9 Best Meal Delivery Services in Arlington 2024: Updated List
As you know, Arlington commutes are awful. And spending a long time in the kitchen is probably the last thing you’d want to do once you’re back home. But that’s where Arlington’s fantastic meal delivery services come in.
While there are many of these services in Arlington, only a few of them are worth trying out. To find the best ones, I thoroughly researched the various options – comparing price, menu variety, quality of ingredients, and other important considerations.
My favorite service was Home Chef. Its excellent customization options allow you to choose the protein of your choice – a feature few competitors have. I also liked that its recipes were easy to follow and not time-consuming. To learn more about this service and the nine others I selected, read on.
Short on Time? Here Are the Best Meal Delivery Services in Arlington
Home Chef – Best overall meal delivery service in Arlington
Green Chef – Best for fresh and organic ingredients
HelloFresh – Best family-friendly meal delivery service
Purple Carrot – Best vegan delivery in Arlington
Marley Spoon – Tasty meals by celebrity chef Martha Stewart
1. Home Chef – Best Overall Meal Delivery Service in Arlington
Key Features
Customize meals to your liking
30+ recipes weekly, including oven- and grill-ready meals
Dietary options including carb- and calorie-conscious meals
Current deal: Get 18 Free Meals + Free Shipping on 1st + Free Dessert Item for Life!
Among all of Arlington’s meal delivery services, Home Chef is the best. This is mainly because of its wide variety of customization options as well as its affordable price.
For example, you can choose your choice of protein on most meal kits – a feature that most delivery services lack. Maybe the Greek-Style Lemon Garlic Shrimp caught your fancy while scrolling the menu, but you don’t like shrimp? You can swap it for chicken breasts or steak strips instead. This way, you can keep things novel and exciting.
Home Chef has beginner-friendly meal kits – I promise you won’t be scratching your head while following the recipe instructions. To learn more about this, you can check out my my colleague's review.
You can also choose from a range of prep times. Decided not to spend more than 20 minutes in the kitchen? Then you can choose the Easy-Prep meal kits that take anywhere between 10-20 minutes. Or if you like cooking (but not for too long), then you can opt for recipes that take only 20-40 minutes to prepare.
It offers vegetarian, carb-conscious, and calorie-conscious options if you wish to avoid meat or stay in shape. Each recipe also mentions if it has allergens like milk, soy, eggs, and more, should you want to avoid these.
2. Green Chef – Best for Fresh and Organic Ingredients
Key Features
Eco-friendly packaging that helps avoid waste
24 unique recipes per week
Dietary options include keto, paleo, and vegan
Current deal: 50% Off + 50 FREE Credits with Class Pass!
Green Chef only puts non-GMO, organic ingredients in its box, and is USDA-certified organic. It works with local farms to responsibly source these ingredients.
When ordering from the site, you can choose from categories like Keto, Paleo, Gluten Free, Fast & Fit, Mediterranean, Vegan, and Vegetarian.
Once the meal kits arrive, it's easy to prepare them as they’re beginner-friendly and take only around 30 minutes to prepare. And since most of its ingredients are sliced and prepped for you, cooking becomes much less taxing. For more info, check out our in-depth Green Chef review.
With Green Chef, you can choose from 24 recipes per week. You order a maximum of four meals per week, but you can order for up to six people, which adds up to 24 servings per week. This makes it an excellent option for a large family.
3. HelloFresh – Best Family-Friendly Meal Delivery Service
Key Features
Ingredients come fresh from the farm
30+ unique recipes per week
Dietary options include pescatarian and vegetarian
Current Deal: Free Breakfast for Life + 10 Free Meals + First Box Ships Free
HelloFresh recently partnered with actor Neil Patrick Harris and professional chef David Burtka to create a range of new family-friendly recipes. These recipes have detailed step-by-step instructions that make it easy to cook meals for the whole family.
You can choose from menus like Veggie, Meat & Veggies, Family Friendly, Quick and Easy, Calorie Smart, or Pescatarian. And once you’ve selected your ideal categories, HelloFresh then offers you meal kit suggestions. Learn more about these options in my colleague’s HelloFresh review.
I also like that HelloFresh tags its food with labels like Easy Prep, Easy Cleanup, No Oven, etc. You can choose meals based on how much time you want to spend cooking each day. As a rule of thumb, however, most of its meals take anywhere from 15-40 minutes to prepare.
And since it sources its food fresh from the farm, so you’re guaranteed to get high-quality ingredients.
4. Purple Carrot – Best Vegan Delivery Service in Arlington
Key Features
Tasty, 100% vegan meal kits
20 choices across meal kits and prepared meals per week
Dietary options include high protein, gluten-free, and soy-free
Sorry, meat-lovers; this service isn't for you. But if you’re a vegan or vegetarian, then I can’t recommend a better service than Purple Carrot. You can learn more about the service in our productReviewLink product="purple-carrot"our in-depth review/productReviewLink.
The meals are mouthwatering, and with its weekly changing menu of 12 meal kits covering all three meals of the day as well as eight prepared meals, you can always satisfy your taste buds in unique vegan ways. Why not try the Gochujang Ramen and Mushroom Fried Rice with Baby Bok Choy and Sesame Peanut Crisp? Yum.
As well as the meals, you can also order a selection of tasty snacks like jackfruit, almond milk chocolate bar, and other delights from Purple Carrot’s ever-changing Plantry.
5. Marley Spoon – Tasty Meals by Celebrity Chef Martha Stewart
Key Features
Recipes approved by Martha herself
45+ weekly dishes to choose from
Dietary options include kid-friendly, vegan, and spicy
Would you like to don your chef's hat and apron and make dishes that’ll challenge your cooking skills?
Well. Marley Spoon gives you just the opportunity, as it uses slightly more advanced cooking techniques than most meal kits. But don’t let that scare you – all of its recipes have step-by-step instructions. After all, we want something challenging, but not something that makes us dread cooking, don’t we?
It offers 45+ meals on its menu. Among these are kid-friendly items like Steakhouse Burger and Oven Chips and Chili-Rubbed Pork Chops, which your children will love. You can also find delicious low-carb and low-calorie options like Butter-Basted Steak and Grilled chicken thighs. Find out more about the menu options in this Marley Spoon review.
In case you're environmentally conscious, you might be pleased to know that the company uses paper bags instead of plastic. I find it great that the company wants to reduce its carbon footprint.
6. Fresh & Easy – Meals to Prepare for Those Short on Time
Key Features
Customizable proteins and add-ons such as bread and desserts
30+ weekly recipes to choose from
Dietary options include Carb-conscious and Calorie-conscious
Home Chef “Easy-mode” – that’s how I think of Fresh & Easy. It’s a subsidiary of Home Chef whose meals take little to no time to prepare. In fact, most meals take only 15-20 minutes to prepare. And in case 15 minutes is too much for you, you can choose the oven-ready or microwaveable meal options.
Like Home Chef’s signature feature, you can change the protein to one you prefer, whether that be steak, shrimp, beef, or chicken. Find out more about the customization options in this Fresh and Easy review.
It also has salads that can be easily made by mixing prepped ingredients. And if you’d like to supplement your meals, you can purchase extras like prepared breads, protein packs, and desserts.
7. EveryPlate – Most Budget-Friendly Meal Delivery Service in Arlington
Key Features
Meals start at $2.99 per serving
18 weekly recipes to choose from
Vegetarian and low-calorie options available
If you’re on a tight monthly food budget and the other services are too expensive for you, then you may like EveryPlate. Its meals start at $2.99 per serving.
I found the menu options to be lacking in quantity and diversity in terms of cuisines, but that’s the tradeoff that the company made for the low price. Another way the company reduces costs is to keep the packaging and ingredients basic. You can read more about this in our EveryPlate review.
Some of the interesting dishes on the menu that week included Gravy-Smothered Pork Chops and Greek Pork Meatball Bowls. And they taste exactly how they sound – delicious.
8. Blue Apron – Best Gourmet Meal Delivery Service in Arlington
Key Features
Weekly add-ons, plus wines
19 recipes each week
Dietary options include vegetarian, diabetes-friendly, and low-calorie
Blue Apron’s menu lets you try international cuisine in the comfort of your own home. I find that it has the best exotic dishes compared to all other meal services on this list. You can even pair your meals with wines for a more indulgent dinner.
Its meals come with easy-to-follow recipes. If you want to be extra sure, the step-by-step instructions on Blue Apron’s app will help you during meal prep. You can learn more about this by reading our Blue Apron review.
Okay, so the dishes sound great, but maybe you’re now concerned they may make you gain weight? Well, fret not, as Blue Apron has you covered thanks to its Wellness plan. These meals aren't just great for you, they're also super delicious.
9. Grubhub – Arlington’s Best Food Delivery Service
Key Features
Order meals from your favorite local restaurants
User-friendly app makes it easy to find your favorite dishes
Frequent promotions and discounts
Now we get to GrubHub, the King of No Prep meals. Simply order using its app and have popular local restaurants deliver fresh and ready-to-eat meals to your doorstep.
GrubHub differs from other services in that it acts as a middleman for different local restaurants in your area. This means that you can get your favorite Arlington restaurant food delivered to your doorstep without having actually to visit the restaurant.
GrubHub is also the King of Discounts and Promotions – it often has discounts on select restaurants and orders as well as free delivery options for some meals. And with GrubHub's $9.99 monthly subscription, you’re guaranteed free delivery on all meals.
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| Starting Price | |||||||||
| Starting Price | $9.99 ($6.99 W/ discount) Per Serving | $9.99 Per Serving | $4.49 Per Serving | $11.00 Per Serving | $4.99 Per Serving | $7.99 Per Serving | $2.99 Per Serving | $4.00 Per Serving | |
| Minimum Order | |||||||||
| Minimum Order | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meal kits for 2 people/6 prepared meals | 2 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | 3 meals for 2 people | 2 meals for 2 people | Varies by supplier |
| Meal Types | |||||||||
| Meal Types | Kits, speedy kits, oven-ready | 10-45 minute meal kits | Meal kits, speedy kits, prepared meals | Meal kits, prepared meals | 30-60 min meal kits | Oven- & grill-ready, kits, prepared | 30-minute meal kits | 5 - 60 min meal kits and prepared meals | Prepared |
| Prep Time | |||||||||
| Prep Time | 5-50 min | 25-40 min | 5-50 min | 3-40 min | 20-40 min | 15-30 min | 20-45 min | 5-45 min | 0 |
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Tips for Choosing the Best Prepared Meal Delivery Services in Arlington
Here are some tips to help you choose the right meal delivery service:
Menu variety: If you like variety, then choose a service with a large enough menu selection to keep you satisifed. Also, make sure that the service changes its menu options from week to week. However, if you’re okay with menus with less variety, then go for it – they tend to be lighter on the wallet anyways.
Budget: For the most part, the more you spend, the better the meal variety and quality of ingredients. If budgets is a major concern, then there are several services on this list which have lower starting prices. It’s worth noting that the less expensive meal delivery services often don’t support niche diets such as keto, paleo, or vegan.
Dietary needs: Most meal delivery kits offer low-calorie, low-carb, and vegetarian options. However, not all of them offer vegan, keto, and paleo options. Make sure the service you pick satisfies your dietary needs and those of your family. You may also want to look for a menu that excludes ingredients you may be allergic to.
Prep time: Some meals can be prepared within 3-5 minutes simply by microwaving them. Others can take anywhere between 20-50 minutes depending on the amount of preparation involved. Choose a delivery service that aligns with your schedule and available time.
Bottom Line: What’s the Best Meal Delivery Service in Arlington?
Meal delivery services are a great way to save on monthly food expenses, eat healthy, and spend less time in both the grocery and the kitchen.
If you’re still unsure as to which delivery service to choose, I can safely say that Home Chef is the best option. Not only are its meals tasty, but it also helps you customize proteins – a feature that none of the competitors have. It also provides quality ingredients at a competitive price.
FAQ
What is the most affordable meal delivery service in Arlington?
EveryPlate is the most affordable meal delivery service in Arlington. Although the menu variety isn't as good as some other services, the food tastes good and has a home-cooked comfort feel to it.
What is the best meal box delivery in Arlington?
Home Chef delivers the best meal box delivery service in Arlington, thanks to its highly customizable menu options. Other features include its easy-to-follow recipes, low-prep meal kit options, and affordable pricing.
Best Meal Delivery Services in Arlington in 2024 – Final Score:
