CookUnity has made a name for itself by offering chef-crafted meals that arrive at your door ready to heat and eat. I used it for a while and appreciated the restaurant-quality dishes, especially on weeks when work, training, and kids left no time for cooking. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.
I’ve personally tested a wide range of meal services, from performance-focused plans to budget-friendly kits and grocery hybrids.
I’ll walk you through the best CookUnity alternatives, breaking them down by strengths—whether you’re an athlete, a busy parent, or just looking to eat well without spending your whole evening in the kitchen.
- Best CookUnity Alternative: Trifecta Nutrition
- Best CookUnity Meal Kit Alternative: Green Chef
- Best CookUnity Alternative At Your Local Grocery Store: Blue Apron
- Best Vegetarian CookUnity Alternative: Purple Carrot
- Best A La Carte CookUnity Alternative: MegaFit Meals
- Best CookUnity Alternative For Families: Dinnerly
- Best CookUnity Grocery Alternative: Hungryroot
Best CookUnity Alternative
Trifecta Nutrition
If you’re looking for a CookUnity alternative that prioritizes clean, high-protein, performance-driven meals, Trifecta is a standout.
It’s the one I recommend most often, especially for athletes, gym-goers, or busy professionals who want meals that support a demanding lifestyle.
What separates Trifecta from CookUnity is the fully prepared, vacuum-sealed meal format with a strong focus on organic ingredients and macro-friendly profiles. No chopping, no plating, just heat and eat.
Their Performance line averages around 52 grams of protein per meal, which, speaking from experience, is a major asset. Most of CookUnity’s chef-driven meals sit lower in protein and higher in variety or gourmet appeal, which is great but less aligned with strict training goals.
Trifecta doesn’t offer the culinary artistry that CookUnity does. You’re not getting chef bios or restaurant-level plating.
But what you do get is consistency: grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, and organic produce, all portioned for optimal nutrition. The meals lean functional over fancy but that’s exactly what I want when I need fuel, not flair.
The downside? It’s not cheap. Meals start at $14.49 when ordering in bulk, plus shipping. And the cancellation process is clunky as you need to call or email to stop service.
But the companion app is a gem. It tracks your macros automatically, syncs with fitness apps, and even has workout videos (though they’re not exactly competition-level lifting plans).
Customization is decent if you go with the “My Choice” setup, but don’t expect the flexibility of CookUnity’s a la carte browsing. Trifecta offers a curated approach based on your dietary preference—keto, paleo, vegan, clean, etc.—with ingredient filters for allergens and exclusions.
In short, if your meals need to work as hard as you do, Trifecta is the better fit. CookUnity is great for flavor-forward eating, but when it comes to targeted nutrition and recovery without the prep, Trifecta wins that match.
My Trifecta review goes into detail about my experience.
Trifecta
Trifecta Nutrition
A clean, high protein meal delivery service that doesn’t skimp on quality or portions. Get 40% OFF with code “liftbig40”
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Best CookUnity Meal Kit Alternative
Green Chef
If you’re the type who still enjoys cooking but wants to cut out the meal planning and grocery runs, Green Chef is one of the best CookUnity meal kit alternatives I’ve come across.
I tried it during a stretch when I had a bit more time at home and wanted to stay on track with clean eating without compromising on taste or nutrition.
Green Chef offers meal kits with mostly organic ingredients and a wide range of diet-specific plans. From high-protein to keto, Mediterranean, and plant-based, there’s something for nearly every nutritional preference.
I gravitated toward their Protein Packed plan, which delivered 40+ grams of protein per serving. It’s not quite the heavy-hitter Trifecta is, but it’s still solid for recovery after training.
Compared to CookUnity, which focuses on prepared gourmet meals crafted by independent chefs, Green Chef hands you the tools to cook yourself but makes it ridiculously easy. You get pre-measured ingredients, simple recipe cards, and a diverse global menu.
I’ve had everything from Thai peanut chicken to Moroccan-spiced beef, and while the portions aren’t huge, the flavors hit hard.
But it’s not cheap. You’re looking at around $12 per serving with shipping added on, which means it can rival the price of some prepared meal services without the same convenience.
Also, the occasional ingredient hiccup, like wilted kale or a leaky protein pack, did happen. Still, it’s rare, and overall, ingredient quality was great.
Green Chef also gets props for sustainability. Most packaging is recyclable or compostable, and they offset 100 percent of their carbon emissions. It’s a nice bonus if you’re mindful of your environmental footprint.
Bottom line, if you like the chef-driven variety of CookUnity but prefer to be hands-on in the kitchen, Green Chef is a worthy swap. It brings creativity and customization without overwhelming your weeknight routine.
My Green Chef review goes into detail about my experience.
Best CookUnity Alternative At Your Local Grocery Store
Blue Apron
Blue Apron is probably the closest thing to walking into a well-stocked grocery store and picking up a gourmet meal kit without actually doing the shopping.
If you like CookUnity’s elevated flavors but don’t mind putting in a bit of elbow grease, Blue Apron is a great alternative.
I gave it a full test run by trying both the classic meal kits and their Prepared & Ready meals. The kits are where it shines most.
Recipes like seared steak with garlic butter or Moroccan-spiced beef tagine reminded me of the kind of dishes you’d get from a skilled home chef rather than a quick-prep service.
For people who enjoy the cooking process but want to avoid the mental load of planning, Blue Apron strikes a good balance.
Compared to CookUnity, the flavor variety is on par. Where CookUnity lets chefs flex their creativity, Blue Apron guides you to do it yourself with detailed recipe cards and high-quality ingredients.
You can also mix meal kits with ready-made meals in one order, which is helpful on hectic training days when cooking isn’t realistic.
The downsides are there. The kits take about 35 to 45 minutes to prep and clean up. After a long day, I sometimes regretted not picking something faster.
And while Blue Apron now has high-protein options (up to 45 grams per meal), it still falls short of the macro precision I get from Trifecta or ICON Meals.
That said, the ingredients are fresh, the meat is sustainably sourced, and the portion sizes are satisfying. Pricing varies from around $8 to $12.50 per serving, and you can toss in extras like desserts or sides for more flexibility. The packaging is mostly recyclable, too, which is a plus.
If you’re okay with a little prep and want restaurant-quality meals without leaving the house, Blue Apron delivers a CookUnity-level experience in a DIY format. My Blue Apron review goes into detail about my experience.
Best Vegetarian CookUnity Alternative
Purple Carrot
If you’re plant-based or just looking to eat more vegetarian meals, Purple Carrot is hands-down the best CookUnity alternative in that category.
Even as someone who usually leans towards a meat-heavy diet, I wanted to see if it could hold up in terms of taste, variety, and nutritional performance. And while it won’t replace my usual high-protein go-tos, I’ll say this: for vegetarians, it’s legit.
Purple Carrot offers both meal kits and prepared meals, all 100 percent vegan. The flavor variety is strong, pulling from global cuisines with meals like Thai coconut curry, General Tso’s tofu, or Mediterranean grain bowls.
I was actually surprised at how good some of the sauces were, especially in dishes like the Dan Dan noodles. They manage to deliver bold, satisfying meals without leaning too heavily on just rice or greens.
Compared to CookUnity’s chef-curated meals, Purple Carrot is less flashy but more consistent in mission. It’s not about gourmet flair; it’s about plant-based eating done right.
The ingredients are fresh, and while not fully organic, they’re mostly clean and thoughtfully sourced. The prepared meals take just a few minutes in the microwave, while the kits clock in around 30 to 45 minutes to cook.
The biggest limitation, for me, is the protein. Most meals max out around 20 to 25 grams per serving, which doesn’t really cut it when I’m recovering from a heavy lifting session.
You can select “high-protein” options, but it still doesn’t hit the 40+ gram sweet spot I aim for. There’s also zero meat or fish, so if you’re not committed to the vegan lifestyle, that can be a dealbreaker.
Pricing runs around $11 to $13.25 per serving, with free shipping on larger orders. Customization is minimal—no swapping ingredients or upping portion sizes—which might frustrate more hands-on eaters.
Still, for vegetarian or vegan folks who want a solid CookUnity alternative without compromising on flavor or convenience, Purple Carrot hits the mark. My Purple Carrot review goes into detail about my experience.
Best A La Carte CookUnity Alternative
MegaFit Meals
If what you want is control over what lands on your plate each week, MegaFit Meals is the best CookUnity alternative for à la carte ordering.
While CookUnity gives you curated, chef-created dishes, MegaFit lets you dial in every component of your meal, from portion sizes to macros, making it a top-tier choice for anyone tracking performance-focused nutrition.
What drew me in was the Custom Meal builder. As someone who lifts heavy and trains often, being able to tweak my meals to hit a specific calorie or protein goal is huge.
I’d regularly build something like 8 oz of grilled chicken with sweet potato and broccoli, then double up if I needed to fuel a longer day. It’s macro precision without the hassle of prep, and that’s a win in my book.
If you don’t want to build meals from scratch, you’ve still got access to over 40 rotating Signature Meals, including some endorsed by pro athletes like Chris Bumstead and Flex Lewis.
These dishes lean into meat-heavy, fitness-friendly classics like steak stir fry or citrus chicken with jasmine rice.
The quality is solid, and the flavors, while not gourmet, are clean and satisfying. Nothing feels over-processed or overly salty, and reheating takes just a couple of minutes.
One thing MegaFit does better than most is flexibility. You can order once with no subscription or sign up for weekly deliveries and save a few bucks.
That freedom alone makes it more approachable than services that lock you into auto-renewal. Price-wise, you’re looking at $13 to $18 per meal, depending on your customizations, which puts it in the same range as CookUnity but with far more nutritional control.
If you’re training hard, have specific goals, or just want to stop guessing what’s in your food, MegaFit lets you build meals that work as hard as you do.
It’s a no-brainer for anyone who wants the freedom of à la carte ordering without sacrificing nutrition or convenience. My MegaFit Meals review goes into detail about my experience.
Best CookUnity Alternative For Families
Dinnerly
If you’re feeding a family and want an affordable, no-fuss alternative to CookUnity, Dinnerly is your best bet.
While CookUnity focuses on chef-driven, restaurant-style meals, Dinnerly takes a different approach by offering simple, family-friendly recipes that don’t break the bank.
I tested it over a couple of weeks, aiming to see how well it could handle a busy household with kids, training, and a full work schedule, and it held up surprisingly well.
Dinnerly is all about value and convenience. At about $5–$6 per serving, it’s one of the most budget-friendly meal kits on the market. That low price comes with some trade-offs—fewer ingredients per dish, no glossy recipe cards (you access instructions online), and simpler flavor profiles.
But honestly, that’s not a bad thing when you’re trying to get dinner on the table for a family of four without cooking for an hour or juggling exotic spices your kids won’t touch.
The meals are quick and straightforward. Think pasta bakes, tacos, chicken, and rice bowls, the kind of stuff that’s easy to prep and gets eaten without complaints. Portions are satisfying, and even after training, I didn’t feel like I had to add a second dinner.
Most meals hover in the 500–700 calorie range, with a decent balance of protein, carbs, and fats, though they’re not specifically macro-targeted like Trifecta or MegFit Meals.
Where Dinnerly wins is consistency and ease. It’s great for families who want to cook without drama. You can choose between two or four servings per meal, with up to six meals per week. There’s some room to swap recipes or skip weeks, and the subscription is easy to manage.
This isn’t the service to go with if you’re chasing gourmet plating or exact nutritional goals. But for real-life schedules, tight budgets, and family preferences, Dinnerly nails the basics. You can read more in my Dinnerly review including my experience.
Best CookUnity Grocery Alternative
Hungryroot
If you like the idea of CookUnity but wish it blended more seamlessly with your everyday grocery shopping, Hungryroot is the alternative you’ve been looking for.
It’s a hybrid between a meal kit service and a personalized online grocery store, and I gave it a shot during a stretch when I needed flexibility more than fine dining.
What makes Hungryroot unique is how it combines full-size groceries with smart recipe recommendations.
You start by filling out a quick quiz about your dietary needs, choosing from gluten-free, vegan, high-protein, or just trying to eat cleaner.
Based on that, Hungryroot sends you groceries along with suggested recipes, but you’re not locked into them. You can freestyle it if you want, using the ingredients however you see fit.
That’s a big difference from CookUnity’s chef-curated meals. With Hungryroot, you’re still assembling meals, but it’s fast. Most recipes take 10 to 15 minutes.
There’s no intense prep or complicated instructions. It’s more like, “Toss this pre-cut chicken with these noodles and this sauce, and you’re done.” Busy people will surely appreciate how low effort it is
Taste-wise, the ingredients were solid—fresh, minimally processed, and well-seasoned. I especially liked the spicy chicken stir-fry and some of the plant-based bowls.
But the portions are on the smaller side. For someone with a high calorie or protein demand, you’ll probably need to add sides or double up.
Pricing is mid to high range, depending on how much you order. Expect to spend $100–$150 per week if you’re using it as your primary grocery source.
It’s not cheaper than a traditional grocery run, but it’s easier, and time is money, especially when you’re training, parenting, and trying to keep your nutrition on point.
Hungryroot won’t replace CookUnity’s gourmet vibes, but if you’re after convenience, variety, and grocery-level flexibility, it’s one of the most practical swaps out there. My Hungryroot review goes into detail about my experience.
How To Pick The Best CookUnity Alternative
Choosing a CookUnity alternative really comes down to what problem you’re trying to solve. Are you looking to save time? Eat cleaner? Feed your family affordably?
Or maybe you’re training hard and want meals that support your macros. Having tested a lot of services hands-on, I’ve narrowed it down to a few key factors that matter most when picking the right fit.
Customization
For anyone tracking performance nutrition like myself, customization is a must. Services like MegaFit Meals shine here, giving you control over every component: protein source, carb, veggies, even the gram amounts. If you want full flexibility without the work of prepping, that’s hard to beat.
On the other hand, Trifecta takes a more curated approach but still caters to specific diets like keto, paleo, vegan, or clean eating. You can’t swap ingredients per meal, but their plans are macro-friendly and pre-built to support athletic recovery and clean eating.
Green Chef also does a good job with high-protein options if you still want to cook and keep things fresh.
If you just want easy-to-make meals for the family without diving deep into nutritional fine-tuning, Dinnerly strips things down to basics and does it well.
Meal Variety, Kits and Recipes
If variety is your priority, Green Chef and Blue Apron are your strongest picks. They offer rotating weekly recipes that explore different cuisines—everything from Mediterranean and Mexican to Asian and comfort food staples. Both come with recipe cards and fresh ingredients, ideal for home cooks who want diversity without the planning.
Hungryroot offers grocery-based variety with over 100 combinations per week. You’re not stuck with pre-portioned meals, which makes it great for mixing things up.
Purple Carrot excels in plant-based global flavors, while Trifecta focuses more on consistency than novelty, sticking to performance-optimized meals that may rotate less often.
MegaFit Meals lets you choose from over 40 Signature Meals or build your own, giving it an excellent variety for a service so focused on macros.
Catering To Allergies
When it comes to allergies and dietary restrictions, Green Chef, Hungryroot, and Trifecta offer the most structure. Green Chef lets you filter by common allergens and diet types.
Hungryroot uses a quiz to match your dietary preferences and sensitivities to the groceries and meals they send. Trifecta labels allergens clearly and offers plans like Whole30, keto, and vegan, which can help people with dietary restrictions navigate their meals more easily.
Purple Carrot is entirely plant-based, which may suit vegetarians and dairy-avoidant eaters, though it isn’t necessarily gluten-free. Dinnerly has a few vegetarian options but isn’t highly tailored to allergy concerns.
MegaFit Meals includes ingredient labels and macros but doesn’t offer built-in filtering for allergens on the same level as others.
Packaging
Packaging across all these services tends to be functional, but there are some differences worth noting. Trifecta and MegaFit Meals use vacuum-sealed, recyclable containers that hold up well in the fridge and microwave.
Hungryroot leans heavily on single-use plastics for its grocery items, which detracts a bit from its otherwise sustainability-minded approach.
Green Chef and Blue Apron both ship meal kits with mostly recyclable or compostable materials and include well-organized ingredient bags, making kitchen prep smoother.
Dinnerly uses simpler packaging, often with fewer materials to keep costs low. Purple Carrot also packages neatly, with recipe kits broken out in labeled bags, though you’ll need to do a bit more prep work than you would with pre-made meals.
Price
This is where the biggest spread appears. Dinnerly is by far the most affordable, with meals starting around $5 per serving. It’s built for families and budget-conscious households. Blue Apron and Green Chef fall in the middle, typically $10 to $13 per serving, depending on the plan size and shipping.
On the premium end, Trifecta and MegaFit Meals range from $13 to $18 per meal, reflecting their focus on organic ingredients, high-protein content, and convenience.
Hungryroot operates on a credit-based system, with most users spending between $100 and $150 per week for meals and snacks. Purple Carrot averages $11–$13.25 per meal and is competitively priced among vegan options
User Reviews
User feedback across these services is generally positive but varies by audience. Trifecta gets strong marks from fitness-minded users who appreciate the macro balance and consistency, though some find the meals repetitive.
MegaFit Meals users highlight the flexibility and size of portions, especially for those eating to support training.
Green Chef is well-liked for flavor and ease of cooking, but a few reviews mention occasional ingredient quality issues.
Blue Apron earns praise for gourmet feel and recipe creativity, though the 40-minute cook time can be a downside for busy users. Hungryroot scores high for convenience and variety, but portion size is a common critique.
Dinnerly users love the affordability but acknowledge it’s not a high-end experience. Purple Carrot tends to divide users as vegans love the taste and creativity, while others wish for more protein and flavor depth.
Cancelation Process
Most of the services make canceling or pausing easy through your account dashboard. Hungryroot, Green Chef, Purple Carrot, and Dinnerly all allow you to skip or cancel through their site or app. Blue Apron also offers this flexibility, though you need to do it before your weekly cutoff.
Trifecta is the outlier and requires a phone call or email to cancel, which can feel outdated. MegaFit Meals, by contrast, doesn’t require a subscription at all.
You can place one-time orders or schedule recurring deliveries with no penalty for skipping a week or stopping altogether. That flexibility is a major advantage for users who want less commitment.
Summary
CookUnity offers a unique dining experience, focusing on chef-prepared meals with rich variety and elevated flavor. But depending on your lifestyle and goals, other services might be a better fit. If you’re training hard and want control over your macros, MegaFit Meals and Trifecta are smart picks.
For those who enjoy cooking and want variety without the hassle of grocery shopping, Green Chef and Blue Apron deliver well-balanced recipes with global flair. Hungryroot is a great hybrid, acting like a smart grocery assistant that builds quick, flexible meals around your preferences.
Families looking to simplify dinnertime without overspending will appreciate Dinnerly, while Purple Carrot is the go-to if you’re committed to plant-based eating. No matter your priorities—nutrition, price, convenience, or variety—there’s a CookUnity alternative that can serve you better.
Trifecta
Trifecta Nutrition
A clean, high protein meal delivery service that doesn’t skimp on quality or portions. Get 40% OFF with code “liftbig40”
CHECK CURRENT DEALS