If you’re finding yourself rotating between the same three recipes each week or reaching for the takeout menu more often than not, it might be time to delve into the realm of meal kits.
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Delivered to your doorstep through a weekly subscription service, meal kits take the thinkwork out of dinnertime with their pre-measured ingredients and straightforward recipe cards.
Catering to a variety of dietary requirements – such as plant-based, family-friendly and calorie smart – cooking from these kits not only aids nutrition but jazzes up the range of dishes in your repertoire.
This simplification of decision-making come mealtime also reduces unnecessary food waste (R.I.P. the head of cauliflower you bought two Woolies trips ago, adamant you’d use it in something, but still sits limp at the back of the crisper).
Though, with many options on the market for different meal kit providers, choosing the best meal kit for your needs can seem a daunting task.
The best meal kits to subscribe to in Australia
To make your choice easier, we’ve done the research and have rounded up some of the best meal kits and readymade meal subscriptions in Australia that are easy, affordable and oh so yum.
Marley Spoon

3 meals for 2 people per week: $74.94 + $10.49 shipping
Pros: dietary requirement-friendly, good for variety
Choose from a range of recipes weekly that are crafted by chefs and are nutritionist-approved. With options aplenty for meat and fish, fast, healthy, vegetarian, vegan, family-friendly, reduced carb and no added gluten, Marley Spoon probably offers the most variety and choice of the various meal kit providers.
Make-Out Meals

3 meals for 2 people per week: $93
Pros: choose either a one-off box or weekly subscription, or even dinner party packs
Level up your mid-week meals and get cosy with recipes from some of your favourite restaurants with weekly meal kits packed full of all the fresh and unique ingredients you would need, as well as secret sauces and spice mixes directly from the restaurants themselves.
Lee Ho Fook joins Make-Out Meals’ current roster, which includes Entrecote, Mamasita, Coda and over 40 other leading restaurants from around the country.
HelloFresh

3 meals for 2 people per week: $70 + $9.99 shipping
Pros: snacks, desserts and sides also available
Selected as Choice’s ‘best meal kit provider’ in both 2019 and 2020, HelloFresh offers more than 25 fresh recipes each week – plus a changing selection of snacks, desserts and sides (with vegetarian, calorie smart, family-friendly, quick and easy, and gourmet options).
Dinnerly

3 meals for 2 people per week: $50.94 + $10.49 shipping
Pros: big on variety, simple recipes
Focusing on quality of ingredients and simplicity in recipe, Dinnerly approaches dinnertime in five steps with six ingredients that can be made into a meal in under 30 minutes. With easy family-friendly recipes to choose from each week, dinnertime is made easy.
EveryPlate

3 meals for 2 people per week: $48 + $9.99 shipping
Pros: most affordable, 4-step recipes
Coming in as the most budget-friendly meal kit on the list, EveryPlate offers a range of 22 classic, family-friendly, flexitarian and vegetarian meals each week that are made in just four steps.
The best readymade meal subscriptions
Although not quite meal kits in the sense that these babies don’t require any DIY…we’ve taken it upon ourselves to round up the best readymade meal subscriptions that also take the fuss out of meal prepping.
Weight Watchers

1-month membership for 1 person: $42.50
Pros: high protein, portion control
Created by qualified chefs and nutritionists, WW‘s range of readymade meals is high in protein, fresh not frozen and full of flavour. Don’t worry, vegetarian and plant-based eaters, you’re also catered for!
MACROS

7 meals for 1 person per week: $82.95
Pros: high protein, option for macro-optimised meals
Chef-made and dietitian-designed, MACROS offers plant-based, paleo, low carb, no-added-nuts and dairy-free readymade meals that are pre-portioned and delivered fresh. With meal plans for a variety of health goals including fitness, Macros is a particularly great pick for the avid gym-goer.
Soulara

7 meals for 1 person per week: $86.10
Pros: plant-based, low in sugar, breakfast available
Soulara offers plant-based lunches and dinners that are low in sugar, calorie-controlled, and high in protein. Arriving fresh at your door, you can also take your pick of breakfast faves like chia puddings and raspberry oats among the 50 seasonal menu items.
Garden of Vegan

$100 off your first 4 orders
Pros: organic plant-based whole-foods, gluten and oil free, refined sugar, preservative and additive free
Offering meal plans suited to various fitness and wellness objectives, Garden of Vegan offers 100 per cent organic plant-based ready-meals delivered all across Australia. Your personal meal plan will be prepared using premium certified organic ingredients, and then delivered fresh to your door.
Youfoodz

Up to $200 off your first 5 boxes with the code ‘YF200’
Pros: plans are all no-lock-in and completely flexible
Every week, choose from 60 Youfoodz meals, including exciting new meals and all-time favourites. You can also select from a range of plans that cater to different health, fitness and nutrition goals so that your plan is just right.