After Testing More Than 50 Meal Delivery Services, These Are the 8 We Recommend for Diabetes-Friendly Meals

In testing, we loved that the meals felt fresh and exciting, drawing on seasonal and global inspiration with dishes like Seared Salmon With Brussels Sprouts and Dried Cranberry Caesar Salad or Chickpea and Eggplant Tagine With Dried Apricots and Spiced Almonds. Meals we tried generally felt like they offered high-quality ingredients prepared in tasty and unique combinations. While most meals can’t be customized, you can swap proteins on some, opting for chicken, steak, salmon, etc.

While the service also offers premade meals and an abundance of add-ons for breakfast, quick-fix lunches, easy-prep sides, snacks, and additional raw proteins, its meal kits are the only ones that expressly include diabetes-specific offerings. Kits start at $11.49 per serving; prepared meals follow closely at $9.99 per serving; and add-ons vary in price but are comparable to what you’d find in an organic grocery store. While the price point may be on the higher end, so is the quality, and with evidence-based nutrition on diabetes-friendly meals, we highly recommend this option — especially for meal kits.

Our impressions during testing definitely line up with the nutrition values from Green Chef: We noted that the meals were very produce-driven and included a fantastic variety of whole grains, legumes, and nonstarchy vegetables. Menus include seasonal flavors like Chicken With Maple Fig Sauce, Cranberry-Pistachio Farro Pilaf, and Parmesan Rainbow Carrots or trending ingredients in dishes like Harissa Barramundi With Hot Honey Glaze, Kale Cauliflower “Rice,” Schug Sauce, and Almonds. Every week there is a new menu of more than 40 meal kits to select from. And while not all will be a part of the meal plans we recommend, there is plenty to choose from in those categories.

The price for Green Chef meal kits starts at $11.99 per serving — one of the higher costs among our favorites. But the portions seemed generous in testing, making the service feel like a decent value, especially given the organic ingredients. In addition to the standard menu of meal kits, there are also quite a few add-ons to choose from, including breakfasts, beverages, proteins, sides, snacks, appetizerss, desserts, and pantry staples to round out your weekly box. Green Chef also has the option of receiving nutrition coaching — including a free 20-minute session with one of their in-house dietitians — making the service a well-rounded option for diabetic-friendly meals and support.

Purple Carrot covers multiple categories that you’d find among meal delivery services, including cook-it-yourself kits that provide preportioned ingredients and recipes to follow, prepared meals (both fresh and frozen) for busy days to help you stay on track, and a grocery department where you can stock up on pantry staples, freezer favorites, convenient meals, and add-ons.

Meal kits are on a menu that rotates weekly, while other categories of offerings are more stable (like the grocery) or rotate less frequently (like the prepared meals).

We received a sample box for testing from Purple Carrot and loved the tasty flavors we achieved using the provided recipes as well as the filling and satisfying nature of the prepared meals. While the nutrition did vary, and we did see some sodium levels higher than 700 mg for a frozen meal, overall the content of the veggies, fiber, and protein felt robust to our testers. We do recommend reviewing the nutrition content of meals and other items because they may not all be diabetes-friendly, but Purple Carrot is definitely our pick for those who want to manage this condition while also being plant-based.

Some of the biggest concerns when ordering prepared meals from a meal delivery service are freshness and functionality — both qualities that Provenance nails, making it our go-to for prepared meals that work for diabetics. Provenance offers fresh, fully prepared meals in individual serving sizes, with two delivery dates each week so that meals never have to sit in your fridge for more than a few days. Each of the delivery dates also has its own menu of more than 40 entrées, creating more variety to choose from on a weekly basis.

While individual nutrition needs vary and there are multiple functional approaches to managing conditions under the umbrella of diabetes, Provenance meals make it easy to find meals on the menu that meet your needs. While meals don’t offer any customization, the menu is outfitted with a filter that allows customers to set their own nutrition criteria, whether that’s increasing protein, avoiding nuts, moderating carb intake, managing sodium, or all of the above. The good news is that even with multiple filters in place you’re likely to find plenty of meals to choose from.

In testing, we loved that the ordering process is simple, that there is no requirement for a subscription, and that if you do subscribe, it’s not hard to skip weeks or adjust your menus week to week. The price point is on the higher end, with meals that range from around $14 to about of $25 per serving, so this is more comparable to eating out than it is grocery shopping, but you’re ultimately paying for the convenience factor. For its ease, flavors, and function, we love Provenance for busy singles navigating diabetes or even couples with different dietary needs who want fresh and ready meals delivered right to their doorstep.

As you might expect, a service that focuses on medically tailored meals may not be the most epicurean dining experience, but our testing team (which included our expert’s 72-year-old dad) enjoyed the meals. Mom’s Meals offers several other menus that cater to specific health conditions or dietary restrictions, such as general wellness, gluten-free, heart-friendly, lower sodium, high protein, pureed, renal-friendly, and vegetarian, all of which you can browse before purchasing.

Most meals are approachable comfort foods like pasta, chili, mac and cheese, soups, lasagna, and stir-fry. The meals reheat well and offer a reasonable portion for someone with a smaller appetite while controlling nutrients of importance to each diet, taking the guesswork out of medical nutrition management.

Navigating health concerns like diabetes may have you feeling as if you need to become an expert chef and dietitian to be successful. But with services like Hungryroot, you can have homemade meals that come together in minutes and simplify nutrition. Not all meal kits make it so easy, but Hungryroot is all about the right mix of ease and variety.

The service keeps things simple in the kitchen, with most meals coming together in under 15 minutes and the ability to order only what you need, whether that’s meal kits, groceries, or even prepared meals. In testing, we felt the meals were so satisfying and easy to prepare that they felt more like assembly than really cooking. The variety also applies to the menu — which boasts more than 1,000 options — and the number of diets accommodated. We recommend exploring these filters because there’s so much to choose from, but be sure to review the nutrition on each meal because they vary quite a bit, and the “carb conscious” filter limits meals to 10 grams of carbs, which may not be appropriate for everyone.

The credit-based ordering system that allows the simultaneous purchase of groceries and meal kits felt a little complicated for us, but other tasks like skipping weeks or canceling are incredibly simple. We did like that the pricing started at a reasonable $9.69 per serving — well below what we’d probably spend having a meal out, but a bit above grocery store pricing — and shipping is free if your order is over $70. Hungryroot is an excellent choice for those who want a simpler, healthier at-home cooking experience. We love it for college students, couples, families, or singles with busy lives who want healthy defaults and not to spend all night sweating over the stove.

Navigating carbohydrates as both a diabetic and a gluten-free eater can feel complicated and limiting, but both diets can be medically necessary and important to follow. For those who need both, Epicured is here to save the day. Its totally preprepared fresh meals derive from a collaboration between chefs and dietitians and serve the gluten-free community as well as those with low-FODMAP needs (and a multitude of other medical diets).

If you don’t need to eat low FODMAP, then some of the ingredient restrictions may go beyond what you require, but Epicured does a great job of making the menus feel robust and varied. With more than 100 options to choose from that cover every meal period — not to mention holidays and seasonal offerings — there’s definitely something for everyone. Menu items range from green Thai curry to blueberry buckwheat pancakes to a shrimp burrito or provencal roast beef and lasagna, including a range of cuisine types and both hot and cold entrées. To find the more diabetic-friendly meals on the menu you can either review the nutrition for each meal or use the menu filter for meals under 50 g of total carbohydrates.

Testing found these meals to be a bit costly, but there was a high value placed on how vigilant the Epicured team is in ensuring your specific dietary needs are met. The meals all reheated very well, and the fresh options like salads and wraps all had great texture and crispness. Meals start around $15 per serving for an entrée and sometimes exceed $25 each, which can get expensive. We recommend checking out some of the bundles or opting for a subscription to take advantage of the discount and watching out for the shipping cost — it’s higher than most other services.

All in all, for the care and safety of these meals and the ease of having a fridge full of gluten-free and diabetes-friendly meals, we think Epicured is worth it.

When it comes to prepared meals, frozen options don’t get the credit they deserve: With significantly longer shelf lives and the same quick preparation time as fresh meals, we cannot recommend frozen options enough. Specifically, we love the approach that Daily Harvest takes with its fiber- and antioxidant-filled meals that make a great base or addition for busy folks looking to manage their blood sugar.

The menu from Daily Harvest is static but extensive, with options to cover any time of day. Choices include smoothies, breakfast bowls, pasta, harvest bowls, grains, soups, flatbreads, and sweets. The menu is fully plant-based and gluten-free, so it’s great for those looking to avoid dairy or opt for more produce in general. It’s immediately noticeable how plant-forward and focused the dishes are, with an emphasis on trendy ingredients like acai, green chickpeas, and dragonfruit as well as plenty of colorful produce, which means a wide variety of nutrients and antioxidants.

In testing, we felt that the meals were a bit heavy on sodium at times, but as that’s an individualized recommendation, it’s not necessarily disqualifying. We loved the depth of the ingredient library and the emphasis on whole foods that created satisfying and filling meals. While the portions might be light for some, testers also tried adding extra protein to the meals and found that to be a very workable option.

Ordering is mainly à la carte, with no requirement for a subscription, though there are some meal bundles to choose from if you don’t know where to start. One meal bundle in particular that is “blood sugar friendly” is curated by a dietitian and certified diabetes educator. Just know that shipping is an additional $9.99 per order, and there’s a $50 order minimum. There are discounts as you order more, so stock up your freezer with plant-rich, fiber-filled, and freezer-friendly meals.