- Why Meal Delivery Services Are Great if You Want to Improve Your Fitness
- How to Select a Meal Delivery Service That's Right for You
- Best Meal Delivery Services for Fitness Options
- Factor
- Purple Carrot
- Sakara Performance System
- Fresh N Lean
- Pete's Real Food
- Honorable Mentions: Best Meal Delivery for Fitness
- Recommendation for the Best Meal Delivery Service for Fitness
Bottom Line Up Front: Here’s the services I recommend for fitness focused meal delivery…
- Factor Meals: Best All Around Fitness Friendly, with Keto, Paleo, and other dietary restriction plans AND all fully prepared. Just heat and eat.
- Purple Carrot: Best for Vegetarians and Vegans. Delicious, plant-forward recipes that make being vegetarian or vegan, easy.
- Sakara Performance System: Best Greens & Protein Smoothies. A meal system design WITH protein and greens drinks included. Perfectly balanced by expert nutritionists.
- Fresh N Lean: Best Diet Friendly. Compatible with Paleo, Keto, Whole30, Mediterranean, Gluten Free, and many other diets. Fully prepared, no prep needed.
- Pete’s Real Food: Best for Clean Eating. Founded by a CrossFit enthusiasts with restriction diet friendly plans, built for high-protein consumption.
When you think about improving your fitness, what does that mean?
Do you want to improve your cardiovascular health? Hit the gym more frequently? Lose weight? Build muscle?
There are so many ways to define fitness; so before you set out to find a meal delivery service to improve yours, it may help first to sit down and jot down your goals.
Everyone’s body is different, so it’s always a good idea to chat with a nutritionist and get personalized recommendations, but generally, if you’re looking to improve your health and well-being, adding more wholesome foods, lean proteins, vegetables, and fruits to your diet is likely your best bet.
If you want to build muscle and lose fat mass, you could consider increasing your protein intake alongside a regular strength training routine.
For weight loss, you’ll probably want to reduce overall calories and increase exercise and rest activities. Calorie control can often be achieved by eating thoughtfully planned meals that include lean protein, vegetables, fruits, and whole grains.
A meal delivery service provides nutrient-rich meals that can help you achieve your goals without needing to create weekly menus on your own.
TL; DR Depending on how you are looking to improve your health, there is a meal delivery service that can support your efforts. Keep an eye out for plans offering dietitian support, like Factor, and services, such as Fresh N Lean and Pete’s Real Food, that use high-quality ingredients.
Just heat, eat, and enjoy. Factor makes eating healthy, EASY. Honestly, the hardest part about eating healthy are MEAL PLANNING and MEAL PREP. Factor removes both as an excuse and is interesting enough to stick with over the long term. Unlock a whopping 50% off your first box and enjoy an extra 20% off your next four boxes with code VENTURE50!
If you’re striving to enhance your performance in a specific sport, it is best to seek a licensed nutritionist who specializes in that sport. Sometimes a sport requires specific dietary needs.
Take bodybuilding, for instance, when participants often need to increase their macronutrient intake significantly to support growing muscles. Having a professional to guide you through these increases can be helpful.
It is always a good idea to check with your nutritionist or doctor before changing your diet, especially if you have a diagnosed condition or are making extreme changes.
Keep reading this Best Meal Delivery Services for Fitness guide to find the best option for your needs!
Why Meal Delivery Services Are Great if You Want to Improve Your Fitness
Diet contributes significantly to achieving fitness goals, but sticking with a meal plan can be confusing and time-consuming.
The teams behind meal delivery services have put a lot of thought into creating meal plans that contain the right balance of nutrients and a caloric profile that serves a number of fitness goals.
Meal delivery services that supply health-focused food can help you achieve your fitness goals more easily.
How to Select a Meal Delivery Service That’s Right for You
Once you’ve decided on your fitness goal, it’s time to narrow down your meal delivery service options.
Depending on your goal, you may also want to seek out the opinion of a professional such as a dietitian or personal trainer, to help navigate the next steps.
Many of these meal delivery services can support a variety of fitness endeavors.
I reviewed the available options based on the following criteria to help determine the best meal delivery service for fitness.
- Are the menus focused on improving health?
- Is their delivery convenient, and does it make achieving your fitness goals easier?
- Do these meal plans make sense financially?
Best Meal Delivery Services for Fitness Options
Factor
Factor for the Fitness Enthusiast
Factor is a fresh, prepared meal delivery service that offers various meal plans that could help you improve your fitness. If you’re looking to lose weight, you could reach for their Calorie Smart meal plan, which includes meals that contain 550 calories or less per serving.
If you want to increase lean muscle mass (my favorite fitness goal), you could reach for their Keto meal plan, which is high in protein (fueling muscle growth) and low in carbs. They also have vegetarian and vegan meal plans for people who want to eat meat-free.
Pros
- Factor has a lot of meal plans to choose from, and almost all of them could support your fitness goals.
- They offer a free nutrition coaching session, which is great. There is so much information out there about what to and not to eat, it’s really helpful to have a professional who can guide you through achieving your personal goals based on your unique body type.
- Factor meals save a ton of time in meal planning and preparation.
Cons
- Factor meals are single serving only, so it’s not a great option for families who want to share a meal (my family eats separate meals every night anyway, though, haha)
- 550-calorie meals might not feel satisfying.
- There are many plans to choose from, which might be difficult to navigate on your own.
Sample Meals from Factor Calorie Smart plan
- Tomato Basil Chicken Risotto with Parmesan Broccoli
- Fusilli & Ground Pork Tomato Ragu with Roasted Green Beans
- Jalapeño Beef Mac & Cheese with Broccoli & Poblano Rajas
- Truffle Butter Filet Mignon with Potato-Leek Mash & Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Red Chile Mahi Mahi with Hominy-Black Bean Succotash & Ancho Lime Crema
Sample Meals from Factor Keto plan
- Grilled Steakhouse Filet Mignon with Parmesan Creamed Spinach, Broccolini & Asiago Butter
- Garlic & Chive Salmon & Shrimp with Bacon-Cheddar Cauliflower “Grits”, Broccoli & Tri-Color Peppers
- Blackened Salmon with Smoked Gouda Cauliflower “Grits” & Broccoli
- Garlic & Herb Chicken Breast with Smoked Cheddar Cauliflower “Grits”
- Chorizo Chili with Shredded Cheese & Scallion Sour Cream
How Are Factor Meals Delivered?
Factor meals are delivered fresh weekly, which I appreciate. I often forget to take frozen meals out to thaw, which either messes up my plan for the week or detracts from the flavor of the dish.
How Much Does Factor Calorie Smart Plan Cost?
Factor plans are pretty affordable relative to other services on the list. They offer a trial week of 10 meals for a little less than $50; this meal plan costs $124.90 per week after the first week, which breaks down to about $12.50 per meal.
Just heat, eat, and enjoy. Factor makes eating healthy, EASY. Honestly, the hardest part about eating healthy are MEAL PLANNING and MEAL PREP. Factor removes both as an excuse and is interesting enough to stick with over the long term. Unlock a whopping 50% off your first box and enjoy an extra 20% off your next four boxes with code VENTURE50!
Purple Carrot
If you want to improve your well-being, adding more vegetables to your diet is one way to feel your best. Purple Carrot is a plant-based meal delivery service that delivers prepared plant-based meals weekly.
Unfortunately, Purple Carrot doesn’t post their prepared meal nutrition facts online, so this service would be best for someone who is generally trying to eat better quality food.
Also read: Hungryroot vs Purple Carrot Compared
Pros
- This meal delivery service is plant-based; eating more vegetables is a great health goal.
- Purple carrot offers a lot of options for plant-based proteins.
- Their meals are consistently tasty, which is a mark for plan-based meal services.
Cons
- Purple Carrot meals do not contain meat, a source of lean protein.
- They do not list nutrition facts on their website.
- Some Purple Carrot meals might not be filling.
Sample Meals from Purple Carrot’s Plant-Based Meal Delivery Service
- Thai Peanut Noodles with Tofu & Ginger Butter Green Beans
- Portobello Tortelloni with Creamy Leeks & Peas
- Za’atar Spiced Carrot Couscous with Roasted Fennel & Romesco
- Chilled Three Bean Salad with Quinoa & Chipotle BBQ Sweet Potatoes
- Thai Curry Tofu Nuggets With Broccoli & Tamarind Curry
How often Are Purple Carrot Meals Delivered?
Depending on your shipping location, you’ll receive your weekly delivery on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday each week. Purple Carrot meals are easy to prepare by heating in the microwave.
Purple Carrot is an Affordable Meal Delivery Option
With Purple Carrot, you can select either 6, 8, or 10 meals per week at about $13 per meal, and they offer a discount on your first order, which makes it easy to try the service. Purple Carrot also sells meal kit plans that you can prepare yourself.
Sakara Performance System
What Is Sakara’s Performance System?
Sakara is a primarily plant-based meal delivery service that offers meals designed by a nutritionist and chef. Sakara’s Performance System includes 20 days of meals per 4-week period, plus additional wellness items, such as protein and greens powder and supplements. This is the only meal delivery service on this list that includes supplements as part of their plan.
Pros
- Sakara’s Performance System accounts for additional nutrition considerations.
- Nutritionists design Sakara’s meals.
- Sakara serves a lot of plant-based foods and uses organic ingredients.
Cons
- Sakara’s meal delivery service is incredibly expensive.
- Sakara’s plans lack meat, which is a good source of protein.
- The meals on the Performance System may not be filling.
Delivery and Preparation
The Sakara Performance System consists of two meal deliveries per week, plus an additional delivery that includes the supplements and powder. Their meals are delivered fresh and are meant to be eaten straight out of the refrigerator within a few days.
Sakara is by Far the Most Expensive Prepared Meal Delivery Service I Reviewed
Sakara’s 4-week Performance System program includes 20 Days of Meals and 30 Days of Wellness Essentials (supplements) for $2,125. They also offer 1 and 8-week options. Sakara’s Performance System is by far the most expensive meal plan on this list.
Fresh N Lean
Fresh N Lean is a fresh-prepared meal delivery service that offers a variety of meal plan options. One option I like for someone looking for a general improvement in their health and fitness is the Mediterranean Diet meal plan.
Most nutrition experts agree that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in the world, so you can’t go wrong sticking to this plan.
If you’re looking for a low-carb option, the Fresh N Lean Keto plan offers delicious meals that contain 30 grams of protein, 10 grams of carbs, 32 grams of fat, and 460 calories on average.
Pros
- Fresh N Lean offers quite a few meal plan options.
- Fresh N Lean uses clean ingredients, and their meals are gluten-free.
- You are able to exclude up to 3 items in your subscription preferences.
Cons
- Like other meal delivery services on this list, Fresh N Lean isn’t a great option if you’re looking to feed more than one person at a time.
- Their meals have mixed reviews.
- I personally like to eat the same thing every day, so the options here wouldn’t work well for me.
Sample Fresh N Lean Mediterranean meal plan menus
- Spiced Chicken Lentil Bowl in Creamy Cilantro Sauce
- Creamy Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo
- Pesto Chicken Meatballs and Veggie Bowl
- Zesty Citronette Shrimp with Squash and Lentils
- Crusted Cod and Garlic Vegetables in Creamy White Sauce
Sample Fresh N Lean Keto meal plan menus
- Spiced Chicken Veggie Bowl in Creamy Cilantro Sauce
- Creamy Lemon Dijon Chicken with Herb Roasted Vegetables
- Spicy Beef and Turkey Mexican Bowl with Cheddar Cheese
- French Onion Steak, Roasted Mushrooms and Cauliflower
- Beanless Turkey Chili
Fresh N Lean Delivery
Fresh N Lean meals arrive on your doorstep weekly. Their meals are not frozen and can be placed in the refrigerator immediately upon delivery and eaten throughout the week. Fresh N Lean meals are simple to prepare in the microwave.
Fresh N Lean is An Affordable Option if You Order More
If you order lunch and dinner seven days per week, the weekly cost is $160.86, which breaks down to about $11.49 per meal. You can order breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner for five or seven days per week. The more you order, the cheaper per meal Fresh N Lean becomes.
Pete’s Real Food
Pete’s Real Food Clean Meals Could Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals
Pete’s Real Food delivers prepared paleo meals that are gluten-free, dairy-free, humanely raised, and made from seasonal produce. Pete’s Real Food was founded by a chef and a CrossFit enthusiast, making it an excellent choice for someone looking to enhance their fitness program.
Pros
- Pete’s Real Food uses clean ingredients.
- Their recipes are restaurant-quality.
- Designed by a CrossFit enthusiast as a fitness meal delivery service.
- Pete’s Real Food also offers kids’ meals, which can be helpful for families.
Cons
- Pete’s Real Food is somewhat pricey compared to other meal delivery services.
- Pete’s Real Food doesn’t offer a lot of plan options.
- They only offer limited options for customization.
Sample Pete’s Real Food Menu
Pete’s Real Food offers a variety of meals that look like they came out of a restaurant kitchen.
These delectable meals can help keep things interesting week after week. Here are a few sample meals:
- Dill Roasted Chicken With Sauteed Broccoli And Roasted Yams
- Ground Beef Chili With Kale And Spaghetti Squash
- Carolina Pulled Pork With Roasted Carrots And Collard Greens
- Grilled Steak With Roasted Broccoli And Spring Onion + Rhubarb Chutney
- Mojo Pork Butt With Cilantro Zucchini And Grilled Onions
How often Is Pete’s Real Food Delivered?
Pete’s Real Food is delivered once every week. Their meals stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to ten days or in the freezer for up to six months. Pete’s Real Food is also available for pickup in San Diego.
How Much Does Pete’s Real Food Cost?
You can opt for 5 to 30 meals per week, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So ten meals per week, or five lunches and five dinners, is $160, which breaks down to about $16 per meal. Pete’s Real Food also offers vegan meals and kids’ lunches, which can be helpful for families.
Honorable Mentions: Best Meal Delivery for Fitness
There are a few other meal delivery services that are on my radar in this category and might be good options for specific situations.
These “honorable mentions” are:
- Trifecta Nutrition: A newer fitness forward pre made meals delivery service that is closer to a nutrition program, but offers a similar level of service and convenience as a Hello Fresh. Worth considering if you have some very specific fitness goals that you need to hit.
- Daily Harvest: Daily Harvest is a great option for smoothies and smaller bowls if you aren’t really looking for a dinner meal plan (e.g. looking for a breakfast and/or lunch solution).
- Green Chef: A great option for healthy meals (organic ingredients) and clean eating, without the premium price tag of some of these other options. Green Chef is also a great gluten free option and actually teaches you to cook better!
Recommendation for the Best Meal Delivery Service for Fitness
The best meal delivery service for fitness will depend on you and your fitness goals.
If you want to build muscle, I would look for a meal plan with high protein options like Factor or Fresh N Lean (note: there are potential dangers to super high protein diets; make sure to check with your nutritionist or doctor if you decide to change your diet).
If you want to clear your diet of processed foods, I recommend Pete’s Real Food, and if you’re looking to add more veggies to your daily routine, Purple Carrot is an obvious choice.
You won’t go wrong with the above meal plans for overall well-being. However, if you’re looking for a meal plan that supports a specific activity like bodybuilding or a particular sport, you’ll want to dive deeper into macronutrient content and might need to enlist nutritionist support.
Like everything else relating to well-being, meal delivery services aren’t one size fits all; it’s about finding the right plan to support your goals. Your meal delivery service should both make your life easier and help you feel your best.
Just heat, eat, and enjoy. Factor makes eating healthy, EASY. Honestly, the hardest part about eating healthy are MEAL PLANNING and MEAL PREP. Factor removes both as an excuse and is interesting enough to stick with over the long term. Unlock a whopping 50% off your first box and enjoy an extra 20% off your next four boxes with code VENTURE50!
Related read
- RealEats vs Factor 75: Who’s The Real Winner?
- Factor Meals Review: Is Factor Worth it?
- The 5 Best Vegan Meal Delivery Services You Need to Try
- Best Bodybuilding Meal Delivery Services - October 30, 2023
- Best Meal Delivery Services for Fitness - October 29, 2023
- Best High Protein Meal Delivery Services - June 7, 2023