Meal kits and tasty subscriptions for those of us who express love by feeding people

HelloFresh

The HelloFresh meal ingredient delivery kit offers something for everyone. There’s a vegetarian plan, a classic plan and a family plan that offers ingredients that adults and kids will both love. Each week HelloFresh provides aspiring cooks with three recipes, including one from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. And for every HelloFresh box sold, the company donates to Oliver’s charity, Jamie’s Food Foundation. HelloFresh also offers flexible subscription plans — choose meals for two to four people and from three to five meals each week ($9 – $10/meal).

First-time custmers get $35 off their first box using the discount code SHEKNOWS35.

SheKnows senior social media editor Kat Lapelosa tried this one. “It’s great for people who like to cook or want to try cooking more, but don’t have time to shop or plan meals. The ingredients are portioned out, so you’re never stuck buying a whole bag of rice for one cup’s worth of a recipe.”

Munchery

Looking to eat healthier meals at home, but still not thrilled at the prospect of doing all that hands-on cooking? Munchery meets you in the middle, delivering ready-to-heat meal kits to your door, most of which are ready to devour in just 15 minutes. Depending on your location, users can order meals on demand, get same-day delivery or order meals up to a week in advance. Those living outside of the membership area can order weekly cooking kits, all of which can be made in about 15 minutes. Best of all, every time you order a meal, Munchery donates a meal to a local food bank ($4 – $19/meal or $52/week).

“This service has saved my life!” Kat Lapelosa, who’s also tried this one, says. “It’s slightly more expensive than a meal service like Blue Apron or HelloFresh, but on par with delivery pricing (when delivery fees and tip is factored in). What it saves you is time, and for me, that’s worth the price. You can pick out your meal the day of and there are lots of different options, which are ultimately healthier than most takeout places anyway. There are even kids meals!”

Raw Spice Bar

For adventurous chefs or those looking to expand their palate, Raw Spice Bar is a monthly subscription box that sends you three freshly ground spice kits every month, enough to make three meals for 3 to 4 people. It’s a great way to try new flavors without having to commit to a full-size bottle of a fancy new spice blend ($6 – $8/month).

EATTIAMO

SheKnows VP of audience development Deborah Kadetsky gave us this tip: “My first EATTIAMO Italian food box actually inspired my vacation to the Cinque Terre this summer! The monthly subscription arrives with seven full-size items from small Italian producers, along with beautiful photos and simple recipes. The entire package can be used to create a three-course meal for four people (typically a savory appetizer, a pasta main course and a sweet for dessert). Or I’ve served them as shared plates for friends with a bottle of vino!” Check out EATTIAMO’s Instagram if you’re ready for the temptation ($54-69 per box). Use coupon code “SHEKNOWS” on the payment page for 20% off.

P.F. Chang’s via Chef’d

Fans of the restaurant can make some of their favorites at home via the Chef’d P.F. Chang’s collection ($27 – $35 per meal). Food editor Adriana Velez got to try out a couple of the entrées. “The recipes are easy to follow and the flavors are bright and fun. I like that you can tweak their recipes if you want, using less sugar or salt if you want to, for your own customized version.” Check out the Chef’d gift cards.

Graze box

For busy college students or people working long hours who can’t seem to find the time to eat more healthily, Graze is the answer. Each month, receive a box filled with healthy, portion-controlled snacks. On their site, you can pick out a selection of snacks that suit your preferences, and you’ll receive a hand-picked box of eight snacks weekly, every two weeks or once a month ($12/month).

Vegan Cuts

A perfect gift for food-lovers who don’t eat meat or dairy, each month Vegan Cuts sends a box of 10 or more snacks that range from sweet to savory and back again to your door ($19 – $23/month).

MunchPak

For compulsive snackers always looking for something new, enter MunchPak. MunchPak sends customers monthly boxes of snacks sourced from around the world, both sweet and savory, so you’re never left fumbling through the cupboards for a box of stale raisins or the crumbs at the bottom of a bag of chips. Choose from a box of five, 10 or 20 snacks each month ($10 – $45/month).

Cups

If you live in NYC, Philadelphia, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, Connecticut or the Bay Area and love coffee, Cups could be the gift for you. Cups is a coffee subscription app that allows you to pay for drinks at hundreds of local cafés in your city ahead of time, saving money in the long run. You can use your Cups money to pay for any drink at eligible cafés for any size beverage that you choose. Prices are pretty great, especially if you go for gourmet coffee — you can get five cups of coffee for $18, 15 cups for $51 or opt for an unlimited monthly subscription ($18 – $120). New users who sign up with the SHEKNOWS discount code get an extra $5 credit.

This is another one of Kat’s favorites. “This app makes it ridiculously easy to order and enjoy coffee in select cities. The packages subsidize the cost of your favorite brews from locally owned coffee shops. So your money goes back into your local community’s economy. Plus, everything is done through the app — no cash required, even for tips!” 

Red Velvet NYC

Red Velvet NYC makes baking impressive sweet treats a cinch. Order a dessert kit online, and they’ll ship you their expert-tested recipe and pre-measured ingredients so you can whip up a professional-quality dessert at home. Choose from recipes like brioche bread pudding and fancy birthday cake, or from baking kits that include ingredients, tools and accessories, like Baking 101 and the gluten-free Dinner Party Set ($49 – $74/kit, $24 – $36/recipe).

See why SheKnowsfood editor Adriana Velez loves Red Velvet NYC. 

Farm To People

Handpicked artisanal products straight to your doorstep. Farm to People is the perfect gift for hipster food fiends and condiment obsessives who are looking for carefully crafted products to add to their pantries. Choose from a box of three to four products or five to eight products each month ($30 – $50/month).

Mouth

Mouth has a food subscription for everyone — you can choose from 18 different monthly boxes. Make a selection from categories like coffee, pickles, “indie-gredients,” whiskey and “best of Mouth,” and receive a monthly box of treats in that category ($38 – $105/month).

Try the World

For foodies with a taste for the international, you can’t go wrong with Try the World. Each monthly box contains seven to eight gourmet foods from a different country. Right now, they’re featuring a Michelin-inspired holiday box with items like date spread from Israel, South African toffee and more ($29 – $39/month).

Sun Basket

Sun Basket is a service that sends organic and non-GMO ingredients to your door. You can choose from gluten-free, paleo and vegetarian options, with meals like Middle Eastern lamb-beef patties with pear chutney and cauliflower rice. They’ve also partnered with Williams-Sonoma to offer recipes for their meal kits and product offerings. Food editor Adriana tried out some of the meals and loved them. “It’s exactly how I like to cook when I’ve got my act totally together, which isn’t often enough.” ($75 – $144/month)

Meal kits and tasty subscriptions