Meal delivery kits have completely transformed the way we approach cooking, making it easier to enjoy delicious, home-cooked meals without the hassle of meal planning or grocery shopping.
While HelloFresh has become a household name, the growing market offers plenty of alternatives that cater to different tastes, budgets, and lifestyles.
Whether you’re looking to save money, explore new recipes, or simply switch things up, there’s no shortage of options. From family-friendly plans to gourmet-inspired dishes, these alternatives offer something for everyone.
- Best Hello Fresh Alternative: Trifecta Nutrition
- Best Hello Fresh Meal Kit Alternative: Sunbasket
- Best Hello Fresh Alternative At Your Local Grocery Store: Purple Carrot
- Best Vegetarian Hello Fresh Alternative: Thistle
- Best A La Carte Hello Fresh Alternative: MegaFit Meals
- Best Hello Fresh Alternative For Families: Gobble
- Best Hello Fresh Grocery Alternative: Hungryroot
Best Hello Fresh Alternative
Trifecta Nutrition
If you’re serious about training, nutrition, and time management, Trifecta Nutrition is hands down the best alternative to Hello Fresh.
While Hello Fresh focuses on teaching you how to cook at home with easy-to-follow kits, Trifecta flips the script by sending you fully pre-cooked, organic meals that are optimized for performance and ready in minutes.
I’ve used Trifecta during heavy training blocks when time and nutrition had to be dialed in, and it delivered every time.
Their Performance line meals are high in protein, often north of 50 grams per meal, and calorie-dense enough to fuel lifts and long days.
Everything is vacuum-sealed, fresh, and portioned by a nutritionist, so you’re not second-guessing your macros. It’s a great fit if you don’t want to cook, track, or clean up.
Customization isn’t Trifecta’s strongest suit, especially compared to the freedom Hello Fresh offers. You can pick from plans like Paleo, Keto, Vegan, Clean, or Performance, and you can exclude a few ingredients (like pork or mushrooms), but you won’t be tweaking recipes mid-week.
If you want variety, though, there are plenty of options, especially if you supplement your subscription with a la carte bulk proteins like bison, salmon, or sweet potatoes.
Taste-wise, Trifecta leans more “fuel” than “flavor explosion.” Some meals are under-seasoned, but if you’re the kind of person who adds hot sauce to everything, you’ll be fine. What you’re paying for here is clean food, dialed-in macros, and serious convenience.
It’s not cheap ?? $14–$16, but for what you get, the value is strong. The app integration is also excellent, automatically logging meals into MyFitnessPal and syncing with fitness trackers to help users stay on target.
If you’re focused on fitness and need meals that support muscle growth, fat loss, or athletic performance without the kitchen hustle, Trifecta is your best bet. 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 Hello Fresh Meal Kit Alternative
Sunbasket
If you like the idea behind Hello Fresh, fresh ingredients, clear instructions, and hands-on cooking but want a quality upgrade, Sunbasket is the better fit.
It’s a premium meal kit service that delivers organic produce, responsibly sourced meats, and globally inspired recipes without the fluff.
I tested both their meal kits and Fresh & Ready options over a few weeks and came away impressed, especially from the perspective of someone training hard and needing solid fuel.
Where Sunbasket pulls ahead of Hello Fresh is in ingredient quality and nutritional profiles. Their meats are free of hormones and antibiotics, and almost all the produce is USDA-certified organic.
Many of their kits hit 30–40 grams of protein per serving, which is great for athletes or anyone trying to maintain lean muscle while eating clean.
Customization is decent. You can mix and match meals from various dietary categories, such as Paleo, Carb-Conscious, Vegetarian, and Gluten-Free, each week, which makes it flexible if your macros shift during different training phases.
Just don’t expect to swap ingredients within meals like you might with Home Chef or Hello Fresh.
Flavor-wise, Sunbasket punches above its weight. The recipes come with pre-made sauces and spice blends that bring serious depth.
It’s gourmet without being complicated. Some kits took closer to 30 minutes despite their promised 20-minute prep time, but the results made it worth the extra effort.
On the downside, it’s definitely pricier than Hello Fresh. Meal kits range from $11.49 to $17.99 per serving, plus shipping.
Still, if you’re willing to invest in higher quality, better macros, and more interesting meals, Sunbasket’s a solid step up from the standard meal kit crowd.
If you enjoy cooking but want meals that support a fit lifestyle with minimal compromise on flavor or nutrition, Sunbasket delivers. My Sunbasket review goes into detail about my experience.
Best Hello Fresh Alternative At Your Local Grocery Store
Purple Carrot
Purple Carrot is an interesting pivot if you’re looking for a Hello Fresh-style experience with a strong plant-based focus, especially if you’re trying to find something comparable to what you might piece together from a well-stocked grocery run.
Think of it as the vegan-friendly version of a meal kit service that doesn’t compromise too much on flavor or creativity.
As someone who’s not vegan but trains hard and experiments with different dietary approaches, I gave Purple Carrot a shot to see how it holds up.
Honestly, for a plant-based kit, it surprised me in a good way. Their meals aren’t just salads and tofu bowls, and they pull from Thai, Indian, Mediterranean, and other global cuisines to keep things fresh.
The prepared meals are also a decent option if you want convenience. But let’s be clear: this is not a high-protein service.
Meals top out around 20–25 grams of protein (and often less), so if you’re hitting the gym hard or following a performance diet, you’ll likely need to supplement with something else.
That’s a big contrast to Hello Fresh, which usually offers options to add animal protein or scale portions.
In terms of convenience and quality, though, Purple Carrot delivers. Ingredients are fresh, mostly organic, and the packaging is recyclable.
And if you’re the type who shops organic tofu and almond butter at your local co-op or Whole Foods, Purple Carrot’s pricing of $11 to $13.25 per serving is in line with what you’d spend sourcing these meals yourself.
The biggest win here is ease. You skip the label reading, portion guessing, and meal planning. The biggest limitation is that it is vegan-only. If that fits your lifestyle, or you’re just looking to eat more plant-based meals, it’s a great grocery alternative with a Hello Fresh feel.
My Purple Carrot review goes into detail about my experience.
Best Vegetarian Hello Fresh Alternative
Thistle
If you’re searching for a vegetarian alternative to Hello Fresh but want something fresher, faster, and more health-forward, Thistle is worth a look, especially if you’re not in the mood to cook.
While Hello Fresh leans heavily into meal kits that require 30 minutes or more in the kitchen, Thistle delivers fully pre-made meals that are plant-heavy, nutritionist-designed, and ready to eat in under three minutes.
I tried Thistle’s meals with meat add-ons, but the core of the service is plant-based. For vegetarians who don’t want to go full vegan or who just want a variety of healthy, whole-food meals, it fills a niche that Hello Fresh doesn’t cover well.
The meals are packed with fresh veggies, grains, nuts, and legumes, and you can tell the ingredients are high-quality. They’re all gluten-free, dairy-free, and made without preservatives or refined sugars. It’s basically clean eating in a box.
Where Thistle excels is freshness. The meals show up chilled, not frozen, and the flavors pop in a way that frozen meal delivery services just can’t match.
I was pleasantly surprised by how well-balanced the dishes were, like the Chicken Pesto Bowl or the Green Grain Taco Salad (with optional pulled pork). Even without meat, the vegetarian meals had enough going on to keep them from feeling like rabbit food.
Now, the downsides. First, the protein content isn’t quite there for serious athletes. Even with meat added, you’re getting around 20–25g of protein per meal, which is okay for a regular day but won’t cover recovery after a tough workout.
And while the meals are healthy, the variety leans heavily toward bowls and salads. If you’re looking for gourmet complexity or comfort food twists, this isn’t the service for you.
Also, it’s not nationwide. Thistle only ships to select states in the western U.S., which limits its accessibility.
Still, if you’re a busy vegetarian (or flexitarian) who wants fresh, clean meals without cooking, Thistle is one of the best Hello Fresh alternatives out there. My Thistle review goes into detail about my experience.
Best A La Carte Hello Fresh Alternative
MegaFit Meals
If you’re the kind of person who knows exactly what you want: chicken, rice, broccoli, no fluff, then MegaFit Meals is the ultimate a la carte alternative to Hello Fresh.
While Hello Fresh emphasizes recipes, cooking, and home-chef experiences, MegaFit strips away the kitchen work and delivers straight-up pre-cooked meals built for performance.
And the best part is that you can order exactly what you want when you want it with no subscription required.
I much appreciated MegaFit’s athlete-first approach. You can choose from over 40 rotating meals or build your own with their Custom Meals option.
Want 8 oz of grilled chicken, a cup of sweet potatoes, and some extra greens? Done. No kits, no slicing and dicing, no waiting 30 minutes for the oven, just heat and eat in under 3 minutes.
The Signature Meals are solid, with balanced macros and 5 oz of protein per plate. But the real gem is their Custom Meal builder, where you control protein, carbs, and veggies down to the ounce. It’s especially useful if you’re tracking macros closely or adjusting intake based on your training block.
Taste-wise, MegaFit hits that sweet spot between clean and satisfying. I wouldn’t call it gourmet as some dishes are basic, and microwaved veggies can go soft if you’re not careful, but it delivers on flavor for what it is.
My favorites were the BBQ Bison Burger and the Citrus Chicken with jasmine rice and sriracha sauce. It’s gym-bro food done right.
The biggest perk for me is flexibility. No subscription lock-ins unless you want the 5% discount. You can try one box and never come back or stack your freezer for a full week of training meals. That’s something Hello Fresh doesn’t even come close to offering.
Pricing ranges from $12.95 to $18 per meal, depending on your choices, which puts it on par with other premium services. It’s not budget food, but for athletes and serious lifters who value precision and convenience, it’s a worthy investment.
My MegaFit Meals review goes into detail about my experience.
Best Hello Fresh Alternative For Families
Gobble
If you’re juggling family dinners, work, and everything in between, Gobble is a strong alternative to Hello Fresh that truly delivers on speed and simplicity without sacrificing quality.
Where Hello Fresh asks you to spend 30–40 minutes prepping a meal, Gobble promises gourmet-style dinners in 15 minutes or less. And for the most part, it delivers.
Over a couple of weeks, I tested Gobble with my family in mind—two small kids, a full workday, and zero time for complicated dinners.
The time savings alone made it a standout. Ingredients come pre-chopped, sauces pre-made, and proteins sometimes even partially cooked. That means less time at the cutting board and more time at the dinner table.
Customization is solid. You can swap proteins (chicken instead of salmon, for example) on most dishes, and there’s a Lean & Clean plan that focuses on lower-calorie, high-protein meals, which worked well for my training days.
If you’re feeding picky eaters or want to double up on protein portions for growing teens or gym-goers, Gobble makes that easy.
The variety isn’t quite as vast as Hello Fresh’s 100+ weekly options, but the 10–15 rotating meals still offer a good range of global cuisines and comfort-food staples.
Where Gobble falls short is pricing. At $12–$17 per serving, depending on plan size and frequency, it’s on the premium end for a meal kit.
Add to that the $9.99 shipping and any premium protein upgrades, and it can add up fast if you’re feeding a whole household.
Still, for busy families who want healthy-ish, quick meals without the takeout guilt, Gobble offers a solid middle ground.
The time you save in the kitchen and the quality of the food on the plate make it one of the best Hello Fresh alternatives for families who don’t want to compromise on dinner.
My Gobble review goes into detail about my experience.
Best Hello Fresh Grocery Alternative
Hungryroot
If you’ve ever wished that Hello Fresh could double as your personal grocery shopper and meal planner, Hungryroot might be exactly what you’re looking for.
It’s a hybrid between a meal kit service and an online grocery store with a heavy focus on healthy, clean eating and personalization.
Unlike Hello Fresh, which sends you fixed meal kits with pre-portioned ingredients for set recipes, Hungryroot builds your weekly order around your dietary preferences and sends full-sized grocery items.
Think pre-cut veggies, proteins like grilled chicken or plant-based sausage, grains, sauces, snacks, and even desserts. You can use their suggested recipes or just freestyle.
I tested Hungryroot during a hectic couple of weeks, with training, content creation, and family life all pulling at me. The convenience was real.
Meals like their spicy chicken stir-fry with quinoa came together in under 15 minutes, and I didn’t have to do much planning ahead. The ingredients were fresh, minimally processed, and tasted good. The sauces, especially, were on point.
That said, if you’re training hard and aiming for higher calories or protein, Hungryroot might fall short. The portion sizes were pretty modest, and I found myself doubling up meals to meet my needs after a lifting session. It’s fine for a lighter lunch or dinner but not ideal as a standalone fueling solution.
Where Hungryroot really shines is flexibility. You can completely customize your box every week, swap items in and out, and even shift from following the recipes to building your own meals on the fly.
It’s more like having a curated grocery run delivered to your door—with a built-in meal plan if you want it.
Pricing ranges from about $9.69 to $11.39 per serving, but since it’s grocery-style, your total cost can climb if you add a lot of extras.
Most people end up spending between $100–$150 per week, which is more than Hello Fresh, but you’re also getting groceries for multiple meals and snacks.
If you’re tired of rigid kits and want healthy groceries and easy meals in one delivery, Hungryroot is the most flexible Hello Fresh alternative out there. My Hungryroot review goes into detail about my experience.
How To Pick The Best Hello Fresh Alternative
Customization
When it comes to meal delivery, customization is king, especially if you’re juggling dietary goals, picky eaters, or athletic nutrition needs.
Hello Fresh does a decent job with meal swaps and plan preferences, but many alternatives now offer even deeper levels of control.
For example, Trifecta and MegaFit Meals allow you to dial in your macros or choose high-protein meals specifically built for athletes.
MegaFit even lets you build custom meals from the ground up, down to the ounce of protein or sweet potatoes.
Sunbasket offers the ability to mix meal plans (Paleo one day, Vegetarian the next), though it doesn’t let you tweak individual ingredients.
Gobble stands out for letting you swap proteins in most meals, and Hungryroot takes a grocery-style approach where you fully control what’s in your weekly box.
On the flip side, options like Purple Carrot and Thistle are more rigid. You can select meals within a plan, but you can’t swap or modify ingredients, which may be a dealbreaker if you’re managing food sensitivities or trying to hit exact nutrition targets.
If flexibility matters, especially for performance or family needs, look for services that go beyond just meal selection.
Meal Variety, Kits and Recipes
Meal variety is where Hello Fresh built its name, offering dozens of new recipes weekly with flavors from all over the world.
So if you’re looking for an alternative, you’ll want something that either matches or complements that level of variety.
Sunbasket is a strong contender here, with 24 rotating options weekly and a mix of meal kits and fully prepared dishes.
Gobble also does well, blending globally inspired flavors with comfort food staples and Lean & Clean high-protein dishes.
Hungryroot approaches variety differently. It’s not a recipe-based system but instead gives you 100+ grocery-style ingredients and meal suggestions to mix and match. That’s ideal for creative cooks or people who hate being boxed into strict kits.
On the more niche side, Purple Carrot sticks to 100% plant-based meals and rotates about 15 kits and 15 prepared dishes per week. The flavor profiles are solid, but the vegan-only menu limits diversity for omnivores.
If you’re someone who values new experiences on your plate or just can’t stand repeating meals, services like Sunbasket and Hungryroot offer the most room to explore.
Catering To Allergies
If you or someone in your household has dietary restrictions or food allergies, not every meal delivery service will be a safe bet. Hello Fresh labels allergens clearly, but it’s still fairly general in how it handles customization for sensitive diets.
Some alternatives go further. Thistle, for example, lets you mark specific allergens (like soy, gluten, or nuts) when setting up your plan.
That’s great for plant-based eaters or anyone needing dairy- and gluten-free options. Hungryroot also uses a quiz to learn about your preferences and filters meals accordingly.
MegaFit Meals and Trifecta take a different route. They don’t offer allergen filters per se, but their clean, minimal-ingredient approach makes it easy to avoid problem foods.
Trifecta’s meals are also gluten- and dairy-free by default on some plans, while MegaFit’s Custom Meals let you build around your needs.
Sunbasket provides tags for common allergens and offers dietary plans like Gluten-Free or Paleo, though it doesn’t allow ingredient swaps if something doesn’t suit you.
If allergens are a major concern, look for services with filterable menus or medical-grade ingredient transparency. Thistle, Hungryroot, and Sunbasket offer the most reliable guardrails.
Packaging
Packaging matters more than people think. It’s about keeping your food fresh, sustainability, space, and convenience. Hello Fresh does a decent job with recyclable boxes and portioned bags, but some alternatives raise the bar.
Sunbasket leads the eco charge with recycled denim insulation and nearly 100% compostable or recyclable packaging.
That’s great if you care about your carbon footprint. Trifecta and Thistle also lean sustainable, using vacuum-sealed meals in recyclable trays and shipping materials designed to reduce waste.
MegaFit Meals is more utilitarian. Their trays are stackable and microwave-safe, but they use Styrofoam and plastic that might not be accepted by local recycling programs.
Gobble and Purple Carrot fall somewhere in the middle with functional packaging with good insulation but a decent amount of single-use plastic.
From a freshness standpoint, all the services held up in my tests. Even after hours on the porch, insulation and ice packs did the job. Trifecta and MegaFit, with pre-cooked meals, made fridge organization especially easy.
So, if you’re balancing sustainability with practicality, Sunbasket and Trifecta come out ahead, but no one completely eliminates waste.
Price
Price is always a factor, especially when comparing Hello Fresh alternatives. Hello Fresh typically runs around $8–$11 per serving, depending on your plan size, making it a mid-range option. Some competitors match that, while others go far higher.
Hungryroot charges between $9.69–$11.39 per serving, but since it functions as both a grocery and recipe service, your total spend often lands between $100–$150 weekly.
Gobble is more expensive at $11.99–$16.99 per serving, with additional shipping and optional protein upgrades.
Trifecta sits firmly in the premium camp, ranging from $14.49 to $16 per meal plus shipping. Sunbasket overlaps that space, with kits costing $11.49 to $17.99 and prepared meals starting around $10.
MegaFit Meals prices its meals at $12.95–$18, depending on whether you customize or order pre-set options.
Thistle, with its health-first approach and organic sourcing, clocks in at $14.49–$18.77 per meal if you include meat.
If budget is tight, Hello Fresh or Hungryroot are your better bets. But if you’re looking for higher protein, performance-driven meals, Trifecta or MegaFit justify their price with quality and convenience.
User Reviews
User reviews reveal what marketing often hides. Across platforms like Trustpilot and Reddit, each Hello Fresh alternative has its loyal fans and recurring complaints.
Trifecta scores high with athletes and bodybuilders who rave about the macro-balanced meals and consistency, though taste and cancellation processes get some flak.
MegaFit earns praise for portion size, clean proteins, and gym-bro appeal, with occasional issues with soggy veggies after reheating.
Sunbasket reviews often highlight the excellent taste, ingredient quality, and meal variety, but some users complain about portion sizes being too small for heavy eaters.
Gobble gets love from busy parents and couples, especially for its fast prep time, though the smaller menu and plastic packaging are frequent negatives.
Thistle reviews are mixed. It gets great marks for freshness and healthiness, but the price and limited shipping area get called out.
Purple Carrot appeals to vegans, but non-vegans mention lacking protein and limited appeal after a few weeks.
Hungryroot has some of the most loyal fans, especially those who want groceries and meal plans in one, but it’s not built for those with bigger appetites or complex culinary goals.
Cancelation Process
You don’t realize how important cancelation policies are until you try to stop a subscription midweek and end up with another box at your door.
Hello Fresh has a relatively easy process—log in, pause, skip, or cancel in your account. But not all alternatives make it that smooth.
Trifecta is the most old-school of the bunch. You need to call or email to cancel, which feels outdated. That’s probably the biggest friction point in their system and something users consistently complain about.
On the other end, MegaFit is refreshingly flexible: you can order one box with no subscription at all or cancel online in a couple of clicks.
Sunbasket, Gobble, Purple Carrot, and Hungryroot all offer easy online cancelation through your dashboard.
You just need to do it before their respective weekly cut-off times (usually Tuesday or Wednesday) to avoid being charged.
Thistle splits it based on delivery type. Local delivery customers get more control over their menu and cancelation, while national shipping clients have slightly less flexibility.
If you value full control over your account, prioritize services that allow for self-managed cancelation and pausing. MegaFit, Hungryroot, and Sunbasket are leaders here.
Summary
Choosing the best Hello Fresh alternative really comes down to your goals. If you’re an athlete or fitness-minded person looking for convenience and high-protein meals, Trifecta or MegaFit Meals are the clear winners.
Want fresh ingredients and creative recipes with a step-by-step kit experience? Go with Sunbasket or Gobble.
For vegetarians and vegans, Purple Carrot and Thistle offer solid flavor and clean ingredients. If you’re after a more flexible, grocery-style experience with less rigidity and more control, Hungryroot is your best bet.
Each of these services fills a specific niche. Start with your non-negotiables: protein needs, dietary restrictions, or time to cook.
Then match that with the service that best supports your lifestyle. Hello Fresh is great, but for the right user, one of these alternatives might be even 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