Cooking just for yourself can be a bit of a puzzle, right? Do you really want to deal with buying a whole bunch of groceries when it’s just you? Or muster up the energy to cook for one? It’s a whole thing.
You’ve probably seen ads popping up or heard your friends who are all booed up talking about meal kits – those kits with all the ingredients prepped and ready to cook for you to whip up some fancy dishes at home. Maybe it’s time you give it a shot.
To be honest, most of these meal delivery services are geared toward couples. But you can totally make it work solo for one person. Sign up for a two-person plan, and you’ll have leftover lunch for the next day. Or invite a friend over for a chill homemade meal that is still much lower priced than most takeouts!
Moreover, in our new recommendation, we also included some prepared meal delivery services—like Factor—that offer great solutions for pre-made meals for single people.
Know that we use experienced professionals to dig deep into each meal plan we review. Our extensive review process involves ordering process as actual customers, managing our subscription online, getting meal boxes, and tasting every meal. Doing these processes allows us to give you the most trustworthy and detailed feedback so you know that you can rely on our reviews and comparisons.
To ensure this article is accurate and relevant, we reviewed our recommendations from earlier in 2024 and made sure they’re still totally on point. We also asked a group of singles from our team to rank their preferred services. So whether you’re a kitchen ninja or a total newbie, trust us to steer you toward some delicious eats tailored just for you.
Short On Time? The Following Are The Best Meal Kits For Singles:
Our Winner! Best Affordable Meal Kits For Singles: Everyplate
Best Simple Meal Kits For Singles At A Good Price: Dinnerly
Best Variety of Meal Kits: Hello Fresh
Best Fully Prepared Meal Delivery Service For Singles: Factor
Best Meal Kits From Martha’s Cassic Kitchen To Yours: Martha & Marley Spoon
Best Easy-To-Cook Meal Kits & Oven-Ready Meals For Singles: Home Chef
Best For Busy Singles: “Fresh and Easy”
Best For Upscaled Chef-Designed Meal Kits for One Person: Blue Apron
Every Plate
Best For: Our Winner! Affordable Meal Kits For Singles
EveryPlate is a game-changer for solo diners looking to savor home-cooked fun meals without breaking the bank. In 2024, it will be the most affordable meal kit service out there! With a clear focus on affordability, this meal kit service is tailor-made for singles seeking delicious meals on a budget.
Featuring fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and straightforward, easy, and fast recipes, EveryPlate makes it a breeze to whip up satisfying dishes in 30 minutes (and, in many cases, much less).
The Everyplate menu boasts 30 flavorful meal kit options, including selections suitable for those on low-calorie or vegetarian diets; there’s something for everyone. Plus, with add-ons like extra proteins, veggie sides, and spices, you can craft meals that suit your taste and dietary preferences every day.
For singles keen on maintaining manageable yet healthy dining habits without compromising flavor or quality, EveryPlate is the go-to solution for affordable, fuss-free home cooking.
Meals You Can Find On The Everyplate Menu
- Bacon & Gouda Smothered Chicken with Green Beans & Crispy Potatoes
- Kung Pao Beef Bowls with Green Bell Pepper & Peanuts
- Tomato & Pork Sausage Linguine with Garlic Bread
- Jammin’ Fig Pork Chops with Broccoli & Crispy Potatoes
- Easy Cheesy Corn Chowder with Jalapeño, Cilantro & Sour Cream
Dinnerly
Best For: Simple Meal Kits For Singles At A Good Price
As a singleton, you will love the Dinnerly promise – a huge weekly variety of 45 meals at an affordable price – with meals starting at only around 5$ per serving!
Dinnerly is an excellent meal kit service to check out in 2024 if you want to expand and diversify your weekly menu with easy-to-follow recipes for classic and commonly liked meal styles.
Many of the Dinnerly meals are things you can cook and save the extra meal for your next-day lunch at the office or home.
From our intense experience with Dinnerly, even though the meals are relatively cheap, they show an excellent standard for ingredient quality and good taste.
Like many other meal kit companies, Dinnerly offers a range of recipes to fit different diets and lifestyles—vegetarian, one-pot cook, gluten-free friendly, and low-calorie meals. It is also worth mentioning that the menu offers a great variety of fun and mouthwatering desserts like lemon cake and mint chocolate pudding!
Meals You Can Find On The Dinnerly Menu
- Herb Grilled Chicken with Roasted Potatoes & Peppers
- Coconut-Gochujang Glazed Pork with Rice & Cucumber Relish
- Ready Made! Beef Stir-Fry in Garlic Sauce with White Rice
- Cheese-Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf with Peas & Mashed Potatoes
- Speedy skillet chicken enchiladas with shredded cheese & scallions
Factor
Best For: Fully Prepared Meal Delivery Service For Singles
Factor meal delivery service offers only single-serving pre-made chef-cooked meals that you can heat in the microwave and oven. It provides an excellent solution for extra-busy singles who don’t want to cook at home but still wish to eat healthy and fresh meals with less food waste.
The nutritious meals coming from the Factor kitchens focus on healthy and balanced eating and feature less sugar and processed foods.
The Factor meal delivery service offers meal plans from six and up to 18 meals per week. All meals are delivered to your door fresh and ready to eat in three minutes.
Factor also focuses on different dietary preferences, like the keto low-carb, vegetarian, and high-protein diet. When we reviewed its offering in 2024, we noticed the menu had broadened and now included many add-on options like juices and smoothies, healthy fast breakfasts, snacks, and more.
Meals You Can Find On The Factor Menu
- Mushroom Chicken Thighs & Wild Rice with Garlic-Roasted Green Beans
- Jalapeño-Lime-Cheddar Chicken with Spicy Cilantro Cauliflower “Rice”
- Spicy Poblano Beef Bowl with Roasted Broccoli “Rice” & Scallion Sour Cream
- Roasted Veggie & Pesto Tortellini with Roasted Green Beans
- Baja Tofu, Black Beans & Rice with Roasted Red Cabbage & Vegan Cilantro Crema
Hello Fresh
Best For: Variety of Classic & Traditional Meal Kits For One Person
Hello Fresh is all about making your weeknight dinners easy and delicious. In 2024, The company is still considered the #1 meal kit brand in the US.
Hello Fresh lives up to its name by offering various likable meals and including the freshest ingredients in their meal kits – delivering farm-fresh produce and high-quality meats, poultry, and seafood you would love to eat.
Hello Fresh does not offer a one-person plan (like all other meal kit services), but there is the option of a two-person plan. You can easily prepare the recipe for two and save the extra meal for your lunch or dinner the following day.
All the Hello Fresh recipes are classic and relatively simple to make. It is a perfect option if you have a busy life and little spare time to waste in the kitchen.
Most importantly, every meal we tried from the Hello Fresh menu was delicious! The menu comprises a large variety of over 40 meal kit choices weekly, including excellent vegetarian options, children and family-friendly meals, gourmet-style meals, calorie-smart dishes that are low in calories, and more. Moreover, the menu features a large section of market add-ons, including sides, breakfast, and tempting desserts.
Meals You Can Find On The Hello Fresh Menu
- Peppercorn-Crusted Beef Tenderloin with Brussels Amandine & Sweet Potatoes Mash
- Chicken & Kale Harvest Salad with Apple & Honey Dijon Dressing
- One-Pot Spicy Vegan Curry Stir-Fry with Noodles & Peanuts
- 20-min BBQ Cheddar Turkey Burgers with Crispy Onions & Coleslaw
- Crispy Cheddar Chicken with Roasted Broccoli & Loaded Bacon Mashed Potatoes
Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon
Best For: Meal Delivery From Martha’s Kitchen To Yours
When you think of comforting all-American food, Martha Stewart is one of the first names to come to mind. That makes her meal kit delivery service, Martha & Marley Spoon, an excellent option for busy singletons!
Martha & Marley Spoon operates worldwide, offering the ultimate home cooking experience in the USA, Germany, Austria, Australia, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
The weekly menu of Martha & Marley Spoon features 100! Recipes and add-ons, divided into a range of categories, including Health & Diet, Vegetarian & Vegan, Meat & Fish, Under 30 Minutes, Gluten-free friendly, and more. So regardless of your culinary preferences, you will find something delicious and enjoyable that meets your needs.
Like all other meal kit services, the meals come in two-serving portions, but most weekly recipes are generous enough to allow you to save a serving for lunch or dinner the next day. That makes the service attractive to singles who wish to eat well throughout the week!
From our experience with the Martha & Marley Spoon, you are guaranteed to receive high-quality ingredients for classic and tasty recipes. These recipes result in well-balanced and comforting meals full of vegetables and other healthy and super fresh ingredients.
Some Meals To Try From Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon
- Faster-Than-Takeout chicken wonton stir-fry with sugar snap peas
- Cavatappi & pork ragu with spinach salad & Italian dressing
- Filipino chicken adobo with veggie fried rice
- Creamy chicken piccata over egg noodles with roasted green beans
- Corn & poblano enchiladas with fresh cilantro & pickled onions
Home Chef
Best For: Easy To Cook Meal Kits & Oven-Ready Meals For Singles
Home Chef is also one of our favorite meal kit delivery services. The company is all about classic home cooking, usually with a tasty twist and using amazing farm-fresh ingredients. Home Chef is suitable for couples and singles who love delicious, home-cooked meals that take no longer than 30-40 minutes to cook!
The Home Chef weekly menu offers a large amount of 30+ weekly dishes. Among those options, you will find meals to cater to many needs, like vegetarian, low calories, and low-carb meals.
The company has also gone the extra mile in adding some new features to its menu:
- ‘Home Chef express meals’ – recipes that are ready to eat in only 15 minutes.
- 2024 new addition – Home Chef pre-made lunches to heat and eat in the microwave.
- ‘Home Chef oven-ready’ meals are highly convenient meals that require minimum preparation. Simply put the meal in the oven, and it’s ready in a few minutes.
- “Customize It” feature that is available on many of their menu items. This means you can swap, double, and even upgrade the protein in relevant meals.
- Extras marketplace offers excellent add-on options to save you time on grocery shopping, such as desserts, high–protein packs, pre-made salads, bread, spreads, and more.
Home Chef Meal Kits To Try For Singles
- Banh Mi Burger with Sweet Chili Garlic Fries
- Beef Stuffed Peppers with Cilantro Sauce and Fire-Roasted Salsa
- Sweet Chili Chicken Lunch with Quinoa and Roasted Green Beans
- Cherry Chipotle Brisket Tacos with Corn Salad
- Oven-Ready Creamy Tomato Shrimp Pasta with Spinach and Bacon
Fresh & Easy By Home Chef
Best For: Busy Singles – Pre-portioned, Prepped, and Ready To Eat Meals
If you have a busy single life with a demanding lifestyle that includes work, fitness, social, and family commitments, you probably have little time to cook well. It becomes easier to have breakfast on the run, buy lunch at work, and grab some takeout on the way home.
Luckily, Home Chef has created the “Fresh and Easy” meal plan, which is an excellent way of helping you eat better. The healthy, delicious meals in the plan take no time to prepare while also saving you substantial money!
The Fresh and Easy Plan is ideal for a busy single person at the end of a long day. Their convenient options include oven-ready meals that come complete with a disposable oven tray. No preparation or clean-up!
The menu also includes slow-cooker meals, entrée salads, 15-minute prep meals, vegetarian meals, pre-made heat-and-eat meals, and grill-ready meals.
The Fresh and Easy Plan allows you to order from a weekly changing menu that provides low-carb and low-calorie options.
Some Favorite Meals To Try From Fresh and Easy
- 15-minute meal kit – Caprese steak strip mini flatbreads with mozzarella
- Grill-ready – Chili Lime Pork Chop with teriyaki broccoli
- Oven-ready – Italian sausage and tomato couscous with peppers
- Oven-ready – Basil parmesan chicken with zucchini and grape tomatoes
- 15 minutes meal kit – Sizzling pork fajita tacos
Blue Apron
Best For: Upscaled Chef-Designed Meal Kits for One Person
In 2012, Blue Apron was the first meal kit service to operate in the United States. Blue Apron has withstood the test of time, remaining a highly rated and known meal kit service in the country even in 2024.
Blue Apron is all about spicing up your dinner routine. With a menu featuring over 20 amazing recipes each week, you’ll never run out of options to whip up something delicious at home.
Thanks to easy-to-follow recipe cards, there’s no need to stress about complicated cooking techniques or endless trips to the grocery store. Plus, for those hectic days, Blue Apron offers ready-to-heat meals, ensuring you still enjoy a scrumptious meal without the hassle.
Perfect for singles seeking culinary adventure, Blue Apron provides an excellent opportunity to expand your cooking skills, explore new flavors, and indulge in restaurant-quality meals from the comfort of your own kitchen – all at a fraction of the cost of the typical takeout fare.
Recipes To Try From Blue Apron
- Seared Scallops & Pancetta risotto with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Grapes & Pistachios
- Heat and Eat meal – Soy-Miso Chicken & Udon Noodles with Bok Choy & Mushrooms
- Soy-Miso Pork Belly & Kimchi Ramen with Soft-Boiled Eggs & Furikake
- Ready to Cook Hot Italian Sausage & Gnocchi with Mozzarella & Tomatoes
- Chicken & Goat Cheese Sauce over Asparagus & Romesco Farro
Here are a Few Factors To Consider When Choosing A One-Person Meal Kit Service
Style of dishes
Each person has their favorite flavor and style preferences. Some are looking for more classic or easy-to-cook meals, while others are looking for new kitchen challenges. We encourage you to look at the menus in advance and choose the meal kit service that offers meals suited to your tastes and preferences.
Variety of meals per week
Not all meal kit services offer the same number and type of meals every week. Some offer eight meals per week, and others offer up to 40 meal choices weekly.
Pricing
Meal kit services price points vary as well. The price can vary substantially, and you should look at the price and choose the service that best suits your budget. Also, look for meal service with attractive beginner deals for the first box.
Diet Support
Many meal kit services offer balanced meals that support special diets like vegetarian, vegan, keto, paleo, and more. If you follow a special diet, some companies have got you covered!
Flexibility
In our hectic world, our day-to-day lives can be, at times, unpredictable. So when looking for a meal kit delivery service, you should ensure that the service you choose offers flexibility.
Find one that will allow you to skip weeks when needed and cancel your membership anytime with no added fees or penalties.
Quality Of Ingredients
Generally speaking, all meal kits we tried over the years serve good quality seasonal produce. However, some meal kit companies offer premium meals with organic ingredients, naturally produced veggies, and non-GMO items.
What Do Singlets Need From a Meal Delivery Service?
Modern life for one person can be hectic and demanding. Something that is always needed is more time. Often the first thing that gets overlooked when juggling a million things is eating habits. That includes finding time to go to the grocery store or preparing delicious and healthy meals at home.
Finding the extra time to recipe plan, grocery shop, and meal prep can be impossible if you have a busy career. Busy single people often have demanding social lives, are physically active, and need to satisfy their family’s expectations.
No wonder many people resort to take-out on the way home, which is never ideal, often unhealthy and expensive. It can be hard to convince yourself that it is worth the time and effort to prepare meals when you cook for one.
Bottom line, what singles need from their meal service is the convenience of having tasty meals that are easy to order and cook at a good value for m.
Main Benefits for Singles To Use a Meal Delivery Service
Meal delivery services offer the ultimate convenience for busy singletons. Finding the time or energy to cook for one person can be challenging. For example, using a meal kit service means that someone else is doing meal planning, grocery shopping, and portion control for you!
A meal kit service will let you know you have well-balanced, healthy, and delicious meals organized for the week. A meal delivery service also looks after portion control, so you will only be eating as much as you need and minimize waste.
The final appeal of a meal delivery service is that it can often save you money for a single person compared to buying all the ingredients from scratch.
Final Notes
Our updated 2024 review reveals that there are so many valid meal kit options for singles, with the best one being Everyplate.
In our opinion, it is always best to experiment with at least two different companies. That way, you can compare the services and decide which is the best option for you. All services are very flexible. They offer the possibility to pause or get a box every other week, so it is super easy to try more than one option.
Regardless of which company you choose, using a meal kit service will save you time on meal preparation and grocery shopping, so what are you waiting for?