I Struggle to Find Time to Make Lunch, so I Tested CookUnity Prepared Meal Delivery

Since the school year started, I’ve been playing the same scene on repeat: It’s 2 p.m., and I’m grouchy and tired because I haven’t had time to make lunch. I’m a mom of four kids, a graduate student, and a freelance writer. My days often speed by at a dizzying pace, and it’s easy to skip meals because I’m so short on time.

CookUnity markets itself as delivering the “freshest, best-tasting” meals. Per the website, each week it adds new meals created by Michelin-starred chefs. Knowing I get bored easily with prepared meals, I love the idea of something that is gourmet and the chance to try something new each week. So I ordered 16 meals in a single box, hoping to get a good sampling of what might, or might not, satiate my cravings. Here’s my honest review after eating CookUnity meals for a week.

I started the sign-up process by entering my ZIP code on the CookUnity homepage. I was first asked how many meals I wanted, and because I was interested in getting a wide variety, I selected 16 and moved on to the next question. Immediately, I regretted my choice — I worried that I wouldn’t be able to eat 16 meals, even if my spouse had some too. I tried to go back and lower my choice to 12, but the only way to do that was to cancel my order and start over, which meant losing the 50 percent off promotion I was using. I forged on with the 16 meals.

From there, CookUnity asked about dietary preferences: paleo, keto, vegetarian, vegan, mediterranean, pescatarian, or “I eat everything.” Since I do eat everything, I chose that option.

Next, I selected three proteins to help narrow down my meal choices and indicated if I have any allergies. Then I picked what I wanted delivered the following week from a long list of meals.

Choosing the Meals

Based on my answers to the sign-up questions, CookUnity initially suggested about 30 meals. I wasn’t obligated to pick from these, however, and I was able to remove filters or add new filters to change my options. I could also view all available meals for that week.

I made these choices:

• Sesame Salmon
• Seared Chicken With Thai Basil-Coconut Sauce
• Chicken Cacciatore With Braised Tomato-Olive Sauce
• Grilled Salmon With Cherry Tomato Sauce
• Pesto Chicken Bowl
• Grilled Vegetable Salad With Chicken Breast
• Kale Salad With Herb-Marinated Chicken
• Coconut-Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs
• Pan-Seared Cajun Salmon
• Shrimp and Herbed Cauliflower Rice
• Mediterranean Salmon and Quinoa Bowl
• Fabio's Caesar Salad With Blackened Salmon
• Mission-Style Chicken Burrito
• Macho Mexican Cheeseburger
• Beef Birria Quesadillas
• Lemongrass Pork Belly Banh Mi

A few options allowed me to upgrade to a premium ingredient, like a better cut of meat, for an additional cost, though I didn’t choose any of these. I had until the Monday of the week before my delivery date to change my selections.

CookUnity advertises add-ons like breakfast and treats, but I wasn’t able to add either. It is possible these aren't available where I live in the Midwest, as the options presented to customers are regionally based.

The focus at CookUnity is primarily on who created your meals, not where the ingredients are sourced. The website makes no mention of organic or locally sourced ingredients.

On my scheduled delivery date, communication from CookUnity about the arrival time was sparse. Though I received two emails and two text messages from the company, these were marketing messages with no information about my actual delivery (like a tracking number or estimated time of arrival.)

Around 4 o’clock in the afternoon, I started to worry that my order wasn’t going to arrive — I still hadn’t gotten a shipping notification. (A previous tester at Everyday Health who ordered from CookUnity received the box several days late, and all the meals had spoiled.) So I logged in to my account and saw that my order was out for delivery, expected to arrive between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. A few minutes later, I got my first text stating my order was out for delivery, and then it arrived at 4:49 p.m.

CookUnity packaged my meals in four layers with large ice packs between them. The ice packs were still frozen, and my meals were still cold when they arrived. Unfortunately, one of the ice packs was leaking gel on one of the meals. I threw that one out just to be safe. Everything in the package was recyclable, except for the ice packs. These were not the kind you drain in your sink, and I put them in the trash.

Preparing the Meals

CookUnity delivers prepared meals, so the directions for reheating were on the packaging.

The instructions said to heat the meals in an oven for 12 to 15 minutes or in a microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Most of the meals had a component that needed to be removed to stay cold, like lettuce and tomato for the burger, dressings, pico de gallo, and coleslaw. I heated some of the meals in the container they came in, with the film removed, but had to move a few to a baking sheet and spread out the ingredients.

All of the meals heated up in the allotted time, and I didn’t need any additional ingredients to prepare the meals, which was nice.

Tasting the Meals

All in all, I really enjoyed several CookUnity meals; a few were good but not amazing; and one I couldn’t finish after one bite.

My favorite meals included the Sesame Salmon, which had steamed bok choy on the side, and the Beef Birria Quesadillas, which had a great cinnamon flavor and delicious, melty cheese. I also liked the Mission-Style Chicken Burrito, which my kids and I split — we even had a friendly argument over who would get the last bite.

The Grilled Vegetable Salad With Chicken Breast was also good; the veggies held up well, and the dressing was enjoyable, although I felt that the veggie portion was too small. I felt similarly about the Mediterranean Salmon and Quinoa Bowl and added fresh greens to fill it out some. Banh mi is one of my favorite meals when I eat out, so I was excited for a convenient way to have it at home, and this version did not disappoint. When my mom was over for the day, she tried the Pan-Seared Cajun Salmon and said it was one of the better prepared meals she’s eaten (she’s tried Factor and BlueApron in the past).

Some of the other meals I tasted with my family were good but not amazing. My spouse tried the Macho Mexican Cheeseburger and liked the burger, but the yucca fries didn’t reheat well and had a grainy texture. My oldest daughter, who loves shrimp, ate the Shrimp and Herbed Cauliflower Rice, and said the sauce and the shrimp were delicious, but the cauliflower rice was mushy. I shared the Chicken Cacciatore With Braised Tomato-Olive Sauce with my mom, and we agreed that the protein, sauce, and olives were good, but the mashed potatoes had a strange texture.

Fabio's Caesar Salad With Blackened Salmon was the only meal I didn’t finish. I made the mistake of going all-in on the dressing right away, only to learn it was very thick and overwhelming. I also felt the salmon was abnormally fishy — and I’m a salmon lover! The result was very unappetizing.

When I compared the meals to the photos, the quality was very similar to what was pictured, but the quantity seemed smaller. This was especially true of anything with veggies as the base: The salads and bowls had less than what was pictured.

The good news is that this is where CookUnity seems to thrive.

“The way that I think about nutrition is trying not to get too deep into specifics,” says Lauren Boline, RD. “Knowing that you are eating a lot of variety and a lot of balanced meals, then you’re going to be covering your bases when it comes to micronutrients.”

Based on the menu I reviewed, this meal service isn’t repeating the same ingredients week after week. Boline points out that there is a lot of color in the pictures, which is a clue that there are a lot of vitamins and minerals in the meals.

Referencing the nutrient information online and on the packaging, Boline says that CookUnity does a great job balancing macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbohydrates). This is an important part of creating a balanced plate that will meet your nutritional needs and satisfy your hunger.

One downside that Boline notes is the lack of additional information. The website and packaging only list ingredients, calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates, and fail to disclose micronutrients. Specifically, Boline says that prepared meals tend to be higher in sodium and saturated fats, and it would be beneficial for customers to know how much they’re eating of each so they can be mindful of their intake for the rest of the day based on their individual health needs.

Convenience is an important factor in eating a balanced diet for many people. A nutritious diet should be sustainable and realistic with your lifestyle, and having the option to microwave or warm a meal in the oven with little prep time makes that possible.

“One of the most common things I counsel people on is learning how to actually eat enough food consistently throughout the day to get adequate nutrition,” says Boline. “I feel like this is a super valuable resource to incorporate — a really nice balance of carbs, fiber, fat, and protein.”

Since CookUnity focuses on prepared meals over meal kits you prepare at home. It is most similar to Factor but shares some similarities with Blue Apron and Purple Carrot, which offer both prepared meals and meal kits.

CookUnity is one of the more affordable options, with meals costing between $11.09 and $12.29. The meals at Factor are slightly more expensive, between $11.49 and $13.99 each, while Purple Carrot meals are $13 each. CookUnity is slightly more expensive than Blue Apron, which costs between $9.49 and $11.99 per serving for prepared meals.

As far as nutrition, CookUnity offers a wide variety of meal options each week that could fit with a number of dietary plans. It clearly labels meals so it is easy to pick the right one for you, whether you’re looking for a gluten-free, low-calorie, or lower-carb option. It was easy to modify menu choices according to your preferences or dietary restrictions, and CookUnity seemed to have a good variety of meal types and ingredients when compared with Purple Carrot, Blue Apron, and Factor. For example, Purple Carrot offers only vegan and vegetarian meals, and Tempo by Home Chef doesn’t have any meatless options. Similarly to Purple Carrot, Blue Apron, and Factor, CookUnity has vegan and vegetarian meals, unlike Tempo by Home Chef.

Flavor and variety are where CookUnity stands out. The meals are marketed as created by Michelin-starred chefs, and although I don’t think it is possible to deliver Michelin-star quality food via delivery at an accessible price point, the service brings customers new and interesting flavors from a variety of culinary traditions.

After testing 16 meals at CookUnity, I think the company does a great job delivering fresh meals while maintaining the quality of the ingredients. I enjoyed that the meals used a wide variety of proteins, veggies, grains, and culinary styles. CookUnity is a flexible prepared meal service, letting customers choose each meal based on their dietary preferences, health goals, or allergies. It’s a particularly great option for people who live alone, work from home, or don’t have time to make themselves meals in the middle of the day.

Compared with similar meal services, CookUnity is competitively priced, making it a good option for someone looking for affordable prepared meals. If you need prepared meal deliveries because of a busy schedule but are easily bored eating the same thing week after week, and you consider yourself an adventurous eater, CookUnity is worth a try.

At Everyday Health, we’re currently testing over 50 meal delivery services to find the best. We use a standard form to evaluate each service independently. This guarantees we’re testing each meal delivery service using the same standards, including researching the companies ahead of time to get an idea of their business practices and consulting with registered dietitians about the nutrition value of the meals.

I’m a health journalist, and I personally tested the meals from CookUnity, giving my honest opinion on delivery, taste, portions, and cost for the value provided. I looked closely at the variety of meals available and the ingredients used so I could give an accurate assessment of what a customer can expect from their first meal delivery from CookUnity. I also consulted with Lauren Boline, an RD and intuitive eating coach, in order to evaluate the nutritional value of the meals I received in order to determine how healthy Cook Unity's meals truly are.