As a strength and conditioning coach with a packed schedule of lifting, wrestling, working, and parenting, I’m always on the hunt for meal services that can keep up with my high-protein needs and save me time.
I put Hungryroot and Thistle to the test—two popular options promising convenience and healthy eating. In this comparison, I’ll dive into what sets them apart, share my hands-on experience, and weigh in on which (if either) is worth your subscription. Spoiler alert: I’ve got a better pick for serious fitness folks like me.
Quick Verdict
Hungryroot and Thistle both bring convenience and quality to the table, but they cater to different vibes. Hungryroot’s a solid pick for busy folks who like cooking quick, customizable meals with decent variety—though its small portions and cost don’t fully fuel my needs.
Thistle shines for health nuts wanting fresh, organic, no-prep meals and eco-friendly packaging, but it’s pricey, light on protein, and limited by delivery zones.
Neither hits the mark for me as an athlete chasing gains. I’d skip both and go with Trifecta Nutrition—it has the protein punch, nationwide reach, and value that actually supports my training, making it the clear winner for serious fitness and performance goals.
| Feature | Winner |
|---|---|
| Customization | Hungryroot |
| Meal Kits and Variety | Hungryroot |
| Taste and Quality | Draw |
| Packaging | Thistle |
| Cancelation Process | Draw |
| Price | Hungryroot |
Winner
Based on my experience with each meal delivery service, neither Hungryroot nor Thistle hold a light to Trifecta Nutrition.
Trifecta caters to any allergies or dietary preferences and has a Performance Line with meals that don’t skimp on protein or calories. They are high protein, moderate carb, and lower in fat making them perfect for muscle building, fat loss, or sports performance related goals.
What Is Hungryroot?
Hungryroot is a meal delivery service that blends the convenience of a meal kit with the flexibility of an online grocery store.
It aims to simplify healthy eating by providing customers with fresh, minimally processed ingredients and quick recipe suggestions tailored to their dietary preferences.
Upon signing up, you complete a questionnaire detailing your food preferences—such as vegan, gluten-free, keto, or high-protein diets—along with the number of meals you’d like to prepare weekly.
Based on this, Hungryroot curates a box containing groceries like pre-cut vegetables, proteins (e.g., grilled chicken or plant-based options), grains, sauces, and snacks, alongside recipe cards for meals that typically take 10-15 minutes to prepare.
The service offers over 1,000 recipe options and more than 46 grocery staples, ensuring a wide range of meal possibilities.
Unlike traditional meal kits, ingredients come in full-size portions rather than pre-portioned amounts, allowing flexibility to follow the provided recipes or create custom dishes.
Hungryroot delivers to most zip codes across the contiguous United States, with pricing based on a credit system that adjusts according to the size of the order and any additional items selected.
What Is Thistle?
Thistle is a subscription-based meal delivery service that focuses on providing fresh, nutritionist-designed, ready-to-eat meals for health-conscious consumers.
It emphasizes a plant-forward approach, offering organic, gluten-free, and dairy-free meals, though you can opt to include meat add-ons like chicken or pork for an additional cost.
The weekly menu rotates, featuring globally inspired dishes such as bowls, salads, and snacks—think cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, or muesli bars—all crafted to be consumed within two days of delivery to maintain freshness.
Meals require no preparation beyond optional heating, which takes 2-3 minutes, and come with detailed nutritional information for easy tracking.
Thistle prioritizes sustainability, using reusable insulated delivery bags and recyclable containers, and sources ingredients locally whenever possible.
The service operates on a flexible subscription model, allowing customers to customize their weekly orders for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a combination.
Delivery is available locally in select cities (e.g., San Francisco, New York City) and via shipping to parts of the West, including California, Nevada, and Oregon, though availability is more restricted compared to nationwide services.
Hungryroot vs. Thistle Main Differences
Customization
Customization is where Hungryroot flexes its muscles. The onboarding quiz digs into your diet—high-protein was my non-negotiable—and spits out a tailored plan.
Each week, I could tweak my box, swapping out ingredients (say, more chicken for tofu) or piling on extras like breakfast items or protein boosts.
It’s a hands-on process through their slick app, letting me dial in my cart to match my macros and training needs.
If I wanted to dodge allergens or tweak flavors, it was all there for the taking. This adaptability is welcome for a guy like me who tracks every gram of protein, even if I still have to cook it myself.
Thistle’s customization is decent but feels more rigid. You pick your vibe—plant-based, meat-inclusive, or a mix—and set how many meals you want (breakfast, lunch, dinner, or all three). I went straight for the meat option to hit my protein goals, and the dashboard let me adjust quantities or pause deliveries easily.
Local delivery gives you more say, letting you hand-pick meals from the weekly menu, but their shipping option (simulating a trip), they pre-choose for you—less control, which irked me.
You can flag allergies like nuts or soy, and they’ll adjust, but there’s no way to amp up protein portions or fine-tune beyond their framework. It’s user-friendly, just not as dialed-in for my needs.
Hungryroot’s deeper customization wins—it’s more adaptable to my lifestyle than Thistle’s simpler setup.
Meal Kits, Recipes and Variety
Variety is Hungryroot’s bread and butter. It’s not pre-made—you’re getting full-size groceries and recipe cards for over 100 weekly options, from avocado toast to beef stir-fries or pasta bowls.
I loved the spicy chicken stir-fry with quinoa—quick, tasty, and creative without being a chore. Meals take 10-20 minutes to cook, and since the ingredients aren’t pre-portioned for one dish, I could stretch them across multiple meals or riff on my own ideas.
With 46 grocery staples like specialty sauces and plant-based proteins, it kept things fresh, though it’s too basic for culinary wizards wanting complex recipes.
Thistle skips the kits—it’s all pre-made, ready-to-eat meals, about 5-7 choices per meal type each week. I tried stuff like the Green Grain Taco Salad with Cumin Pulled Pork (20-25g protein) and a Tofu Pad Thai (15-20g). Meat’s a topping—4-6 oz.—not a centerpiece, and vegan options lean on nuts and legumes.
No cooking required—just eat cold or zap it for 2-3 minutes—which is clutch for zero-prep days. But the focus on bowls and salads got repetitive fast, and it lacked the breadth I crave. Snacks and juices were a nice bonus, though not protein-heavy enough to lean on.
Hungryroot’s cooking variety and flexibility outshine Thistle’s narrower, pre-made lineup.
Taste & Quality
Hungryroot’s ingredients hit the mark—crisp veggies, juicy grilled chicken, and sauces that pack flavor without that processed aftertaste.
The spicy chicken stir-fry was a standout—well-seasoned and satisfying, even if I had to double up to feel full.
Proteins like lean beef stayed fresh in transit, and the clean, minimally processed vibe aligned with my health goals.
Not everything’s organic, but the quality’s solid for the price—just don’t expect gourmet depth from these quick recipes.
Thistle’s freshness is next-level—delivered unfrozen, you can taste the difference. The Chicken Pesto Bowl had tender meat and a herbaceous kick, while the Green Grain Taco Salad brought smoky pork and crisp greens that didn’t disappoint.
Even vegan options like Tofu Pad Thai held up flavor-wise, though lighter on heft. The organic, local sourcing shines through—no artificial junk, just balanced, high-quality eats. Meat portions felt smallish for my post-workout appetite, but the taste was spot-on across the board.
Packaging
Hungryroot’s packaging gets the job done—cardboard boxes with insulation and ice packs keep everything cold, and most of it’s recyclable.
But the single-use plastics for veggies and proteins piled up. It’s practical for nationwide shipping, sure, but it’s not winning any eco awards.
My deliveries arrived intact, no spills or squashed goods, so it’s reliable—just not a green standout.
Thistle leans hard into sustainability. Local deliveries come in reusable insulated bags (they pick ’em up next time) with recyclable plastic containers and reusable ice packs. I liked seeing my meals through the clear lids—no guesswork.
Shipping boxes were bulkier with extra insulation, but still recyclable. It’s a thoughtful setup that cuts waste compared to most services, and it kept my Chicken Pesto Bowl chilly even if I wasn’t home for the drop-off.
Thistle’s eco-conscious packaging blows Hungryroot’s standard approach out of the water.
Price
| Service | Main Plans | Median Price per Meal | Shipping/Delivery Fee |
| Hungryroot | 6-16 servings (3-4 meals/week) | $9.69-$11.39 | $6.99 if under $70, free above |
| Thistle | 5-16+ meals (vegan or meat add-on) | $14.49-$18.77 (with meat) | $4.95 local, varies for shipping |
Hungryroot’s pricing is based on a credit system—$9.69-$11.39 per serving, depending on how much you order.
My smallest plan (6 servings) was ~$70/week, while a bigger haul (16 servings) hit $135-$155 with add-ons like snacks or extra meat.
Shipping’s $6.99 unless you clear $70, then it’s free. It’s cheaper than some premium services, but for my big appetite, it felt like specialty grocery prices without the bulk savings—I’d rather hit the store myself for less.
Thistle’s pricier—vegan meals run $11.50-$16.32, but meat adds $3, landing at $14.49-$18.77 per meal. My five-meal plan (lunches and dinners) cost $75-$90 with a $4.95 local delivery fee, and shipping boxes like the Essentials (6 meals) were $84+.
Bigger orders drop the per-meal cost slightly, but it’s still a splurge. The organic quality justifies some of it, but not enough for my protein-to-dollar ratio.
Cancelation Process
Cancelling Hungryroot is smooth sailing—log in, hit “Settings,” and cancel or pause (up to 8 weeks) via the app or site. The cutoff is Monday or Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, depending on your delivery day.
Miss it, and you’re locked in for that box, but there’s no fee or pushy retention nonsense. Newbies can even ditch before their first drop by contacting support. It’s all online, no phone tag—exactly how I like it.
Thistle’s cancelation process is similarly streamlined but slightly rigid in its schedules. You need to adhere to specific deadlines to avoid charges, which may feel restrictive at times. While not overly complex, it’s worth noting so that you can plan ahead.
Thistle’s just as painless—everything’s in the dashboard, where you can cancel or pause before Thursday 11:59 PM PST. I tested it after a couple weeks, and it took two clicks—no hoops, no guilt trips.
If you snooze past the deadline, you’ll get one more delivery, but that’s it. The clarity of the cutoff and lack of hassle made it stress-free.
My Experience With Hungryroot And Thistle
Hungryroot was a time-saver—groceries and recipes showed up, and I had meals like the spicy chicken stir-fry on the table in 15 minutes.
The customization let me load up on protein, which kept my training fueled, and the variety (tacos, bowls, pastas) kept boredom at bay.
Taste was solid—fresh ingredients, balanced flavors—but the portions were a letdown. Even beefed-up meals left me hungry, and at $100-$155 weekly with add-ons, it felt like a luxury grocery bill without enough bang.
Logistics hiccups (wrong sauce once) didn’t help, but the convenience was hard to beat for my nonstop days.
Thistle won me over with freshness—meals like the Chicken Pesto Bowl and Green Grain Taco Salad tasted vibrant, and zero prep was a godsend after long workouts. The organic quality felt like premium fuel, and the eco-packaging was a nice touch.
But the protein (20-25g per meat meal) didn’t hit my 30-40g sweet spot, forcing me to supplement. At $14.49-$18.77 per meal, it stung—especially with limited variety (bowls, salads, repeat) and delivery restricted to certain zones. It’s a slick option, just not built for my high-octane needs.
Both eased my meal prep woes, but neither fully delivered what I truly value and need.
Should You Pick Hungryroot Or Thistle?
Hungryroot is your pick if you’re a busy bee who enjoys light cooking and wants variety—stir-fries, wraps, and grain bowls galore. The customization shines, letting you tweak to your diet, and nationwide shipping means it’s accessible anywhere.
It’s cheaper than Thistle, but small portions and a grocery-store-plus price tag might not satisfy big eaters or budget hawks. It’s great for goal-driven eaters or beginners, less so for athletes needing hefty macros.
Thistle fits health nuts who want fresh, organic, pre-made meals with zero effort. The sustainable packaging and nutrient-dense options (gluten-free, dairy-free) are a draw, and the taste holds up.
But it’s pricey, light on protein, and stuck in limited delivery zones—dealbreakers for me. It’s perfect for plant-based fans or professionals with no kitchen time, not so much for meat-heavy lifters.
Honestly, neither fully cut it for me—or anyone prioritizing high-protein, performance-focused nutrition. I’d bypass both and go straight for Trifecta Nutrition.
It’s pre-made like Thistle but packs 30-40g+ protein per meal (52 on average for the Performance line)—think grass-fed beef, wild-caught salmon, and portions built for gains.
At ~$16 per meal, it’s in Thistle’s ballpark but delivers way more macro value, ships nationwide, and caters to athletes with structured plans.
For convenience, quality, and results, Trifecta’s the champ—hands down the smarter play for performance-driven users.
Trifecta
Trifecta Nutrition
A clean, high protein meal delivery service that doesn’t skimp on quality or portions.
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