and may want to add a salad or vegetables to complete the meal. Heating instructions may require an oven, cooktop or microwave but these options allow for a variety of textures which in some cases lead to better flavour.
In the past we’ve compared the price of a HelloFresh box with the equivalent ingredients needed to make the recipes from Coles and Woolworths.
We found you don’t actually pay much less at a supermarket, and sometimes you pay more once you factor in delivery costs if you’re ordering online.
But in reality when doing your weekly shop you’re more likely to take advantage of special offers or buy larger packs which are better value for money – a 1kg tub of Farmers Union Greek Style natural yoghurt (70c per 100g) rather than a 240g tub ($1.42 per 100g), for example. And as long as you end up using the leftover ingredients before they reach their use-by or best-before dates and need to be discarded, then it’s cheaper to do the shopping yourself.
Prepared meals
Some services like Youfoodz and Soulara are available to purchase in select supermarkets. If you can find them in the supermarket you’ll be taking away the delivery cost which is added to any online orders.
How easy is it to cancel a subscription?
While some of these services are easy to order from, the same can’t always be said for when it’s time to cancel the subscription.
Chantelle says, “some companies design their cancellation process in a way that can be confusing for customers”.
The most important thing is to make sure you cancel your subscription before the necessary cut-off date. “Failing to do so will result in you being charged and another order being placed,” she says. In December 2025, the ACCC took action against YouFoodz and HelloFresh for allegedly misleading consumers over subscriptions.
Some other points to be mindful of include:
The webpage might be overcrowded with offers and deals and the cancellation button is not always prominent.
In most cases customers will be asked to select a reason as to why they are cancelling and may need to confirm the cancellation multiple times.
Take the time to read through all of the selections and make sure you follow through to the end.
If you’ve successfully cancelled you should receive a follow up email to confirm the cancellation and your account status should say “not active”.
And unless you unsubscribe from all emails and communication, be prepared to continue to receive emails and texts with special offers to entice you to reactivate your account.
With lots of chilled items involved in meal delivery services, it’s important to ensure perishable items like protein and dairy stay adequately chilled.
The food temperature danger zone is 5°– 60°C, as bacteria multiplies most rapidly within this temperature range.
Meal delivery companies are responsible for maintaining safe food temperatures, preventing cross-contamination during packing, maintaining hygiene standards, clearly communicating allergen information and ensuring packaging is secure against tampering.
Each service provides cooler bags and ice packs in their boxes, but delivery windows vary and boxes can potentially stay outside for an extended period of time before they are collected.
You’ll usually receive a text with tracking details the night before and some send another text once the box has been delivered.
Consumers also share the responsibility of minimising the risk of foodborne illness. Chantelle says it’s important to collect your box as soon as possible after delivery to ensure chilled items stay within a safe temperature range. “This is especially an issue on a hot day,” she says.
Ensure you:
Inspect the food on arrival: Packaging should be intact and items should feel chilled. Raw meats and dairy should be sealed well so as not to come in contact with any fresh ingredients.
Store foods as soon as possible: Ensure you refrigerate or freeze perishable items immediately.
Discard defective items: Any items that arrive warm, leaking, with damaged seals or past their use-by date should be discarded. If there are any issues or if food appears unsafe, contact the manufacturer.
Choose an appropriate delivery window: Choose a time when you are likely to be able to take the delivery immediately or soon after. In warmer weather food can quickly go into the danger zone.
If you’re planning on using a meal delivery service to feed a family that includes young kids, you might want to proceed with caution. While many of the meal delivery services offer “family” or “kid-friendly” options, meals aren’t always guaranteed to win over a fussy toddler.
“Most companies have a wide variety of meal options, making it more likely for you to find a meal your child likes,” says Chantelle.
“EveryPlate also has ‘little chef’ recipes, marketed as family-friendly to promote getting the kids involved in the cooking process.”
“Once you’ve found meals your kids enjoy, you can save them as a favourite to re-order,” she adds.
Rebecca Ciaramidaro is a Content producer in the Household team at CHOICE. Rebecca writes about a wide range of children's and household products, ranging from cots and strollers to ovens, BBQs, espresso machines and electric blankets. And also grocery items such as nappies, sanitary pads and laundry detergents.
Previously at CHOICE, Rebecca worked as a Test officer in the kitchen lab.
Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food) from the University of Western Sydney.
Find Rebecca on LinkedIn.
Rebecca Ciaramidaro is a Content producer in the Household team at CHOICE. Rebecca writes about a wide range of children's and household products, ranging from cots and strollers to ovens, BBQs, espresso machines and electric blankets. And also grocery items such as nappies, sanitary pads and laundry detergents.
Previously at CHOICE, Rebecca worked as a Test officer in the kitchen lab.
Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food) from the University of Western Sydney.
Find Rebecca on LinkedIn.
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