About HelloFresh: HelloFresh has been in the meal kit game for a long time, and the company had reached a staggering 74% market share as of 2022. While it’s known for its meal kits, it also offers a variety of heat-and-eat and grocery items.
What we love: HelloFresh is one of the most well-known brands in the meal kit space for a reason: Its meals are consistently tasty and well-thought-out, and the sheer number of menu options each week means there’s truly something for everyone. As for the high-protein items, I counted a whopping 156 on an upcoming week’s menu, which seemed to all have over 30 grams of protein per serving.
When contributor Brittany Loggins tested the service recently, she was thoroughly impressed. “After a week of cooking, I ended up with several meals I loved enough to make again on my own. Along the way, I picked up a few new tricks—easy ways to add flavor and texture with spices, sauces, and garnishes I wouldn’t normally reach for, but now absolutely will,” she writes. Some favorite high-protein meals from her week of testing included a crispy Parmesan chicken with garlic scallion couscous and lemony roasted carrots, chicken sausage and spinach ricotta ravioli with tomatoes and lemon, and one-pan beef stir-fry tacos with tangy slaw, crispy fried onions, and sriracha mayo.
What we’d leave: A number of BA contributors and staffers have tested HelloFresh over the years, and one common complaint is that product quality or longevity can be a bit hit or miss.
Click here for our full review of HelloFresh.
The best prepared high-protein meal delivery service for most people: Factor
Tested and reviewed by: April Benshosan, contributor; Alaina Chou, commerce writer
Pros:
- Easy, and cheaper than takeout
- Flavorful and satisfying
- Up to 60-plus options in a given week
Cons:
- Can get repetitive
- Portions may feel small for some
Type of meal delivery service: Prepared
Plan options: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, or 18 meals per week
Average meal price: $12.49–$14.99, depending on plan size
Shipping fee: Yes; $10.99 after first order
Meal types: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, smoothies, extra proteins, juices
- Honey Butter Chicken Breast
- Parmesan & Garlic Cream Shredded Beef
- Horseradish Crusted Chicken
- Ginger Teriyaki Salmon
About Factor: Factor’s line of premade microwavable meals are ready after a quick zap in the microwave. They’re dietitian-approved, according to Factor’s website, and marketed toward the health and wellness-minded.
What we love: Microwaveable tray meals are hard to execute, and after years of testing by multiple staffers and contributors, our consensus is that Factor makes excellent prepared meals. Most Factor dishes follow a protein plus starch plus veggie format that, while simple, means the meals feel both balanced and satisfying. Proteins tend to be well-cooked and nicely seasoned, and dishes are flavorful across the board. When contributor April Benshosan tested the service recently, she was shocked by “how juicy and well-cooked the chicken breast was in every single Factor meal.” When I tested the service for two weeks, I found the same to be true—in fact, the poultry dishes I, Alaina, ordered (namely the Green Chile Chicken and Homestyle Turkey and Gravy) turned out to be my favorites.
But of course, there are plenty of tasty prepared meal delivery services out there. The thing that sets Factor apart is the sheer number of high-protein options available each week (I most recently counted over 60). “High protein” means something different for every service on this list, but Factor seems to reserve this label for meals with 30 or more grams of protein (though I spotted a decent number of offerings with over 40 grams).
What we’d leave: While Factor offers dozens of high protein options, the samey-samey format can become repetitive if you’re eating them for weeks at a time. Benshosan also notes that the meals can be pretty high in sodium, with some containing more than 20% of the recommended daily value. “That wasn’t a deal-breaker for me because each meal made up about a third or a fourth of my total daily calories (and I like to think I need the extra electrolytes since I sweat out a lot of sodium at the gym), but it’s something to keep in mind depending on your dietary needs,” she writes.
Click here for our full review of Factor’s high-protein meals.
The best high-protein meal delivery service for people who live to eat: CookUnity
Tested and reviewed by: Noah Kaufman, senior commerce editor
Pros:
- Well-spiced and seasoned
- Impressive texture on some challenging ingredients (even out of the microwave)
- Wide range of cuisines, even when filtered to high-protein only
- Filling portions
Cons:
- High-protein filter is a little hard to find
- Some meals can be very high in fat and calories
Type of meal delivery service: Prepared
Plan options: 4, 6, 8, 12, or 16 meals per week
Average meal price: $11–$14, depending on plan size
Shipping fee: Yes (price varies per plan size and location)
Meal types: Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, dessert, extra proteins, juices
- Blue Cheese, Dates & Chicken Salad and Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
- Baked Swai Taco Bowl with Brown Rice and Lime Crema
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese Wrap with Chipotle Aioli
- Mole Chicken Enchiladas with Veggie Rice
About CookUnity: In all our years of testing meal delivery services, CookUnity has always produced the most culinary prepared meals. The company signs up chefs to develop meals, many of them big names like Pierre Thiam, Jose Garces, and Michelle Bernstein. Meals come to your door fresh (as opposed to frozen or half-frozen like lots of other prepared meal delivery services).
